With the season less than three weeks away some of the Firetail Events team have peered into their crystal ball and put together their predictions for the upcoming Firetail League. Categories include:
– Champion (Winner of the Firetail League)
– Runner Up (Second Place)
– Wooden Spoon (Last Place)
– MVP (Best Player)
– Golden Gun (Player with most KA)
– X-Factor (Player who can have a big influence on their team’s performance)
Have our experts got it right? What are your predictions?
Checkers – Co-Commissioner & Commentator
Champion: Sydney Endeavour
With arguably the best player in the competition in Geo (who has been part of the last two winning teams in Firetail Events tournaments) and a balanced and competent supporting cast, the Endeavour have more than enough firepower to take away the inaugural Firetail League.
Runner-up: Brisbane Boom
A team which should prove that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Boom have solid players throughout the roster who seem willing to take on whatever role necessary to get the job done. The only concern is the lack of flexibility in their comps which is why they may not reach the pinnacle.
Wooden Spoon: New Zealand Rush
Almost impossible to pick a wooden spoon team with the talent spread across the League but the Rush may have issues initiating strong pushes with their best two players, Sluke and Ness, predominantly playing mid and long range weapons. Those two however are some of the best thinkers in the game and will no doubt prove me wrong.
MVP: Geo (Sydney Endeavour)
Is the best player on what may be the best team come season end. Has the mechanical skill and game smarts to add the Firetail League MVP to an already impressive resume’.
Golden Gun: Yoshiko (Adelaide Revenge)
If the Revenge are going to make noise in the Firetail League then they will need Yoshiko to lead the charge and I am tipping the Justice Esports star to get the job done. More than talented enough to lead the league in kills.
X-Factor: REI-13 (New Zealand Rush)
If REI-13 can take the next step then all of the potential problems for New Zealand disappear. Could be the difference between the wooden spoon and the Rush making a deep run in the finals.
RamboAz – Co-Commissioner & Commentator
Champion: Brisbane Boom
What you have here may not be #1 in any individual position, but together create a holy trinity of synergy.
A frontline with smart aggression
A midline that doesn’t know how to die
A backline that’s always got their squids back
This prophecy only rings true if JSOD, REI-25 and W* are willing to listen and adapt to the playstyle, and my bet is that they can.
Runner Up: Melbourne Maelstrom
This team is full of players that don’t want people in their personal space. (Except you LooseGoose, you want to be in their face). Their ability to position will lead to many lockouts and knockouts unless they drop their guard. Any team that can find a way in will be a fox in a hen house, but I’m willing to bet that most of the league can’t do that.
Wooden Spoon: Adelaide Revenge
There is not a single bad team in this league. In saying that, the frontlines Kozi and [L]iam will need to find a way to break some of the other comps open, but if they can pull it off the rest of the squad is more than capable of capitalising.
MVP: Shockwavee (Melbourne Maelstrom)
All I see is improvement! With an outlandish ballpoint that is trumped again by his versatile Nautilus, Shockwavee can position himself for whatever the team requires and produce results doing it. What remains to be seen is if he can act as team leader and guide Maelstrom to victories on the bench. Regardless, his stats will remain impressive and will no doubt contribute greatly to the outcome of the team.
Golden Gun: Owlsy (Brisbane Boom)
Owlsy (provided he sticks to his Splattershot) has not only the skill, but the game sense to know when and where he’s needed. While the team might not always win the game, rest assured Owlsy will remain consistent. His swap to NZAP will no doubt see an even higher K/A – he’s such a lethal player mixed in with assisting the entire team with well timed armors. He’s like a Chansey but with Scyther claws.
X-Factor: Cyleris (Melbourne Maelstrom)
She’s got the skill but I sense she has a greater hunger for the recognition, and what better place to prove yourself than in the inaugural Firetail League? Fueled by this we could see Cyleris “blast” her way to the top, while the rest of her team are hanging on to the coattails, holding on for dear life.
