| Columns - gaz |
| CMF-GTG commentary 050118 | ||
Here is coverage of the Division 1 semi-final game between  Griffins Tappra Gossar and  Clan Malfunction.Map 1: DM3 Map 2: E1M2 Map 3: DM2 Map 4: CMT3 Map 5: CMT4 To sync up the commentary with the demo, load the mp3 in your chosen player, pause it when the countdown gets to "1", load QW and make a bind for "mp3_play", start the demo and when the countdown reaches "1", press your bind to unpause the mp3. 0 comments |
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| More playoff predictions 050110 | ||
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The playoffs are at various stages in each division. Here are predictions for the remaining games! Division 5 final Clan Cube Squad vs Bufflarna flyger I luften Buff were my pre-tournament favourites but CCS go into the game having won pretty easily vs Elaintarha 2.0. 2oo are no push-over and so I think CCS definitely have a chance of taking down Buff. CCS are strong on CMT3 and DM3, and if they want to win they will need to take these maps and hope for some good fortune on DM2 or CMT4. E1M2 is buff?s home and I can?t see them losing it. Prediction: 3-1 buff Division 4 semi-finals Postal Justice vs Easy to kill PJ are inactive so I?m actually going to predict a walkover to the Polish team? (controversial!) Shadow Minions vs Be Evil SM impressed me a lot at qhlan, and if they can field their top lineup (which is imo apa mm mooseman and pollox), they will be a really tough side to beat. They all have good LG aim which should make CMT4 safe for them, and they have awesome teamplay on DM2; I have never played a team from the lower divisions that takes so many secret red armours! They are also good on DM3. BE are very tough on E1M2 and I would expect them to also take CMT3 (SM aren?t so hot here). DM3 and CMT4 will go a long way to deciding who takes this one home? Prediction: 3-2 to SM, with BE taking CMT3 and E1M2 Division 3 final VVV are one hell of a good team and I don?t see ASS being able to take them down. ASS should have little trouble winning E1M2, but they will also need to win DM2 (VVV?s weakest map, it seems) if they want a chance of winning the match. Unfortunately ASS looked poor there vs RD in the semi-finals. VVV should be able to take home CMT4 and DM3 without any trouble and I would also favour them on CMT3 if that map were to be played. Prediction: 3-1 to VVV (sorry daan) Division 2 semi-finals El?intarha vs MNY MNY are good on DM3 but I think Zoo are just better all-round. Zoo should take E1M2 and CMT3 (their maps) without too much difficulty and I think they can take DM3 too. Prediction: 3-0 to Zoo, 3-1 if MNY get to pick their 2nd map as 3rd map (DM2 could go their way!) Veterans vs Suddendeath These 2 met earlier in the season and Vets won 2-0. I think they should be able to do it again, though maybe SD can prize a DM3 win away. SD?s best map is E1M2 and unfortunately it?s also Vets? best map. If =V= play their best lineup then I can?t see SD being able to beat them. Prediction: 3-1 to Vets Division 1 semi-finals Lege Artis vs Slackers LA looked in ominously good form at qhlan, and SR haven?t been able to prac with their NQR lineup for some time now. As a result, I don?t think that they will be able to beat LA this time. Prediction: 3-1 to LA, with SR winning CMT4. If CMT3 gets played then maybe SR can take that too, but I think tb3 should be safe for LA. Clan SivFunction vs Griffins Tappra Gossar CMF also look in hot form and if Fifi has his quad-boots on then there will be little GTG can do to stop CMF. GTG are very tough to beat on E1M2 and I think they can take that one home, but I think CMF have a big edge on DM3, CMT3 and DM2. Prediction: 3-1 to CMF 12 comments |
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| Merry Christmas! 041227 | ||
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I hope everyone enjoyed a good few festive days. There's more to come and we have the great prospect of the NQR playoff semis and finals as well as QHLAN. It's gonna be a humdinger of a few weeks. As a gift to my loyal readers, I have prepared a package of the GTG-fOm commentary. You can download it (all maps) here. Enjoy! 3 comments |
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| playoff predictions: 1/4 finals 041213 | ||
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Div 5 Masters of Quake Maniacs vs Bufflarna flyger I luften Buff won div 5A without losing a map, thus marking themselves as the most improved team of the season. They will almost certainly take E1M2 and win it; MQM look likely to go with DM2 or DM3. Buff look pretty adept on the CMT maps too so even if it does go to a decider, they should edge this match. Sadtroops vs Ryska Posten It would be a surprise if sadtroops didn?t win this one 2-0 as their opponents barely scraped into the playoffs, and almost certainly wouldn?t have made it if a couple of other teams hadn?t dropped out. Add to this the fact that sadtroops have a 100% record on CMT3, a map that RP don?t know too well, and this one looks to be a certain win for the troopies. Bukkake Samurai vs Clan Cube Squad BS are another clan who have made it to the playoffs with a generous slice of luck. The Hungarians from CCS should have little trouble in dispatching the Fins on DM3, and BS?s best hope will be that CCS don?t know their homemap, CMT3. Vadrigar vs El?intarha 2.0 2oo had a good season, finishing 2nd place in 5A but Vadrigar will be tough opponents. I?d expect 2oo to take and win CMT4, but VE are very tough on DM2. Tactical map throwing could be crucial to settling this one, but I?m tempted to lean towards VE as 2oo will be playing with higher ping than usual. Div 4 Eradication Instincts Defined vs Easy to Kill 3TK won 4A at a canter and will be confident of reaching the semi-finals. EID?s best hope will lie in taking CMT4 and trying to out-skill 3tk. 3tk are surely a better team on both DM2 and DM3, but I think EID could have a chance on E1M2 or CMT3 if it comes to that. Despite that, I think 3tk will win 2-1. Postal Justice vs Dreadful Offensive Squirels It?s tough to decide who will pick what map here as both clans favoured DM2 in the regular season; maybe DOS will go with CMT4 but I?m not sure. Either way, I would be surprised if DOS could knock out PE, who have impressed me a lot with their tight teamplay this season. Clan Metally Troopers vs Shadow Minions CMT usually go with DM3 but if they are smart they will research SM and realise that the Swedes are very tough opponents on both DM2 and DM3; I would expect SM to win DM2 but they may have a more difficult task on CMT3, if that is what CMT go for. I think SM have enough quality - with the likes of pmen and mooseman ? to edge this one in a decider. Be Evil vs Fudoh Fudoh?s inactivity will let them down here I feel; BE practice regularly and have improved an enormous amount during the season. The Germans are strong on E1M2, DM2 and CMT3, and are no slouches on the other maps either. BE are favourites for this tournament in my eyes and I see no way that Fudoh can stop them at this stage. Div 3 Veni Vidi Vici vs Just for fun JFF will probably choose DM2 (they sometimes go for DM3 but that would be suicidal vs VVV) and VVV CMT4; I don?t give the Fins much chance on the latter map, but we all know that anything can happen on DM2. If JFF could get some confidence from a map win, then starplayer Hornlake might just inspire them to victory, but I have to say that VVV are strong favourites for this game. Osams vs Apocalypse 2000 This is my own clan so I have to be careful what I say ;) A2K are the