Bison Medley
MVP Announced
14 Dec 2009, courtesy of rabs
IntroductionWe had a great and very successful tournament over these past 9 weeks, further cementing the Australian Nexuiz community as one of the international powerhouses, particularly in regards to tournaments. And so we have decided to award our first ever 'Most Valuable Player', as well as a 'Team of the Tournament'. Thank you to everyone who voted! Some of these may be somewhat contentious, and the system to vote wasn't perfect, but I think it was definitely the best available. Some interesting stats before we see the big awards - The clans that got the most votes were: zero, pride, lzr, which was somewhat fitting - Everyone who voted for themselves were only voted for by themselves. And now, without further ado:
Best Rookie
I decided to give this award to the highest polling player who had not played in an AussieNexers tournament previous to the Medley (which one would probably expect). And the winner is:
bones_was_herebones_was_here was recruited by Gallant after the collapse of their team at the end of the 3v3 CTF tournament. Since then he has taken on an extensive role in practically captaining their team. He has spearheaded their revival and in so doing been one of the most improved players in this tournament. This culminated in their great late season form, beating the Questionables for a place in the finals before being within 10 frags of beating zero. bones_was_here has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with in 2v2, as well as holding his own in CTF, particularly holding defence. He narrowly edged out his fellow rookie in Ling.
MVP
The main award for this tournament, the Most Valuable Player as decided by the community. And it goes to a player who has been around since the very beginning of Australian Nexuiz, since the days of 1v2 CTF on BestGN, playing on 'Starship' and 'Dismal'. Yes, I do indeed speak of
harry_ftw
A very consistent performer over the entire season, harry_ftw showed us what it takes to be both a brilliant DM player (particularly duel) as well as captaining his CTF team to some great victories. Practically guaranteeing zero a win in the DM he played in, he was also able to do anything his team required in CTF. He is definitely a deserved winner of this award.
Team of the Tournament
The Team of the Tournament was determined by the top 4 positions in polling.
- 29: harry_ftw
- 17: deathdoG
- 13: aurix
- 10: rabs (reserve)
This is not a bad team :P. This team would be very formidable in any format, particularly this medley tournament. I would personally like to see them line up with harry_ftw in duel, deathdoG and aurix playing the 2v2 together. With all three of them capable of playing any CTF position, they would be able to easily rotate, perhaps with aurix as main attacker, while harry_ftw and deathdoG roam and hold mid and base at varying points of the game. Although I made the team, I assure everyone I did not rig the voting :P. I think I would be a capable reserve, particularly if the maps being played suited me. So there you have it, AussieNexers Medley Team of the Tournament
End
And so our Medley tournament has come to an end. I think it has been the most successful so far, and was glad to participate in it. Make sure you keep praccing up, as there will be upcoming team-based tournaments to play in! glhf
Grand Final Review
12 Dec 2009, courtesy of rabs
Last night we had a Grand Final that truly lived up to expectations. But before we get into the particulars, a few plugs. MVP voting finishes Monday at 6pm. We still need more votes! Furthermore, all the Grand Final demos as well as semi final demos are available. I highly recommend getting these demos, every match was brilliant!
zero v pride
1v1 31:15 final_rage
2v2tdm 47:64 toxic
3v3ctf 1:0 hydronexb4
zero: harry_ftw, Charmander, MDWGUNS | pride: rabs, Trev, deathdoG
1v1: harry_ftw v deathdoG
After a scrim earlier this season between these two players, this match was built up as potentially becoming the greatest duel in Australian nexuiz history. It mayn't have reached that height, but it was still a fascinating affair. As is always the case with two evenly matched participants, neither really got off to a great start, both players scrapping at each other and keeping it close. Some truly excellent aim from dog was balanced out well with harry_ftw's knowledge and experience. Then, at the halfway mark we saw that experience really push to another level, with harry_ftw making a push towards victory with some great control, and a quick spree. dog was never able to pull back quick enough to get back into the match, and harry_ftw was able to use the clock, as well as some brilliant aim to take this map for zero.
2v2: Charmander, MDWGUNS v rabs, Trev
pride were then in a do-or-die situation in the 2v2, and didn't get off to a great start. zero got off to a good start, and became the first to reach double figures. It was then that things began to go wrong. pride were able to use their experiences from last week to slow the zero charge, and once the momentum was stifled pride were able to charge ahead. With some great control, and excellent team work pride really worked over zero, and this was epitomised in rabs' 23 kill spree. After controlling for the best part of the match, pride slowed and zero were able to get back into the game, but were never able to peg back more than a few frags. With this victory, the tournament now came down to 15 minutes of CTF.
3v3ctf:
Once CTF map to decide the entire tournament. hydronexb4 has seen a lot of action during this tournament, and both teams are exceptionally familiar with it. As such, this was always going to be a very tight match, and it lived up to expectations. Both teams struggled to find any momentum, with two very strong defences at work. The game was heading towards a very long overtime before Charmander was able to sneak past prides defenses. A couple of missed shots later and Charms speed had carried him past the reach of pride, with a capture that would decide the match. From then on zero fell back while pride became more and more desperate. In the end zero were able to hold steady their 1 capture lead, and with it take their 3rd consecutive Australian competition.
Review
A Grand Final that lived up to expectations, and showcased the strength of the Australian Nexuiz community. Congratulations to zero, I can't wait to play you guys again!
Grand Final Preview
8 Dec 2009, courtesy of rabs
And it all comes down to this. After what has been a very entertaining season, with some awesome matches and very tense moments we have a Grand Final. Big thanks to everyone who has been involved in this tourney, players and admins alike. Its been great fun, hopefully we can do some more of it next year! And now, without further ado...
zero v pride
1v1: final_rage | 2v2: toxic | 3v3: hydronexb4
zero have come off a very tough match up against Gallant, which will have helped them deal with the inevitable pressure that a Grand Final brings. pride didn't have it easy either, with an enthralling match against lzr. Adding some extra spice to this match is the Canberran Factor, with 6 out of 8 players hailing from Canberra. A preview wouldn't be a preview without a mention of the round 3 clash of these two teams, zero scraping through with a victory in one of the closest, and fiercest, matches this season. I think we will be looking at 3 reasonably similar individual maps. Firstly, the duel. This duel is probably going to be the most anticipated duel since harry_ftw v fox, round 3 of the winners bracket. This map could go either way, and it will probably be decided in the dying seconds, 1 poor laser jump turning the map to the others favour. One shouldn't expect anything less in the 2v2. pride have the experience edge, having had toxic last week against lzr. If the 2 TDM's from last week are anything to go by, this match up will be incredibly close, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it decided in the last minute. I would expect to see this match heading to a deciding ctf game. Both these teams played this map last week, in what was a dead-rubber map, and both have had heavy experience on it. I fully expect this to be an amazing game, with only 1 late capture deciding who takes the tournament. Look out for some epic defense from both teams nexers, and some very frustrated offensive players. Good Luck to both teams!
Semi Finals Review
6 Dec 2009, courtesy of rabs
Two teams came into this match undefeated this season, however, only one was able to push through to the grand final. After a fair bit of hype both matches were able to put on a great show for the community, and definitely lived up to expectations.
