Scheduled games:
QF Modri vs The Bloodless - I'll cast their recs on 15 GMT Tuesday.
QF Running vs Stefan right after, 17 GMT Tuesday.
QF Me vs Scogo Friday 19 GMT
QF Dragonstar vs Kellar Friday 16 GMT
Link to R1 Recap
Link to R2 Recap
Another week, another recap! This time it will be a bit special though, as we finished the group stage of the tournament and we're entering the 2 weeks of single elimination, 2 weeks till the ultimate clown champion, final two weeks of MotC! If you missed any match you can rewatch my twitch, join my discord where recs are posted + we're going to post recorded games of 1 best match from each group on aoezone (+ all single elimination games).
Brackets
This week we were using the 2-tier difference draft - higher tier was able to only pick 2 civilizations for himself, while the other 4 were "given" to him by the lower tier. Moreover, the lower tier dictated exact civilizations higher tier had to use in G1 and G2.
Group A: Running (tier 1) vs Kellar (tier 3)
Draft
Set between two players fighting for the win of group A. As both had 2 wins from the previous rounds, they were guaranteed to advance. Both players knew what they're playing for, winner would likely avoid stefan in the QuarterFinals, so a lot was at stake. Their match was expected to prove Running's dominance in group A though, dropping 1 game against both Collins and Jonslow while facing a major civ disadvantages looked way more solid compared to Kellar's 2 very close sets both ending 3:2 in favour of our norwegian. Kellar was supposed to have a draft advantage, which he threw right away when he went for 7 powerful civilizations (instead of 6) and then even gave Lithuanians to his opponent.
In game 1 Kellar simply picked the strongest civ in his draft (Aztec) against potentially the worst one of Running - Tatars. After a common eagle + monks against Lcav opening, Kellar found himself in the better position with 3 relics, slightly better eco and map control. Although Running managed to get a decent army of CAs + LCav, Kellar's pike + imp monks were too much for Running and he had to resign. In game 2 Kellar came up with a surprising choice, choosing Celts against Running's Berbers. Not only he went for a major civ win, but Celts also weren't among the civilizations that either player would have drafted (clip). Running managed to win the game regardless, going for fast champions he caught Kellar completely off guard and took a fast W. Game 3 showed how big of a mistake it was to give Running Lithuanians. Kellar played a solid game with Ethiopians, but he couldn't find a good counter to skirms with leitis follow-up, Running was 1 win away from winning the group. For game 4 both players came up with the best they still had left - Malay vs Byzantines for Running. Kellar went for 1tc monk aggresion, followed by fast imp, Running adapted to the situation going only for 1 extra TC, with a defensive castle and reasonably fast imp himself. Kellar's main mistake was to go for chemistry and bombard canons instead of castle and trebs, Running added a couple of defensive monks himself and converted many bombard canons from distance. As the game looked to be completely under Running's control having better eco and many skirms with heresy, Kellar got a couple of amazing BBC shots, used his imp monks to their full potential and managed to tie the series - 2:2. For game 5 Running prepared Mongols against Slavs in hands of Kellar. Copying his succesfull strategy from G1, after a 3tc boom Kellar went for pike + monk + treb imperial army, hit Running before he got high enough mangudai numbers and took the game 5.
Afterall, Kellar played 3 sets in the Group stage, all finished with his 3:2 victory. Running finished second and will face Stefan in QFs therefore.
Situation in group A:
1) Kellar (tier 3)
2) Running (tier 1)
3) - 4) Jonslow (tier 2)/Collins (tier 4).
Group A proved to be incredibly even, competitive and interesting. 5 sets, 2x 3:1, 3x 3:2 - exactly what I was hoping that the unfair draft will bring. Running was the main favourite of the group, his advancement further was anticipated, but surprisingly it's from the second place. Kellar will accompany Running on his way, we'll see how far his 3:2 wins will get him. Both Jonslow and Collins proved they deserved to be in the tournament and their 2:3 matches against Kellar could go either way. The best set of this group would be Collins vs Kellar in the 2nd week: all 5 games, incredibly close set and a LOT of clownish action.
