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Tournaments Table of Contents Strategist's Hideout
Who's hot and who's not? That is what this section of the newsletter is all about. Welcome to 3 Up, 3 Down of TTA's newsletter Occult Fan. I am not here to tell you who are the best three players and the worst three players in the game, I am here to tell you who has at the top of their game, and who is in a bit of a slump, but has what it takes to get back to the top of their game with some improvement. So let's get started!
Coming off his strong SE Zell win, our first guy in the hot seat is Mette! Beating great players like Kazik and Grat in the finals and semifinals, along with other talented players, Mette has shown what it takes to be an SE winner in just his second SE tournament. Along with winning SE Zell, he has also had strong performances in clan tournaments, helping .zb get into round 2 of Clan Wars V.
Kazik is the next guy in the hot seat! While Kazik did not end up winning SE Zell, he made a very strong performance, finishing runner up. Like Mette, this was just Kazik's second SE tournament, and a remarkable finish at that. Kazik has also helped his .pl advance to round 2 of Clan Wars V. He is a strong and consistant player, and he has shown he has what it takes to excel in a competitive environment.
The third guy in the hot seat is Tezuka! Tez has only been around TTA about a year, and he has accomplished what not many new people have been able to do, make a name for yourself as a new guy surrounded by people who have been around for years. If you asked me 6 months ago who Tezuka was, I would tell you he was the new guy in Avalanche. Ask me now and I'll tell you that he made a strong quarterfinals finish in his first SE tournament, a semifinals finish in Triad Wars IV, and is now not only a member of Avalanche, but one of the core members of the clan. This guy is going to be great.
Spitfire is a name here on TTA that everyone knows. Runner up in the first ever official TTA tournament is one of his many accomplishments here as a player. He is known for his great skill and is highly respected in the community, but for some reason the results haven't been there. Not making it past round two of any of the recent major tournaments isn't your style. You're a proven player Spitty, show us what you got.
With an impressive Triad Wars III win, followed up with an SE Aeris quarterfinals result, Brenn has proven he has what it takes to be a winner. But since then, a TTAC quarterfinals result is the most he has produced, with disappointing results in SE Zell, TWIV, and a Clan Wars loss to start out. You've got the knowledge and the skill to win games, you just need to concentrate a little more while you're playing. You've shown us that you have what it takes to be a winner before, let's see it again.
Blackflas first made a name for himself in tournament history with a surprising semifinals finish in Triad Wars III last February. Before then his skill was a question mark, which he answered. It seemed as though success would continue. But since then, round 3 became his curse, which was the case with his only two official tournament appearances since then, SE Aeris and SE Zell, along with a Clan Wars loss. You're a good player Blackflas, you just need to get over the hump.
Everyone mentioned here is a talented player, and there is always room for improvement, whether you are at your greatest, or at your worst. That goes not only for those mentioned here, but for everyone. Potential is something that everyone has, and while some have greater potential than others, making the effort to reach that potential is sometimes what separates players from being successful or not. Make the effort.