Week 3
Still going strong-ish.
Aside from match results (in other news):
It's with great pleasure that I welcome Pledge to the teamfortress.tv crew. Pledge is a premium, veteran caster who's been casting for the past few seasons for VanillaTV and made his debut cast for TF.TV last week, casting alongside yours truly. After all the drama kicked up around TF.TV and VanillaTV over the i49 spot, many people have somehow seen this as another stage of saga thought it's not really the case. Pledge has his own reasons for making the move, likely including the support TF.TV can offer him in getting to i49. Finally I know both organisations are in full support of wider exposure of competitive TF2 as a whole and so to any of us it should really just seem logical to have such a great caster on the stream that is getting in more views. Time to tone it down all you stirrers out there!
A good friend of mine and also Division 1 soldier Shrike has been working on and is still developing a new pickup website which you can find here. The functionality of the bot is better than that currently running on tf2pickup.net, and once the remaining pages are implemented (various rules and stats pages) the site will definitely be the place people should be going for some semi-serious competitive play, all it needs at the moment is players to populate it during the day!
Last week's interviewees
As before, first we'll be going back to look at the matches from previous weeks. With regards to last week's interviewees, on Premiership, Mystery Gamer #1 was …checks back because he's forgotten... RLM medic and TF.TV caster ilike2spin; Mystery Gamer #2 was broder soldier and best seb/zeb in prem Zebbosai. Also giving the Division 1 insight was Decerto medic and rabbit lover Turbomonkey and finally Mystery Gamer #4 was d-d-Did i Stutter scout and still-mad-about-week1-predictions Permzilla.
Results from last week (and a couple from Week 1)
- Epsilon eSports vs. vinland (Result: Gullywash (5-0) Snakewater (4-2) )
- broder vs. Last Man Standing (Result: Gullywash (5-0) Snakewater (6-1) )
- Crack Clan vs. Skidmark Central (Result: Gullywash (7-2) Snakewater (7-2) )
- Revoluzion la metagame vs SOLAR (Result: Gullywash (2-4) Snakewater (4-2) )
In Week 2 we got our first taste of Top 4 action in the form of Skidmark Central vs. Crack Clan except, yeah… after both maps went 7-2 7-2 in Crack Clan's favour, as well as Skidmark Central's draw to vinland in Week1, it's looking more and more like a Top 3 in terms of team ability (my money would still be on Skidmark Central to take 4th spot for the playoffs). Anyone feeling like getting irrationally and unnecessarily hyped about nothing should check back over the post match interviews on TF.TV to check the supposedly controversial comments made by Ipz, in which he calls Skidmark Central bad or something… I mean really people? Epsilon and broder both pulled out wins as expected though Epsilon in slightly less comfortable style than you might imagine, with vinland managing to take 2 rounds of them. The last game in Premiership was Revoluzion vs. Solar which I casted and was pretty impressed with both teams, both seeming to have the ability to push Skidmark Central for that 4th spot. Solar are still looking like a team of for-the-most-part underrated players and with a little more composure could've pulled through to take the second map as well as the first, the real test will come this week. As said before Revoluzion definitely have the players to compete at a higher level of play than they are at the moment and they are showing some periods of amazing play in games, all they need to do is make sure those periods can last close to whole games when they come to play Skidmark Central and vinland.
- Trick17 Black vs Team Reverto (Result: Gullywash (0-5) Snakewater (1-6) )
- d-d-Did i Stutter? vs Furbo Pandas (unplayed)
- Decerto Ozone vs Astute Gamers Reverto (unplayed)
- Optimum eSports vs Karnage eSports (unplayed)
…I guess we'd rather it was this way round than Prem, but still, pick it up Div1? Reverto beating Trick17 seems relatively predictable, shouldn't be too much of a disappointment for either team.