Situation in group B:
Group B was completed a week ago already, so the situation looks like:
1) Modri (tier 1)
2) Scogo (tier 3)
3) Chrazini (tier 4)
4) Glokken (tier 2)
In the terms of the final results group B didn't bring any upset, Modri and Scogo were expected to move forward. However, Chrazini came up with an amazing performance in the 2nd week against Scogo, using his 1tc imp monk all-ins, forcing game 5 in their set.. Fair to say if Scogo didn't pull a miraculous comeback in G2, Chrazini would win the match. This will also be the highlight of group B and of the whole group stage, simply a must-watch series, in the end Scogo took a 3:2 victory and deserved to advance. Second story of this group would be Modri's clear dominance, with 3x 3:0 he's proving anything than a tournament win connected with the ultimate clown title wouldn't satisfy him.
Group C: DracKen (tier 1) vs The Bloodless (tier 3)
Draft
Same as group A, we only had to play last match to determine the winner of the group and same as group A we had a lot to play for - winner would avoid Modri in the QuarterFinals.
I had to overcome a major civ disadvantage in G1 - Berbers against Slavs. As I managed to grab 4 relics, my winning condition was to survive until The Bloodless runs out of Gold for his SOs. In one of the longest games of the tournament significantly exceeding 1 hour mark I did accomplish that using BBC, Camel Archers and millions of cheap hussars, at that point The Bloodless didn't have an answer to my UU and had to tab out. For game 2 my opponent came up with another juicy game - Ethiopians against Koreans. I decided to go for a forward castle, followed by FI and korean towers. Bloodless was slower with the imp time and got pushed too deep into his base to come back - 2:0. In the 3rd game I was finally able to pick a civilization myself, the matchup was Teutons (for me) against Malay. Once again I took 4:1 relic lead which allowed me to play defensively, wait for SOs, halbs and Elite Teutonics - army which is barely counterable for any civ. Getting some big SO shots (clip), I managed to get a W and take the group win.
Situation in group C:
1) DracKeN (tier 1)
2) The Bloodless (tier 3)
3) D3rp (tier 4)
4) Darknoob (tier 2)
Our group was tough to read since the start. Arguably the group with the most experienced and skilled tier 2 and tier 4 players, I was rather expecting one of them to advance (while hoping I'll make it to the next stage aswell). However, The Bloodless managed to beat both dutch clowns 3:1 and will accompany me into the single elimination. My way there wasn't easy at all, Darknoob played really high level as expected, but got badly outdrafted, vs The Bloodless I felt that in both G1 and G2 I was going to lose. D3rp was really close to pull a comeback from 0:2 to 3:2 in the first round against me - my personal favourite (unbiased ) set of the group.
Group D: Stefan (tier 1) vs Klavskis (tier 3)
Draft
That could be the most anticipated match of whole group stage, two very well known Arena players that played tens of games against each other, both with great knowledge of opponent's style. Before the games Klavs knew 2 things - if he wins 3:0 he's guaranteed to advance, if he's loosing 0:3 he's out. Klavskis had the draft advantage, and could force G1 and G2 matchups where he was supposed to play significantly stronger civ. However, for G1 Klavs went for a surprising choice - Turks for him, Cumans for Stefan - civ matchup where Turks definitely aren't the favorite. Stefan was expecting a push and therefore gave up 2TC boom and instead went for a standard FC with defensive castle and kipchaks. Klavs just opened with LCavs and then went for 2tc fast imp with jannisaries and bombard cannons. As he managed to trap 15 kichapks in his base (clip), he was able to overrun stefan's army and pushed deep into his base. Stefan stayed in castle age and spread his eco all around the map. The moment Klavskis managed to get enough eco for hussar switch and started raiding Stefan all over the map, Stefan used capped rams and kts for the counterattack and killed a lot of Klavskis farm eco in exchange. In the end Stefan's macro proved to be better, he bought himself just enough time to get a big ball of kipchaks once again and with pikemen and LC meatshield, it was an army that Klavs couldn't counter. Maybe the best game of the tournament so far showing the amazing scenario of a long clash castle vs imp play (game went over 1 hour and Stefan stayed in castle age till the end of it). For game 2 Klavs came up with a proper civ win for