Hess – Stream Admin
Champion: Melbourne Maelstrom
Although I believe most teams in the Firetail League are definitely capable of taking the top spot, Melbourne Maelstrom will be able to form particularly brutal weapon compositions capable of maintaining strong aggression while also having the reliable support and anchorage of some of their more backline-focused players. If they can use this to keep a strong momentum throughout their matches, they will be a very difficult team to stop.
Runner-up: Brisbane Boom
Brisbane Boom’s roster in particular stands out to me as having players who have each proven at different times that they can significantly influence the state of a game. However, it will of course come down to whether they can play to their strengths while building and maintaining the team synergy necessary to thrive in this environment.
Wooden Spoon: Adelaide Revenge
Although Adelaide Revenge has a roster of very strong players individually, I feel that their main weakness will be their ability to form dynamic weapons comps without forcing some players to compromise and play to a weapon/style outside of their comfort picks. This will likely impact on their ability to synergise as a team. However, it is worth noting that they have been putting a significant amount of time and effort into team practice, so I look forward to them proving me wrong!
MVP: Owlsy (Brisbane Boom)
Owlsy has proven that he is a valuable player no matter what team he is playing for. Having subbed in for Justice Esports at Phantom 2020, he did not disappoint and I expect that he will continue to bring some huge plays into the Firetail League that will certainly have an influence on the results in Brisbane Boom’s favour.
Golden Gun: mgj/ThePurpleNess1 (New Zealand Rush)
With an impressive record in the Firetail Octos, mgj has a mean .96 Gal that gets him very far. If he is able to stick with this for most games, he’ll have no trouble racking up those splats with some well-timed armours guaranteed to provide a nice healthy boost to his KA stat.
X-Factor: LO247 (Sydney Endeavour)
A truly underestimated player, LO’s objective-focused playstyle and ability to hype up his team could certainly help steer the ship back into the direction it needs to turn games around when at a situational disadvantage. Give him the Rainmaker and there’s a good chance that he will capitalise on any opportunities that arise in the moment and be the difference between taking out a game or simply falling apart.
flc – Expert Analyst
Champion: Sydney Endeavour
The Sydney squad has, on paper, the strongest lineup of individual players. This alone is enough to favour them taking home the top spot, but it won’t be smooth sailing for the Endeavour. Their capable but short-staffed supporting crew may run themselves ragged trying to keep up with the rest of this aggressive roster.
Runner Up: Perth Fury
Perth Fury will be in for a slow start while the brains trust figure out how best to use their versatile, but tricky, roster. Once they do, however, they could very easily end up as the strongest team in the league. The only question is whether the Fury will reach fever pitch before Sydney’s hoisted the trophy.
Wooden Spoon: Brisbane Boom
The keys to success may yet lie within this roster of quiet achievers, but my concern is whether anyone in the Boom(ers) is willing to step up and lead the team to victory. Every other team has at least one experienced captain figure–something of vital importance in a draft format–and while I see people in this roster who should step up, it’s a question of whether they will.
MVP: Linc (Perth Fury)
While Geo is the shoo-in as the arguably best player in the favoured team, he’s also competing with his own teammates for the spotlight. For this reason, I’m backing Linc instead; if Perth Fury performs, he’ll be the one taking centre stage. Here’s hoping he doesn’t flub his lines.
Golden Gun: Skitter (Sydney Endeavour)
High kill stats are often just a result of sheer belligerence, and nobody in the league starts more fires than Skitter. While Geo might be the cleaner player, Skitter’s aggressive playstyle should see them taking a slightly larger share of both sides of the kill feed.
X-Factor: Goizord (Melbourne Maelstrom)
The Maelstrom is my dark horse for this tournament, but their support-heavy roster requires one of their players to step into a more central role to build a cohesive front line. If Goizord can manage this, the Maelstrom is a serious contender for the top spot; if not, the whole team structure falls apart.
