Leaderboard

Ahh, HBZB and p00t1s; two evenly matched teams from different continents struggling not to be knocked out. It was an intensive match between the perceived underdogs of the playoff season, and lead to two of the closest maps in the season, though both were on completely different ends of the spectrum when it came to pure action. Maps played were cp_sunshine (in Hatena, Japan) and cp_snakewater (in AFL, Singapore), now classics in the TF2 map pool. Pregame I only have insight to pregame for p00t1s because most of them are on my friendslist. Scrambling for players at the last second before having the main turn up anyway, not having scrimmed since after getting knocked into the lower brackets, an overall aura of defeatism and unconfidence; not exactly the most victory-inspiring aura going into the match. HBZB were into the server long before p00t1s, but they (probably) were far from confident, having lost close matches to p00t1s previously. In addition, they'd been rolled by the revitalized Xiao roster (shoutout to teejay), and most of their stakes were on this match to not get slammed from the competition entirely. Rosters HBZB Scout: ozr Scout: LK Soldier: Hwain Soldier: daylight Demo: starky Medic: kalpushy14 P00t1s Scout: fwishy Scout: oro Soldier: hirasagi Soldier: chongy Demo: shinka Medic: iMauriceiNoob Sunshine One of the most fast paced games I'd ever had the opportunity to watch; it was just each team picking up rounds after their opponents had come out strong. HBZB and p00t1s basically traded round after round before P00t1s managed to clinch the final point in the last 40 seconds, pulling a good mid out of their hat. HBZB and p00t1s shared this in common; they apparently hated offclassing; the only offclasses we saw all map were at last, with HBZB running engineer or fwishy running heavy. The core of the game was: P00t1s' mids were complete shit, but all of HBZB's ubers were pretty much the same thing. On middles, shinka kept taking massive damage before the fights even started fullswing, and starky just seemed to be getting the better of him all the time. Without that demo presence to control scouts, Hwain and daylight's coordinated soldier bombs are just that much more effective. However, HBZB's ubers are just cringey; if they don't force out an uber from the enemy first, they're basically always pushing poor positions with a singular soldier. I don't know what it is, but HBZB seems to have a lot of faith in the Hwain bomb, sending him in with uber first to open things up. It always ended up poorly though; there were hardly any uber trades that ended in HBZB's favour. Then you have fwishy and oro, who seemed to be outclassing ozr in the DM fights. While hira and chongy play more controlled and 'slow' styles, fwishy and oro are roaming scouts at heart, and their push-pull mechanic was beautifully in-sync at critical moments in the game, clinching out rounds for their team and securing points with supreme prejudice. Both teams seemed to collapse when it came to post fights though, perhaps lacking decisive maincallers to pull teams out of bad situations. The reason the game was so fast paced on this map was because players kept taking risks and getting caught out, initiating a domino effect where because someone was caught out, another person gets trapped trying to save him and dies, forcing the rest of their team backwards before someone else screws up again - so on and so forth. Furthermore, neither wanted to play more reservedly once the ball was rolling, and HBZB started taking fights and trades they really shouldn't have; like, neither team wanted to grind out an uber ad at all. I still don't think p00t1s really deserved to win sunshine, but shinka landed some MASSIVE damage at that final mid and fwishy just ran in and cleaned up. HBZB, caught off guard, couldn't get out fast enough and were just rolled all the way to last. Snakewater Seriously, screw this map. If boring had a name, it would be HBZB vs p00t1s on snakebloodywater. Both teams played the most passive games of their lives, and I ended up having to cast this shit. This is an example of tiebreaker tension taken to the extreme, where both teams settled in comfortable positions and started jerking off because neither wanted to make the first move, for fear of making the first mistake. Seven minutes of nothing before a singular uber trade that ends up putting both teams in the same position anyway, and then three minutes of CCTV footage as fwishy tries to find someone to backstab from the HBZB players, who are all playing atop the shack. Seriously though, why would you not push when you have mid and you lost the previous map? What I learned was that HBZB either play too passively or too aggressively, and can't seem to find the inbetween. Every time they picked out small advantages to push they didn't, and whenever it was a critical moment where the fight could turn against them, it did. I don't know if it's the DM of their players or poor coordination, but HBZB were just terrible at teamfights in general, and p00t1s had hira who could play the uber game much better than the HBZB. Honestly, p00t1s should have won Snakewater so much more convincingly; HBZB had bad ubers, bad pushes and bad teamfights, but apparently their opponents couldn't seem to make the better of those situations. I would argue that HBZB started playing more passively to make up for those mistakes, identifying that the less opportunity they had to do something dumb, the less it would happen. In turn, p00t1s did the same. And that's how the map ended up being forty minutes long (with the golden cap included), with the first round being picked up at 8 minutes left. [ResidentSleeper] In the end, I'll just pin p00t1s' victory to fwishy and hira. Fwishy made all the plays necessary to break stalemates for his team, and hira won almost every single uber trade he took, plying out bad positions and flashing from kalpushy14. Mad props to Chongy for some direct hit streaks though. Conclusion Nothing much to say except: how does a game go from being so back & forth, brimming with action and packed with excitement, to one of the best sleep-inducing matches I've ever watched? Well, take two teams who are extremely momentum based - one that is unconfident in itself and the other with full confidence in its defensive playstyle; have the latter one lose by a hair, and apparently, you'll make vetia want to die watching a spy creep around for three bloody minutes.