himself, Aztecs vs Indians. Similar scenario as G1, Klavs only stayed on 2 TCs and while getting map control he was significantly faster to imp, while Stefan went for 3tc boom. If Klavs went for a fwd castle, the game would likely be over, but he rather invested into capped rams and elite eagles. Stefan delayed the push with his own defensive castle and a lot of walls, it was enough for him to make the HC switch happen. Supported by his huge eco, he could even afford full hussar meatshield, with HC in the back Klavskis was out of options and had to resign. Game 3 was the game where Stefan could go for his own picks and he got a very nice matchup - Malay against Incas in the hands of Klavskis. This time Stefan was prepared for the push and went for a defensive castle and karambits right away. Stefan's read was correct - Klavs went for a classic monk rush. Karambits did prove their value though, Stefan cleared the push and with better eco and significantly faster imp time, he took the game and the series in a convincing fashion - 3:0. Stefan secured his 1st position in the group D this way, Klavskis dropped out of the tournament.
Group D: Dragonstar (tier 2) vs Wakko (tier 4)
Draft
The 3:0 result in the other match was the one that both Wakko and Dragonstar hoped for. For Wakko, it was the only result that kept him in the tournament, now he "only" needed to also win 3:0 in his match against Dragonstar. Dragonstar was even in a better spot, he only needed to win 1 game against Wakko. While Wakko's drafts in the previous matches weren't the best, this time he came up with a very good one, he also had a perfect matchup for himself in G1 - Goths against Vietnamese. After a defensive castle and 3tc boom by both players, Wakko went for a big castle age push with husks. Dragonstar defended with cavaliers, but seeing Wakko's pikemen addition he tried to beat fire with fire and made the champion switch. Wakko did push into Dragonstar's base, but he wasn't taking good trades against champions and at the same time Dragonstar went for a counter attack, managed to get into Wakko's farm eco which was the killing blow for the chilean. G2 wasn't as bad matchup, Khmer for Wakko and Bulgarians for Dragonstar. Potentially the fastest against the slowest Arena civ, but on the other hand halb + SO composition is something what Khmer don't have a counter against. Dragonstar tried to go for 1tc aggresion with mangonel + spearmen and forward Kreopost, Wakko reading the situation perfectly went for scorpion + pikemen defence, took great fight and with Daut Kreopost Dragonstar had to tab out - 1:1. Game 3 and a clash of Malay for Dragonstar and Franks for Wakko. Repetition of game 1 - once again, Wakko went for 3tc boom and a lot of LCavs and a push in Castle age against the 3tc boom and imp of Dragonstar, this time Wakko wasn't close to take the game though, the moment he saw defensive castle and imp, he realized there's no chance for him and resigned. Players prepared for us the best show in G4 - Britons for Wakko and Teutons for Dragonstar. Same as many times in the group stage already, Dragonstar went for his signature strategy - fast imp monks. Wakko did hold well with Britons and even made a brilliant siege tower xbow play (clip) which caught Dragonstar completely off guard and crippled his already weak eco. Wakko stayed in castle age and with significantly better eco and higher pop he seemed to be in the full control of the game. However, at one point he wasted so much army on a push, Dragonstar got a military lead and after converting enough of Wakko's own units he was able to make the final push which wakko didn't have an army to stop - 3:1 for Dragonstar.
Situation in group D:
1) Stefan (tier 1)
2) Dragonstar (tier 2)
3) Klavskis (tier 3)
4) Wakko (tier 4)
The only group where players finished in the exact tier order. As expected the main match for Dragonstar and Klavskis happened in the first week - their match against each other. Sadly for Klavskis, he didn't feel well in that one and underperformed, after that both players lost 0:3 to Stefan and both players took a W against Wakko (3:1 for Dragonstar, 3:0 for Klavskis). The second storyline of the group would be Stefan's performance - 3 wins, only dropping 1 game on his way into single elimination. Wakko finished last in the group stage, but he definitely showed his skill, most of the time he was loosing games due to going for full castle age play and running into players defending this style very well. His set vs Stefan from R1 is also the best match we had in group D.
