From start to finish, it was a tournament to remember. This section of the country has a number of events each year, and it's not always clear who will show up come Saturday. But a particularly experienced group of players made the trek this weekend, and it showed in a fantastic string of exciting matches, many of which went all the way to the wire.
After a great day of pools and an unpredictable Top 16 last night, the stage was set for today's finals. Two former EVO champs (three counting all games), in addition to a pair of the game's best Martian Manhunter mains, one of the game's best Bane players, and a surging RelaxedState who is looking better than he ever has.
We saw an intense battle between REO and young Sonic Fox, with Sonic seeming to get stronger and stronger as the set went on. With REO unable to find and answer to Sonic's relentless ariel assult, Sonic advanced to Winners Finals unscathed. After KDZ made quick work of Biohazard's Bane, SaltFace went to work in a nailbiter of a match against PerfectLegend that came down top the very last hit of the last game. Although SaltFace valiantly stuck to his 'guns' with Harley Quinn, PL fought hard the entire way, refused to give up, and ended up tipping the scales with his Martian in a breakneck finish as the commentators held their breath.
RelaxedState's Zod looked incredibly sharp as he battled Jupiter for his tournament life. In one of the craziest match endings of the entire tournament, Relaxed worked back from a major deficit and trapped Jupiter in the corner with a trio of timely forward-3s to steal the set's momentum. But although he was often on the ropes, Jupiter stayed calm, navigating the danger's of Zod's trait and zoning to eek out an exciting victory. Afterward, PL looked incredibly well prepared for the Martian matchup as his Doomsday dispatched of Jupiter's offense and defense with apparent ease.
An authoritative 3-0 victory over KDZ by Sonic Fox in Winners' Finals set up a rematch of the 2013 VxG battle between KDZ and PL. And in yet another fantastic set, the two went toe to toe, each utilizing their command of the cast to attempt to get the upper hand. At the very end, it was PL's Batman vs. KDZ's Wonder Woman as they fought blow-for-blow, evening the score over and over until KDZ's trademark clutch nailed him one of the hardest-fought victories of the tournament at the end. And with KDZ and Sonic matched up in Grand Finals for the second time, Sonic looked to be unflappable, methodically deconstructing KDZ's playstyle and smothering him in a stream of salient reads.
Although this tournament will be remembered for the exciting matches, it also seemed to signify something else -- the coming of age, and the solidifying of Sonic Fox's dominance as a tournament player. The difference between the Fox of Winter Brawl and the young man who patiently refused to give away openings today is as clear as night and day. With Sonic breezing through yet another challenging tournament bracket, the question arises: can anyone stop this man? Is there anyone left who is capable of bringing his Batgirl down to earth? Congratulations to Sonic -- and to everyone who participated in this weekend's exciting event.
TOP 8
1) RG RM Sonic Fox (Batgirl)
2) EMP KN KDZ (Wonder Woman, Superman, Batgirl)
3) Perfect Legend (MMH, Batman, Doomsday, Scorpion)
4) Emperor Jupiter (Martian Manhunter)
5) REO (Martian Manhunter)
5) RM Biohazard (Bane)
7) AK SaltFace (Harley Quinn)
7) PTH RM Relaxedstate (General Zod)
BRACKET
http://bigegaming.challonge.com/sj8_inj_top16
After a great day of pools and an unpredictable Top 16 last night, the stage was set for today's finals. Two former EVO champs (three counting all games), in addition to a pair of the game's best Martian Manhunter mains, one of the game's best Bane players, and a surging RelaxedState who is looking better than he ever has.
We saw an intense battle between REO and young Sonic Fox, with Sonic seeming to get stronger and stronger as the set went on. With REO unable to find and answer to Sonic's relentless ariel assult, Sonic advanced to Winners Finals unscathed. After KDZ made quick work of Biohazard's Bane, SaltFace went to work in a nailbiter of a match against PerfectLegend that came down top the very last hit of the last game. Although SaltFace valiantly stuck to his 'guns' with Harley Quinn, PL fought hard the entire way, refused to give up, and ended up tipping the scales with his Martian in a breakneck finish as the commentators held their breath.
RelaxedState's Zod looked incredibly sharp as he battled Jupiter for his tournament life. In one of the craziest match endings of the entire tournament, Relaxed worked back from a major deficit and trapped Jupiter in the corner with a trio of timely forward-3s to steal the set's momentum. But although he was often on the ropes, Jupiter stayed calm, navigating the danger's of Zod's trait and zoning to eek out an exciting victory. Afterward, PL looked incredibly well prepared for the Martian matchup as his Doomsday dispatched of Jupiter's offense and defense with apparent ease.
An authoritative 3-0 victory over KDZ by Sonic Fox in Winners' Finals set up a rematch of the 2013 VxG battle between KDZ and PL. And in yet another fantastic set, the two went toe to toe, each utilizing their command of the cast to attempt to get the upper hand. At the very end, it was PL's Batman vs. KDZ's Wonder Woman as they fought blow-for-blow, evening the score over and over until KDZ's trademark clutch nailed him one of the hardest-fought victories of the tournament at the end. And with KDZ and Sonic matched up in Grand Finals for the second time, Sonic looked to be unflappable, methodically deconstructing KDZ's playstyle and smothering him in a stream of salient reads.
Although this tournament will be remembered for the exciting matches, it also seemed to signify something else -- the coming of age, and the solidifying of Sonic Fox's dominance as a tournament player. The difference between the Fox of Winter Brawl and the young man who patiently refused to give away openings today is as clear as night and day. With Sonic breezing through yet another challenging tournament bracket, the question arises: can anyone stop this man? Is there anyone left who is capable of bringing his Batgirl down to earth? Congratulations to Sonic -- and to everyone who participated in this weekend's exciting event.
TOP 8
1) RG RM Sonic Fox (Batgirl)
2) EMP KN KDZ (Wonder Woman, Superman, Batgirl)
3) Perfect Legend (MMH, Batman, Doomsday, Scorpion)
4) Emperor Jupiter (Martian Manhunter)
5) REO (Martian Manhunter)
5) RM Biohazard (Bane)
7) AK SaltFace (Harley Quinn)
7) PTH RM Relaxedstate (General Zod)
BRACKET
http://bigegaming.challonge.com/sj8_inj_top16
