So after a very successful group stage of Division 1 with almost every team playing almost all their matches, it is now time for the play-offs to start. We had some really entertaining games even then, and it is just about to get better! You might think that the spots for the semi-finals are as good as taken, but this time around it looks like it will be tighter than ever for the top spots, even though tVS is still dominating, and for the second season in a row came through the group stages without one single map loss.

Since I always spam my comments on different places within the community sites with my silly predictions on different hot and not-so-hot games, I thought it could be a good idea to actually be the one getting MY post spammed with silly predictions and comments from OTHER players for a change. Even though I'm also in one of the teams playing the quarter finals, I'll try to be objective, but I will of course fail to. Anyways, lets take a look on these hot games that we're all looking forward to.


(bet) the Viper Squad vs Easy to Kill

Easy to Kill
3tk barely secured the spot for the play-offs, just one point ahead of oblivion. That doesn't mean these guys should be underestimated, with convincing victories over clans like tks, DA and revolution, and even stole a map from the mighty SD! The late addition of the dane Desmo also helped them getting games played at the end of the season, and is obviously a huge factor to why they are playing play-offs now.

the Viper Squad
Fronted by the cybernetic organism, Milton himself, with an average frag rate of over 100 throughout the whole season, this clan also consist of some of the best 4on4 players the scene has to offer. The Swedish superstar Xantom, the sneaky lg-beast blAze, and rock solid Ihminen and Diki who can hold every position on the map secured for a veeeery long time if needed. Oh, did I mention their incredible routine, teamplay and tactics as well?

Conclusion
Due to these fact, I'm unable to see any hope for further advancement for 3tk, and I think their adventure ends here for this season. 3tk might be able to give us a show on DM2 if they get a good start and play the game for their lives, but the other maps, I'm afraid: "It was over before it began" (c) Ihminen.

Expected lineups
the Viper Squad: Milton, XantoM, blAze, Ihminen
Easy to Kill: slabi, desmo, tom, kat

Previous encounter
2-0 (dm3: 326-88, dm2: 372-65)

Expected outcome
the Viper Squad wins, 3-0

Thoughts from Slabi on this game:

You have made it into the play-offs, and are now facing tVS in your Quarter Final game. What do you think the outcome of the game will be?

Slabi: Tough question it will all depend on our performance that day, but with the right warmup of 20 minutes against frogbots and perfect spawns I believe we will make an upset here and beat tVS 3-2.So its gonna be a thriller for sure don't miss it! =))

Really nice to see you're confident about this. Many seems to not give you much hope :-). Is there any player(s) in particular you think could be a reason to why you would lose an eventually victory?

Slabi: The only reason we could lose this is ourselves. Cpe has played qw first time since a month this Sunday I hope he takes the game against tVS more seriously and plays some ffa @ xs4all, our starplayer Tom needs to have sex with a hot female before game ( he is unstoppable then), as for myself I need to do few mixes with mix commander moltas and it will be all good.Intentionally I left kat and desmo since they always perform top notch and there is no chance they will underperform here.

And some from blAze:

You are now facing 3tk in the quarter finals. Do you think theres any chance at all that this game will end anything else but 3-0 to you?

blAze: Yeah I think 3tk has a chance in dm2. They won SD in it in groupgames even though SD is really good in dm2 too.

Is there any player(s) in particular on 3tk that you feel can be deciding factor that makes you lose a map?

blAze: Well, I think tom and slabi are a good pair in dm2. They probably play a lot of 2on2 together in it and have a good routine. Slabi should be hot after his success in ownage.


(bet) Slackers vs Sauna

Sauna
Sauna has really proved that they're worthy of Division 1 play this season, and particularly their 2-0 victory vs CCCP showed the rest of us what kind of potential that live within this team. Their undisputed star player is hlt, but darkki is also a seasoned 4on4 player and both bandit and dmt have proved that they are able to fight at this level. Mazer was also signed up for sauna this season, hasn't played any eql or prac game with them as far as I know.

Slackers
The legendary Slackers, once again fielding the danish superstar, ParadokS, who seemed to really have stepped into the shining light of QW bliss again (hopefully lost enough money on poker now?). These guys only lost one game throughout the regular season of this EQL, even though they gave away maps to CCCP, Fusion and SuddenDeath. Also consisting of mostly seasoned div1 players, this is an extremely hard team to beat, and maybe even harder in a BO5 than BO3.