What's upcoming: QuarterFinals! Running this week, first 2 sets will be streamed tommorow on my twitch and Jonslow's, other 2 on Fridays.
QF1: Kellar (tier 3) vs Dragonstar (tier 2), Bo5, draft
The wild QuarterFinal. Both players caused upsets, both are among the positive surprises of the tournament and both players love to use Monks in Imp. Kellar did perform better so far, he won all 3 games with a W/L score 9:6 (Kellar could be in the best shape as he's the only player playing all 15 games in the Group Stage , compared to Dragonstar's 10 or Modri's 9 ). Also, Kellar's monk micro which might decide the match seemed to be better. Dragonstar is the only tier 2 player advancing, convincingly beating Wakko and Klavskis, his overall score is 6:4. Given the performances so far and with a small draft advantage (players will use 1-tier difference draft in favour of Kellar) I'd expect Kellar to win 3:1.
QF2: DracKeN (tier 1) vs Scogo (tier 3), Bo5, draft
The clown QuarterFinal. Only 4 Arena specialists advanced into single elimination and this is the only QF featuring 2 of them playing each other. For me Scogo would still be the best player from tier 3 and potentially the toughest opponent to play except tier 1 players, I know his style and I know when he shows up in a tournament he's always prepared (reminder: in MoA5 being way less experienced player than he is now he was very close to eliminate DauT). He also showed incredible fighting spirit against Chrazini. Scogo's overall score is 6:6, being the only player without a positive W/L ratio going further. I want the clown throne, elimination in the QF would be a huge upset for me (despite facing 2-tier difference draft). My score so far is 9:3 and I'll go with a prediction 3:2 for me.
QF3: Modri (tier 1) vs The Bloodless (tier 3), Bo5, draft
The 'aggainst the odds' QuarterFinal. Modri is another clown going further and another player who would only be satisfied with a tournament win. He didn't struggle in the group stage, with a score 9:0 being the only player in the tournament not losing a single game yet. The Bloodless is a newcomer to the Arena scene, although he didn't play like a newcomer at all. In a group with 3 Arena clowns he started by eliminating two of them in a convincing fashion: twice 3:1. He did struggle against me though, his overall score is 6:5. The Bloodless will have 2-tier difference draft as a support, but it would still be a major upset if he eliminates Modri, although destroying Modri's clean sheet is expected - I'd bet 3:1 for Modri.
QF4: Stefan (tier 1) vs Running (tier 1), Bo5, draft
The peak QuarterFinal. This has to be the most anticipated QF and the big confirmation how high level MotC has - if we had Arena tournament with every single top player, I'd not be surprised to see these 2 players meeting in QF there. Both players are tier 1 (which means that for the first time in MotC neither player will have a civ advantage), both proved they deserved their tier. Stefan's way through the tournament is almost as dominant as Modri's - dropping 1 game against Wakko in R1, he followed with 3:0 wins against Dragonstar and Klavskis, having an overall score 9:1. Running's way was almost as dominant for the first 2 weeks, after 3:1 wins against Collins and Jonslow Running lost 2:3 to Kellar though, which is the reason why he meets stefan already in the QFs. Overall score for him is 8:5 so far. Stefan's boomish defensive style should suit Running though and I can't see either player as a favourite in that set. I'd go with 3:2 for Stefan, because he's an arena clown, but the chances of both players are literally 50:50 in my eyes.
So, that's it for this week, stay hyped and if you're not already, then it's time to get hyped. Big thank to my two amazing admins, players, viewers, cocasters, casters on other channels. Rest of the tournament will be covered on my channel, where you can also donate to the tournament prize pool.
