Weeks 9-11 (11/09/2013 - 11/23/2013)
NSL Premiere Division
S E M I - F I N A L S
#1 Goðar vs. #4 Titus
Finally, it's come down to this. The past 2 months have all led to this moment—not just for these two teams, but for every team in the playoffs that's put in their time, paid their dues, and are looking for the validation of all that sacrifice.
Goðar and Titus are finding themselves in opposite positions from the outset of Season 3. Titus exploded out of the gate, surprisingly taking the #1 seed and holding it for virtually the entire season—but alas, the frantic end of the season often disrupts any sense of normalcy as teams jockey for last-second positioning. Goðar, on the other hand, started off a little slow; it was clear there was a little rust from being inactive all summer long. But the announcement of the NS2 World Championship has given them a new vitality and it's really shown in their play as they've seemingly done the impossible by running the Premiere Division table. I don't think anyone would have comfortably predicted Goðar to go 7-0* in the Premiere Division, as they share it with fellow European powerhouses Saunamen and Legendary Snails. But Goðar have proven, finally, that they are a juggernaut in their own right. In their past seasons and tournament, they've underperformed to varying degrees (something I'm sure they'll admit themselves), but now they're finally in the position that everyone knew they were capable of attaining.
Even though Titus dropped to #4, let's face it: they would have been staring down the barrel of the proverbial gun no matter which seed they ended up with. Goðar, Saunamen, or Legendary Snails? It's a scenario of pick your poison, really. Strangely enough, however, Goðar might have been the best draw possible for the last bastion of North American hope in competitive NS2: Titus and Goðar are frequent practice partners, so their strategies and tendencies are quite familiar to Titus. With that being said, however, the same applies for Goðar.
This is a really painful match for me to predict because my heart is torn in two: I want to see Goðar at the top, but the North American pride in me wants to see Titus make it all the way to the finish line. In the end, however, I'm going to go with Goðar. They reformed their team with the sole purpose of winning it all—not just Season 3, but the World Championship as well—and anything less will be a failure in their eyes. M̶e̶n̶d̶a̶s̶p̶'̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶t̶i̶r̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶(̶p̶e̶r̶m̶a̶n̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶!̶?̶)̶ ̶i̶s̶,̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶o̶u̶b̶t̶e̶d̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶G̶o̶ð̶a̶r̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶R̶a̶i̶l̶o̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶t̶a̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶s̶e̶l̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶p̶e̶t̶e̶n̶t̶ i̶n̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶e̶a̶d̶ . [April Fool's! Mendasp is playing, yay!!]
Goðar won't be denied, and their long journey to being called World Champions is just beginning. They'll start it with a victory over Titus.
Prediction: #1 Goðar > #4 Titus, 4-2
Top Performers: Eissfeldt & valk (Goðar), joshhhy & rantology (Titus)
Result: --
* - Goðar were actually drawn by Breakfast Klub 2-2 in Week 1, but the abrupt folding of The Klub granted Goðar a 4-0 win instead, improving their record to 7-0-0 rather than 6-0-1. A real shame, as Breakfast Klub did something no other team could do all season!
#2 Saunamen vs. #3 Legendary Snails
Since their formation, Legendary Snails have looked nigh unstoppable, defeating Saunamen in 2 of their 3 major meetings (2013 NSL Nations Cup, 2013 NSL Summer Cup, 2013 NSL European Open). It looked like The Snails had The Saunamen's number heading into Season 3, and that the Frenchmen would run away with the division. But their fated Week 1 meeting really set the tone for the season, with Saunamen showing The Snails that they really do mean business as the Finns won that matchup 3-1.
In this writer's humble opinion, however, The Saunamen have looked more impressive this season than The Snails. Boasting nearly identical records, there's not much that separates them from each other: sure, Saunamen only drew Titus 2-2 (casted by Yours Truly!), but it was clear that they were very sloppy/unprepared for the first two rounds; the final two rounds were fairly dominant. And while The Snails did defeat Titus 3-1, in all honesty, they should have been drawn by Titus as well, as the North Americans had them dead to rights on The Snails' marine round on Descent (specifically, in the Battle for Silo/Energy Flow). And of course, there was the aforementioned meeting between these two teams.
