This weekend was the first ever MLG Doritos Pro-Gaming Combine. The combine events will see around 256 teams compete for roughly $5000-$6000 worth of prizes as MLG apparently aim to uncover hidden talent within the MLG scene. Although this may seem like a series of MLG events simply without everything that makes MLG special, it does offer something that we don’t see very often, and that is the opportunity for a brand new champion to be crowned. The combine also held an FFA event where individuals could compete for a whopping $500 + (some) LAN support for the MLG opener.
So with that in mind, two of Europe’s finest headed over to Tennessee with high hopes of becoming the first ever MLG Doritos Pro-Gaming Combine Champions. Almost undoubtedly the strongest Dutch team, LowLandLions were set to make their second MLG appearance. After a relatively strong MLG debut at the National Finals, placing within the top 40, the LLL team were hoping to improve on this placement at the second time of asking, especially with the absence of the pro teams. It seems like a life time ago when LLL blew the competition away at XL6 on UK soil and if the team could re-find the kind of skill they displayed over that weekend then LLL would not be a team to be over looked. LLL received the 22nd seed for the event. Their complete roster was as follows:
Adam 'Infern0s' Baig Jasper 'Kamachi' Eeftinck Schattenkerk Roman 'Shinato' Neidig Zyldjian 'ForReal' Neidig
The LLL boys looking closer than ever
The other team attending will need little introduction within the EU community. Widely considered to be the best European Halo 3 team and possibly even the best team to ever hail from outside of the US; they go by the name of Power. The team has grown to become somewhat of an icon gaining both a lot of fans and a lot of expectations along the way. Power’s MLG debut was at the Anaheim event in 2009 where they placed just outside the top 16. Power later attended the National Finals where they once again flirted with the fringes of the Pro Placements but again just fell short. So for Power, this was set to be a big event. After ditching their supposed weak link, Jack ‘Baxter’ Baxter, Power completed their impressive line up with the addition of Stefan ‘MVP’ Djordjevic. The acquisition of MVP was a landmark moment for European console gaming, as this was the first ever official player transfer. The team have since gone on to become the first and only professional Halo 3 team in Europe, with Power Gaming paying the quartet a handsome salary for their services; further incentive for the team to go the distance and stamp their mark permanently on the MLG world. After their strong performances at the previous two MLG events, Power go into the Nashville combine as the second seeded team. The Power line up for Nashville was:
Alex 'Buk20' Buck Will 'Buk57' Buck Stefan 'MVP' Djordjevic Eddie 'Reaction' Lech
Yet another opponent dispatched
Other teams worth mentioning are 1st Seed Hood Ninjas, 3rd Seed Take Respect who some people will be familiar with through previous encounters with Power, For Glory and Impact who were 4th and 5th seed respectively.
The tournament didn’t take long to throw up a surprise for the travelling teams, with LowLandLions falling at the hands of 43rd seed High Tide in their second match which saw an early appearance in the Lower Bracket for the Dutchmen and left them with a lot of work to do. Power were having a better time as they made quick work of their first couple of opponents before coming up against 34th seed Unleash The Fury. It was here that Power showed their first signs of weakness dropping their first game and perhaps setting up a slightly nervy finish in what would possibly have been the biggest upset of the tournament so far. With everything to do, Power turned it up a notch and ended up winning comfortably including a 50-29 battering of Unleash The Fury on the final map. Power lived to see another day.
The prize for beating Unleash The Fury? A date with their next round opponent, Prototype. Another contest that turned out to be extremely closely thought and after with the scores tied at 1-1, the deciding map threw up somewhat of a close contest with the game finishing 50-48 in Power’s favour. Power’s luck was about to change, though.
Their next round opponents, The Yellow Dragons, had so far waltzed through the tournament only dropping one game prior to their face off with Power, and after an intense first map where only one kill separated the teams, Power’s fate was sealed with a comprehensive 5-1 defeat on Heretic CTF.
Meanwhile, LLL were battling their way through the loser bracket. After four victories, LLL had set themselves up for a rematch with High Tide in a best of 7 match up. Unfortunately for LowLandLions, High Tide held their nerve and won the series 4 maps to 1 which meant the end of the tournament for LLL. So now the interests of Europe rested solely in the sweaty yet capable hands of Power.
Power made their way through the lower bracket, first beating Count Three and Pray, then 1st seed Hood Ninjas, then finally Four of a Kind. Power now found themselves in the Lower Bracket final and a hotly anticipated rematch with The Yellow Dragons in a 7 game series. The winners would move onto the grand final and a chance to take on Adrenaline Rush while the losers would go home 3rd place finishers.
While the entire European Halo 3 scene willed Power on to overcome their opponents, The Yellow Dragons continued their form from the first series and dispatched Power in two straight games. So for the BUK's, Reaction and MVP, this was the end of their Nashville hopes as they left with a fairly respectable third place finish, although some may note that they failed to meet their original seeding. The tournament culminated in a grand final which saw Adrenaline Rush win 4 games to 2.
After the tournaments were over it was revealed that Eddie ‘Reaction’ Leck had manage to scoop one of the Wild Cards which gives him some perks for the next MLG event. It’s also worth mentioning that Shinato of LowLandLions managed to reach the final of the Free For All tournament.
The real winner was Reaction's Light Up CICA shoes
Overall a relatively successful weekend for both European teams over in Nashville. One question that remains on many people’s minds, though, is do Power have what it takes to make pro in the 2010 season? Well on paper, they certainly have a strong roster, quite possibly the strongest they have had. They’re still in process of gelling as a team and they should improve over the course of the season. Will they improve enough to place within the top 16 places? I guess time will tell. They’ve definitely got the incentive to do so and I for one look forward to seeing their progress over the 2010 season. I’d also like to wish LLL good luck for the rest of the season.
Adam 'Infern0s' Baig
Alex 'Buk20' Buck
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Power Gaming