Thanks for reading!
QF Modri vs The Bloodless - I'll cast their recs on 15 GMT Tuesday.
QF Running vs Stefan right after, 17 GMT Tuesday.
QF Me vs Scogo Friday 19 GMT
QF Dragonstar vs Kellar Friday 16 GMT
Link to R1 Recap
Link to R2 Recap
Another week, another recap! This time it will be a bit special though, as we finished the group stage of the tournament and we're entering the 2 weeks of single elimination, 2 weeks till the ultimate clown champion, final two weeks of MotC! If you missed any match you can rewatch my twitch, join my discord where recs are posted + we're going to post recorded games of 1 best match from each group on aoezone (+ all single elimination games).
Brackets
This week we were using the 2-tier difference draft - higher tier was able to only pick 2 civilizations for himself, while the other 4 were "given" to him by the lower tier. Moreover, the lower tier dictated exact civilizations higher tier had to use in G1 and G2.
Group A: Running (tier 1) vs Kellar (tier 3)
Draft
Set between two players fighting for the win of group A. As both had 2 wins from the previous rounds, they were guaranteed to advance. Both players knew what they're playing for, winner would likely avoid stefan in the QuarterFinals, so a lot was at stake. Their match was expected to prove Running's dominance in group A though, dropping 1 game against both Collins and Jonslow while facing a major civ disadvantages looked way more solid compared to Kellar's 2 very close sets both ending 3:2 in favour of our norwegian. Kellar was supposed to have a draft advantage, which he threw right away when he went for 7 powerful civilizations (instead of 6) and then even gave Lithuanians to his opponent.
In game 1 Kellar simply picked the strongest civ in his draft (Aztec) against potentially the worst one of Running - Tatars. After a common eagle + monks against Lcav opening, Kellar found himself in the better position with 3 relics, slightly better eco and map control. Although Running managed to get a decent army of CAs + LCav, Kellar's pike + imp monks were too much for Running and he had to resign. In game 2 Kellar came up with a surprising choice, choosing Celts against Running's Berbers. Not only he went for a major civ win, but Celts also weren't among the civilizations that either player would have drafted (clip). Running managed to win the game regardless, going for fast champions he caught Kellar completely off guard and took a fast W. Game 3 showed how big of a mistake it was to give Running Lithuanians. Kellar played a solid game with Ethiopians, but he couldn't find a good counter to skirms with leitis follow-up, Running was 1 win away from winning the group. For game 4 both players came up with the best they still had left - Malay vs Byzantines for Running. Kellar went for 1tc monk aggresion, followed by fast imp, Running adapted to the situation going only for 1 extra TC, with a defensive castle and reasonably fast imp himself. Kellar's main mistake was to go for chemistry and bombard canons instead of castle and trebs, Running added a couple of defensive monks himself and converted many bombard canons from distance. As the game looked to be completely under Running's control having better eco and many skirms with heresy, Kellar got a couple of amazing BBC shots, used his imp monks to their full potential and managed to tie the series - 2:2. For game 5 Running prepared Mongols against Slavs in hands of Kellar. Copying his succesfull strategy from G1, after a 3tc boom Kellar went for pike + monk + treb imperial army, hit Running before he got high enough mangudai numbers and took the game 5.
Afterall, Kellar played 3 sets in the Group stage, all finished with his 3:2 victory. Running finished second and will face Stefan in QFs therefore.
Situation in group A:
1) Kellar (tier 3)
2) Running (tier 1)
3) - 4) Jonslow (tier 2)/Collins (tier 4).
Group A proved to be incredibly even, competitive and interesting. 5 sets, 2x 3:1, 3x 3:2 - exactly what I was hoping that the unfair draft will bring. Running was the main favourite of the group, his advancement further was anticipated, but surprisingly it's from the second place. Kellar will accompany Running on his way, we'll see how far his 3:2 wins will get him. Both Jonslow and Collins proved they deserved to be in the tournament and their 2:3 matches against Kellar could go either way. The best set of this group would be Collins vs Kellar in the 2nd week: all 5 games, incredibly close set and a LOT of clownish action.
