DISCLAIMER - The following is a user submitted article. It is solely the opinion of the author and does not reflect the opinion of ESAU or its associates.

Brisbane newcomer aluba[tw] spells out his thoughts on the Finals of Western Digital’s Battle of Brisbane. This Sunday will see some tight games as the final 8 teams fight it out for a chance to walk away with the cash prize and hard drives.

Thanks for Mike and Jim for organising another great LAN event at Australia’s best net cafe, Elysium.



1. Eastern Analogue

kurandus
FEz
snakewOw
davio
messi

Following the departure of the Bednarski duo (Tegs & Boomser) due to inappropriate actions, Eastern Analogue skill level has risen so high with reinforcements in davio and messi that my Dragonball power-gauging eyepiece just shattered. There is no doubt this team is eager to win this tournament and hold the prestigious title of ‘Best in Brisbane’. One can say the raw talent and skill of these players will take them to the top. Yes, this line-up undoubtedly packs the strongest punch, but keep in mind the superior chemistry and momentum of EYA and Qlimax. Any of these three teams can win the day, but Eastern Analogue’s inconsistency in playing time and practice will be a deep blow to their performance. As always, reminiscing fzer05 brings back breathtaking memories. Expect similar amazing plays to be executed by these old-school boys on Sunday at Elysium.

PTW – MSE

Here’s what Justin “kurandus” Evans had to say about their team – “We haven't played with our 5 yet, but we'll play a little before the comp and we'll be going in with minimal prac compared to other teams in attendance. We will be relying on our skill level and experience to make up for our lack of preparation for the tournament. Our team for the finals will be near unstoppable with the addition of Daniel "MSE" Anderson to the squad. He has been the form player in Queensland at previous Elysium events. He'll be the player to watch at the upcoming comp, with his firecracker aim and sensual in-game movement, expect big things”.


2. EYA (Eat You Alive)

peetyG
marek
shuaNg
kNyz
sonnyQ

Fresh off winning Leg Two, this talented outfit will look to carry their strong momentum into the Western Digital Battle of Brisbane Finals this coming Sunday. With excellent finishes in both legs of the tournament, EYA will undoubtedly finish on the podium. This team has numerous LAN achievements and experience under their belt (qualified for KODE5 Nationals, WCG 2008), so watch out for them to knock the top tier teams out as shuaNg and sonnyQ bring their amazing Asian aim. The loss of Kny and his big green will surely hurt EYA, but coming in to replace the sniper master will be marek, formerly of the famed izM. Tune in to ESAU’s HLTVs to witness peetyG going big with the Desert Eagle in times of economic crisis.

Here’s a few words Pete had to say about marek – “Marek is a fantastic talent, he has consistently been a top tier player in the QLD scene for many years. Since his izM reign ended, marek has played with sonny and shuang a number of times, making his transition to this team as smooth as possible with the loss of one of our main fraggers in Kny. I’m very happy to have him in the team”.

PTW - kNyz


3. Qlimax – www.qlimax-crew.com

crackrjck
Takita
exe
crate
yaman

The Qlimax Crew 1.6 Division will be yearning for blood to be spilt as they come off a disappointing finish at Leg Two. However, this veteran team will be looking to walk away with the cash or at least the Western Digital hard drives. Qlimax also tied for first place in the first leg of the tournament with Eastern Analogue, achieving this by clinching numerous overtime nail biters throughout the day. With dekkO unable to attend, crate is definitely able to fill the large fragging void left. Each of these players is very skilled individually, but it comes down to how well they execute their strategies on the day. This special group of players have strong chemistry and expect them to attain a first to third placing. It won’t be a surprise to see exe gunning the opposition down and yaman clutching with perfection.

A quick word from Brisbane’s 18 year old ‘up and comer’ Nathan “exe” Stanmore – “I plan on doing more than gunning the opposition down. Maybe I’ll take them on a nice date and never call them again. That’s how I REALLY hurt someone”.

PTW – yaman & exe


4. onTIMEgamers

aspire
goomba
syliX
gonzo
Sponny

This outstanding team are capable of winning this competition if and only if they meet these two criteria:
1. Sponny decides to turn up on time.
2. Scott takes the team camping in the Tuscan jungle to improve their survival skills or they might get slain again by chief FaKe and his underlings.
Don’t be put off by Sponny’s witty remarks that make you all burn and rage. In fact, these boys are really good and nice. After performing brilliantly in the first leg and receiving the silver medal in leg two, these onTIMEgamers are aiming high and looking to hold the title ‘Best in Brisbane’. It looks like Gonzo will be coming back into the line-up after THFS said he was too good for the Finals. Watch out for goomba to pull off big random things, Sponny to call themed strategy names and for syliX and gonzo to dome with the big green.

Shoutout to the GN boys!

