#2
Post
by Zakken » Thu May 02, 2013 10:56 pm
ZCL vs TAP
Two frag-heavy teams facing off in not-so-fraggy maps. MAP29 should be a stalemate for the most part, with both teams struggling not to let their enemies get away with sneaky runs. However, ZCL's inferior offensive capabilities will be a signal for TAP to safely leave D occasionally and coordinate their caps with Hate pressuring them via fragging and Tor delivering the flags.
I assume TAP picked MAP20 because it just suits their playing style really well. One time, Stall/Hate beat one of the best IDL teams of a given season in the playoffs, which means this is one of their top form maps. ZCL's best hope is that they practice their defense into semi-perfection so that they face a less brutal journey.
In the event that MAP03 does get played, ZCL might stand a chance at this point if they made a dent in TAP's setup. Ammar might juke through their D a few times if he runs, and Dr_Noob should support him with the necessary fragging (or rocket spamming) to score those much needed captures. On the other hand, TAP's offense will be very tough if they pick the right positions for this, so the outcome of this possible tiebreaker will largely depend on the positioning of each team.
TAP 2 - 0 ZCL
ESQ vs OP
Renegades vs Renegades, the game of the week! MB1 has been collecting dust for ages since last time it was played in a tournament or league... And it will be a blast to watch. ESQ should have the upper hand, since Saber and Shak (probably Jake too) truly know how to play this map, but OP could catch up a little bit if they make good use of TS communication. A battle of wits and experience.
MAP30 should favor OP more as I've seen Water and Prime play it a considerable amount of times, and the map itself favors fraggers more. Now, that doesn't mean Shakal can just camp the flag pit all game and give them a hard time scoring... I could see OP surprising them with a victory.
MAP03 is more of an ESQ map once again, as they have a stronger Mid presence (Saber himself being regarded as one of the best Mids ever), which will ultimately decide the outcome of this heated tiebreaker.
ESQ 2 - 1 OP
BO vs LSD
Tai's team and the European powerhouse will fight in popular Euro maps that are 31 and 26 (MAP03 leans towards American fame, if you ask me). MAP31 will be the usual fragfest, with Tai vs Shane racking up kills while Cab/Shad and Dragon/Turska run viciously. In the end, LSD should score more than BO and win this round.
MAP26 will give BO a harder time since LSD will most likely beast it. If BO doesn't win MAP31, they shouldn't expect a win here either. The map is not as straightforward for runners as 31 was, which means Turska will have some room to make those abstract runs and the Zandronum Window Jumps (TM) to score flags without much problem.
If MAP03 gets played, BO could probably win it. While LSD is stellar at the previous maps, this one favors BO's tactics. I don't know much about how LSD's members run on this map, but BO will get to stop them on their tracks finally.
LSD 2 - 0 BO