Winner's Interview with Koshkii

February 28th, 2017

We asked Koshkii a few questions after her victory in the FSL Season 2 Playoffs.

Congratulations for winning the second season playoffs of the FSL! You went through this season undefeated in every series, went 13:0 through season mode and 3:0 in the playoffs but there were some very close 3:2 BO5s as well. Which matches were the ones where you were the most afraid of indeed losing?

Thanks! My very first series was with Miezekotze and I was pretty worried about that. Mieze knows my style and I find it difficult to play a macro game with her. I was also concerned about Miyako. Even though she was offracing she has great mechanics and game knowledge. And, of course Suno was a big concern as well, especially when going into the playoffs. She practices very hard and it really shows.

Regular viewers will have realized that Sunokasuri has become kind of a Nemesis for you lately. What is it that you respect about her play so much?

She's really good at studying her opponents and predicting what you'll do. Our first series really opened my eyes to that, even though I knew she had that sort of reputation. I remember expecting proxy hatches, baneling busts...only to find out she was countering my style the entire time. I also have to respect the aggressive play. She's very good at her timing attacks.

When did you start playing Starcraft and what attracted you about the game?

I started playing when HOTS came out... so I think that was early 2013? I've been playing for four years now, if that's the case. I really loved the competitive nature of the game. I loved the thrill of winning and crafting new strategies when you're losing. I love working hard to improve, getting promoted, and working even harder for the next promotion.

What do you particularly like about playing Protoss? What are the things that drive you crazy when playing the race?

I really like the range of aggressive builds you can do with Protoss. You can do 2 base air pushes, 2 base robo attacks, a whole slew of 1 base cheese, as well as 3 base timing attacks. I love having multiple timing attacks in my arsenal. I also love Immortals. They're my favorite unit :)

What drives me crazy? This might sound weird, but pylons. One pylon in the wrong spot in the early game can mean death since you need overcharge to defend an early push. I can't count how many times I've lost games because I've had bad pylon positioning. I'm also not a fan of Disruptors. I love watching people play a Disruptor style, but playing with the unit myself drives me nuts. I'm too impatient for it.

You are a multiple Masters League player known for your sharply executed timing pushes and the occasional cheese. How long did it take you to learn all that?

For a while I was strictly a macro player. I knew no cheeses and no timing attacks, and I really struggled. I asked a real life friend at a LAN party what was an option for improvement and he said: "Just Immo-Sentry all in every game". That advice took me far. I started learning more allins and found I was having a lot of fun doing so. I experimented with different pushes and found what worked and what didn't (I still am, really). So, it took me a good year or so to really get good with them I think? I'm still learning, honestly :)

Did anyone help you with it? Coaches, practice partners?

I've been coached a few times and have had many practice partners. A lot of awesome people have helped me practice strategies and provided feedback. Some have even given me their own builds to play with! It reminds me of how much I really enjoy interacting with the SC2 community.

How did you prepare for the matches throughout the season and in the playoffs? Did you prepare at all?

I prepared for every matchup. I would watch vods of my opponents playing and start working on strats for them or perfecting my current builds to make sure my timings were crisp. I have a notebook on my desk full of strats my opponents have used in games in the past and when their attacks hit!

As the season end drew closer I really spent more time on learning new builds since I was getting very predictable. I spent even more time in PvZ practice as the semis approached. I knew Suno was preparing just as hard and I knew that if I wanted to go past her I needed to really give it my all.

What would you say, is your best and worst matchup right now and why?

My best matchup right now is PvZ. I've spent so much time in FSL learning new PvZ builds that it's really helped out on ladder, too! My timing attacks always helped me succeed in PvZ, but now being able to macro with air builds has been a huge help.

My worst matchup by far is PvT. I have poor map vision and it really shows. Drops surprise me and many times I miss the army move out and I don't know it's approaching until the Liberation Zones start to appear. F2 is the culprit in all of this. F2 moves my Observers and concentrates my army in one area, leaving me vulnerable to multi-pronged aggression. Good news, though! The day after FSL ended I started my "no F2 regimen". It's tough, but it's so worth it in the end.

What do you do when you don't play Starcraft?

Sleep and eat.

Jokes aside, I read a ton since our library is a ten minute walk away. Miyako's gotten me back into WoW, so I've been playing that a lot lately, too. Oh, and this is going to sound really nerdy, but with spring coming up I get into being an "armchair meteorologist". I watch storm chasing live streams and try to better understand where and when severe storms will hit. Growing up in Missouri really ignited a passion for weather in me.

Why did you join the FSL and how have you liked your membership so far?

I joined the FSL looking for some fun competition and I feel like I've gotten so much more than that. I've made new friends and practicing for the games has really helped me improve. I really love being in the FSL :)

We all know you and your husband are awaiting a little baby boy. How will this effect your possibilities to practice Starcraft 2? Can we expect to see you again in Season 3?

I have no idea. This is our first child so everything is new. I imagine it will really cut into my SC2 practice time, but that's okay. I think I'll still get some time to practice and stream, but much much less than I currently have. I still plan to stay around for season 3. I won't be able to practice as much for it, but I still want to play and have fun.

Any shout-outs? Where can people find you, if they'd like to see more of you?

So many shout-outs, yes! First off, to my husband for always being there to support me. He logs on whenever I need to practice and acts as a virtual punching bag for all my build testing.

Also to Shyrshadi and his clan as well, who also took time out to help me with my builds and point out their weaknesses. Shyr especially put in hours to help me practice and I really appreciate that.

I want to give a special thanks to Grizzly and Poizon, who provided some massive moral support for me, especially during the semifinals. When I was down 0-2 I thought I was going to lose the playoffs. They still had so much belief in me. They knew I could do it. Their support really helped push me through!

Of course, I want to thank my clan Rival Gaming also. They were rooting for me the whole way through and provided me with builds and great feedback as well. I've been in Rival for over a year now and am very thankful for them.

And thanks Judeau for putting this all together! I've had a blast :D

You can find me at Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook all under KoshkiiSC.

Thank you very much for the interview and congratulations again for becoming the second FSL Champion!