SMITE World Championships Day 2 – LIVE

January 6, 2017 ESportsSource

We’re getting down to business at the SMITE World Championships!  I will be here all weekend long, posting updates, relevant memes, and videos from the event.  Feel free to participate by tweeting or commenting on the blog!

Watch live video from HiRezTV on www.twitch.tv

ESportsSource January 6, 20179:41 pm

FINAL SNOW WATCH

Still no snow here, but the schedules will be changed tomorrow to account for the weather. We’ll update on Twitter with more information as it become available!
ESportsSource January 6, 20179:35 pm

That’s it for our PC SMITE coverage today!

Saturday will have two tasty series-
Luminosity Gaming vs NRG

Obey vs Team Eagr
ESportsSource January 6, 20179:31 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 2: Licht v Luminosity


Luminosity win Game 2 and move on to their semifinal match against the world champions NRG.
ESportsSource January 6, 20179:29 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 1: Licht v Luminosity

LG find two kills and also take out two towers, and Licht’s moment of triumph is short lived. They keep setting up the same bait plays, and Licht keep falling for it. LG has taken all of their towers down after just 17 minutes.

BaRRaCCuDDa is level 20, a full 9 levels above SebasPeCausa on Licht. This is turning into a slaughter. LG are up 12-4 after 19 minutes.
ESportsSource January 6, 20179:25 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 1: Licht v Luminosity

BaRRaCCuDDa solo the tower on the right and is currently at least two levels above all of the players on Licht. Right now the kill count is 1-1 after 9 minutes and LG are head by 2k gold.

LG take the Gold Fury on 12 minutes, but they pay for it in a big way! Licht initiates a team fight and takes out three players to narrow the gap between the teams.

ESportsSource January 6, 20179:16 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 2: Licht v Luminosity

Licht start off much better this time around, getting the first blood by teaming up to pick off ScaryD.
ESportsSource January 6, 20178:59 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 1: Licht v Luminosity


LG with a good clean match. They win the first with ease.
ESportsSource January 6, 20178:58 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 1: Licht v Luminosity

Licht lose both middle towers and the middle phoenix, and are firmly on the back foot right now. Licht are far behind on farm, and LG are taking the objectives left and right. (22 mins) Licht doesn’t have any players at 20 yet, while LG’s Barra and Scary max level for minutes now. Licht may need to work on thinking ahead to their next match now.
ESportsSource January 6, 20178:53 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 1: Licht v Luminosity

LG set up a bait situation by starting up the gold fury and luring Licht into a team fight. LG pick off two players and then take out the Gold Fury. (16 mins)
The big game experience on Luminosity’s team is coming through as they keep diving towers and baiting Licht into taking perilous positions.
ESportsSource January 6, 20178:49 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 1: Licht v Luminosity

Licht are looking outclassed right now, and LG aren’t going easy on them. After 10 minutes the team finally gets 1 kill. LG are up 6-1 in kills and have a 5k gold advantage.

An opening for Licht as LG look a little sloppy in the jungle on the right, and their set up to pick off the Licht players falls through. On the other hand, Licht still can’t manage to kill any of the Luminosity players, so the gold farming continues. (15 mins)
ESportsSource January 6, 20178:35 pm

Quarterfinal 4, Game 1: Licht v Luminosity

The Latin American team Licht has raised a lot of eyebrows at this competition, and now they have a chance to go farther than any other team in their region has gone before if they can take out LG here.

LG’s JeffHindla picks up the first blood before minions spawn. NowIS (Ratataskor) gets taken out a short time later. Not a great start for Licht, who opted for aggression to start the match, and are getting taken out in these boxing matches in the jungle.

Licht has a chance to take out ScaryD early in the jungle but they played scared and scampered away before getting the kill. NowIS is all three of the deaths for the LatAm team. (3 minutes)


ESportsSource January 6, 20178:32 pm

SNOW WATCH

No real snow, but the roads are expected to ice up, so we’re being told that after the last PC match today the Hi-Rez folks are going to encourage the audience to leave the venue and get to safety. We’ll see if we can return tomorrow!

In the meantime, it’s time for North America’s Luminosity versus Licht!

ESportsSource January 6, 20178:07 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

Allegiance don’t have any towers up now, and NRG applies deadly pressure up the middle to take out the middle and left Phoenixes.

NRG win their second game. Allegiance put up a heck of a fight in this game, but it just wasn’t enough in the end. The teams ended up 17-17 on kills. The World Champions live up to their hype, and Team Allegiance is bounced from the tournament.
ESportsSource January 6, 20178:02 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

This is so close now. ALG take a free T2 tower, but NRG take the Gold Fury at 30 minutes to give them a slight gold lead. NRG destroy the Fire Giant at 32 minutes, and ALG look like they’re concentrating on trying to win lane objectives and defend their phoenix. One fight could decide this entire series now.
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:56 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

This is probably the most high quality gameplay we’ve seen thus far this weekend. Both teams are playing with cohesion, but it’s small mistakes that are making the biggest impact.