best clan on CMT4 in division 3 so they should have little trouble taking that one against us; likewise I?m confident that we are the strongest on DM3 in the division. As long as we don?t have to play DM2 in the decider I think we can edge it, but neither would I be surprised if A2K were to beat us. Assassins vs Hippushnik Hips are a good DM3 team and might be able to take Ass in this arena, but there?s no way that Hips will take out the Swedes on E1M2. If there is one safe bet in this playoff competition, it?s that Ass will win all their E1M2 games. DM3 is probably their weak map from TB3, so perhaps HIPS can take that one home. Ass have quality players like daan and inferno and should be able to win this one comfortably. Brotherhood of Thangorodrim vs Rabbit Dogs Both teams have been choosing DM2 in NQR this season, although RD has mixed it up a few times and taken CMT4. I would expect these 2 maps to be played in the first round, and I think Psycho_dad will be able to take home DM2 for {T}. RD have the quality UK players to secure CMT4 and the decider could be close. Neither side has a great record on DM3 and both are fairly strong on E1M2. This could be the closest game of the round. Div 2 El?intarha vs Suspected Zoo have impressed many with their meteoric rise to their current level; in NQR5 they played in Division 5 (of 7) and this season they strode to victory in div 2A with 0 losses. Unfortunately for their opponents, the Swedes from Suspected, Zoo are strong on the same maps as them. Zoo?s main weakness seems to be DM2 but with their strongest lineup I would expect them to take that, if it was played. Look out for CMT3 and E1M2 here. Undisputed Paranoic Sensations vs MNY This one has the potential for 3xDM3. Both clans have picked DM3 this season and both are highly proficient on it, though UPS have to thank the Russian Unnamed (XN) for that. If MNY are wise they will pick another map because UPS aren?t so strong elsewhere, as proven by their narrow win over AG. Nevertheless, I think MNY should be able to take this one home; but by what score? Veterans vs Oblivion If Seese and Ztorm play for Vets, then this one is a no-brainer; it will be 2-0 to Vets. Vets will pick E1M2 and although Oblivion are strong here, Vets? first-choice lineup should be able to hold them off pretty well. If Oblivion get a good start on their map then of course, they are capable of squeezing out a victory. However I?d be very surprised if this match had any other outcome than a Vets victory. Suddendeath vs Boefje If you had asked me about this one before the season had started, I?d have said that SD would win easily; however Boefje have improved massively during the season and I would give them a chance in this one. Both clans are proficient on DM2 and CMT3; Boefje are good on DM3 and SD good on E1M2. It?s very tough to predict who will choose what map (Boefje DM2, SD E1M2 is probably a good guess), and even tougher to predict who will win. SD won the game in the SDIT tournament, but in an NQR playoff things are rather different. For the sake of consistency (i.e. I?ve made a prediction for all games), I will say that the Swedes of SD will edge this one 2-1. Div 1 Firing Squad vs Clan MalFucntion A fascinating contest this. If FS can get a lag-free Reppie and Blixem, then they have a real chance of knocking out CMF in the first round. CMF are my pre-playoff favourites because they seem to be strong on every map. I would expect CMF to make a tactical choice of CMT3 and their experience here, along with the refined expertise of Angua, should be enough to take the map home. FS? DM3 (or maybe DM2?) will a bit tighter; if Fix has his gaming-hat on and if Siv has enough sugar, then CMF will be very tough to stop. But who knows, if Reppie is feeling manly enough and has polished those wooden boots, he is capable of taking down an entire team on his own. Ultimately, CMF have 2 extremely manly quadrunners in Fix and Fifi, and of course the MAN_OF_THE_BIG_GAMES in sugar_siv, so I reckon they should be able to win this one. Again though, how many maps will it take? Griffins Tappra Gossar vs Fragomatic FOm have just added Valla to their lineup and so it?s a safe bet that they will take DM3; they are a good DM3 team anyway but with the addition of Valla coupled with GTG?s weakness on The Abandoned Base, one would expect fragomatic to take it home. GTG will pick E1M2, and provided Griffin and mrlame are on their game, GTG won?t lose it, and I don?t think they will lose this map in the entire competition. I see GTG@E1M2 in NQR7 as I saw DS@E1M2 in NQR5; nearly unbeatable. Both clans are reasonably anti-kenya but both have shown proficiency on CMT3. Still, I would expect DM2 to be the decider and with Griffin&mrlame in the team, GTG will be a very tough force for manulito?s men to break down. It?s not impossible for fOm, but I think GTG will edge this one. Slackers vs Hard Guns Crew If SR don?t have their best lineup, then HGC will be highly confident of taking DM2 home provided Javve and Insane are on top of their game. However I don?t give HGC much chance (or any chance?) on the other maps, particularly DM3, and I would think that SR will win this one fairly comfortably to setup a potential semi-final against old enemies Legeartis. LegeArtis vs Game Over This game is a repeat of last season?s Gold playoff 1/4 final, and I don?t see the outcome being any different. LA are simply too strong for DM3, and while GO have very good E1M2 routine and teamplay, LA?s pure skill should be too much for GO. 41 comments |
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| Congratulations, and permutations... 041207 | ||
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With just a few days left, you may be wondering who?s going to sneak those final playoff spots. Well fret no more good sirs! Div 5A Buff, 2oo, Ryska Posten & 1 team out of Bukkake Samurai & JohnBauer Quakers JBQ?s final match vs bottom team Passive Warriors has been voided; JBQ?s hopes lie in persuading the Ukrainians to play the game. Div 5B Clan Cube Squad, Sad troops & 2 teams from Vadrigar, Masters of Quake Maniacs, Sympozium & New Quake Order There?s a fair few unplayed matches in 5B so there are a number of permutations. VE and MQM have the advantage of ?points in the bank? and also having 2 games left. If Triple X beat MQM, they will go (temporarily at least) into 4th spot. Sympozium and New Quake Order can both take a playoff place with 1 more win, but are depending on the results of other games as well. Div 4A Easy to kill, Shadow Minions, Dreadful Offensive Squirrels & 1 from Fudoh, MP, Ignoramus & SSC-B Fudoh are favourites for this one if they can just play 1 or 2 games this week. If not, they will most likely be removed and MP will take their spot. Ignoramus and SSC-B only need 1 win to get into the playoff spots but their recent activity suggests that they won?t even play this week. Div 4B Be Evil, Postal Justice, Clan Metally Troopers & 1 from Da Quakking Manjakks & Eradication Instincts Defined EID need to hope that they can play Madbastards this week; if they can beat them and mjoelktand 2-0, and take at least 1 point from Be Evil, then they are assured of a playoff spot, if only because they beat DQM on Sunday (7 points through 2 x 2-0 and 1 x 1-2 would put them level on points and map difference with both CMT and DQM; EID would therefore be 4th). Div 3A VVV, Thangorodrim & 2 from Apocalpyse 2000, Hippushnik, PMS & Olw A2K are almost certain of a playoff place because in order for more than 1 team to overtake them, the Russian team ufar needs to play and lose against 