Sunday 18 September 2016

ESEA Open Player Interviews - Week 1


Rowpieces - Scout for Eels and Escalators



How does your team stack up to the other top teams in open?

I haven't really looked at a lot of the other top teams, but I would have to say that we could be very competitive with them. So far we haven't gotten any scrims against top teams, but I hope this changes so we can get a better understanding of where our team stands in the current standings.

What would you rank your scout compared to the rest of open?


I like to believe that I have the potential to be great. I played open season 19 and for half of season 22. I also play a lot of pugs and try to improve my skills daily, but my play style needs the right team. I believe I'm one of the top scouts this season as long as I can play the way I like to (which is currently happening).

What is the most overrated team this season and why?


It would probably have to be between Anal with Alan and MIGOS. Anal with Alan seems to be a top 2/3 team, but I believe there are a lot of teams in tier 2 and some in tier 3 that could take them down if they aren't consistent. I also think MIGOS is a pretty good team, but their only good, consistent player is odb. I haven't seen a lot of Elepimp and Drake, but so far it seems that their scouts aren't consistent and viper will probably get tilted in games which might affect the teams performance.


What do you predict your team's record to be and how will you guys do in playoffs?


It all really depends on what teams we play but I think we could go 12-4 or 13-3. I'm aiming for us to reach at least round 2 in playoffs, possibly round 3. I'm not sure if we could make it to finals but I guess we'll find out as the season progresses.

Shoutouts?

conal, indecency, reno, java/ats, rainoflight dom, blaine, yuice, apt, citric, percy




MSH - Roamer for Nope



Which ways do you prefer to practice roaming and why?


I do a shit ton of mge and jump maps. Honestly, I just like to shoot things in mge and I jump because I want to rank up on Tempus just like my friends. I don't like dm because it just feels different; there are too many things to keep track of.
What is your favorite part of playing roamer?


Mids and med forces. Mids because there is just so much you can do as a roamer, and med forces because it's so satisfying getting a force or a drop. As a roamer, it's kind of your job to make an advantageous situation, so its satisfying when things work out.

What is the most overrated team this season and why?


Honestly, I don't know because I don't focus on that stuff much. I just kind of want to go and play my match and not care what happens.

What do you predict your team's record to be and how will you guys do in playoffs?


10-6 or 11-5 somewhere around there. As for playoffs, 1-1.

Shoutouts?


Brian for maincalling well, our scouts for clicking on things well, mousecake for ringing for our match and thinking he needs to buy winrar




Shounic - Pocket for Anal with Alan



Since the much more liberal global whitelist came out, have you had to change the way you play pocket and what are your thoughts on the whitelist?


Well, the main unlock that really changed things for me is the cowmangler. It allows me to play a lot more aggressively and hold chokes harder since I don't have to think about ammo conservation. I suppose the new whitelist is good, but its only been a week into the season so its hard to get a good idea of just how badly some weapons can/could get abused.


What are the main differences between playing in ESEA compared to AsiaFortress?


In AsiaFortress, there's a lot more emphasis on improving individual skill, so it's common to see people grinding DM for hours and hours on end each day. In ESEA, the 6s competition is a lot stronger in the sense that people are smarter and there's more people to compete against, so it's easier to get better and improve one's game sense here. Overall, the differences aren't that major.


What is the most overrated team this season and why?


I'm not sure if there actually is an overrated team. The rankings this season are pretty straightforward, so I don't really feel like there's anything inaccurate about what people have been saying.


3:43 PM - shounic: maybe people won't realize how hard we will stomp this noob division? :)


What do you predict your team's record to be and how will you guys do in playoffs?


Since somehow we couldn't get rid of conferences and the top few teams have placed themselves in the central conference, we will get into playoffs quite certainly with no losses. If we don't get first, we will get 2nd. However, now that I say that, it might trigger the other teams to try harder but if things stay the way they are, we will PWN.


Shoutouts?

cady, jovi, teejay, the team, my mom, batman, and video games





Goldfish - Demo for RatNut



Why are you playing Open this season instead of IM or Invite?


I'm 100% focused on real life and all my time and energy is consumed by work and going to the gym. I still enjoy TF2. Plus, I've always wanted to play demo in ESEA and since open is easy and effortless, its a lot more fun.


How do you like this team and what do you expect out of them this season?


I think they have a lot of potential. I expect all of them to be the best on their classes out of everyone in the division.

What is the most overrated team this season and why?

I don't think any team is overrated actually. Most teams have already proven themselves in scrims.


What do you predict your team's record to be and how will you guys do in playoffs?


16-0 and 4-0. We will get first place easily.

Shoutouts?


Shoutout to TLR for being a beast at the cinnamon challenge.




Drake - Med for MIGOS



How much do you contribute to the comms of your team?


A moderate amount. I'd say odb and I go back and forth with maincalling, so it varies on any given day. I probably call the most between fights and he calls during them.

What is your philosophy on team fights as med? Do you prefer to stay in during fights even if your team is down numbers or do you focus on staying alive?


