2v2 Faceoff - Start of Quarter Finals
The Quarter-Finals (Round 12) will begin on Monday the 24th of November and end on Sunday the 30th November at 5pm EST / 10pm GMT
Remember - You play 3 matches - 1 Match on each of the 3 gametypes
This bumper edition of the Faceoff Update sees a change in the layout of these announcements along with the shift in the tournament format. From here on in these updates will include a breakdown of each round's matches and a little information to cater to all you virtual sports fans. As the ranks of competitors slim down, similarly the Faceoff itself is being streamlined and re-focused. All following rounds will be Single Elimination (you lose and you're out) and will take place within a singular, final group. The format for matches remains the same however, and you will still play 3 games on each map per round, one of each of the specified gametype variants. Organisation and discussion will still take place in dedicated match threads and the inclusion of matchings in these announcements is to help inform those following the tournament of the pairings each round.
Quarter Finals Rundown
We're down to only 8 teams now, and 4 matches, so take a look-see if any of your favourite teams have made it into the Championship Bracket. The matches this round are:
Bad Kids vs Jamp
Ultimate Win vs Corruption
Two Magic Hippos vs Minty Fresh
Blitz vs Next Level
Keep an eye on the Championship Bracket sub-board to see how all the matches pan out, only half of these teams will move into the Semi Finals next week.
To help you become a little more familiar with these final 8 teams we have asked them a few key questions regarding how they operate as a double team, read on for the lowdown on each and every one of these born slayers:
Bad Kids
GameVenator and Vau Sickness, or Sam and Ben to those who see them out of their Mjolnir armour, are both big fans of objective games, with Vau Sickness being a KotH guy and GameVenator tending more towards Flag games. Slaying is all very well, but why only do one thing when you can do two? Both are wedded to their BR's but they make a nice pair in terms of Power Weapons, Vau being a Rocket man and Venator preferring his trusty Sniper Rifle.
Bad Kids' teamwork style reacts to the situation, if the enemies are bunched up then splitting up and going for a flank attack is in order, but if they catch an unfortunate soul on their own then they stick together like glue and take him down quick. Area dominance and initial plays are generally governed by Power Weapon locations, such armaments being the first port of call when the game starts, but a good serving of high ground control is firmly next on the list. Player roles are split pretty equally between the two, both are competent slayers and work together well in this gametype, but objective games are their native stalking ground and they tend to swap between slaying and objective roles as and when needed, both can work a flag or a BR as needs be. Callouts are a big part of Bad Kids' team dynamic, and each round is preceded by a good look around the map and decisions on how to call every possible location. Pre-determined strategies and routes are also a must for these guys, but they're quite happy to go off the beaten track in game if that's what's needed.
Finally we asked GameVenator about his thoughts on the Faceoff experience so far:
So far me and Ben, you could say, have had pretty much a perfect tournament. We haven't lost a single game in a single series (I Hope that will stay the same =O ). Probably our hardest match was the Winner Bracket Finals. In the slayer match we were about 8 kills up and we let the other time back into the game. We ended up narrowly winning 25-23. I believe that was the game where i got +6 and Ben got-4!
Jamp
Jamp, aka geckio007 and iamdiesel, are 2 cousins who just so happen to make a great Halo double team. It's almost as if they were made for the Teamwerks Arena with geckio loving nothing more than his trusty BR and diesel giving it all for his precious Plasma Pistol. These two have been kind enough to work out their respective Kills/Deaths and Ratios for us, so take a gander. geckio has racked up 314 kills so far, biting the dust 219 times and having a cool 1.43 K/D Ratio. diesel tops the kill stats with 370 opponents flat and 267 deaths giving him a K/D Ratio of 1.39. These guys make a great pair, pretty equally matched in skill and each tending towards playstyles that compliment the other perfectly. As you may have guessed from the figures, diesel is the brute of the team, getting stuck right in and working the short to mid-range ground. geckio prefers to use his BR for more long range, support style plays, and between them they keep a solid hold on all ranges of the map. As far as team play-style goes, it can't really be put better than by geckio himself: "whatever works to win - OR - argue with each other until the end of the game and then chest bump for victory".
Once again, here are geckio007's thoughts on Jamp's tournament experience to date:
Amazing job to all the staff. The tourny has been a great experience so far. Everyone has been courteous and the moderators and adminstrators have been doing a great job. The maps are amazing. Many a time, I find myself playing the maps and not feeling like I'm in Foundry. That has to tell you something about aesthetics. Yukon Canyon was an awesome map cause I like the space. But the other maps on Foundry were great. Especially, Credence, Amalgam, and Eclipse. Eclipse would have to be my favorite cause of the MLG style element to it. Thanks to all those who we have enjoyed competing against and good luck to everyone jumping into the quarterfinals.