2 of Hips, PMS & Olw. Unless Olw can play this game, they have no chance of making it. Hips & PMS have 2 games left; one against ufar and the other against each other. If that game is played, it will decide the 4th playoff place. Div 3B Assassins, Osams, Rabbit Dogs & 1 from Just For Fun, Damneds & Klatch It?s simple; only 2 teams can overtake Rabbit Dogs, who are in 3rd. These teams are Damneds and Klatch. Klatch need to win their last 2 games to make it to the playoffs, and guess who they must play? Rabbit Dogs & Damneds! If Damneds win vs Klatch, they will take 4th spot, but if Klatch wins and fail to beat RD, JFF will hang on to their playoff spot. Div 2A El?intarha, Boefje, MNY & 1 from Oblivion and Ax3 Ax3?s activity has fallen away in the last few weeks, so it seems unlikely that they will take the 9 points they need to make it into 4th place, especially as their remaining games include matches vs MNY and Boefje. Div 2B Veterans, Suddendeath & 2 from Toolo Locals, UPS, Death Dealers & Suspected Suspected just need to beat Death Dealers to go into 3rd place; they should then be able to lose vs UPS, although it could come down to map difference. If D2 lose to Suspected, then UPS just need to win one of their games (Suspected or Ancient Gods). If D2 are victorious over Suspected though, UPS would need to beat Suspected to be certain of a playoff spot. Ancient Gods thought they could make it, but recent results have made that impossible. AG would need to beat UPS to have the requisite number of points to be in a playoff spot, but they would only be there on map difference. They would have to hope that Death Dealers lost their last game in order to stay in 4th place, but if D2 did lose that match, then Suspected would leapfrog both D2 AND AG. Confused? You will be. Div 1A LegeArtis, Clan Malfunction, Hard Guns Crew & 1 from Fragomatic & Tribe of Tjernobyl. If ToT want a playoff place, they have to beat Fragomatic and hope that Fragomatic don?t beat HGC. Whether either of these games will happen is anyone?s guess, and even if they do go ahead, one would still have to give Fragomatic the edge. Div 1B Griffins Tappra Gossar, Slackers, Firing Squad & 1 from Game Over & Freedom Freedom have 5 unplayed games and need 10 points from these (3 wins and a 2-1 loss would do) to take a playoff spot. However it?s a bit of a big ask for them to play 5 matches in the space of 6 days when they have only managed 4 in 9 weeks. 14 comments |
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| Who's gonna make the playoffs then, eh? 041201 | ||
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So who?s making the playoffs? There?s only 11 more days of NQR7?s regular season and things will be a little clearer by next Sunday, but for now, here?s a look at who?s in the running and who?s biting their nails over the results of their rivals? Div 5A 2oo have played all their games and have clocked up a respectable 10 points, but it?s the boys from Buff that top the division with 12 points from 4 games (out of 5). These 2 are certainties for playoff spots, but the final spots are going to be a little more hotly-contested. Much depends on whether the remaining games are played or not; John Bauer Quakers and Ryska Posten both have to play bottom team Passive Warriors, whereas Bukkake Samurai (currently 3rd) have 1 game remaining, against Buff. If the 3 teams gunning for 3rd and 4th spots play their remaining games, then it looks likely that RP and JBQ will complete the lineup. Div 5B Clan Cube Square are assured of a playoff spot now, as only 2 teams can realistically overtake them. Sadtroops sit in 2nd and will be confident of holding on to qualify for an ?easier? game in the playoff first round. The 2 Portuguese clans, Vadrigar and MQM, currently sit in the 3rd & 4th spots, and have 2 games left. Triple X from Hungary are just 1 point behind MQM and will fancy their chances of sneaking in. You can?t rule out a late charge from Sympozium or New Quake Order, but it looks like Vadrigar and either MQM or Trix will be completing the playoff lineup in 5B. Div 4A The top 2 clans, Easy to kill & Shadow Minions are certain of a playoff spot now. Dreadful Offensive Squirrels are in 3rd and can mathematically be overtaken, though it is rather unlikely. Fudoh are in 4th place and if they can play a few more games then they should be comfortable, otherwise MP or Ignoramus could sneak past them at the last moment. Div 4B Be Evil, Postal-Justice and Clan Metally Troopers are certain of a playoff place now; the only question is who will finish in what place. I wonder if BE and PJ will face off for the 1st spot? Da Quakking Manjakks can be overtaken, but only if EID can play their remaining 4 games. This will be pretty tough for EID as 2 of these games are against DQM themselves, and table-toppers Be Evil. It looks a safe bet for the current top 4 to stay there and qualify without any difficulty. Div 3A Like 4A, the top 2 here are certain of their playoff places. Indeed, VVV cannot be toppled from #1 spot by any other clan. The final 2 places are tough to predict because it?s not known whether Hips, PMS & Olw are going to play their remaining games. Olw has 1 match left (vs ufar) and a win would put them on 14 points and in 3rd place, giving them hope of qualifying. However PMS and Hips only need to take another 3 points (4 in PMS? case) each to be certain of their place. Div 3B Div 3B has been the most active division this season, withot a single walkover so far. The top 2, Assassins & Osams, are now firmly rooted in those positions; they cannot be overtaken by anyone. Just for fun and Dybbuk sit in 3rd & 4th place respectively, but they have played all of their games and so POFF would need to win just 1 more game to overtake Dyb (on map difference). Similarly, if any of the teams on 11 or 10 points can take a good haul from their remaining games, they will be able to overtake JFF and Dyb. Rabbit Dogs have the most games left so I suppose they are favourites, if they can just get the games played. I?m going to stick my neck out and predict JFF and Klatch for the last 2 spots though. Div 2A Elaintarha and Boefje are definites for the playoffs after more victories in recent weeks. Oblivion have a comfortable 4 point cushion on MNY, but the Fins have 3 games left and can in fact finish 2nd if they take maximum points. New Wave will need to step up their activity and take a couple of wins from their last 2 games if they want to be certain of a playoff place, and I think this is another division where the final positioning will depend greatly on the activity level during the rest of week 9 and during catchup week. Div 2B At this juncture, Veterans can only be overtaken by Suddendeath, and although this seems unlikely, a victory for SD in the showdown between these 2 clans could make it possible. The playoff battle is really hotting up in div 2B, and Ancient Gods threw a spanner in the works on Monday night by taking a surprise victory over SD, 2-0. Toolo Locals have apparently beaten Death Dealers and so they sit in 3rd place with 13 points. UPS and D2 are level on points and map difference and are separated by the result of their game (not on frag difference as the table suggests), so D2 are currently in 4th place. Things are going to be very tight and D2 and UPS will be pinning their hopes on their last games; who knows, it could come down to whether they win 2-1 or 2-0? If Suspected can pull themselves together and play their last few games then they can pull themselves into the reckoning as well, but after recent activitiy, this looks rather