By Blaze
Playoff Bound
On top of the list, with 17 points from 7 matches are, as expected, Ex-[SynC]Sync eSports. They won 5 out of 7 matches and the other two turned out to be draws, so while they did not completely destroy the competition, they certainly dominated. compLexity Gaming and BadMonkeyGaming were the only teams that were able to stand against them, in very impressive matches that happened this last weekend. Right behind ex-Sync are [Rea]Reason Gaming. Reason had a pretty similar run, they also won 5 out of 7 matches, but lost one and got one to a draw. They lost to ex-Sync eSports already last week during the weekday and last weekend they ended giving a game away to compLexity, who managed to fight hard and take a game from even the best of teams. With this, Reason shows that they are getting closer and closer to ex-Sync pedestal and may one day topple them over.
After the two big wigs, we got [BMG]BadMonkeyGaming and [coL]compLexity Gaming on third and fourth place. They both fought hard and came to a total of 12 points with 3 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss. Interestingly, the loss of BMG was to Reason Gaming, while compLexity lost to BMG, which makes BMG the bigger of the two fishes in the mid-field pond. But no matter, they have to face each other in the Playoffs, so it doesn’t really matter who is better in that aspect. What matters is that only one of them will continue in the Playoffs, so both teams will give everything in order to win.
Close, But No Cigar
The two teams that earned a break for the coming week are [Mint]Fresh and [AZN]Chopstick Gaming. Fresh earned 8 points, with 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses to their name. It is not the worst result and it will allow them to stay in Diamond Division, but they have to be a little disappointed, as they were unable to get into the Playoffs, much to the surprise of many. They did their duty, defeated two of the newcomers and stole a point from BMG, but dropping points against Chopstick Gaming and losing against three of the top teams was not enough to get anywhere near the Playoffs. Maybe next time! Chopstick Gaming continued where they left off at the Qualifiers, they played great games and showed a lot of potential, but it was not enough for the big boys yet. Just 1 win, 3 draws and 3 losses. Enough to stay afloat, but not enough to get to the Playoffs. For next Cycle, they need to work harder and try to win at least one game against one of the top teams if they want to get further ahead.
Fighting For Survival
And finally the two Relegation Candidates: [HOT]Sauna eSports and [REVO]Revolution. No real surprise there, both teams did not get very far and only managed to get 2 draws with 5 losses each, but in a group with teams like ex-Sync and Reason, nobody can blame them. Sauna eSports managed to get a game and point off of BMG, but that was pretty much it and Revolution stole a point off of Chopstick Gaming, who would have been 5th otherwise. And of course they produced a draw playing against each other, so it seems that they were pretty much on the same level during the Group Stage. What follows now are two intense matches for survival or advancement, depending on how you look at it, when these two teams will clash with the top two teams of Gold Division on Tuesday and Thursday.
These Gold Division teams are: [MysT]The Mystery Gang and [DARG]Russian Dargons. Both of these teams were expected to be in Diamond Division via the Qualifiers already, but failed to get there. So they used the next chance, Cycle 1, to get a shot at it again, and they did so in style. Both stayed in the Winner’s Bracket the whole time until the WB Finals, where MysT dropped to the Losers Bracket. In a spectacular LB Finals, The Mystery Gang then defeated [MAR]Me Are Rus and in the Grand Finals, the Russian Dargons lost this time, making them the second team to go into the Relegation Matches, where they will play against Revolution, while The Mystery Gang faces Sauna eSports.-
Looking Forward
After two weeks of Cycle 1, we are now done with the preparations and it's time for the final stretch and all of the important decisions. Don't miss out on the Relegation Matches, first Russian Dargons vs. Revolution on Tuesday, followed by The Mystery Gang vs. Sauna eSports on Thursday. The exact times are still to be determined, but check the bracket in the next hours, they should be decided soon. Honcast will cover these matches live, so if you are too lazy to check the brackets, just keep Honcast running, there will be good entertainment either way, with Honcast+ running the second week now. And this weekend we will have the Playoffs with the big 4 going at each other, more on that soon! Good Luck and Have Fun to the teams and players!
BlahC is a senior Hontour.com writer focusing on the NA/EU Diamond and Gold Divisions. After making a name for himself in the Dawn of War 1 scene, he began his career in journalism at DawnOfWar.de. As one of the first HoN Tour writers, BlahC has focused on the less known teams, bringing their name to the forefront. When he isn’t writing about HoN, BlahC enjoys playing RPGs, writing fiction, and listening to Metal, Avantgarde, and Neofolk music.
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