Conclusion
I can however see an upset coming here. If Sauna really pulls off their best performance, and give them as little breathing room as possible. They certainly got the potential, but on a normal day I simply don't think it will happen in a BO5. I think specially the DM2(s) can turn into a thriller, but I would say the odds are clearly on Slackers' side on the other maps.

Expected lineups
Slackers: Paradoks, murdoc, krab, zero
Sauna: hlt, darkki, bandit, dmt

Previous encounter
2-0 (dm3: 240-92, dm2: 356-67)

Expected outcome
Slackers wins, 3-1

Thoughts from hlt on this game:

What do you think the outcome of your upcoming Quarter Final match vs Slackers will be?

hlt: Our performance level varies a lot. If we find our shape we will probably take them down at least in dm2. Maybe on dm3 and e1m2 also =)

Any player(s) in particular you fear in their line-up?

hlt: I think Murdoc has been a key player in Sr for a while. Para is finding his shape and if he gets his ping and settings fixed we will also fear him a lot.

ParadokS' thoughts on the game:

You're gonna face Sauna in the Quarter Finals now. What do you think the outcome of the game will be?

ParadokS: we will win =)

Any players in particular you fear on Sauna? That might turn your confidence into defeat.

ParadokS: We don't fear any players. We have respect for them as a team fighting in div1 who reached the playoffs. But we had no big problems with them in the earlier game and I see no reason why it should change.


(bet) Fusion vs Suddendeath

Suddendeath
SuddenDeath is probably the most feared team on the lower side of seedings for these quarter finals. Not without reason, cause this team consists of extremely skillful players (duel stars mawe, bps and arne) that also has a lot of routine and solid team play (with players such as m0lle and grisling). The only thing stopping these guys to be the favorite for the finalist spot with tVS, would be their activity. They haven't played that much pracs at all, and was also one of the least active division 1 clan in terms of played EQL matches (well apart from boefje obviously).

Fusion
My own team, Fusion, have really stepped up our game lately with the newest addition to the team, mr. Dm3 himself, Valla, to guide our steps. Giving tVS their hardest challenge so far during the group stages, where they won DM3 with only 7 frags, I think Fusion is probable to beat any team they face on The Abandoned Base during the play-offs. Considerably weaker on E1M2, and DM2, I don't feel its a huge weakness and they should have a good chance vs every team they face also on these map. Serox and Moltas are usually the back-bone of this team, with wild-cards Skillah, Squeeze and myself that also pulls off wondrous things now and then.

Conclusion
Probably gonna be the tightest of all the quarter finals. Actually I expect an extremely tight set of games. The deciding factor will probably be SD's lack of practice lately, and that Fusion have been relatively active the last months. I also think that Fusions strength on DM3 exceeds what SD can expect to have on the other maps, and that 2 map wins on DM3 are almost guaranteed for Fusion, while its abit more unclear the other way around.

Expected lineups
Fusion: Valla, Moltas, Rikoll, Skillah/ Serox
Suddendeath: bps, mawe, molecule, Arnette/ grisling

Previous encounter
1-2 (dm3: 325-153, e1m2: 234-264, dm2: 171-217)

Expected outcome
Fusion wins, 3-2

Thoughts from bps on this game:
At first he seemed to be unsure if I was just bullshiting him to get some info. Think I'll have to include that chat here as well

Rikoll: What do you think the outcome of your Quarter Final match vs Fusion will be?

bps: hehe, you're biased! Is this some kind of trick!?

Rikoll: no :-)

Rikoll: im actually gonna write predictions tonight, and i am gonna ask the same question (pretty much) to one players in every team (hopefully)

bps: yea I see

What do you think the outcome of your Quarter Final match vs Fusion will be?

bps: I predict it to end the same way as in group stages actually. wow, but wait. it's bo5. then it'll be 3-1 :Þ

Then so. Is there any player on Fusion you fear? That might make your prediction not come true.

bps: I'm curious to see what serox can pull off in this game. I can feel his hunger. (refering to serox' comments on the eql site news.). and of course, the given answer to this question is: valla needs to be stopped, but that's what we have grisling for! and then the counter question: who, in Fusion, will be sent out to stop Grisling??

