First weekend's over and what a bunch of
19/32 predictions correct, hey look at that, despite how shitty I felt things were going, I'm over 50%! 59% to be accurate! I was expecting 100% to be honest. But I was 100% where it counted, Rote won, and I got to fly a Bhaalgorn in the fight.
I don't even know where to get started on recapping. So I will just start from the top down and hit up some highlights, okay mostly lowlights.
First, an important note, it seemed like the vast majority of teams failed to do much homework on 6v6 or warp in ranges, setups, or a whole host of other things, leading to a literal TON of total hell deaths and very very few points scored by losing teams. That doesn't mean that those teams who received 0 points are completely out of it, as the low end of the winning teams is only at 37.5 points, meaning if they get killed off the field without killing anything, then there is still a chance for a week one losing team to advance.
Shit, even teams that ended up with perfect wins are still at risk, because they will be fighting against other teams that won soundly as well, leading to other possible total hell deaths, freezing their pointat at 57.5 or 62.5, and then it all comes down to ranking.
This year, the first round is more decisive than ever before. Shorter matches, faster kills, worse setups, all played into far more 0 points scored losses. Putting a lot of people in a really dangerous situation for the second weekend...
Some of the things I noticed per match;
Exiled ones lost to Agony - Exiled Ones should have stayed in Exile, they were using LSB Tengu's with injectors. Looks like they missed the Ancillary shield booster memo.
Kadeshi - Explain the damp Griffin You know, the t1 ship with. *Checks notes* Oh that's right, bonus' to ECM. Then the damps on the Tengu's. Probably faced a strong "scissor" type setup to your paper, but still.
HUN - Nice job with the Vargurs! They worked out well, tanks like beasts with the XL ASB's.
Noir. - Reportedly your AT captain didn't show up. That's bad. Rough against two Rooks like that as well.
R.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - Crazy props for the Shield/armor tanking Mach's. Very inventive and quite effective, good match to watch just for the WTF everyone gives when they see that happen.
LAWN - Goes with a setup from AT9, also misses the memo on how CRAZY GOOD Sleipnirs are with the XL ASB. Pays for it, giving up one of the fastest losses of the day. Good job RvB.
AAA proves me wrong again, or was it Why So Serious just not having a very smart setup for their merlins, fit with multispec's? Bad staring config to have the Mach's in at such a close range, letting the Sleipnirs brawl in close.
Dark Taboo - What the hell were you thinking, okay you obviously weren't. Your fit was utterly garbage. SML and rocket Rooks? That sounds like a great idea. It wasn't. Kinda like warp speed rigs on your daredevils.
Things really started going downhill fast from there.
Manifest Destiny brought Tornadoes with 1400mm arty, bad fits to match, and get wiped by Verge of Collapse, who were probably on the verge of collapse from laughing so hard.
Shadow Cartel had a Disconnect at the beginning of the match, losing a Proteus, and sending a shiver of oh-god I hope that doesn't happen to me down the collective backs of every team in eve.
Dystopia Alliance goes against PL in what was supposed to be the best match of the day. Die horribly, Widow is untanked, well except for a suitcase, and is also fitting multi-specs. I start wondering about the meta game in this match. Did Dystopia take a dive?
Then we go directly into bad warp in decisions in back to back matches, deciding matches almost before they have even begun.
First, Romanian Legion warp in at 0, allowing hostile Brutix's to start at 0 right next to them. Doesn't end well.
Second, pair of Maelstroms for Wormhole Holders and a loki land at 0, Loki should have come in at range, so it could have provided webs for a little while. Loki primaried, dies quickly, then the Maelstroms can't hit anything.
Following that we get some better matches.
DNS brought in some tanky Rattlers, but end up dying with just a few seconds left to spare, worth watching if just for the race to kill at the end of that match.
Suddenly Spaceships shows up with a Vindi, it shows off why it was the "original" OMG dps boat, before the Talos.
Mildly Intoxicated uses a great strategy, assigning all their drones to the fast tackle and then swarming the tackle onto the hostile Basilisk, killing it in a swarm of drone and Drake based missile fire.
No Holes Barred shows up with armor Sleips? Negating one of the major bonus' of the Sleipnir, that useful active tanked bonus, you know! Team Liquid shows up with three Tengu's, easy win, but seriously. Armor Sleipnirs.
Chokepoint - A giant gaff by their FC, using armor Machs and trying to keep range, and then not firing on the blackbird until the very end, even though the blackbird is busy jamming out their Griffins. Simple primary order here, Blackbird, ECM on the cane and the Oneiros. Towards the end the Mach's show just how easy it would have been to put down that blackbird. Fluffeh wins (And will likely face Rote in the second weekend).
That about wraps it up for the first weekend.
With the exception of the commentators. Wow CCP, you choose these guys? Okay I will cut them a break for the most part since it was just the first weekend, but Bolton is complete garbage, he adds nothing to the match commentary. He obviously hasn't read the ruleset very well, full of painful comments that make no sense.
Directed at Raivi, you're a smart fucker, now stop trying to convince everyone that not bringing 6 ships to every match is somehow bad. It's not, you just make yourself look stupid but repeating it every single match. Instead comment on how the ship choices effect the match, how Sabre's aren't good choices. Just something that isn't "Well ah, they could have done better if they brought 6 ships." Often times when the winning setup of five ships score a total hell death with no losses. Look, you can't get better than that.
Pairings for the second weekend should be out soon. I am guessing it will be 1st vs 2nd, 3rd vs 4th, etc etc. So using the handy site of AT.eve-IC.net/10/ It looks like 31. Rote will be facing up against 32. Fluffeh Bunny Murder Squad. We look forward to it.