When it comes down to it though, there's just something that seems a little off-kilter with the French team that I can't quite put my finger on. They simply haven't been as convincingly dominant as they were a few months ago. The Saunamen have yet to really deal The Snails a loss painful enough to repay the brief, ill-fated 2013 Euro Open Championship—but knocking them out of the Season 3 Playoffs would come pretty damn close.
This match will be a barn-burner for sure, and both teams will need the absolute best from their top players; the Finnish Terminator, Tane, will have to fend off the dynamic French duo (and his ex-teammates during their time in Archaea), ray and eagleye. But in the end, I believe the Finns will come out on top, setting up a showdown versus Goðar for all the marbles.
P.S. - I don't think comms get nearly enough love in NS2. Big shoutout to Peacham and RioS who are, in my opinion, the best comms in the scene!
Prediction: #2 Saunamen > #3 Legendary Snails, 4-3
Top Performers: Tane & whiiii (Saunamen), ray & eagleye (Snails)
Result: --
NSL Division 1
S E M I - F I N A L S
#1 RadicaL vs. #4 BlueBabblerSquad
As the season's wrapped up, RadicaL have left no room for error; they are the undisputed kings of Division 1. They've beaten everyone in their path with deadly efficiency (except for priori, which we'll get to in a bit!) in their attempt to break into that Premiere-level status.
They shouldn't be getting ahead of themselves, though. Though they've defeated the artists formerly known as nuReign 4-0 in Week 5, they can't take them lightly—that's how upsets happen. If the Koreans can weather this storm, however, they might actually have a psychological advantage (at least, in their own minds) in the finals, as they've already beaten priori, the other divisional favorite, 3-1 this season (albeit against a starkly different roster). Again, IF they can weather the storm.
RadicaL have really hit their stride at the perfect time, though. They've looked pretty strong as of late, and have been practicing against some top-tier talent, which doesn't bode too well for their Korean opponents who have looked shaky at times against teams that are on the cusp of being elite.
When it comes down to it, RadicaL have looked super-strong so far and I don't see any signs of them letting up. They should take this match comfortably against The Babbler Squad.
Prediction: #1 RadicaL > #4 BlueBabblerSquad, 4-1
Top Performers: SammyG & relent (RadicaL), AliceTaylor & clipclop (BBS)
Result: --
#2 priori vs. #3 Singularity
Ahh! As a fan of NS2, picking this is tough because both of these teams are near and dear to my North American heart... but as a player, they've both beat the hell out of my team in scrims D: So I hold no biases >:O
If this match were to happen one or two weeks ago, I might have picked Singularity for the ostensible upset. But it's a wonder how much can change in that span of time. As a team, priori weren't really in a good place... lack of motivation and interest in the game had really stymied the realization of their potential, and the future of perhaps NA's brightest up-and-coming team was up in the air. With that being said, however, I absolutely love priori's chances here now that they've made significant roster changes: the loss of their commander, catcop, was a pretty significant blow. But they've found their short-term replacement in Titus' (then known as Nexzil) old commander-turned-field-player, Locklear. This addition can't be understated, as it's extremely difficult to come across good commanders at this level of play, and Locklear's got some impressive credentials. Knowing that they'd likely have to deal with RadicaL at some point down the road, they didn't stop there—priori further blostered their field team by adding bLink (ex-Titus) for like, the 2nd time, as well as Johs (ex-duplex, ex-RadicaL). Round that out with some SweetieBot, a little bit of Shades (with a z), sam, ritual, and carNAGE for good measure—and that's a scary lookin' field team.
Singularity, meanwhile, have been floating around for a while, and they've made some huge strides since the days of Man Up—I'm really surprised to see how quickly they've risen up to Division 1. But then again, I shouldn't be as they've kept their core group in tact through it all and have added some real talent this season in the form of IRONF1ST, Sally, and Goodkat.
Both of these teams are pretty familiar with each other, not only because they're divisional foes, but also because of the various pugs occurring at all hours of the night in the Western Hemisphere. I love the guys in Singularity—you're all my boys<3—but I have to go with priori in this match.
But no matter the outcome—at least we're guaranteed one NA team to make it to the finals!
