CEVO INTERMEDIATE FINAL - POWAH VS. ZERO REMORSE

.

CEVO INTERMEDIATE FINAL - POWAH VS. ZERO REMORSE

.
After 10 and a half weeks, it all comes to an end this Thursday at 7:30 PM as we see Powah take on Zero Remorse for the title of CEVO Intermediate champions and claim the $1000 in prize money on offer for the winning team. Striking the Scene is proud to have the opportunity to be there in the match, calling all of the action live for all the spectators. Make sure you stay tuned to www.strikingthescene.com for details to listen in on a whole range of coverage including pre and post game interviews, and not to forget round by round action live from the game itself.
.
Here, I have taken the time to look how both teams have faired during the season and their chances in the final. I have also done a player by player analysis for both teams giving readers and spectators a deeper insight into both teams…….
.

POWAH
.
Line-up:

• Tom “etriC” Davey
• Josh “sKopeD” Hall
• James “SubNoize” Hall
• Mitch “rdm” Fordham
• Jeremy “jemske” King
• Daniel “Gummerz” Baker

.
4^th Place Regular Season – Wins :11 - Losses:4 - Rounds Won:205 - Rounds Lost:155
.
History:

Powah are a side that have taken every opportunity that has come their way. Starting as a low-tier Sydney LAN side in mid/late 07 they have worked their way up through the ranks to where they are now. Their determination and will to succeed and to achieve their potential is undoubtable. One of the few teams to have the fortunate chance of competing in the FFYI competition for a spot in the Intermediate competition, they have definitely silenced their critics.
.
The addition of Gummerz and Jemske before the start of the regular season has worked wonders and given the team the experience and cool heads needed to counter the rest of their somewhat unpredictable members. A strong start to the season, winning 7 of their first 8 games, filled the team with the confidence they needed and set them up in a strong position for the playoffs. A lacklustre, in comparison, finish to the season however saw them with 2 losses and 3 forfeit wins in their last 5 matches of the regular season.
.
Players:
Etric: The team captain and founder. A strong player in his own right but his main strength is in his leadership of his team. A sharp player with the AWP, his main time to shine is on Powah’s CT side where he is a very tough customer to get past. Equally, he also has the ability to gain important kills when the team is in offence and set up rounds for the rest of his team to complete, a skill that is overlooked in many players.
.
Skoped: The wildcard. Skoped is one of those players who border on the line that separates stupidity with brilliance. His fragging capabilities are undeniable, however this can also seem to be his downfall as he can, at times, jeopardize the team’s effort in search for those big kills. He is a player that can change the balance of any match with big picks in tight situations, which has been the key to the teams’ success in various matches past.
.
SubNoize: Like his aforementioned brother, SubNoize can also be the wildcard. Not often one to top the scoring or shine as the player of the match or tournament, his value to the team is that he can break the opposition with strong picks and equally strong holds. His downside is when he is not on song he looks a player that seems unable to make an impact on a match.
.
Rdm: The shining light, in my opinion, for Powah so far in the playoffs. A somewhat underrated player, Rdm has the ability to hold the team together and get important rounds when the rest of the team is being rendered useless by the opposition. This was best seen in the round 2 playoffs match between Powah and 403 on nuke. With strong aim and a decent brain Rdm can help his team get through tough rounds.
.
Gummerz: The most experienced member of the side, Gummerz has played with some of the best players in Australian CS:S today. His experience is invaluable to this side, it allows the other members of the team to take risks knowing that Gummerz is there to back them up or finish off the round. He has the ability to slow the game down in defence by shutting down a bombsite or an area of a map effectively.
.
Jemske: Another experienced and talented player. The ever lovable Jemske has the uncanny ability to pull of the big play at the right time. A player which at times can be unnoticed for his contribution to a match, Jemske doesn’t take the spotlight much but when he does it is always that little extra special. More often than not however, he is most likely to be contributing with consistent frags which help the team invaluably.
.
My Thoughts:
This team has a tough task to overcome against Zero Remorse having lost to them on both occasions these two teams have met this season. Powah will need to use the lessons learnt from these 2 losses to build up a strategy that will work against a strong opponent. Their ability to adapt to the Zero Remorse style of play on the day will be the key to their success. This is going to take good leadership and a sharp, quick thinking mind from somewhere within this team to implement and change a game plan that will lead to their victory. The team cannot rely on pure aim to beat an opponent such as Zero Remorse and will need some of their more unpredictable players to start working for the team rather for their own statistics.
.

