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{S} Soul Reaver (aka Jean Kepler / Keplergamer) round of 8 game review.
I play TA since the 90's, and loved to spend a LOT of time watching replays on that game. And SC:FA is an even better platform to do it.
Decided to rate the replays for my own mental organization of what was happening. Now also describing why I gave the high or low rate. A great guide for those who don't have the time. Or are looking for a game to cast.
I'll add links to casted games when I watch all the tournament matches, to avoid spoilers as much as possible.
Series 1 - Petric (Fremy) vs Turin Turambar (Sonozaki)
12728585 on crazyrush 8 Typical action-packed Crazy Rush game.
12728786 on Frithen 7 Game was kinda even, then it wasn't and boom. Someone's not playing around. Deadly attack.
12728883 on Z-D Rasty Lite 9 With the tournament on the line, he rises up to the challenge and plays a much more solid game. Both sides fight until the very end in a very nice to watch game.
12729025 on The Bermuda Locket 9.5 Amazing game!!! Brutal fight on all fronts, with air, land and sea. Nail-biting, back and forth, action packed duel by 2 very determined players.
Jagged Appliance Cast: Part 1 - Crazy Rush and Frithen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwjmT7CyeQ8 Part 2 - Rasty Lite and Bermuda Locket: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GwNupw7ydE
Series 2 - archsimkat vs Nexus 12728773 on Frithen 9 Both players moving their land armies in little groups everywhere so much that I thought that I was watching a "Dancing With the Stars" episode. Felt like they were trying every little trick in their book to try and break the enemy line but both stood strong. Until...
12729015 on crazyrush 8 I always love to see the openings here and how each one tackle the energy problem. Nexus gives us a masterclass on that matter. Then I just removed the strategic icons and health bars, zoomed in a enjoyed the fireworks. Love this map!
12729227 on Z-D Rasty Lite r8 The most one-sided game of the series, but it's non-stop action from start to finish, and no early GG - the commander only goes down with a bang.
Jagged Appliance Series Cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roZ_kRTJm6k
Series 3 - Espiranto vs Tagada 12728602 on crazyrush 8.5 One team with a more solid and expensive approach, building PD's and going for T2 and T3 earlier, while the other on a MASS SPAM of T1 factories. Brutal game. Who will win?
12728808 on Open Palms 7.5 Again one with a more solid expansion, while the other in an aggressive expansion, with the danger of over-extending.
12728942 on Frithen 8 Kinda even until a simultaneous mirrored assault, one is successful, the other isn't, and the game just snowballs from there.
Jagged Appliance Series Cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPW-7XhwmZg
Series 4 - BlinChik vs TURBO2 12728598 on Painted Desert Rebalanced n/a Replay corrupted =( ...or connection loss. Was looking to be a great match.
12728714 on Painted Desert Rebalanced 7.5 Great to see this TA classic here. So much mass to reclaim on this SC version! Game is too one-sided for us to properly enjoy a battle on this map. Looking forward to other games here.
12728911 on White Fire v2 8 Ain't this another TA Classic? More even game, but a slow start combined with an early GG right when it was heating up really let's down. Still able to see some T2 Destroyer action.
12729094 on The Ditch 8.5 Wow, so much reclaim available on this map. And so many features on a 20x20km map. It's like Crazy Rush nasty big sis. They said on Total Annihilation that you don't send an army, but a huge ball of doom. This surely applies to this map. Big armies all around. And hard to predict who will win for most of the game.
12729410 on Palaneum 10!!! What a nice little map, so many cool visual features, a real eye-candy, the map selection for this series has been stellar. But mostly, what a game! With the menace of the elimination, the need to step-up, to fight to the very end. This game is dynamite!
12729608 on crazyrush 8.5 Turbo gets ahead on mass production, but BlinChlk keeps his army closer together and tries to catch-up. Will he succeed? Extra-points for being the first game from this and the summer tourney that don't have an early GG / Comm assassination and we get to see the winning side taking the spoils and destroying the base.
Jagged Appliance Casts: Part 1 - Painted Desert and White Fire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xh8jmfe-O8 Part 2 - The Ditch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ym4ljyZXgY Part 3 - Palaneum and Crazy Rush - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaP8yVdxWsI
Watched all the games and gave my own rating.
I like action packed games, preferably even, hard-fought and back in forth. No playing cat and mouse with the armies, unless it's a fight to avoid elimination from the tournament. Also prefer players who don't give up so easily.
Take the ratings not as totally consistent, but as great guide to know what is worth spending your time.
