2019 Community Challenge: Week 1 Results #spoilers

Hey folks,
Thanks for tuning in yesterday! And many thanks to Wout, PF2K and our 4 competitors for allowing this to happen!

First series we saw Smileyguyx taking on Coolblade23, starting off with a game on Sheltered Pass. Coolblade opted for Celts, while Smiley rolled with Babylonians. After some nice pressure from Coolblade, and a really well placed watchtower followed up with a proxy woodline tower, smiley was down to a single goldmine in a3. But with a good surround on coolblade's army, he was able to push deep into his opponent's base and force the first game. Game 2, a Greek Mirror on Equal Footing, saw a rough start for both players, with late hunts being taken on both sides of the map. Smiley's, and the hunt he would then expand to, were set in the middle of both players. Coolblade opted for an early infantry push to deny the second hunt, as both players were getting their age 2 production set up, while smiley followed up utilizing small sari numbers to keep coolblade's infantry back defending his own workers. In age 3, Smiley turned up the heat, with a forward workshop in the mid-map, and creeping walls on the flanks. Coolblade's composition, heavier in cavalry by this stage, was doing well to keep Smiley's forces at bay, but big fights snuggled between the workshop and forests helped keep smiley's bowmen raining fire. Both players attempted to try break one another with seige on the right side of the map, but ultimately Smiley's tech and population advantage was too much for Coolblade's base to fend off.

Second series was a much anticipated showdown between Vindicator and UR_Notorious, with their recent meeting in the LowGarden Final, which was a 2-0 to Vindicator. First game was a Sheltered Pass Celts (Vindicator) V Norse (Notorious) match. A fast barracks spear push saw Vindicator push Notorious' villagers off two resources early, a big hit to his economy. A much greedier town center placement behind this working in Vindicator's favour to secure the midgame. With his druids to keep his army alive, nestled between his tcs, he repeatedly chased away Notorious' well-kited axemen, until he could push out a quick age 3 celt bowmen transition. Notorious had set himself up in a good proxy by now, but it wasn't enough to deny the longsword harass from Vindicator, which was working it's way around his base pushing him off multiple resources again. At the other end of the map Notorious had been pushed off his opponent's ranges, but did catch the 3rd tc as it was being placed, and all of Vindicator's villagers. However, it was not enough to slow the game down, it seemed, as Vindicator was able to overwhelm his troops with a quick push, just as Notorious was finishing stables and bowmen. A minute or two under siege and Notorious couldn't contain him. Game two, Oasis. Vindicator opts for Babylonian, and for Notorious, Egypt. Once again, Vindicator's more-aggressive spears bringing in results, with 2 villagers sniped off Notorious' first hunt, and setting himself up for water control. Vindicator throws down a dock half it's build time before Notorious starts his own, and uses throwaway single spears to pull Notorious out of base, only to lead the mass of spears back in and drive Notorius' workers off resource nodes one last. Following this, both players darting their forces from the woodline of Notorious up to the oasis, as Vindicator's double biremes, and Notorious' single trireme engaged. A big fight, resulting in all of Notorius army, and his dock falling saw the end of the early game. For the next few minutes, both players macro'd up, and Notorious missed scouting out Vindicator's gold line thanks to ox carts OP ( ), but he later came back with camels and forced Vindicator off the gold later. Only to run his army onto the water, to be cleaned up by Vindicator's ships. One last infantry harass by Vindicator, and he prepares his army to mount the final assault. With a supply lead, ships to retreat to, and now seige tower thrown into the mix, he attacks, and forces a GG

Thanks again for watching folks. Message me in discord, or talk in the pvp general chat about playing or casting!