Review [Issue 32] StarSeries Season III Update: Reviews & Interviews

[hogree 4,179]

 
StarSeries Season III has got off to a buzzing start, with the top 12 clans in the entire game opening their accounts with a much-awaited brand new season in late January. Now, with almost half of the matches played, the first signs of who might be heading for the Finals this season are beginning to show! Inside this Update, we have a Review of the season so far, interviews with two top StarSeries players and an ex-commentator, as well as a plan for 15 Games you can't miss this month! Whether you are an avid eSports follower or just a player interested in watching the top of the top and wanting to know more, this StarSeries Update is for you!
 
CONTEXT
 
Let's start off with some quick context on the whole StarSeries thing. Starladder, which joined Tanki about a year ago, was a revolutionary change in the way clans, cybersport and streaming would operate in Tanki. With the change came a split in the levels of clans. Think divisions basically, like in any sport of today. The "amateur" clans would start off in an AM Series, before, if successful, graduating through the Semi Series and Pro Series. Only then would they have the opportunity to reach the top league in the game. And so, the top 16 clans in Tanki Online were to be placed into the elite league. The SLTV Star Series. 
 
SLTV has now run a whole two seasons, and let's face it, it's been a great success. Well-organised and entertaining in all circles, but most clearly in the StarSeries. Over the last two seasons, we have seen some unpredictable results, with the surprising fall of GGWP last Season most notable. With the fantastic final last season coming right down to the wire, the entertainment value of it is only rising and Season III so far has not let down.
 
Quick context on rules. If you want to skip and just see the updates from this season, feel free to jump forwards. Basic set-up for the StarSeries this season is pretty much the same as last season. 6 players per team, Railguns only with 1 Smoky allowed maximum in each team. Wasp, Hornet, Hunter and Viking were the legitimate hulls for the Railguns, whilst the Smoky was only allowed to ride on Wasp or Hornet. As for paints, all were allowed as long as the maximum Railgun-protection of a team mounted to 100% maximum. Welll, I say all WERE allowed. Just over a week ago, the Russian CS Team announced that Savanna would no longer be allowed in battles. This meant re-shuffling line-ups and for many teams, completely new tactics as the previously-common 5 Hunters per team would no longer be as effective.
 
There were, however, a few differences this season. Of course, there were newly-promoted teams from the ProSeries as normal but instead of a 4-out-4-in basis as had happened during Seasons I and II, SLTV wiped out the 6 bottom teams of StarSeries Season II and replaced them by 2 teams promoted from the ProSeries, to bring the amount of teams in the top league down from 16 to 12. This would mean that the league would not only have more quality but also that rather than having a team only play each of the other teams once, they would be able to do so twice. So, although the amount of teams in the StarSeries was reduced, the amount of games were raised from 120 to 132 and teams were set for a more intense schedule.
 
StarSeries describes there as two stages in each season. The "Online Part" and The "Finals". The Online Part is, quite simply, the league. All twelve teams take part. This season, each match would be decided in four ten-minute rounds in a single chosen map. The map would be chosen by the opposing leaders from six stalwart XP Maps (Barda, Tribute, Red Alert, Bridges, Parma, Kungur) and one slightly more uncoventional choice, Forest. Each round won by a team in the map is added to the final score and if they won more rounds, they would gain 3 Points in the League. If an equal number of rounds were won by each team, then both teams would earn 1 Point as a draw, whilst a losing team would gain 0 Points. Just think of a football league like the La Liga or Premier League basically. Same sort of system.
 
If you fancy looking at all of the rules for the StarSeries, just head over the "Rules" Page here on Starladder and feel free to read it all.
 
SO FAR...
 