(1) zero v Gallant (4)
1v1 39:11 aggressor
2v2tdm 52:43 stormkeep2
3v3ctf 2:3 hydronexb4
zero: harry_ftw, Charmander, MDWGUNS | Gallant: bones_was_here, shaggy, Ling
1v1: harry_ftw v shaggy
harry_ftw is the best duelist in Australia, and with this pairing having played this map in a tournament before (the Duel tournament), their was little doubt about who would win the matchup. It finished 38:20 in the grand final of the duel tourney, and harry_ftw seems only to have improved with a better scoreline here. He dominated from the start of the match, controlling the map incredibly well and allowing little opportunity for shaggy. shaggy performed admirably against this overwhelming tide, and kept the scoreline at least respectable. This was the second map of the match, and clinched a grand final berth for zero.
2v2: Charmander, MDWGUNS v bones_was_here, Ling
This was predicted to be the most likely upset for Gallant, and had things gone slightly their way, it could well have been a map win for them. Both these teams have had considerable experience over the last 8 weeks together, and they showed their team chemistry well. bones_was_here was inactive for 2 minutes, and though zero didn't frag him during this time it was always going to be a pretty big disadvantage for GT. Despite this the match was always very close, neither team really pulling away from the other.
3v3ctf:
And here came the surprise. Gallant started very well on this map, and never let zero really come back hard. Some truly excellent defence from bones, Ling and shaggy helped keep them strong, and some great organised (or perhaps just lucky) pushes from their attack let them get some great caps. zero were able to counter, but not to the extent that most of us felt they could, and were unable to wrest a lead away from Gallant at any point. Some great sportsmanship was shown when zero called almost all their timeouts so Ling could restart her nexuiz due to sound issues.
Review
In what turned out to be a much closer game than anticipated, Gallant showed that they deserved their spot in the finals and can put up a real challenge against the best of Australian Nexuiz. zero get through to the Grand Final, making sure their perfect record remains intact.
(2) lzr v pride (3)
1v1 5:33 toxic
2v2tdm 61:65 toxic
3v3ctf 2:3 hydronexb4
lzr: killquick, aurix, stuffcorpse | pride: rabs, dog, Trev
1v1: stuffcorpse v rabs
Again, the duel was played second in this match up, and ended up sealing the match for pride. On a very nex based map in toxic, this map suited both players styles very well. It then became a question of who had more map knowledge, and the experience to back it up. rabs was able to start off with a decent spawn, and from there onwards he kept a reasonably tight fist controlling all the megas. From this solid base he was able to run away with a fairly convincing duel victory. stuffcorpse showed that with some more practice he will be able to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to become quite a good duelist.
2v2: aurix, killquick v Trev, dog
Billed as one of the biggest 2v2 matches in this tournament, further exacerbated by some banter and tension before hand, this match only lived up to expectations. lzr got the better start, and were able to build a reasonable lead, never exceeding single digits. With some very solid nex control, this combination (having played every round together bar one this tournament) was able to really stifle pride's style. However, once this pride combo were able to start gelling, they really started to come back. Momentum swayed towards each team before the last five minutes were pride's big moment. A big spree from dog, with some epic support from Trev was able to build a 4 frag lead with 2 minutes to go, which pride never relinquished. This map was absolutely epic, and a great game from all involved.
3v3ctf:
pride got a very good start to this game, and hydronex again showed that if you can dominate the mid section you can dominate the match. Some great control from dog, assisted by rabs and Trev let pride get out to a 2 capture lead, and they held onto that for most of the match. Nevertheless, lzr kept chipping away at the pride armour and were able to get the best of an extended cross-cap, opening the gates briefly and allowing them to tie the match with only a couple of minutes remaining. pride were able to respond swiftly, and made sure of a clean sweep with trevs last capture in the final minute. It was another very entertaining and tense game in what is sure to be a great rivalry to come.
Review
A great match, as was predicted, and lzr had their first defeat of the tournament. Both these clans were formed before this tournament, and both have had great runs so far. pride now look to the Grand Final to take on the might of zero.
3rd: lzr
4th: Gallant
Semi Finals
1 Dec 2009, courtesy of rabs
And so here we are again, finals time in an AussieNexers tourney. Ideally both matches would be played this season, instead of two forfeits. Its a stellar top four, and both matches will be very tense. Hopefully we'll have a bigger server so we can get as many spectators to the game as possible! This week I've shaken things up, by asking representatives for the clans in the finals to offer their predictions for each match.
(1) zero v Gallant (4)
1v1: aggressor | 2v2: stormkeep2 | 3v3: hydronexb4
Will Gallant have a full complement? Will zero be ready to play? I think these two questions will decide the outcome of this match up. The two presumed duelists have played on aggressor in competition before, with harry_ftw running away as a clear victor in the duel tournament. As you can almost pencil in the duel for zero each week, I don't think a zero win here will surprise anyone. TDM will be a very interesting match up. This is where zero's attitude will come into play. It is more than likely they will underrate this GT combo, and will be unpleasantly surprised by a very tight game that I think could swing either way. bones_was_here and Ling have proven time and time again that they are good DM players, and quite capable of pushing over the line in tight games. I cannot see GT pulling the final game off in CTF, however. zero have great teamwork and individual brilliance, and on one of the top 3 most played maps in AU, they should be too good for GT, especially if they lose the 2v2.
lzr Prediction: 3:0 zero
pride Prediction: 3:0 zero
(2) lzr v pride (3)
1v1: toxic | 2v2: toxic | 3v3: hydronexb4
This match has been somewhat unfortunate in getting the same map for both DM's. It will be interesting to see how both formats evolve on this map. In what should be the closer of the two matches, two pretty evenly balanced teams will be going head to head. Firstly, the 1v1. toxic is a very hitscan based map, which is unsurprising considering two hitscan based teams. This match will inevitably come down to whoever has the highest hitscan accuracy, as both players would not be overly familiar with this map. It will be tough to pick a winner, and will depend on the tactical team selection of both teams. Teamwork will decide the 2v2, and with the aurix/killquick combination very experienced, it will be intriguing to see how this pans out in the final moments. This is another game that will be a real coin toss as to who comes out on top, expect to see a lot of fireworks, as well as an OLD FART probably having a heart attack. CTF will in all likelihood decide this semi-final, and again it is incredibly tough to split these two teams on this map. I think this will be a case of attack v defense, as the more attack oriented lzr take on the more defensive pride. This is again a coin-tossable affair, the only sure thing is ridiculous amounts of nex and shotgun.
zero Prediction: 2:1 pride
Gallant Prediction: 2:1 pride
NOSTRArabs out :P.
Round 7 Review
29 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
The final round of the ladder stage saw us finalise our top 4 teams. Thanks to all the teams who participated, I hope you'll be able to spectate some of the finals matches.
