Polt. The Terran hero.
Go back a few months. To March of this year. The first Premier StarCraft 2 tournament I ever watched. A certain Terran player named Choi Seong Hun more widely knows as "Polt" destroyed all before him to win his 8th StarCraft 2 championship in Katowice. As I was very new to the Pro Scene Polt's win to me seemed a surprise. The casters constantly seemed, throughout the early stages of IEM Katowice, to emphasize how good this guy used to be. However, more importantly was how they were emphasizing that he is past his best and no where near the peak of his powers and is no longer one of the favorites. Polt then preceded to crush all before him sealing his place at The WCS Finals and proving his doubters wrong.
Rewind almost a year to the finals of WCS Season 1. My second StarCarft 2 tournament viewing. Again the casters saying how Polt was past his best. This time, however, I was not surprised. Polt proving his doubters wrong. The most impressive part of that tournament was the final. Hydra, who was competing in his first major offline tournament outside of Korea swept all before him in very impressive fashion before the final. The final seemed like it was going the same way. Hydra's constant flood of Zerglings, Banelings and Mutas seemed insurmountable. Polt, 3 1 down seemed down and out. Hydra seemed unbeatable in one game now Polt had to win three in a row. Again he proved everyone wrong winning 3 on the bounce and lifting his 5th Premier StarCraft 2 title.
Fast Forward again to what will be his last major StarCraft 2 tournament for a while. DreamHack Montreal. The same sentiments were mentioned. Was Polt finally becoming mortal? Was Polt past his best? Polt's side of the bracket included fellow 2016 champions PtitDrogo, Nerchio and uThermal, the ever improving Scarlett and most people's choice for best foreigner Neeb. He was counted out again. Even by me. ( I was now extremely familiar with the StarCraft 2 scene.) He made it through the bracket to make the final. This included an impressive win over Neeb where Polt seemed the much superior player. An even more heartening performance against Drogo preceded the win over Neeb. 2 0 down, Polt seemed he had no answer to Drogo. Drogo was playing the kind of StarCraft 2 that made him champion in Leipzig and the task seemed impossible for a now seemingly 'mortal' Polt. Then through the use of much patience with his micro Polt turned around another series. He did not get the fairy tale ending he deserved losing to TRUE in the final but Polt kept proving everyone wrong throughout the tournament.
Polt epitomizes what it means to be a Terran. Not the Terran you think of in Multiplayer but in the story we have grown to love. The Terran seemingly in the StarCraft story always are constantly facing insurmountable odds and then overcome those odds. Polt will fight even though it seems the battle is lost. Polt is and always has been that kind of pro gamer. You just watch his stream and Polt is constantly telling you how behind he is and he just almost always seems to win. Even behind in Army Supply or behind by 20 SCV's or if he is way behind in tech he will win a helluva lot more than he loses. No game or series or tournament or career is over until Polt says so. This is not only a tribute to the gamer we have come to love. This is also to tell all Polt's haters and doubters (if Polt ever does come back to StarCraft 2) to not count him out. He will be back and mark my words he will carry on exactly where he left off. It is a massive shame he will not compete in The WCS Finals where I am sure he was looking forward to a few Korean scalps (including Neeb).
Polt is not only a Terran Hero, not only a StarCraft hero, not only a Pro Gamer hero but a role model to all. No odds are to big. Polt you will be sorely missed. The South Korean army is gaining a true warrior. You truly have made Terran great again and I look forward to seeing you lift another trophy real soon.
