#1 GameWyze [8-0] vs. #16 Check Six [6-2]
Check Six :	oPlaiD, stickgod, jEbUs, kaeXo, Stivic
GameWyze:	whewt, lucci, Morthul, y0, Hawk, Roor

The first week of playoffs are here, and they start off with a bang. GameWyze and Check Six have a long history dating back to last season when GameWyze handed Check Six with their first loss since their CPL victory. Then, in the playoffs, these two teams played each other on Blood Gulch and jEbUs dropped 50 on GameWyze as Check Six destroyed GameWyze 5-0. However, once again in the regular season GameWyze was able to beat Check Six in a close game. Will GameWyze be able to continue from their regular season success? Or will Check Six continue their playoff dominance?

GameWyze

It’s hard to believe where GameWyze used to be. They were once known as Celsius, a team from the infamous 10-week long Halo preseason that was known for tying their opponents more than winning or losing. After merging with Climax, the meat and bones of the present day GameWyze team, they improved drastically; beating three of the top five CPL finishers in three consecutive weeks. However, many dismissed GameWyze as a top five team after getting blown out by Check Six last season in the second round of the playoffs. Even after their poor performance against Check Six, they stayed together and continued their vigorous practice schedule. And this season, it’s safe to say that it has paid off. Beating four playoff teams in five weeks, they have redeemed themselves. However, in order to secure a good seed at CPL, they need to do very well in the playoffs; and unfortunately for them they have to do it on their worst map against the reigning CAL and CPL champs. GameWyze has always won matches based on smart play, and this match will be no exception. In order to be successful, they need to put extra emphasis on portal control as Check Six has arguably the best sniper ledge game in all of Halo with kaeXo and jEbUs. With that combined with sniping from Hawk, they should be able to neutralize Check Six’s strong point and focus on winning the inside game. If they are able to win the inside game, they should be to control the map and win the game if they can keep kaeXo and jEbUs at bay; and that is a big if.

Interview with Tyle "lucci" Brewer

Check Six

Whenever a discussion about competitive Halo comes up, Check Six is always the first team mentioned. With a CPL and CAL championship under their belt, they have the experience, skills, and teamwork needed to win. Before the winter CPL Check Six, then known as Xeno, was without a doubt the most skillful team in halo. With kaeXo, jebus, and secLusion, they were able to outshoot any team. However, they lacked the teamwork necessary to win on some maps and if the CPL finals were not on Blood Gulch many speculate that Demise would have been able to take the championship. Last season, though; they were able to prove that they were not all aim. With the departure of kaeXo to Call of Duty, secLusion to vindication, and jEbUs to inactivity; they were able to still win the CAL championship despite being outfragged in both the semi-finals and in the finals. They had strong pushes and good coordination that overcame superior shooting teams. With kaeXo and jEbUs back fulltime, and the offseason addition of stivic; they should be able to regain the shooting presence they once had and with the teamwork they were able to build last season will hopefully carry over to this team. However, their results have been less than desirable due to not a whole lot of practice time and a new roster look. They will also be missing eVa for this match, and will have to rely on stivic to control the inside. Stivic is known for his sniping and probably has not played inside before so he has a whole new position to learn in a matter of days. This will be a big question mark going into the match as Check Six’s defensive nature on the map assures them control of at least their sniper ledge for practically the entire match. This plus the excellent sniping of kaeXo and jEbUs will really put a focus on the inside portion of the map and all eyes will be on stivic.

Interview with Justin "kaeXo" Johnson

Keys to the Match

There are several keys to this match. Firstly, neither team can afford a mistake on the initial offense because both of these teams are smart enough to recognize the mistake and exploit it. Sidewinder can be a “snowball” map, where one mistake can drastically change the outcome of a match. Secondly, Hawk will need to keep kaeXo and jEbUs at bay. If he cannot, GameWyze will not have access to heavy weapons and will thus make capping easier. Check Six will need to make sure they can keep the inside locked down. Even if stivic plays it extremely well he could simply get overrun unless he has sniper backup or an additional player playing inside.

Prediction

I think on any other map, even Blood Gulch; GameWyze would be the favorite simply because the amount of time the practice is far greater than Check Six’s. However, Sidewinder is GameWyze’s worst map, and they will need to fix all of their problems in order to have a shot at winning. If they come in prepared and if they are able to control the sniper ledges along with a strong inside game they might be able to pull out a victory. However, I think Check Six’s solid play on the map and excellent sniping will be too much for GameWyze to handle as they lose a close one.

Check Six > GameWyze [2-1]