The Questionables v pride
1v1 9:38 final_rage
2v2tdm 56:57 stomkeep2
3v3ctf 8:4 gasolinepowered
The Quetionables:Cuinnton, Lithrem, Chezerian | pride: rabs, Trev, Hew
1v1: Chezerian v rabs
On one of rabs' best 1v1 maps, Chezerian started off pretty strong. However, as soon as rabs was able to get a little bit of control he was able to pry away the lead from Chezerian, and begun to build a handy little buffer. This match never really spiralled out of control with a massive win streak, with rabs getting checked every 5 or 6 frags, never allowing him to get utmost control. pride were able to take this first map comfortably, all but ending hopes of Q getting the for and against required to make the finals.
2v2: Cuinnton, Lithrem v Trev, Hew
With Trev showing up about 20 seconds before this map started, everyone was just a little tense to begin with. This was only exacerbated by the 2v2, which became one of the best of the season. The lead never got to more than about 4 for either team, and it was constantly switching between the two teams. It inevitably came down to the last minute, with pride up 3. They kept this lead until the last 15 seconds, when the Questionables got some momentum and tied the game with 5 seconds remaining. Trev went from Mega Armour through teleporter and ended up shotgunning Lithrem with 2 seconds remaining, winning the map for pride as well as clinching 3rd place on the ladder.
3v3ctf:
pride were on the back foot from the start of this match, as The Questionables got early control, and with it some early captures. From there pride were always playing catch up, and were never really able to take back enough control to get back in the match. The Questionables proved my assesment after their great game against zero on soylentctf, that they are a CTF force to be reckoned with in the future, as well as an ever improving DM team.
Review
pride were able to take the win that secures them 3rd place, and now look towards the finals with their clash against lzr, in what is sure to be an epic match up. The Questionables narrowly miss out on the finals for the second tournament in a row, and will be looking to push up a couple of positions next time.
lzr v Bounty Hunters
1v1 35:2 aneurysm
2v2tdm 54:29 final_rage
3v3ctf 5:0 vectorwarsproctf
lzr: aurix, killquick | Bounty Hunters: BOGAN, DUST'N'BONES, kaep
1v1: killquick v DUST'N'BONES
Neither player knew this map very well, dusty having never played it before. Thus, it was always going to be more of an aim/spam contest, one which killquick was able to run away with. Dusty had some great moments in this match though, and killquick never really got on a really big spree. He should probably not have killed himself as much, for a more flattering scoreline.
2v2: aurix v BOGAN, kaep
In what was actually a 1v2, aurix showed off to everyone and ended up convincingly beating Bounty Hunters. Had they worked together as a more cohesive unit I think they would have been in with more of a shot, but as it was aurix was able to control most major points in the match and win comfortably.
3v3ctf:
Bounty Hunters were looking pretty strong at the start of this match, and were working quite well together. However lzr were able to pull away from them from about the halfway mark and never looked back from there.
Review
lzr needed a multitude of frags to get to the top of the table, and as soon as they only had 2 players were never going to make it. Bounty Hunters finished with a reasonably strong showing, and have improved a great deal over the course of this tourney. I hope they can stick together and keep improving, and we'll see them again next time! lzr now look towards their semi final match up against pride.
complete this shiz v Gallant
1v1 FORFEIT
2v2tdm 6:57 stormkeep2
3v3ctf 0:10 hydronexb4
cts: 2stan | Gallant: bones_was_here, Ling, shaggy
2v2: 2stan v bones_was_here, Ling
At the beginning of this match it was actually 2v2, but with Weasel leaving at around the 5 minute mark 2stan was left on his own. Gallant racked up some frags, but at the end were just mucking around, making sure they didn't demoralise poor 2stan. 2stan did not play badly, and considering it was 1v2 against a quality opposition, I think he played admirably.
3v3ctf:
Though 2stan was determined that this match should go ahead, even were he to play 1v3, Gallant were less enthused. They ended up playing 2v1 for the first little while, before they requested the match be finished. A win was enough for them to get to the finals, and they had already acheived this.
Review
Unfortunately cts seem to have died the last week of competition, although I hope that they continue to play nexuiz, and we seem them around in different teams next year. Gallant have now made the finals, and will be rewarded with a match against zero.
Round 7 Preview
24 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
And so we come to the final week of the Round-Robin ladder stage of the tourney. Next week finals start, so teams guaranteed places will be looking to get a decent hit out, while a couple of teams try and clinch that final berth.
The Questionables v pride
1v1: final_rage | 2v2: stormkeep2 | 3v3: gasolinepowered
Match of the Round
The Questionables are not out of the finals yet, a win here with Gallant losing will let them snatch 4th place. pride will look to keep their 3 week unbeaten streak going with another win here. pride have shown that they have the strength in DM to match any team in this competition, and they should be able to take the goods in the duel as well as the TDM. The ctf will be an interesting affair, with a very nex based map it will be a war between two hitscan based defences. Whichever attack gets luckier will win the final map. pride should take this match, though with a finals berth on the line the Questionables are primed to bring out an upset.
Prediction: 3:0 pride
complete this shiz v Gallant
1v1: aerowalk | 2v2: stormkeep2 | 3v3: hydronexb4
Gallant have had a successful tournament so far, and this week they will try and sew up a finals berth. Assuming they have a full team they will be too strong in every department. None of these maps really suit cts for getting an upset, so they will have to put up their best fight. They will be looking to finish their season with style, and hopefully we'll see these guys around again in future tournaments. Gallant will want to get some solid combination practice in before an inevitable tough match up in the semis.
Prediction: 3:0 Gallant
lzr v Bounty Hunters
1v1: aneurysm | 2v2: final_rage | 3v3: vectorwarsproctf
After an administration mistake last week, lzr will be looking to steal first place with a big win against the Bounty Hunters this week. Bounty Hunters won't be a rollover, coming off their first win of the tournament so far and showing definite signs of improvement. Though the 1v1 will be something of an unknown for most of the players in this game, the 2v2 will be very familiar to both teams, lzr playing it for the 4th time, Bounty Hunters having played it last week. It will be a spammy affair no doubt. vectorwars should show how much BH have improved, I expect some solid defence as well as co-ordinated attacks this week. Though lzr should take this easily, they will be pushed at points through out the match.
Prediction: 3:0
zero have the bye
Round 6 Review
23 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
A round in which pretty much all of my predictions went awry, we had some epic match ups, and some awful scheduling. We also had another instance of rabs FAIL, which is now fixed (a day late.)
zero v lzr plus
1v1 67:2 aggressor
2v2tdm 53:76 stormkeep2
3v3ctf 5:5 gasolinepowered
zero: harry_ftw, MDWGUNS, PAGEY | lzr: aurix, killquick, stuffcropse
1v1: harry_ftw v stuffcropse
Unfortunately for lzr, Viktor was unable to make the game, which meant a reshuffle in their line up. stuffcorpse had the unenviable task of taking on harry_ftw, on what is arguably his best map. harry_ftw got off to a bit of a shaky start, before really taking control and dominating. He ended up racking a huge scoreline, and though stuffcorpse performed admirably, especially given it was almost midnight his time, harry_ftw took the cake.
2v2: MDWGUNS, PAGEY v aurix, killquick
aurix and killquick are a very solid combination, and with so much experience under their belt together they were always going to be tough to stop. These games inevitably come down to who can wrest control in crucial periods, and lzr did just that, pulling away enough that the last couple of minutes it was impossible for zero to come back. An intriguing decision by zero to not play Charmander in this game may be looked back on as a turning point.