So, now we get down to the real business. Time to look at what's happened so far in the Season. So, twelve teams this year. Arcade, the holders and eGuards, the runners-up, went into the Season as the two favourites to once again challenge for the title. The other teams were A&D who had taken third place last season; Dawn of War consistently impressive in Season II; Can't Stop, finalists in both previous seasons; as well as All In, CHAOS, Psychos.Pro, Arm Pride, GGWP and the new boys on the block, Armada and Wood's. Serious competition awaited us.
 
The first week kicked off in late January as players excitedly watched to see who would emerge as the clan to beat. The first real event of the season happened just a week after the series began when Can't Stop came up against holders Arcade, and held out 2-1 to give Arcade their first defeat since back in Season I. Worth watching. You can see the full match here (with Russian commentary). Many players started to wonder whether Arcade would crumble under the pressure of the defeat, such was the shock of losing.
 
What about other teams? Well, both the promoted teams were struggling against the experience of StarSeries-tuned teams, but time was taking its toll on some of the StarSeries teams too, with CHAOS who had held out for 10th position in both of the previous seasons immediately struggling against the firepower of the teams around them. A&D, who had had a fantastic season previously also didn't get off to the start they wanted with a crushing defeat to Dawn of War on the first day, before losing to Psychos who were showing off lots of class with some early victories.
 
The unpredictableness of the season began to show through the day after Arcade's defeat as DoW who had beaten eGuards and Arm Pride confidently in consecutive days came up against Psychos and got obliterated 4-0, keeping Psychos' win-streak going. With their brilliant finish in fourth last season and unfortunately due to financial reasons being unable to attend the Finals, they were all the more eager on the hunt for a top-4 finish again, but clearly had some work to do. All In, who also had had a great start to Season III with three confident victories, came up against Arm Pride again just a couple of weeks after defeating them and were crushed 4-0 in an unexpected result. Arm Pride would then go on to lose their next two matches, including a disappointing loss to new team, ARMADA. 
 
Meanwhile, the runners-up from both Season I and Season II were having rusty starts. GGWP were more expected to come up short after a capitulation in Season II, but eGuards who had impressed so much in the previous season were seen coming up short in a number of matches included a 0-0 draw with Wood's, who were improving quickly after their dreadful start to the campaign.
 
Holders Arcade had recovered well. They confidently despatched fellow Finals-challengers Psychos 4-0, and were flying high. However, due to "technical problems" to do with not removing a player for lag reasons, they were charged with defeat against A&D, a decision still being contested. However, putting that behind them, they came up against Can't Stop just last Sunday, their nemesis from just a couple of weeks before, and managed to grab a 2-0 Victory on the last Sunday where Savanna was allowed in StarSeries (English Commentary avaliable if you're interested in watching this one). However, Arcade accidentally used three "Digitals" in the last round of the battle, breaking the rules. In note of this, they offered Can't Stop a replay for the final round, which Arcade managed to win again a couple of days ago. And, with eGuards and A&D stuttering coming into late February, the top 4 was still wide open.
 
As for the bottom, GGWP were still struggling. Although they had confidently beaten the newcomers, that was not going to be enough to steer clear of relegation trouble, and they had not shown enough against the more experienced teams.  After all, do bear in mind that the four bottom teams from 9th position downwards all face the risk of getting relegated at the end of the season, with the bottom two having an automatic relegation whilst the higher couple have the chance of staying alive with a post-season playoff with a couple of ProSeries clans. Meanwhile, CHAOS were having the definition of a dreadful season with a 4-0 Defeat to Wood's summing up their season - 10 Games and no points to show for it. With nearly half of the season gone, it'll take one serious turn-around for them to stay up now. On the other hand, there were bright sparks at the bottom, especially for Wood's who just yesterday managed to despatch of their fellow "newbies" Armada in a wholly convincing 4-0 Victory. After a slow start, their training has shown a clear improvement and they are quickly rising up the table.
 
So, the table is open at the moment. Arcade predictably are at the top, but a surprising appearance from Psychos near the top shows their clear intentions this season, whilst Can't Stop are also way up there, whilst having a couple of games in hand. Can't Stop and Arcade should be able to grab two of those top four positions with the way they've been playing, but apart from that, it's still very much open to see who can grab those "Finals" positions.
 