Have you ever felt a sense of impending doom when waking up in the morning? The feeling of waking up in the morning to realise that you haven’t woken up from a nightmare, instead finding yourself waking up to a nightmare? Sort of like waking up in the morning to realise that the millions of dollars you inexplicably won in the lottery despite not buying a ticket was in fact just a part of a cruel, sweet dream? Well that was the way i had felt when i woke up this morning, for it was the morning that i would finally try and confess my feelings to my childhood friend. It’s been 8 years since i met her, and 3 years since i’ve realised that i fell for her. Those 3 years i’ve always searched for an opportunity, anything i could do to finally tell her how i felt, yet nothing has come from it since i was such a coward. I’m more or less a natural born coward, a person who always shied away from any challenges or any threats, and did nothing that had so much as a slight chance of a risk. There were so many times and chances given to me to tell her how i felt, or a hint of some kind, like last Thursday in the cinema, or during lunch break when we were left alone by our classmates on Tuesday, or even when we were walking home together yesterday, i’ve been given far too many chances that i’ve never took advantage of. It’s not like i was good at hiding my feelings either; If i was then maybe everyone in class wouldn’t already know about how i felt, at this point i’m sure that the only person that’s blissfully unaware of my love is Vonix herself. She was always laughing at my silly antics, my clumsy nature when i stumble over nothing while carrying my tray from the cafeteria, my forgetfulness in bringing my lunch in the first place, even during my embarrassed stuttering when talking to her at times even after 8 years. In fact, i can’t think of many moments where i’ve seen her not smiling, maybe except that one time of course. When we were 14, which was about 4 years ago, i was always getting bullied in class for my short stature, as everyone around me towered high above, sometimes even 30 centimetres or so. Everyone loved to make fun of me because they knew i couldn’t fight back, and i didn’t put up a fight. This went on throughout the school year, until it got out of hand one day when the notorious class bully tried to hit me for accidentally knocking into him while i was dashing for the toilet. “Have you no eyes? Could you not see me here, or are your eyes just as small as you are?” I didn’t have time to argue with him as i really needed the toilet, so i gave him a half hearted apology and tried again for the door, but he didn’t let me pass. As he raised his fist in a fit of anger, i braced myself for the impact that would probably have landed me in the hospital should it connected. As i stood waiting for the imminent right swing, i heard someone rushing to my defence. “He’s already apologised, it’s not like he did it intentionally either, so just let him go already!” It was Vonix, as she placed herself between me and the bully. There was a different air to her this time, not the usual calm and playful aura i was used to. I couldn’t put my finger on the difference, until she managed to chase the bully away and turned to face me. She was not smiling. ‘Today’s the day!” Trying to psych myself up to do something, i realise that today’s the perfect time to confess my feelings to her, it was the 14th of February afterall. Motivated, i put on my shoes and stepped outside. That was when i realised, the moment the warm rays of sunlight touched my skin; What do i even get her? I’ve tried so hard to convince myself to finally muster up the courage to do something, that i forgot to plan what that something was. I strolled aimlessly along the asphalt pavement, trying to think of a suitable plan to confess. I must have passed several blocks by the time i realised where i was headed, as i was slowly but surely making my way to the shopping district. “Wow,” i wondered, “Even my legs and my subconscious mind knows more about confessing and what to do than me, maybe i should just perpetually stay in that trance…” The echoes of people trying to market their products and middle aged women trying equally as hard to bargain with them filled my ears as i entered the district. There were many items on sale, ranging from an assortment of coloured towels and pretty keychains. There was everything in here, from people selling cotton candy and popcorn to stores selling wooden furniture. There were also many stores selling Valentine’s day themed items, such as boxes of pretty chocolate and pendants that you could engrave your significant other’s name on. I was jolted out of my daydream, as i realised that i was just staring at the plethora of items on sale, and that i had long forgotten my purpose, getting a gift for Vonix. It was hard to think with all the noise, but i had to come up with something, anything that i could give so that it’ll be easier for me to confess. As