3v3ctf:
The tensest match of this season came down to the ctf, and it lived up to expectations. lzr had control of the map early, and it seemed like they would be able to hold off the zero machine for the first half of the game, until harry_ftw brought out some magic and wrested back control for zero. From there on it was one way traffic, with zero getting 3 unaswered caps, and looking like they might run away with the match. Then there was 1 minute to go, and some last gasp lzr attack gave them a cap, and they had 30 seconds to tie the game. Somehow, they did so, and it was tied at 5-5 going into overtime. Two minutes were played until an unfortunate config bug stopped the game, with both teams still locked at 5-5.
Review
The first, and hopefully only tie of this season was played out. Firstly sorry to both teams for the config fail, its fixed now ;_;. As this was theoretically a match that would decide first place, it would seem everyone is now looking towards the For and Against that lzr gains against BH to see who takes top honours. zero have the bye next, and will now look towards the finals.
Gallant v The Questionables
1v1 toxic 21:12
2v2tdm warfare 86:59
3v3ctf go 4:3
Gallant: shaggy, bones_was_here, ling | The Questionables: Cuinnton, Lithrem, ensign ricky
1v1: shaggy v Cuinnton
The question (get it) in this game was: will shaggy be available. As Gallants strongest duelist this was going to make a big difference. I was unable to watch the game as the server was full, which was good for nexuiz but bad for this review. shaggy, I expect, showed his greater experience in clinching this map for GT, and as it was the 2nd map, the match.
2v2: bones_was_here, ling v Lithrem, ensign ricky
Warfare is not the best 2v2tdm map, as it encourages spam, and discourages fps. This was again on show as the shotgun got about 90% usage, Gallant being able to pull away from the Questionables.
3v3ctf:
I got back in during this match, for the last 5 minutes. At 3-2 to the Questionables, it looked like there were going to pull one map back, until Gallant got some control back and nexed their way to a couple of captures.
Review
Another match in which my prediction went awry. Gallant should move on to take 4th place now, while The Questionables will hope for an upset against pride to get them into the finals. This match was always coming down to the death match strength of both sides, and Gallant showed that they are force that cannot be discounted. Depending on their activity for the rest of the tournament, they should make a strong showing in the semi-finals.
Bounty Hunters v complete this shiz
1v1 19:10 toxic
2v2tdm 70:44 final_rage
3v3ctf 11:0 gasolinepowered
Bounty Hunters: CARNAG3, BOGAN, DUST'N'BONES | complete this shiz: 2stan, Berzerk, Weasel
1v1: CARNAG3 v Berzerk
A match that I thought could go either way, the momentum swung a quite a few times. In the end CARNAG3 was able to get the better of his younger brother, running away with the scoreline towards the end. This was probably cts's best chance at a map win.
2v2: BOGAN, DUST'N'BONES v 2stan, Weasel
This game was closer than the scoreline says, with cts in with a chance to win until the last few minutes. Bounty Hunters were able to get to a reasonable lead, and then keep edging away from cts, who performed quite well. Both these teams have been able to get lots of experience in this tourney, and they will come out of it much improved.
3v3ctf:
I've said before that the chemistry and strategy the Bounty Hunters are inevitably building through practice would pay off, and it sure showed here, with a classy display overcoming Berzerks imperious nexing ability to really destroy the cts line up. Bounty Hunters thouroughly deserved their victory.
Review
Bounty Hunters avoid the wooden spoon, and now look to improve against a forboding lzr line up. complete this shiz have Gallant, and hopefully this tournament experience will keep them active in the community for the forseeable future.
Round 6 Preview
15 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
And so we come to the final two rounds, the 'stretch' to use sporting terminology. We still have two unbeaten teams, with this round potentially deciding 1st place, as well as who will make the final spot in the finals, AND who will avoid the wooden spoon. All three match ups are going to be massive encounters, but before we get to the preview, heres what the current ladder looks like, with predictions.
Current Ladder
(Position) team: pts (Prediction at Start of Season) Prediction Now | Teams left to play
(1)zero: 15pts (1st) 1st | lzr (2nd), bye
(2)lzr: 15pts (2nd) 2nd | zero (1st), BH (6th)
(3)pride: 9pts (3rd) 3rd | bye, Q (4th)
(4)The Questionables: 9pts (5th) 4th | GT (5th), pride (3rd)
(5)Gallant: 6pts (4th) 5th | Q (4th), cts (7th)
(6)Bounty Hunters: 3pts (6th) 6th | cts (7th), lzr (2nd)
(7)complete this shiz: 3pts (7th) 7th | BH (6th), GT (5th)
zero v lzr
Match of the Round 1v1: aggressor | 2v2: stormkeep2 | 3v3ctf: gasoline_powered
Preview
Two undefeated teams. A rivalry that can trace its routes to the first ever australian clan match. First place on the line. This match promises everything, it should be one of the two best games of this season (bar the finals). Every match-up is something to look forward to. harry_ftw v fox, two of the best duelists for some time on the australian scene could be an awesome match, probably the best duel of the tournament so far. The TDM will be a rage-filled affair, with stormkeep2 providing a great platform for an awesome 2v2. And we all know just how good both these teams are at CTF, both teams will be incredibly strong on this map. I think this match up will definately come down to the ctf, as both teams are equally strong in their DM depth. gasoline_powered will not be zero's favourite map, but I think that they have to be favourites by the slimmest of margins for this clash of the titans.
Prediction: 2:1 zero
Gallant v The Questionables
1v1: toxic | 2v2: warfare | 3v3ctf: go
Preview
This game deserves a Match of the Round billing, because it should be just as tight as 1st v 2nd. With the winner of this match almost guaranteeing themselves a spot in the finals, theres a fair bit on the line. Gallant have come off a tough hit-out against pride, while The Questionables have beaten BH, and given zero a run for their money the week before. GT probably have the edge in the duel skillwise, but I have seen some strong showings on toxic by some of the Q players. The 2v2 will be an excrutiatingly close game, both teams have the players that can win it. Again, I think this matchup will be decided by the CTF, and boy will it be a good game. Both teams have some great nexing ability, and on go this will come to the forefront. I have to give the edge to The Questionables here, as they have been more active over the tournament, and their match against zero really showed their potential.
Prediction: 2:1 The Questionables
Bounty Hunters v complete this shiz
1v1: toxic | 2v2: final_rage | 3v3: gasoline_powered
Preview
The two least experienced teams in this tournament come head to head, and this match should again be very tight. Assuming we have full availability for both teams, I'm looking to see a great match up, in every discipline. A couple of my tipped rising stars should meet in the duel here, kaepora v Berzerk. These two have some great aim, and with toxic being the duel map it should provide a great encounter. Look for the momentum to swing both ways throughout this duel. Both these teams will then look for their tdm to step up, and final_rage is a map both these teams should know quite well. 2stan was particularly impressive on this map in a recent LAN when playing for pride, so I expect him to really shine here. This match should go to a deciding map in CTF. gasoline_powered is probably the best map for this matchup, cts' natural ability should push BH all the way. There should be a tense final 5 minutes, but I think the Bounty Hunters will have the experience to pull through here.
