If you are like most people and have little to no clue about DM or the DM community, then here is some information and a little write up about the upcoming Qualification matches. Disclaimer: I haven’t been too active in the DM community as of late so some infos could be outdated or inaccurate. Input is appreciated. Confirmed playing times will be added. If you want to know how to start out in DM, I’d advice you to reading this guide by TheCode: https://www.aoezone.net/threads/dm-tutorial-1-how-to-play-the-first-4-minutes.115985/
And I bet youve never seen this many flags in an AoE 2 write-up :P
TheViper vs Dragonstar @Wednesday 12 GMT
Seed #1 TheViper should be the big favorite in this matchup. Dragonstar (mainly RM player) should not be underestimated though, since he has improved a large portion in RM lately, which also seems to have contributed largely to his DM skill. His strength is a strong start and taking over the map quickly, while TheViper might struggle the first 5 mins before he will usually dominate the game. Maybe Dragonstar can catch Viper off guard in one or two games.
Frost_8 vs JorDan
Frost is most famous for his Michi skills and splendid army control. He is (afaik) a pure DM player who will be quite a challenge for JorDan, since his playstyle is quite different from what one might expect from a DM player. He is very defensive and relies on superior micro and positioning on the map. Definitely one of the most interesting games of this qualification stage, this could go either way in my opinion.
TaToH vs Barakah @Tuesday 14 GMT
TaToH is no stranger to DM having won th elast big 2v2 DM tourney with TheViper and really doesnt need a lot of introduction, his strengths definitely lie in his variability and flexible playstyle. Barakah on the other hand has been around the DM community as long as I can remember and is most powerful on land maps with paladin civs. Im sure he will take at least 1 or 2 maps off of TaToH, in the end the spaniard should have the edge though.
Daywalker vs Spring @Friday 17 GMT
Daywalker, a DM legend and twin brother of Rage, is currently holding the #1 spot on the DM 1v1 ladder with +17 streak against top players. With that he has thrown himself into the group of top contenders for this tournament. Spring is not inexperienced in DM and maybe can get one win on a good day, but Daywalker should be the clear favorite here.
Rage vs Nicov @Thursday 20 GMT
Now this is another very interesting match up, with Nicov being quite unfamiliar with DM and Rage being one of the top guys. Rage’s strengths are his speed, quick eco and raiding of the opponent. He keeps his opponents on his toes and if you slip up you will be out for the count really quickly.
MbL vs PaladinZ @Saturday 18 GMT
MbL already took part in the last DMWC in 2016, where he lost to Rubenstock in the Silvercup quarterfinal. This time in my opinion it will only depend on how much he practices, if he has the will, he could undoubtedly go very far. PaladinZ I dont know too much about other than playing him a few times. He likes to mass a lot of units at the start and finish you off quickly or if not possible dominate the game from there onwards. This could develop a very nice dynamic between the two since MbL is more on the defensive side of things. PaladinZ definitely has the chance to surprise here.
Nili vs Clemensor @Wednesday 18 GMT
Not much to say here, Id be happy to take one game :D most likely in the Hun war since that was what I used to specialize in starting out.
Dkc_Incredibles vs DauT
Now this matchup I dont know what to make off. Dkc is definitely a very skilled DM player, that i sadly dont know too much about, other than that he is a very skilled Franks player and with that comes a great portion of army control. DauT can definitely hold his own in DM, I would definitely bet on Dkc in this match though.
QuEnDi_True vs Vivi @Saturday 4 GMT
True won the last DM World Cup in the final against Jidba. His goal now that TheViper participates is also beating him and defend the honour of his fellow DMers. That being said he has been pretty much inactive for 1 ½ years now and hasnt found his former self yet. His playstyle can be characterized as a snake going for your neck and tightening the grip further and further until the victim inevitabely suffocates. Playing like this, while entertaining to watch, takes a good deal of practice and can also be very risky. He should still come out on top in this round quite clearly since what Ive seen from vivi so far in DM hasnt been too impressive.