- Furbo Pandas vs Team Reverto (Result: Badlands (4-2) Gullywash (3-4) )
- d-d-Did i Stutter? vs Decerto. Ozone (Result: Badlands (3-2) Gullywash (2-6) )
Having delayed these Week 1 matches seem to have brought bad omens upon two of the teams I previously predicted to be placing in the Top 3. At the start of the season Furbo Pandas were described as a team in freefall, with their recent roster changes potentially leading to disaster. It seems they've most definitely landed on their feet though, taking a map of the #1 seeded Reverto and actually winning more rounds over both maps. Badlands was also the map on which DIS beat Decerto, and it's really hard to say if we're going to see the start of some good results for DIS, if Decerto just started off on the wrong foot, or if I don't really know that much about TF2 and Decerto was always destined for mid-table mediocre-dom, as ever, only time will tell!
The maps for Week 3 of Season 15 will be cpsnakewater and cpgranary. (<- best map week eva?)
Current Premiership Standings
- Epsilon eSports (Played 2 Won 2)
- Crack Clan (Played 2 Won 2)
- broder (Played 2 Won 2)
- nerd party (Played 1 Drawn 1 Lost 1)
- SOLAR (Played 1 Drawn 1 Lost 1)
- vinland (Played 1 Drawn 1 Lost 1)
- Revoluzion la Metagame (Played 1 Drawn 1 Lost 1)
- LMS (Played 2 Lost 2)
broder vs. Epsilon eSports
- broder: Mirelin, ryb, Zeboosai, jukebox, bybben, cookye
- Epsilon eSports: KnOxXx, numlocked, Mike, Gear, schocky, basH
Thursday 23rd May 21:15 CEST Casted by Pledge and Ally, with Warden streaming.
My thoughts: After a couple of easy weeks of relatively easy cruising for both teams, this is the big one. Maybe coming a little early in the season for the liking of some, this should definitely give us an estimate at the moment of which of the two might be more likely to win the season. At the end of last season broder really pushed Epsilon more than anyone has done since i46, and since the recent showmatches, everyone is looking beatable - Europeans and Americans alike. Although both were only by a difference of 1 round, Snakewater and Granary are the two maps that Epsilon picked and won in the Grand Final of Season 14 so you'd say things seem in their favour at the moment but broder seem to be a improving constantly and I really am not sure who will take this. At the end of the season it may look like an inconsequential result, with both teams ending up in the Grand Final (unless Ipz's Crack Clan have anything to say about it?) but either team earning themselves a win here will inevitably have greater confidence when that time comes to pass and throughout the rest of the season. Make sure you're there to watch!
Mystery Gamer #1 (Prediction: 2-6 Snakewater 3-5 Granary):
"Epsilon looks shaky to me at the moment in terms of synergy in their team - from watching numlocked's stream, it got more and more obvious that if seb ( numlocked) and KnOxXx are not on the same page and countering each others calls the whole team will suffer and Epsilon is nothing more than any other team. Keeping in mind though that they are always on fire when there is an official I predict them to do just fine and beat Broder convincingly."
Mystery Gamer #2 (Prediction: 2-4 Snakewater 1-3 Granary):
"Probably similar to the finals despite jukebox replacing tek and GeaR rejoining the epsilon roster. Epsilon have only played broder once since the season started and the results were close with jukebox having a big game, although from my experience of him he can be quite inconsistent and so ultimately Epsilon will win but how close it is will depend mostly on his performance as he causes Epsilon the most problems."
Skidmark Central vs. SOLAR
- Skidmark Central: skeej, kaidus, flisko, Daleth, kiler4funN, Greg
- SOLAR: vanilla, lalli, qnx, Hycz, maidu, cor
My thoughts: After a considerably worse start to the season that they'd like, Skidmark Central now seem to be in a situation where they're fighting for their playoff spot, let alone a top 2/3 finish. Solar on the other hand are coming into the Division with little expectations upon their shoulders and most recently put up a performance far exceeding the standard at which people are currently rating them. Both of these factors mean that this game will be a lot closer that many will have foreseen and though not quaking in their boots (credit for the imagery goes to Admirable) I think SC must be wary of how well Solar can play. For Solar this is an opportunity to come into the game as underdogs but with the potential to actually contest and not just get smashed. Overall, I still think Skidmark Central will win, but Solar can definitely steal a few rounds and if they take them early on, momentum could easily gift them a map.