Prediction: 2:1 Bounty Hunters
pride have the bye
Round 5 Review
15 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
pride v Gallantpride: Trev, Hew, dog | Gallant: bones_was_here, Ling, shaggy
1v1 38:8 soylent
2v2 57:44 stormkeep2
3v3 6:2 hydronexb4
1v1: dog v shaggyIn what turned out to be a dead rubber, dog showed off his epic hitscan on a map that is pretty tailor made for him. After a sluggish start, he really pulled away from shaggy. Shaggy is not bad at soylent, and though he was destroyed here, it will give him good practice ahead of some big games in the last two rounds.
2v2tdm: Trev, Hew v bones_was_here, LingThe closest map of this match, it was neck and neck until the last five minutes. Neither team was really able to get a roll on with some momentum, until Trev&Nacho got control, and with it an 11 kill streak, putting the match out of GT's grasp. This was a great match to spectate, edge of the seat stuff. Again GT showed great improvement, with Ling and bones_was_here definately rising stars.
3v3ctfAll of these matches were great scraps for the first half, and this was no different, with a really tight first 5 minutes. Ling and dog were both showing off their hitscan, until pride were able to gain some momentum with a couple of quick caps. GT weren't able to recover from this, and pride ran away with the game. In the final 30 seconds GT capped, after every pride member chose not to return a flag sitting in the open.
Review
Definately the match of the round, all of these maps were close for the the first 5-10 minutes, before pride gained a little momentum to pull away. GT will definately be shooting for the finals, assuming they all stay active and are able to organise good times to play. pride have now secured themselves a place in the finals, with their bye next week.
complete this shiz v zero
cts: Berzerk, 2stan, Weasel | zero: harry_ftw, MDWGUNS, Charmander
1v1 1:70 aggressor
2v2 23:88 stormkeep2
3v3 0:33 dm_castle
1v1: 2stan v harry_ftwUnfortunately for 2stan, he got drawn against harry_ftw. This match was a thrashing, as the score suggests, but as 2stan hadn't had much practice at this map, it can only have helped him improve.
2v2tdm: Berzerk, Weasel v Charmander, MDWGUNSBerzerk displayed once again that he can be good if he can become active, holding his own against the zero machine. In the end zero's teamwork, as well as superior skills helped them to a healthy margin, but plenty of clans will be looking out for Berzerk.
3v3ctfdm_castle was probably not the best map for cts to play zero on, harry_ftw racked up over 70 kills while Charmander ran from end to end capping as he pleased. They did, however, avoid the massive scoreline of 61-0 that zero has previously dolled out.
Review
cts got another week of practice, which will only help their team chemistry. Furthermore, they got their whole team to the match which is great! They will be looking to put this behind them and bounce back against Bounty Hunters next week. zero got a chance to stretch out their F&A, and will now look to play a big game v lzr next week.
The Questionables v Bounty Hunters
1v1 27:6 toxic
2v2 64:41 toxic
3v3 15:1 gasoline_powered
Review
Unfortunately I was unavailable for this match, so I cannot really write a review. The Questionables won a game that they had to win, and it keeps them in touch with the top 4. Both these teams will have got a decent hit out ahead of big matches next week.
Round 5 Preview
9 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
We're past the half way mark, just about to hit the stretch home. Its been a great tourney so far, and we're looking for some more great match ups! Without further ado, we'll go in depth with each game:
pride v Gallant
Match of the Round
1v1: soylent | 2v2tdm: stormkeep2 | 3v3ctf: hydronexb4
Preview:
This will probably be the best match of the round, with the greatest likeliehood of an upset. pride have been getting better and better each week, as they practice their combinations and continue to build team chemistry. After really pushing zero in a very close game, they demolished Bounty Hunters last week, and will look to keep pushing towards the finals. Gallant have been up and down, with availability of players really upsetting their combinations. With pride having dog and Trev the duel is pretty much sewn up, and with prides recent 2v2 performances (including a win on Stormkeep2 v zero) they would have to start favourites in that map as well. hydronexb4 is, as most know, a favourite of prides, and you can expect some very impressive nexing from dog. Gallants best shot at an upset will be hydronex, Ling is very impressive in defence, while shaggy and bones_was_here will more than hold their own. Seeing as I'm pretty biased, I think pride should take all 3 maps.
Prediction: 3:0 pride
The Questionables v Bounty Hunters
1v1: toxic | 2v2tdm: toxic | 3v3ctf: go
Preview:
From what I have gathered, The Questionables put in a superb performance last week, pushing zero to the limit. This team has been a little surprising, and have shown that they can really push towards the best teams in the coming months. Bounty Hunters got some practice in 2v2 on toxic last week, but with 3 nex based maps, The Questionables will hold the advantage. If kaep is available I'm hoping to see a Brother v Brother on toxic in the duel, which should provide some added spark to the match up. The Questionables should prove too strong here, although I wouldn't be surprised to see the duel falling the other way.
Prediction: 3:0 The Questionables
zero v complete this shiz
1v1: aggressor | 2v2tdm: stormkeep2 | 3v3ctf: dm_castle
Preview:
zero will be looking to remain undefeated here, and should do without much fuss. They will go top of the ladder with a win here. Rumours abound that cts could possibly be forming into more of a unit, and assuming that they all remain active and keep getting big match practice that can only be good for all of them. Unfortunately none of these maps really suit their nexy styles, and coming off a game against lzr I hope they don't get disheartened. 2stan has been improving fast, and Berzerk continues to surprise, particularly in Duel.
Prediction: 3:0 zero
lzr plus has the Bye
Round 4
8 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
Unfortunately I was unable to post my extensive preview, so this very scanty article will have to suffice. As some of you know my comp is being serviced, so I have been inactive.
zero v The Questionables
Match of the Round
Prediction: 3-0 zero
1v1: 25-7 (MDWGUNS v Lithrem) stormkeep2
2v2: 59-47 (PAGEY, harry_ftw v ensign ricky, Chezerian) toxic
3v3: 5-4 soylent
synopsiszero seemed to have been pushed a lot harder then they expected, with The Questionables pulling out the goods. This even with out their inspirational leader Cuinnton! This result will definately put a little fear into the big teams yet to play the Questionables, who definately seem to be spoiling for an upset. zero will look to rebound and really destroy their upcoming games.
Bounty Hunters v pride
Prediction: 3-0 pride
1v1: 0-70 (kaepora_gaebora v dog) aerowalk
2v2: 23-95 (CARNAG3, DUST'N'BONES v Hew, Trev) toxic
3v3: 0-21
synopsispride were always going to be too strong here, kaepora was unlucky with some severe ping as well as a d/c during his 1v1.
lzr plus v complete this shiz
Match of the Round
Prediction: 3-0 lzr plus
1v1: 56-2 (killquick v 2stan) soylent
2v2: 120-21 (aurix, stuffcorpse v Berzerk, Weasel) final_rage
3v3: 29-0 vectorwarsproctf
synopsisI expected this game to be a forfeit, but cts showed up and gave their best shot. They were unlucky to be unable to field their best combinations, with some players coming late.