i reached out for the box of chocolates that was on Valentine’s sale, i was pushed along by the sea of people. “Hey!” i tried to squeak, but it was no use, i was too far away from the shore. Further and further i drifted away from the pretty pink shop that sold Valentine’s day items, and i stopped struggling to fight the current as i decided to let the massive crowd of last minute shoppers take me wherever they wished. As i found myself washed up on a quiet deserted island where nobody inhibited, i stumbled upon a lonely floral shop. This is the one. A wave of cowardice hit me again, as i found myself nervous to enter the store. Pacing back and forth, worrying thoughts filled my mind. ‘What if she doesn’t like it, what if she has a flower allergy… what if…” I was all too confused with what to do as a fresh wave of anxiety hit me. The sun was already high up in the air, and i hadn’t a moment to waste if i wanted to confess to her by today. With new-found conviction, i entered the beautifully decorated store. Flowers were everywhere, gorgeously arranged and placed neatly in clear glass vases. The entire rainbow was represented in the store, and the bewitching scent of flora pleasantly wafted into my nostrils. It was then that i realised; What flowers do i even purchase? I haven’t an inkling of knowledge regarding flowers, as well as what Vonix might even like when it came to them. That was when i heard the voice of a woman in her twenties call out to me. “Hello, how may i help you?” As i turned to face the woman, i realised that it must be the florist that owned the store. The florist smiled warmly at me, as she picked up a rose from one of the vases around. “Sorry for standing around without saying anything, i was just dumbfounded by your selection of flowers here...” I found myself muttering, as i hung my head in guilt. How long have i been standing there without saying anything? She approached me with the rose still in her hand, probably assuming that i was trying to buy a rose for my beloved. ‘If you’re looking for flowers for your Valentine, i have a wide array of them, however i do think this rose would probably be the most foolproof item you could get.” I shook my head in disagreement, as i stared at the variety of flowers behind her. I was spoilt for choices as there were as many flowers in this tiny store as the stars in the night sky, but i knew that the rose would be the wrong choice. “I’m looking for a flower, but i’m afraid the rose may not be the one. I’m afraid the thorns might cut her so i’d prefer something else…” This came out no more than a mumble, as i was afraid she might try to educate me on why the rose was the best choice for this special day, and i haven’t the time to discuss it with her. She tensed up, almost dropping the rose, as if i had said something horrible. Gesturing me to follow her, she paced away from me until she was standing in front of the back door of the store. “In the many years i’ve worked here, that’s the first time i’ve heard that. Come here, i’ll show you a secret!” What awaited me was a well kept garden, possibly filled with an even larger variety of flowers than the shop. As i was careful not to trample on any of the pretty things, she sat down beneath a small tree, as if she’s done so many times before. “Well, of course the garden isn’t a secret, everyone around here knows i’ve got one here. The secret i was talking about is this flower right here, the Salvia.” It was an azure blue flower, as big as her palm. The flower stood out amongst the rest, as if the garden was constructed to compliment the sole cluster of Salvia flowers. “The Salvia symbolises modesty, sensuality, and most importantly, love. It was a gift from my boyfriend, whom is now overseas, working hard to master his passion.” Those words seemed distant, as if she was longing for his return. She was careful not to look at me while uttering them either, as she looked to the sky, as if searching for him, somewhere. “He wanted to pursue his career in medicine, and decided that the best way was to further his education somewhere far, so he went to Germany. He gave me those flowers as a parting gift, saying he would return eventually. There is also a phrase that’s linked to the Salvia, being the phrase “I’m thinking of you”.” While she kept up her smile, it was clear that she was heartbroken. She clutched her flower tightly to her chest, now staring right at me, her clear hazel eyes shining with resolve. “When i heard what you told me earlier, i saw the determination and love you had. Even though you were unsure about yourself, you knew not to harm the one closest to you. With this flower, i want you to cherish her, as i’m sure she’s important and very dear to you.” She stood up, handing me a pink and white flower from beneath her apron. On the plastic wrapper that bunched up the enchanting stalks of Marjoram’s, there was a label that read, “Joy and happiness”. It was clear what i had to do then. I paid for the