For the full list of results so far in the campaign, just click the link here to view. And to view all the games so far this season commentated on in English, click the link here.
 
Table on 27th Feb: (You can view the Updated Table by looking here)
 

 
INTERVIEWS
 
Well, what's the purpose of an update without getting some inside-information and interviewing those closely involved with the StarSeries? After hunting around for people to take part, I was helpfully directed to two famous veterans, and was thankfully able to ask them a few questions!
 
Holy_hero_alexxxxx
Leader and Smoky for eGuards, runners-up of StarSeries Season II
 
Me: What do you believe was the reason for eGuards' success last season?
Holy_hero_alexxxxx: In the past season, skill played a very important part in the game, more so than using successful combinations, I think.
 
Yep. Have you found there to be any particular challenges for your team so far this season?
The main problem this season has been the 5-Hunters set-up which the enemy teams have used. We would like to play with "nicer" combinations and we lost some points because of this, when we could have used the same "5-Hunters" set-up and won.
 
I see. So with the news out that Savanna will no longer be allowed in battles, thus counting the 5-Hunters set-up useless, what will be your preferred line-up?
I think, after this change, most teams would play with 3 Hunters and 3 Hornets and we will not be any different)
 
Sure. What team have you found the most difficult to play against so far this season?
I cannot single out someone, because virtually all took the same set-up and played equally well ) The second part of this season will be more beautiful, I'm sure)
 
I hope so. As leader of your clan, who do you rate as the best player in eGuards?
Each in his own is good) I can't comprehensively pick out anyone )
 
Good choice)) Well, what are you hoping for in the second half of this season?
I hope that everyone will get what they deserved with their beautiful game)
 
Haha. And as for eGuards?
Would we get to the final 4 - I don't know, will see) But I am sure that we will play better than now, especially without 5-Hunters setup)
 
Great! Good luck to your clan, and I really appreciate you taking part in this interview! Thank you so much!
And you too) Thank you)
You_aLways_Iose
Tanki Veteran and Member of Arcade, formerly known as "CRAZIER"
 
Me: As an old player who played in clans before Starladder in Tanki, how do you feel about the change to Starladder?
You_aLways_Iose: Well I think that Starladder offered Tanki some organisation in Cyber-Sports , something that didn't exist. For example, before Starladder took charge only Russian teams/clans had the chance to win the Champion or the Acid paint... Now all the clans from all the communities have this chance. So for me Starladder is better..
 
Too right. What do you think was the key to Arcade's success in the last couple of seasons?
Our players. All of us have participated in many tournaments, so we have enough experience each of us to understand how to play the game , what we need to do in the map, where to stay and all the things that you know... and when we forget something we have our captain I.Shomaa to tell us what we have to do. Experienced players can think better how to face some situations than the "rookies" : D....
 
Good point... Well, as a member of Arcade, is there anyone in the clan you think is the best player or you particularly look up to?
That's a tough question... but i don't think there is someone who is the best in our clan.. We all are very skilled players, but you know everybody makes mistakes sometimes.The player that I was looking up to isn't playing this game anymore, so right now I don't have someone that makes me think he can do something that I can't do..
 
Sure. Well, what clan have you been most impressed with so far this season?
Of course with Psychos.Pro. In Star Series Season 2 , they finished 7th and now they are in 2nd place,trying to overtake the league. In start i couldn't believe that those guys were in 1st place and i thought that they just have won some bad clans and taking easy points.. but then they started to beat good clans like DoW and eGuards , so I started to take them with another look. I watched some of their games and i realized that they were a good clan, which I am sure it will be in the TOP-4 this season instead of eGuards. The outsider of this season is Psychos.Pro.
 
