#1 Legendary Snails (0-0-0, 0-0) vs. #2 Saunamen (0-0-0, 0-0)
What better way to kick off Season 3 than by continuing the hottest current rivalry in NS2? This will be the Snails' first official NSL match as a team—but by no means is this the first meeting between these two clans. The Snails have edged The Saunamen in their meaningful head-to-head matchups so far (2-1), but the Finns will be looking to even that out. They've been waiting since the 2013 European Open finals to deliver some payback, and with the loss still fresh in their mind, there will be no lack of motivation.
Even so, however, these two teams are already so familiar with each other—I can't see either one getting the best of the other here. They'll split the rounds here and look to meet again in the post-season for a more definitive outcome.
Prediction: #1 Legendary Snails = #2 Saunamen, 2-2 (Summit 1-1, Jambi 1-1)
Top Performers: ray & king_yo (Legendary Snails), Tane & SoLa (Saunamen)
Result: #2 Saunamen > #1 Snails, 3-1 (Did NOT see that coming!)
#3 Breakfast Klub (0-0-0, 0-0) vs. #6 Team X (0-0-0, 0-0)
So, Archaea is out. Team X (AKA Godar 2.0) is in. Interestingly enough, both of these teams took the summer off. Whether or not that time away from the game will have any adverse effects remains to be seen... but if it will, there is no better opportunity to take advantage of it than in Week 1 (as if either team needs more of an advantage).
Personally, I don't think the time off will have too big of an impact on the match, but it'll be hard to tell because of how familiar these teams are with each other. Breakfast Klub played scrims/PCWs against Godar relentlessly in order to get better and take the NA crown from Nexzil. Regardless of the outcome, this will be a great way for both The Klub and X to gauge exactly where they are right now as teams, and what they need to adjust in Week 2.
Breakfast Klub will start the season off strong, showing why they're the NA champs, and deservedly so.
Prediction: #4 Breakfast Klub > #8 Team X, 3-1 (Summit 2-0, Jambi 1-1)
Top Performers: alcalde & valk (Team X), breasthound & bill [yay bill!] (Breakfast Klub)
Result: #4 Breakfast Klub = Team X, 2-2 (Close but no cigar T_T)
#4 Titus (0-0-0, 0-0) vs. #8 Exertus (0-0-0, 0-0)
This is a tough, tough draw for Titus. When it comes down to it, the Finns in Exertus really have nothing to lose—after all, they're the 8th seed—but they're going to play like it's the post-season. They also have the element of surprise on their side as they've been relatively under-the-radar this off season—their comeback was met with little fanfare, but that makes no difference to them: they mean business. Titus, meanwhile, despite getting 2nd Place last season in NA's Division 1, are still seen as the top NA team by many. If this is true, they'll have one hell of an opportunity to show it against Exertus.
In the end, both teams have a lot to prove and a lot to play for. Teams in the Premiere Division can't afford a slow start to the season—but these two will start middle-of-the-pack. Titus and Exertus battle to a draw. And if Squirreli plays, look for him to make a statement in his return to competitive play.
Prediction: #5 Titus = #8 Exertus, 2-2 (Summit 1-1, Jambi 1-1)
Top Performers: Syknik & Locklear (Titus), wiry & zups (Exertus)
Result: #4 Titus > #7 Exertus, 4-0 (Wow :O)
#5 Damage Networks (0-0-0, 0-0) vs. #7 Quaxy (0-0-0, 0-0)
With Quaxy and duplex swapping seeds (and divisions), there are now suddenly three very, very strong Finnish teams in the premiere division. To kick off their season, Networks will be throwing a Premiere Division welcoming party for Quaxy. Now, Quaxy may be the least well-known of the three Finnish squads in the Premiere Division, but they're not chumps (obviously—they're in the Premiere Division!).
This is a pretty even contest, and to be honest, if this was last season I might have picked this as a tie, or even for Quaxy to win outright. But after casting a #6 Networks vs. #2 Legendary Snails scrim/PCW Friday night (06/09/13), and seeing Networks really take it to the Frenchmen (granted, they were missing ray and eagleye, but Networks made impressively quick work of their fades), I think they'll be able to get off to a great start in Season 3.