Lets see what Valla thinks:

What do you think the outcome of your upcoming quarter final game vs SD will be?

Valla: I expect it to be extremely tight. However, I feel like I can be pretty confident when I say I expect us to take this one home. Suddendeath should not be underestimated though as they beat us in group play and they have one of the better lineups of this seasons EQL. Though we are a more active team and I think if you compare the players we are pretty even.

Any players in particular you fear on SD? That might be deciding factor to knock Fusion out of the tournament.

Valla: Well, bps on fire can possibly turn a game around against any clan, I feel like they are more of a team rather than relying on individuals. If their teamplay goes accordingly and bps has a good night I'm expecting an even tougher challenge than I originally think it's going to be.

Now a counter question from bps. bps thinks that you needs to be stopped, and thats what they got Grisling for. So bps is asking: who, in Fusion, will be sent out to stop Grisling??

Valla: I don't like to compare players on an individual level tbh. I mean, we have to play more focused as a team to stop them. Don't think individuals will do the trick ;-D But if I have to pick, then rikoll for teh win! Ez win for Rikoll. (thanks mate )


(bet) Enigma vs CCCP

CCCP
Ah, the russian All Stars. The last set of players to take a map win from tVS in EQL (2 seasons ago I reckon). Even though they lack the best pov russia, its more than enough of skills and tactics within these individuals, as they have proven in various games in the group stages. Players ranging from brilliant duel players in xpr and zepp, to stable and seasoned div1 players in gor, xn and b1aze, these guys could also be one of the top contesters for a finalist spot with more activity. Still, I do believe these guys can win vs any team on any map and a good day, and Enigma better not underestimate them.

Enigma
Enigma is a quite freshly started clan, that saw its debut last season of EQL. More a team consisting of really solid team players, they also have some incredible lg-beasts in ganon, kingpin and goblin that can turn DM3 games around in seconds. The back-bone of this team still gotta be the twins votary and overd, with their telepathic powers and knows exactly what the other is thinking at any given time. Even though they have established themselves as a rock solid div1 team, they will have to fight really hard to reach the semis this season.

Conclusion
Another very tight game I reckon, but I think that Enigma will take it home eventually due to them being a more active team throughout the season and got the consistency needed to take home a BO5 match. The potential in CCCP is huge though, and if they got a decent day, anything can happen in this match.

Expected lineups
Enigma: razor, vizer, ganon, votary
CCCP: XN, gor, xpr, B1aze

Previous encounter
1-2 (dm3: 181-171, e1m2: 219-234, dm2: 190-238)

Expected outcome
Enigma wins, 3-2

Thoughts from xpr:

What do you think the outcome of your Quarter Final match vs Enigma will be?

xpr: Hard to say, we won vs them in group game, but it will be totally different game, they worked on teamplay and got some impressive wins over SD and Sauna. I hope for 5-maps thriller.

Any player(s) in particular you fear in Enigma? That might be the factor to knock you out of the tournament.

xpr: I think their strength in good teamplay overall, not in one player. I have much respect to razor's game, since he running scene for last 10 years and have a lot of experience.

And finally, some thoughts from votary:

What do you think the outcome of your Quarter Final match vs CCCP will be?

Votary: Quite hard since the div1 league are quite equal this year, but this time I think/hope that we will win

Any player on CCCP you fear in particular? That might be the factor that throws you out of the tournament.

Votary: Hmm no not actally since they all have done some good games and have a nice teamplay nowadays except for (teamoverlay) witch they prefer sometimes

The somewhat crippled Division 2 had a rough start of the season, with 4 teams dropping out in the very first week, this affected the overall activity in the division, but after some idle time, the games started kicking in. The low amount of teams in division 2 compared to the other divisions, is not all bad, as this gives us the chance to see all the active teams participate in the playoffs. There are quite some interesting matchups scheduled, and it will be fun to see who get to sit on the div2-crown this season.