Prediction: #2 priori > #3 Singularity, 4-2
Top Performers: (priori) & (Singularity)
Result: --
NSL Division 2
SOZ'S ABSOLUTELY 100% CORRECT BRACKET
Q U A R T E R - F I N A L S
A#1 Ascension vs. B#4 Virtual Selection
As I'd predicted in previous weeks, Ascension have silently clawed their way to the top of Division 2's Group A, plundering that top seed from Scurvy (get it?). Now, this should be favorable first match here in the newly-added Quarter Finals against Group B's Virtual Selection—a team that's struggled against the top clans in its own group, onFire and FLASH.
The Frenchmen are now coming up against an Aussie team that, by most people's estimation, should be in Division 1. And it's hard to dispute that, as they've run roughshod over Group A (with the exception of Scurvy). In my conversations with Slayar, he was absolutely beaming at the opportunity to play against international teams, and so far, they've proven that they can hang with some of the most potent teams on the rise. And the Aussies undoubtedly have their eyes trained on getting the bump up to Division 1.
Virtual Selection seem to be hot and cold; I absolutely love their aggressive playstyle and have been a big fan since the first time I saw some of their PCWs with their new commander loulebe. But they just seem to have some difficulty playing against the upper-tier teams within their own group. I'm scared for them as they're now taking on the apparent #1 overall in the entire division. I think they'll be able to take a round—maybe two—off of the Aussies, but all things considered, I just don't see them winning.
I have to go with Ascension here, but keep a wary eye on Virtual Selection—they're definitely a team on the rise.
Prediction: A#1 Ascension > B#4 Virtual Selection, 3-1
Top Performers: mf- & intrik (Ascension), Ben & LuchoG (Virtual Selection)
Result: --
A#3 50 Shades of Awesome vs. B#2 FLASH
50 Shades are like the little brother that has been living under the widely-cast shadow of big brother Ascension; their 0-4 loss this season is proof of that. A win here would put these two right back on a collision course for the chance to play in the Finals. And to be honest, that might not be too wild of a scenario, because if there's any time a team would seemingly want to play against FLASH, now would be that time.
I've been a fan of FLASH because of all the big names they have, but after an astounding 0-4 loss to onFire to close out the season, FLASH has gotten me (and likely everyone else) scratching their heads and asking "wut?" Now, I'm not discrediting onFire at all—they're a very strong team—but I can guarantee that no one had them winning that match, let alone in 4-0 fashion, except, perhaps, for themselves. FLASH are looking more vulnerable than they have at any point this season, especially after losing a solid field player in Ryssk. But to their advantage, they should be able to roll out zups (ex-Exertus) and fresh pick-up Hannie (ex-Forward!) for this. Assuming these two play, I'm really liking FLASH's chances in this match.
Despite that brutal loss, I've got faith in FLASH to make it to the Semi-Finals, effectively ending the Aussies' playoff hopes here.
Prediction: B#2 FLASH > A#3 50 Shades, 3-1
Top Performers: zups & Hannie (FLASH), Intensify & RageNation (50 Shades)
Result: --
A#2 Scurvy vs. B#3 RaZe
From the outset of the season, Scurvy have been my odds-on favorite to win Division 2; actually, along with Ascension, I feel that they've been wrongly placed in that they should both have been Division 1. But this might not have been a terrible outcome in the long-run. For a team like Ascension, it's a nice way to ease themselves into the international scene. For Scurvy—a brand new team this season—it's an excellent way for them to build their chemistry as a team and 'earn' their way up the ladder, rather than kind of jumping straight into the fire. Because as individuals, they have the potential to challenge priori for that edge-of-elite status; but as a team, they're still very green. And it's shown as they've had some hiccups along the way, dropping rounds to Original gorges and Wonga—both teams that they should have 4-0'd. And let's not get started with 50 Shadesdecoypls.
And if 50 Shades are the like little brothers of Ascension, then RaZe are like the red-headed step-brothers who sit by themselves at dinner time. Though they've been quietly this season, they let their play do their talking. Their only outright loss has come against FLASH, the Group B favorite, and they actually beat onFire 3-1, the only team that was able to beat FLASH this season (and in convincing fashion, to boot). So it's very clear that RaZe are more than capable of standing toe-to-toe with the big boys. But the question remains: can they do it when it matters? I'm a big fan of the Aussie teams in NS2, but I'm gonna stick with my guns here, as Scurvy were my pre-season pick for the division.
Scurvy will take this, but RaZe will surely make them work for it.