Networks takes this, but not flawlessly.
Prediction: Damage Networks > Quaxy, 3-1 (Summit 1-1, Jambi 2-0)
Top Performers: Colt & Boom (Damage Networks), Mulk & kesaesa (Quaxy)
Result: #6 Quaxy > #5 Damage Networks, 3-1 (Woops!) [Casted by yours truly!]
NSL Season 3 Weekly Predictions: Premiere Division
Key for Team Records:
1st set of Numbers: wins, losses, and draws (W-L-D)
2nd set of Numbers: rounds for, rounds against (RF-RA)
Key for Miscellaneous:
The second ranking number in parentheses is the team's preseason ranking.
An Asterisk (*) next to a team name indicates a team that has not yet played its previous week's matchup.
Note: These predictions assume a) optimal rosters, and b) the matches are actually being played, and not forfeited. All ranks are division-specific, and not overall seeds (that is, inter-divisional ranks).
Week 1 (8/9/2013) - ns2_nsl_summit, ns2_nsl_jambi
Week 2 (15/9/2013) - ns2_nsl_tram, ns2_nsl_biodome
#1 (▲#4 / #4) Titus (1-0-0, 4-0) vs. #2 ( ▬ / #2) Saunamen (1-0-0, 3-1)
Both of these teams really surprised me in Week 1. I predicted both teams to tie their opponents (Exertus for Titus, Snails for Saunamen), and boy was I wrong! They showed me how strong they really are. Titus’ 4-0 win over Exertus didn’t surprise me as much as the dominant fashion in which the victory was gained—I was really in awe at how strong Titus’ play was. Likewise, I expected excellent play from Saunamen—not an outright win against the Snails.
These two teams couldn’t be meeting each other at a more exciting time, as they look to be in mid/late-season form already—and to see them duking it out on newly-christened NSL map Biodome should be a real treat. There’s going to be a lot of firepower on the field in this game, and it’s almost sad that it will be overshadowing the duel between these teams’ seasoned commanders: Titus’ Virsoul, who is probably the most visible competitive player in NS2 because of how much he streams, and Saunamen’s Peacham, who brings nearly a decade of commanding experience to the table. The chess match between these two generals will be nothing short of spectacular—look for strategy, more than player skill, to determine the winner of this match.
If this week was played on more traditional maps I might have awarded a win, but with Biodome’s novelty, it brings a very unpredictable element to the table. If there’s going to be a sweep, it’ll be on Tram because of its familiarity—but that won’t happen. I think Titus and Saunamen’s marine play are so strong that Biodome will be split 1-1, and this match will end in a tie.
Prediction: #1 Titus = #2 Saunamen, 2-2 (Summit 1-1, Biodome 1-1)
Top Performers: locklear & Virsoul (Titus), Laama & Peacham (Saunamen)
Result: #1 Titus > #2 Saunamen, 4-0 (Forfeit, hopefully will be rescheduled)
#3 (▼#1 / #1) Legendary Snails (0-1-0, 1-3) vs. #8 ( ▬ / #8) Exertus (0-1-0, 0-4)
Both of these teams, I’m sure, wish they could go back in time and re-play Week 1. The Snails for whatever reason didn’t perform at their best, and likewise, Exertus didn’t play nearly close to their potential. To be honest, I’m not sure how much Exertus have been practicing—but I do know for a fact that The Snails have been PCWing incessantly (which made their 3-1 loss to Saunamen all the more shocking to me).
The Frenchmen will be looking for some vindication after a disappointing outing last week, and unfortunately, Exertus find themselves next on the list. After seeing their match against Titus, the Scandinavians still seem to need a little more time to recapture that old 2012 essence—unfortunately, it won’t be this week. I was considering another 4-0, but Biodome being a wildcard will give Exertus a puncher’s chance to pull out a round.