Yeah, they've done a great job. So, with that in mind, who are you predicting to qualify for the Finals this season?
For the finals I am sure we are gonna have Can't Stop, Psychos, DoW and of course Arcade : :)
 
Interesting choices! So what is Arcade's aims for the rest of the season?
We have some good games to play yet with clans like DoW, All In, eGuards and we want to win those games in order to give us the 1st place. Now for the playoffs I think we have a lot of time until then, but our aim like the two seasons before is to win the Star Series again :)
 
Okay. All the best and I'm sure many of your fans will hope the same! Thanks so much for the interview!
Nah , I am very happy that I could take part in this :) . And for our fans, we want to thank them for all for their support and belief that they showed us :) . Keep up the good work hogree  ;)
GoldRock
Ex-Reporter and Ex-Commentator for the English Community
 
Me: What's your verdict so far at the halfway stage of the competition? Any clans that have impressed / unimpressed you? And any predictions for the end of the season?
 
Gold: Well, I haven't played Tanki itself since I left to take a break to focus on my studies and so on, but I have been following the action unfolding in the current Star Series Season III as an ex-commentator (hopefully something I could return to in the summer!). And the following is basically my own analysis based on what I've seen, heard and researched for myself, during the few idle spare minutes I've had on my hands every so often ^_^
 
So far, ARCADE and Can't Stop seem to be the major teams from last Season's finals to be performing particularly strongly. ARCADE have only one loss in the bag (they managed to get through this stage of the last season without a single loss), with Can't Stop having one recent draw - all the rest of their matches have been wins. Looking forward to seeing them duel for that top spot later in the season. 
 
I think A&D, a finalist from the previous Season, is a team to look out for based on their recent performance - they've held eGuards and Can't Stop to a draw, edged it over a weakened GGWP, and managed to beat ARCADE, albeit down to Arcade's rule-break in using a lagging player. In doing so, they're single-handedly responsible for ending the win-only runs of both ARCADE and Can't Stop. Their previous results have been largely mixed, meaning they're in a solid mid-table position which disguises their more recent strength. 
 
Speaking of GGWP, ever since they signed that contract, they've not been able to repeat the success they had when formerly known as Scorpions. They finished a pretty disappointing 9th last season and it looks like they're on track to do something similar this time round. I've heard they lost a fair few of their squad members to competing teams - to ARCADE in particular - and it seems this has weakened then beyond repair. They're no longer a real contender or a team to watch. 
 
In addition to the potential competition between ARCADE and Can't Stop for first place, I think the next level of the competition will involve DoW, All In, PSYCHOS and eGuards battling it out for third and fourth place, in order to try and make this Season's finals. DoW has had a majority of wins so far with some impressive performances, whereas PSYCHOS have managed to surprise and impress as the underdogs here. Having finished 7th last season and slipping under the radar as a newer Star Series team, they're currently sitting in 1st place with only a couple of losses, though they have played more matches than most. However, their wins have often been close-run and they really got steamrollered by ARCADE - their relative lack of experience holds then back from that main 1st-place-finish race, in my opinion. 
 
All In, who disappointed last Season after a strong first Season performance, really haven't played many matches at all - but they're still in a decent mid-placed position. However, it's not like they've had a run of easy matches either, as they've managed to overcome DoW and eGuards whilst narrowly losing to PSYCHOS, which puts them in a good position for their future matches. And eGuards, hanging in 5th and the remaining finalist (and the runner-up to ARCADE) from the last Season, have enjoyed some moderate success though with a real mixture of wins and losses against both stronger and weaker opponents, drawing on numerous occasions. However, they possess consistency in terms of their performance - something that means they have a decent chance of another top-4 finish this time round. 
 
Looking further down the table, ARM PRIDE have disappointed despite a good showing last Season, when they nearly made the finals. A handful of weaker teams bring up the rear, with poor CHAOS having lost every single one of their matches so far. They really are living up to their name as they suffer defeat after humiliating defeat.
 
