Introduction:

Welcome to the second week of RGL Highlander, Open division! This week, and each one following, I will highlight a key Match of the Week for Open division, and give insight as to which players may play a key role in the outcome of the match.

This week’s map is pl_swiftwater_final1. Unlike product, where teams with high damage output thrive, teams that have superior communication and positioning will fare the best. A strong combo in good positioning can shred through a uncoordinated push. Key classes to watch are demo and heavy, not only with damage output, but positioning and effectiveness. Now, let’s take a look at the lineups:

Barcode-HL:

Scout: angent
Soldier: Rock
Pyro: Latte
Demoman: Juice
Heavy: mocha
Engineer: Datdrop
Medic: topside
Sniper: Captured
Spy: mcgee

Sifety:

Scout: Dantheman11
Soldier: Pup
Pyro: Mega
Demo: Dannyo
Heavy: Hael
Engineer: Diop
Medic: Oughtyo
Sniper: Page
Spy: Bliztank

Match Of The Week: Sifety vs. Barcode-HL

Map: pl_swiftwater_final1

The top two ranked teams face off in week two, each looking to secure a victory to keep their momentum after a strong start to the season. Barcode-HL, a team composed mostly of the UGC Silver 6’s team, Barcode, played fantastic TF2 last week against Toasted Bagels. I feel it is important to mention that the core of Barcode-HL has been playing together for far longer than most open teams, and their synergy in match shows it. In Barcode-HL’s 4-0 win, two players stood out above the rest: Mocha on Heavy, and Juice on Demo. These two proved to be a reliable duo with strong support from their team. As I said before, good positioning of these two classes will make or break a defense. Sifety is coming of a similarly dominant win last week against The Garage Band, securing the 4-0 right off the bat. The team played well all around, notably their demo, dannyo with 30 kills total. Combo efficiency will be important on swiftwater, but protecting the combo may be more difficult, as both teams have good spies. Mega will have to be vigilant of Barcode-HL’s mcgee, who danced around the pyro on product, suffering only 2 deaths overall to Toasted Bagels' Chubbs. Overall, I think Barcode has a stronger roster with more playtime together, so I’m giving them the win. However, anything is possible, especially in Open, and Sifety may secure a round if they can consistently work well together as a team.

Prediction: 2-0 Barcode-HL
Key Players: Juice, mocha, Mega