Vorbometer Predictions for IML Round 4
Filed under: Premier League
Since I missed last week's predictions and I can't be bothered to go all the way back to round 2 to check out how I did I'm just going to ignore my current predicting record. Just assume that I've gotten everything right - and if I have got some things wrong then it's down to the squads not following my instructions closely enough.
Last weekend saw the most boring game in IML history (CRV over llamas 1-0), another half-assed LI showing (4v3 for the first 17 seconds, then 4v2 for the rest of a very short game losing 12-0 to Striker) and Prospect taking out Secret 12-5 in the most hyped up game on the forums.
No top 10 rankings from blur this week (get them done next week fucker) So I picked my own MVP. The gong goes to Prospect's Chronic who went 4-1 with 1 KO, 1 assist and 5 forced reps in their victory over Secret. The LVP award goes to the combined rosters of CRV and llamas for making us all sit through that snoozefest.
So after a seven day break the Vorbometer returns for round 4 of exciting intermediate spaceship combat, which this week is brought to you by dogs in ties:
CR Virgins (3-0) vs Liquid Inc. (0-3)
LI to show two and CRV to go mad and get two kills in a game to go top of the standings (the SFE/Prospect match has been postponed). Exciting stuff that's not to be missed unless you have something better to do. Like picking the fluff out of your belly button or writing down all the prime numbers from 1 to 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
I think this is the week I finally retire the More Majorum Corollary.
Vorbometer: 2-0 CR Virgins
Key Players: Peen (CRV), Steve_Zissou (CRV)
Watch out for: Peen. If I don't mention him at least twice in every CRV match prediction he'll PM the shit out of me.
Fly-NDeath (1-1) vs IMLlamasery (1-2)
If last week's game against CRV taught us anything it's that you can't wait for llamas to do anything. You have to force them back, split them up and hunt them down. It's very easy to get sucked into their passive lob game. You need someone on your side to force the pace. Looking at FnD's roster I would say noobie is their best player to do this with Mindriot and Missing on his wing.
FnD have only lost once this season, but that was to CRV - another team that features tight teamwork and multiple subbing for specials half way through the game. If they had problems breaking down the strafers from Cosmic Rift, then they will have very little chance in breaking down fellow Alpha Wester's Llamasery. I can't see them doing it. I'm going to go mad here and predict six kills.
Vorbometer: 4-2 IMLlamasery
Key players: noobie (FnD), Shikaa (llamas)
Watch out for: The llamas/Striker game finally ending. According to MR it's still 2-2 after 336 hours. Most people think this is one of the bot errors, but these two have been lobbing at each other from four screens away for nearly three weeks now.
Nightwatch (1-2) vs Striker (2-1)
After an upset OT win over ReDS in round 1 NW have found their place in IML after getting slapped down by Secret and SFE. They're not as bad as I thought they'd be this season, but I still see them as a squad who have jumped the shark as far as being a top tier IML squad and should of made the move to pro a couple of seasons ago at least. Of course Covert Agent would never allow that to happen and NW will continue to go stale.
Striker are a squad going in the opposite direction, but they have a huge question mark hovering over them. That is who exactly is running this squad? The Spanish sensation Brave is inactive so it looks like the fate of the squad is in the hands of Speed, which may explain the unusual starting selections and subs that they've made so far - specially in the llamas game that cost them a victory. When you go up against a squad like LI who play you 2v4 then it's not much of a problem, but when you play a squad like NW - who no matter how stale they look still have the experience - then it's a different matter.
Striker can put out a starting line that can walkover NW (bho, Felony, majeure and either Win or ploss if they're active), but if you see people like JonJon, Amatai, Speed or Varsity starting or subbing in at strange moments then they could get into trouble. I think that Striker just have too much talent to lose to NW and will win despite Speed's decisions in spec.
Vorbometer: 12-7 Striker
Key players: bho (Stkr), Kejami (NW)
Watch out for: Entertainment on NW's roster before Sunday's full lock.
ReDS (0-2) vs Secret (2-1)
$$$ Game of the Week $$$
ReDS have gotten off to a terrible start, getting upset by NW in round 1 then losing heavily to Prospect in round 2. Secret were starting to look like contenders after wins over LI and NW, but last week they also got slapped down by Prospect after a full week of trashtalk on the IML forums.
Both these teams are similar in that they both have a strong starting four, but a weak bench backing them up. ReDS actually could have a strong bench if people like Fresh, Jiggity (Bronx) and a were active, but so far they haven't been. I like ReDS' starters better than Secret's and their bench is better on paper too - plus coming off their bye week they will be looking to break their duck (I think I can get away with a cricket analogy in a Secret game) - but Secret will not make it easy for them. I'm expecting another overtime game for ReDS, but I doubt they'll need any Peter Maverick heroics this time.
