[Volition]

SEA League 2 - Mid Season Update By Volition

+ [Table after 4 rounds] +

It only seems like a week ago i said:-

Originally Posted by Volition

This is week 4 of 11, the week where the leaders will start to accelerate and the clump in the middle of the pack within the 4-7 point range will begin.

Looking at the ladder at the beginning of week 4, we had the top 5 teams playing against the bottom 5 teams, and the results were as predicted. So now we have a group of teams in the 7-10 point category, as well as the clump in the 1-4 point category.

THE TOP 5 TEAMS
Looking at the top 5 teams for a moment - there are four teams that havent had a loss in the season yet, and the other, Perth Penguins, only losing to TA Edarus and friends (with a close 4-2). TA drew with QED Mixed Lollies, and QED Krrn and Co had a draw with Fade in week 1. With the half way point in the season next week, it is yet to be seen which of these 5 teams will drop out of contention for the highest point total at the end of the season.

For the most part, these 5 teams have avoided each other for the first half of the draw, but it will be when these heavy hitters start facing each other that the 5th team will drop off. As for a prediction:-

1. I dont think TA Friends With All or QED Assorted Lollies will fall out of the pack for the next few weeks, for the simple fact that they have played each other and both teams came away relatively unscathed (with a draw). A draw against each team's biggest rival means both teams are pretty much assured to fight it out again later in the season. The draw means that neither can really pull ahead of each other, but makes winning all of their other games essential if they want to have the most points at the end. If anything, their draw spiced up the action at the top of the competition further

2. AsG Perth Penguins have a bye this week, then one of the bottom 5 teams in round 6. Therefore, i see them at a very respectable 12 points at the end of round 6 - meaning it wont be them that falls out. I am continually impressed by this Perth Team, the Fade team they beat this week has shown they an hold their own against everyone else in the first 3 weeks of the season.

3. and then there were 2 - Zerocraft and QED Krrn and Co. And wouldnt you know it, they face each other in round 5. QED pretty handily disposed of TCP in round 4, and a new look Zerocraft lineup, without their stars of Rythos, Arnor Spazznx or mazei, handled the HoH Team.

While Zerocraft's 3-0 (plus bye) record looks shiny, they are still an unknown entity at this point. Those 3 wins have come from teams that are in the bottom 5 - TCP Marinu Dropu, HoH and the Fusion Slugs. Those teams have started the season poorly (i think all three teams will finish the season well, just need a few wins under their belt), and if i was a punter and not a member of Zerocraft, I would have to be considering whether these guys are the real deal or just a flash in the pan. With both QED teams over the next two weeks, i guess we will find out!

QED Krrn and Co Pty Ltd - With wins over ToR and the Hero Slugs, as well as a draw with Fade (which is very respectable, as you will see my predictions below), these guys are a known entity.

Prediction

+ [Which team will drop from the Top 5?] +

I think that the Zerocraft v QED Coporation match will be the matchup of the week. Loser of this game is the one i think will fall out of the pack. For both QED Krnn and Zerocraft, the tough games are coming later in the season, so this game acts as the gatekeeper for the top 4. And while there is no shame in finishing 5th, i know that both teams wanted to be higher.

THE OTHER 6 TEAMS
Like i said earlier, with the possibility of a draw, I think there will be a massive clump in the 4-7 point range through the mid to late season. we are seeing it begin to emerge already - with all of these 5 teams in the 1-3 point range. But do not despair, i think that one out of these 5 are going to be a dark horse in the race to the end of the season, and come barnstorming home, making the top teams nervous. As for who i think that is, i will tell you below after we have a quick look at the remaining teams. The team that breaks through that magic 7 point barrier first will have a shot at finishing up to third. and some of these teams can do it.