ZERO REMORSE
.
Line-up:

• Matthew “mrt” Lacrombe
• Ben “s0j”
• Ash “d3tty” Ley
• Tim “AfrikaKorps” Ward
• Nick “MacL3od” MacLeod
• Mitch “giant” Janke

.
6^th Place Regular Season – Wins:10 - Losses:5 - Rounds Won:222 - Rounds Lost:169
.
History:
In one way or another, over the past 2 to 3 years, a team from Zero Remorse has been fielded and competing at a reasonably high level in Australian CS:S. Starting the season as one of the favourites, the side encountered many bumps and roadblocks on their way to where they are now, contenders for the Intermediate crown. One of the main players in the competitive Melbourne LAN scene, there is no lack of experience or talent in this line-up. With a rejuvenated line-up and a steely determination not seen from this side until the playoffs, Zero Remorse has been nearly impossible to stop on their run to the Grand Final. A fairly average regular season saw this team just scrape into the playoffs in very bizarre circumstances. Their win in the last round of the regular season, coincidentally against their upcoming opponents, proved vital.
.
The amount of practice the team has put in since they stabilised their line-up has showed strong performances in all three playoff matches to date has put them as arguable favourites for the final. Their current line-up is a good mix of experience and up and coming talent, the two long-term ZR members in s0j and ak (afrikakorps) compliment the vibrancy and talent of the rest of their line-up nicely.
.
Players:
.
Mrt: Rarely do you see a player with as much dedication or passion as mrt. Whether you decide to see this as a good thing or to use it as a mockery, it is undoubtable that the effort he has put into his game in recent times has definitely paid off. He has shown himself as a strong player with the ability to pull of even the most unlikely of plays, a match winner with a decent brain and good aim. His major downside however is his temperament. His inability to keep in his frustrations can be distracting to the rest of his team and in turn make it hard for the team to come back from a losing position.
.
S0j: One of two players in this line-up from last years ZR team which won the Intermediate competition, s0j is an experienced player that is often underestimated by other teams. He is the player that you don’t really point out as a danger man yet before you know it he has pulled out a tally of kills that puts his team in a near unbeatable position.
.
D3tty: A strong player which has really made a difference in this revitalized line-up. Shown to be a very tough customer to stop once he has set himself up for a big match, strong on defence with smart plays and clever positioning which can see his area of the map nearly inaccessible to the opposition. His major downside is his lack of offensive flair, sometimes he has a tendency to play too much of a passive game leaving him weak to a smart opposition.
.
AK: The second of last seasons winning ZR side. Ak is a player that is known for his fragging ability and is a danger to any opposition. He has the ability to obliterate an opposition in only a few rounds with big shots and strong plays that can demoralise any opposition, leaving them vulnerable for the rest of the half or entire match. On the other hand, if he doesn’t manage to get himself off to a good start it can lead to the other team exposing his weaknesses.
.
Macleod: This is the real wildcard element for Zero Remorse. He can be the match winner that dominates an opposition, especially in defence, by shutting down anything in his path. A very aggressive player, his strong point is his ability to be in the face of the opposition at all times leaving them very little time to recover. He can however be left very susceptible against a smart opposition that can render him useless for most of the match.
.
Giant: The most solid player in this line-up. Giant, much like jemske for Powah, is the one that can be relied on for that consistency in any match situation. A smart player with good aim, he can be a very tough customer to deal with for opposition teams. His ability to continually stop or slow down an opposition in attack or defence by doing the little things that count the most in helping his team to victory.
.
Final Thoughts;
This team must be confident after their strong performance to date in the playoff series. Adding to that confidence is the fact that they have beaten Powah on the last 2 occasions both teams met in CEVO. A more experienced team in big match situations as a whole compared to their opposition, they are going to prove difficult to beat. If, however, the opposition can find a way to make in roads early, the team can tend to break away from its game plan and fall away for the rest of the match.

This team needs a strong start. If they do start off strong the momentum will prove next to impossible for Powah to stop. They have the mix of big fragging power with Macleod and Ak along with the consistency and reliability of Giant and s0j. D3tty and mrt are both match winners in their own right, but expect them to simply play the role best suited to the teams’ situation but not to forget their ability to clutch in tough situations for the team.
.
Predictions:
.
Weighing up both teams and having played and watched both teams play on various occasions, here are my predictions for the following maps:

• De_dust2: ZR 16 > Powah 14
• De_train: ZR 16 > Powah 9
• De_nuke: ZR 16 > Powah 13
• De_Inferno: ZR 16 > Powah 10

.
As you can see, I expect Zero Remorse to take out the Best of 3 maps final. I just see them as having the edge over Powah having beaten them twice recently and with their outstanding form during the playoff series. Their experience and firepower should prove too much for Powah too handle. However deep down I do hope that Powah can pull of a win for the SydCSS community over those damn Melbournians.
.
Make sure you keep an eye out for details on coverage for the match by Striking The Scene. Visit www.strikingthescene.com for updates and links to the shoutcast and pre and post game interviews with various special guests. From everyone at Striking The Scene we hope you enjoyed this preview to the GotGames CEVO Intermediate Grand Final and hope to see you tuned in on Sunday!