Vinchester vs bruh @Sunday 19 GMT
Two regulars in DM and in RM. This is definitely one of the must watches in this qualifying round, since I expect a very close match between the two. It really could go either way in my opinion
Leash vs BacT
LeAsh as True has been inactive for quite a while. In his most active time he could easily be considered top 5 DMers. BacT also has some practice in DM and definitely has the skill to take everybody on, but not enough for LeAsh in my opinion. The only question is, if LeAsh can get close to his top form before entering the ring with BacT.
Praxes vs L3af @Saturday 9GMT
Here we have a pure DMer match up between two DM oldheads. Purely on reputation and past achievements Praxes should have this one in the bag, but L3af’s aggressive style would be dangerous to underestimate under any circumstance. I think Praxes in the end should have the experience to handle it and can also make it very far in the tourney if he can get some playing time in.
TheCode vs Hera @Thursday 18 GMT
TheCode also known as Orkut in the community is one of THE favorites to win this tournament. His desicion making and map reading are second to none and I wouldnt be surprised to see him in the final at the end. Hera on the other hand will have a very tough time in this match up, could surprise TheCode on one or two maps though if he prepares well.
Yo vs miguel @Wednesday 16 GMT
This match deserves pretty much the same description as Vinchester vs bruh, maybe just a slight lvl above even. Both these guys are no stranger to top lvl RM, nor top lvl DM and could both be great contenders in the gold league, but only one can get through. A definite must watch with no clear favourite.
Rubenstock vs Tamerlane @Sunday 11 GMT
Fun fact that very little people know off (and correct me If Im wrong), but Rubenstock initially started out as a DMer, or at least thats were he got to top lvl first. He is quite a versatile and thoughtful player, who can beat anybody. Tamerlane on the other hand is a pure DMer who has improved quite a lot since a few years back and who has been one of the few to stay active the last couple months. Rubenstock should be the clear favorite here though.
Zaryab vs LaaaaaN @Thursday 15 GMT
Now this is another very highly anticipated matchup of mine. LaaaaaN has proven quite convincingly in rated games that his skill is not only limited to RM. Zaryab on the other hand is pretty much a pure DMer, whose biggest strenghts are in-game decision making and moves on the map. His weakness is his slow eco, he very often relies on taking very good fights at the start and gaining a favourable position on the map and slowly starving his opponent of gold. Im curious if LaaaaaN will be able to deal with him. My guess is that Zaryab will come out on top in the end after a tough fight.
And I bet youve never seen this many flags in an AoE 2 write-up :P
TheViper vs Dragonstar @Wednesday 12 GMT
Seed #1 TheViper should be the big favorite in this matchup. Dragonstar (mainly RM player) should not be underestimated though, since he has improved a large portion in RM lately, which also seems to have contributed largely to his DM skill. His strength is a strong start and taking over the map quickly, while TheViper might struggle the first 5 mins before he will usually dominate the game. Maybe Dragonstar can catch Viper off guard in one or two games.
Frost_8 vs JorDan
Frost is most famous for his Michi skills and splendid army control. He is (afaik) a pure DM player who will be quite a challenge for JorDan, since his playstyle is quite different from what one might expect from a DM player. He is very defensive and relies on superior micro and positioning on the map. Definitely one of the most interesting games of this qualification stage, this could go either way in my opinion.
TaToH vs Barakah @Tuesday 14 GMT
TaToH is no stranger to DM having won th elast big 2v2 DM tourney with TheViper and really doesnt need a lot of introduction, his strengths definitely lie in his variability and flexible playstyle. Barakah on the other hand has been around the DM community as long as I can remember and is most powerful on land maps with paladin civs. Im sure he will take at least 1 or 2 maps off of TaToH, in the end the spaniard should have the edge though.
Daywalker vs Spring @Friday 17 GMT
Daywalker, a DM legend and twin brother of Rage, is currently holding the #1 spot on the DM 1v1 ladder with +17 streak against top players. With that he has thrown himself into the group of top contenders for this tournament. Spring is not inexperienced in DM and maybe can get one win on a good day, but Daywalker should be the clear favorite here.
Rage vs Nicov @Thursday 20 GMT
Now this is another very interesting match up, with Nicov being quite unfamiliar with DM and Rage being one of the top guys. Rage’s strengths are his speed, quick eco and raiding of the opponent. He keeps his opponents on his toes and if you slip up you will be out for the count really quickly.