The 3 Pointers
Fade - I know that rezyn really wanted to get something other than a draw, and this week against the Perth Penguins, they got their wish, if not the precise result. So far there have been draws against the Fusion Slugs, VB_Sober Soldiers, and QED Krrn and Co (! very respectable). The loss to the Perth Penguins this week was heartbreaking, especially when you consider the game score was 6-6. Given that the Perth Penguins can match it with the big guns, to go 6-6 and go close is a pretty good result. Unfortunately this week they have TA, who will be trying with all their might to assert their stranglehold on the competition before their bye in round 6. Another interesting point about TA, by my calculations, TA have used 10 out of their 15 nominated players - and I know they want to give everyone a go. Is this the week the underused players in TA come out to play before the bye? if so, it would only take a few off matches for this one to end in an unlikely draw or even an even more unlikely win to Fade. This match isn't as one sided as it appears on paper and ladder standings.

ToR - I have said this before, I really like the ToR team. With ToR pushing TA to the limit last week, with it all coming down to a game between Suipr and Chadmann, these guys have shown they can be contenders if they put the wins on the board. Another interesting stat - ToR have already played against Krnn and Co, Perth Penguins and TA - meaning three of the top 5 teams have been dealt with. Therefore, this ToR team now has only to focus on cracking that 7 point mark, and making a run at the top 5. And any team that can push TA Treefriends to the limit can make a good run at the top 4

The 1 Pointers
VB_Sober Soldiers Despite the oxymoronical name, these guys have been the quiet achievers of this clan league. There have been comments made about everyone else in this league, but i haven't heard many comments (good or bad) about this VB team. While 1 point is nothing to be shouting from the roofs about, they achieved a draw against Fade, and losses to QED Mixed lollies (4-2) and ToR. Most importantly though, they've had their bye. they now have 7 straight weeks of playing, over which anything could happen. This is the thing about this league, even the losses against the best teams have been close, showing that if this team suddenly clicks one night, they can take down anyone in the league. Having had their bye already is an advantage, they now get a chance later in the season to get three points that other teams wont have. If this league was scored that a bye was 3 points, more would be being said about the VB team, and deservedly so - I am quietly hoping that these guys tear through the bottom five and make a run at the leaders, and I think they have the talent to do it.

TCP Marinu Dropu - TCP, how is this happening? I had you guys picked to give the QED and TA teams both a shot at the top of the ladder. We at Zerocraft weren't really happy that we had to play you first round after looking at your roster. That being said though, in the first 4 rounds TCP has had to play TA Edarus and Friends, Zerocraft, and QED mixed lollies - two pretty tough teams, and TA Edarus and friends, . think of it this way, your season can only get better. against ToR this week, it is a chance for TCP to show all the faith that everyone had in them at the beginning of the season- you have the talent, practice and get through them.

HoH - Team Harbingers of Hardware (I actually have no idea what HoH stands for) - I honestly think HoH's best days are in front of them. This team has had the most ridiculous draw out of them all:-

1) Perth Penguins;
2) TA Edarus and Friends;
3) TCP;
4) Zerocraft.

Now that is a horror first 4 weeks - if Zerocraft had that draw, we would be crying under the computer desk in the foetal position. But the HoH guys are still here, still coming at them with spirits high. Coming with only 1 draw out of those 4 weeks is a fairly good effort - there are a few teams that might not have even got that single draw. I wish i could say the pain was over. But next, they have QED Mixed Lollies. The thing i like about HoH is that they dont have a single plat in the lineup, it was all bronzes and silvers that entered this team, with the late addition of Venom (and note that clsSmooth has gone from bronze to gold since this clan league started). All in all, I dont think HoH has the depth to join the front runners in the competition this season, BUT, in the next SeaCL, these guys will be absolute beasts. Each loss they suffer will make them look to their play and improve, and i dont think it is unreasonable that they could finish middle of the pack. They entered this competition with easily the weakest team, and to do that takes a lot of guts.

