SKTAR3

The finale of the MLG qualifiers moves to New Jersey for a 5K event. Many players are in the hunt to earn a spot into the MLG Anaheim Finals. In addition, this will be the first time in nearly a year that Armada will be playing Melee in the United States. Other powerhouses, C9.Mang0, EG.PPMD (Dr. PeePee), and P4K EMP Mew2King will also be in attendance, so expect some really exciting matches between them. Along with Armada,  Reign.eSports Professor Pro will also make an appearance at SKTAR 3, playing in Melee singles along with some exciting exhibitions. From the west coast, Westballz, MIOM|SFAT, MMG|Shroomed, and several others will be traveling across the country to participate. Along with people traveling from out of the area, several east coast players such as CTRL|DJ Nintendo, CTRL|The Moon and APEX|Nintendude  will be hoping to defend their turf along with earning MLG Anaheim spots.

The Point Situation can be found here.

Schedule and Stream (EST)

Saturday (May 31)

11:00 am –Melee Doubles

5:00 pm – Melee Singles

12:00 pm – Venue Closes

Sunday (June 1)

3:30 pm – 12:00AM Melee Singles

Streaming will happen on MLG (Clash Tournaments)

Brackets:

Doubles:
PM – http://challonge.com/sktarpm2
Brawl – http://challonge.com/sktarb2
Melee – http://challonge.com/SKTARm2

Singles:
PM – http://challonge.com/sktarpm1
Brawl – http://challonge.com/SKTARb1
Melee – http://challonge.com/SKTARm1

Tafo’s Top 8 Predictions

Among the superstars of Melee, this will be very interesting. Wife’s tweet after Pat’s House 2 reflects my sentiments between the relative skill level of the “Big 6” (Yes, I include Leffen in this category until proven otherwise) and everyone else.

With that being said, I believe that the Top 4 will be a combination of Armada, EG.PPMD, C9.Mang0, and P4K EMP Mew2king in some order. Predicting the actual order is especially difficult, given the little information we have about the players. EG.PPMD beat the other three in their last respective sets, but hasn’t  really played at any large tournaments since Apex 2014. Although his performance over Mew2King and Mang0 were dominant, he may be out of practice. Likewise, Armada had a stretch in 2012-2013 in which he was arguably the best player, but times have changed. Recent struggles against Leffen in Europe at Beast 4 and Republic of Fighters 3 make me question whether he can get back into peak form. P4K Mew2king came off a strong tournament showing at Pat’s House 2 and seems to have regained confidence with a sturdy controller. With that being said, I have to go with the following:

1. C9.Mang0

Nothing is scarier than a motivated Mang0. Mang0 has been on a win streak against his rival, Mew2King, and looks in great form even after taking a short hiatus in the earlier parts of this year. He’s been streaming frequently to keep his tech skill consistent and seems as confident as ever after signing with Cloud 9.

2. EG.PPMD

Even though I haven’t been able to see much of PPMD in the past 3 months, his performance was so dominant at Apex that I can’t imaging him being really out of shape. Unlike the other three “Gods”, PPMD has to place in the top 3 to obtain a spot into the MLG Anaheim Bracket. His methodical approach and strong fundamentals will carry him far despite having some rust.

3. P4K EMP Mew2King

It almost seems like I’m disrespecting Mew2King by placing him at third place. By all means, best of 5 sets means that Mew2King has access to Final Destination against Mango and PPMD. However, this counter pick isn’t a free victory for Mew2King as it once was years ago. Mango and PPMD have shown that they can go toe-to-toe with Mew2King on his stage. However, this is Mew2King’s home turf, so maybe he’ll pull something together here. Never discount the Robot.

4. EMP Armada

Although outclassed at Republics of Fighter 3 in grand finals against Leffen, Armada still belongs with the rest of the three on this list. With 3000 points, Armada may try to play his Fox instead of his Peach to gain some top-level tournament experience, which may hamper his performance. With less on the line than PPMD, I think he makes an early exit, losing to PPMD in winner’s and Mang0 in loser’s semis.

5. MMG|Shroomed

It seems like Shroomed’s power level grows exponentially when he goes out of region. Although he’s developed himself a respectable Sheik, his pocket Doctor Mario will help immensely in closing out sets against players that are unfamiliar with the matchup. Shroomed has the nerves of steel to win in high-pressure situations where as other people may crumble, given the stakes of the matches late in bracket.

5. Westballz

Probably the most difficult person to put on the list due to his volatility. At his best, he can beat anyone short of the “Big 5”. On his worst days, he can lose to random players in pools. Westballz does have a straightforward bracket to Winner’s Quarters which will give him a minimum 9th place. If he can get past Duck and SFAT, he’ll take the 5th place spot and make it into MLG Anaheim Final Bracket

7. VGBC|Hax

Similar to Shroomed, Hax has also switched mains in hopes of becoming the best. His Fox remains questionable against certain matchups such as Samus and Luigi. However, he has shown to be amazing against other Fox and Falco players, even taking a set against Mang0 at Whobo. With the right character matchups, Hax should be able to make a strong run deep in the bracket.

7. MIOM|SFAT

SFAT’s bracket is rather generous relative to other players. He’ll have to face DJ Nintendo in round 5 of winner’s but it’s very doable for him. He’ll most likely lose to Mango in winner’s, but in loser’s he’s projected to play against Nintendude, a match that SFAT tends to excel at.

 

MIOM|Tafokints