ESL Global Finals Live: Day 1; Hostile from Gravitas Gaming Robbed at Gunpoint

This morning marks the beginning of the ESL Global Finals in which the US and EU will face off, and we will finally see if Serennia can redeem himself for his struggles in previous tournaments. Stay tuned for when the matches begin.



SK-USA (Hunter/DK/Pally) vs SK-EU (RMP)

Thankfully, the global finals starts right off with a great matchup of SK-EU vs SK-US. Time for Serennia to redeem himself and show his true potential along side his new lineup. Chakra, inner ninja blah blah bull****. Shoutout to Matt and Joe for yet again bringing humor and light-heartedness to shoutcasting the tournament.

After a wonderful interview of Serennia and Xom, the first match started. Sk-EU has a slight advantage of playing already in the tournament, potentially removing some of the nervousness that coincide with playing live LAN.

The match starts with SK USA playing defensively and waiting for the perfect opener while trying to break XOM from stealth with volley etc. Another is opened upon and is forced to icevlock early. SK-EU focuses slightly on EU, but does quick swap to SCK forcing a bubble. However, SK-USA forces a second iceblock on Another, and while SK-EU drops Realz very low, SK-USA takes down Another and takes the first match. USA has a big advantage with Hunter on RoL and it undoubtedly helped them on the first match.

SK-USA:1, SK-EU: 0

*****

Breaking News - Hostile of Gravitas Gaming (Counter Strike) has been robbed at gunpoint!!!

Jason Lake makes bold statement: I'm not going to sit still on my "politically correct" post. I'm outraged by the way players were housed and transported in Hannover and will have much more to say about it later. All the details aren't in as of yet, but as of this moment I hold the event organizers responsible. Housing professional gamers in the homes of local residents (some in questionable neighborhoods) is not professional and is not acceptable. The community is owed some answers, and owed them soon. Take care of our gamers. NO excuses.

Hostile tells the story: "If you'd like to know what happened, four guys approached me and thomz when we got dropped off at our residence (that isn't even on any German Road Map). They were pretty drunk and were just messing around with us and talking, having a good time then they went on their way. Before going back home I wanted to grab something to drink at the pub 50 meters away. When I left I noticed they'd reappeared and didnt think anything of it and when I went to walk by them one of them hit me , then another hit me 4 more times and pulled his gun out and put me at gunpoint saying if I dont give them all my stuff I'm dead. They took my cash, my phone and a camera and let me have everything else back.... i only had to get 5 stiches and its not entirely bad.... why there is a gotfrag post nobody knows.."

In terms of housing, I've heard a couple of rumors floating around as to how it has to be organized. The expo, CeBit, is the world's largest computer expo with hundreds of thousands of people turning up every year. Apparently because of the sheer size, hotels are always fully booked and it makes it difficult for organizers to find the best possible accommodation for players and staff. They apparently have to resort to renting rooms in family housing and have apparently had success with this in the past.Obviously though, be it that it's public housing, it's not going to be as secure and reliable as hotels etc.

More information can be found here: http://wowriot.gameriot.com/blogs/Late-Night-with-Slasher-and-Friends/Hostile-from-Gravitas-Gaming-robbed-at-gunpoint-at-the-ESL-EM-S3-Finals

*****

Round 2: Serennia opens on Xom, who is put in a really difficult position in the beginning as he really struggles to get onto Realz (his main target) in the beginning.  Xom ends up swapping to Serennia, in which case both Serennia and Xom are targetted by their respective opponents. Both players drop low, but Serennia is dropped first. However, Xom is dropped immediately after, so it comes down to a 2v2 of Mage/Priest vs. Paladin/Hunter. SK-EU focuses on Realz, but realz is able to play well enough to really deter their focus fire with frost trap/deterrence. Amazingly enough, Hunter/Pally ends up losing to Mage/Priest.

SK-USA: 1, SK-EU: 1

Round 3: SK-Eu Split dps with Xom focusing on Realz, and Another on Sck. Sck basically got soloed by Another with a brilliantly timed mass dispel. Once the dispel landed, EU focused on SCK and took him down to take the third match.

SK-EU: 2, SK-USA:1

Round: 4, WOW. This match was over in 15 seconds. Sck was absolutely raped and wasn't able to heal realz once. Realz was taken down by RMP before the match practically started. Serennia and co taken down 3-1 in the first round. What a way to start the tournament. Apparently SK-EU thinks they would have actually taken round 1, but they had severe vent lag that allowed Realz to get away with a FD, preventing SK-EU from communicating as to whether or not realz was faking the FD or was actually killed.

ORLY's thoughts when asked if American teams are overrated?: "They're going to get smashed". I guess you cant blame him when the "star" team of America is completely dominated in the first round.

SK-EU: 3, SK-USA: 1

From watching the live steam, it still seems like Serennia is the team leader of SK-USA. It's completely understandable, but there's been a lot of debate as to whether or not this is the best for the team. A lot of people are hoping Sck and Realz could "keep Serennia in check" but it seems as if this is not the case. Good thing or bad thing?

Updates on matches that took place during the 20 minutes of Intel Advertising:

X6stence 3 - 2 over Complexity
Nihilum Plasma 3 - 0 over Mouseport Cake
Innerfire 3 - 0 over Team EG

SK-USA (Paladin/Hunter/DK ) vs Complexity (RMP)

In the first USA vs USA match, the pace is much quicker than normal. Pressure is immediately put on Realz on behalf of complexity, and minti is focused by SK-USA. Realz and Minti are both brought quite low, but Sck is able to keep Realz alive where as minti was taken down. The match was close as both minti and realz were on the verge of death. However, it seemed as if Minti blew a vanish during a flare, which undoubtedly really cost him.

