brie0101
Bellerophont
DaisyChainWith HC qualifiers on the way, I'm more and more hyped for the main event, and guessing who's who is a huge part of it. I thought it would be a good idea to share some knowledge about the players to create the ultimate guessing guide. Some viewers are more knowledgeable than others and that would be awesome to spread the insights. This way, we could all have informed wrong guesses instead of uninformed ones. Having more things to check should make this more enjoyable for everyone.
I tried to include as many parameters as possible, even if I don't necessarily have an idea of the specific style of most players. I thought of these categories:
Expected level
Obviously a very important parameter, even if there are upsets every HC, and even if the level seems a lot closer than the previous years.
Expected map picks and bans
We'd expect some players to pick or ban specific maps like Islands, Hideout or the more agressive feudal ones. Will depend on the settings and the maps for the main event, but someone always going for Islands could be Dogao for instance, after his performance last year on the map. We'd expect Viper to go for it too, even if he likes to hide himself.
Expected civs
Typically Yo going for meso civs, and still valuing Aztecs after the nerfs. From what I see in qualifiers, Franks, Vikings or Chinese seem to be the most common choices on G1 Arabia, someone going Aztec Arabia would hint at Yo (even if he might keep it for Gold Rush, I expect him to pick a lot of Gold Rush). We'd expect some players to value Huns and civs with mobility and others to value archer civs. Expect Viper to throw the odd Portuguese or Khmer in the draft too, even if he does not end up playing them.
Expected strategies/playstyle/preferred units
Probably the most important but the harder to explain. Who pressures a lot in feudal, who gains just a small lead and then goes up to Castle Age. Once up, who would do something like a forward workshop + monastery into a castle drop vs who would use his lead to boom and slowly starve the opponent.
Expected level of preparation
I think everyone will take the event very seriously, but some players specialize in unusual strats. Daut and Tatoh had great strategies last year, so if you see something unusual and clever remember that you should guess that it is most likely TheMax and Villese.
Use of scout early game
Some players go forward immediately and lame ressources, others go forward immediately but annoy/try to snipe a vill, others scout their whole base and keep the scout in front of the enemy base to see their strat, some like to lure. Generally speaking, some have a more active scout. Not sure many people will lame with the settings, and not sure it's necessarily MbL if someone does it, but always an hint.
Walling
Some players are known for house walls, others for big palissade walls, others for small walls (hello MbL), others tend to stay open for longer. Some players always use their buildings in the wall and others don't like it (the blacksmith especially).
Deers and boars
Some players love pushing deer (hello Slam, if you make it, but also seemingly Max according to Jeowaypoint), Viper typically collects food long distance, others mill it or just ignore it. Some players are notorious for failing their lures (Daut is memed a lot for that, but I think Jordan is the worst at it, if he makes it into HC4). Last year, only a handful of players weakened boar with TC, this year I think a lot more players do it. Yo started the trend, but I think almost all Chinese, Vietnamese and GL players do it (Viper, Tatoh and Jordan do it, don't think Daut does it). The tAMpo guys don't really do it though I think, but feel free to correct me.
Farm placement
Viper always has perfect farms around the TC, he always starts them at the exact same spot to optimize their placement. I think Max does the same. Other players have pretty random ones, even when they're not especially pressured.
Early game towers, forwards and sneaks
I know T90 likes to say that Vivi will tower and Max will sneak a building, but I'm generally not convinced. I still think that it is more typical of some players, even if it depends on the map and the pace of the game.
Micro
Everyone can do a good split or a failed one, but we all expect Lierrey or Hera to try flashy moves and to micro with confidence. Viper would do it too, but it will usually be less flashy. DauT obviously will have the best micro.
Quick walls
Here again, Viper should do sick quickwalls, especially to save a villager, but Hera and Lierrey should try it more often. Last year, I think they were the two easiest to recognize because of the quick walls/traps/market walls. Pretty much everyone quickwalls now so that might be less useful.
Boom/Eco
The tendency to go multiple TCs, especially when they are ahead. I know DauT and Jordan often overboom and delete vills later, for instance. Other players will be more focused on their army control than their boom, to the point of forgetting important eco upgrades (Nicov's wheelbarrow timing?)