MbL vs PaladinZ @Saturday 18 GMT
MbL already took part in the last DMWC in 2016, where he lost to Rubenstock in the Silvercup quarterfinal. This time in my opinion it will only depend on how much he practices, if he has the will, he could undoubtedly go very far. PaladinZ I dont know too much about other than playing him a few times. He likes to mass a lot of units at the start and finish you off quickly or if not possible dominate the game from there onwards. This could develop a very nice dynamic between the two since MbL is more on the defensive side of things. PaladinZ definitely has the chance to surprise here.
Nili vs Clemensor @Wednesday 18 GMT
Not much to say here, Id be happy to take one game :D most likely in the Hun war since that was what I used to specialize in starting out.
Dkc_Incredibles vs DauT
Now this matchup I dont know what to make off. Dkc is definitely a very skilled DM player, that i sadly dont know too much about, other than that he is a very skilled Franks player and with that comes a great portion of army control. DauT can definitely hold his own in DM, I would definitely bet on Dkc in this match though.
QuEnDi_True vs Vivi @Saturday 4 GMT
True won the last DM World Cup in the final against Jidba. His goal now that TheViper participates is also beating him and defend the honour of his fellow DMers. That being said he has been pretty much inactive for 1 ½ years now and hasnt found his former self yet. His playstyle can be characterized as a snake going for your neck and tightening the grip further and further until the victim inevitabely suffocates. Playing like this, while entertaining to watch, takes a good deal of practice and can also be very risky. He should still come out on top in this round quite clearly since what Ive seen from vivi so far in DM hasnt been too impressive.
Vinchester vs bruh @Sunday 19 GMT
Two regulars in DM and in RM. This is definitely one of the must watches in this qualifying round, since I expect a very close match between the two. It really could go either way in my opinion
Leash vs BacT
LeAsh as True has been inactive for quite a while. In his most active time he could easily be considered top 5 DMers. BacT also has some practice in DM and definitely has the skill to take everybody on, but not enough for LeAsh in my opinion. The only question is, if LeAsh can get close to his top form before entering the ring with BacT.
Praxes vs L3af @Saturday 9GMT
Here we have a pure DMer match up between two DM oldheads. Purely on reputation and past achievements Praxes should have this one in the bag, but L3af’s aggressive style would be dangerous to underestimate under any circumstance. I think Praxes in the end should have the experience to handle it and can also make it very far in the tourney if he can get some playing time in.
TheCode vs Hera @Thursday 18 GMT
TheCode also known as Orkut in the community is one of THE favorites to win this tournament. His desicion making and map reading are second to none and I wouldnt be surprised to see him in the final at the end. Hera on the other hand will have a very tough time in this match up, could surprise TheCode on one or two maps though if he prepares well.
Yo vs miguel @Wednesday 16 GMT
This match deserves pretty much the same description as Vinchester vs bruh, maybe just a slight lvl above even. Both these guys are no stranger to top lvl RM, nor top lvl DM and could both be great contenders in the gold league, but only one can get through. A definite must watch with no clear favourite.
Rubenstock vs Tamerlane @Sunday 11 GMT
Fun fact that very little people know off (and correct me If Im wrong), but Rubenstock initially started out as a DMer, or at least thats were he got to top lvl first. He is quite a versatile and thoughtful player, who can beat anybody. Tamerlane on the other hand is a pure DMer who has improved quite a lot since a few years back and who has been one of the few to stay active the last couple months. Rubenstock should be the clear favorite here though.
Zaryab vs LaaaaaN @Thursday 15 GMT
Now this is another very highly anticipated matchup of mine. LaaaaaN has proven quite convincingly in rated games that his skill is not only limited to RM. Zaryab on the other hand is pretty much a pure DMer, whose biggest strenghts are in-game decision making and moves on the map. His weakness is his slow eco, he very often relies on taking very good fights at the start and gaining a favourable position on the map and slowly starving his opponent of gold. Im curious if LaaaaaN will be able to deal with him. My guess is that Zaryab will come out on top in the end after a tough fight.
P.S.:
If anybody is interested in streaming games of DMWC 2 and wants a semicompetent cocaster, shoot me a DM (no pun intended)
If anybody is interested in streaming games of DMWC 2 and wants a semicompetent cocaster, shoot me a DM (no pun intended)
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