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Need some GosuBet advice for the Group Stage of the $3,000 GosuCup HoN #1?

We sought out GosuCup predictions from some other community members who deliver competitive HoN coverage: Mario "Kolapz" Mađer of SK-Gaming.com and Josh "Asway" Ouellette of GameReplays.org. Find out their picks, along with mine, for who will make it out of their groups and into the playoffs.

GosuCup HoN #1 Group Stage

Group A

Group B

(1)

FnaticMSI
(8) Europe

Infused Tt eSPORTS
(q) Europe

KD-Gaming e.V
(q) UnitedStates

Icons of Vanity

(2)

Evil Geniuses
(7) Russia

Phenomenal Boys
(q) Philippines

DuskBin E-sports
(q) Sweden

TS-Gaming

Group C

Group D

(3)

SK Gaming
(6) Europe

Online Kingdom
(q) Sweden

Reason Gaming
(q) Europe

Twisted

(4)

Finale
(5) Other

Jokes on You so Deal With It
(q) UnitedStates

Take it to the house
(q) Sweden

unZ

* Invited teams denoted by their GosuGamers Ranking (1-8) as of March 20, 2011. (q) indicates qualified teams.

Group A Predictions

Xndr: MSI, Infs
MSI and Infs are heavy favorites in Group A, so I'm going to take the safe picks here. Though, KD-Gaming is an up-and-coming team, and with half of DM joining them, they have quite a deep roster. A KD upset would be surprising, but not out of the question.

Kolapz: MSI, Infs
Fnatic seem to be back on track and out of their slump period after winning the Gamers Assembly LAN and have produced some great results recently, thus I expect them to top this group. Second place will be a battle between KD-Gaming and Infused. The former, despite great potential, doesn't seem to gel that well yet considering they're still a fairly new clan, so I'll have to give the advantage to Infused. Icons of Vanity should be happy if they manage to grab a draw or two.

Asway: MSI, Infs
For Group A, I can see Infused Tt eSports and FnaticMSI making it out of the Group Stage. I just don't feel that KD-Gaming and Icons of Vanity are really that strong; they might be able to win a game, but I highly doubt it.

Group B Predictions

Xndr: EG, DskB
EG has been inconsistent lately, but they've begun to work things out with their new line-up. This is a tough group to predict, and I think it could depend on latency and how well-adjusted to it the players are. It's foolish to rule out PhB, but this group is so packed with skill, and it would be no surprise if it came down to a tie-breaker match between any of these 4 teams.

Kolapz: PhB, DskB
The group of death. Trying to predict its outcome is a pretty hard task, but I have the feeling we'll see an upset here. Evil Geniuses added a couple new players to their roster recently and seem to still be trying to figure out their playstyle and hero roles. On the other hand, Phenomenal Boys and DuskBin have been as consistent as ever, and I predict they'll take full advantage of it. TS-Gaming are back on the scene, but I don't think they're quite ready to burst back with a huge result yet.

Asway: PhB, DskB
Group B is a little harder to call. With EG's recent pick up, Bdiz, they are definitely a stronger team than before, but DuskBin eSPORTS and Phenomenal Boys are the two teams that everyone seems to have trouble against. I think that both DuskBin eSPORTS and Phenomenal Boys will make it out of the Group Stage.

Group C Predictions

Xndr: SK, OK
I can't help but to be impressed by SK lately, even with the uncertainty that accompanies their roster changes. OK has been on the rise for a while; look for them to continue their strong play. Reason had been on an amazing hot streak of upsets, but I think they're finally starting to cool down. Twisted will have a huge challenge facing this tough group.

Kolapz: SK, OK
SK Gaming and Online Kingdom are thought of as the two best teams in the world at the moment, and I expect them to live up to the hype. Despite showing some signs of weakness in their recent match against Fnatic, Online Kingdom will probably top the group quite handily. SK Gaming will place right behind them, although I expect Reason Gaming to give them a run for their money. Twisted will be happy to gain much needed experience in such a high tier tournament, but not much more than that against the powerhouses they're up against.

Asway: OK, Rea
As much as I like the guys on SK Gaming, right now they don't have a solid roster. JoshP and Sender are both great players, but it's going to take some time for them to get used to the teams playstyle. Both Reason Gaming and Online Kingdom will make it out of the Group Stage.

Group D Predictions

Xndr: xFin, EHH/DWi
EHH/DWi are looking strong, especially with Korok now on their team. He has already made a difference in their GR TS4 Qualifier win. Both unZ and T7H could challenge xFin for 2nd place in the group, but unZ has an uphill battle, and T7H is untested since their return.

Kolapz: xFin, EHH/DWi
Probably the most even group, in which literally any two teams could proceed to the playoffs. I'm a big fan of some DWi/EHH/EzPz players, and they have been doing great lately, so I predict they'll take the number one spot. Finale made a big step forward by beating Team unZ already, and that surely gives them a big advantage to squeeze into the second spot. Take it to the house will probably grab some points as well. But again, anything could happen in this one.

Asway: EHH/DWi, T7H
Group D is probably the hardest group to call in my opinion. EHH/DWi will make it out of the group stage without a doubt, but it's really a toss up from there. It really all depends on what teams actually play; unZ will be out of town this weekend and xFin is having some roster issues. T7H is a old team, but I feel that if they have that drive that they had last year, they will be the dark horse of the tournament.

GosuCup HoN #1: Group Stage predictions