Mystery Gamer #1 (Prediction: 5-2 Snakewater 5-2 Granary):
" skeej against his former teammates could be an interesting one. He knows how they play and can maybe change the tides of this game because if you compare both rosters to each other has SC the bigger names but they are absolutely dreadful.
Mystery Gamer #2 (Prediction: 4-1 Snakewater 3-4 Granary):
"Could be the (second) closest game this week. SOLAR had a decent result vs Revoluzion and despite losing on Snake, i think they could beat kaidus' team on what is known to be his worst map. kaidus has the edge on Granary however and i think that will be a pretty comfortable win for them."
Crack Clan vs. vinland
- Crack Clan: 2nuts, Brego, Ipz, T-mac, TviQ, smzi
- vinland: jose, suqper, Darn, Salmon, Rake, delzic
Tuesday 21st May 21:15 CEST (Provisionally) Casted by Pledge + 1 with Jon streaming.
My thoughts: With vinland having drawn against Skidmark Central and Crack Clan having smashed them, logic concludes that this will be another easy win for Crack Clan, and those with predictions below definitely seem to agree. vinland definitely have a justified shot at that 4th place spot after their recent performances, and after SC lost to CC last week, this is really only a game that vinland can gain ground on. On the other hand, if Crack Clan lose one or more maps, trying to contest for the top 1/2 spots in the playoff will become a hell of a lot harder for them. That 'if' is a big if though, I doubt vinland won't pick up a few rounds, but whether they last to 30 minutes on either map will be more of a question worth considering…
Mystery Gamer #1 (Prediction: 5-0 Snakewater 5-0 Granary):
"Not an even match in any aspect of the game. Crack Clan will bring the necessary dm and teamplay to the game to eat vinland alive.
Mystery Gamer #2 (Prediction: 5-0 Snakewater 6-1 Granary):
"Crack Clan are looking pretty solid right now and vinland are struggling to get any decent results despite a 2-4 loss vs Epsilon on snake (reportedly due to KnOxXx's high ping and script issues).
Last Man Standing vs. Revoluzion la metagame
- Last Man Standing: Whiteglow, Mightyme, Empty, Ordinator, reko, Forsak3n
- Revoluzion la Metagame: Spin, Exon, Haunter, tek, Flippy, quad
My thoughts: For starters I challenge anyone to find a team on their Prem debut who have had such a crazy couple of first games as LMS, who have so far this season suffered defeats at the hands of both Epsilon and broder. This week's fixture will be a lot more of an indicator as to their current skill level with a victory against Revoluzion definitely within their capabilities. Having recently brought Mightyme in on demo has been a huge change for the team in terms of communication, i.e. a formerly russian speaking team now talking in english. But with another beneficial-looking replacement looming on the horizon, the switch to english comms and opening up the opportunity for new players might seem like a good move in the long term. So far there haven't been any wins among any of the teams in the previously mentioned bottom 4 (i.e. Solar, vinland, Revoluzion and LMS) which has mainly been due them all having been scheduled tough early season fixtures but now is a fine opportunity for either team to make their mark. If Revoluzion play well, I think they could win outright, but I think against LMS performing anywhere near their best will make it very difficult for them. Question is, how long will it take Revoluzion to get themselves into gear and will it be too late by then!?
Mystery Gamer #1 (Prediction: 6-2 Snakewater 5-1 Granary):
"In the interview on tf.tv after the games against CC, ilike2spin stated that he doesn't want to rely on individual skill and that their strongest aspect is their teamplay. So far all i saw is them only relying on individual dm and heroplays. Easy win for LMS with their teamplay and dm (if they care to win?)."
Mystery Gamer #2 (Prediction: 5-2 Snakewater 1-4 Granary):
"LMS have had the worst possible start to the season having to play Epsilon and broder, arguably the top 2 teams in EU right now but they haven't folded and the recent addition of Mightyme and rumours of Salt of pyrogen fame trialling as pocket really shows that they are motivated and could continue to improve. Revoluzion has also had an unlucky start getting 5-0'd by cc, but a 3-3 tie vs a quite good SOLAR shows they can still maybe finish on the top (of the bottom) of prem.
