Blizzcon Predictons - Round 1

Well here it is guys Blizzcon is upon us and your top 5v5 teams from around the world will be commencing in battle starting tommorow Friday the 3rd of August. Below is a prediction of the first round match ups.

Some of the lineups and or information might be a bit off, try not to critique me too much as I am not at the event and tried to pull together the best information available.

Notorious versus Meet Your Makers
Notorious Lineup: Warrior, Warrior, Warlock, Shaman, Paladin
Meet Your Makers Lineup: Warrior, Shadow Priest, Warlock, Shaman, Paladin

Notorious is the #1 team coming from the Asian Regional, after being defeated by DER Tenacity in the Upper Bracket Finals they came back in the finals to sweep DER to take the gold. Meet Your Makers, formerly Log, on the other hand met a wall at their Regional's which was SK Gaming, they lost to them in the Upper Bracket Finals and then again in the Finals. Given the fact that the tournament will be played on the new Arena patch, I do not believe MyM’s Warlock/Shadow Priest combo will synergize as well as it did in the past. Both teams will have heroism but Notorius will have two Mortalstrikes, I believe this match will be a lot closer than it should be – but in the end Notorious will pull through with a victory.

Notorious over Meet Your Makers [3-2]

Nashwan versus Team EG
Nashwan Lineup: Warrior, Mage, Shaman, Priest, Paladin
Team EG Lineup: Warrior, Warlock, Shaman, Priest, Paladin

Nashwan is the only team at this tournament that failed to defeat any of the other teams here at their qualifier. Nashwan defeated Art of War, then lost to SK gaming, defeated Knockout and Millennium before losing to MyM. In my opinion Nashwan is the weakest team at this tournament and they are going up against one of the strongest: Team EG, formerly known as HUKHUKs. EG steam rolled through the US finals defeating both Pandemic and TFO by scores of 3-1, although Pandemic had a non-ideal roster at the Regional’s. I expect this match to be a blow out with EG as the victor.

Team EG over Nashwan [3-0]

SK-Gaming (Warders) versus Team Pandemic
SK-Gaming Lineup: Warrior, Mage, Shaman, Priest, Paladin
Team Pandemic Lineup: Warrior, Mage, Hunter, Rogue, Paladin

What a great match up to start off the tournament, unfortunately for one of these two teams their journey will be slowly crushed as they are sent to the losers bracket. SK-Gaming, formerly Warders, made it here by winning the European Regional’s despite not being a top seed. They defeated MyM and Nashwan on their road to #1, where as Pandemic was forced to play with an unconventional lineup with a rogue and 4-DPS and some how managed to limp their ways into the 3rd spot at the US Regional’s to make it here. The big question here is whether or not Pandemic will be able to play their idea lineup or be forced to use the one they had in the Regional’s. If Pandemic is forced to play their 4-DPS set up again with a rogue expect them to lose 3-0 if not I believe they will take this mirror match-up convincingly seeing as they have more experience with it. *UPDATE* According to the Blizzcon website Pandemic is listed as playing their four DPS with a Rogue, unless this changes I do not believe they will be able to win this match up playing with a Rogue, the only one in this tournament.

SK-Gaming over Pandemic [3-0]

D E R Tenacity versus TFO
D E R Tenacity Lineup: Warrior, Warrior, Mage, Shaman, Paladin
TFO Lineup: Warrior, Mage, Hunter, Shaman, Paladin

This should best match up of this round seeing as both teams don’t play cookie cutter lineups like all the other teams, and the SK/Pandemic match will most likely be a blowout. TFO also known as 'We Lose Cuz Daorok sux' placed 2nd at the US Regional’s. At the Regional’s TFO lost to Pandemic’s ‘4-DPS’ team in the Semifinals but stormed through the loser bracket knocking the heavily favored Fighting Mongooses out of the tournament as well as beating Pandemic in the Lower Bracket Finals – then losing to EG in the Finals by a score of 3-1. DER Tenacity on the other hand steamed through their tournament until the finals where they lost two sets to Notorious a team they defeated earlier in the tournament. In the US ladder play lately TFO has been on an extreme tear defeating everything in their paths probably in preparation of this tournament. I belive TFO will continue their dominance into this tournament and win this match convincingly.
TFO over DER Tenacity [3-1]

Be sure to keep checking in, I will try to get live scores as well as Predictions for every round!

Link to Regional Brackets: Here
Link to the Blizzcon Offical Page / Brackets: Here