(bet) Apocalypse 2000 vs Demolition Crew 2

Apocalypse 2000
A2K won the regular season after 6 wins, 1 walkover win and a 0-2 defeat. Somehow they managed to lose versus Magnum 44 but this didn’t stop them for long. During the season they have had some problems with the lineup with meshuggah and xenic leaving while dahmer and springs have joined. So far springs didn’t play though while dahmer has had a stable performance. I am a little disappointed about only seeing willgurht on 1 map since he is usually pretty good as well. Their strongest map is DM3 with 83% wins while DM2 is a bit more unnerving for them with 67% wins.

Demolition Crew 2
The active but less successful DC2 have lost 7 games and are 1-14 in maps only winning once on DM2. Even though Ax3 managed to beat them they squeezed in at 8th spot because of more games played than Ax3. They had a tough start to their independence from DC1 and I hope to see them again next season as they definitely can improve a lot and end higher in the table next season. They have had a solid lineup during the season so I expect the same guys to be playing the quarterfinal as well.

Conclusion
In my opinion there is no doubt that A2K will win this game 3-0 but if something is going to happen in the favor of DC2 it will happen on DM2. DC2 didn’t manage to do much last time on DM2 versus A2K but DM2 is the map where anything can happen. A2K did manage to lose versus a weaker clan once this season and I think they will do everything to avoid this humiliation again. Especially DM3 and E1M2 will be a walk in the park for A2K.

Expected lineups
Apocalypse 2000: Adde, Dahmer, Chad, Twist
Demolition Crew 2: Highlander, Shamoth, Matek, Fluartity

Previous encounter
2-0 (dm2: 380-67, dm3: 236-101)

Expected outcome
Apocalypse wins, 3-0

(bet) Fraggers United vs Satanic Slaughter Clan

Fraggers United
Fraggers United ended up in 2nd place after 5 wins and 2 losses. By acquiring persuader they got much stronger than I expected in my preview. They have used a variety of players throughout the season but I think they will have to use their best lineup if they want to win this quarterfinal. Persuader and ilkka have been very good so if they are playing while being backed up by kippo, buggy or anza depending on the map they can go far in the playoffs. Their weak spot is DM3 with 40% wins and this is also persuaders weakest map in my opinion and this has reflected their performance here. DM2 and E1M2 are usually equally good for this clan but they have played more DM2 this season.

Satanic Slaughter Clan
Satanic Slaughter Clan was off to a slow start with rekk had some computer trouble. Later on katsku was recruited and this jump started the clan once again and they managed to get a few more games played. They only got 1 win but it was a solid 2-0 performance versus Pissed Cobs. Somehow they managed to lose versus Chosen while fielding the same lineup but it could also have been a fluke since the current SSC lineup haven’t played much together when fielding katsku instead of rekk. Interestingly enough their strongest map is DM3 so their hope for the quarter will be to win DM3 and snatch two more map wins on DM2. They also won DM3 versus FU during the regular season even without fielding katsku.

Conclusion
These two clans have quite the opposite records when it comes down to map statistics and SSC´s chance will be to win on DM3 and DM2. I reckon FU will be too strong on E1M2. FU on the other hand must secure wins on DM2 and E1M2 and not let one of those two maps slip out of their hands. FU will choose first and I’m guessing they will pick E1M2 and win and after that we will see SSC win on DM3. Winning the following DM2 is crucial for the series because the 4th map will be E1M2/DM3 followed by a decider on DM2 if necessary. Even though SSC are good I imagine FU will be too strong for them over 5 maps.

Expected lineups
Fraggers United: Persuader, Ilkka, Buggy, Kippo
I know this is not their most used players but if they want to win they should try to field that lineup.
Satanic Slaughter Clan: Slaughter, Mingle, Chafe, Katsku

Previous encounter
2-1 (dm3: 195-211, dm2: 276-135, e1m2: 288-138)

Expected outcome
Fraggers United wins, 3-2


(bet) Demolition Crew 1 vs Magnum 44

Demolition Crew 1
These guys had a solid season so far with 5 wins and 2 losses. They managed to beat FU 2-0 which was pretty good considering that both persuader and ilkka played for FU. However, they didn’t play E1M2 which have been the Achilles heel for DC for a long time. They have used the same 4 players throughout the season and this is of course an advantage for them going into the playoffs with a team that has grinded pracs and 16 official maps together.