unlikely. Div 1A CMF are in 1st place having played all of their matches. One would expect LA to overtake CMF (Fragomatic can still do it but they are yet toplay either CMF, LA or HGC). It would be a big surprise to see the top 4 change from their current standings, but Death Team can put big pressure on HGC and fOm if they win their last game (against ToT). Div 1B Similarly to division 1A, it would be surprising to see things ending up differently to who they are now, at least in terms of the teams in the top 4. The only thing really up for grabs still are the exact finishing positions. FS, GTG and SR are battling it out for the top 2 spots, which will mean an ?easier? game (against either fOm or HGC, most likely, if you can call those ?easy? games). The team finishin in 3rd faces a likely battle against CMF, so it looks like we are guaranteed at least one hum-dinger of a game in the quarter-finals! GTG will play a game this weekend against KOFF in a bid to move back into the #1 spot. Their game vs Firing Squad will be key to deciding the final places, should it be played. Part of me wants SR to finish 3rd; a juicy SR-CMF game would be just the ticket to start the playoffs rolling! 17 comments |
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| Division 1B coverage - Firing Squad vs Slackers 041119 | ||
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Last Sunday 14th November, HangTime and I covered the NQR Division1B match between Slackers and Firing Squad. I'm happy to say that it was an exiciting match that went to a 3rd map, and the game included one of the most breathtaking DM2 rounds of recent times. Check out the Teamspeak recordings (mp3) and autotrack spec demos here: Round 1: DM2 Round 2: CMT4 Round 3: DM3 -- Enjoy 7 comments |
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| NQR7: the story so far - volume 2, part 2 041117 | ||
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Div 2A As predicted, Elaintarha are running away clear at the top of division 2a. They had a tough time of it against Boefje and New Wave, but they came through these two tests unscathed. They have one match left to complete what would be an impressive 100% record. It?s hard to see many teams being able to beat them in the playoffs either. Behind them, boefje and Oblivion look well set for a playoff spot, with 13 points each. The 4th spot is well up for grabs and any one of 4 clans could grab it. New Wave have shown nice form recently and could steal in at the last moment, but they may end up rueing their 4 defeats so far this season. MNY have to be favourites currently, but JAMS will fancy their chances due to their strength on the CMT maps. Prediction: Zoo, Boefje, Oblivion, MNY Div 2B My pre-season favourites for division 2b have slipped up in the past week; Suddendeath lost to Undisputed Paranoic Sensations. This result means two things: Vets are now favourites for the 2B title (they have a 100% record, but are yet to play SD or UPS), and UPS are now in with a great shout of a playoff spot. The Russian clan has only played 4 matches but they?ve lost just once, and with players like XN and Killis (kzech), they will be tough to stop. The 4th playoff spot is still up for grabs; Suspected can still make it if they step up their activity but I think it?s between Polish clan Death Dealers and the Fins from Toolo Locals. Prediction: =V=, SD, UPS, D2 Div 1A The result of div 1A could hinge on whether LA can play the rest of their games or not. If so, they will have no trouble in taking home the 1A #1 spot. They do still need to play Fragomatic, but I don?t envisage them slipping up there. CMF continue to look strong and are favourites for 2nd place at the moment, but fOm will be very tough opponents. Much like Suspected in 2B, fOm?s success will rest on how many games they can get played. If they can play enough matches then they have a real chance of finishing in the top 2. The 4th spot should be taken by Hard Guns Crew, unless something miraculous happens regarding the fortunes of Tribe of Tjernobyl or Hyphen. Prediction: LA, CMF, fOm, HGC Div 1B Slackers this week took a key victory by beating Firing Squad 2-1. This result means that they are firm favourites to get into 2nd place and thus ensure an ?easier? game in the playoff quarter-finals. Griffins Tappra Gossar have played 5 out of 9 games without losing and are favourites to take the division title as long as they can beat FS; if not, then SR may squeeze into 1st place due to their superior Frag difference. If SR end up in 2nd place, we could be looking at the SR-LA showdown in the semi-finals? I?ve said before that the 4th playoff spot is anybody?s in this division, but I didn?t expect Insanity to be challenging for it. Since they recruited Wigorf to their team they have looked a lot strong and will be hopeful of squeezing into the 4th position. However, their last 2 games are against GTG and Game Over and so one would not expect them to pick up more than 1 or 2 more points at the most. If Game Over and KOFF get their act together, I would expect them to be pushing for the 4th spot too, as well as Team Freedom. This one is very very tough to call and it?s going to be an exciting finish to the season. Prediction: GTG, SR, FS, GO 5 comments |
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| NQR7: the story so far - volume 2, part 1 041112 | ||
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Div 5A Div 5A lost one of its top teams since my last update. Suddendeath 2 requested that they were removed from NQR; this is a great shame as they were one of the favourites for 5A and maybe for the whole div 5 playoff. In their absence, the path should be clear for 2oo to stroll to the div 5a title. Behind them, BUFF and Bukkake Samurai shouldn?t have too many troubles in claiming the other playoff spots. The race for the 4th spot could be interesting but I?m tipping Ryska Posten to sneak in there. Prediction (no particular order): 2oo, BUFF, BS, RP Div 5B Sad troops are looking odds-on to take division 5B. They stand proud in 1st place having lost just 2 maps so far this season, with 4 wins from 4. They are yet to play their nearest rivals, Clan Cube Squad, but the troops will be boosted by the fact that CCS have lost a recent game to the Portuguese clan MQM. MQM sit in 4th place at the moment, with their fellow countrymen Vadrigar in 3rd. I?m struggling to see where any challenge to these teams will come from; Sympozium, currently in 5th, seems to be the only clan capable of breaking into the top 4. Prediction (no particular order): :(, CCS, Vad, MQM Div 4A This one looks pretty cut-and-dried to me. There?s only 8 teams left (from 11 originally) but I think that the current top 3 plus Dreadful Offensive Squirrels will make the playoffs. Current leaders Easy To Kill, and second-placed Shadow Minions are both looking very strong, as are Norwegian clan Fudoh. None of these clans have lost a map yet. If DOS can pull their shit together and play a few games, they should be able to overhaul the likes of MP and SSC-B. Prediction (no particular order): 3TK, SM, FUD, DOS Div 4B Through some freakish incidences involving mid-season promotions and clans dropping out, div 4B has 12 teams, 4 more than 4A. This makes predicting the final outcome rather tricky. It will be nigh impossible to shift Be Evil (5 wins out of 5) and Postal-Justice (6 out of 6) from their places in the top 4, but the other 2 spots are still contestable. The clans in the top 2 spots have to be favourites just now (Da Quaking Manjakks and Clan Metally Troopers) as both have the advantage