Prediction: #3 Snails > #8 Exertus, 3-1 (2-0 Tram, 1-1 Biodome)
Top Performers: herakles & eagleye (Snails), Squirreli & Elmo (Exertus)
Result: #3 Snails > #8 Exertus, 4-0 (Hoseshoes and Hand Grenades!)
#4 (▼#3 / #3) Breakfast Klub (0-0-1, 2-2) vs. #5 ( ▬ / #5) Damage Networks (0-1-0, 1-3)
I’m still itching to see Breakfast Klub get their feet wet in the NSL waters again, and they dodged a bullet with Archaea’s implosion. But by no means is Team X (The Klub's Week 1 opponent, who I may sometimes refer to as Godar 2.0) followed by North American rivals Damage Networks a walk in the park.
Both of these new-look teams will be gauging where they are in this match. The Klub is bolstering their roster even more with new additions pierow [Pyro :o?] and inzo (HeLix, OnSlaught, sek-C). I’m interested to see what lineup they use against a Damage Networks team that has basically had the whole summer to work out the kinks.
I hate to be so bipartisan about things… if this was last season, I’d give The Klub the win easily—but I think Networks has made massive strides as a team and they will absolutely shine this season. I was strongly considering a 3-1 win for Networks, but then I wouldn’t be giving Breakfast Klub their due credit as reigning champions. These teams will walk away from this week breaking even.
Prediction: #4 Breakfast Klub = #5 Damage Networks, 2-2 (1-1 Tram, 1-1 Biodome)
Top Performers: derriere <3 & durden (Breakfast Klub), jewbear & Colt (Networks)
Result: #5 Damage Networks > #4 Breakfast Klub, 4-0 (Breakfast Klub disbands before it can be played :( )
#7 ( ▬ / #7) Quaxy (1-0-0, 3-1) vs. #6 ( ▬ / #6) Team X (0-0-1, 2-2)
Quaxy are like the little brother when it comes to the Premiere Division’s Finnish teams—but don’t tell them that. Despite being the least-flashy among the Finnish trio, Quaxy actually pre-date The Saunamen, having existed in the mid-2000s alongside NS1 powerhouse Levitacus (Tane, Peacham, Hopsu): Saunamen’s predecessor. So the historical karma on Saunamen’s side applies just as much to Quaxy, and there’s really no better way to announce their arrival by defeating Godar 2.0, who are still acclimating to competitive life post-Reinforced.
But what Team X might lack in patch-awareness is more than made up for with team chemistry: every single member of Team X was an active member of Godar in its prime, and they added Railo (Exertus, Saunamen, miau) for good measure. Every player in the Premiere Division is a crack shot on Marines, and with Reinforced favoring the gun-toting humanoids, I’m more inclined to concede Marine rounds to teams—but Team X has some of the most astoundingly coordinated Fadeball play I’ve seen.
Quaxy will try to make a statement, but Team X won’t be made an example of.
Prediction: #8 Team X > #7 Quaxy, 3-1 (1-1 Tram, 2-0 Biodome)
Top Performers: Eissfeldt & Mendasp (Team X), Niitze & Mulk (Quaxy)
Result: #8 Team X > #7 Quaxy, 4-0 (Close but no cigar!)
Week 3 (22/9/2013) - ns2_nsl_caged, ns2_nsl_descent
#1 (▬ / #4) Titus (2-0-0, 8-0) vs. #3 (▲ #7 / #7) Quaxy* (1-0-0, 3-1)
Unfortunately, Saunamen couldn't field 6 players last week so it's been [temporarily/unofficially] penciled in as a 4-0 Titus win, and will hopefully be replayed later in the season. Either way—they can't get complacent (and likely haven't), because next on the list is a hot Quaxy squad. Although they have yet to play their Week 2 match against Team X, they impressively 3-1'd a very game Damage Networks team in Week 1.
It would be much easier to gauge where Quaxy is if they did play Team X already, but there's no better way to shock NSL fans than by giving Titus a good fight. Honestly, they wouldn't even have to win—a 2-2 draw would be good enough in my book to let the world know they've arrived. But I don't think that'll happen.