It's sort of a cop-out answer, but everything is uber percentage to me. I’ll generally stay in on fights I feel are winnable, but at around 50% (for either med) the risk of losing and giving them full uber ad is not worth winning that one individual fight. I like pushing risks off-ubers, (like midfights or post-ubers), but once someone hits that 50% mark, I’d rather conserve myself.


What is the most overrated team this season and why?


I have no idea. I kind of just show up and play, and don't really focus on other rosters. I want to see someone beat Offclassico though, just because everyone's calling them the sandbag team and they're pretty beatable in my opinion.

What do you predict your team's record to be and how will you guys do in playoffs?


Upwards of 12 wins. From there it depends on how well we can coordinate ourselves before playoffs. I want nothing less than semis (2 wins) - I'm sure we can reach it, but you never know how these things turn out.

Shoutouts?

Shoutouts to the team, shoutout to Smitty - you're my boy. Shoutout to Spades Slick in IM again. He's gonna slam.






Sunday 11 September 2016

ESEA Open Power Rankings - Preseason

NEWS:

Open already has had a fair share of drama, and its only the preseason. For the preseason we are doing tiers, but once matches start getting played we will rank the top 16. This article is written by Ether and I and rankings are based off scrims and names we know. Do not complain that your team is not on the list or you think you are in a high tier, prove us wrong and we will put you in next week.

Precaution: The placement inside of the tiers have no meaning, only the tier itself.
ie. RatNut being the 3rd name on the list does not mean they are ranked #3.



Tier 1

OfFcLaSsIcO

??? & ???
bear
SneakyPolarbear
wrech
???


Players to watch for: wrech

Not much to say about them. Although they are offclassing, this is more or less the team that won IM s21. As of right now, Air won't be able to play because of his internet, so it'll be a literal dice roll between Connor, Unf, and Chriz Tah Fah to see who will be playing scout and med. Expect to see them in the grand finals and likely win the division.



Tier 2

Anal with Alan

apt & fen
alanny
shounic
averted
bleh


Players to watch for: averted, shounic

A solid team with many of their members having high open+ experience from previous teams. This team has decent scrim results against the top of open and IM. Expect them to well this season with a top 4 finish


RatNut

bo4r & akemi
alec (highlander)
speedy
goldfish
vyse


Players to watch for: bo4r; goldish

A very solid team that has a mix of high level 6s and highlander experience. Notable players on the team are goldfish, who has invite experience, and bo4r, a top plat sniper. This is another team with decent scrim results against the top of open and IM. If this team wants to make it to the grand finals, their weaker links will definitely have to step it up throughout the season. However, goldfish is confident this team will win open.



MIGOS

dippidy & dot
viper
odb
Elepimp
Drake


Players to watch for: odb, Drake

A solid team with players that have lots of experience, some in IM. This team can contest the other top open teams. Expect a top 4 finish. Although some of their players are confident they can win the division uncontested.



United Gamers Community

barycenter & acclaim
???
???
Rightjustify
fire


Players to watch for: Rightjustify, barycenter

This is the typical highlander team that makes a run into playoffs. Although we are not entirely sure what their full roster will be, it is expected that barycenter will scout and Rightjustify will demo. Their roster has plenty of talented players with high open+ experience. We haven't seen too many scrims out of these guys, but just based off names this team will do well in open.



Tier 3

Bring Back the Funk

Fallen Lord & Zoey
Clopez
Unicorn Wizard
BiG
Affliction


Players to watch for: Zoey, BiG

The core of this roster is sticking together after a 9-7 season (in the much easier eastern conference) last season. Changes to the roster will see, Clopez (originally on scout) swapping off to roamer, and picking up Fallen Lord in the vacant scout spot. This roster is a lot stronger on paper than last season, and watch for Zoey, of plat sniper fame, and BiG to have breakout seasons. If they can continue to improve watch for them to possibly upset a tier 2 team later in the season.



YARN BLACK

Jamie & Mak
Shuckle
Brush
Entropy
Reno/Redshirt?



Players to watch for: Brush, Jamie

This team completely came out of left field as we were double checking teams and what not before we posted. Word is that Reno may be leaving Eels and Escalators for this team (which is a smart idea). We are going to leave Eels and Escalators in their spot because maybe they can pull something together, but this will be a very good team. Its mostly the remnants of Bobby and the Bobettes which barely got their way into playoffs thanks to Air and Kickflip. Expect this team to do well.



Ayyyyylmao

Lab8 & Thoughtcrime
Juno
Chronoxyde
Lucky
Happy Bob


Players to watch for: Thoughtcrime

Looking at the roster, this group of highlander players seems very underwhelming. However, this team is my sleeper team for this season. With very strong scrim results against teams in tier 2 and 3, this team will surprise a lot of people. They also have the added benefit of playing on a gold highlander team together which will lend them two benefits: the ability to offclass well and team chemistry. If they can perform in matches, this team will turn a lot of heads. Look out for them.