Situation in group B:
Group B was completed a week ago already, so the situation looks like:
1) Modri (tier 1)
2) Scogo (tier 3)
3) Chrazini (tier 4)
4) Glokken (tier 2)
In the terms of the final results group B didn't bring any upset, Modri and Scogo were expected to move forward. However, Chrazini came up with an amazing performance in the 2nd week against Scogo, using his 1tc imp monk all-ins, forcing game 5 in their set.. Fair to say if Scogo didn't pull a miraculous comeback in G2, Chrazini would win the match. This will also be the highlight of group B and of the whole group stage, simply a must-watch series, in the end Scogo took a 3:2 victory and deserved to advance. Second story of this group would be Modri's clear dominance, with 3x 3:0 he's proving anything than a tournament win connected with the ultimate clown title wouldn't satisfy him.
Group C: DracKen (tier 1) vs The Bloodless (tier 3)
Draft
Same as group A, we only had to play last match to determine the winner of the group and same as group A we had a lot to play for - winner would avoid Modri in the QuarterFinals.
I had to overcome a major civ disadvantage in G1 - Berbers against Slavs. As I managed to grab 4 relics, my winning condition was to survive until The Bloodless runs out of Gold for his SOs. In one of the longest games of the tournament significantly exceeding 1 hour mark I did accomplish that using BBC, Camel Archers and millions of cheap hussars, at that point The Bloodless didn't have an answer to my UU and had to tab out. For game 2 my opponent came up with another juicy game - Ethiopians against Koreans. I decided to go for a forward castle, followed by FI and korean towers. Bloodless was slower with the imp time and got pushed too deep into his base to come back - 2:0. In the 3rd game I was finally able to pick a civilization myself, the matchup was Teutons (for me) against Malay. Once again I took 4:1 relic lead which allowed me to play defensively, wait for SOs, halbs and Elite Teutonics - army which is barely counterable for any civ. Getting some big SO shots (clip), I managed to get a W and take the group win.
Situation in group C:
1) DracKeN (tier 1)
2) The Bloodless (tier 3)
3) D3rp (tier 4)
4) Darknoob (tier 2)
Our group was tough to read since the start. Arguably the group with the most experienced and skilled tier 2 and tier 4 players, I was rather expecting one of them to advance (while hoping I'll make it to the next stage aswell). However, The Bloodless managed to beat both dutch clowns 3:1 and will accompany me into the single elimination. My way there wasn't easy at all, Darknoob played really high level as expected, but got badly outdrafted, vs The Bloodless I felt that in both G1 and G2 I was going to lose. D3rp was really close to pull a comeback from 0:2 to 3:2 in the first round against me - my personal favourite (unbiased ) set of the group.
Group D: Stefan (tier 1) vs Klavskis (tier 3)
Draft
That could be the most anticipated match of whole group stage, two very well known Arena players that played tens of games against each other, both with great knowledge of opponent's style. Before the games Klavs knew 2 things - if he wins 3:0 he's guaranteed to advance, if he's loosing 0:3 he's out. Klavskis had the draft advantage, and could force G1 and G2 matchups where he was supposed to play significantly stronger civ. However, for G1 Klavs went for a surprising choice - Turks for him, Cumans for Stefan - civ matchup where Turks definitely aren't the favorite. Stefan was expecting a push and therefore gave up 2TC boom and instead went for a standard FC with defensive castle and kipchaks. Klavs just opened with LCavs and then went for 2tc fast imp with jannisaries and bombard cannons. As he managed to trap 15 kichapks in his base (clip), he was able to overrun stefan's army and pushed deep into his base. Stefan stayed in castle age and spread his eco all around the map. The moment Klavskis managed to get enough eco for hussar switch and started raiding Stefan all over the map, Stefan used capped rams and kts for the counterattack and killed a lot of Klavskis farm eco in exchange. In the end Stefan's macro proved to be better, he bought himself just enough time to get a big ball of kipchaks once again and with pikemen and LC meatshield, it was an army that Klavs couldn't counter. Maybe the best game of the tournament so far showing the amazing scenario of a long clash castle vs imp play (game went over 1 hour and Stefan stayed in castle age till the end of it). For game 2 Klavs came up with a proper civ win for