Magnum 44
This clan did pretty well during the regular season winning 2 games and losing 3. Their peak was when they won versus A2K 2-0. However, this was also the only game plate played and I think they really need him if they even want to win a map versus DC. M44 are equally good on all 3 maps and their chance to win one or two maps is on E1M2. These guys have advanced a bit more on this map than other polish clans on the same level. They only played it once and won during the regular season but I have felt their wrath on this map during pracs.

Conclusion
I am sorry to say that I don’t expect the same upset here as M44 managed versus A2K during the season. Unless plate plays this will be a comfortable win for DC and even if he shows up it will at most mean 1 map win for M44. Even if 3-2 might sound even I don’t think DC will be in much trouble since their routine and individual skill is higher. I don’t imagine DC losing DM2.

Expected lineups
Demolition Crew: Pooll, Ponczek, Goniec, Kpt. Kloze
Magnum 44: Qs, Chmielu, Glt, Myca and hopefully Plate

Previous encounter
2-0 (dm3: 202-125, dm2: 173-144)

Expected outcome
Demolition Crew wins, 3-0 (perhaps 3-1 if plate plays)


(bet) Pissed Cobs vs Chosen

Pissed Cobs
PC only managed to play 5 games during the season resulting in 3 wins and 2 losses. Their win versus DC1 was probably their best performance while the wins versus CSN and DC2 were more expected. They had some problems with activity and for a while it was rumored that they had quit playing altogether. During the season they added xenic and mipa and especially xenic will be a strong addition for the playoffs. Their strongest map is E1M2 with 100% wins while having 50% on DM2 and a disappointing 33% on DM3. As expected Panic didn’t play a single map yet.

Chosen
Chosen managed to play all 8 games during the regular season winning 4 and losing 4. They were Badly beaten up by A2K and PC while getting close to FU on DM2. Versus DC1 CSN managed to win E1M2 while being obliterated on the other two maps. The 4 2-0 wins were all pretty convincing although the DM2 versus Ax3 was taken into overtime. Perhaps the most unexpected 2-0 win was their last game of the season versus SSC despite them fielding katsku instead of rekk. Chosen have been strong on E1M2 and DM3 while playing kind of awful on DM2

Conclusion
This game can go either way depending on what players PC manages to field. They have been unable to field their best lineup in each game and maybe the activity problems have been the source of this. CSN have used a lot of players but it seems like they will be able to field most of their stronger players for this game, niw is excluded however since he left CSN just as the playoffs were about to start. I expect PC to proceed to the semifinals but not without a good effort from CSN to try and keep PC from achieving glory.

Expected lineups
Pissed Cobs: Pillo, Furi, Xenic, Sailorman
Chosen: Pyta, Donut, Sajko, Hooraytio and hopefully Flamer and/or Vert. Kalma announced he won’t play and Junkass suffers from bad ping.

Previous encounter
2-0 (dm2: 281-93, e1m2: 240-163)

Expected outcome
Pissed Cobs wins, 3-1

It's been a very active season in Division 3, as almost all games have been played, at least by the top8 where we see a very active crowd of teams fighting for the title. It is however no news that Bloodpunch have been tearing this division apart, giving no points away and keeping their game tight. That doesn't mean that everything is settled yet tho, as there are a few teams that might be able to shake things up and take down the mighty swedes.


(bet) Bloodpunch vs Mob of Oddballs

Bloodpunch
Twenty games and no map losses, Bloodpunch have been called the Div3-tVS and with good reason. Their all Swedish side has shown to be too much for the other Division 3 teams to handle, and their big success is achieved by sticking to a very solid 5 man lineup with very few changes between games. The addition of Kreuger and his brother the Swedish daredevil; Exxus, is also to be considered one of the reasons why Bloodpunch is doing so much better compared to when we last saw them in action during EQL9.

Mob of Oddballs
Going up against Bloodpunch we see the mixed European team; Mob of Oddballs, a team who is no new name in the lower divisions of EQL and a team who usually is a contender for the title. However, this season mofo has been forced to use a very inconsistent lineup, at least compared to their usually very solid stack of players from previous seasons. This might be the reason why they are coming in as the last team to make playoffs.