Castles
Where do you place your castles. Everyone can do a DauT castle from time to time, but some players prioritize hills, others map control. Typically, Viper tends to do a relatively safe castle when he has the choice to secure the front of his base, while other players tend to do agressive castles to put pressure on their opponent.
Gamesense/creativity
The tendency to do something unexpected/offmeta that just makes sense in the situation even if most of us wouldn't think of it. The specialty of Viper. MbL also has pretty creative reactions which often helps him comeback. Other players are more structured/meta, like Lierrey.
Scouting/vision
Some players like to throw outposts all over the map and get early town watch/town patrol. Others will create a few scouts and patrol around the map, even lategame. Jordan has a very recognizable outpost style for instance.
Relics
Some players are notorious for getting relics early, or not getting them at all. Lierrey used to never get them but I'm not sure that's still true. Does anyone know anything specific here?
Siege and monks
Some players underuse them, others pretty much always add a monastery in early Castle Age and add a few monks to a knights war.
Lategame towers
A player like Tatoh likes to control the map with keeps. Viper does it too, but mostly with Britons/Japanese. MbL adds BBT.
Lategame units
Hera spams hussars, Yo will always switch to eagles if he can, even as Mayans, MbL will spam trash and slowly come back in a seemingly lost game.
Practice partner
Useful to find duos with similar strategies/approach of a map. Tatoh-Daut, Hera-Lierrey or Viper-Jordan for instance. Will depend on who makes it anyway.
Adaptation to DE and QoL improvements
Some players prefer the old ways. Notably, Nicov does not multiqueue and MbL does not use the auto reseed, even lategame. If they recently changed their style, feel free to correct me.
Other useful information
Anything else that could be relevant. For instance Viper tries to hide his identity and to make the viewers enjoy his games, to the point he is actually easy to recognize. Last year going green as Saladin and doing some semi-troll strats like the War Elephants made it extremely obvious it was him. He might not do it this year beause we now expect it, and because he probably has more pressure to perform than ever. I guess we could also consider the tendency of players to resign. MbL will do it super late, Nicov might still do it too early.
If many people are interested and want to share their knowledge, feel free to discuss and debate. I'm not an expert on the various playstyles, so correct any mistakes I made and add your own suggestions. I'll create a player profile for every qualified player based on your insights and my own ideas before the main event starts. I most likely won't have something specific to say for each player and each category, but I'll try to have at least 5 categories for every player. For now we don't know who will make it, but we can talk about the 8 invited players.
I tried to include as many parameters as possible, even if I don't necessarily have an idea of the specific style of most players. I thought of these categories:
Expected level
Obviously a very important parameter, even if there are upsets every HC, and even if the level seems a lot closer than the previous years.
Expected map picks and bans
We'd expect some players to pick or ban specific maps like Islands, Hideout or the more agressive feudal ones. Will depend on the settings and the maps for the main event, but someone always going for Islands could be Dogao for instance, after his performance last year on the map. We'd expect Viper to go for it too, even if he likes to hide himself.
Expected civs
Typically Yo going for meso civs, and still valuing Aztecs after the nerfs. From what I see in qualifiers, Franks, Vikings or Chinese seem to be the most common choices on G1 Arabia, someone going Aztec Arabia would hint at Yo (even if he might keep it for Gold Rush, I expect him to pick a lot of Gold Rush). We'd expect some players to value Huns and civs with mobility and others to value archer civs. Expect Viper to throw the odd Portuguese or Khmer in the draft too, even if he does not end up playing them.
Expected strategies/playstyle/preferred units
Probably the most important but the harder to explain. Who pressures a lot in feudal, who gains just a small lead and then goes up to Castle Age. Once up, who would do something like a forward workshop + monastery into a castle drop vs who would use his lead to boom and slowly starve the opponent.
Expected level of preparation
I think everyone will take the event very seriously, but some players specialize in unusual strats. Daut and Tatoh had great strategies last year, so if you see something unusual and clever remember that you should guess that it is most likely TheMax and Villese.
Use of scout early game
Some players go forward immediately and lame ressources, others go forward immediately but annoy/try to snipe a vill, others scout their whole base and keep the scout in front of the enemy base to see their strat, some like to lure. Generally speaking, some have a more active scout. Not sure many people will lame with the settings, and not sure it's necessarily MbL if someone does it, but always an hint.
