GwentSlam #3: Semi Finals and Winner Predictions
GwentSlam #3: Semi Final and Winner Predictions
Yesterday saw the first round of matches taking place for GwentSlam #3. Four players fell by the wayside as TailBot, eiSloth, Dyuhaaa, and GameKing advanced to the semi finals. Ten different community members made their predictions, in order to try and get a flavour for who was expected to win. These ten were:
- crokeyz - A Gwent streamer who covers the early morning shift. He’s won Gwentlemen Open in the past, and is known for his penchant for mill.
- Insangpha - Representing Korean Gwent. Insangpha won Gwent Mania Korea, and his team reached the finals of The Gwentlemen Invitational.
- Jaggerous - Resident host of the Gwentlemen talk show, Jaggerous hosts and commentates for Gwentlemen events. She also makes deck guides on YouTube and streams on Twitch.
- Merchant - Official caster for GwentSlam and the previous two Gwent Opens, Merchant is also known for his YouTube videos, Twitch streams, and spicy memes.
- Metranos - Metranos is a regular name near the top of the pro ladder. He placed 2nd in GwentSlam #2
- ImpetuousPanda - Player turned caster, Panda commentates GwentSlam along with the recent Gwent Open. He also played in GwentSlam #1.
- Raikou - Seen by many as a deck building god, Raikou represents Japanese Gwent and is a staple at the top of the pro ladder.
- Swim - Probably the most widely known Gwent streamer and YouTuber, Swim is known for his in depth deck guides. So much so that often he sets trends in what is played on the ladder.
- vaysh - Well versed with factions across the board, vaysh can commonly be found in the top 8 for Gwentlemen Open events. Another skilled player, he is often seen in the pro ladder elite.
- Lamios - A hardworking Gwentlemen, Lamios keeps the meta snapshot up to date, and keeps on top of the Gwent meta. He’s also a common name on the Gwent reddit.
While nobody was 100% correct, some did better than others. Both ImpetuousPanda and vaysh did the best, with 3 out of 4 correct. Meanwhile Insangpha may have cursed the players. He predicted the losers of the day, with no correct predictions. Going into Day 2, we asked the group who would win each semi final, and who would end up the ultimate GwentSlam #3 champion. These were the results:
The panel is divided on the TailBot vs eiSloth match-up. Half think TailBot will take the set, whereas half are in favour of eiSloth. Having seen the decks both players brought, this has weighed into the decision making. Metranos expects an eiSloth victory. When asked about it, he said “I think eiSloth is favourite because he has better decks in my opinion, especially with Henselt and the new coin system. I think it’s a huge mistake to not bring Henselt.” Indeed the system has changed in this tournament such that players now alternate going first each game. If you know you are going second it is safer to bring more reactive decks, such as Henselt machines. However crokeyz feels that TailBot’s experience gives him the edge. “TailBot is more experienced than Sloth in the last few patches in both tournaments, and ladder. That will carry him through.” It may come down to deck choices versus experience in the first semi final, but with the jury so split, it seems to be anybody’s game.
When it comes to Dyuhaaa vs GameKing however, the panel was much more unanimous. Nobody expects Dyuhaaa to win. Seen as an underdog due to his lack of experience, Dyuhaaa surpassed expectations in the first round. This time however, he’s facing an opponent with a much stronger tournament track record. GameKing is the defending GwentSlam champion, and his tournament history is what has swayed the jury. Jaggerous felt that “Dyuhaaa has some interesting decks. He’s brought a lot of weather, and GameKing doesn’t have a lot of clear. But GameKing is a tournament veteran. We saw some simple misplays out of Dyuhaaa and ultimately I think Dyuhaaa’s lack of tournament experience gives GameKing the edge.” With that said, yesterday saw some upsets for sure. Although the odds seemed stacked against him, regicide is a common theme in Gwent, and Dyuhaaa may topple the GameKing and go for the crown.
It isn’t certain on who will play in the GwentSlam finals, but everyone was asked who they expect to win overall. Almost everyone thinks that GameKing is the best player of the remaining four, with 90% in his favour. Five chose TailBot to win his semi final, but none of them think he can beat GameKing. Coming off of a second place finish at GwentOpen, TailBot is a formidable opponent, but when it comes to GwentSlam, GameKing is seen to rule. He finished second overall in the first GwentSlam, and won GwentSlam#2. He is a firm fan favourite, and according to Merchant is _“the motherflippin’ king.” _Only Panda went against the grain, calling an eiSloth win. Last time the group were 90% in favour of an outcome however, they were wrong. Ultimately it comes down to the players and how they perform, and for all we know Dyuhaaa may just take us by surprise.
Overall, the TailBot vs eiSloth match up is the most contested. GameKing is a clear favourite and it is unsurprising given his GwentSlam history. At the end of the day though, it is also possible that the Insangpha curse may propegate to day two. So expect an eiSloth vs Dyuhaaa final.
If you want to watch GwentSlam and see who wins you can find the broadcast from 4pm CET on Lifecoach’s Twitch channel.
To find out more about the players and their Gwent history, check out our recent article, GwentSlam #3: Meet the Players.
This article was written by Francesca “Jaggerous” Jagger. You can find more from her on her YouTube, Twitch, and Twitter.
