A duolckrad and SirCallen collaboration
Mitoe – Mancl’s fist
Principal practice partner of the legendary _H2O, Mitoe’s claim to fame in the ESOC tournament era has been in his ability to come up short when it matters. After falling in the Ro8 in both Summer and Winter 2015, Mitoe showed promise during the ESOC Invitational and Starvation tournaments, but ultimately disappointed with an early Ro16 exit in Autumn 2016.
With his advancement into the semifinals, this is the furthest we’ve seen him yet. It hasn’t been an easy road – Mitoe took a close 3-2 series against The_LastSamurai in the Ro32, and an even-closer reverse sweep against PrinceofKabul in the Ro16. But with a convincing 4-1 victory over snowww, Mitoe looks to be in great form, and a strong contender for the gold.
Though mechanically sound, Mitoe’s greatest strength is in his clever builds and thorough preparation. Often devising builds around specific features of the map and crafting civilization picks matched to his opponent, he is one of the smartest players around.
BlackStar_OP – Return of the king
Two years ago he toppled the mighty _H2O in the enthralling finals of ESOC’s first ever, highest turnout tournament, ASC Spring 2015. Absent from tournament play in the subsequent year, BlackStar_OP has now come back to find his throne under new management, though he looks eager to reclaim what might rightfully be his. Thus far he has smashed through Couprider, Hazza54321, and Tit without dropping a map, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Blackstar’s detractors could argue that his bracket so far has been of an easier orientation, that his absence from tournament play has rendered him weak against an improving field, and that his relative lack of preparation compared to his opponent will catch him flat-footed. But make no mistake: this is not a player to underestimate.
Virtuosic in all of AoE3’s many facets, it’s difficult to say where his weaknesses lie. A strong opponent moving forward, his fellow competitors would do well to prepare for his oncoming tyrannical crusade.
LordRaphael – A throne under siege
The talented StarCraft II player and old-school legend forever cemented his name in Age of Empires history after handing _H2O (a player of such high stature he is mentioned more in this semifinals preview - a tournament he did not enter - than any one competitor) his most decisive defeat yet, claiming the title and winning ESOC‘s Autumn Championship 5-1 in unprecedented and unlikely fashion!
However, is this impressive display the truest performance we can expect from our current throne master? In his four-series trek to the semifinals LordRaphael has shown himself vulnerable, barely eking out a win over meta-master Goodspeed and dropping games to the good-but-not-great cramper and Stanley_Winston along the way.
Yet do not be fooled! In his triumph over _H2O, he sported similarly close series on his path towards victory, taking ageofkiller and goongoon each into the final map for their respective matches. Indeed, with a lone exception in Winter 2015, LordRaphael has dropped at least one map in every single post-Ro64 series that he’s played in. At this point, we could call his tendency to drop games a style more than a weakness.
Look to see long wait times between games as LordRaphael wisely contemplates the correct civilization pick and warms his hands with the nearest hair dryer, ready to showcase his tight, mechanical play.
Kaiserklein – Wildest of cards
It is fair to call Kaiserklein the underdog of his semifinals series and, should he win here, his matchup in the finals. His name does not often share the same sentence with the likes of BlackStar_OP, LordRaphael, and Mitoe, but nevertheless he finds himself seated at the decisive table of four in ESOC’s largest ever prize pool event.
And indeed, Kaiser has proven himself worthy of his placement. The Germans expert has been improving immensely over the past year and is a serious contender for a first-place finish. Kaiser has put together an impressive showing this tournament, taking down ESOC’s favorite staff member Pezet, aspiring bailbondsman Tedere12, the one and only SoldieR, and team game master Knuschelbär.
An important milestone in Kaiser’s AoE3 career, a victory over LordRaphael will embed his name among the top players and earn him a mention in every tournament prediction thread to come. But for the present, he need only stay focused on the match ahead, select his civilizations carefully, and avoid succumbing to the specter of tilt.
As Kaiserklein sets his sights on LordRaphael, and as Mitoe and BlackStar_OP prepare to go head-to-head, it’s still anyone’s game. It’s anyone’s throne.
