CEVO CS 1.6 Predictions
Written by: Michael “peawok” FlemingHi everyone. I was asked to take over this week simply because Suicidal is currently being evacuated due to Hurricane Gustav. So, pray for him and the rest of those guys down there. For now, though, let’s handle these predictions. As a quick side note – if you didn’t watch the first half of the week – the map is de_train.
Malice Gaming vs. x3o
Malice Gaming hasn’t been all that hot this year, sitting at only a 7-8 record. They most recently beat Paragon of Virtue 16-15, with two 14-1 halves followed by an overtime round. How that happened, I have no clue, but let us just call it an act of God. x3o most recently beat our very own CompLexity, and received a forfeit win from EG. Train is a vanilla map, so x3o’s recent trip shouldn’t affect them too much.
x3o will win if… they let ESWC not get the best of them. They obviously didn’t play their best there, so hopefully they can get over that loss and move onward. De_train should be a good map for them as well.
Malice Gaming will win if… they get on the right streak. Looking at their past matches, it seems they are up, then down, then up, then down. You get the picture. One thing that separates a pro team from a very good team is consistency. Hopefully they get on the right track.
And the winner is… as much as an upset would be lovely, I think x3o has got this one in the bag. Malice will probably get eight to twelve rounds, though. Putting them as a winner is a long shot but maybe Malice has a few tricks up their sleeve. Final Score? I think 16-8 sounds good.
Paragon of Virtue vs. Frag Dominant
I just quickly want to say this. POV has been around for God knows how long; I remember videos of CompLexity ripping them apart. I highly doubt it’s the same roster (I don’t remember the old one), but they’ve been around a long time. POV recently lost to Malice, but were on a three game winning streak before then. Frag Dominant, their opponent, has had an up and down season and is currently sitting at a 9-5 record.
POV will win if… They eliminate mistakes. Some matches they are really on and win a lot. Others, they are off and lose bad. The third set is they make some errors and win or lose by little. Obviously, they don’t want to make mistakes. The other reason they could win is if Frag Dominant doesn’t set up the match…hm…
Frag Dominant will win if… They get over the Mug N Mouse failure. Before then, they were on a four game winning streak. They shouldn’t lose here but it’s always possible in the professional league, so keep on the lookout. POV is definitely not out of this game.
And the winner is… I’m sticking with Frag Dominant. I feel that Mug N Mouse just had their number that game and that winning streak will shine through. FD takes this match 16-11.
MoB. Gaming vs. Mug N Mouse
MoB, in my opinion, is one of the two best teams in the United States. EG and x3o are both incredibly good, but I think MoB is sometimes underrated next to them. Their 9-3 record is incredible, and can I also point out that their wins include ones of x3o, EG, and CompLexity? Mug N Mouse is a strong team; they did beat CompLexity at WCG. However, their online play isn’t very good; their 5-10 record proves it.
MoB will win if… They don’t make mistakes. I think they are easily one of the top three US teams, and possibly even the best team, as long as they are on. If mistakes start amounting, this team might take a surprise loss.
MNM will win if… they can replicate success offline to online. If they play like they have at WCG, they can win. They are on a four game winning streak, so they have momentum, but it will still be a challenge against one of my personal top two and most people’s number three in North America.
And the winner is… MoB by a landslide. MNM is on a winning streak but I can’t see it helping here. MoB takes this a brutal 16-5.
CompLexity LA vs. Ruins
Our very own CompLexity hasn’t been doing too hot; in fact, mediocre is the appropriate word, as they are sitting at a balanced 7-7. A strong ending is necessary to make the playoffs. Ruins hasn’t been doing too great. They currently are 5-8, but they did pick up a 16-14 win over Devastation last match.
CompLexity will win if… fRoD is on. Who remembers his dominance on a map like train? He can cover inside himself! If he is on, expect the other four to play well and to carry away a victory, in dominant fashion.
Ruins will win if… CompLexity makes mistakes. I can’t see Ruins beating them any other way. CompLexity will really have to make a few fatal errors to give Ruins a chance in this game.
And the winner is… CompLexity will take this match even with a mistake or two. And I don’t expect any mistakes from a team who hasn’t performed the way they should be. Did I mention Jake is furious about their summer play? Forgot that one, too; You don’t get Jake mad… CompLexity dominates 16-5.
.50 Calibre Gaming vs. EG.usa
50Cal hasn’t been doing well. A 2-10 season is pretty dismal and speaks for itself. EG hasn’t dominated, but they have nonetheless done well. They are currently sitting at a 8-4 record. Sadly, at ESWC, they didn’t make it out of group play. Still, though, those extra matches against the Europeans might help them out for the remainder of the CEVO season.
50Cal will win if… EG isn’t over their loss at ESWC. 50Cal has done terribly all season and I don’t see it magically changing here. EG has had enough practice on de_train, so a ‘new’ map isn’t even in the mix to help 50Cal out.
EG.usa will win if… They have a few more tricks up their sleeves. EG, as the best team in the US at the moment, has probably been researched by other top teams. If they pull out a few other tricks, they could catch 50Cal off guard and take this match quite easily.
And the winner is… you’d be a fool to think 50Cal will win this. It’s like taking a three legged horse in a race. EG takes this in dominant fashion, 16-6.
Ferocity vs. Devastation
Ferocity hasn’t done too great this season. They are sitting a 5-9 record with no wins (excluding the forfeit win over MoB) over one of the top teams. Fortunately for them, Devastation isn’t a top team. Devastation is 6-8 right now with a recent 16-14 loss against Ruins.
Ferocity will win if… Honestly, I don’t know much about either of these teams. Ferocity hasn’t really impressed me on paper and I haven’t watched any of their matches. They didn’t even get to play x3o on train yet. I think this match comes down to what players get hot for each team.
Devastation will win if… they don’t make mistakes like they did against Ruins. Ruins beat them 16-14 earlier in the week, so if they correct their mistakes and maybe switch up their tactics, they could take this match. Again, though, I think it comes down to mostly who’s on that night.
And the winner is… flip a coin, put that down. My coin came up with Ferocity, 16-13. Let’s see what happens.
I hope my predictions aren’t too bad. I haven’t done them with 1.6 ever, at least not in article form. Good luck to all the teams in 8:2! Suicidal will hopefully return next week!
Pro Gamer
Go coL!!!
"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both."
-Niccolo Machiavelli