I hate picking against Quaxy because I really like these guys... and I hope that they can prove me wrong. But if they want to, Titus won't make it easy for them.
The North Americans will take this one, staying on top of the Premiere Division for another week.
Prediction: #1 Titus > #3 Quaxy, 4-0
Top Performers: locklear & joshhhy (Titus), Fulgo & Myyrs (Quaxy)
Result: #1 Titus = #3 Quaxy, 2-2 (Talk about way off!)
#2 (▲ #3 / #1) Legendary Snails (1-1-0, 5-3) vs. #5 (▼ #4 / #3 ) Breakfast Klub* (0-1-0, 2-2)
The Snails have recovered from their Week 1 loss to Saunamen by sweeping their Finnish brethren in Exertus 4-0. Next on the agenda is reigning NA champions Breakfast Klub. Now, despite ending in a tie, The Klub are coming off a very impressive Week 1 outing against Team X (they haven't yet played Damage Networks for Week 2). Impressive because they were sporting a pretty new lineup (featuring PaLaGi and new pickups inzo, pyro) and yet were still able to give the Team X all they could handle (IIRC, Breakfast Klub went into Jambi down 2-0, and were able to win both rounds, ending in a 2-2 draw).
Regardless, there's a much smaller margin for error now because they find themselves opposite a French powerhouse—dropping down 2-0 would be a death sentence for Breakfast Klub. I'm not sure which lineup they'll be fielding; at their most optimal, I could see them easily playing Legendary Snails to a draw (even winning outright), but like I said before, this would be a terrible week to experiment with a different lineup because the Frenchmen mean business and will be looking to put on a flawless performance in order to keep pace with current #1 seed Titus. But I've got a feeling that The Klub will be using some of their newer additions, so growing pains are to be expected. Look for RioS to implement some interesting whip usage on new NSL map ns2_caged as The Snails take this.
Prediction: #2 Snails > #5 Klub, 3-1 (2-0 Caged, 1-1 Descent)
Top Performers: ray & RioS (Snails), Gosu & bill (Klub)
Result: #2 Snails > #5 Klub, 3-1 (BOOYA!)
#4 (▼#2 / #2) Saunamen (1-1-0, 3-5) vs. #6 (▬ / #6) Team X* (0-0-1, 2-2)
Unfortunately, the Finns had to forfeit (for now, at least) their Week 2 match against Titus—hopefully this won't be a trend for them. Either way, Team X will be stepping up to the plate. These two teams are well-acquainted with each other, and I'm really eager to see them duking it out again on the big stage.
Every time I glance at Saunamen's roster I get the heebie-jeebies because of how stacked it is. The obvious question any opponent will have to ask themselves is this: can we deal with the Finnish shotgun assault? Oddly enough, Saunamen finds themselves against a team that can confidently answer "yes." I still contend that Team X has the most impressive Fadeball in the entire division. Mendasp, Alcalde, and valk's communication and relentlessness are truly something to behold. If you get a chance to watch this match—watch it, and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Regardless, I think Saunamen will barely come out on top. It won't be pretty—but those are the best matches.
Prediction: #4 Saunamen > #6 Team X, 3-1 (1-1 Caged, 2-0 Descent)
Top Performers: Hopsu & Tane (Saunamen), valk & alcalde (Team X)
Result: #6 Team X > #4 Saunamen, 3-1 (Oof. That was my second guess :D)
#7 (▼#5 / #5) Damage Networks* (0-1-0, 1-3) vs. #8 ( ▬ / #8) Exertus (0-2-0, 1-7)
This is an intriguing matchup since both teams have been drastically underachieving so far this season. At three weeks in, we're basically mid-season already which makes this a must-win if either team wants to stay in contention for the playoffs. Exertus are coming off a heart-crushing loss to Legendary Snails, while Networks seem to have been taken by surprise by the Finns in Quaxy.
Although the North Americans haven't played their Week 2 vs. the familiar Breakfast Klub yet, Quaxy was definitely a wakeup call for them to really get things together—and with their roster as stacked as it is, it would be a huge disappointment for them to miss the post-season.