Walling
Some players are known for house walls, others for big palissade walls, others for small walls (hello MbL), others tend to stay open for longer. Some players always use their buildings in the wall and others don't like it (the blacksmith especially).
Deers and boars
Some players love pushing deer (hello Slam, if you make it, but also seemingly Max according to Jeowaypoint), Viper typically collects food long distance, others mill it or just ignore it. Some players are notorious for failing their lures (Daut is memed a lot for that, but I think Jordan is the worst at it, if he makes it into HC4). Last year, only a handful of players weakened boar with TC, this year I think a lot more players do it. Yo started the trend, but I think almost all Chinese, Vietnamese and GL players do it (Viper, Tatoh and Jordan do it, don't think Daut does it). The tAMpo guys don't really do it though I think, but feel free to correct me.
Farm placement
Viper always has perfect farms around the TC, he always starts them at the exact same spot to optimize their placement. I think Max does the same. Other players have pretty random ones, even when they're not especially pressured.
Early game towers, forwards and sneaks
I know T90 likes to say that Vivi will tower and Max will sneak a building, but I'm generally not convinced. I still think that it is more typical of some players, even if it depends on the map and the pace of the game.
Micro
Everyone can do a good split or a failed one, but we all expect Lierrey or Hera to try flashy moves and to micro with confidence. Viper would do it too, but it will usually be less flashy. DauT obviously will have the best micro.
Quick walls
Here again, Viper should do sick quickwalls, especially to save a villager, but Hera and Lierrey should try it more often. Last year, I think they were the two easiest to recognize because of the quick walls/traps/market walls. Pretty much everyone quickwalls now so that might be less useful.
Boom/Eco
The tendency to go multiple TCs, especially when they are ahead. I know DauT and Jordan often overboom and delete vills later, for instance. Other players will be more focused on their army control than their boom, to the point of forgetting important eco upgrades (Nicov's wheelbarrow timing?)
Castles
Where do you place your castles. Everyone can do a DauT castle from time to time, but some players prioritize hills, others map control. Typically, Viper tends to do a relatively safe castle when he has the choice to secure the front of his base, while other players tend to do agressive castles to put pressure on their opponent.
Gamesense/creativity
The tendency to do something unexpected/offmeta that just makes sense in the situation even if most of us wouldn't think of it. The specialty of Viper. MbL also has pretty creative reactions which often helps him comeback. Other players are more structured/meta, like Lierrey.
Scouting/vision
Some players like to throw outposts all over the map and get early town watch/town patrol. Others will create a few scouts and patrol around the map, even lategame. Jordan has a very recognizable outpost style for instance.
Relics
Some players are notorious for getting relics early, or not getting them at all. Lierrey used to never get them but I'm not sure that's still true. Does anyone know anything specific here?
Siege and monks
Some players underuse them, others pretty much always add a monastery in early Castle Age and add a few monks to a knights war.
Lategame towers
A player like Tatoh likes to control the map with keeps. Viper does it too, but mostly with Britons/Japanese. MbL adds BBT.
Lategame units
Hera spams hussars, Yo will always switch to eagles if he can, even as Mayans, MbL will spam trash and slowly come back in a seemingly lost game.
Practice partner
Useful to find duos with similar strategies/approach of a map. Tatoh-Daut, Hera-Lierrey or Viper-Jordan for instance. Will depend on who makes it anyway.
Adaptation to DE and QoL improvements
Some players prefer the old ways. Notably, Nicov does not multiqueue and MbL does not use the auto reseed, even lategame. If they recently changed their style, feel free to correct me.
Other useful information
Anything else that could be relevant. For instance Viper tries to hide his identity and to make the viewers enjoy his games, to the point he is actually easy to recognize. Last year going green as Saladin and doing some semi-troll strats like the War Elephants made it extremely obvious it was him. He might not do it this year beause we now expect it, and because he probably has more pressure to perform than ever. I guess we could also consider the tendency of players to resign. MbL will do it super late, Nicov might still do it too early.
If many people are interested and want to share their knowledge, feel free to discuss and debate. I'm not an expert on the various playstyles, so correct any mistakes I made and add your own suggestions. I'll create a player profile for every qualified player based on your insights and my own ideas before the main event starts. I most likely won't have something specific to say for each player and each category, but I'll try to have at least 5 categories for every player. For now we don't know who will make it, but we can talk about the 8 invited players.
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