That's a Reporter's answer for you... Summed it up nicely! Well, the English Cybersport team has only managed to stream four games so far this season. Will we expect any more and how will we know when they will be streamed?
 
Of course you should expect more streams in the future, what with our very own Wabbit recently taking the reins as admin (and doing a brilliant job as expected whilst settling into his new role), and a new voice, Arabiannoble, joining the team. Generally, streams are announced on the day with an in-game notification. Keep an eye out for them, they're certainly entertaining this Season!
 
Thanks Gold! Can't wait!
 
You're welcome, it was a pleasure :)
 
AND MORE...
 
Season III isn't nearly over yet. There's still piles more of action to watch this month! Below are my picks from a packed fixture list. All matches will be streamed on the Russian Cybersport Channel, and as we just heard, some on the English Cybersport Channel as well!
 
The Season finishes on the 27th of March, before the Finals begin. I'm gunning for Dawn of War this season, but what about you? Will Arcade win for the third successive time? Will Psychos hold on to their great start to get to the Top 4 for the first time? Will eGuards recover to re-gain their top 4 spot? Will Chaos have a turnaround or will one of the newcomers be staying up? Find it all out this month!
 
Links are below, and but here goes:
 
15 Games not to miss this month!
 
Sat 28th February - Arcade vs eGuards 16:00 GMT
Wed 4th March - Arm Pride vs Arcade 18:00 GMT
Fri 6th March - Can't Stop vs Dawn of War 16:00 GMT
Sat 7th March - Psychos vs All In 17:00 GMT
Thu 12th March - Arcade vs Dawn of War 18:00 GMT
Fri 13th March - Armada vs Wood's 16:00 GMT
Sat 14th March - Arm Pride vs Can't Stop 16:00 GMT
Wed 18th March - Dawn of War vs Can't Stop 16:00 GMT
Fri 20th March - Can't Stop vs eGuards 16:00 GMT
Sat 21st March - A&D vs Arm Pride 15:00 GMT
Sun 22nd March - Wood's vs GGWP 15:00 GMT
Sun 22nd March - Dawn of War vs Psychos 18:00 GMT
Fri 27th March [Last Day] - All In vs Can't Stop 16:00 GMT
Fri 27th March - Psychos vs Arcade 17:00 GMT
Fri 27th March - GGWP vs eGuards 18:00 GMT
For FULL list of fixtures, view here!
 
All matches will be streamed on the Russian Twitch Channel. However, some will hopefully, as GoldRock expressed, be streamed on the English Twitch Channel.
Missed any games? Just head over to the Russian Tanki Starladder Youtube Channel to catch up with Highlights or even the Full Match! Also, it may be worth checking the English Tanki Starladder Youtube Channel as well in case there was English Commentary on the match!
 
Bring on the second half of Season III! Stay tuned - next month in the paper, we'll have the final results as the top four are finally decided!

[trollface.jpg 538]

Is ) used as a Full Stop in the interviews? (With the captain of eGaurds)

[tomicar 192]

Cool :D

[Pathfinder 1,690]

Is ) used as a Full Stop in the interviews? (With the captain of eGaurds)

I think..... It's the equivalent of :)

[Athena369 265]

How to R.I.P my topic :D http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=242508&view=findpost&p=4311336 . Great article anyway hog. Do keep it up! :)

[jazz20 1,181]

Proof @GoldRock is still really with us....just not forum active :P  :ph34r:

[general_abrams 424]

Great article.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how SL plays out this year, but all-the-while chanting: "Go Arcade!"

[Drunk_Soul 0]

PLEASE!!!!! give links with the video of youtube u post in newsfeed because here in our country you tube is blocked and we cannot see the youtube videos, if you provide the links so we can use proxy to open youtube easily watch any episode u posted in newsfeed if u do this we will be very thanful to u. :(

Simply please provide links we every video  :)