Gallant v Bye/>
Round 3 Review
1 Nov 2009, courtesy of rabs
pride v zero1v1 8:35 aerowalk
2v2tdm 58:47 final_rage
3v3ctf 1:3 hydronexb4
pride: rabs, Trev, dog | zero: harry_ftw, Charmander, MDWGUNS
1v1: Trev v harry_ftw
We went into the 1v1 at 1-1, with the 3 points at stake. What we saw in this match was harry_ftw's class. Practice did indeed make perfect with harry_ftw jumping to a large lead early on, and never letting Trev back into the game. Everyone present was reminded just why harry_ftw is regarded as the best duelist in Australia and New Zealand. It was still one of the better duels so far, Trev being one of the best on aerowalk in this competition.
2v2: dog, rabs v Charmander, MDWGUNS
Coming into this match 1 down, this was a must win for pride and they delivered. If I may say so myself, prides teamwork was rather good considering this combination had never played together before. This game was quite tense, with zero threatening to get back into it late. dog showed that he is ridiculously sharp again.
3v3ctf:
Probably the best game of CTF so far in this competition, and definitely the most tense. dog was insanely sharp, MDWGUNS played a very good game of defence and harry_ftw was the best player in Australia and New Zealand. This game really could have gone either way, a sneaky cap with about 3 minutes to go tipped it over to zero, pride unable to get 2 quick caps.
Review
Probably the best game in this tournament so far, pride were unable to snatch an upset from the might of zero. zero will be looking to remain unbeaten until the finals. pride having already played lzr and zero have the toughest assignments out of the way, and will now look to make a push for a top 3 spot at the end of the season.
The Questionables v lzr plus
1v1 1:46 final_rage
2v2tdm 63:98 warfare
3v3ctf 0:18 vectorwarsproctf
The Questionables: Cuinnton, Lithrem, Chezerian | lzr plus: Viktor, killquick, Aurix
1v1: Chezerian v Viktor
One of Viktors strongest maps, and probably not Chezerians favourite. This match up was in lzr's favour and it showed. Viktor got control early and then laser jumped around the map going after as many frags as possible, and in the end he was able to rack up quite a lot.
2v2: Cuinnton, Lithrem v killquick, Aurix
The TDM was the closest map of the match, with Cuinn and Lithers showing they aren't a pushover in the TDM. lzr started to get away at the mid point, but to the Questionables credit they kept pushing and kept it to a pretty nice scoreline. Look out for them in the later rounds as they keep improving their team chemistry.
3v3ctf:
One of lzr's better maps (they got quite a good selection this week) and they showed it with some great defence complimenting a very fast and well oiled attack. Unfortunately for the Questionables they lost Chezerian for about 3 minutes due to a crash, and they were never able to recover any momentum.
Review
lzr were just too strong again. The Questionbles had some bad luck in the maps drawn, as well as ping/crashes which exacerbated the score line somewhat. They will prove to be a stiff opposition as they get more practice, and don't have horrible luck. lzr don't have much left to prove in this competition, they have shown they are one of the elite teams.
Gallant v Bounty Hunters
1v1 FORFEIT
2v2tdm 67:16 toxic
3v3ctf 10:0 dm_castle
Gallant: bones_was_here, Ling, Shadow | Bounty Hunters: CARNAG3, DUST'N'BONES
2v2: Ling, Shadow v CARNAG3, DUST'N'BONES
Toxic is a very nex based map, and Ling is a very good nexer. She was the dominant player during this match, showing just how much of an improved player she is. GT have begun to build a solid group of players, and hopefully they will be active enough to stay in this competition.
3v3ctf:
Huge shoutout to the Bounty Hunters here, instead of throwing in the towel and forfeiting this game they went ahead and played. A little admin fail from rabs happened with fraglimit in CTF, I blame dinner.
Review
Unfotunately for Bounty Hunters players didn't show up, otherwise I think we would have seen a much closer game, just maybe an upset swinging to the Bounty Hunters side. Gallant have the bye next week, after which they have a couple of big make or break games for their season.
Round Review
We're now a decent way through the season, and the teams have got used to the format. The next few rounds will be crucial for teams to keep their momentum, or to gain some much needed wins before the final stretch towards the finals. Good Luck and Have Fun! Round 4 Preview will be posted Tuesday or Wednesday.
Round 3 Preview
27 Oct 2009, courtesy of rabs
pride v zero1v1: aerowalk | 2v2: stormkeep2 | 3v3: hydronexb4
Match of the Round
pride are coming off a somewhat destructive defeat against lzr plus, though I believe the scoreline did not reflect the close nature of some of the matches. zero have thrashed bounty hunters, and then received a forfeit win after Gallant failed to show for their match. Even with little tournament practice coming into this match (but a ridiculous for and against) zero still have to be favourites. Watch out for the two DM matches to be very strategic in the placement of players, with Aerowalk to be a classic duel whichever zero player contests it. The TDM will perhaps be less anticipated, however I think it could be the more intriguing match, as chemistry and strategy are tested. Look for it to be decided in the last 2 minutes. CTF will, as most games on hydronex are, be a defensive match up, with speed (and luck) deciding who can get the most caps. Expect big clutch plays from both sides. I can see this match up going either way, with pride wanting to bounce back from a disappointing defeat, while zero look to get their first big win of the season.
Prediction: 2:1 zero
The Questionables v lzr plus
1v1: final_rage | 2v2: warfare | 3v3: vectorwarsproctf
This could have been a MOTR had pride v zero not been on this week. The Questionables have not had a decent game yet with the bye and a pseudo game against complete this shiz (in which 2 Questionables and 1 CTS member showed up) their games in Round 1 and 2. This will be a massive match up for them to kick off their campaign. lzr plus have proved their strength already with a solid win over Gallant and a big win over pride. Unfortunately here The Questionables will be too light on DM experience, none of their players are really recognized duelists, and coming up against Viktor/Aurix/killquick will really be too much for them. They will be able to put up a strong showing in the CTF, and have the potential to cause an upset, but I can't see this going any way but lzr.
Prediction: 3:0 lzr plus
Gallant v Bounty Hunters
1v1: aerowalk | 2v2: industrial | 3v3: dm_castle
Gallant on paper (or a computer screen I guess) are the stronger team. Shaggy is the best duelist in this list of players by far, and their CTF team are quite strong. I wouldn't predict against their 2v2 team either, whatever team they fielded. However, the real question about this game is: will Gallant even show up? Predicted to make a strong show for the finals, they forfeited their game against zero last week due to inactivity from 3 of their members. Gallant had all 4 for their first match against lzr, and looked pretty strong, even pushing for a first round upset. Bounty Hunters had the unfortunate first match against zero and have followed it with the Bye, so they will be looking to get a good match up here. This game will go to GT if they have their full complement, but if they don't I can see Bounty Hunters getting a legitimate victory in both the Duel and CTF. (kaepora_gaebora just keeps improving)
Prediction: 3:0 GT
complete this shiz have the BYE
Round 2 Review
25 Oct 2009, courtesy of rabs
lzr plus v pride1v1 34:14 stormkeep2
2v2tdm 76:45 final_rage
3v3ctf 9:4 gasoline_powered
lzr plus: Viktor, Aurix, killquick | pride: rabs, Hew, Trev
1v1: Viktor v Trev
In what proved to be a poor tactical decision from pride, Trev played Viktor in the 1v1. Viktor has recently become more active, and his recent practice showed as he pulled away from what was a tight match at the half way point. Once he got control, he was practically unstoppable, and the scoreline ended up reflecting a different sort of game then what we witnessed in the first 7 minutes.
