WEG Season 2 Preview

Written by: Jared "trance" Wynne
Artwork by AZTK

NoA - XeqtR, Naikon, method, shaGuar, quick

After becoming the first team in a long, long time to win two consecutive major events by finishing first at both CPL Winter 2004 and WEG season 1, it was a generally accepted fact that NoA was the number one team in the world. Even hardcore fan boys of some of the other top teams had to admit that after seeing the way that Mousesports ran though the competition at CPL Spain, right after NoA had swept mouz in the WEG playoffs.

But even for NoA, who are undoubtedly the best in the world, there is a major question mark. How will their recent roster changes affect them? The team seemed to be ready to go with a great world-class player in fisker, but it was recently announced that the former SK.swe player would not be attending WEG with NoA after all. In his place, NoA has picked up former Team9/Adrenaline member quick. For those who do not recognize him, quick was a great player during his prime and one of the most consistent members of the Team9 squad that took 1st place at ESWC 2003. The big question mark surrounding quick himself is whether or not he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level there is. He's certainly remained well-practiced on aim_map, but anyone who has played a match at a world class event can tell you that strafing back and forth against random challengers on aim_map is far different from facing off against the world's best teams in a truly competitive format. Quick is a smart guy though, and I'm sure he realizes this as much as anyone else does. The real concern fans of NoA should probably have is how long it will take to properly integrate into the line-up, as he is truly a last-minute addition to the team and has had absolutely no practice with them going into Korea.

There really isn't much else to say about NoA. They have been dominant in the past and there is no reason to think that they will be anything but dominant in the future. NoA uses a fine combination of amazing skill, deep tactics, precise teamwork, and stellar execution which is very hard to counter. It will take one hell of an effort for anyone to even come close to unseating the reigning WEG champions.

Four Kings - Mangiacapra, akuji, Goodfella, Red, elemeNt

4K really put themselves back on the map during this past WEG season. Last year the team failed to qualify for ESWC and put up two 13th-16th place finishes at Summer and Winter CPL Dallas events. These were not results considered up to par for a team who think of themselves as being among the best in the world. 4K really cleaned house during WEG's first season, beating teams like Mousesports and NoA in the regular season before taking out GamerCo in the playoffs and losing a best of three series to NoA in the finals by two games to one. And that was after Harriman announced that he was a pansie...I mean homesick...so the team had to call in a sub in the form of Snajdan. He is certainly no slouch skill-wise, and he had prior experience with the team, but you have to wonder if it would have been different had Harriman not abandoned his team in the desolate wastelands of Korea, or China, or Xion, or wherever they were when he went home.

4K contemplated the fact that Harriman might escape from his cell yet again during WEG's second season, so it was decided that he would not be attending the event with the team. In his place, 4K has picked up top Norwegian player elemeNt, giving further proof to the theory that 4K doesn't like having a British roster.

elemeNt really is a skilled player, but you have to wonder why he's willing to attend WEG with 4K when the apparent reason for his being traded from NoA in the first place was that he didn't want to attend WEG again. Hmmm...

Regardless, 4K has picked up a solid 5th, and I believe he will play much the same role that Snajdan did while he was standing in for Harriman. Therefore, elemeNt should fit in pretty well. The team is definitely poised to make another serious run at the WEG championship.