This last week has been a thrilling time for World of Tanks eSports! Go4WoT51 was the monthly finals during which RED team1 masterfully took the title. However, proving that exciting matches can happen at any time, our eSports manager Bump reports on the Go4WoT 52 finals that took place this Sunday.
Here The RED team1 (RED: Rush) took on the Polish might of the Evil Panda Squad (EPS). Both of these teams clashed at the recent invitational in Cologne, Germany so this set of games was destined to be very close and exciting to watch! Would RED: Rush prevail again or would there be a different victor?
EPS
Carmon (T32), Ejs (T32), NewMultiShow (AMX 13 90), Tomasz6543 (T32), xinef (T-50-2), Sony43 (Grille) 100lec (Bison).
RED : Rush
Delilash (T32), kirilloid (T32), de1uxe (T32), KillTheRed (T-50-2), Angel_killer (Grille), Stratik (AMX 13 90), Ecl1pse (Bison).
Map : Arctic Region
Both teams got off to a fast start. All of the scouts immediately raced up to the northwest area of the map where both teams’ T-50-2s clashed. First blood went to EPS as RED: Rush’s T-50-2 went down under a barrage of fire from EPS’s AMX and their own T-50-2.
This fast loss of their leader seemed to shake the RED’s confidence a little and their other tanks took up a more defensive formation. RED’s AMX fired off some shots towards EPS but with no real effect, and then headed towards the south for a flanking maneuver.
The T32s of EPS pushed forward with perfectly timed artillery shots and edged toward RED’s heavies. For a while it looked like the game was heading toward a stalemate situation, but then suddenly, unspotted by EPS, the AMX of RED appeared in the flank! After quickly dispatching the Grille, the AMX spotted the Bison of EPS, which was then hit by a masterful artillery shot.
Things were not looking good for EPS at this point but luck final turned their way and they managed to kill the crafty AMX of the RED team. This put them 1 tank down but they had the points advantage again.
Then all hell broke loose!
RED team made a bold push to try and take out the T32s of EPS, but EPS had other ideas. Their AMX sped through the middle of the map and trapped RED’s heavies in a pincer movement. After that, it was over in a matter of seconds. Time finally ran out with EPS at a clear points advantage and so game 1 went to EPS.
The heroic AMX 13 90 of NewMultiShow (EPS)
Both teams again headed for the northwest, but this time it was EPS’s turn to be more cautious. The scouts of EPS hung back and spotted from the ridge but it was they who were spotted first and their T-50-2 took a really heavy hit from one of RED’s T32s. With the T32s of both teams tied up and neither team having the advantage, EPS made a bold decision to send its scouts south and look for a flanking opportunity.
The scouts quickly found RED’s T-50-2 which was also looking to flank. They managed to dispatch it but only after it had taken some very good shots and heavily damaged both of EPS’s scouts. Then as the scouts pushed over the hill, RED’s AMX 13 90 was waiting for them. EPS’s AMX was quickly destroyed and their T-50-2 was held up long enough for a supporting T32 to finish it off.
As this battle raged on near the back of RED’s base, the EPS T32s took the opportunity to move forward. They displayed some awesome positioning and protecting their damaged T32s with the less damaged ones, but unfortunately RED’s artillery backing up their full health T32s were too much for the damaged tanks of EPS. RED won the engagement and subsequently the battle.
Game 2 goes to RED: Rush
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EPS Tanks protecting their damaged team mate
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The EPS artillery didn’t have a fun game!
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At this point, I would like to say something about eSports. As time goes on and as games get more and more competitive, strategies start to change as teams learn each other’s play styles and adapt to try and overcome them. This is called ‘changing the meta game’. The reason I mention this is that in World of Tanks we are still a very new as an eSport. So, in this next game, I was very pleased to start seeing teams thinking about what they can change to adapt to a powerful opponent, and looking at how they can overcome this with tactics.
For game 3 there was a change in the lineup of EPS:
Xinef dropped the T-50-2 and instead took a second AMX 13 90. This put the team over the maximum allowed tierpoints, so Sony sacrificed his beloved Grille and instead took a speedy tier 2 light tank (T2LT).
EPS was clearly determined to try something different this game. At the start one of the AMX 13 90s and the T2LT headed south straight away and held position, preparing for a counter flank. The 2nd AMX headed northwest to try and spot RED: Rush, and spot them it did! Tank shells battered its hull but it made it out alive and having confirmed RED’s position headed down to join its Twin AMX and the T2LT.
As usual the T32s of both RED and EPS were staring down each other’s barrels in the northeast and trading some monster shots, but no fatal damage had occurred. The now three light tanks of EPS sped along the south of the map and connected with the T-50-2 of RED: Rush like a freight train! The T-50-2 put up a good fight but was quickly overrun by the three light tanks and RED: Rush scrambled back to stop the flank attack. This is what the T32s of EPS had been waiting for and they immediately powered forward, quickly dispatching RED tanks and artillery left and right.
Game 3 and the tournament goes to Evil Panda Squad!
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Double trouble!
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Missed me!
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A valiant last stand by RED: Rush player Straik
You can see these awesome battles for yourself by watching the replay files below!
Replay of Go4WoT 52 Final Game 1
Replay of Go4WoT 52 Final Game 2
Replay of Go4WoT 52 Final Game 3
To view files, just click the link to download and save it to a location of your choice, then double-click to play the file.
If you’re interested in participating in the next Go4WoT then please sign up on the ESL page or talk to any of the ESL admins that frequent either the World of Tanks ESL forum or our own forums. There are also a number of regular pro players who would be happy to give you some advice on tactics for the tanks you play most.
See you next week for another ESL report, Commanders!
