Day one of the HCS Fall 2016 Season Finals brought the top two open circuit teams and the bottom two Pro League teams, where the four sides duked it out for only two spots in next year’s HCS Pro League.
Here’s a recap of the matches, and we will be updating this as the matches go on throughout the day:
Round One:
3sUp vs. Enigma6
A rematch of the pivotal Las Vegas series, 3sUp and Enigma6 traded blows in the first two games, showing their strengths in their respective game modes of CTF (3sUp) and Slayer (E6).
And then, game three happened.
3sUp was aggressive from the get-go, as Abel “Rammyy” Garcia grabbed the early overshield and took total control with ease. From that point, several solid rotations and another overshield grab pulled off the unthinkable 100-0 on Enigma6, and all you could hear from in the practice room after that loss was “OH NOOOOOOOOO…”
E6 wasn’t too happy after that, and Jesse “bubu dubu” Moeller lost his mind with a 28 second cap, a killing spree, and some beautiful snipes to tie up the series at two on Coliseum, despite 3sUp rallying back. His sniper play would continue to carry this side through game five, as he would get 21 kills…
But it was not enough to stop a late OT rally from 3sUp to win it.
The entire Enigma6 team, with their backs against the wall, clutched up for game six as it took a close Strongholds match, followed by a tight Slayer match. And of course, Carlos “Cratos” Ayala was hyped to move on in the relegation tournament.
UH OH @CarlosAyalaJr IS GETTING HYPED!
Enigma 6 takes the Game 7 and the series for #HCS pic.twitter.com/8b25o7N5kB— James Mattone (@TheJamesMattone) December 10, 2016
Game One: CTF – Truth
Game Final: 3sUp 3 – 1 E6
Match Score: 3sUp 1 – 0 E6
Game Two: Slayer – The Rig
Game Final: E6 50 – 40 3sUp
Match Score: E6 1 – 1 3sUp
Game Three: Strongholds – Empire
Game Final: 3sUp 100 – 0 E6
Match Score: 3sUp 2 – 1 E6
Game Four: CTF – Coliseum
Game Final: E6 2 – 1 3sUp
Match Score: E6 2 – 2 3sUp
Game Five: Slayer – Eden
Game Final: 3sUp 50 – 49 E6
Match Score: 3sUp 3 – 2 E6
Game Six: Strongholds – The Rig
Game Final: E6 100 – 89 3sUp
Match Score: E6 3 – 3 3sUp
Game Seven: Slayer – Regret
Game Final: E6 50 – 45 3sUp
Match Final: E6 4 – 3 3sUp
After the series, bubu dubu was happy that his team was able to take away a close series, despite slip-ups in the third and fifth game.
“We didn’t give up at all,” said bubu dubu. “We didn’t want to drop into the losers bracket at all, so we just focused up and played good Halo.”
In terms of his own play, he said that game four specifically, where he dropped 27 in that Enigma6 2-1 victory, was some of his best on LAN.
“Game four was one of the most fun games that I had because I just wasn’t missing,” bubu dubu said. “Anywhere I looked, I just killed them.”
Round One:
Team Allegiance vs. TMMT
The series started with two extremely close matches, with Joe “TriPPPeY” Taylor taking home the game-winning snipe to clutch up the Slayer match.
Clutch factor for @Tripppey: [ON] OFF https://t.co/9sFCrBPzkX pic.twitter.com/HiIhyPp38m
— ESL Halo (@ESLHalo) December 10, 2016
The celebration was short lived for The Money Matches team, as Allegiance would come back to take down the following three games, including a 96 point Strongholds victory.
And to think, this squad still played well despite Devon “PreDevoNatoR” Layton suiciding twice en route to a game four Slayer win.
