:: Prologue || Foreword :: What if it were somehow possible to transcend time and space? What if one could hear tales of distant generations from far-away lands, to harvest their wisdom, discard their folly, to somehow transport that knowledge back to this moment, now, and harness it for one’s personal glory? What if…?

Carl Jung idolized symbols. He often spoke of symbols in the same tones one might expect a Buddhist to use when referencing a bodhisattva who seeks to attain Nirvana. To him, symbols were a mysterious, mystical force that live on throughout the ages. To quote the great man himself,  

“There is a thinking in primordial images, in symbols which are older than the historical man, which are inborn in him from the earliest times, eternally living, outlasting all generations, still make up the groundwork of the human psyche. It is only possible to live the fullest life when we are in harmony with these symbols; wisdom is a return to them.” –Carl Jung

Certain symbols or motifs, certain personalities or archetypes will appear from culture to culture and from generation to generation. Many times the names of these archetypes change, but the underlying principles and design will remain the same.

On this presumption, this mini-series will analyze six archetypes that constantly rear their heads in gaming communities. The archetypal names will be contemporary and yet by the completion of this series the reader will find him- or herself awestruck by the timelessness of this story. The reader is urged to consider the facts and anecdotes presented herein at a level beyond the surface as in so-doing the true eeriness of this tale shall emerge.  

“I have long understood that losing always comes with the territory when you wander into the gambling business, just as getting crippled for life is an acceptable risk in the linebacker business. They both are extremely violent sports, and pain is part of the bargain. Buy the ticket, take the ride.” –Hunter S. Thompson

:: The Gambler || Kyrix and the Modenese School :: In the middle of October, 2010, Han “Kyrix” Joon emerged as a volatile force in the second open season hosted by GomTV (now GomEXP) utilizing a style criticized by Dan “Artosis” Stemkoski and others in the community for being too aggressive. Determined to disprove his doubters, Kyrix tore through the ranks of unsuspecting GSL Open Season 2 hopefuls, ultimately earning fifth place overall and defeating such luminaries as HongUn, AcE, and Ensnare before being eliminated by Lee “MarineKing” Jung Hoon in what many regard as the best match of the tournament. This begs the question: what is this style held in such varying regard by members of the community? Speedlings and banelings. Essentially, every game, Kyrix would hit with speedlings and banelings. The timing varied; the economy varied; the amount of production behind the attack varied. Only the composition mattered, praying that his opponent had some form of weakness, had cut some corner that could be exploited. If not, his attack would be crushed. At such time, Kyrix would take another base before readying the next leg of his attack: more zerglings and banelings, reinforced only by extra larva and a (slightly) better economy. This playstyle was a hail mary: a prayer to some unknown Xel’naga god that his opponent had not made tanks or other AoE. Other gaming communities have terms for this type of play. In fact, “hail mary” is a Football reference to indicate a certain risky play, itself referring to a Catholic prayer. To “all-in” in StarCraft is to perform a move that, if it fails, will be impossible to recover from–and yet, the term originates from StarCraft’s ugly twin-sister Poker. Chess, too, has had a history of gamblers. There was an entire school founded on the principles expunged by Kyrix and his ideological soulmate Gioachino Greco. This school of thought emphasized the rapid development of pieces (the equivalent of short-term teching [Metabolic Boost + Baneling Nest] before an attack in StarCraft 2) as opposed to pawn structure (equivalent to economy). This made their games relatively short, open, and subject to a myriad array of tactical considerations focused on gaining material or outright checkmating your opponent early on. Oftentimes, players would trade pieces (taking an opponent’s piece knowing yours will be taken in the next turn), forcing engagements that didn’t have to happen. Like Kyrix, they too had a preferred opener–instead of Speedling-Baneling, they enjoyed the Italian Game, which sacrifices long-term advantage for more immediate power–and which put black into a position where a counter-attack was the only option. This school of thought was one of the first to emerge with the advent of what is now the standard Chess ruleset. Like Kyrix, early in the history of their respective games, these Modenese masters advocated short games characterized by extreme aggression. Like Kyrix, their favored style was eventually abandoned in favor of more viable long-term options like the Ruy Lopez–yet, like Kyrix, they mark an early, exciting, volatile chapter of their game’s history.  

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