Casual Conversion Continues, MLG Picks, MLG Anaheim: The Insidiousness of Check6, Zilea Part 6

Casual conversion continues & blue updates

A quick blue update tonight:

All level 71-80 Battleground daily quests will now award 25 Arena points in addition to their current rewards.

While some are going to be scratching their head over this, this announcement is actually a very big deal, as it signifies Blizzard's move to prepare the player base for rated battlegrounds in Cataclysm. As Cataclysm's release inches closer, we're going to see a slow but gradual shift into promoting rated battlegrounds and devaluing the importance of arena. It's actually not a bad idea as it will help reel in casuals into Blizzard's MMORPG monopoly (if they haven't been already). It will simply allow newcomers to get some of the arena rewards quicker by doing daily quests. And, for those already hitting high ratings in arena, it will be a supplement to reduce the amount of time it takes to gear up your characters with the top-of-the-line gear.

Still, it is a step in the right direction for the video game giant that is Blizzard Entertainment.

Flash of Light no longer heals for an additional 100% over 12 sec if the target has the Sacred Shield effect

Infusion of Light now causes your Flash of Light to heal the target for an additional 50/100% over 12 sec

This change raises a couple questions. If, if it works as I believe, then the HoT effect will always come up for a holy paladin's flash of lights. If that is the scenario, it is a very bad decision because the last thing we need is for paladins to be dumbed down even more. Really, the class isn't very difficult to play.

In contrast, if the the HoT will only place on a target when the Infusion of Light proc goes up (after critting a holy shock), then the change is also a very dumb one because it will mean that a holy paladin has to choose between flashing for the instant cast + HoT effect or casting a holy light for the increased crit chance.

The real solution here is to make the HoT its own separate ability and increase the strength of it. Obviously, this would be a buff for good paladins and a nerf for bad paladins.

MLG picks

Evil Geniuses (Rogue/Warlock/Shaman)

When this team consisted of Zyz, Azael and Kollektiv I really felt like it was one of the best RLS in the world. You had Zyz, who although some have been critical of him, he knew how to get the job done. Then you had Kollektiv, arguably one of the best shamans in the world, who definitely gave me more trouble than any other shaman has at trying to reach him for a HoJ while avoiding shocks. Finally there was Azael who lead the way as team captain. It was a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, today that team is much different. While team captain Azael still remains, the force of the team is much weaker as the rogue was replaced with a virtual unknown named "Smatin" and shaman hero Kollektiv replaced with "Tenderloinqt".

If EG consisted of their former team, I would predict a very strong finish for MLG Anaheim. But, with two new players who have never been at a LAN tournament nor have had any recognition in the past, favoring them would be like betting half of your life savings on a new boxer against a seasoned champion.

SK.US (Rogue/Mage/Priest)

Having played this team at one tournament and on live numerous times, this is still one of the stronger teams at attendance despite their poor performance at MLG Dallas and Blizzcon. As Dr. Realz said himself numerous times during the 2009 US Regionals and Blizzcon,

This is WoW, anything can happen. A tournament winner today can be a tournament loser tomorrow. One day you can be at the top, the next at the bottom. There are no permanent members at the top of the pyramid.

Most don't know this, but the air out of SK USA's tires were let out with their disappointing 4th place finish at Blizzcon and it wasn't until their 5-0 defeat to Complexity that they had it replaced.

We're definitely coming prepared this time. With me trying to stay in shape, Enforcer sparring with other MMA fighters and Pookz keeping his hair dry, we're going to destroy everyone this time.

This team still has a lot of fight in them as they always put out insane pressure on teams they play against. I'm betting on a very strong finish from the veterans.

Check6 (Paladin/Enhancement Shaman/BM Hunter)

Right out of the gate their first challenge will be against Fnatic, who runs a very strong RLS. It is this matchup where we may see Check6 pull out their secret lineup as their performance against RLS has been reportedly not as good as they would like.

I've had some first hand experience playing against their beastcleave, and it is no joke as the damage is completely out of control. While some people complain about destruction lock burst or even RMP burst, that is not comparable to a team with bloodlust, 45 second wolves and 10 second BM.