Ultimate Win
NymBomber and Rasta Cow come together to make up Ultimate Win and when it comes to winning, solid setups are the name of the game. Despite their own admission of running around like somewhat headless chickens in Slayer games, they get things done, and they feel much more at home in an Objective environment. These two are kindred spirits where weapons are concerned, both employ the BR as their Halo bread and butter and they each have a love for the Rockets as their Power Weapon of choice. Team play works on unspoken rules for each, NymBomber taking up the role of Team Leader, heavily working calls and keeping a constant eye on the locations and movements of their opponents. Rasta is an incredibly versatile support player, settling well into either Slaying or Objective roles, this game being a great example of how Ultimate Win adapt to their situation.
When asked about memorable moments in the tournament so far, NymBomber had this to say on the matter:
Winning our Group Final ;P. Also playing on Yukon Canyon and watching Rasta get 5 sniper kills in the exact same spot. Probably team wise, everytime we broke a setup or created a good spawn trap.
Also a shout out to Fleabus 7 and Behind You HeHe for helping us practice on all of the maps. With out you guys we probably would not have got as far as we did.
Corruption
Corruption is comprised of Glitch100 and HHAATTEESS, a team who prefer to hold off on general strategies in favour of working with whatever map they find themselves on. Heavy emphasis on calling and monitoring of player movement is interspersed with a good deal of friendly banter on the game's progression. Corruption take getting to know each map very seriously, starting off their practice with 1v1s to get to know the map perfectly, then working up to some FFA and 2v2 practice with friends. Rifle Weapons are, once again, the core of their solid offence, each player working well with either the BR or the Carbine in any given situation. But they are all too happy to switch to whatever the map demands, making tactical use of the Plasma Weapons and Sentinel Beams on maps such as Credence, Amalgam and Yukon Canyon.
When asked about their defining memories of the 2v2, Glitch100 spoke thusly:
Good times? Cor... Lots, there has probably been one defining moment in each game. The most memorable was the last match we played against 'TEAM SLAYER' with the final kill being a noscope mid air headshot at a near enough 2M range. Had to go Theatre and give it a watch :)
Hopefully we'll get more good fights in the Quarter Finals and we wish luck to the remaining teams :D
Two Magic Hippos
The magic two in question are OMGClutch69 and T As iN TraGeDy, a long standing Halo double team with a good deal of experience under their respective belts. Both gravitate to the BR over all else and rely heavily on each other for detailed and timely calling. To give you a taste of how their in-game mechanic works, Clutch plays Bumper Jumper on sensitivity 7 whilst TraGeDy uses Default across the board. The Faceoff has been all but an easy ride for the Hippos, coming up against a real challenge in only the second round to face the maker of the map on which the games were played. Saving Round 4 where the opponents could not make the games, every round since brought a fresh set of challenges for these two, with KotH in their fifth match up being a really close battle against a very solid strategy from their opponents. The last two rounds saw the Hippos facing off against Team Overshield for a place in the Quarter Finals, and with one round a piece it was a close call, Two Magic Hippos going through on their Winner Bracket credentials.
OMGClutch69 had this to say on his experiences so far:
Memorable moments from this tournament would include the match Two Magic Hippos vs Its OK To Be Gay this was are first close game we have had and it was a big wake up call. Of course and loosing to Shock Theta and Qrange that is definitely a memory not a good one but they had amazing team work that round and with Qrange going +18 we couldn't do anything about that. good games guys.
Blitz
Lord Sick1g and Zerosun go to make up Blitz, and both are dedicated slayers who enjoy little more than steamrolling through a good game of Slayer BRs, but Flag and Oddball games also have a safe place in their hearts. The fact that they both feel most at home with a Battle Rifle in their hot little hands is, therefore, no big surprise, but Zerosun has recently been exploring the realms of the Carbine more thoroughly and it has yielded some incredibly fast slaying at mid to close range. Preferring to stick together and form a tighter area of death with a BR/Carbine combo, Blitz can also split up and take designated areas if needs be. If Rockets are present then they are first on the list when games start, but aside from clear Power Weapon advantages, good area control ASAP is their maxim. By their own admission, they don't put too much of an emphasis on getting to know maps beforehand, working from screenshots and improvising callouts to bring the game home. Unfortunately their tight schedules make extensive preparation difficult, but it doesn't seem to have done them any harm so far.
Both members of the team had something to say this time round, read on:
So far the tourny has been alot of fun. Met a lot of cool people and all our games have been friendly. Especially funny when Lord announces that the team we are playing will be generals. "OMG GENERALS WE LOSE >.<". Never know 'till you play. Our most difficult game will have to be the one with Dented and Sharp for the finals of our group. If Dented's hand wasn't "hurt" we mightve lost lmao. Also remember a KOTH where it was 199- 180 and we thought we were gonna lose. comeback! Cant wait to face these next teams though. Gonna be intense for sure!
