A long-standing champion was unseated in the EU match between Epsilon and Paradigm. But the reigning NA champ, Cloud9, stood strong and shut out the competition.
EU Final: Epsilon vs. Paradigm
3-2, favor of Paradigm
Epsilon was the clear favorite going into this set of games. They were undefeated throughout the tournament, and they only lost one game to Fnatic during the entire fall split. Epsilon has a reputation for showing lots of early game aggression, and there hasn’t been a single game (Fnatic loss aside) where we haven’t seen them take and keep the lead from start to finish.
Game 1 started with the typical early game push from Epsilon, as they came out on the winning end of a 3-1 encounter early in the game. Not long after, they went for the first Gold Fury. But Paradigm wasn’t going to let them take it without a fight. The ensuing team fight fell 4-1 in Paradigm’s favor, and this marked a turning point in the match. Paradigm started to dominate team fights, taking another 3-1 victory in the next scuffle. When we tuned into the Paradigm comms, they were significantly calmer and more focused than we’re used to hearing. They worked seamlessly to grab the Fire Giant and a 7k gold lead. Once they’d gained a better edge, they made a relentless push to Epsilon’s titan to take the first game.
Since team fights were the key to Paradigm’s first victory, their team composition for Game 2 was clearly aimed at organized team fights. But Epsilon picked up Hun Batz for his disrupt ability – a choice that proved to be crucial as the game played out. Paradigm grabbed first blood, but every team fight after that fell in favor of Epsilon. After winning a 2-1 encounter, Epsilon took the first Gold Fury. A 3-1 scuffle only gave them more of an advantage, and they snowballed that lead to win the game, tying the match.
Paradigm started strong in Game 3, taking first blood against and getting up by 3 kills before Epsilon got a kill on the board. As much as Epsilon tried to prod Paradigm and pull them into fights, Paradigm’s discerning offense knew when it was best for them to engage. They steadily increased their lead. Sitting at a pretty 13k gold advantage, they picked off 3 Epsilon members. In the next encounter, Epsilon got completely wiped and their titan was left vulnerable. Paradigm swept in for the victory.
Game 4 was a landslide win for Epsilon. Knowing they needed to force the match into Game 5, they fought furiously from start to finish this time around. After grabbing first blood, they took a strong early lead and held it throughout the game. They looked much more like the Epsilon we’ve been seeing during the fall split. As the game neared the 30 minute mark, Paradigm only had 3 kills on the board, while Epsilon had more than quadruple that number at 14. This rose to 19-5 in their favor as they made the final push for the titan and the Game 4 victory.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats as the match entered Game 5. No one had expected Paradigm to make it this far against such a formidable opponent. But they proved to be a worthy competitor. Epsilon took the early game lead, grabbing 6 kills in the first 15 minutes while Paradigm couldn’t get a single one. But Paradigm bided their time, farming the map and grabbing objectives that helped them gain a considerable gold/EXP lead, in spite of their lack of kills. They took the first Gold Fury, but Epsilon wiped them out in the next team fight.
After another 2-1 scuffle in Epsilon’s favor, they managed to even out the advantage that Paradigm had gained. But Paradigm kept pushing the lanes and closing in on Epsilon’s base. In a 5v5 encounter at the Fire Giant, Paradigm nearly wiped Epsilon for the first time all game, regaining their original lead. Their push for the titan was successful, and they nailed a surprise victory in both the game and the match.
Having unseated the nearly undefeated reigning champ of their league, Paradigm is officially the top European team. They’ll be the #1 seed when we see them on the Worlds stage in January.
Cloud9 vs. Enemy
3-0, favor of Cloud9
This match was significantly different than the Epsilon vs. Paradigm game. Cloud9 was the favorite going in, and they proved from start to finish that they’re the dominant team in their league.
The first game was a nearly textbook victory for Cloud9. They took first blood, then seriously crippled Enemy in a 4-2 encounter not long after. Cloud9 took the Gold Fury and several other objectives with relative ease, building a steady lead. The gold/EXP difference charts were a nearly perfect arc in their favor. Cloud9 breached the Enemy base several times, poking holes in their defense before finally taking the Titan.
At the outset of Game 2, it looked like Enemy might make a comeback. They drew first blood, then came out on the winning end of a 3-0 encounter. But Cloud9 started to turn things around when they stole the Gold Fury. Total gold was about even between the teams, but Cloud9 had a huge lead in EXP. They returned Enemy’s earlier jab by wiping 3 of their members in a clean team fight, then trading 1 death for 4 kills in their next encounter at the Fire Giant. With the Fire Giant buffs and 25 kills under their belts, Cloud9 pushed into Enemy’s base to take the titan and the second win.
Things were looking dire for Enemy going into Game 3, and it looked like they were starting to crack a little under the pressure. They eked out a slight early lead without engaging directly, but Cloud9 took first blood and the advantage. This lead snowballed as the game continued. The gold/EXP difference charts for this game looked a lot like the ones from Game 1 – a steady arc in Cloud9’s favor. They nailed each attempt at the Gold Furies and the Fire Giant, and Enemy just couldn’t defend themselves against such a powerhouse. Cloud9 finished the game with their third victory, completely shutting out the match.
Now that they’ve tested their mettle in the Grand Finals round, they are the #1 team in the North American league. They’ll also be the top NA seed at the World Championships.
What’s Next: World Championships
Now that the Super Regionals are over, it’s time to start looking forward to the World Championships. During the Grand Finals broadcast, we got a sneak peek at the brackets for the Worlds:
The next big event on the road to the World Championship is the MLG NA Pro League finals for SMITE on Xbox One, happening December 5-6. Once that event has played out, both the Xbox One and PC teams will have about a month to get themselves ready for the Worlds on January 7-10.
To keep up with the action that’s coming in the next few weeks, follow @SmitePro and @MLG on Twitter. And stay tuned to GameSkinny for updates and event coverage.