Game One: CTF – Coliseum
Game Final: ALG 2 – 1 TMMT in OT
Match Score: ALG 1 – 0 TMMT
Game Two: Slayer – Plaza
Game Final: TMMT 50 – 49 ALG
Match Score: TMMT 1 – 1 ALG
Game Three: Strongholds – The Rig
Game Final: ALG 100 – 4 TMMT
Match Score: ALG 2 – 1 TMMT
Game Four: CTF – Fathom
Game Final: ALG 3 – 1 TMMT
Match Score: ALG 3 – 1 TMMT
Game Five: Slayer – The Rig
Game Final: ALG 50 – 46 TMMT
Match Final: ALG 4 – 1 TMMT
Losers Semifinal:
3sUp vs. TMMT
In a must win game for both sides, 3sUp continued their incredible Empire Strongholds play, jumping out to a 85-1 run to add on top of their 100-0 victory over E6.
After TMMT brought it back with another game two Slayer match that was almost too close to call, the teams traded another two games with equal amounts of dominance.
3sUp was able to force the elimination game, as they almost got the first steak dinner in Burbank off of Zeke “Prototype” Martinez’s 16 kill game, and in a crucial CTF, Abel “Rammyy” Garcia sealed the fate of The Money Matches team with the final cap of the series.
Game One: Strongholds – Empire
Game Final: 3sUp 100 – 10 TMMT
Match Score: 3sUp 1 – 0 TMMT
Game Two: Slayer – Plaza
Game Final: TMMT 50 – 47 3sUp
Match Score: TMMT 1 – 1 3sUp
Game Three: CTF – Truth
Game Final: 3sUp 3 – 1 TMMT
Match Score: 3sUp 2 – 1 TMMT
Game Four: Strongholds – Plaza
Game Final: TMMT 100 – 15 3sUp
Match Score: TMMT 2 – 2 3sUp
Game Five: Slayer – Regret
Game Final: 3sUp 50 – 33 TMMT
Match Score: 3sUp 3 – 2 TMMT
Game Six: CTF – Fathom
Game Final: 3sUp 3 – 1 TMMT
Match Final: 3sUp 4 – 1 TMMT
Although they are the sponsors for several teams who are coming out this weekend, Money Matches had their name branded on TMMT, and supported them throughout each series.
In the audience watching every game was the CEO of Money Matches, Zachary Smith, who had nothing but praise for this side. A friend of all the players on this roster, especially Tyler “TireIron” Mara, who reached out to Smith about sponsoring his team, he and his company will continue to help this squad even though they did not qualify for the Pro League.
“We never have any problem sponsoring anyone in regards to the Money Matches team,” Smith said. “We will be looking for an organization for them. We are not dropping them by any means, we are here to facilitate the deal. We are going to make sure the team and the players don’t get screwed over by other organizations or companies, and that is what we are here for. So for the future of the team, it’s whatever they want to do.”
On the other side of this match, 3sUp gave themselves one final chance at qualifying for the Pro League, and Rammyy had a feeling that his side would be moving on and winning against this side.
“We didn’t see The Money Matches Team as a threat,” Rammyy said. “No offense to them, they are all solid players, but ever since we picked up Renegade, we haven’t lost to them in a tourney. We 3-0’d them at Vegas, we didn’t scrim for a full week and came back, and our first scrim against them we beat them 9-4. We were feeling pretty confident heading into the match and we just know that we have to take down one of these two Pro League teams, and that’s our biggest focus.”
Now one match away from potentially qualifying for the Pro League, Rammyy has a preference, but is ultimately unfazed by whatever team comes next.
“It doesn’t really matter who we play, but obviously I want to play Enigma6 again because we can 100 percent beat them,” Rammyy said. “We choked up a couple of games last series, and it ending up costing us the series.”
Winners Finals:
Enigma6 vs. Team Allegiance
Call this the third game in a three game Pro League series between these two sides, and it totally did not disappoint those in attendance.
With Enigma6 slaying well throughout, the first three games ended up as a 2-1 in favor of Allegiance, as the last CTF contest was a complete stunner on an E6 side that was so close to reverse sweeping on Fathom.
Enigma6 would then get their revenge in game four, coming back from an 81-60 deficit to once again tie up the series. They then used some momentum to power through a close Slayer match, where Cratos dropped 20 kills and dubu had some more beautiful sniper shots, including the game ending double.