flowers, and left hastily for her house. There was a sense of lingering loneliness that i felt from the florist, and i was determined to help her out when i was able to, but i didn’t want to lose the determination and the guiding light i had received from the florist. Why had i been so convoluted with thought before? The answer i needed was never in the gift, the answer was what i was able to give. I will make her happy, i will be the reason she smiles in the morning. The present wasn’t important, it was what i gave to her afterwards that mattered. I ran, as fast as my legs could possibly take me, towards her house. It was a long distance from the shop, but that didn’t matter to me as the adrenaline in my body spurred me forward. She’s always been there for me, always smiling and helping me out whenever she can, never with a complaint. This time, i want to be the one to be there for her, always supporting her, always caring for her, always loving for her. I will provide her with the present, but i will also be there for her in the future. “Is Vonix here?” As she opened the door, i was speechless again. Her long jet black hair cascaded behind her back, with her dark eyes widening at the state i was in. Perspiration dripped from my brow, and my shirt was soaked through. There was a sudden ache from my legs, but at least the flowers were safe. “Are you okay? Have you always went for an evening jog? No fair, you should invite me along next time!” She teased as she gestured for me to enter her home to rest. Evening jog? I was sure the sun was still up a moment ago, just how long have i ran for? Looking at her concerned face as i didn’t react to her kindness, i realised i had so much to say, so much i needed her to know. Unable to bear the weight of my own crushing heart, i blurted out my feelings in their entirety. “I’m so sorry for always causing trouble for you, Vonix! All those times i’ve made you worry, all those times i’ve made you sad, all the times you’ve had to help me out, like that time with the bully… I don’t know what i’d do without you, Vonix, i just want you to stay by my side… “ With all the remaining courage i could conjure, i found myself raising my voice as i told her the final piece of the puzzle still left empty; “I love you, Vonix!” There wasn’t even a seconds delay. She embraced me, taking the Marjoram’s from my hand and giving me something i had not expected in the slightest; A kiss. “AiShou, I love you too…”

Hi. Unfortunately, I didn't get to watch both games, jumping into the server only when the 2nd map of Gullywash had just started. Most unfortunately, the game was played on an AsiaFortress HK server, so there aren't any logs available. Sad! Admins should fix that shit. Rosters This Team (It's AMC) Scout: Oro Scout: Aloy Soldier: RY4N Soldier: Killer Demo: Cynic Medic: Jopper Muscle Revolution (REBORN) Scout: ozr Scout: natto Soldier: bongera Soldier: Tusic76 Demo: okome Medic: hikoku Gullywash The game started out fairly even, with the Japanese picking up a fairly quick round (off stream). In the beginning at any rate, it was fairly even between the two teams, going back and forth to each other's last several times. The first two rounds that were picked up were entirely attributed to natto and ozr, who dominated the first half of the game with insane 3Ks. For a while, it seemed as though they could do no wrong. I'm usually of the opinion that a team with a stronger scout combo is usually the victorious team, and natto and ozr supported my theory for about 15 minutes or so. They made great flanks to force and even drop the medic once or twice, and kept up constant pressure by running all over AMCs combo. However, this obviously didn't last, because scouts usually require their soldiers to open things up for them, or support them in their flanking endeavours, and Tusic and bongera stopped showing up after a while. More than that though, Oro, one of Asia's more well-known DM scouts, started to shut them out by carefully watching the flanks and simply NOT LOSING 1v1s in dumb situations. Without the ability to flank and outmaneuver the enemy, the Japanese scouts lost their power and consequentially, the entire fragging power of their team. Now, with scouts shut out of the fights, RY4N and Killer could really go to town with the bombs. Every fight was a repetition of Tusic or bongera dying early, natto and ozr attempting to turn things around but getting shut out, and RY4N and/or Killer jumping in to clean everyone else up. The scoreline went from 1 - 2 to 7 - 2 in AMCs favour within the last 15 minutes, putting AMC confidently ahead of their Japanese competition, proving that you need more than two capable scouts to win a game. While old-timers natto and ozr did prove themselves as highly capable scouts (especially since they somehow just kept getting behind), they just couldn't do anything once they started getting shut out, and clearly RY4N and Killer were outclassing bongera and Tusic in the soldier department.