The final week brought some surprises...
Unflattering surprises to be quite honest and it really is a shame that something like this happened, especially since I am rather close to the issue myself. But the results are in nonetheless.
[READMORELINKDOTS]
Final Match - PiA v RoR
Prediction from last week (3-2).
Game 1
Map - Regicide Fortress
Civ Chosen - Maya China Spain v Maya China Spain
Flank 1 - PiA Maya v RoR China
Pocket - Spain v Spain
Flank 2 - PiA China v RoR Maya
Comments: One of the oddest maps I have ever seen on regicide fortress. The water placement is incredibly awkward for the pocket RoR and everyone seems to have a rather raidable map. Pocket PiA goes conqs while pocket RoR goes for boom. Both flanks make chuks and plumeds to start. RoR flank 2 is first to imperial and goes eplumes. Pockets go pala. On flank 2 RoR gets doubled and PiA stops a castle from going up just at the right time. Cavalier and chuks guarding the 80+% done castle is always annoying. Flank 2 RoR gets broken into with chuks/light cav/paladins and has a very hard time getting rid of them as maya. Once the seige rams start coming in the game looks to be over for flank 2 RoR. But, pocket RoR comes with paladins while pocket PiA is away and PiA flank 2 is eventually pushed out of the RoR base. The scores stay fairly even for a bit even though it looks like RoR is having to stay on the defensive and keeps getting pushed back little by little. Eventually RoR cannot keep PiA from taking the trade line so they say gg. PiA wins
Civ Chosen - Maya China Spain v Maya China Spain
Flank 1 - PiA Maya v RoR China
Pocket - Spain v Spain
Flank 2 - PiA China v RoR Maya
Comments: One of the oddest maps I have ever seen on regicide fortress. The water placement is incredibly awkward for the pocket RoR and everyone seems to have a rather raidable map. Pocket PiA goes conqs while pocket RoR goes for boom. Both flanks make chuks and plumeds to start. RoR flank 2 is first to imperial and goes eplumes. Pockets go pala. On flank 2 RoR gets doubled and PiA stops a castle from going up just at the right time. Cavalier and chuks guarding the 80+% done castle is always annoying. Flank 2 RoR gets broken into with chuks/light cav/paladins and has a very hard time getting rid of them as maya. Once the seige rams start coming in the game looks to be over for flank 2 RoR. But, pocket RoR comes with paladins while pocket PiA is away and PiA flank 2 is eventually pushed out of the RoR base. The scores stay fairly even for a bit even though it looks like RoR is having to stay on the defensive and keeps getting pushed back little by little. Eventually RoR cannot keep PiA from taking the trade line so they say gg. PiA wins
Game 2
Map - Arena
Civ Chosen - Maya Spanish Aztec v Maya Spanish Mongol
Flank 1 - PiA Spain v RoR Mongol
Pocket - Maya v Maya
Flank 2 - PiA Aztec v RoR Spanish
Comments: Flank 1 PiA goes conqs and breaks into Flank 1 RoR with petards and raids. Flank 2 RoR goes hand cannon and gets doubled losing lots of gold early and a castle. Flank 1 PiA goes cavaliers and looks to be winning his side. Things just kinda fall apart for RoR. PiA wins.
Civ Chosen - Maya Spanish Aztec v Maya Spanish Mongol
Flank 1 - PiA Spain v RoR Mongol
Pocket - Maya v Maya
Flank 2 - PiA Aztec v RoR Spanish
Comments: Flank 1 PiA goes conqs and breaks into Flank 1 RoR with petards and raids. Flank 2 RoR goes hand cannon and gets doubled losing lots of gold early and a castle. Flank 1 PiA goes cavaliers and looks to be winning his side. Things just kinda fall apart for RoR. PiA wins.
