October Tournament Predictions

In lieu of the typical State of the Game article, we have asked our game reporters to predict the champions of the October monthly tournaments. Harold took a conservative approach and drafted most of his predictions from those guilds and players who have already earned enough qualifier points, while Billiard cast a wider net and included some who haven’t qualified yet. Check their lists and see what you think, then make your own picks at the Xunlai House. Do you follow the opinions of our writers, or do you have your own idea? It’s your choice.

Billiard’s Picks
GvG
Delta Formation [DF]
Esoteric Warriors [EW]
Rebel Rising [rawr]
Peace and Harmony [PnH]
한시간 추가요 [초딩]
Vroom Rulez [vZ]
Supernova Jpn [SpNv]
한 얼 [one]
Predicting the winner of a monthly tournament is an inexact science, largely due to the number of variables that come into play when qualifying for the finals. And as we saw in the September tournament, unpredictable things can happen that can turn the tide for a team mid-match. Even so, it’s probably still best to play the odds and go with a strong favorite, which is why I went with Delta Formation [DF] as my predicted winner.

The eight teams I listed are all solid, and I almost went with Esoteric Warriors [EW] just for old school nostalgia (nice to see them back and active again!), but in the end I stuck with Delta Formation because of one thing – adaptability. While most top guilds become very proficient at running a particular style of build, Delta Formation excels at adapting to opposing players and builds, both in preparation for matches and in-game.

With recent balance changes coming into play for this tournament, I think their ability to adapt will play a significant role, both in the Swiss Rounds and in the Elimination Rounds. For the past several tournaments, the metagame has been relatively static, but in this next one we may see some guilds making radical departures from builds they have used in the past. In this case, a team that can anticipate and adapt to these changes will have a greater likelihood to go all the way, and I think Delta Formation is such a team.

HvH

Jamesb R
Canada Ftw
X Ekelon X
I Shen I
Glyph of Chaos
Vi Guilla Vi
Crazy Graf
I Fretty I


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Billiard is a Senior Moderator at GuildWarsGuru.com and a former, long-time guild leader of Xen of Onslaught [XoO], one of the largest and most active PvP guilds in the world. Billiard can be reached in game as Billiard The Bold, or by private message at the [XoO] website.



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Harold’s Picks
GvG
With Rebel Rising continuing to dominate the tournament scene the last couple of months (although having good luck doesn’t hurt either), will they continue their winning ways in October? I expect the monthly championship to shake down as follows (based on guilds qualified for the tournament as of this writing):

1. 한시간 추가요 [초딩]. This guild has finished strong the last couple of months, risen to #4 on the ladder as of this writing, and seems poised for a breakthrough performance.

2. Rebel Rising [rawr]. Despite holding the top spot on the ladder, rawr showed some vulnerability in the championship match. Without an untimely disconnect by Vroom Rulez’s Tainted Flesh Mesmer (who, for some reason, never reconnected), rawr could quite possibly have succumbed to a pressure team for which they did not look prepared.

3. Dark Alley [dR]. Phenomenal players, new guild name. Expect them to make a strong showing if they take the tournament even somewhat seriously.

4. Heart of Ashes and Dust [HAnD].

5. Be Team [be].

6. Battle Gods [BG].

7. Supernova Jpn [SpNv].

8. Bruderschaft Der Verdammnis [BdV].

Other guilds to watch for, should they qualify:

Vroom Rulez [vZ]: Could this guild stir things up again and challenge for the gold trim?

Esoteric Warriors [EW]: Climbing the ladder after a couple of strong showings in daily tournaments, EW could make a run for the finals if it decides to qualify for and play in the monthly.

HvH
It seems like a lot of strong players have yet to qualify as of this writing. X Ekelon X, Jamesb R, and Il Lyncia Lyncia Il, among others, still have not earned their 20th qualifier point for October, but all have performed well in past tournaments. Of those who have already qualified, I predict them to place as follows:

I Fretty I
I Shen I
Elit Ftw
Koo Ooomar
Canadian Ftw
신의은총이 대한민국 월드에 있습니다
Zergling Attack
My Mpz

http://eu.guildwars.com/pvp/article/at_predict/