With highly anticipated roster changes, did Gale Force eSports and Team Naventic make it out of the group stage?
In day 2 of the NA Fall Regional #2, Team Naventic and Astral Authority led the way for group B and will play again tomorrow in the playoffs to determine which team will be joining Murloc Geniuses at Blizzcon 2016. Although one of the favorites to win the entire tournament, Gale Force eSports tumbled out of the tournament along with Imported Support after Astral Authority eliminated both of them.
Gale Force eSports vs. Imported Support
After losing in the finals of the first NA regional, Gale Force eSports shook up the NA scene by replacing retiring player Roflcopter with Fan. With the addition of one of the most decorated NA players, Gale Force eSports emerged as the favorite for this tournament.
On the other hand, Imported Support would be making their first appearance at a major tournament. Although the team consisted of relatively unknown players, they secured their spot at PAX West by defeating last regional’s dark horse Vox Nihili.
In the first series, Gale Force crushed Imported Support in a straight-forward 2-0 victory. In the first game on Tomb of the Spider Queen, Gale Force cruised by controlling the map and securing constant rotational kills. While game 2 on Sky Temple was closer, Gale Force still asserted their dominance with a rare Raynor selection.
Team Naventic vs. Astral Authority
With the loss of Fan, Team Naventic decided to fill their final roster spot with Jason, one of the original members of Team Blaze. With the roster change, Tomster moved from the ranged assassin role to the melee flex role. Naventic’s opponents Astral Authoriy also made a single roster change as they replaced Kladeous with returning member Equinox.
In game 1 on Dragon Shire, Astral Authority started well, trading kills evenly with Naventic. However, as the game continued, Astral Authority had no answer for Naventic’s Kerrigan, E.T.C., and Uther combination.
Astral Authority rebounded in the second game on Tomb of the Spider Queen. With their Chen, Auriel, and Xul picks; Astral Authority controlled the map and the objective for the majority of the game. Although Astral Authority built a sizable level and structural lead, Naventic capitalized on a late game pick on an overextending Auriel. As a result, Naventic took the boss and also secured two additional kills, allowing them to destroy Astral’s fort, keep, and eventually core.
With the 2-0 victory, Naventic would once again face their rivals Gale Force eSports. However, this time, their former teammate Fan would be on the opposing side.
Gale Force eSports vs. Team Naventic (Winners’ Match)
In the marquee match of day 2, rivals Gale Force eSports and Team Naventic once again faced off. In their last two meetings, Gale Force emerged victorious. However, Naventic turned the tables on Gale Force with a dominant 2-0 victory.
In game 1 on Sky Temple, Gale Force drafted a standard lineup consisting of Muradin, Falstad, Rehgar, Sonya, and Tychus. Conversely, Naventic drafted a strong engage composition with Tyrael, Greymane, Kerrigan, Uther, and Johanna. Naventic controlled the game with much stronger lane rotations and decision making. As Gale Force took the bottom siege camps, Naventic made a bold call to immediately rush towards Gale Force’s core. Their audacity was rewarded as Gale Force could not stop Naventic’s blitz.
In game 2, Naventic took Gale Force to Battlefield of Eternity. Although Gale Force secured Li-Ming for Khroen and Sylvanas, Naventic acquired Greymane and Lunara to help win the Immortal race. As a result, Naventic secured every Immortal and cruised to another easy victory.
With the win, Naventic will play defending champions Murloc Geniuses in the playoffs.
Astral Authority vs. Imported Support (Losers’ Match)
In the losers’ match, Astral Authority eliminated Imported Support 2-1. In game 1 on Cursed Hollow, Astral Authority drafted Chen for the third game in a row. Imported Support responded with a surprise Lost Vikings selection. Astral Authority led the entire game, but their failed attempt to destroy Imported Support’s core let their opponents back into the game. Nonetheless, Astral’s lead was too great, and Imported Support fell in game 1.
In game 2 on Battlefield of Eternity, Astral Authority drafted Sgt. Hammer, Lt. Morales, and Sylvanas. Conversely, Imported Support drafted a heavy stun and single-target damage composition, highlighted by Tyrande, E.T.C. and Greymane. Despite their siege potential, Astral Authority had no answer for Imported Support’s stun combinations.
With the series tied 1-1, the deciding game took place on Towers of Doom. Taking a page out of Denial eSports’ playbook, Imported Support drafted Medivh, Leoric, and Falstad. However, they lacked synergy, so Medivh had absolutely no impact. Astral Authority, as a result, dominated with a final kill score of 17 to 0.
Gale Force eSports vs. Astral Authority (Decider Match)
Fighting for the final playoff spot, Astral Authority upset Gale Force eSports with a clean 2-0 victory. For game 1 on Cursed Hollow, Astral Authority drafted a control composition: Abathur, Muradin, Brightwing, Greymane, and Medivh. Gale Force had serious trouble dealing with Astral Authority’s Abathur and their overall map control. Moreover, Gale Force’s Zeratul and Falstad did not synergize. As a result, Astral Authority slowly cruised to a 1-0 lead.
In game 2 on Sky Temple, Astral Authority drafted Kerrigan and Li-Ming. With their tournament life on the line, Gale Force drafted Zeratul and the first Jaina of the tournament. Despite relying on the Zeratul Void Prison and Jaina Ring of Frost combination, Gale Force did not look like they practiced the synergy between the two heroics at all. As a result, Astral Authority completed the upset with a convincing 2-0 victory.
Although many had high hopes for Gale Force’s intimidating roster, Fan did not look like he synergized with his new team. Unfortunately for Gale Force eSports, their only chance to qualify for Blizzcon now depends on a Murloc Geniuses win.
Looking ahead to the playoffs
In the playoffs, Team Naventic will play Murloc Geniuses, while Astral Authority will face Denial eSports. Tune in to ESL Heroes on Sunday, September 4 at 10:00 AM PT to see who will win PAX West and secure a trip to Blizzcon 2016.
You can view the most current results of the NA Fall Regional #2 here.
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