Prediction: A#2 Scurvy > B#3 RaZe, 3-2
Top Performers: Wakelagger & destrukt (Scurvy), Bruno Sardine & Kylesickone (RaZe)
Result: --
A#4 Original gorges vs. B#1 onFire
Coming off an absolutely emphatic win over Group B rivals FLASH, onFire are arguably the hottest team in Division 2 (GET IT? :D). Despite their loss to RaZe, FLASH were the team that onFire's likely had their eyes on the entire season, and they've finally slayed that dragon, proving to themselves and the rest of the community that they can, in fact, play at an extremely high level. But they're surely not satisfied. They've added Wob (ex-duplex, ex-TW&T) to reinforce their roster, and that's what I especially like about onFire: their always-need-to-improve attitude.
Original gorges have had an unfortunate fall from grace; I have a special place in my heart for them as they were one of the very first NSL matches I cast back in Season 2 Week 5 versus YO Clan. They really looked like one of the one-the-rise clans of Europe as they absolutely annihilated Division 3, losing only one round throughout the entire regular season and post-season combined. But Season 3 has been a pretty sobering experience for them I'm sure, as they've lost quite a chunk of their Season 2 roster; they just haven't been the same team since then, struggling against teams of onFire's caliber this season, which is a real shame.
In the end, onFire should pick up the victory here and move on to the Semi-Finals.
Prediction: B#1 onFire > A#4 Original gorges, 3-0
Top Performers: Wob & Zero-Master (onFire), rox & HaFFelHoFF (Original gorges)
Result: --
NSL Division 3
Q U A R T E R - F I N A L S
A#1 Vexta vs. B#4 Evolved Ones
As a new team, at least in competitive NS2, Vexta have almost literally come from out of nowhere and just dominated Division 3's Group A, besting pre-season favorites el'pheer for the #1 seed. They've showed tons of potential as they've dropped only two rounds in the regular season (to el'pheer), but subsequently defeated them 2-0 in the tiebreaker for the top seed to leave no room for doubt. Clearly, Vexta are dead set on getting the bump to Division 2 (at the very least), but I've got a feeling they could probably hang at Division 1. But much like with Scurvy, it's not a bad idea to start out a little below the skill-level you consider yourself, if only to iron out some of the more nuanced aspects of team play.
Evolved Ones, meanwhile, are one of the younger North American teams. Forming at the tail end of Season 2, they've beefed up their roster quite a bit since then. They've played well this season, but it's clear that they've got quite a ways to go before they're ready for that divisional jump, as they seem to struggle against the more seasoned teams (Silvermoon, Next Level Gaming). And here, they're going up against a real upstart, no-nonsense team in Vexta that practice quite a bit against higher-division clans.
Evolved Ones will have to regroup and look forward to the upcoming season, as Vexta look poised to take not only this match, but the divisional crown.
Prediction: A#1 Vexta > B#4 Evolved Ones, 3-0
Top Performers: Leap & Revilo (Vexta), ZippoFluid & w0k (Evolved Ones)
Result: --
A#3 Gorge Busters vs. B#2 Silvermoon
Gorge Busters have been a pretty quiet team this entire season. They've amassed a 4-2-0 record, sweeping 4-0 in all their wins, and only lost (albeit 0-4) to the teams that one would expect them to lose to: Vexta and el'pheer. It's clear that they seem to have trouble against the upper-tiered teams of Group A. And should they win here, they'll find themselves, likely, face to face with Vexta once more. But they shouldn't be thinking that far ahead.
I've had the pleasure of casting quite a few Silvermoon matches this season (which is awesome, since they literally never scrim, and I never get to see them play!), and you can paint me up and down with their colors, because they've won me over as a fan with their play. Silvermoon are probably one of the more unpredictable teams I've come across because they're liable to do anything. Base relocation? Sure. Proxy observatories? Check. They're just difficult to prepare for because they never play a traditional game, keeping their opponent on their toes, and I think that'll give them a huge edge here.
Even though they're coming into this match technically as the higher seed, I think most people would consider Silvermoon the underdog in this match, self included. But I just have a feeling... Silvermoon will pull a close victory out of this one and move on to the Semi-Finals.