Just @bubudubu doing his thing. @Enigma6Group is up 3-2! #HCShttps://t.co/9sFCrBPzkX pic.twitter.com/VnuMDFFu5h
— ESL Halo (@ESLHalo) December 10, 2016
In game six, it seemed like Allegiance would be able to force a game seven, but a reverse sweep comeback gave Enigma6 their Pro League spot back.
Game One: Strongholds – Eden
Game Final: ALG 100 – 53 E6
Match Score: ALG 1 – 0 E6
Game Two: Slayer – Eden
Game Final: E6 50 – 33 ALG
Match Score: E6 1 – 1 ALG
Game Three: CTF – Fathom
Game Final: ALG 3 – 2 E6
Match Score: ALG 2 – 1 E6
Game Four: Strongholds – Plaza
Game Final: E6 100 – 93 ALG
Match Score: E6 2 – 2 ALG
Game Five: Slayer – Coliseum
Game Final: E6 50 – 40 ALG
Match Score: E6 3 – 2 ALG
Game Six: CTF – Truth
Game Final: E6 3 – 2 ALG
Match Final: E6 4 – 2 ALG
Cratos was definitely happy to walk out of Burbank with a Pro League spot after a rough season for his squad, even though it hasn’t settled with him yet that he and his team are back in.
“This whole season was a mess from the get-go, so I’m just glad it is over with so my team can start over fresh,” said Cratos.
He also acknowledged the constant uphill battle that Enigma6 had to face against the community this season, and feels that this return to the Pro League will silence a lot of doubters.
“It’s hard to perform when everyone is against you and there are so many noises out there,” Cratos said. “A lot of people predicted us to lose, because at Vegas, we had a really bad showing. And this silences everyone, because now we are back in, and now we can start back over. There is no Pro League record that we are so far behind in or whatever, and everyone is at zeroes.”
Losers Finals:
Team Allegiance vs. 3sUp
Rammyy may have not gotten his choice of team, but 3sUp still had their shot against this Pro League side.
Allegiance made sure to make 3sUp respect the ALG name right out of the gate, as they swept down 3sUp to start the series. They then followed it up with a tight Slayer match before dropping their first game of the series from a few unconventional 3sUp setups.
3sUp then snuck in at the last minute of a Coliseum CTF match to tie the series up at two, but Allegiance immediately fought back with Cory “Str8 SicK” Sloss hogging the camo all game.
ALG then followed it up in the decider match by taking home the final Strongholds game, as both Pro League teams from the Fall locked up their spot in the Pro League next season.
Game One: CTF – Fathom
Game Final: ALG 3 – 0 3sUp
Match Score: ALG 1 – 0 3sUp
Game Two: Slayer – Plaza
Game Final: ALG 100 – 3sUp
Match Score: ALG 2 – 0 3sUp
Game Three: Strongholds – Plaza
Game Final: 3sUp 100 – 75 ALG
Match Score: ALG 2 – 1 3sUp
Game Four: CTF – Coliseum
Game Final: 3sUp 2 – 1 ALG
Match Score: ALG 2 – 2 3sUp
Game Five: Slayer – The Rig
Game Final: ALG 50 – 40 3sUp
Match Score: ALG 3 – 2 3sUp
Game Six: Strongholds – Empire
Game Final: ALG 100 – 62 3sUp
Match Final: ALG 4 – 2 3sUp
Michael “Falcated” Garcia was thrilled to be back in the league with his squad, and despite a rough Pro League with several game five losses, they were able to get the job done in Burbank
“We just knew to focus up, and that nothing else mattered besides that one series,” said Falcated.
Falcated was also excited to see Enigma6 re-qualify as well, and is ready to get back to playing the other six teams from last season when the next Pro League comes around.
“I’m happy that they qualified just as much as I am because I am friends with everyone on that team, and I think they are cool people and are pretty good,” Falcated said.
Enigma6 and Team Allegiance have both retained a Pro League spot for next season.
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James Mattone is a journalist for GAMURS and can be contacted on Twitter –@TheJamesMattone.
Photo credit: @TheJamesMattone