I won't deny when I say that I really think it is the most faceroll comp that ever existed in WoW. And to make things worse, it's actually winning tournaments. The TSG lineup of paladin/warrior/DK wasn't exactly a lineup that required a lot of finesse, but when you see a team like paladin/enhancement shaman/hunter doing this to my team:



Then you know something is wrong. Oh, and I guess I have to spoon feed the above video to the mentally challenged: notice how my warlock never gets above 50% hp for more than 1 GCD

If I had to look at individual skill of the team, I would say Check6 is a much lower tier compared to some of the other teams that will be in attendance like SK USA and Fnatic.

Still, and as much as it pains me to say this, this team is the heavy favorite and I do not see much standing in their way unless Fnatic and EG can stick their leg out and trip the 300 pound gorilla that is Check6.

There is some hope, however, as another steamroll victory for Check6 will inevitably result in another round of nerfs for the lineup.

Complexity (Rogue/Mage/Priest)

I'm really a little unsure about this team. They seem to have resurged since MLG Dallas with a third place finish and I know they are a very good team because I've been playing them on live. However, to me they seem to be one of those roller coaster teams that can be hit or miss depending on the type of day it is. One day they might knock the ball out of the park, the next they might whiff hard and strike out.

For that reason, I am not sure where they will end up for MLG Anaheim, so I will withhold judgment until after their first few matches.

Complexity BHMS (Warlock/DK/Druid)

The team consisting of Brogo, Notsnutz and Massive has a lot to prove here as they were technically not the first place team for the MLG Wildcard tournament but became the team of choice after a controversial decision. I'm not holding my breath on this team as I really feel they are inferior to the team of Inflame and Another. But, that being said, it is always possible that they pull something out of their hat and surprise us all.

My bet is still on a very poor finish from the underdogs.

SK.EU (Warlock/DK/Druid)

Fellow world champion Inflame makes yet another tournament appearance, this time with an entirely new team. I have very high hopes for this team as it is really possible that they are the right lineup and the right players to outlast RMP burst and are very capable of dealing with the insane RLS damage. What they need to really watch out for, like everyone else, is the pain train that is Check6. RLS may be their other tough challenge but with Inflame at the helm of this team, I have full confidence that he will make quick work of any immolate from either Yog or Azael.

Let's also remember that they will be playing in season 5 gear, which will definitely be very helpful to have that reduced damage output for a comp like druid/dk/warlock.

With that being said, this team will make a top 3 finish because I always have faith in another world champion.

Button Bashers (Rogue/Mage/Priest)

There was a point where I, much like a majority of the PvP community, felt Button Bashers was the highest caliber RMP in the world. I'll concede though that it probably had something to do with Orangemarmalade's 1v2 at an ESL event earlier this year. However, since that point, I've been generally unimpressed with their performance, despite having originally had extremely high hopes for them. It wasn't until the Blizzcon event that I started to look at them differently. Sure, they replaced their rogue with Hiren, but this is just a team that has not had the type of flare that I expected from a korean RMP that has received as much acclaim as they have.

They may not bomb, but they will be pushed to the wayside by both of the US RMPs.

Fnatic (Rogue/Warlock/Shaman)

The team of Yog, Douja and Woundman is making a second appearance after a disappointing finish at MLG Dallas where they were very close to some prize money.

I will be the first to admit that this team is very good, and Yog is one of the best warlocks I've played with and against. The team compared to the old RLS of EG is pretty comparable, with Yog in my opinion being better than Azael, Woundman being better than Zyz, but Douja being worse than Kollektiv.

In any case, this team had very high expectation in MLG Dallas but could not muster the energy to score a top 3 finish. I'm feeling they are going to be more prepared this time around and will have some strong matches. A top 3 finish is what I predict for these guys.

MLG Anaheim: the insidiousness of Check6

With MLG Anaheim just a few short days away, every team is roaring up, playing hours upon hours to squeeze in that last bit of practice before game time. While 7 of the 8 teams have been planning on relying on their conventional comps, Check6 has made it quite a habit ever since switching to beastcleave (paladin/enhancement shaman/hunter) to try out new things.

They have been strongly considering getting another player for some of the lineups at the event, most likely the rogue/lock/shaman teams cuz theyve been having some trouble against them during practice. I know one of the players they were going to take as a 4th who would be the backup plan in case there were any teams they couldnt handle as beastcleave, but i cant tell you who it was

What will Check6 do? Did they really try to get a different fourth? If they did and failed, do they have another fourth ready to go for MLG Anaheim? We'll find out soon enough.

How they will break down

1st place: Check6
2nd place: SK USA
3rd place: SK EU or Fnatic

Zilea Part 6

Enjoy.