Prediction: B#2 Silvermoon > A#3 Gorge Busters, 3-2
Top Performers: Ralcor [comms represent!] & Popdog (Silvermoon), i like turtals & maxamus (Busters)
Result: --
A#2 el'pheer vs. B#3 OMNOM
el'pheer are one of the true journeymen teams in the entire NSL. They've been hanging around since Season 1, starting in Division 4. They're about ready to make the move up and really solidify themselves within the mind of the NS2 fan as a contender; as a true staple of the NSL. They've gone 20-8-3 in sanctioned NSL matches since the inception of their team. They've definitely put the time in, and if they want to make the jump, it's now or never.
Standing in their way, however, are the new kids on the block: OMNOM. A team with no competitive track record, they've performed rather admirably, scoring a win over Evolved Ones, drawing WakaWaka and even veterans Next Level Gaming. Actually, it would seem they have a pulse on NA teams—but unfortunately for them, el'pheer aren't of that ilk.
This is the playoffs. There's so much more on the line here. Don't get me wrong: by any standard, OMNOM have had an impressive inaugural season—but as is the case with most teams, they must pay their dues first. el'pheer did, and they should take this match, moving on to the Semi-Finals.
Prediction: A#2 el'pheer > B#3 OMNOM, 3-1
Top Performers: Iots & Trigu (el'pheer), Banewish & Rulerpop (OMNOM)
Result: --
A#4 TAW vs. B#1 Next Level Gaming
This is a tough draw. Both of these teams have been around for quite some time now—which pains me, because it means one of these teams won't have that chance to go on and potentially call themselves Season 3 Division 3 Champs. Both teams have had really solid core rosters, so there's no lack of experience here.
The Art of War have had a much rougher season considering they're sharing a group with Vexta, el'pheer, and Gorge Busters. But a lot of people, including myself, would probably have thrown Next Level Gaming into that group as well, which is bad news for TAW. The North Americans have had a pretty firm grip on their own Group and seem to have been coasting the entire season. I'm sure they were expecting to be in this position at this point, so for them, the season may truly just be starting.
I'm gonna have to go with Next Level Gaming in this match. I'm quite familiar with them, and while I can't say nearly the same about the chaps in TAW, I know what Next Level Gaming is capable of.
Prediction: B#1 nL > A#4 TAW, 3-1
Top Performers: jayjayblinks & Nuke (nL) & Neoken & DCDarkling (TAW)
Result: --
NSL Division 4
S E M I - F I N A L S
#1 BOX vs. #4 Helix
Division 4 is normally pretty exciting because one can never really know what to expect since this is the starting point for most new teams. Case in point: BOX. This Singaporean team has literally come from out of the blue and taken Division 4 by storm, 4-0'ing everyone in their path with the exception of Lucky Fkers.
Helix, on the other hand, had a very bright future when they were created via the NA Kickstart campaign helmed by Locklear, containing names like inzo (ex-Breakfast Klub, Damage Networks) and Mikan (Scurvy). When it comes down to it, they just haven't been able to find their mojo and really hit their stride. Obviously, they've already faced BOX in the regular season, and that ended up in an 0-4 loss for the North Americans.
Unfortunatley, unless they can pull off a miracle, unless they have some crazy ace up their sleeve, this is looking to end up the same way. BOX should take this and move on to the Finals.
Prediction: #1 BOX > #4 Helix, 4-0
Top Performers: Romeo & Juliet [Yeah Shakespeare!] (BOX), Barbetos & Cutie Lerk (Helix)
Result: --
#2 Lucky Fkers vs. #3 karvalakki
Unfortunately for Lucky Fkers, they weren't able to secure that top seed which would have given them a more favorable match up here. Instead, they're going to be facing karvalakki: a team that's been together since NSL Season 1. Their cohesion and experience is vastly superior to that of Lucky Fkers—so the North Americans will have to rely much more heavily upon their individual skill.
But that's not to discredit Lucky's teamwork. They've shown that they're serious business, putting up strikingly similar numbers to the other new Division 4 team, BOX. Lucky only drew karvalakki 2-2 in their regular season matchup, sure, but they also drew BOX 2-2—a team that swept karvalakki 4-0.
Karva will put up one hell of a fight, but I see Lucky taking this Semi-Final and fighting for the Division 4 crown and that glorious bump up to Division 3.
Prediction: #2 Lucky Fkers > #3 karvalakki, 4-2
Top Performers: Webtrance & BillyTalent (Lucky Fkers), Boke & Horban (karvalakki)
Result: --