of ?points in the bank?. The main challenge will come from Eradication Instincts Defined, a clan who are very strong on DM2 but who have only played 3 matches and have yet to play BE or DQM yet. Prediction (no particular order): BE, PE, DQM, CMT Div 3A The div 3A is all but in the hands of Veni Vidi Vici. Only Thangorodrim and HolY can mathematically beat them, but even then the frag difference of those 2 clans make it highly improbable. Thangorodrim will be confident of maintaining 2nd spot after the addition of Psycho_Dad has helped them to a few key victories. A3K have shown great bouncebackability after defeats to Olw and VVV and also look set for a playoff spot. The final place could be hotly contested; it?s between Hips, Olw, PMS and Holy. Holy will need to get themselves in gear and play some matches if they want to stay in the frame, but they are more than capable of picking up the points. Likewise, Olw will need to take maximum points from their remaining games if they want to have a chance of overtaking Hips. PMS have an outside chance but they have 4 games to go and it?s there for them if they want it enough. Prediction (no particular order): VVV, T, HIPS, A3K Div 3B My own clan?s division is really shaping up to be the most closely-contested division and it looks as though it will go right down to the wire. Assassins sit proudly on top, having lost just 1 game from 6, and they would seem to be favourites to finish 1st. My own clan, Osams, has lost two games so far but we stil have to play 3 of the strongest teams; Damneds, Assassins, and Rabbit Dogs. Nonetheless, we are confident we can take 6 or 7 points from those games and put ourselves in a good position for the playoffs. Behind us are 4 clans who have lost 3 games, and behind that are another 2 clans who have lost 4. PsychoHaloons Crew probably won?t last the race but any clan from POFF, Dybbuk, Klatch, and Just for fun is capable of getting into the playoffs. Rabbit Dogs and Damneds have only played 3 games each but are amongst the stronger sides in this division and can be expected to challenge. It really is too close to call, but if you really pushed me then I would predict that Klatch and POFF will sneak in to the playoffs. Prediction (no particular order): Ass, OS (I?ve got to be confident about my own clan, right?), POFF, K! 19 comments |
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| NQR7: the story so far, part 2 041021 | ||
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Here's part 2 of my "season so far" review, featuring a look at divisions 1 & 2. Div 2A As predicted, Elaintarha have shown a strong start to the season, taking 2 wins out of 2. The Zoo will take some stopping this season, powered by the mighty T-Moe and backed up by Lohjan Dag himself. Their CMT3 skills are finely-honed and their expertise on E1M2 & CMT4 will make them very tough to take down. Boefje have impressed me with their start to the season: beating Empires of Azeroth was not easy, and I certainly didn?t expect them to beat Finnish clan MNY. MNY will be disappointed but have the quality on TB3 to mount a challenge for the playoff spots. I would expect Boefje to join Zoo in the top 4 judging on the early season form. JAMS started with a win and a loss, as have Best Frags and Oblivion. The UK clan will fancy their chances of sneaking into the playoffs as they have pretty solid play on the custom maps, as well as DM3. This division will be pretty tight and all of the clans have what it takes to make the top 4 if they practice hard and play well when it coutns, but from what I?ve seen so far, I?d tip Elaintarha, Boefje, MNY and Oblivion. I will probably be proved wrong of course? Div 2B Division 2B looks a bit more clear-cut. Suddendeath have started very impressively, winning 4 games and dropping only 1 map. Veterans have also made a good start to NQR7, winning both of their opening games with some style. Vets will be hoping that their superstar Ztorm can keep up his good form. I think that this division will be decided by the game between SD and Vets in week 7. The remaining 2 playoff spots will be very keenly-contested. Death Dealers have shown a promising start, as have the Toolo Locals, although both have also slipped up. Paranoids lost their first game, but this was against SD, and you would have to be very foolish to completely rule them out, even if they are out of practice. Para have one of the strongest DM2 games in the division so they will be confident of winning enough matches to get into the top 4. Keep an eye out for UPS, the Russian clan; they have impressed me with their start, beating TL but losing to D2. With players such as XN and Kzech (Killis), they have the power to make the top 4. My dark horses of this conference though, currently lie in 9th place. Clan Suspected have lost both of their opening games, but it is important to note that these games were against Suddendeath and Veterans. Suspected impressed me greatly with their performances in these games and I?m sure that once they get their first win, they will get a big boost in confidence. Near the bottom, it looks like being a tough season for mumS and Ancient Gods. Finite have yet to play any matches. Div 1A Lege Artis have showed a typically strong start, winning 3 matches out of 3. The way they are playing at the moment makes it nearly impossible to predict any other clan to win NQR7. LA breezed past CMF (no mean feat) and ground out a solid win over HGC. In addition, they schooled Paranoia on DM2 and DM3. CMF have had an iffy start to the season; in addition to losing to LA, they have dropped maps against Russian clan Death Team and fellow Fins AntiQuad. If CMF can get their top lineup together, they should have little trouble getting into the playoffs, especially now that they have added some solidity to their roster with the addition of Angua. His effective and unselfish teamplay should compliment the CS-quad skills of fifi, and the inhuman mad skills of fix. Fragomatic have yet to play, but they did get 3 points from a WO win against Death Team. I think fOm have what it takes to make the top 4, but the scrap for the 4th spot is hotting up already. HGC are the current favourites, having shown some nice play in their match vs LA. I don?t think anyone will beat them on DM2 this season, so that should guarantee that even if they lose a couple of games, they will at least pick up 1 point from those matches. Hyphen showed good form to beat Tribe of Tjernobyl 2-1 but will have to step their game up if they want to finish in the playoff zone. It looks like being a long season for Paranoia after their heavy defeat vs LA. Death Team and Antiquad look like being the clans that will fight Para for the wooden spoon. Div 1B The two favourites for this division, FS and SR, have both started strongly. Most would have predicted that FS would beat Game Over, but the manner in which Reppie?s boys won that game was indeed highly impressive. I am looking forward eagerly to the FS-SR match. The Slackers themselves have eased to comfortable victories over SSC and Kala, and will face their first major test of the season on Sunday when they meet Griffin Tapy Gosu. GTG themselves started well by beating Kala 2-1, and will gain confidence from the fact that they have played very close prac matches vs SR in recent weeks. FS, SR, and GTG will fancy themselves for the playoffs, but just like in 1A, the 4th spot is very much up for grabs. Game Over will look to bounce back from their defeat to FS in their upcoming games and they certainly have the pedigree to do so, particularly on CMT4 and E1M2. KOFF have surprised me with their start, with Gamer bringing the smackdown to Freedom and SSC. Whether they can repeat these performances against their playoff rivals is another question altogether. Freedom themselves will look to overcome the disappointment of losing unexpectedly to KOFF, and with players such as Valla and Firehoppir, they can certainly do that. Personally, I think that if all clans play to form, Game Over will be the ones to slide in to 4th spot, but it really could go any way. At the bottom, it looks like being a tough season for Insanity (formerly Dutch Hope), who have lost their first 2 games pretty heavily. I would think that come the end of the season, SSC, Kala and the Axemen will be keeping them company near the foot of the table. 11 comments |