Nope

Monkeyjedi & m0nsta
msh
Brian
Unit
frenzy


Player to watch for: m0nsta, monkeyjedi

A solid group of fraggers who have experience in mid/high open. I have had a few people messaging me, praising Monkeyjedi (he was definitely the standout player on his team that went 8-8 last season). Expect this to be his breakout season. However, if this team wants to do well this season, they need the rest of their team to step up and not let m0nsta and monkey carry them the entire season.



Squad Fam Esports 

Ebsikl & n3
Aiera
SmAk
Falkinghammer
Frosty


Players to watch for: n3, SmAk

A bunch of players you may recognize from mid day pugchamp. This roster is built up on firepower, however the question is if they can have good team coordination. Additionally some of the players are known for being toxic in mumble, so that poses a problem to work through. If they are able to fix these issues, expect this team to break into tier 2.



Yam Fam

Lites & KootyKat
Negasora
Squidamatron
Christie
Panacea


Players to watch for: KootyKay, Christie

This team has a good group of fraggers who have lots of experience at the mid-high open level. They have been having good scrims against the other teams around their level, and they have potential to do well in open.



Eels and Escalators

RainOfLight & Rowpieces
ats
Conal
Indecency
Reno


Players to watch for: Conal

Half of the players on this roster haven't played a full season in almost a year because of their teams dying, so we are a bit skeptical about this one. Also, we aren't even sure if Rowpieces is going to be playing on the team because of his dad cutting off his internet at 10. Adding onto that, after viper calling out RoL in the forums yesterday, this team may need 2 scouts. That being said everyone on this team has high open capable dm, and if they all work together and work through this early turbulence, this team could break into tier 2 with some upsets against upper tier 3 and tier 2 teams. Its just a matter of how long the team will last. Only time will tell.



Tier 4

Kritz Kast

Kezia & Pigby
Felsen
Playmo
Beastie
Feathers


Players to watch for: Playmo, Kezia

Everyone on this team, except for beastie, would be playing their first season of open. That being said, Playmo was a sub on my team last season and he is a total monster. In scrims so far for this season, he puts out a lot of damage that the scouts clean up on. The issue for this team from what I've seen is their fear of pushing. If they are able to work through this, expect this team to break into tier 3. They are our team to look out for in tier 4.



BLANC lite

nite & nazara
LsRainbows
Tery
Hedgehog Hero
Charis


Players to watch for: Charis, Tery

This team has a mix of experienced and inexperienced players. Tery and Charis both have played in IM before and LsRainbows has played several seasons of Open, but the rest have very little experience. However as the season goes on, we expect this team to grow stronger and break into tier 3 as well.



Yarn

Cayda & Platin
Flashata
JT
Windcubes
Blakeydog2


Players to watch for: Cayda, Windcubes

Most of the people on this team have either already gone through a season of open or have been around in the community for a while. Out of these players, Windcubes has been on our radar as a good demoman, and Cayda has been improving rapidly throughout last open season, and we expect to see the same this season.


1989 World Tour

BUBBY CHONER & ???
Lial
Shottix
kV
rush


Players to watch for:

This team was a very solid bubble team s18, s19, and s21. Although they took s22 off, expect this team to regain its form against a much weaker open division. However, scrims have been iffy, and they have been switching classes around by the looks of it.




Just outside the top 16:

BotDog, PunchLine



SOME UPCOMING MATCHES TO WATCH:

United Gamers Community vs RatNut

Dom's Prediction: 5-3 RatNut
Ether's Prediction: 5-2 RatNut

Both of these teams are very strong, however we think RatNut is the stronger roster based on experience, and not knowing the potential of UGC's soldiers. If RatNut wins this will solidify their spot in the top 3, while if UGC wins or plays them very close, it will show they can contend with the top of open.

1989 World Tour vs Nope

Dom's Prediction: 5-1 Nope
Ether's Prediction: 5-1 Nope

Monkeyjedi and m0nsta should roll over the rusty and shaky roster of 1989. However, if 1989 wins or plays Nope close, this will solidify their ranking inside of the top 16.

BLANC lite vs Squad Fam Esports

Dom's Prediction: 5-4 BLANC
Ether's Prediction: 5-2 Squad Fam

This match is very dependent on the mumble atmosphere of Squad Fam. If they get an early lead, they will win the match based on the strength of their scouts over BLANC's. However, if they lose consecutive rounds in a row, watch for Squad Fam to tilt and BLANC to capitalize on it. Overall, this is a test to see if Squad Fam can hang against a team that we think is evenly matched with them.

Yarn vs Eels and Escalators

Dom's Prediction: 5-3 Yarn
Ether's Prediction: 5-4 Yarn

This match is based on who the scouts that Eels and Escalators have to pick up for the spots they may or may not be vacant. This might even be a FFW for Yarn if the Eels die. We will see what happens on match day. But if Eels and Escalator stay together, we will see how well Yarn can play against a tier 3 team.