SK-USA: 1, Complexity: 0

Round 2: Complexity opens on Realz with a tunnel vision tactic, and again, SK-USA goes on Minti. After SCK was forced to bubble, the swap to minti was effective, and they took the second match as well.

SK-USA: 2 Complexity: 0

Round 3 : Immediately Complexity jumps Sck and tries an early rush. The different tactic works very well, as even when Serennia tried to peel minti, it seemed like sck didn't even bubble and was taken down anyway. perhaps an error on his behalf? Regardless, opening on Sck and nuking him hard worked.

SK-USA: 2, Complexity: 1

Round 4:  Minti unfortunately walked right into a flare, and obviously was targeted right away. Even through a Pain Suppression, he took a ton of damage and cost his team early CD's. Complexity tries to counter by focusing Realz, but it isn't very effective as sck is able to keep him up through everything. Minti is taken down due to his team running OOM extremely fast. I have to question minti's positioning in this match - he really seems to overextend and put himself in a vulnerable position constantly. Regardless, SK-USA is able to avoid a second straight match loss.

SK-USA: 3, Complexity: 1

At this point, there's a clear difference between EU Rmps and US. This match seemed like SK-USA vs. a terrible RMP in comparison to their first matchup. Ugh, I'm almost hoping SK-USA does decently in the rest of the tournament just so USA can redeem themselves.

Complexity (RMD) vs HON (RMP)

Round 1: Complexity comes out with RMP, but the rogue of HON lands a sap on Complexity. They end up focusing venruki early, but minti is able to peel. Both Rogues end up restealthing, and minti lands the sap and gets the opener this time around. A Rogue on Rogue duel ensues for quite some time, and while HON has an opportunity when they fear sodah who previously trinketd a blind, their pressure was non-existent during the time. Easily the longest match of the tournament, eventually during another fear, HON was able to take down minti for the first win.

HON: 1, Complexity: 0

Round 2: HON's rogue again opens up on Minti. And while teams go back and forth in another rogue match of who can pressure the opposing teams Rogue, complexity seems to control the first half of the match. HON is able to recover, but Orange Marmalade, the Mage of Hon is forced to use iceblock. However, they pull a quick swap onto Sodah, and take the second match in a quick kill.

HON: 2, Complexity: 0

Round 3: DK is destealthed by venruki, but even then HON gets the opener on minti for what feels like the 20th time.  DK is forced to use a second vanish when ruki catches him in a lot of pressure from deep freeze. Again, a rogue duel ensues due to all cooldowns being used. Minti gets ahead and complexity puts enough pressure on the rogue of HON to cause a PS. DK, the Rogue of HON as well as minti both manage to drop combat and restealth, and HON opens on Sodah, and is able to drop him for the second match in a row. HON takes the overall match 3-0

HON: 3, Complexity: 0

SK-Korea AKA CoM (RMP) VS Team EG (Lock/Shaman/Rogue)

I believe Azael is the only Warlock in the tournament, and he appears to be playing destruction to boot. SK-Korean is going to put out as much pressure as they can early, and as azael said in the interview, they need to survive as long as possible. Zyz apparently was sapped, and trinketed immediately so they could put out early pressure, but their early strategy wasn't too effective. Having a Shaman is giving Zyz more mobility, but when Kollektiv eats a sheep that he couldnt trinket, Azael was not able to handle the incoming damage. SK-Korea takes a pretty decent round 1.

SK-Korea: 1, EG: 0

Round 2: SK-Korea is extremely aggressive early as to be expected, focusing immediately on Azael and then zyz. EG is able to put decent pressure on the mage of SK-Korea, and swap to their rogue and force a pain suppression. A small rogue duel ensues while zyz is trying to get onto the priest of korea. Zyz swaps to Jaywalker the rogue of Sk-Korea, and with assistance from the rest of his team, they down the rogue and pull off their first win.

SK-Korea: 1, EG: 1

Round 3: Again, the rogue of SK-Korea is aggressive, but zyz was destealthed from a holy nova so Jaywalker couldn't get the sap. ZyZ focuses on Jaywalker in what is obviously both control and damage, Azael is doing well maintaining distance and balancing offensive and defensive play. Kollektiv accidently falls, so his team has to drop down off the bridge in BE, and Korea responds by focusing Azael again. The Mage of Korea is forced to Block, and it seems like he dropped it a little bit early and EG was able to kill him right after he broke immunity.

It's interesting that SK-Korea hasn't really focus on Azael all that much even though he's very vulnerable as destro. Here we have Korean RMP players who are quite set on playing a nerfed arcane, when it's debatable that going frost and focusing azael could prove to be more effective.

EG: 2, SK-Korea: 1

Round 4: Zyz barely escapes a Blizzard, and lands a sap on the mage of Sk-Korea. Zyz opens on the priest of SK, while Jaywalker focuses kollektiv. Kollektiv eats a blind, and unfortunately trinkets RIGHT as he is sheeped, and eats a CC too long to heal his team through. Korea takes the match slightly out of luck.

EG: 2, SK-Korea: 2

Round 5: Zyz goes for a sap again and lands it but it proves to be pretty insignificant as this match is practically over before it starts. SK-Korea is able to take down Kollektiv with a coordinated swap and takes the match easily.

SK-Korea: 3, EG: 2