Shouts to eXtelevision for casting this great match hosted by UGC!
I had the chance to interview Seabass and Ma3la, who were the leaders of the winning team for the match.
Biggest mistakes your team made?
Seabass: The only mistake that sticks out to me today is how we failed to coordinate an effective offense on gravelpit B.
Hit the jump for the rest of the wrap up and the eXtv coverage!
I know you guys had a hard time with Gravelpit, what made it such a challenge?
Seabass: I haven't had time to hunt down and review the STV demo recording for this match so please forgive my general, imperfect analysis of what happened.
Gravelpit, particularly on offense, is a map that requires much planning and coordination. Everyone on our team was very familiar with proper gravelpit strategies but to execute such strategies would mean we would have to be very familiar with our teammates as well. In hindsight it is very easy to say that playing gravelpit as the first map, for two virgin teams, was a bad decision.
Our offensive strategy was to keep our medic in spawn as our heavy, engineer, scout, and sniper capped A while buffed power classes "suicide" B for a key pick or two. This strategy worked perfectly as A was captured in a typical time and the red medic was killed over at B. The trouble started when we attempted to push through C to B. The team was not all on the same page as to when and how we were going to push into B. There much confusion about everyone's positioning and in that confusion we took too long to make a play. With significant uber advantage, a push should be quick and uniform. Such a play was never really done properly as Red, especially b4nny (demoman), foiled our plans with foresight and untimely picks.
What were the best things you saw happen in that match?
Seabass: B4nny's and Heinlander's kritz sticky push with just a couple minutes left for red to defend B was an amazing play that left our whole team in confusion then awe. B4nny's first sticky was perfectly charged to somehow land right at our medic's feet before anyone on the defending red could even call a kritz was incoming. The sticky came from behind the big rocks and must have flew either over the roof or through a B building window to get to a medic with ubercharge behind the building. This play allowed heinlander's allstars to be the team to finally crack gravelpit B defense.
What were the highlights of the match for your team?
Ma3la: Don got a quad kill with a double pipe reflect. On Upward, my calls had us completely avoid the enemy uber then turned around and almost wiped them on the last point. Comatose and useoftoaster's constant flanking pressure really helped too, so it was a mixture of good calls, strong flanking, overall teamwork and comms that won us the match.
What kind of mentality/strategies did your team have going into the tiebreaker on Upward?
Seabass: On Upward defense the goal was to have a defensive presence at first point but to be always conscious of an avenue to retreat. The goal was to kill as much time as possible but not at the expensive of significant players down. This way we could pull back and be in a position to hold the high ground above the tunnel to add some more resistance before finally investing on the second point choke. We specifically decided not to set up a sentry on the catwalk inside the tunnel. This decision was made with the preference to have a long withstanding defense at the second point. We successfully caused Blu to consume a lot of time with capturing the second point. As soon as it was about to be won, we called for everyone up to just get back and start setting up at the high ground around and behind third. Blu picked some crucial classes just before so as Blu's cart approached the climb upward, we decided to just hold back and defend last. We were very happy with the time our defense caused and went into offense with much confidence.
Our offense was based on just a couple key concepts. Keep the cart moving and stay aggressive. I'm embarrassed to admit that both teams overlooked the hidden sticky traps before the first point causing both medics to drop at almost exactly the same spot. I blame alcohol and fatigue.
Congratulations to the winners of the All Star Match!
Seabass: It was a great match of highlander with great players from a great league. I'd like to make a toast through text as I lift a bottle and tap my monitor with it. Thank you everyone and here's to another great season of highlander!
Check out the eXtv casts of the match right here!
Part 1
Part 2