2020 Fall Invitational Qualifier September 12, 2020 List of Games Played
Upper Bracket Set 1
Series 1 ChitChat_88 vs ThomasHiatt 12625958 on Ambush the Enemy r7
12626076 on Amoor r5
Cast for this series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLqeI0xfI-U Series 2 Blast_Chilled vs WoundedElkNoob 12625946 on Ambush the Enemy r6
12626103 on Amoor r5
12626188 on Osiris r8
Series 3 Ryfun vs Yudi 12626118 on Ambush the Enemy r6
12626412 on Amoor r6
Series 4 BullyDozerNoob vs Inspektor_Kot 12625950 on Ambush the Enemy r9
12626086 on Amoor r5
12626178 on Osiris r4
Series 5 MadMozart vs Matri 12625931 on Ambush the Enemy r8
12626039 on Amoor r7
Series 6 ArchSimKat vs BlInChIk 12625939 on Ambush the Enemy r9
12626131 on Amoor r9.5
12626376 on Osiris r10
Series 7 Thalia vs TURBO2 12626033 on Ambush the Enemy r7
12626127 on Amoor r6
Series 8 Zasport vs ZLO 12626096 on Ambush the Enemy r7
12626183 on Amoor r9
Lower Bracket Set 1
Game 9 ChitChat_88 vs WoundedElkNoob 12626651 on Z-D Rasty Lite r7.5
Game 10 BullyDozerNoob vs Ryfun 12626584 on Z-D Rasty Lite r7
Game 11 archsimkat vs Matri 12626882 on Z-D Rasty Lite r4
Game 12 Thalia vs Zasport 12626349 on Z-D Rasty Lite r8.5
Upper Bracket Set 2 (Winners qualify to participate in the Fall Invitational)
Series 13 Blast_Chilled vs ThomasHiatt 12626517 on Desert Arena r9
12626822 on Oracle r8.5
Series 14 Inspektor_Kot vs Yudi 12626574 on Desert Arena r9
12626801 on Oracle r8.5
Series 15 BlInChIk vs MadMozart 12626907 on Desert Arena r8.5
12627106 on Oracle r7.5
Series 16 TURBO2 vs ZLO 12626341 on Desert Arena r8.5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-otFA1aXtmU 12626522 on Oracle r7
12626817 on Norfair r8
Lower Bracket Set 2 (Winners qualify to participate in the Fall Invitational)
Game 17 Blast_Chilled vs Thalia 12627207 on Seton's Clutch - FAF Version r3
Game 18 archsimkat vs Inspektor_Kot 12627055 on Seton's Clutch - FAF Version r9.5
Game 19 MadMozart vs Ryfun 12627318 on Seton's Clutch - FAF Version r9
Game 20 WoundedElkNoob vs ZLO 12627187 on Seton's Clutch - FAF Version r9.5
Lower Bracket Set 3 (Players eliminated here are tied for 7th/8th place)
Game 21 Blast_Chilled vs Inspektor_Kot ?? 12627323 on Arcane r8.5
Game 22 Ryfun vs WoundedElkNoob 12627585 on Arcane r8
Upper Bracket Set 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifr8KgX3uVs Series 23 ThomasHiatt vs Yudi 12627215 on The Ganges Chasma r8
12627411 on Frithen r8.5
Series 24 BlInChIk vs TURBO2 12627311 on The Ganges Chasma r7
12627526 on Frithen r7
Lower Bracket Set 4 (Players eliminated here are tied for 5th/6th place)
Game 25 ThomasHiatt vs WoundedElkNoob 12627824 on Seraphim Glaciers r2
Game 26 BlInChIk vs Inspektor_Kot Not in Vault / on Seraphim Glaciers
Lower Bracket Set 5 (The player eliminated here takes 4th Place)
Game 27 BlInChIk vs ThomasHiatt Not in Vault / 8 - Badlands v4
Upper Bracket Set 4 Series 28 TURBO2 vs Yudi 12627968 on Williamson's Bridge r10
12628911 on Turtle Rocks r9.5
Lower Bracket Set 6 (The player eliminated here takes 3rd Place) Game 29 ThomasHiatt vs Yudi 12629651 on Syrtis Major r9
Grand Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OybfXs_V4ew Series 30 ThomasHiatt vs TURBO2 12639790 on Cobalt Valley r9
12639977 on Forbidden Pass v4 r9
12640161 on Emerald Crater r9.5
Game 31 ThomasHiatt vs TURBO2 12640407 on Z-D Rasty Lite r11
Thanks a lot!!!
Please, if possible, post the game IDs.
BEST GAMES (imho)
Time is money Prize (most action-packed game from start to finish) Quarter-finals series 4 - BlinChik vs TURBO2 Game 4: 12729410 on Palaneum - Rate 10!!! What a nice little map, so many cool visual features, a real eye-candy, the map selection for this series has been stellar. But mostly, what a game! With the menace of the elimination, the need to step-up, to fight to the very end. This game is dynamite!