2v2: Aurix, killquick v rabs, Hew
final_rage has proven unpopular as a TDM map so far, and its pretty easy to see why (its tiny). This was another game that showcased this fact, with shotgun, rocket and mortar the weapons used almost exclusively. Again we saw the 2.5.2 marring shotgun display its strengths, and again everyone raged. This game was closer than I expected at the beginning, but lzr got away from about the half way point, removing any hope of a pride victory.
3v3ctf:
lzr plus were always going to be strong in this match, and they proved it with a pretty decent game. killquick held a strong mid, while Viktor and aurix went in for the kill. Viktor crashed near the end of the match, but unfortunately it was too late for a pride comeback (:p). I'm expecting to see a pretty close lzr v zero CTF game with two very strong lineups to crunch into each other.
Review
lzr plus showed everyone just how strong they are as contenders for the Bison Medley, delivering a somewhat crushing defeat upon a main rival. lzr plus will look to consolidate a top position on the table by remaining undefeated until their match up against the zero machine. pride will have to lick their wounds and gee up for another massive match up againse zero next week.
zero v Gallant
FORFEIT
complete this shiz vs The Questionables
1v1 13:29 stormkeep2
2v2tdm FORFEIT
3v3ctf 0:24 hydronexb4
complete this shiz: 2stan | The Questionables: ensign ricky, Chezerian
1v1: 2stan v Chezerian
Probably not a duel of the highest quality, it was intriguing to see how much duel experience each player had, specifically on the map. Chezerian turned out to have had more, and in the end racked up a convincing win score-wise, though I was pleasently surprised by the potential shown by 2stan. If he keeps improving his dueling skills, he will be an unpset contender.
3v3ctf:
This was really just a chance for ensign ricky and Chezerian to rack up some captures and frags, and I almost stopped watching because I felt so sorry for 2stan. I'm pleased he showed awesome spirit by a) not forfeiting the game and b) not rage quitting half way through.
Review
Questionables rack up some easy for and against, as well as map wins (the more important factor). Unfortunate that CTS didn't show.
Round 2
20 Oct 2009, courtesy of rabs
lzr plus v pride1v1: stormkeep | 2v2: final_rage | 3v3: gasoline_powered
Match of the Roundlzr plus had a close game first up, which should help them build to this first match. With the late inclusion of Viktor lzr plus are looking incredibly strong, covering every format with ease. pride had a pseudo-game against complete this shiz which has not helped them in any way, and with the limited game time for their combinations to mesh it's anyones guess to what they will bring to the table. All three maps are old stagers, but with lzr plus playing final_rage in TDM last week, as well as a destructive recent win against pride on gasoline_powered they should be going in as strong favourites. pride will be relying on the DM skills of trev, as well as hoping for some decent defence in CTF. lzr plus will probably use the same combinations as last week, considering they took the two DM's convincingly.
Prediction: 2:1 lzr plus
zero v Gallant
1v1: dismemberment | 2v2: final_rage | 3v3: hydronex_b4
Gallant must be feeling be feeling a little hard done by, getting lzr plus and zero in the first two weeks. After a close loss to lzr plus, they will feel a little bit of confidence coming into this match. However, they will need to improve in all facets of their game, particularly team work if they want to upset the zero machine. If we see the same tactics as last week, Shaggy will be a strong candidate to take 1v1. Zero have kept their cards close to their collective chest in terms of tactics, and it's anyones guess to who will duel (and conversely play in the TDM) this week. After a hit out against BH, they will probably feel confident of taking this match with whatever side they field, and whatever combinations they use. The only unknown will be the first competition match on dismemberment, which may play in Gallants favour. I can't see zero dropping a map, especially with old favourites final_rage and hydronex in the match up.
Prediction: 3:0 zero
complete this shiz v The Questionables
1v1: stormkeep | 2v2: toxic | 3v3: hydronex_b4
complete this shiz played both of these death match maps last week, in the opposite permutation. It will be interesting to see how they organise their players in light of this. Berserk was an impressive duelist last week, and assuming they get a full team to this weeks game (and that a time is organised) they could surprise The Questionables, who are coming off a first round bye. The Questionables have a pretty strong CTF team, Cuinnton their stand out attacker with some solid defence in Lithrem, ensign ricky and Chezarian. It will be intriguing as to which side they field, specifically because they are quite light in the DM ranks. I think complete this shiz could steal a map, but The Questionables will prove a little too experienced (and organised).
Prediction: 3:0 The Questionables
Bounty Hunters v Bye
Round 1 Review
18 Oct 2009, courtesy of rabs
Bounty Hunters v zero1v1 9:32 toxic
2v2tdm 14:113 stormkeep
3v3ctf 0:11 hydronex_b4
zero: harry_ftw, MDWGUNS, PAGEY | BH: DUST'N'BONES, bogan, kaepora gaebora
1v1: Pagey v Kaepora Gaebora
This was an intriguing matchup, Pagey was always going to be the favoured player here, however, kaepora gaebora put up quite a strong showing, proving to the field that he shouldn't be taken lightly for the rest of this tournament. Definately one to watch in Bounty Hunters future games. Pagey was able to use his greater experience as well as pretty forbidding nex to take this one out.
2v2: bogan, DUST'N'BONES v MDWGUNS, harry_ftw
Definately zero's best TDM map from what I've seen, and they really proved that here with what can only be described as a massacre. harry_ftw started with a 27 frag spree and it only got worse from there.
3v3ctf:
This is Bounty Hunters best format, and they showed that here with some strong defence. Unfortunately zero were just too classy, with some pretty impressive mid field holds from MDWGUNS while harry_ftw and pagey used a double pronged attack to really penetrate (TWSS) the defence.
Review
Bounty Hunters drew the short straw, getting zero first up. However, they'll be pleased to know that from here on in it will only get easier for them. zero got a warmup match, but didn't test their expected combinations.
pride v complete this shiz
1v1 25:7 toxic
2v2tdm 18:-3 stormkeep
3v3ctf 19:2 gasoline_powered
pride: rabs, Hew, Trev | complete this shiz: XmAn, Berzerk
1v1: Trev v Berzerk
Trev, counted among the best duelists in Australia was always going to be an overwhelming favourite here. But let me tell you, we underrated Berserk. This guy may not have a clan currently, but I expect that to change pretty soon once cts have played a few more games. Definately one of the better up and coming duelists, he is very strong in the hitscan department. Trev probably didn't play his best game, but still came out with the cookies.
