What an action packed weekend! This year we saw a lot of different approaches to doctrines and had some major upsets during Alliance Tournament XV. This weekend saw a number of previous Alliance Tournament winners duke it out. Many of these matches absolutely defied prediction, even forming a joke that if Mawderator gave someone the edge in a fight before the match, they would lose. Day 5 and Day 6 are on Twitch for those of you who wish to watch the Alliance Tournament in full and missed it. The official EVE_NT Youtube channel should be posting footage of the individual matches very soon as well. To steal one last thing from the previous article on this topic, there is an amazing PVP tool for those who wish to study the tactics of the matches without the commentary.
HIGHLIGHTS
Both days had some action packed matches, but a few matches stood out to me above the rest. In this segment, I would like to highlight a few of the more interesting matches out of the 8+ hours of footage that I reviewed this weekend. This is my personal opinion as the following matches saw interesting strategies or effectively executed tactics that I especially enjoyed. The following references will cite the times during the Day 6 Twitch stream if you want to watch them yourself. I highly recommend you do.
Brave v Test
During match #110 (@36:15), Brave traded an Exequror and a Navy Harbinger for their aggressiveness. However, they blitzkrieged through Test’s DPS before going after the Test’s Bhaalgorn, soon killing the remaining Daredevils and looting the field while they toyed with an assuredly traumatized Punisher. One of the more interesting matches of the series, and set Brave apart as a force to be reckoned with.
HYDRA RELOADED v Exodus.
Match #116 (@2:57:20) saw HYDRA warp in at 50 kilometers to the beacon, whereas Exodus. warped in with two groups at 30km and 50km respectively. HYDRA immediately tackled, ECMed, and tracking disrupted Exodus. Mawderator pointed out as he narrated that Exodus. was likely trying to use their Svipuls to get in close and tackle the HYDRA’s Sacrileges. However, Exodus. lost a Purifier, starting a slow and methodical whittling down of their DPS. This match reminded me of a Brazilian Jujitsu match where a much smaller opponent kept a much larger opponent in a joint-lock, thus immobilizing them so they could repeatedly hit them. While this match definitely took its time, the control that HYDRA exhibited was very interesting to watch.
VYDRA RELOLDED vs Northern Coalition.
Match 117a (@3:15:37) saw one of the closest back and forth matches of the entire series. NCdot lost two hounds almost immediately when the match started. Vydra then lost a couple Navy Harbingers and soon followed by two Harbingers. NCdot then lost their Oneiros, removing their logi from the field. More back and forth ships got traded in a nail-biting tug of war. At the end, DHD WildCat’s flagship Bhaalgorn tried to use their guns to even the point value of the match. Ultimately it was in vain, as Vydra won this first out of three 77 to 74.
BLING GO BOOM
We saw at least three AT ships meet their fiery demise, as well as several flagships. Here are some highlights:
Back to back Rabisu losses destroyed in match #117b(@3:5629). This was a very different match than the one preceding it covered in the previous segment. This comeback paved the way for the final showdown between the two of the day.
Unfortunately, the previous upset did not last. Match #117c (@4:43:00) saw this Chameleon get gobbled up after watching helplessly as VYDRA melted the faces of its friends. This match saw VYDRA RELOLDED (from what I understand) get guaranteed 3rd place, as well as push NCdot down to the elimination brackets.
Match #112 (@1:15:54) saw Pandemic Legion flagship lose a flagship as well as the match. Hydra was extremely aggressive and made good use of their EWAR, controlling PL’s ability to counter and wiping out their team. Thus ensuring they get kicked out of the tournament in one of the biggest upsets yet.
Match #115 (@2:16:46) saw the destruction of Volta’s flagship. Volta gets absolutely murdered by The Tuskers Co., solidifying their place in the semi-finals next week.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR NEXT WEEK
Afterward, I had a chance to talk to commentators Elise Randolph and Rahne Chocolate on their input about this weekend and what to be excited for next week.
“I enjoyed watching the intense matches of the elimination bracket with so many prior winners now fighting for even a chance at top two. I am especially looking forward to Hydra facing the defending champions Tuskers, and then of course the matches with Brave.” – Rahne Chocolate
“I think Brave is my favorite Cinderella story this alliance tournament. Even if they lose their very next match, they will have placed better than PL – the most dominant tournament dynasty the AT has ever seen. Since there is no PL, Brave are my team for sure!” – Elise Randolph
Next week we will see the winners of this past weekend bash each other in the face with spaceships as they reach for the prize. As seen in the scheduled line up for next week, it will definitely start off with a bang! Be sure to watch next week’s matches as we conclude Alliance Tournament XV!