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| NQR coverage... 041020 | ||
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Here's some NQR commentaries: Div 1A - HGC vs LA Round 1: E1M2 Round 2: DM2 Round 3: DM3 Div 3A - VVV vs A3K Round 1: DM3 Round 2: CMT4 Round 3: E1M2 I recommend DM2 from the HGC-LA match, and CMT4 from the VVV-A3K game. 1 comments |
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| NQR7: the story so far, part 1 041019 | ||
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Div5A 3 clans have set the early pace here, with Elaintarha 2.0, Buff, and Bukkake Samurai (best clan name ever?) taking maximum points from their 2 games so far. In fact, none of these clans has even lost a map yet. SD2 also have a 100% map record, having won their only game 2-0. It looks likely that it will be these 4 making up the playoffs spots at the end of the season. At the bottom, John Bauer Quakers have chalked up 2 defeats from 2 and look to be in for a tough ride. Ryska Posten and EGDA look like they will be keeping JbQ company at the bottom of div 5A. Div5B Sad Troops? quest for global domination has got off to a good start, with the saddest clan around taking 4 maps out of 4 to get 2 wins at the start of the season. Clan Cube Squad from Hungary look to be the biggest threat to the troops, and the Magyars have also taken 2 wins out of 2 games. Beneath them, it looks as though Masters of Quake Maniacs, Sympozium and Wicked Assault Rangers are shaping up for a battle for the final playoffs spots. Polish clan Phyresis look to be in for a difficult season, having lost both of their opening games. Div 4A Shadow Minions have set the early pace in div 4A, winning 3 games out of 3 without losing a map. Dreadful Offensive Squirrels, powered by Fah-Q, and Easy to Kill have also had strong starts and will be confident of maintaining their position until the end of the season. Ignoramus won their first game but I wouldn?t expect them to stay in the playoff spots for too long. Fudoh sit in 6th despite not having played a game yet (their game vs defs was voided after the Portuguese clan dropped out) but the Norwegian clan are my tip to break into the top 4 before too long. At the bottom, Jagarna and [MP] are surely going to be battling to avoid the wooden spoon. Clan Danube lost their first game but are capable of better things and should move away from the foot of div 4A soon. Div 4B Div 4B is already looking like the much stronger conference in division 4. CMT sit on top, having won 4 out of 4, with Swedish CTF maestros DQM in second place with 3 wins from 3. Be Evil have looked very strong in taking their first 2 wins, but look out for Postal-Justice and Chopstick Ninjas. CN will be disappointed to have slipped up in 2 games but are in a good position at this stage. Further down, it looks like being a scrap between knockback mjoelktand and Suicide Commando to avoid finishing last. MADBASTARDS are currently bottom having lost both of their games so far but have the squad capable of lifting them away from the foot of the table. Div 3A My pre-season tip Veni Vidi Vici are running away with division 3A so far, having won 5 games from 5. Until last night?s epic battle vs A3K, VVV hadn?t even lost a map. They are showing accomplished performances on CMT4 and DM3 and will be very hard to displace from #1 spot. Olw will be rather disappointed to have lost 2 games (to PMS and Hippushnik) but will still be confident of a playoff spot, having shown some nice performances. Below these 2, it is going to be very close for the remaining playoff spots. Hippushnik have made a good start but have yet to play VVV or A3K; their playoff credentials will be fully tested in these games. A3K are showing inconsistent form and could rue defeats vs Olw and VVV in close matches come the end of the season, but if they can do the job against the other clans in the division then they will be worthy of a playoff spot. I expect Discharge, PMS & Holy to challenge for the playoffs, though I think that the clans currently in the top 4 are the most likely to qualify. Holy have already blotted their copybook somewhat by losing to Zundbyberg aZZ KickerZ, the clan that has already played 8 out of its 10 NQR games, with a stunning return of 1/7. At the bottom, Batida Swing looks to be in for a tough season, and the Russian clan ufar has yet to really show what it is capable of. Div 3B Swedish clan Pigs of Fucking Fury lead the way in division 3B, having gained impressive victories over PHC, Osams & Fallen Angels. They did however slip up against Just For Fun, the Finnish clan who made a bad start by losing to Osams and PHC, but look to have resurrected their chances by beating a very strong POFF team. POFF are still my favourites to win this conference, but they will face stiff competition. My own clan Osams has had an indifferent start, having beaten PHC and JFF with relative ease before losing to POFF in indifferent fashion. Our next game vs fnu on Sunday will be very important. Fnu themselves lost to dybbuk last week in their first game and will be keen to set things right following that somewhat unexpected setback. Div 3B promises to be very tight and I think that teams will be taking games off each other all the way through the season. There are 8 teams capable of getting in the top 4 and the clans that hold their nerves best in the big games will be the ones that get there. 21 comments |
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| Hyphen vs ToT coverage :) 041012 | ||
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Well FS-SR didn't happen, but I did manage to cover the game between Hyphen and Tribe of Tjernobyl. It was quite close, with the first 2 maps both having a final frag difference in single figures. The final map wasn't so close but the whole game is worth a look. Click below for autotrack demos and commentary mp3 package. Round 1: DM3 (ToT's choice) Round 2: E1M2 (Hyphen's choice) Round 3: DM2 11 comments |
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| Division 1 coverage coming your way! 041007 | ||