Well the tournement progess has been good only losing 1 game but we came back. An unfinished round leading team dunno the name making a tough desicion to allow us to take group 7. When it got to round 7 it started to get intense playing against a "Great team . Our most intense game was on Almalgam.After losing the slayer game we knew we couldn't lose the next. King of the hill. It was a amazing game them leading the game by 20 seconds throughout the whole entire match somehow we came back to fin the game 200-199. then losing the oddball game causing us to go to loser bracket.
Next Level
The final team in our Championship Bracket 8 is made up of Xx ToXiK BR xX and Solja, both of whom agree that the BR and the Sniper Rifle are the way to go if you want to be sure of the win. Slayer and Flag games are firm favourites for these two, Slayer being the core of Halo play and Flag giving that ultra-competitive edge that they so crave, you have to play fast and smart to win. A solid, controlled area is where they feel most at home, preferring to grab Power Weapons as much as possible but then migrate back to their designated spots, not too far from each other but not so close as to bring that oh-so embarrassing double kill. Strategies for each map are carefully constructed beforehand, then practiced heabily to test and perfect them under fire, preparation is a big part of Next Level's playstyle. As always, callouts are an essential cog in their team mechanics, but this really comes into play when one of them grabs the Sniper, the other player taking up the role of support/slayer whilst carefully watching the Sniper's back to foil sneaky beavers. There is no clear leader/support set up, however, and both players spend games switching to whatever is needed, watching each other's backs and racking up a good few assists in the process.
And to round things up, here are Xx ToXiK BR xX's thoughts on how the Faceoff has gone so far for Next Level:
Well, there was one team that beat us in slayer, if I could remember the team, I'd give a shout out, as they did very good against us in slayer, I think we overlooked their talent and they beat us. The most memorable moment was when I spawn stuck someone, completely by accident, but it was so amazing!
Again thank you for this tournament, its been loads of fun!
And thanks to anyone who supports Next Level..If anyone =]
Start of Quarter Finals
The final stages are now beginning and each of the 8 remaining teams is a champion in their own right, this promises some really heated competition as each groups' victors have everything to fight for after battling through their respective groups. The introduction of the Single Elimination format adds that extra note of peril to any potential loss and every team will have to pull out all the stops if they want to have a hope of keeping their tournament dreams alive. Watch this space for updates on who's bitten the dust and who remains to fight on, we can promise you some gripping matches and tense moments in these final 3 rounds as each team now has everything to lose after coming so far.
The Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Finals will all be Single Elimination and will take place within a single group made up of the final 8 teams.
QF, SF and Final rounds will each be one week in duration.
And remember, if you're stuck with anything, be sure to check out our tournament FAQ.
Sub-Station B (Round 12/QF map)
Get ready guys and gals, the final bracket maps are here at last, and they do not disappoint. Sub-Station B is a symmetrical map that flows like no other. Round and round you'll go, who will win? No one knows. TexturedSun used varying levels of height extremely well while still promoting lots of circular movement for some very fast-paced gameplay. Combine that with some interesting lines of sight and you'll find yourself a very addicting map.
A spicy weapon selection and even a Warthog (you heard right) lend themselves to a unique gameplay experience yet to be seen in the Faceoff tournament. Balanced to perfection, Sub-Station B is sure to produce some very tight matches, with a little hint of insanity to boot. Expect non-stop action, lots of competition, and a ton of laughs. Sub-Station B is definitely a keeper. This map is being released well in advance of Round 12, so you have a full two weeks to get to know it in its entirety, enjoy.
Sub-Station B
Download Faceoff Slayer
Download Faceoff KotH
Download Faceoff 1 Flag
Grindstone (Round 13/SF map)
This is Grindstone, this is where hope goes to die and blood pours out. Where any team that wants to win must give it their all and then some. Where one false move and the battle is lost. Where victory is seldom heard, but defeat runs rampant. This is Grindstone, are you ready?
Grindstone is a step in another direction from other foundry maps. It is assymetrical and uses about three quarters of foundry and almost every piece of geometry is connected. With it's blend of unique mergings and seamless interlocking, grindstone boasts one of the best visuals of any large-scale foundry map.
It has evolved over several months through trial and error to bring the best possible gaming experience. Gameplay is often hectic and wildy fun due to the ebb and flow of the map as combatants constantly fight for the upper hand. Weapons have been shuffled and balanced to increase player movement around the map.
Tournament players please note that a NEW variant is being used for 1-Flag, linked below. This variant has been designed specifically for Grindstone, so make sure you use the correct one when playing your matches.
Grindstone
Download Faceoff Slayer
Download Grindstone Faceoff 1-flag
Download Faceoff VIP