WGL APAC-Asia S3 Week 3 Recaps

In game number 1 on prokhorovka, we saw PhoeniX assming the role of Defender while ELONG deployed as Offense. An early destruction of an AMX 13 90 and a T49 initiated a rush from ELONG and heightened the defensive play from Phoenix. In the end however, it just wasn't enough; There were two one-shot tanks remaining from Phoenix versus the two higher HP tanks of ELONG. The game ended with one tank from PhoeniX ramming a tank, thus killing himself and giving the win to ELONG.

At the beginning of game two, we saw Phoenix rush the F3 grid on the map, which resulted in them immediately picking off the 59-16 of ELONG. Unfortunately, this also exposed them to a barrage of fire from the Chinese team. With excellent rush tactics and impeccable coordinated fire, ELONG speedily won the game without dropping another tank, although most of their own tanks were at less than half of their starting HP. When PhoeniX went on the offensive in game number three we saw ELONG pack their tanks in to the North-West portion of the map while sending a couple of light tanks to scout the center hill. With PhoeniX rushing their entire team up the middle, they started chasing the two lights back to the Northwest end of the map. However, this resulted in a slaughter quite parallel to game number two on defense for PhoeniX.

In an interesting turn of events, game number four showed an amazing display of tactics from both sides. Team PhoeniX baited capture point two and set up an Ambush from both the North side of the entry at the break in the train tracks and the South side. When ELONG piled in to reset the capture, PhoeniX dove in as well to destroy their opponents. ELONG tried to pick up the slack, but they lost game number four with the enemy team possessing three tanks still.

Steppes was then picked as map two, where we saw PhoeniX on offense yet again. They were rushing capture point two in a straight line from their spawn and ELONG had a defensive setup ready to go from the start. ELONG took this game without dropping a single tank. Phoenix tried employing a similar strategy in game number two on Steppes, but the main difference was they rushed capture point two from the North-West end of the map, thinking that they could flank ELONG. Unfortunately this did not work out, although they did manage to take down one more tank than they did in game one on Steppes.

Match 1 Winner

ELONG 5:1 PhoeniX

It is worth noting that both of our teams were some of the best contenders for their leagues. For instance, Charlotte Tiger made it to the Season 2 Finals in Korea, although they took 3rd prize. Meanwhile, Front Mission elevated themselves from the Silver Series at the top of the standings. It's with no surprise that this match would be an interesting one indeed.

Game Number one on Steppes saw Charlotte Tiger playing very conservatively. However, a strong push soon came from Front Mission in the direction of capture point one. This action consequently reduced a T32's health down to just one shot very early in the game, eliminating a good deal of damage output and tankiness to their team. Pushing the rest of the tanks away from their position, they initated a capture that resulted in a hasty rush coming from Charlotte Tiger, a team already down one tank. Front mission coordinated fire with a well-made ambush, and the final tank, Poly, was not able to reset it in time. Game one goes to Front Mission in definitive style.

In game 2 we saw a change in playstyle from Front Mission, as they pushed capture point two with an OBJ 416 sniping from afar. However, at the position with that OBJ. 416, we saw two light tanks coming from Charlotte Tiger for a flank that removed their DPS from the game. In the end we saw a single one-shot tank from Front Mission going up against two one-shot tanks from Charlotte Tiger. However, Charlotte Tiger showed us time and again that they can make that one shot count. The score was 1:1 as Charlotte Tiger was placed on offense.

In game three, we saw Charlotte Tiger rushing the Northwest end of the map while keeping an even split of tanks close to their spawn. However, Front Mission had a very interesting spread of tanks all from North to South on the East half of the map. When Charlotte Tiger initiated the capture, we saw Front Mission push the center of the map with their Pershing and get the reset on the tank that was capturing from Charlotte Tiger. The expected exchange of fire initially favored Charlotte Tiger, then quickly swung in favor of Front Mission as Charlotte Tiger divided their positions and fell one by one. In the end, two tanks were chasing down the last tank from Charlotte Tiger and Front Mission got the win.

In game four on Steppes, however, we saw Charlotte Tiger taking a much more faster-paced attack to the north-west end of the map, initiating a capture in capture point one, and this time they were ready to intercept any Pershings that approached from unexpected positions. Be that as it was, however, the following exchange of fire resulted in Front Mission taking victory, and putting the score at 3:1 as we headed in to the next map, Prokhorovka.