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This Sunday, the 10th October, we will see the clash of two old rivals in NQR division 1B. The new-look Slackers lineup will meet Firing Squad at 21CET, and it promises to be a fascinating contest. Some people will say that whoever wins this match will be favourites to take the Div 1B title and thus ensure an "easier" game in the 1/4 finals of the playoffs, and they could be right. Both sides will expect to beat the other teams in the group and will want to get off to a good start in this game. SR will be confident about this match. After all, FS haven't even taken a map off the NQR champions since NQR3. Since then, they SR have defeated Reppie's boys in the semi-finals of NQR4, NQR5 AND NQR6, all 3-0. FS will see this as their chance to end that run. SR are likely to be without their real match-winner, Hib, who seems to be taking a break from 4on4. On top of this, Gamer, another key player from SR's last 3 NQR campaigns, has left SR to play with KOFF this season, and so the reigning champions will be looking to new boys Xerial and Circle to bolster their chances. A lineup of Paradoks, Goljat, Xerial and Circle certainly looks strong, and they can of course also call upon Champ and Xalibur as reserves. Nonetheless, FS will fancy their chances. Last season's playoff semi-final was 3-0 to SR, but FS played well on all 3 maps and it wasn't an easy victory by any means. If FS play their strongest lineup (Reppie, Razor, Blixem, Spoink) then they can beat any team in QW on a good day, but they may well suffer from inactivity recently. SR have been practicing fairly hard (albeit with standins Nikke & Crazymac) and look to have polished their DM3 play to a high level once again. Because of this dedication to the Abandoned Base, I fancy SR to pick DM3, and to win it. FS will almost certainly take DM2, and as we all know, on DM2 anything can happen. Provided FS don't suffer from the dreaded "SR start", I would fancy Reppie & Razor's quad running skills to be sufficient to win the map for FS. The final map is anyone's guess though I would expect it to be either E1M2, as neither side is known for its proficiency on CMT3 or CMT4. So we could be in for an interesting game and while I can't promise a 3-map-thriller, I can promise that it will be a very intriguing game to kickstart NQR div 1. The NQR crew will of course be on hand to provide Qizmo cam coverage, and I will be running my usual Teamspeak show with qw.nu. So join me and possibly HangTime, Sassa etc for the first "big" game of NQR7 on Sunday at 21CET! 17 comments |
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| NQR7 preview part 2 040928 | ||
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Division 2A Division 2 showcases a wide range of skills, from those not quite strong enough for div 1, down to those deemed too good for division 3. At one end of the scale of Div2A, we have Elaintarha, the Finnish clan who have impressed everyone with their big improvements since moving from Team Fortress several seasons ago. Having added Diki (ToT), Myz (!MM!) and Melody (Qandrane) to their rooster, the boys from the Zoo will be aiming for a top 3 finish this season. Their biggest rivals will most likely come from their fellow Fins, MNY, and Russian team New Wave. MNY have a strong squad with players such as Adler and Pai who are more than capable of making a key contribution at this level. New Wave have players such as glad who have played in the upper echelons of NQR in recent seaons, and after an impressive effort in the Summer Cup, NW will want to push on to the playoffs. Outside of these 3, it is anyone?s guess as to who will get the playoff spots. Boefje have a strong squad made up of ex-4K players such as kryten & amen, as well as other strong Central European players like gijs, dopeskillz and Mja. If Empires of Azeroth can get their strongest lineup out, then they will be keen to make an impression on the division. Players such as Locktar, venture, sae and uig have the experience and skills to do well in this division, and they will all be needed to play a crucial supporting role to the team?s superstar, tyrone the sneaky fucking russian. Whether Tyrone will leave his caravan to play any QW this season is unknown, but this issue will be important to EA?s success. Fraggers United and JAMS are two very experienced lineups but the competition in this conference could prove too strong for them. Ax3, Best Frags and Oblivion are unknown quantities in some respects, but one would expect to see them scrapping it out near the foot of the table. Division 2B Div 2B contains several clans that feel they have been placed in the wrong division. Finite (a mix of UK & North Americans), Ancient Gods, Veterans and Suspected will all expect a tough season this year, but they should each be able to pick up some points and confidence in the games between each other. Suspected in particular look pretty useful and have strong teamplay, boosted by former Jagarna players Eggarf and Swing in particular. Vets have added former BGSR star Ztorm to their rooster in order to help them survive at this level but it is uncertain as to whether his skills will be sufficient to guide the Vets to a playoff spot. At the top of the table, expect to see the Swedes from Suddendeath battling with the Hungarians from clan Paranoids. Para finished 2nd in div 2 in NQR6 but have been struck down with inactivity over the summer months; their strongest lineup is unlikely to be available throughout the season so they will simply aim for the playoffs and then see what happens. SD boasts a very good squad including players such as Flepser, Bagheera and Blaps; all of their team has good skills and nice teamplay and SD will be very tough to beat. The Fins from Toolo locals and the kurwas of Death Dealers, led by Kat (of former HGC fame) will also hope to finish in the top spot, but the Russians from UPS and the Finnish clan mumS will be hoping to spoil the party. Division 1A Division 1 has always been renowned for its high drama, high skills and exciting games, and this season is unlikely to be any different. Conference A features 2 of the best clans from NQR history and is an intriguing prospect. LegeArtis head up the list and will be most people?s favourites to win the whole she-bang. They came close last season and they have been practicising actively in the last few weeks. It looks likely that superstar-slime will also be more active this season, which will come as a big boost to LA. We may have lost TVS this season, but another old-school Finnish clan has taken their place. Yep, that?s right, the boys from Clan Malfunction are back. You?d have to be mad to predict CMF to finish outside of the top 2 if you consider their current rooster. In fix & fifi, they have 2 of the greatest 4on4 players of all time, and these 2 are complimented by more top players such as vana, hlt and siv. CMF?s long-term success will probably depend on the stability of their lineup, but it would be very surprising if we didn?t see them and LA battling out for top spot in division 1A. Fragomatic, like the aforementioned Elaintarha, are another clan that has shown enormous improvements in recent seasons. After a very good season in NQR5-div2, fOm reached NQR6?s Gold playoff quarter-finals, before losing 2-0 to Slackers. Their recent practices show that they have continued to build on that success, and with the addition of former EQ player XantoM, fOm have a lineup that is capable of great things. They?re more reliant on strong teamplay than on awesome individual skills, but fOm?s rooster is still more than capable of making a large dent in NQR this season. Behind these 3 clans is a small clutch of clans who will all hope to steal the final playoff spot. AntiQuad will hope to improve on NQR6 where they finished last in div1 without a single win, and Hyphen and Hard Guns Crew will also want to register a better performance this time round. These 3 along with Tribe of Tjernobyl will be favourites to fight it out for the final playoff place, but at this stage it will be tough to predict it. The Axemen (Norway/Sweden), Paranoia (Finland) and Death Team (Russia) complete the division 1A lineup and each of these clans will be keen to show that they are not just there to make up the numbers. Division 1B If Div1A