WEEK 7 - PLAYOFF SEMI-FINALS [MAR 26 - APR 1] Discussion

[Zakken]

Week 7 - PLAYOFF SEMI-FINALS
March 26th - April 1st

(#5) Sexual Panthers [SXP]
HumanBones, Rude, Tony, Unknown
MAP16: Return to Phobos (ZDCTF16)

vs

[BST] Best Ever (#1)
RoSKing, Infer, Legion, Quiksilver
MAP14: Mephitic Waste (CORE26)

(#6) The Phantom Troupe [TPT]
Tai, Caution, Starrk, Dastan
MAP08: Something Epic (ZDCTF08)

vs

[SUC] Super Chargers (#2)
Ralphis, Jwarrier, Souler, Hugoxds
MAP28: BAD MOON (THIRTY16-25)

[Zakken]

These might honestly be the most evenly-matched semi-finals I've ever seen in any WDL season. There is no such thing as an "upset" here, because everyone who's made it this far is immensely capable of overcoming any and all odds, so yes, a #5 vs #6 grand finals is well within the realm of possibility here. With that said, let's get to the predictions.

SXP vs BST
Any of the homefields selected here can go either way: while BST has shown great knowledge and execution of MAP14, SXP was also able to bring TPT to a tie in this same map. SXP plays MAP16 quite optimally, but BST is also no stranger to the ZDCTF tug-of-war classic. BST's best bet is to rout SXP in quick 3-4 rounds, because Bones's squad is notoriously troublesome to handle in longer slugfests, thanks to their unmatched stamina and remarkable adaptability. To SXP's disadvantage, MAP14 is not a map you can slow down to a crawl, so the pressure will be on them to keep up with BST's pace in the number one team's homefield. To BST's disadvantage, SXP already boasted a victory against them in the regular season, and brute force alone might not be sufficient to come out on top of this match-up. In the end, SXP will keep it close, but BST arguably understands these maps much better than what I consider a fluke loss on MAP12, so RoSKing's team will edge out the few necessary rounds to earn yet another shot at a WDL title.
BST 2-0-2 SXP

TPT vs SUC
The much-anticipated SUC vs Caution rematch, on the same homefields too! TPT showed complete mastery of MAP08, dismantling one of the better teams of this season with ease just the week prior, and even though SUC plays the map in more coordinated fashion than GPS, that still won't be enough to stop the TPT powerhouse. MAP28, on the other hand, is much more of a toss-up, as the same SUC team from last season proved to be able to clutch quick victories against just about any team. The key will be who TPT will field as their third player: will they go for Starrk and play a more traditional game, or go for a more offence-heavy strategy with Dastan? The latter proved himself against GPS, but can he pull off the same plays on MAP28, against tougher defence? Tai will also be on the spot to play the best he's ever played this season, if he intends to pull the biggest playoff seed upset in WDL history. All in all, I see both teams winning their respective homefields solidly, all the way to game 5, in which TPT will most likely edge out the final victory, thanks to momentum built up from their Map08 wins. SUC unfortunately repeats their fate from last season. 
TPT 3-2 SUC

[Alt_Stab]

I'm going to go with SUC getting their revenge, 3-2, and I'm going with SXP pulling the upset over BST in a super close match. Honestly though who the hell knows? What I can say with confidence is these games are gonna be great. 

[Dsparil]

take my predictions with a grain of salt, bst's aggression will prove to be too overwhelming on sxp, but considering bone's 666 ammar shields and how awful map16 is, this could go either way, but I'll give it to bst for having homefields advantage.
BST 3-2-1

Honestly I haven't watched suc's game last season so I don't know how well they performed, but considering caution has a different defender now, things may end up differently as well, but I think SUC will be able to figure something out to hold their ground on their own homefields, and since they have homefields advantage they'll end up advancing.
SUC 3-2

[Tony]

SXP vs BST
more of this

TPT vs SUC
some of this https://media.giphy.com/media/wc23TMuub6F4A/giphy.gif
SUC 3-2 TPT

[Ten]

I think SXP's homefield is actually going to work to their disadvantage in this matchup. Map16 is a classic that everyone has experience on, and I think BST will excel more than people might think on that map with their extremely fluid teamwork ability. SXP has a better chance of winning on BST's homefield IMO, and will need to lock down a win early on in order to keep up with BST's stamina. I can easily see SXP winning a round and maybe even bringing one to a tie, but in the end I think BST's chemistry that earned them first seed will propel them to the Championship in a thrilling 5-round match.

BST 3-1-1

Game of the week is definitely going to TPT vs SUC, this game will be intense. Both teams have solid rosters, with SUC being armed with the strongest duo in the league, and I'm curious to see how Ralph and Jwar adapt to Tai's powerful troupe. This match is definitely going to be maximizing on homefield advantages, as SUC chose the same homefield from last season where they were defeated by eventual champions TKV despite starting the match 2-0. Ironically enough, Tai chose the same homefield as TKV did last season as well, so this will be a chance for Ralph to redeem his semi-final loss last season on the same two maps. That being said, it will be a tough challenge for SUC to take down TPT on Map08. TPT absolutely tore GPS to shreds on Map08 in the quarter-finals last week, so I expect to see them having a huge advantage on their homefield. SUC does have the weak link in Souler, but he's still a capable enough player that Ralph/Jwar won't have to worry about making too many mistakes. TPT's major challenge will be securing wins on SUC's homefield, if they can sneak away with a win in the first two rounds, I expect to see a victory for TPT as I don't see them losing on Map08. In the end, I see SUC winning the first round, TPT bouncing back with a victory round two, then handily defeating SUC on Map08 in back-to-back round wins, securing their ticket to the Championship to face BST.

TPT 3-1