Game 3
Map - Baltic
Civ Chosen - Hun Mong Vik v Hun Mong Vik
Flank 1 - PiA Hun v RoR Mongol
Pocket - PiA Mongol v RoRViking
Flank 2 - PiA Viking v RoR Hun
Comments: This is actually quite a good baltic game. The variation on this map is fairly limited really. Certain things are bound to happen in baltic games, but this one has a very nice sea battle that is quite even for most of the game. Good teamwork keeps this game neck and neck. Tripling and doubling certain players and orchestrating the water attacks is very fun to watch and great to see in a high class finals game such as this one. The bigggg triple team water battle was dead even and micro by RoR wins it but does not give them a victory yet by far. Really great to watch that big sea fight with 3 players on each team trying to outmicro and regroup against the enemy. Slightly after the big battle on water, PiA gets trapped and loses sea completely and is forced to give up water and try to boom on land to win. After the sea is won people begin imping on both teams. Both flanks for RoR become aggressive . Flank 2 RoR goes HCA and seige rams to try and win the side while Flank 1 RoR goes mangudai and rams to pressure his side. It appears that RoR pocket slings. Flank 1 RoR pours mangudai into PiA's base and kills many many vils and all of PiA flank 1's army. At this point it appears to be over. RoR pocket goes imp and masses galleons as does Flank 1 PiA. RoR pocket re-wins sea with FU vik galleons. With all sides being destroyed and no way to defend PiA resigns. RoR wins.
Civ Chosen - Hun Mong Vik v Hun Mong Vik
Flank 1 - PiA Hun v RoR Mongol
Pocket - PiA Mongol v RoRViking
Flank 2 - PiA Viking v RoR Hun
Comments: This is actually quite a good baltic game. The variation on this map is fairly limited really. Certain things are bound to happen in baltic games, but this one has a very nice sea battle that is quite even for most of the game. Good teamwork keeps this game neck and neck. Tripling and doubling certain players and orchestrating the water attacks is very fun to watch and great to see in a high class finals game such as this one. The bigggg triple team water battle was dead even and micro by RoR wins it but does not give them a victory yet by far. Really great to watch that big sea fight with 3 players on each team trying to outmicro and regroup against the enemy. Slightly after the big battle on water, PiA gets trapped and loses sea completely and is forced to give up water and try to boom on land to win. After the sea is won people begin imping on both teams. Both flanks for RoR become aggressive . Flank 2 RoR goes HCA and seige rams to try and win the side while Flank 1 RoR goes mangudai and rams to pressure his side. It appears that RoR pocket slings. Flank 1 RoR pours mangudai into PiA's base and kills many many vils and all of PiA flank 1's army. At this point it appears to be over. RoR pocket goes imp and masses galleons as does Flank 1 PiA. RoR pocket re-wins sea with FU vik galleons. With all sides being destroyed and no way to defend PiA resigns. RoR wins.
Game 4
Map - Crater Lake
Civ Chosen - Hun Mongol Viking v Hun Mongol Viking
Flank 1 - Hun v Mongol
Pocket - Mongol v Hun
Flank 2 - Viking v Viking
Comments: Flank 2 PiA steals a boar making life very difficult for the RoR. He has a late up and is forced to adjust strategy a lot which is rather hard with vikings. PiA triples flank 1 trying to end it early. Flank 1 PiA sneaks vils into Flank 1 RoR and builds ranges. Disconnects at 22min... Worst final game everrrrrr >_<
Civ Chosen - Hun Mongol Viking v Hun Mongol Viking
Flank 1 - Hun v Mongol
Pocket - Mongol v Hun
Flank 2 - Viking v Viking
Comments: Flank 2 PiA steals a boar making life very difficult for the RoR. He has a late up and is forced to adjust strategy a lot which is rather hard with vikings. PiA triples flank 1 trying to end it early. Flank 1 PiA sneaks vils into Flank 1 RoR and builds ranges. Disconnects at 22min... Worst final game everrrrrr >_<
Game 5
No Game 5
Finals Results
PiA wins 3-1 and wins 1st place, RoR does not receive 2nd because of being found smurfing in at least 2 games. Punishment was given and proper measures were taken to suspend those responsible...this was really a shame.