2v2: Hew v XmAn
pride decided to only play one player here, and as neither player really knew the map or the format that well, it ended up being a game of cat and mouse. Hew took the honors with his experience and some pure pwnage sprees. Unfortunately XmAn gave up near the end and suicided, removing his positive score.
3v3ctf:
Again, instead of clan bashing pride rotated their players in and out, we all played 10 minutes. 2v2 on gasoline_powered is a little bit ridiculous to be honest, and in the end pride were just a little too classy for the disorganized cts.
Review
This game was marred slightly by the poor turnout from complete this shiz. Heres hoping this team sticks together, because they have some under rated players who could cause a few map upsets, hurting the upper eschelon.
Gallant v lzr plus
1v1 13:27 final_rage
2v2tdm 49:99 final_rage
3v3ctf 13:4 dm_castle
Gallant: shaggy, bones_was_here, Ling | lzr plus: killquick, aurix, Viktor
1v1: shaggy v Viktor
This was an intriguing match up, I only saw the last half unfortunately. 2nd v 4th in the last 1v1 tourney, it was always going to be one of the better matches. Viktor proved a little bit too classy in the end, and some banter was exchanged. Now that Viktor is in the lzr plus team, they look very strong on the dueling front.
2v2: Ling, bones_was_here v killquick, aurix
This game was actually played last, meaning it was a crunch decider game. killquick and aurix have played quite a bit of 2v2 together, and this was shown as they pulled apart the GT team. aurix ended up racking up a pretty massive total, but the game was far from certain at the start. Momentum swung between the two teams before lzr could finally wrest control and shut down Ling's nex. GT will only get better with tdm experience, while lzr have show their future opponents that they are a formidable 2v2 team.
3v3ctf:
In what was actually 3v2 ctf, GT were able to take advantage of Viktors absence by racking up a decent total against the lzr team. GT should not be taken lightly in this format, as they showed some great co-ordination even without mumble.
Review
lzr were just too good in the deathmatch formats, and GT couldn't pull off an upset in the first week. Both teams have had a good hit out in the first round, putting them in good stead for some big matches next round (GT v zero, lzr plus v pride).
Round ReviewSo, in the end all my predictions were correct. We saw a few surprises, but the first round went mostly as expected. Check out the ladder, and make sure you schedule your matches ahead of time! GLHF for another week. (Also look out for the Round 2 Preview in the next couple of days.)
Daylight Savings WTF(interrobang)
17 Oct 2009, courtesy of rabs
This is the deadline time for matches to be played by, on the given deadline Sunday. Red are the states that have players in them (I believe no one is from NT or SA). The states that do not implement daylight savings are the ones that have northerners, and its fair enough (who wants MORE 40 degree heat at night!).
8:30 AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time)- ACT
- NSW
- VIC
- TAS
- SA
- QLD
- NT
- WA
Sorry to the people who don't have daylight savings, I forgot there isn't so much media attention.
Round 1 Preview
13 Oct 2009, courtesy of rabs
Round 1 Previewlzr plus v Gallant
Match of the Round
Unknown Time
Without a doubt the most interesting match for Round 1. This will be a little test to see if lzr are geed up for this competition, Gallant will be spoiling for an upset to kick off their campaign. I expect to see killquick and aurix in the TDM, with shaggy winning the 1v1. This game will come down to who has what it takes on a neutral map in CTF. 2-1 to lzr.
Bounty Hunters vs. zero
9 Tonight
This should be a relatively easy victory for zero, and probably not the most enjoyable initiation into tournament play for the Bounty Hunters. I expect to see zero try to get their combinations rolling, Charmander and MDWGUNS to play the 2v2, harry_ftw to destroy in the 1v1. On the Hunters side, I think we'll see Kaepora play the 1v1. 3-0 to zero.
pride v complete this shiz
8 Friday
This match will be one for pride to get acclimatised to their combinations, having not played that much together. complete this shiz will be playing together for the first time, but they do have the hometown chemistry of Weasel and Xman on their side. Expect to see 2stan getting stuck into his clan mates. 3-0 to pride.
Medley Tournament Preview
11 Oct 2009, courtesy of rabs
So now that the sign ups have closed, the first ever Nexuiz Medley tournament begins! Shout out to trev&nacho for coming up with (and posting) this idea, as well as Charmander and harry_ftw for (I imagine) helping in the maths tutorial. Now, to business...
complete this shiz
Predicted Ladder Position: 7th
Weasel, 2stan, Xman, BerserkThis probably won't come as a surprise to anyone in the nexuiz community that I've predicted this. complete this shiz are a motley crew, consisting of 2stan (pride), Xman (bounty hunters), Weasel and berserk. I think that it's a great oppurtunity for all these players to improve exponentially, and assuming they don't die half way through the season, this team could come back and kick ass at the next tourney.
Bounty Hunters
Predicted Ladder Position: 6th
CARNAG3, Kaepora Gaebora, Bogan and DUST N' BONES have been around longer than pride, and have had quite a few solid clan hit outs. I can see this team causing a couple of upsets and potentially getting 5th. These guys will have a pretty good learning experience during this tourney, it should really help their development as a clan.
Questionables
Predicted Ladder Position: 5th
Cuinnton, ensign ricky, Lithrem, Chezarian. These guys could easily take 4th position, it was an incredibly tight call. Cuinnton is one of the best attackers in the game, and they have the defence to support him. They are a little light in the DM stakes, but they have been improving quite a lot, so a few players will be in for quite a surprise.
Gallant
Predicted Ladder Position: 4th
Shaggy, bones_was_here, Ling, Shadow. They edge out the questionables because of experience, their CTF position and Shaggy and Ling being reasonably experience in the DM formats. Gallant have been around since the beginning of time, and though they are now going through a bit of a rebuild, I expect to see them back and knocking the top teams off shortly. Plus, they have the only girl in the competition.
pride
Predicted Ladder Position: 3rd
lzr
Predicted Ladder Position: 2nd
Aurix, killquick, stuffcorpse. A combination of HAT from the 3v3 tourney and GT ex-pats, this is a very strong lineup (particularly if they have fox). Their ctf team is very good, their 2v2 team looks strong, and with fox they have the second best duelist in aus. lzr are the new arch-nemisis of zero, following in the footsteps of *S* and GT. Look for a very heated battle between lzr and zero.
zero
Predicted Ladder Position: 1st
harry_ftw, Charmander, MDWGUNS, PAG34. Well. Its hard not to pick this team as the best in Australia. We all know about zero. Victors of the 3v3CTF tournament (and 2nd place as well). Victors of the 1v1Duel tournament with harry_ftw. They look pretty much unbeatable. But uno proved last tourney that if you catch them slightly off guard, it is possible to take this giant down, and I'm sure every team will have their sights set on their match against zero, looking to put their best game forward.
Check back here for Round reviews and previews every week! Teams make sure you check the schedule regularly and schedule your matches in advance, that way we can broadcast them to the woooorld.Signups Open
27 Sep 2009, courtesy of rabs
Signups for the 3v3 Medley Tournament are now open, and will be until October 11th. The week following will see the beginning of the tournament, and it will span (most likely) 10 weeks. Rules and sign ups.