And Finally - The Fusion Slugs- i think that along with TCP, these guys are underperforming - they have good gold players, and really good depth from a significant number of silvers. They have also had the Bye, meaning they will get a game later in the season. But this team is waaaaaay too good to go 0-10 gamescore, two weeks in a row - it seems uncanny. Whether this team can pick themselves up and dust themselves off is something that needs to be seen - there are always teams that under perform and some that over-perform, and which the Fusion Slugs are will be determined largely by the next two weeks. This week they have a chance to start their acceleration through that 7 point mark with the VB sober solders, and could push the perth penguins next week if their heads are in the right place. However, if their heads aren't in the right place, it could be a really long season for the Fusion Slugs.

Darkhorse Prediction

+ [Which team will bring the pain and maybe sneak into the Top 5?] +

Who do I like out of these bottom 6 teams? The answer is pretty simple, i like the winner of TCP and Tor this week. Both teams will be looking to move out of the bottom 6 teams and into the top 5, and both teams have the talent to get it done. Both teams have had to handle what appear to be the stronger teams, and have both shown they can push them to the wire. ToR especially, if I had said last week that ToR would be 1 game away from sneaking a draw against TA Exorcism and Friends, I think ToR would have been pretty happy with that. One of the top two teams, and ToR has matched them to within a game. Whoever wins this game has a shot at coming back through the depths of hell to give em a shot. and i really wish both teams the best of luck..

So this week, there are the following matches:-

Zerocraft v QED Krnn & Co
TA Edarus and Friends v FaDe
Team HoH v QED Mixed Lollies
Fusion Slugs v VB Sober Soldiers
TCP v ToR

So three of those games will be really interesting, with Zerocraft and QED to battle to see who will stay in the top 4, and TCP, ToR Fusion Slugs and VB Sober Soldiers all really REALLY keen to start putting the points on the board. I think it will be a good week in tier 5.


Volition Out.

Quick Comments

	Zealo:
	x5_dot:
	AsylumofSouls:
	ToRDeathsFang:
	TABottles:
	TAcawkballs:
	syfChadMann:	Nice :D
	asdfSchnitzel:
	dragonnaus:
	Rythos:
	rezyn8:
	nirvAnA:
	ToRMaverick:	ToR Fighting
	TAEdarus:	Brilliant write up mate! Keep em coming!
	JoFritzMD:	Great write up. Really enjoyed reading this. :D
	MazEi:
	VB_Blake:
	[TA]LoSt:

[Celldweller]

sweet write up dude

[AsylumofSouls]

No offense intended to ChadMann but I should have pulled the draw for the ToR v TA matchup last week.
He was just lacking the simple mistakes that let me down in games 2 and 3.

ToR will pull together now and make a strong run. Just watch us.

[syfChadMann]

Great Write up.. decent representation of all the teams.. except, why the TA troll?.. Very very excited about the last round match between TA and ZeroCraft - I think it could be a deciding match! >.<

Originally Posted by AsylumofSouls

No offense intended to ChadMann but I should have pulled the draw for the ToR v TA matchup last week.
He was just lacking the simple mistakes that let me down in games 2 and 3.

Yeah.. after game 1 I was suprised games 2 and 3 weren't close. Game 2 was a lol.. that 5gate chargelot all in build is fun.. and so hard to stop with just roaches (you need like 4+ spines). and Game 3.. well.. I think I out played you there.. delaying your hatches really well.. (I noticed you like early thirds.. event against a 1 base Protoss?.. lolwut). so delaying them so much threw your game out.. especially with the Cannon at your third.. >.<

Quick Comments

AsylumofSouls:

You definitely had me games 2 and 3 ;)

[Volition]

Originally Posted by TAChadMann

Great Write up.. decent representation of all the teams.. except, why the TA troll?..

I dont think many would argue that TA is the strongest team, and should take a bit of flack for it!!! I think I trolled every single team in the OP, and it is entirely tongue in cheek.

I am really looking forward to the TA vs Zerocraft game. However, before that can happen, we have to deal with both QED teams!