Current Division 1 Standings:
- Team Reverto (Played 2 Won 2)
- Karnage eSports (Played 1 Won 1)
- Rainbow Queens (formerly Astute Gamers) (Played 1 Won 1)
- d-d-Did I Stutter (Played 1 Drawn 1)
- Furbo Pandas (Played 1 Drawn 1)
- Decerto Ozone (Played 1 Drawn 1)
- Optimum eSports (Played 1 Lost 1)
- Trick17 Black (Played 2 Lost 2)
Karnage eSports vs. Decerto. Ozone
Karnage eSports: Dendocror, kimberly, wpminnows, ghent, r7an, sheepy
Decerto. Ozone: Turbomonkey, huhy, arc, KillAri, Origo, gf18
My thoughts: Decerto need to prove themselves after having dropped a map to DIS and Karnage are definitely worthy opponents for doing so. Karnage, the team which I-still-really-don't-know-much-about (best coverage eu) are currently sitting nicely in the #2 spot along with Rainbow Queens (Astute Gamers) as the only teams with a win and no draws or losses. If the Decerto scouts can contain sheepy and likewise the combo contain the immense carry that I've been led to believe is ghent, then I think huhy will be able to provide the overall damage to see Decerto to victory. As a high ranking member of the Turbomonkey fanclub I'll probably be checking this match out at some point, and hopefully come back next week with a prediction involving Karnage that's more prediction and less vague bullshit.
Mystery Gamer #3 (Prediction: 4-3 Snakewater 5-2 Granary):
"Decerto are the favourites to take this match I would imagine, and rightly so. A quick check over logs.tf shows that the last 4 times these teams have clashed in pcws, Decerto have taken it every map convincingly. However this was whilst using their previous scout, and Karnage have recently picked up sheepy; this may make the difference in this game as I would say that the flanks of both teams are now equal. gf18 and Origo are both decent scouts and won't get overrun by sheepy and r7an - the difference between these two teams comes down to their combos. Decerto have the high damaging huhy on demoman and a weaker pocket in the form of arc, whereas Karnage have their carry player Ghent on pocket and a weaker demoman, Kimberley. I think the extra damage huhy pumps out combined with some well timed flanks from gf18 and KillAri will win them this game, although both maps should be close. Prediction: 4-3, 5-2 to decerto."
Mystery Gamer #4 (Prediction: 5-4 Snakewater 5-3 Granary):
"Karnage have really stepped there game up since the season has started. with some good results vs Trick17 who i thought to be a stronger team before that official. Both teams have exceptional dm so i think this game will come down to who has the better teamwork and sync."
Furbo Pandas vs. Rainbow Queens
- Furbo Pandas: shifty, Hildreth, zooob, Sideshow, rock, furbo
- Rainbow Queens: AnimaL, Spary, Old Grandma, Shrike, msh, ReveraL
Monday 20th May 21:15 CEST Casted by Pledge and ilike2spin, with Warden streaming.
My thoughts: At the start of the season I predicted this Rainbow Queens (Astute Gamers) roster to be challenging at the top but it seems that prediction has come back to haunt me, or maybe more so them. After seeing logs from yesterday of them losing to an Optimum lineup that featured evokje ON MEDIC (#SAYWUUT), things don't seem to be looking so great. For Furbo Pandas it seems they can justifiably climb aboard the hype train after their draw against Reverto who I still predict to win the Division 1, but now they need to prove it wasn't just a piece of luck. Anyway despite having some bad results, RQ do still have a strong roster and if both teams are on their A game it's a hard result to call.