Prediction from last week (2-0).
Game 1
Map - Arabia
Civ Chosen - Hun Mongol Persia v Hun Mongol Persia
Flank 1 - _XJL_ Hun v Slip Mongol
Pocket - _XJL_ Mongol v Slip Persian
Flank 2 - _XJL_ Persian v Slip Hun
Comments: Flank 2 _XJL_ goes drush and ups quickly while pocket for Slip goes camels and pocket for _XJL_ goes knights. Flank 1 Slip gets doubled but not too much damage done early. Both pockets seem more interested in a better boom than in flooding knights. I think both teams knew that this one was going to be a real fight and so trying to win it early maybe a bad idea. Both sides definitely looked to be preparing for a longer game even from the beginning. Flank 1 Slip did get his main gold walled in which could cause problems later. After Flank 2 _XJL_ castles he makes a few knights but looks mostly at booming. Pocket _XJL_ mainly is booming now leaving Flank 1 _XJL_ to play 2v1 and defend which is hard with a map with quite bad wood and not easy walling. A few well fought battles helps Slip pull ahead in score and Flank 2 Slip seems to be fighting everywhere at once. Feage is really quite an amazing player @@. Once pocket Slip goes imp and cavalier/heavy camel _XJL_ resigns. SlipKn0T wins.
Civ Chosen - Hun Mongol Persia v Hun Mongol Persia
Flank 1 - _XJL_ Hun v Slip Mongol
Pocket - _XJL_ Mongol v Slip Persian
Flank 2 - _XJL_ Persian v Slip Hun
Comments: Flank 2 _XJL_ goes drush and ups quickly while pocket for Slip goes camels and pocket for _XJL_ goes knights. Flank 1 Slip gets doubled but not too much damage done early. Both pockets seem more interested in a better boom than in flooding knights. I think both teams knew that this one was going to be a real fight and so trying to win it early maybe a bad idea. Both sides definitely looked to be preparing for a longer game even from the beginning. Flank 1 Slip did get his main gold walled in which could cause problems later. After Flank 2 _XJL_ castles he makes a few knights but looks mostly at booming. Pocket _XJL_ mainly is booming now leaving Flank 1 _XJL_ to play 2v1 and defend which is hard with a map with quite bad wood and not easy walling. A few well fought battles helps Slip pull ahead in score and Flank 2 Slip seems to be fighting everywhere at once. Feage is really quite an amazing player @@. Once pocket Slip goes imp and cavalier/heavy camel _XJL_ resigns. SlipKn0T wins.
Game 2
Map - Baltic
Civ Chosen - Unknown
Flank 1 - Unknown
Pocket - Unknown
Flank 2 - Unknown
Comments: _XJL_ forgot to record this game, so I can say nothing on it
Civ Chosen - Unknown
Flank 1 - Unknown
Pocket - Unknown
Flank 2 - Unknown
Comments: _XJL_ forgot to record this game, so I can say nothing on it
Game 3
No Game 3
Match 2 Results
SlipKn0T wins 2-0
Summary:
RoR is caught smurfing in the finals and loses to a still better PiA team. PiA deserved first place this season and is the rightful champion.
SlipKn0T wins impressively over a stunningly good _XJL_ team that I thought had a legitimate shot of winning the entire thing at one point. Well done Slippys and keep training for next season!
***Outro***
I am disheartened by my new team's actions to choose to smurf in a league that has been purely for fun and enjoyment, especially in the final round. Though punishments were issued to the right people I am still disappointed by these actions.
I do want to thank all the teams who participated this year and sincerely congratulate all the teams that "medalled" in this season's playoffs. Keep up the amazing work and amazing games and I will keep keeping people updated about everything that happens.
Thank you all again and if you see any of these teams on Voobly, be sure to congratulate them.
<3
~Nainai