I really love this tier 5 competition, everyone is fantastic, and it makes me excited enough to write previews for this comp.

While we may not have the skill of the other tiers of the competition, there is a fantastic banter and respect between the teams. i hope it continues throughout.

Quick Comments

AsylumofSouls:

What do you mean "do not have the skill of the other tiers?" Who you writing about here?

[TABottles]

That was an amazing read thanks for that TA vs FaDe - and i'm guessing my first game of the season!

[x5_Potter]

Awesome write-up man Completely agree with what you said about VB. Happened last season too, we come so close to beating the top teams but can't take out the bottom teams either. Hoping to fix that this season

[TAcawkballs]

Nice write up buddy!

[asdfSchnitzel]

Krrn and Co Pty Ltd got this!

[rezyn8]

Don't count us out yet

[TAEdarus]

Originally Posted by TAChadMann

especially with the Cannon at your third.. >.<

That cannon, 14hp, oh my gawd...

Originally Posted by Volition

With ToR pushing TA to the limit last week, with it all coming down to a game between Suipr and Chadmann, these guys have shown they can be contenders if they put the wins on the board.

That they did! To be honest I was shocked they did so well and i'm glad ChadMann reiterated their potential threat to me before I submitted a weakened lineup!

Originally Posted by Volition

Another interesting point about TA, by my calculations, TA have used 10 out of their 15 nominated players - and I know they want to give everyone a go. Is this the week the underused players in TA come out to play before the bye?

You're right that I plan to use everyone on the roster at least once... I guess its up to the other team captains to take a guess at when i'll be pulling them out?

Never fear TA supporters! Regardless of the unusually high amount of TA nametrolling going on in the OP my original statement stands!

TA will be taking the victory this season.

And finally to all our adversaries; keep trying your hardest as no matter what you decree, my response will be

Quick Comments

syfChadMann:

>.<

[FSBenAD]

Awesome write up Volition, unfortunately I cant give you rep.. So instead here is some ♥♥♥♥

The slugs definitely need to raise their game, we just did a weekend LAN together so hopefully that has raised everyone's spirits and got them ready to grab some wins this week.

I mean we all saw in tier 5 chat last Thursday what the punishment is for going 10-0 again!

[syfChadMann]

Yeah man.. I know you only be jking..

Keen for the TA v ZC match..

[Volition]

Originally Posted by TAChadMann

Yeah man.. I know you only be jking..

Keen for the TA v ZC match..

So Chadmann, you see more of tier 5 than anyone else. If you are game, provide some of your insights into-
(a) which of the top 5 teams scares you the most at the moment from your role in TA; and
(b) as a mod who sees the teams and the results each and every week, who would you pick from the bottom 6 to be a force to be reckoned with in the back end of the season?


Another (fun) tournament?>
Also, would anyone in this wonderful tier 5 be interested in a mid season challenge? But not a normal challenge, a single and team challenge. Have a single elimination teams battle in which each of the categories must be fulfilled:-

1v1 bo3
2v2 bo3
3v3 bo3

with all matches worth 1 point, and no-one being able to play in other matches. Only existing teams and rosters allowed, and i will throw in some Grandmaster manual subscriptions for first place (maybe about $50, so that is like 3 x 1 month subscriptions right?). Could probs also talk to Nirvana about the winning team getting an achievement or something. I suppose have the same rules with subs and submitting lineups etc as current tier 5.

As for nights, obviously all teams are busy on a thursday night, what about either a friday night or a wednesday night? If we got 8 teams playing (if two arent keen) it would only last three weeks, and having all the games cast for the finals would be fantastic, especially if it is a stupid 3v3 game.

If anyone is keen, let me know and i will talk to the higher powers about maybe getting somethign going

Quick Comments

	ZC.EvilSWAT:	Making things happen like a bouse!
	asdfSchnitzel:	I winz 1v1 :D