Exertus, on the other hand, have had a really tough draw the first two weeks, facing arguably the top teams in North America (Titus) and Europe (Snails) back to back: a tall order for any team, let alone one still trying to shake off the cobwebs. So despite being 0-2 so far, I don't think that's a fair assessment of their skill or potential. Regardless, facing Titus and Snails right off the bat may have been for the best as they've gotten the two biggest challenges out of the way early in the season where losses are a little more forgiving in terms of seeding for the playoffs—there's still time for them to gain some ground... but it's running out.
That being said, I think that the extreme trial by fire they've been put through will pay off as they shock Networks with a victory. This matchup will be exciting because both teams know how important a win will be to stay in the chase.
Prediction: #8 Exertus > #7 Networks, 3-1 (2-0 Caged, 1-1 Descent)
Top Performers: Synomi & naduli (Exertus), ADHD & jewbear (Networks)
Result: #7 Damage Networks > #8 Exertus, 4-0 (Exertus disbands before it can be played :( )
Week 4 (29/9/2013) - ns2_nsl_veil, ns2_nsl_tram
Roster Changes ~ #1 Titus: +rantology // #3 Quaxy: +Aioros, +malga, +bumbasaur
#1 (▬ / #4) Titus* (2-0-0, 8-0) vs. #6 (▬ / #6) Team X* (0-0-1, 2-2)
These two teams have a bit of history together—another commonality is the fact that they're meeting for the first time in an official capacity with somewhat new-look rosters. There's no need to go through Team X's changes from Goðar, as it's well-known by now. But Titus have very quietly added rantology (ex-Inversion, ex-Damage Networks) to their roster as the resident gorge. I don't think it's possible to state how big of a pick-up this is for Titus: there are often tongue-in-cheek claims of people being "Best _____ NA" or "Best _____ EU." You could call rantology "Best Gorge UNIVERSE" and actually be very close to the truth.
But let's give credit where credit is due: Team X are no scrubs. They know who rantology is, and they themselves have often been seen as innovators of the game back when Goðar exploded onto the Division 1 scene. The question is, do they have anything up their collective sleeves to pull a fast one on Titus?
I haven't spectated/cast a Team X PCW in a while, and the same goes doubly for Titus who basically have an NDA on their scrims now! Talk about top-secret. But that's what'll make this match so intriguing to watch. Be sure to keep an eye on this if you want to see exactly how big a difference a gorge can really make.
Titus is looking mighty strong this season, and I don't see any signs of stopping. Team X will put up a fight, but it won't be enough to knock Titus from the top of the Premiere Division mountain.
Prediction: #1 Titus > #6 Team X, 3-1 (2-0 Veil, 1-1 Tram)
Top Performers: rantology & Golden (Titus), Mendasp & Eissfeldt (Team X)
Result: #6 Team X > #1 Titus, 3-1 (Oops :x)
#2 (▲ #3 / #1) Legendary Snails* (1-1-0, 5-3) vs. #7 (▼ #4 / #3 ) Damage Networks* (0-1-0, 1-3)
Damage Networks have a tough draw here. Beating Quaxy last week would have given them a little leeway... would have made this match-up a little more palatable (at least, as palatable as a matchup against Snails can be). But alas, they're going up against The Snails at 0-1, in very real danger of falling to 0-2.
As I'm writing this, the Legendary Snails have been scrimming against Team X for over 3 hours: a true testament to their dedication (as well as Team X's) to staying on top of their game. But this isn't to disparage Damage Networks. I've personally seen them practicing quite a bit over the last week.
But unfortunately, it won't be enough. Damage Networks will lose this match, and end up in damage control (see what I did there?), as they try to salvage their season—but all will not be lost for them. They still have relatively favorable make-up matches against fellow NA team Breakfast Klub (Week 2) and a struggling Exertus (Week 3) that will keep them in the playoff race that's looming just around the corner.