In game number one, we saw Front Mission flock to the village in the center-east of the map, but upon seeing two T32s in the center of the map, Front Mission decided they were going to rush back to their spawn, then rush West, then rush to the Northwest end of the map to flank. Or so they wanted their enemy to think. They instead, spread their tanks between the west end of the map and the Eastern vilage, but Charlotte Tiger had the counter-play made. They took down the tanks in the Eastern village first, then proceeded to hunt down the remaining tanks that were on the west end of the map. Charlotte Tiger had three tanks remaining as the clock hit 00:00, and Front Mission had one, bringing Charlotte tiger back two to three.

In game two on Prokhorovka, Charlotte Tiger employed a similar strategy, but replaced one T32 with an IS-3, with the remainder of their light tanks attempting to snipe from the North end of the railroad tracks. Realizing that a capture would not work, however, Front Mission elected to rush their opponents and take them down. Initially the exchange of fire was extremely Front Mission-favored, but after the initial exchanges, we saw Front Mission divide and be eliminated one by one when the game had reached a four versus three scenario, again, in favor of Front Mission.

As we switched in to offense for Charlotte Tiger, Front Mission initially dropped a tank in the early portion of game three on Prokhorovka, and another tank quickly reached one-shot status as Charlotte Tiger lost one of their own. The game gradually turned in favor of Front Mission with careful coordinated fire and rush tactics. Charlotte Tiger initiated a capture at capture point one in game number four, which put Front Mission in an uneasy position. They rushed in from the Northwest of the capture point, and put out a lot of fireopwer, even forcing Charlotte Tiger to drop a tank first. But the exchange was not so great for Front Mission and they were quickly low HP as Charlotte Tiger fought back hard. The situation developed in to a five versus three very quickly and Front Mission dropped the final map, taking us to a tie-breaker.

We had determined that Charlotte Tiger possessed the right to choose offense or defense by adding up the time of all of their rounds on offense, and seeing that they had less time than Front Mission. Front Mission went with a heavier tank composition which made their push on Karelia much more difficult. It wasn't until 90 seconds remaining on the clock that we saw the first tank fall, and it was not a tank from Charlotte Tiger. In about sixty seconds, we saw Charlotte Tiger exchange zero tanks for seven tanks on their enemy team, taking the set and two points, while giving one point to Front Mission.

Match 2 Winner

Front Mission 5:6 Charlotte Tiger

Unfortunately for TCSG, not all of their players were ready when the match was slated to begin, and thus was disqualified.

Match 1 Winner

T-E vs The Coalition - Singapore

The trend that we saw in the first three weeks of tournament play continued in this one with Himmelsdorf and Prokhorovka being the only two maps that weren't banned.

Game 1 saw Himmelsdorf with Horseman on Defense. Initially, PVP made their move towards capture point one, but time was drawing closer and closer to the four minute mark, so the push was becoming less and less viable. PVP redirected their assault to capture point two, employing a unique strategy with Batman using a dead M6 to cover him while he attempted a capture. Unfortunately, the capture attempt was initiated at 2:16; although it did make it to the point where 6 seconds would finish the capture, the reset was achieved by Horseman. PVP had one tank left at the end of the game, but Horseman achieved the victory condition, putting them up one point in the series.

In game 2, we saw another assault on Capture Point Two with PVP initiating the capture much earlier than game 1. However, Horseman were made aware of the position of the enemy team much earlier, so the counter-plays were made, PVP lost all of their tanks, and Horseman took their second point. In game number 3 we saw Horseman on offense and they made it work. They used a KV-5 to block shots on two IS3s that were capping at Capture Point Two. Growing impatient, PVP rushed in to destroy them, but they couldn't pull out the win, awarding the third victory in a row to Horseman.

In game number 4, Horseman tried employing the same strategy again, but this time it just didn't work out. PVP was well aware of the positioning of their enemy team and though they lost the main tank fight, they still had a single one-shot tank at the end of the game to give them the victory on defense.

Map two was on Prokhorovka, and in the first round, we saw Horseman initiate a two tank capture at capture point one. What was most apalling to viewers was that PVP did not send a single tank in to reset the capture. So, Horseman took the game by only losing one tank, bringing the score to four-one and putting PVP on the brink of defeat.

It was at this moment when PVP Super Friends finally rallied together and crushed the opposition. In the next game, both teams rushed up the center of the map into an inevitable engagement, which PVP Super Friends emerged victorious with coordinated fire and rush tactics. The next game was essentially a repeat of game two on Prokhorovka, but with a ram ending the game. PVP was on the verge of a tiebreaker.

But it was not to be. In the next game after that, PVP initiated a capture at base one, but Horseman soon piled down the hill on the eastern end of the Map as one and swiftly took out PVP's tanks, while only losing two of their own.

Match 2 Winner

Horseman 5:3 PVP Super Friends