Let’s give the microphone to syliX for a few words - “It’s a relief that Timmy "THFS" isn't playing for us in the finals. He simply isn't the best ramps player around..sorry to break your heart Tim. With Paul back in the mix I think things could heat up with massive AWP battles and shiz. Goomba to dome faces as per usual..except slaiN. They are just too good =(. Scott to not talk into the mic loud enough AGAIN and me to bring dinner suggestions!! That's basically how we roll. <3 GN boys”.

PTW – Vindestructible (syliX)


5. exodus - #exodus on Gamesurge

bulba
T Crane
eLusive
geNz
inc.

Home to the team with a twelve page strat book, it isn’t unusual to hear T Crane and eLusive screaming out loud, “I’M THE BEST IN AUSTRALIA”. Inc is coming back into the line-up to play his role in the team after crate filled in for the second leg. Exodus has lived up to its name of the most improved team, as they continued to cause upsets to top-tier teams with a convincing win over A-Gamers and finished 3rd/4th in Leg Two. Expect this team to consistently pull off big games against higher seeded teams with T Crane calling superbly on-the-fly, complimented by the two Honky’s ability to execute ridiculous headshots (through the squeaky door). I predict exodus to have a solid performance as they continue to improve each competition with a stable core line-up, consistent practice and cohesive teamwork.

PTW – eLusive & T Crane

Bulba voices his opinion of the team – “I know we can take 4th place or higher if we just apply ourselves. eLusive and geNz have the ability to clutch any situation with monster aim and sensitivity whilst T Crane can read the game much better than he is given credit for as our caller, but probably less than he credits himself. Inc. is a mix with huge aim and experience who will always win crucial rounds. And I am better than all of them”.


6. A-Gamers - #a-gamers on Gamesurge

dBs
Jks
BurtoN
Swing
JimNeso

Disappointed after their loss to exodus in Leg Two, A-Gamers will be seeking revenge in the Finals. With the renowned BurtoN having some input into calls for the third time, the team’s chemistry will hopefully have improved. AG has amazing potential to take out the best teams, but with the mindset of the players set on just scrimming for fun, the lack of practice and passion restricts this team to perform well. Be on the lookout for the Savage brothers and U-Porn to shoot the opposition down with no mercy. Also, don’t be surprised to see Justin “Jks” Savage to be flying through the air and tackling you after buffing up his big guns for countless hours in the American Football training grounds (202.125.44.50:27015). Last thing, don’t rub your eyes when you’re tuned in to HLTV and see the end of Swing’s AWP barrel smoking after a couple of picks. The secret behind the smoke is that he’s actually converted his Magnum Sniper Rifle into a massive bong which he smokes in-game.

PTW – dBs

James “U-Porn” Cowan has a few words to say about this Sunday – “Our performance depends largely on Jks fixing his broken PC at home so we can prac, dBs having a hangover and Swing having a choof”.


7. d1zl

jdn
Sollz
tribo
jules
xphEr

In the first leg of Western Digital’s Battle of Brisbane, d1zl had to play with two ringers in GoMeZ and Hedgey. Leg Two saw Sollz and xphEr bolster the ranks to form the original line-up the team had in mind. In a similar position as A-Gamers, this team has the potential to fly high if they make the effort to dry-run and improve chemistry with some practice scrims online. With this in mind, expect d1zl to finish in the latter rungs of the ladder but don’t be awestruck when you witness the occasional spectacular individual performances. Watch out for the 360/izM/destinatus mix to cause some upsets on the day. With jdn and jules d1zl’ing it up, this team is packed with tremendous firepower.

PTW - jules

After a few questions with jdn, I quote him – “If we focus more on teamwork and less on jules’ c0ckring we might perform better”.


8. Three-way tie between NG / qtab / slaiN

NG - #nextgenau on Gamesurge

Incuban (PTW)
runez
sammcf
TBG
jasegryph

qtab

Knight (PTW)
jason
jonesz
Sazz
TBA

slaiN

kemz
iNVASIVE
dagger
Eddie
FaKe (PTW)

These three keen teams will be jostling fiercely for the eighth and final spot in the Western Digital Battle of Brisbane Finals. Come early Sunday morning, NG, qtab and slaiN will be battling hard as they are all tied on one point apiece on the scoreboard. The catch is that NG has a slight lead ahead over qtab with a 16-14 win during the second leg, thus they acquire a second life. The favourites for this triple-header will definitely be NG, with a wealth of experience and cool headedness during intense matches, this will be the team that advances through to the Finals. Watch out for the AOA boys to go large, but don’t dismiss the possibility of slaiN pulling off an upset considering their astounding 16-14 win over onTIMEgamers on de_tuscan.



That’s all folks, good luck to all teams competing and may the best team win.
Idle #qldlan on Gamesurge for more updates and news on the current Queensland LAN events.

Written by aluba[tw]