Gabe – Commentator and Expert Analysis
Champion: Brisbane Boom
I believe Brisbane Boom’s team has the most balanced team of all the six teams in the league. What would be considered their top 4 players skill-wise in Owlsy, Murray, Neru and jsod is an extremely strong core. Their supporting cast are no slouches in REI-25 from Shrimphony, who recently won the Krakens Draft Cup and if W* can time their Ink Armors with the team I think they will be very hard to beat.
Runner Up: Perth Fury
For 2nd place I have to at least go for my home team here in the Perth Fury. Shades, Linc, Tay and REI-41 have been playing in a number of Training Tuesday tournaments and achieving some decent results vs established teams. Throw RiviR and Perks into the mix and their frontline firepower improves tremendously so if they get some momentum going, opposing teams are going to get steamrolled.
Wooden Spoon: Adelaide Revenge
With the competition so stacked it’s hard to pick a team that will be bottom placed. Unfortunately I’ve picked the Adelaide Revenge here. While they have great options for backline, midline and support, if they stick to their usual roles it leaves the frontline department a little lacking compared to other teams which will see them struggle to make winning pushes in modes like Rainmaker and Clam Blitz. All the players in the team are quite flexible with their picks so I hope it all comes together nicely.
MVP: Neru (Brisbane Boom)
The obvious pick here would be Owlsy but in the right system, I think Neru will be the one that surprises even experienced players the most and be the key to Brisbane Boom’s success. Joining new team Positive Inking for Season 6 of the Oceanink Series after spending a lot of time on Venomous Squids, the Splatling main has not missed a beat, rapidly improving in both accuracy and positioning against the best players in the region.
Golden Gun: ThePurpleNess1 (New Zealand Rush)
The rock of Sturgeon Turf, ThePurpleNess1 a.k.a. mgj a.k.a. ‘magooj’ has been an extremely consistent player for a while and if they aren’t doing the splatting themselves, then they’re assisting others with Ink Armor on their trusty .96 Gal. The winner for highest rating in the 48 hour Firetail Octos launch challenge knows how to stay alive, get the splats and will any team on to win games.
X-Factor: Skitter (Sydney Endeavour)
Skitter can easily make or break games with their Dark Tetra Dualies. The more Skitter is able to get 2-for-1s or better instead of just 1-for-1 trades or straight up feeding, the better the Sydney Endeavour are going to be for it and make the task much easier for Geo and co. Playing in a new team without the comfort of your usual friends is a tough ask but if Skitter can overcome nerves and perform under pressure on stream, then the rest of the competition better watch out.
Yessoan – Commentator
Champion: Melbourne Maelstrom
Firepower is all well and good, but Melbourne Maelstrom are packing an inktank full of tactical knowledge. All of these players have been able to beat out tougher teams with clever tactics and quick thinking, and their ability to adapt to their opponents will truly set them apart.
Runner-up: Adelaide Revenge
A team with a strong defence that will be scary to stare down. If you make one false move against this lineup, you’ll be punished for it and have a hard time recovering. A lot of these players are excellent at supporting their team members, and I believe this synergy will carry them toward the top of the leaderboard.
Wooden Spoon: Brisbane Boom
The one thing I think Brisbane Boom will have trouble with is consistency. I’ve seen these players do amazing things, win 1v4s, and get staggering overtime victories. But if they’re not in the zone, they have a hard time turning things around. I hope for their sake they bring the boom, else they’re sure to face doom.
MVP: Shockwavee (Melbourne Maelstrom)
With the switch from frontline aggression to backline support, Shock understands all aspects of this game on an intuitive level. With that kind of experience, and the amount of work they put into improving and working to be the best, I have no doubts Shock will lead their team to many victories in Firetail League.
Golden Gun: Geo (Sydney Endeavor)
If we’re talking splats, a good team leaves it to their slayer to get the work done. Geo is perfectly positioned to clean up the enemy team. Geo is not only a magnificent team player when it comes to co-ordinating an attack, but they can also win some fights when things get hairy.
X-Factor: Tay (Perth Fury)
I just got a good feeling from Tay for this event. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll be watching this player, I’m ready for something special.