Conclusion
It is very likely that Bloodpunch will win this encounter 3-0, there is however one change in mofo's lineup that might stir up some surprises. Since their group-game match, mofo have added Defcon 5 to their lineup, and he can easily be the deciding factor whether or not mofo get to take some maps from BP. Bloodpunch will probably do their best to keep their perfect season, while the Mob of Oddballs really has to step up their game if they want to win.

Expected lineups
Bloodpunch: Exxus, Kreuger, putte, Jimo
Mob of Oddballs: Defcon 5, Darff, nolik, itmik

Previous encounter
2-0 (e1m2: 177-110, dm3: 174-93)

Expected outcome
Bloodpunch wins, 3-0


(bet) paras vs In A Blaze

paras
The all Finnish team did very well last season and have continued to do so this season, taking down almost all the other playoff teams -with the exception of Bloodpunch and osams, they did however take home a close dm2 vs osams. With the addition of Hafog to the team, they have found a very solid player who is to be considered part of the backbone for this team. If they can field their best lineup, they will do quite some damage.

In A Blaze
Here we find the former div0 star fix playing with some of his real life friends, they are indeed a strange mix and have been the subject for much debate this season. The other members of the team is however not to be underestimated, they have really shaped up and with some good ingame guidance from fix, they can manage some top notch teamplay.

Conclusion
The battle of the Finns, except for a loss to Bloodpunch, In A Blaze are undefeated in division 3, they did miss out on some matches including against paras, so they might not be the clear favorite for this as paras do have the overall stronger team. In the end it all depends on fix, because even tho his teammates have improved a lot, they still rely on him winning the important fights and securing them the important areas. If paras can keep fix under control, they should be able to win this.

Expected lineups
paras: Hafog, Domin, Panjabi, netspider
In A Blaze: fix, rage, henri, nancy

Previous encounter
None, game voided

Expected outcome
In A Blaze wins, 3-2

(bet) Dark Abbots vs Fallen Angels

Dark Abbots
All polish team, who have improved quite a bit since their formation last season, now with the addition of Goqsane they stand very strong. Finishing 3rd in the group stage, probably not something that was expected by many, but this team has shown that they can put up a very solid game, also their consistent lineup is their main advantage.

Fallen Angels
This inconsistent bunch of danish players is somewhat of a wildcard, taking down both osams and qah in the first weeks of the season. Later stages seemed to not go their way as they have given away 2-0 victories to almost all other playoff participants. If they manage to play their A-game, they might be able to take down DA, as their recent encounter was way too close. Lineup inconsistency and lack of practice is however the Angels biggest obstacle.

Conclusion
Since the group game between these two teams was determined by 4-5 frags, this could be quite the thriller, now with a best of five game both teams might be able to get some map wins. It's almost certain that DA will field their 4 main players, while FA might be able to bring on bigfoot as a gamechanger compared to their groupgame matchup.

Expected lineups
Dark Abbots: Goqsane, OnTheRun, MajQ, Goorol
Fallen Angels: Peppe, Zalon, bigfoot, ncp

Previous encounter
2-0 (dm3: 121-117, dm2: 192-187)

Expected outcome
Dark Abbots wins, 3-2


(bet) osams vs cpm.qw

osams
This mix of oldschool players finally made a proper comeback, after trying multiple times they actually managed to finish a whole season. Coming into the season their long break from qw was pretty obvious, but it didn't take long for them to shake it off and get back into the game. From the early loss to Fallen Angels up to their attempt of taking down the mighty Bloodpunch, they have shown great potential to be a clear division 3 favorite.

cpm.qw
The CPM clan have shown great potential, even with their short time in the game of QuakeWorld they have still managed to take down a few other playoff teams, such as Mob of Oddballs and Fallen Angels. To help them achieve this, they have taken in a few solid qw players to help them build up their game, and it is starting to pay off.

Conclusion
It is hard to imagine osams not taking this, their ingame knowledge and experience by far exceeds that of their opponent. The CPM players might however be able to steal a map or two, especially a E1M2 might go in their favour due to their good bookstick aim. Judging by their their group stage match, osams is also the clear favorite, but it's almost a month ago, and the CPM'ers have improve quite a bit.

Expected lineups
osams: manny, gaz, steppa, thompen
cpm.qw: anupko, hana, profile, Mads

Previous encounter
2-0 (dm3: 213-91, dm2: 251-75)

Expected outcome
osams wins, 3-1