Vorbometer: 9-8 ReDS
Key players: gnomeo (ReDS), gato (Secret)
Watch out for: The Prospect/SFE trashtalk to continue through the week even though the game has been postponed since Monday.
Since I missed last week's predictions and I can't be bothered to go all the way back to round 2 to check out how I did I'm just going to ignore my current predicting record. Just assume that I've gotten everything right - and if I have got some things wrong then it's down to the squads not following my instructions closely enough.
Last weekend saw the most boring game in IML history (CRV over llamas 1-0), another half-assed LI showing (4v3 for the first 17 seconds, then 4v2 for the rest of a very short game losing 12-0 to Striker) and Prospect taking out Secret 12-5 in the most hyped up game on the forums.
No top 10 rankings from blur this week (get them done next week fucker) So I picked my own MVP. The gong goes to Prospect's Chronic who went 4-1 with 1 KO, 1 assist and 5 forced reps in their victory over Secret. The LVP award goes to the combined rosters of CRV and llamas for making us all sit through that snoozefest.
So after a seven day break the Vorbometer returns for round 4 of exciting intermediate spaceship combat, which this week is brought to you by dogs in ties:
LI to show two and CRV to go mad and get two kills in a game to go top of the standings (the SFE/Prospect match has been postponed). Exciting stuff that's not to be missed unless you have something better to do. Like picking the fluff out of your belly button or writing down all the prime numbers from 1 to 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
I think this is the week I finally retire the More Majorum Corollary.
Vorbometer: 2-0 CR Virgins
Key Players: Peen (CRV), Steve_Zissou (CRV)
Watch out for: Peen. If I don't mention him at least twice in every CRV match prediction he'll PM the shit out of me.
If last week's game against CRV taught us anything it's that you can't wait for llamas to do anything. You have to force them back, split them up and hunt them down. It's very easy to get sucked into their passive lob game. You need someone on your side to force the pace. Looking at FnD's roster I would say noobie is their best player to do this with Mindriot and Missing on his wing.
FnD have only lost once this season, but that was to CRV - another team that features tight teamwork and multiple subbing for specials half way through the game. If they had problems breaking down the strafers from Cosmic Rift, then they will have very little chance in breaking down fellow Alpha Wester's Llamasery. I can't see them doing it. I'm going to go mad here and predict six kills.
Vorbometer: 4-2 IMLlamasery
Key players: noobie (FnD), Shikaa (llamas)
Watch out for: The llamas/Striker game finally ending. According to MR it's still 2-2 after 336 hours. Most people think this is one of the bot errors, but these two have been lobbing at each other from four screens away for nearly three weeks now.
After an upset OT win over ReDS in round 1 NW have found their place in IML after getting slapped down by Secret and SFE. They're not as bad as I thought they'd be this season, but I still see them as a squad who have jumped the shark as far as being a top tier IML squad and should of made the move to pro a couple of seasons ago at least. Of course Covert Agent would never allow that to happen and NW will continue to go stale.
Striker are a squad going in the opposite direction, but they have a huge question mark hovering over them. That is who exactly is running this squad? The Spanish sensation Brave is inactive so it looks like the fate of the squad is in the hands of Speed, which may explain the unusual starting selections and subs that they've made so far - specially in the llamas game that cost them a victory. When you go up against a squad like LI who play you 2v4 then it's not much of a problem, but when you play a squad like NW - who no matter how stale they look still have the experience - then it's a different matter.
Striker can put out a starting line that can walkover NW (bho, Felony, majeure and either Win or ploss if they're active), but if you see people like JonJon, Amatai, Speed or Varsity starting or subbing in at strange moments then they could get into trouble. I think that Striker just have too much talent to lose to NW and will win despite Speed's decisions in spec.
Vorbometer: 12-7 Striker
Key players: bho (Stkr), Kejami (NW)
Watch out for: Entertainment on NW's roster before Sunday's full lock.
$$$ Game of the Week $$$
ReDS have gotten off to a terrible start, getting upset by NW in round 1 then losing heavily to Prospect in round 2. Secret were starting to look like contenders after wins over LI and NW, but last week they also got slapped down by Prospect after a full week of trashtalk on the IML forums.
Both these teams are similar in that they both have a strong starting four, but a weak bench backing them up. ReDS actually could have a strong bench if people like Fresh, Jiggity (Bronx) and a were active, but so far they haven't been. I like ReDS' starters better than Secret's and their bench is better on paper too - plus coming off their bye week they will be looking to break their duck (I think I can get away with a cricket analogy in a Secret game) - but Secret will not make it easy for them. I'm expecting another overtime game for ReDS, but I doubt they'll need any Peter Maverick heroics this time.
Vorbometer: 9-8 ReDS
Key players: gnomeo (ReDS), gato (Secret)
Watch out for: The Prospect/SFE trashtalk to continue through the week even though the game has been postponed since Monday.
