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Advanced Week 1 Predictions

RGL-Advanced

   pickelz   - 9/9/2018

Introduction


The first week of RGL Highlander Season 1 is days away, and it starts with a classic map: koth_product_rc9. Product is a staple map for the highlander scene, and one of the most popular KOTH maps in rotation. Scout, Demoman, and Sniper are all hugely important when it comes to winning this map, and teams will need those classes to make big plays to gain an advantage. In the Advanced division, each of the teams are highly skilled and have strong players who can help their team win the game.

Schedule

Heals On Everyone vs Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty
RazeTheWorld vs Low End Theory
Breakfast Club HL vs the Flow
BM=BAE vs Seductive 9


Match Of The Week: Heals On Everyone vs. Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty


Rosters (In order of class)
Heals: Ebiskl / Yuki / T.K. / Lizar / Lizard / Mono72 / XBS / Lenny / Cooldog
Pretzels: Red / F][re / Squirrel / Gong / Octa / Dog / Dreadnought / S4rr / Vizie

Predicted Winner: HoE
Predicted Score: 4-3

Heals On Everyone is a team that has dominated preseason- winning numerous scrims in a convincing fashion, and also challenging low-invite teams as well. Each of their players are skilled individually, and together they dominant in game. Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty was a team formed last minute, but that doesn’t stop them from being just as strong. Individual performances from players such as Gong (demoman) and S4rr (sniper) make Pretzel’s a very difficult team to beat. This is MOTW specifically because of both of these teams being absolute powerhouses- each has fantastic individual and stand-out players. However, Heals On Everyone seems like a better team. As long as Lenny (sniper) stays untilted, he can carry any team, as shown in preseason where his performance would consistantly turn the favors to Heals. On a map like product where sniper is so important, Lenny can give HoE a huge advantage. S4rr, however, may be one of the few snipers who could possibly contest him in advanced, since he too has the ability to completely dominate. The flanks look relatively even, but HoE still probably has the slight advantage, just because of their longer time playing together and strong chemistry. Ebiskl (scout) has fantastic DM, and provides plenty of frags for HoE. The combo is the only place where HoE way be outclassed, especially because Gong gives so much DPM for Pretzels, something he does much better than Lizar. It will be a close game, specifically because of the individual skill every player has on their class. The key for a victory for Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty would be tilt: a lot of players on HoE are very easily tilted, and something like a close round can make them slip up and make crucial mistakes that could cause a loss. While a win for Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty is possible, Heals On Everyone should get the win.



Low End Theory vs. RazeTheWorld


Predicted Winner: theory
Predicted Score: 4-2

This match is difficult to predict, specifically because RTW is still incomplete for their roster. With only days before their first match, the players that will play is unknown. RTW’s scout, soldier, pyro, demoman, and heavy are all unconfirmed (as of writing this article), meaning their players will enter their match without much practice with one another on the main roster. Theory has also made last minute roster changes- swapping out a demoman and medic. While this may seem bad, theory put Ipaka and FunnyBunny on main demoman and medic, respectively. These 2 players are extremely familiar with each other, playing all of last season together. Cloud (engineer) and Jebus (spy) also played with Ipaka/FunnyBunny last season. Roster issues out of the way, Theory still appears out classes RTW in most cases. With only 7 people rostered and a different team on every scrim, RTW’s success is a big question mark. One consistent player, however, is Manbug (spy)- he does a lot for his team, but he would have to put the entire team on his back and really do a lot, and against a spy aware player like Plurl (pyro), this can get hard. Reika (sniper) also consistently plays well for RTW, and this works well on a map like product, where sniper and spy are so important to a team’s victory. The thing that puts RTW at such a disadvantage is, as mentioned before, is their roster- there are many classes missing and not enough time. It isn’t impossible, but it will be a very hard match for RTW.



BM=BAE vs Seductive 9


Predicted Winner: Seductive 9
Predicted Score: 4-2

S9 has been revived, and with it comes a team of players that get results. Teets McGhee (demoman) is a player known for his aggressive playstyle and DM skills to back it up, and Durr (soldier) and Crab_f (scout) makes sure that Teets can not be pressured easily, leaving him able to do a lot of work for S9. BM= BAE looks strangely similar to the roster of Pop Your Pipes (a team that unfortunately died), starring Markers (sniper), a player who can carry his team by himself. Fallen (spy) is also a capable player who does well for his team, and pick classes are extremely important on product. But the edge looks like it’s going to S9 specifically because of the results they’ve had, despite only banding together very hastily last week. Don’t count BM=BAE out though. Markers is a fantastic sniper who can do a lot of work for his team, and the rest of the players on BM=BAE, such as tacos (medic) and Sigafoo (engineer), can make these rounds very close and definitely put some rounds on the board for their team.



Breakfast Club HL vs. the Flow


Predicted Winner: Breakfast Club HL
Predicted Score: 4-0

Every other matchup in this division seems fairly balanced and close, but this one doesn’t (on paper, at least). Breakfast Club is a team made of many 6s players from ESEA-IM (and a few from Invite). Ninjax (scout) is a fantastic player, using his superior DM skills to turn the fight in favor of Breakfast Club. Although Breakfast Club is missing their main demoman Jayhyunpae, they’re subbing in Hedgehog Hero- another player who is also extremely dominant when it comes to DM. Despite them missing a main combo player, Hedgehog Hero can do plenty of work still, and on a DM-oriented map, such as product, this gives Breakfast club a huge advantage. The Flow was made of promising players from UGC Silver, who looked to get better as a team. After a short run in RGL Main (they were in that division for a few hours only), the Flow moved back up to advanced, making it into the division just barely. Their team has some great players- Zanda (sniper) can definitely do well in advanced, using his superb aim to get an advantage over other players and snipers as well. Wxy (demoman) supplies the damage that the team needs, and Nucket (scout) and bark (soldier) are a flank that rivals some of the best in advanced. But the team as a whole plays very discombobulated, and against a team with some of the best DM in the division (due to their 6s experience), Breakfast Club is looking much stronger and should be able to sweep this match quickly. However, there is a possibility of a round going in the favor of the Flow (or maybe 2, ending this match at 4-2 in the favor of Breakfast Club), but this should be a fairly easy victory for Breakfast Club.



Week 1 Matches
Advanced Division League Table