is tough to predict, then 1B a real toughie. People will point to reigning champions Slackers as the favourites for this conference, and despite SR losing some key players, this is probably still the case. SR will have to hope that the loss of Gamer and the predicted inactivity of Hib will not affect them too much, and that new members Xerial and Circle can settle in to the SR way of life quickly, if they are to repeat last season?s success. Behind them, Firing Squad, Griffins Tappra Gossar, Game Over, Gatugeng and perhaps Freedom will all be confident of getting into the playoff places. FS in particular will fancy their chances if they can get their best lineup of Razor/Reppie/Blixm/Spoink playing regularly again. FS should be too strong for the other teams, and perhaps they can even end their horrific recent run against SR and take some points off them this season. GTG have added mrlame since last season, and more importantly, Griffin is now an LPB. The prospect of these 2 and UL in the same team is mouth-watering; the 4th player in GTG?s lineup will be crucial if the Swedes are to have any success. Game Over (formerly Fudoh) will be hoping for another playoff outing having lost to LA in last season?s quarter-finals, and their strength of CMT4/E1M2 will be key if they are to have any success. Gatugeng are particularly hard to predict: the early signs are good, with former BGSR/X players Angua and Vladde signing up to join Purity, but their success will depend on whoever else is brought in to join them. The names interceptor and wigorf have been mentioned on the rumour mill, and these would certainly give Gatan a good chance of a playoff spot at the very least. These rumours are of course, only rumours at this stage, and the chances are equal that Gatan could finish 2nd or 7th. Similarly, Freedom are looking to add to their squad, though it is thought that their search is over, having signed up Javve (former Divines). They will still face a tough task to make one of the 4 playoff spots, but considering the quality of players such as Firehoppir and Whajna/Valla/Progamer/Whatever he?s called this week, they are well-equipped to face the other clans in the division. The other clans, Insanity! (formerly Dutch Hope), Kala, KOFF and Satanic Slaughter Clan will all struggle to threaten the playoff hopefuls, but should be able to take enough points off each other to avoid a complete wash-out this season. 22 comments |
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| NQR7 preview part 1 040927 | ||
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Division 5A Div 5A is the Scandinavian and Baltic conference of NQR?s basement division, and is a healthy mix of new clans and those who battled hard to keep off the bottom of division 5 in NQR6. Ryska Posten, EGDA, and 2oo have all sampled life near the bottom of NQR before and will be relying on that experience to help them through the new season. The unknown element is provided by Russian clan BEST and by the Ukrainians from Passive Warriors, as well as a handful of newly-formed Swedish clans and Bukkake Samurai from Finland. Little is known about most of these clans, but Suddendeath 2 have been looking pretty handy, having picked up the basics of teamplay pretty quickly. 2oo have strengthened by adding Ananas from Qandrane, but could still struggle to overhaul SD2. Division 5B Div 5B takes in the Southern, Central and Western European clans, as well as mjoelktand from Sweden. Sympozium and sad troops have ?changed codes?, having played q3promode previously, and will be looking for a playoff spot. Clan Cube Squad will also be hoping to get into the top 4 and have been looking useful during pre-season. Wicked Assault Rangers boast a strong squad including former UK 4on4 stalwarts Buffy and Sinner. We have also got 2 new Portuguese clans in NQR7; vadrigar and Masters of Quake Maniacs. This conferences looks tough to predict but Cube Squad, Sympozium, sad troops and WAR will all fancy their chances of making the playoffs. Division 4A Div 4A has a number of clans who will fancy their chances of taking the title. Fudoh, Jagarna, Shadow Minions, Gods of Hellfire and [MP] all played in division 4 in NQR6 but several of these clans have lost key members; MP in particular have suffered, losing their star man Rimez to div3?s Osams. All of these clans should still be strong enough to make a challenge for the playoff spots, but will face tough competition in the form of Polish clan Easy to kill and Hungarian clan Danube and the Poles from DOS won?t be easy prey either. It would be very surprising if the top 2 come the end of the regular season were not Portuguese veterans Defs and the Fins from SSC?s B-team. Defs have added team.dk?s Latency to their lineup and SSC-B have some talented players in their roster, such as Akhilles and Demonarch, and both clans will be disappointed should they not at least reach the playoffs. Division 4B Div 4B has the potential to be very interesting indeed. As with 4A, there are some clans that played at this level last season; EID (formerly JW) and JBR had differing experiences in NQR6 but will be hoping for a good performance this time round. Chopstick Ninjas have a weaker lineup than in previous seasons, but will not be easy opponents for any team; players such as Tengo, whimp and L3m are more than capable of doing damage at this level. CN?s main threat will come from Postal-Justice, Clan metally troopers, and Da Quaking Manjakks. DQM have followed in the footsteps of Veni Vidi Vici, moving over from CTF and showing remarkable improvement in a short space of time. Knockback are another q3promode-convert and will hope to continue the form they showed in NQR5, when they played very well in div 7 under the name Quick Omission. With former UK QW captain Acquiesce in their squad, they won?t be far away. Don?t rule out the experienced clans Smackthatass or Suicide Commando either? Division 3A Div 3A is a mainly made up of clans that took part in NQR5 & 6, but there is also a sprinkling of new clans in there. Olw & Holy were last season?s Bronze finalists but will be hard-pressed to repeat that achievement as there is some very tough opposition in this conference. New clan ZAK will be one such team hoping to break into the playoff spots, led by former Freedom member, Znappe. Batida Swing and Pulverising Mongo Strutsers both reached the Bronze playoffs in NQR6, before being beaten by Holy; they will be eager to avenge those defeats. However, the teams to beat will be Hippushnik, led by Joulokku (the new fix), and Veni Vidi Vici, a clan that has moved over from QWCTF and picked up the rudiments of TDM very quickly. Discharge, A2K and the rest will all have a chance of getting the final playoff spots, but it?s going to be very, very tight. Division 3B Like 3A, div 3B will be highly-competitive, and it will be very tough to predict the winner at this stage. There are a handful of clans that pride themselves on being good on particular maps; Osams on DM3, dybbuk and Klatch on DM2, Assassins and POFF on E1M2. The fate of these clans will rest on how they perform on the other maps, and I would expect to see a number of games being decided on CMT4 and CMT3. Polish clan Damneds did well last season and will hope to push for a top 4 finish, as will the Fins from Just For Fun. NQR also welcomes back the boys from fnu and the Danes from Fallen Angels. Both clans will face a tough fight to establish themselves at this level, but have the players capable of making a big impact. 21 comments |
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League Coverage |