Mystery Gamer #3 (Prediction: 6-1 Snakewater 5-3 Granary):
"Furbo Pandas will take this game. Whilst previous pcws against AG (Rainbow Queens) have been marred by ping issues, Furbo Pandas has won the majority by win difference, and their somewhat surprising draw against Reverto puts them as the favourites to win this match. Shrike and the scouts of msh and ReveraL really need to step it up to win this game. "
Mystery Gamer #4 (Prediction: 3-5 Snakewater 5-0 Granary):
"Furbo Pandas are a bit of a mystery team to me. I thought losing sheepy and putting shifty on medic would be a huge blow to the team, however they got some excellent results in there last official so i can only assume that this new combo is working."
d-d-Did I Stutter vs. Team Reverto
- d-d-Did I Stutter: Fenrir, Funkadelic, Linus, wolve, Buttnose, Permzilla
- Team Reverto: BaR, Maffi, Stark, Rising, Alba, e-thug
My thoughts: d-d-Did I Stutter have already proved a point against those who'd said they get smashed by Decerto in Week 1, myself being one of naysayers, still though, it's a lot more of a step if they want to do the same sort of thing against Reverto. Reverto are an odd mixture of players, ranging from a swede who likes to cosplay as Bono, at least one gamer with a LAN alter ego named Kate and another with an MMO alter ego called Missfunbags. Reverto trivia booklet on sale soon. Besides all this, when they're not unnecessarily dropping maps to Furbo Pandas, they are also all possessing a high level of individual talent and particularly good synergy between their soldiers. Another but two maps going to Reverto should be a big surprise.
Mystery Gamer #3 (Prediction: 3-5 Snakewater 2-7 Granary):
"Reverto looked shaky in their game against Furbo Pandas, but they are still on track for winning division 1 this season. Buttnose et al on the other hand got a decent result against team Decerto and will be looking to take points away from this game. At the beginning of the season I would have predicted a 5-0, 5-0, but I might be more generous in my prediction now. I still think that the soldier combo of Rising and Stark will outclass Linus and Wolve on Granary, and Maffi will cause a lot of trouble with some big damage numbers on Snakewater, but some sneaky backcaps and nice team play from d-d-Did I Stutter will avoid the win difference."
Mystery Gamer #4 (Prediction: 2-6 Snakewater 1-5 Granary):
"In my opinion DIS are one of the weaker teams in Division 1, however they put up a decent fight against Decerto managing to take a map which is impressive as Decerto are one of the stronger teams in the division. I think they'll give Reverto a good game but it will still be a comfortable win for Reverto. each team has some standout players, Stark and Rising playing for Reverto and Wolve playing for dis, i think the end result will be determined by their individual performances."
Optimum eSports vs. Trick17 Black
- Optimum eSports: evokje, phy, WOODY, Gubbins, konr, Rev
- Trick17 Black: Kamari, kr4tos, slate, WalKer, RazorsEdge, WAR
My thoughts: Both of these teams have undergone pretty rough starts to the season, with Trick17 being one of the only teams to have played 2 games in Division 1 so far, however they've managed to lose both (more like Trick0 eh?). Optimum were initially seen by many as the weakest team in the Division, but I think that if they can reach some stability with the recent switch of evoke to medic and bringing all round top guy Gubbins in on pocket soldier, then they can definitely pull off some surprises and save themselves going point-less. Based on results so far, Trick17 are definitely a good place to try and make a start but this fixture coming so soon after their changes might mean things haven't really settled. Bias' aside, I think this will still go the way of Trick17.
Mystery Gamer #3 (Prediction: 0-5 Snakewater 1-6 Granary):
"Although Trick17 have taken a beating already in their first two matches, I think they'll find this game to be an easier one. I don't really think that Optimum have a chance of getting any points this season but this would be their opportunity. The instability within the team and lack of raw talent on the roster leads me to think that they will be beaten fairly easily by Trick17."
Mystery Gamer #4 (Prediction: 2-4 Snakewater 1-5 Granary):
"Both teams have had a bad start of the season. Judging by the Division 1 playoff game which was 5-0 5-0 to Trick17, Optimum have no chance. Optimum are still missing a medic, i hear rumours that evokje may try his hand at medic leaving Woody to roam and picking up a new pocket. if they don't sort there roster out fast they will most likely place bottom of Division 1. Snakewater being a sniper friendly map so we could see some big headshots from konr and War that could change the game in either teams favour."
If you have been affected by what anyone has said in this post, please pm me on any suitable platform and I'll happily be a medium to start electronic bitch fights.
See you next week!