himself, Aztecs vs Indians. Similar scenario as G1, Klavs only stayed on 2 TCs and while getting map control he was significantly faster to imp, while Stefan went for 3tc boom. If Klavs went for a fwd castle, the game would likely be over, but he rather invested into capped rams and elite eagles. Stefan delayed the push with his own defensive castle and a lot of walls, it was enough for him to make the HC switch happen. Supported by his huge eco, he could even afford full hussar meatshield, with HC in the back Klavskis was out of options and had to resign. Game 3 was the game where Stefan could go for his own picks and he got a very nice matchup - Malay against Incas in the hands of Klavskis. This time Stefan was prepared for the push and went for a defensive castle and karambits right away. Stefan's read was correct - Klavs went for a classic monk rush. Karambits did prove their value though, Stefan cleared the push and with better eco and significantly faster imp time, he took the game and the series in a convincing fashion - 3:0. Stefan secured his 1st position in the group D this way, Klavskis dropped out of the tournament.
Group D: Dragonstar (tier 2) vs Wakko (tier 4)
Draft
The 3:0 result in the other match was the one that both Wakko and Dragonstar hoped for. For Wakko, it was the only result that kept him in the tournament, now he "only" needed to also win 3:0 in his match against Dragonstar. Dragonstar was even in a better spot, he only needed to win 1 game against Wakko. While Wakko's drafts in the previous matches weren't the best, this time he came up with a very good one, he also had a perfect matchup for himself in G1 - Goths against Vietnamese. After a defensive castle and 3tc boom by both players, Wakko went for a big castle age push with husks. Dragonstar defended with cavaliers, but seeing Wakko's pikemen addition he tried to beat fire with fire and made the champion switch. Wakko did push into Dragonstar's base, but he wasn't taking good trades against champions and at the same time Dragonstar went for a counter attack, managed to get into Wakko's farm eco which was the killing blow for the chilean. G2 wasn't as bad matchup, Khmer for Wakko and Bulgarians for Dragonstar. Potentially the fastest against the slowest Arena civ, but on the other hand halb + SO composition is something what Khmer don't have a counter against. Dragonstar tried to go for 1tc aggresion with mangonel + spearmen and forward Kreopost, Wakko reading the situation perfectly went for scorpion + pikemen defence, took great fight and with Daut Kreopost Dragonstar had to tab out - 1:1. Game 3 and a clash of Malay for Dragonstar and Franks for Wakko. Repetition of game 1 - once again, Wakko went for 3tc boom and a lot of LCavs and a push in Castle age against the 3tc boom and imp of Dragonstar, this time Wakko wasn't close to take the game though, the moment he saw defensive castle and imp, he realized there's no chance for him and resigned. Players prepared for us the best show in G4 - Britons for Wakko and Teutons for Dragonstar. Same as many times in the group stage already, Dragonstar went for his signature strategy - fast imp monks. Wakko did hold well with Britons and even made a brilliant siege tower xbow play (clip) which caught Dragonstar completely off guard and crippled his already weak eco. Wakko stayed in castle age and with significantly better eco and higher pop he seemed to be in the full control of the game. However, at one point he wasted so much army on a push, Dragonstar got a military lead and after converting enough of Wakko's own units he was able to make the final push which wakko didn't have an army to stop - 3:1 for Dragonstar.
Situation in group D:
1) Stefan (tier 1)
2) Dragonstar (tier 2)
3) Klavskis (tier 3)
4) Wakko (tier 4)
The only group where players finished in the exact tier order. As expected the main match for Dragonstar and Klavskis happened in the first week - their match against each other. Sadly for Klavskis, he didn't feel well in that one and underperformed, after that both players lost 0:3 to Stefan and both players took a W against Wakko (3:1 for Dragonstar, 3:0 for Klavskis). The second storyline of the group would be Stefan's performance - 3 wins, only dropping 1 game on his way into single elimination. Wakko finished last in the group stage, but he definitely showed his skill, most of the time he was loosing games due to going for full castle age play and running into players defending this style very well. His set vs Stefan from R1 is also the best match we had in group D.