Jagged Appliance cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaP8yVdxWsI
EPIC!!!!! Prize THIRD PLACE Series Petric vs Tagada game 3: 12736992 on Setons - Rate 10!!! Another great setons game, this map has been the star of this tournament, and this it's the best game here so far. Back and forth in land and sea, nukes, land drops and a great game from start to finish. Watch out for the naughtiest one Siege Tank drop from Fremy into Tagada, what a run he had.
Honorable mention Quarter-Final Series 1 - Petric (Fremy) vs Turin Turambar (Sonozaki) Game 4: 12729025 on The Bermuda Locket - Rate 9.5!!! Amazing game!!! Brutal fight on all fronts, with air, land and sea. Nail-biting, back and forth, action packed duel by 2 very determined players.
BEST SERIES!!! This one had a nice history arch, with the climax at the end:
Quarter-finals series 1 - Petric (Fremy) vs Turin Turambar (Sonozaki)
Most Entertaining Player to Watch: BlinChik was a try-hard fighter. Fun to watch from the qualifiers until the end of his participation of the tournament. GG WP
Also edited both posts with links to the casts that I found.
Sorry for the delay, here's the rest:
SEMI-FINALS
Series 5 - Nexus vs Petric 12729534 on Crag Dunes 8 A nice, action-packed game, but short and not that even.
12729675 on Cobalt Valley 8 Not that much action than before, but a very skilled unit positioning, felt like a game of chess.
12729793 on Painted Desert Rebalanced 8.5 A more even game for this map this time. Petric had 10k more reclaim for basicaly the whole game, while Nexus had a better mass production. From all TA maps, this must be the one who benefit the most from all the SC:FA features. As you really have to split your units in small groups all around the map, with only the middle of the map receiving a little extra attention. Some nice battles there.
Jagged Appliance Series Cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTaIbtOYCvc
Series 6 - Tagada vs TURBO2 12729942 on Forbidden Pass v4 7.5 Defend your expansion while conquering enemy one. Gather the extra resources, and win the game. GG. Didn't look like it was the map's fault at all, as some may say.
12730118 on Cobalt Valley 9 Amazing game! ...apart from the ending. Back and forth, even game. Painting the Cobal Valley black with so many wreckages. Writen mental tantrums. Reclaim war. A lot more than you would expect from a normal Cobalt Valley game.
12730381 on Painted Desert Rebalanced 9 Another great game apart from the early GG, but this is a Semi-Final BO5 series, so one has to save the energy for further matches. This closer to the full potential of a great game that this map can present. Not quite there, but much closer than before.
12730642 on Setons Clutch - FAF version 9.5 Again, the match is more dramatic if you take the elimination from the tournament into the account. And it was an epic game until the end, or close to the end.
12731045 on White Fire v2 8.5 Takes a while to get going, then is a one big sea battle until the end. Nice unique start for this map from Tagada.
Jagged Appliance Cast: Part 1 - Forbidden Pass and Cobalt Valley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTaIbtOYCvc Part 2 - Painted Desert and Setons Clutch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdSHzDuGK-A
======================================
THIRD PLACE SET
Petric vs Tagada 12736806 on Palaneum 4 This one ends really fast.
12736855 on crazyrush 6 One-sided but has some good battles.
12736992 on Setons 10!!! Another great setons game, this map has been the star of this tournament, and this it's the best game here so far. Back and forth in land and sea, nukes, land drops and a great game from start to finish. Watch out for the naughtiest one Siege Tank drop from Fremy into Tagada, what a run he had.
GRAND FINALS!!!
Nexus vs TURBO2 12738400 on Open Palms 8.5 Very high skill level and intense game since the start but not very long.
12738510 on The Bermuda Locket 9 As expected, another very high skill level, as this is the Grand-Final of the tournament. A lot of action. Highlight for one big sea brawl.
12738711 on Z-D Rasty Lite 8.5 This game looked like it was going to end very soon, but somehow the loosing side holds and looks like it may turn the game around, will he be able to do it?
12738921 on Crag Dunes 7.5 Probably the most one-sided game of this Grand-Final series. Congrats to the winner of the tournament, he was on another level.
GG WP!!!
Replay review is up, this time I started adding a little description besides the game rating near the end of the reviews. Will keep doing that with the main-event of this amazing tournament.
Also attached all the links to Jagged Appliance's point-of-view that he posted on YT. No game has been actually casted so far, any takes?
Updated the list with links to all the casts that Jagged Appliance did.