Prediction: #2 Snails > #7 Networks, 4-0
Top Performers: DAAMZ & king_yo (Snails), luke & Boom (Networks)
Result: #2 Snails > #7 Networks, 4-0 (BOOYA!)
#3 (▲ #7 / #7) Quaxy* (1-0-0, 3-1) vs. #4 (▼#2 / #2) Saunamen* (1-1-0, 3-5)
Ah, another all-Finnish match. Quaxy's higher ranking might be a little misleading, as most people, I'm sure, would consider Saunamen to be the superior team, and they won't be easily bested—something I'm sure their compatriots in Quaxy are well aware of. But Quaxy, however, are coming off a rather impressive 3-1 performance against Damage Networks: impressive not because they won, but because of how they won. It's hard to dominate a team with as much individual skill as Networks has, but they managed to pull it off. While their win against Damage Networks definitely surprised me, a win this week against Saunamen would absolutely astound me and, likely, the rest of the NS2 community.
The Saunamen, however, are coming into this matchup almost in a must-win situation (which is crazy because they defeated arch-rivals Legendary Snails in their regular season matchup). They just cannot sleep on any of their opponents at this point, because if their forfeit loss against current #1 seed Titus isn't replayed, that emphatic win against the Frenchmen would be more or less undone. And as it stands, Saunamen find themselves right in the middle of the Premiere Division standings. They have their eyes on the Championship, but to miss the playoffs would be a massive failure by anyone's expectations.
The Finns in Quaxy are definitely up to the task, but if they want this win, they'll have to earn it. But they might have some aces up their sleeve: they've added Aioros from the recently-imploded duplex (also ex-miau), newcomer bumbasaur, as well as sureshot malga from hard.day!. While bumbasaur's experience in the competitive scene may be unbeknownst to most of us, the one indisputable fact is that these three pick-ups give Quaxy a roster depth that they haven't had for quite some time. And that can only be a good thing. When it comes down to it, they've got a huge opportunity here to stay in playoff contention while also making a statement—meanwhile, The Saunamen just simply can't afford to lose any more ground.
Desperation makes for fantastic matches—and this will certainly be of that variety—but in the end, Saunamen will take this and keep their post-season dreams alive.
Prediction: #4 Saunamen > #3 Quaxy, 3-1 (1-1 Veil, 2-0 Tram)
Top Performers: leipa & whiiii (Saunamen), malga & Niitze (Quaxy)
Result: #4 Saunamen > #3 Quaxy, 4-0 (Close but no Cigar :/)
#5 (▼#4 / #3) Breakfast Klub* (0-0-1, 2-2) vs. #8 ( ▬ / #8) Exertus* (0-2-0, 0-8)
I'm sure Breakfast Klub's new roster has been itching to get some more big-stage action. Their first, and so far only, match has been against Team X—and despite battling to a draw, it was quite a show of resilience and cohesion which is great to see in a team that boasted its newest members.
While I'm sure most people are looking at Exertus as a "gimme" match-up, I wouldn't be so quick to pull the trigger. First, there's just no denying the talent on the team: it's the same exact roster that nearly dethroned Archaea back in 2012. Second, there's an element of desperation on their side. While a win wouldn't exactly rocket them up the standings, it would breathe life into a team that has been on the bad side of luck, drawing Titus and Legendary Snails in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively.
This is tough for me because I've said, quite publicly at times, that these are my two favorite teams (obviously, no offense intended to the other teams out there). If I had to pick a team to win, I would pick The Klub. I just don't know where this Exertus team stands right now in terms of activity and interest in the game. But regardless, I think they simply have too much skill, and more importantly, too much pride to get swept again.
I won't go out on a limb with this one, but I think Exertus slowly begins returning to form as Breakfast Klub end up drawing yet again.
Prediction: #5 Breakfast Klub = #8 Exertus, 2-2 (Klub > 2-0 Veil, Exertus > 2-0 Tram)
Top Performers: inzo & PaLaGi (Klub), zups & wiry (Exertus)
Result: #5 Breakfast Klub = #8 Exertus, 0-0 (Double Forfeit; both teams disband—so I'm right on a technicality!)