What's upcoming: QuarterFinals! Running this week, first 2 sets will be streamed tommorow on my twitch and Jonslow's, other 2 on Fridays.
QF1: Kellar (tier 3) vs Dragonstar (tier 2), Bo5, draft
The wild QuarterFinal. Both players caused upsets, both are among the positive surprises of the tournament and both players love to use Monks in Imp. Kellar did perform better so far, he won all 3 games with a W/L score 9:6 (Kellar could be in the best shape as he's the only player playing all 15 games in the Group Stage , compared to Dragonstar's 10 or Modri's 9 ). Also, Kellar's monk micro which might decide the match seemed to be better. Dragonstar is the only tier 2 player advancing, convincingly beating Wakko and Klavskis, his overall score is 6:4. Given the performances so far and with a small draft advantage (players will use 1-tier difference draft in favour of Kellar) I'd expect Kellar to win 3:1.
QF2: DracKeN (tier 1) vs Scogo (tier 3), Bo5, draft
The clown QuarterFinal. Only 4 Arena specialists advanced into single elimination and this is the only QF featuring 2 of them playing each other. For me Scogo would still be the best player from tier 3 and potentially the toughest opponent to play except tier 1 players, I know his style and I know when he shows up in a tournament he's always prepared (reminder: in MoA5 being way less experienced player than he is now he was very close to eliminate DauT). He also showed incredible fighting spirit against Chrazini. Scogo's overall score is 6:6, being the only player without a positive W/L ratio going further. I want the clown throne, elimination in the QF would be a huge upset for me (despite facing 2-tier difference draft). My score so far is 9:3 and I'll go with a prediction 3:2 for me.
QF3: Modri (tier 1) vs The Bloodless (tier 3), Bo5, draft
The 'aggainst the odds' QuarterFinal. Modri is another clown going further and another player who would only be satisfied with a tournament win. He didn't struggle in the group stage, with a score 9:0 being the only player in the tournament not losing a single game yet. The Bloodless is a newcomer to the Arena scene, although he didn't play like a newcomer at all. In a group with 3 Arena clowns he started by eliminating two of them in a convincing fashion: twice 3:1. He did struggle against me though, his overall score is 6:5. The Bloodless will have 2-tier difference draft as a support, but it would still be a major upset if he eliminates Modri, although destroying Modri's clean sheet is expected - I'd bet 3:1 for Modri.
QF4: Stefan (tier 1) vs Running (tier 1), Bo5, draft
The peak QuarterFinal. This has to be the most anticipated QF and the big confirmation how high level MotC has - if we had Arena tournament with every single top player, I'd not be surprised to see these 2 players meeting in QF there. Both players are tier 1 (which means that for the first time in MotC neither player will have a civ advantage), both proved they deserved their tier. Stefan's way through the tournament is almost as dominant as Modri's - dropping 1 game against Wakko in R1, he followed with 3:0 wins against Dragonstar and Klavskis, having an overall score 9:1. Running's way was almost as dominant for the first 2 weeks, after 3:1 wins against Collins and Jonslow Running lost 2:3 to Kellar though, which is the reason why he meets stefan already in the QFs. Overall score for him is 8:5 so far. Stefan's boomish defensive style should suit Running though and I can't see either player as a favourite in that set. I'd go with 3:2 for Stefan, because he's an arena clown, but the chances of both players are literally 50:50 in my eyes.
So, that's it for this week, stay hyped and if you're not already, then it's time to get hyped. Big thank to my two amazing admins, players, viewers, cocasters, casters on other channels. Rest of the tournament will be covered on my channel, where you can also donate to the tournament prize pool.
Thanks for reading!