Team Allegiance manage to steal the Gold Fury in the 24th minute after NRG and Raffer slide in to try to take it down while they were backing.

But are NRG playing chess and not checkers? They entice ALG to try to take them on while taking out the Fire Giant, and in the team fight they take out four players. NRG get the Fire Giant buff after 27 minutes.
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:49 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

Adapting’s Thanatos is being turned into fodder here. He gets taken out after lingering a little too long on the right, and ALG take a T1 tower (19 mins)
Adapting finally gets a kill- and it’s MLC St3alth… but Adapting dies once again, as ALG take a 10-8 kill lead and a 1k gold lead after 21 minutes.

ESportsSource January 6, 20177:46 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

PolarBearMike’s Khepri is doing his best to protect his team in the jungle. The battle on the left between Nike and Guan Yu is surprisingly pretty even as Dimi keeps brushing off CycloneSpin’s attacks.

NRG take out their first tower on the left hand side after taking out PBM and Oceans with a familiar bait and battle tactic.
ALG start up the Gold Fury, and the team takes out Adapting, Raffer, and Emilitoo in the ensuing team fight. The North American crowd roars their approval as ALG look more like the aggressive team they were at Super Regionals.
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:41 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

(9 minutes) Despite the early kills, ALG is still hanging in there with NRG, and trying to group up and apply pressure in the jungle. Their patience pays off, and they pick up a kill on Dimi when NRG find themselves uncharacteristically overextended.

(11 minutes) ALG get the Gold Fury but CycloneSpin is taken out. The gold is still pretty even, and NRG still lead on kills, 4-3.
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:30 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

ALG look to come out hot with a Nox and Guan Yu in their setup. That’s the first time we’re seeing either God at this year’s SWC.

In the first 15 seconds NRG pick off two players in the jungle, but ALG respond quickly and pick up a kill of their own.
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:17 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 1: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

ALG are firmly on the back foot now, with no towers and just one Phoenix to their name. A comeback looks unlikely right now as NRG are just cutting through the team like a hot knife through anything.

NRG win Game 1 with relative ease, 15-5 kills.
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:10 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 1: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

NRG take the Gold Fury at 21 minutes after taking out Oceans and PolarBearMike during a little rumble in the jungle. NRG are so good at just applying relentless pressure on teams, and quite frankly, they’re exhausting just to watch.

23 minutes and three are down for ALG. This could go very poorly very quickly for the team, who are down 4-10 in kills, and NRG are just swarming in on their T2 towers and moving on to take down the Fire Giant. (24 minutes)
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:06 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 1: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

If you’re noticing that I keep trying to reference pictures or tweets and they aren’t showing up- I’m having some trouble with the live blogging system over here. Don’t worry, I’ve still got hot memes, I just can’t share them at the moment.
Meanwhile, Allegiance have lost another tower (they have just 3 left, while NRG still has their towers) and NRG continue to play a patient game of bait and gank.
ESportsSource January 6, 20177:03 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 1: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

The game is back up, and we’ve got team fighting in the jungle as both teams swarm in. ALG is chasing down NRG who keep poking players to start fights and then disengaging. It’s an interesting tactic to try and bait out players by NRG.

Meanwhile ALG keep picking up objectives, getting a 15 minute Gold Fury. NRG are still ahead in both kills and gold, thanks to their baiting strats, but ALG appears to be closing the gap.

Meanwhile, a bit of extra incentive for ALG to win from former World Champion Omega:

ESportsSource January 6, 20176:55 pm

Quarterfinal 2, Game 1: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

(10 minutes) NRG get 2 kills, and Raffer takes out PolarBearMike.
The game is paused.
ESportsSource January 6, 20176:50 pm
Quarterfinal 2, Game 1: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

Allegiance get first blood by taking out Adapting who walked straight into a trap. They quickly followed up with another kill, and Allegiance have the lead in kills and gold in the 5th minute.

(7 minutes) Team Allegiance take the Gold Fury! NRG have been incredibly quiet to start the game. Very few initiated engagements with enemy players so far.

ESportsSource January 6, 20176:47 pm

Quarterfinal 2: NRG Esports v Team Allegiance

Nike is getting a lot of love this tournament, she’s been picked in 5 matches and NRG in their first match are taking her as well. On the other side, we’re going to see Ratataskor again (W3aken).

Both teams are starting off quietly, no ganks off the bat, just some minion farming and carefully planning for lane control as they level up.

A brief team fight results in some hand bags to start off in the 3rd minute, but no kills yet.