Soul Reaver (aka JeanKepler/Keplergamer) Fall Invitational Group Stage Games Review September 19, 2020
GROUP A Petric (Fremy), JaggedAppliance, BlinChik, and Ryfun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta_5xx6bBKE Series A1 - BlInChIk vs JaggedAppliance 12680893 on Turtle Rocks r7 12681074 on Adaptive Maridia r5
Series A2 - Petric vs Ryfun 12680864 on 8 - Badlands_v4 r5 12681053 on Arcane r4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L_Gs0i2EBE Series A3 - JaggedAppliance vs Petric 12681358 on 8 - Badlands_v4 r9.5 12681645 on Generated Map r9.5
Series A4 - BlInChIk vs Ryfun 12681393 on Cobalt Valley r9 12681491 on Generated Map r8.5
Series A6 - BlInChIk vs Petric 12682115 on The Bermuda Locket r8.5 12682304 on Generated Map r8
GROUP B Tagada, Paralon/ZLO, Yudi(Shinobu), Blast_Chilled
(it appears that Paralon dropped out during the tournament and ZLO, as a substitute, took his place)
Series B1 - Paralon vs Yudi 12680935 on Cobalt Valley r9 12681372 on Cobalt Valley r9 12681470 on Adaptive Maridia r8
Series B2 - Blast_Chilled vs Tagada 12680862 on Adaptive Maridia r8 12681184 on Generated Map r7
Series B3 - Tagada vs ZLO 12681754 on Setons Clutch - FAF version r7.5 12682026 on Generated Map r6.5
Series B4- Blast_Chilled vs Yudi (What a series to decide 2º place) 12681704 on Chiron r9 12681861 on Arcane r11
Series B5 - Blast_Chilled vs ZLO 12682227 on Seraphim Glaciers r9.5 12682838 on Arcane r8
Series B6 - Tagada vs Yudi 12682240 on Amoor r6.5 12682355 on Setons Clutch - FAF version r6.5
GROUP C Nexus, Espiranto, ThomasHiatt, Inspektor_Kot
Series C1 - Espiranto vs ThomasHiatt 12680993 on Frithen r9 12681166 on Point of Reach v4 r3
Series C2 - Inspektor_Kot vs Nexus 12680896 on Cobalt Valley r8 12681140 on Arcane r9
Series C3 - Espiranto vs Nexus 12681459 on Point of Reach v4 r7 12681641 on Frithen r8.5
Series C4 - Inspektor_Kot vs ThomasHiatt 12681318 on Frithen r7.5 12681482 on Forbidden Pass v4 r9 12681678 on Forbidden Pass v4 r1
Series C5 - Espiranto vs Inspektor_Kot 12681952 on Frithen r8 12682153 on crazyrush r9
Series C6 - Nexus vs ThomasHiatt 12681868 on Arcane r4 12681964 on Cobalt Valley r6
GROUP D Archsimkat, TurinTurambar (Sonozaki), TURBO2, WoundedElkNoob
(Decided to start writing why each game has the rating that it has)
Series D1 - TURBO2 vs Turin Turambar 12680888 on Niflheim - Final II v2 r9 12681125 on Setons Clutch - FAF version r9.5 Only the second game of the day for these players, already a huge test of resilience. What an epic match. Back and forth. Action stalls once or twice but comes back on steroids.
Series D2 - archsimkat vs WoundedElkNoob 12681007 on The Ganges Chasma r8.5 Love when both teams go agressive.
12681119 on The Ganges Chasma r9 Again very nice action-packed game.
12681243 on Cobalt Valley r8.5 Another close, action-packed match.
Series D3 - archsimkat vs Turin Turambar 12681673 on Niflheim - Final II v2 r7 Big build-up frustrated by an early ending.
12681802 on Crossfire Canal - FAF version r9 Havent seen much games on this map yet, but I kinda like this one. It just seems to be missing the end.
12682352 on The Crucible r9 "Grand Pillar Extravaganza!!!" Big brawl fought in 4 fronts (plus some water). Both sides on UEF, both sides with a LOT of T2 Heavy Tank. Another close and action-packed match, fought with the tournament on the line, with a suitable ending.
Series D4 - TURBO2 vs WoundedElkNoob 12681718 on Setons Clutch - FAF version r8.5 Nice start and mid battles until the game slows, then early GG. Not the most even match here.
12682066 on The Ganges Chasma r9 Short action-packed game from start to finish. Great display by the winning player.
Series D5 - Turin Turambar vs WoundedElkNoob 12682789 on Setons Clutch - FAF version r9 One displaying a big fighter who never gives up attitude, while the other one doing the opposite. Nice game until the early gg.
12683011 on Niflheim - Final II v2 r9 One focusing more on land, another splitting up land and air, who will win?
Series D6 - archsimkat vs TURBO2 12682797 on Adaptive Maridia r8.5 Slow game due to map size, a little one-sided and early ending, but it wasn't a GG Ctrl+k. Amazing display by the winning player.
12683021 on Cobalt Valley r8.5 Short, action-packed, close back and forth game.
12683145 on Crossfire Canal - FAF version r7.5 Not the most even game here, but entertaining. Ends in a short, silly way.