ESportsSource January 6, 20176:36 pm

SNOW WATCH 2017

Still no snow, but it’s sleeting right now. The folks waiting outside for food are struggling. Meanwhile, the picks and bans for World Champs NRG and plucky underdogs Allegiance are underway.
ESportsSource January 6, 20176:15 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Obey wins the final team fight and takes out Andister– their owners are screaming beside me. Obey and their superior teamwork win the series 2-0 and move on to the semi finals.
ESportsSource January 6, 20176:11 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Big team fight at the left SoaR phoenix and it goes down, as do three Obey players. SoaR players have to run back to their base as fire minions converge on their Titan and nearly take it down themselves. Close calls for SoaR here.
While Andister on his Thor takes out PrettyPriMe, Obey takes the Fire Giant. (23 minutes)


ESportsSource January 6, 20176:05 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Obey take another T2 tower following a teamfight and they take the Fire Giant for free (17 minutes). SoaR just looks like they aren’t playing cohesively, and players keep getting caught out by themselves. Obey takes the middle and left phoenixes.
ESportsSource January 6, 20176:04 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Obey still using really good group play to pick off the roaming SoaR players. SoaR is still up on kills (6-5) and they’re working to just protect their resources at the moment. SoaR take the Gold Fury during a team fight in the jungle (14 minutes). Obey answers back to take SoaR’s T2 tower.

The crowd cheers wildly as a random spotlight that was blinding us is turned off inside the arena.
ESportsSource January 6, 20175:58 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey


Despite being behind in gold, SoaR is playing for picks and trying to farm objectives so they can get more aggressive later in the game. Obey isn’t chasing down kills right now, and concentrating on extending their lead quietly.

Andinster (Thor) gets a great gank on Ataraxia, which may be the start of a more aggressive game from SoaR. SoaR is up 5-3 in kills. (10 minutes)
ESportsSource January 6, 20175:53 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Picks and bans are in for Game 2, at Obey get two early kills in the game but SoaR answer right back with one. SoaR now have a Scylla pick for MetYankey which is a comfort pick for him, so they may make some adjustments to get back into this series.
(6 minutes) Obey pick up the Gold Fury and brush aside an attempt to pick off some players by SoaR.
ESportsSource January 6, 20175:37 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Obey win Game 1 with 10 kills to 2. What a dominant victory for Obey in this first game! That Ra in the team composition really made a difference for the team so they could group up and dive towers without taking much significant damage. SoaR will have to pick against that kind of team comp in the next game.
ESportsSource January 6, 20175:31 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey


Obey dive a T1 and T2 on 17 minutes, and also look to take the Gold Fury. This game is getting out of hand for SoaR.
Obey are taking the Fire Giant now on 20 minutes. SoaR’s listen in reveals they’ve pretty much given up on this game. They are looking ahead to Game 2, while Obey are essentially doing a victory lap now.

ESportsSource January 6, 20175:25 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Obey take a 10 minute Gold Fury to extend their lead, and SoaR is steadily falling behind. SoaR will need to make some aggressive moves to make more gold so they can contend in the late game or this is going to be a very short match indeed.
Obey are grouping up to take down towers, and Andister and SoaR are still struggling with cohesiveness and finding an opening to take down multiple Obey players who are gathering around their Ra for healing.
ESportsSource January 6, 20175:16 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

A few missed hits from SoaR, but overall their movement and positioning has been good as they are just farming early game, but Obey has been putting in work themselves, and Obey take a 4 minute Gold Fury.

Ataraxia and Pandalike combine to bag another kill for Obey, and SoaR answer back with two kills in the ensuing team fight to even up the kill count.
ESportsSource January 6, 20175:07 pm

Quarterfinal 2: SoaR v Obey

Picks and bans are coming in for this matchup between two these two North American teams. Looks like Jigz with Geb will have a lot of work to do to keep his teammates safe. Pandalike takes the first blood.
ESportsSource January 6, 20174:55 pm

We have a little bit of time before our next match (Obey v SoaR), so let’s talk about some of the other stuff at the Hirez Expo. I took some time to walk around a bit yesterday, and played some of the new games offered by the studio.

I played a bit of their game Rivals because it looked like something I’d like. It’s a Collectible Card Arena game featuring the gods and characters from SMITE. It’s like Hearthstone is to for Blizzard’s IP but this also incorporates some portions of SMITE’s characteristics. For example, players use three lanes to play the card game (much like the three lanes in Conquest mode in SMITE) and they deploy units using cards to take control of their lanes.

One of the cooler parts of the game is that you can play across platforms on your account; meaning you can start playing the game on your mobile device and then pick up where you left off on your PC. Your progression is saved on your account across all platforms.

Want to try it out? Register for the closed beta at smiterivals.com

ESportsSource January 6, 20174:24 pm

Quarterfinal 1: Team Eagr v Team Hapi


Team Eager win Game Two 23 to 7. They win the series 2-0.
ESportsSource January 6, 20174:21 pm

Quarterfinal 1: Team Eagr v Team Hapi

The threat of snow is upon us, but that can’t stop the SMITE hype! It can however, make your live blogger a little late when putting up the post. Forgiveness please.
Right now we’re on Game 2 between Chinese Team Hapi and NA’s Team Eagr. Eagr won the first game of the best of three series, and right now in the 16th minute of the second series, Eagr are up 18-6. Eagr look unthreatened overall and seem to be playing at almost a leisurely pace, just strolling into Hapi’s fountain and threatening the titan.