03 Mar 2020, 08:43

The Grand Finals of the 2020 ESOC Winter Championship Is Here!



Best-of-9 series will be played this Thursday, March 5th at 18:00 GMT on ESOCTV . Thewill be played thison





EP Uhlans EleGiggle EP Uhlans EleGiggle



Discovering that 7 Ashigaru is a card Discovering that 7 Ashigaru is a card



Fortunately for Mitoe, it can only get better from here Fortunately for Mitoe, it can only get better from here

memes



A well-executed Spain Pain Train closes Hazza's first series of the tournament A well-executed Spain Pain Train closes Hazza's first series of the tournament



"It turns out building a mill in this position of the map isn't the best. Who knew?" - WickedCossack "It turns out building a mill in this position of the map isn't the best. Who knew?" - WickedCossack



Kaiser's last stand Kaiser's last stand

Everyone loves a good comeback story. We've got Robert Downey Jr., Rocky, Kim Kardashian, and...Mitoe? Mitoe indeed. Only six months ago, Mitoe was contemplating retirement from the competitive scene after a number of disappointing matches in the ESOC Premier League. Perhaps a sufficient number of prays were given to restore his power, perhaps he secretly spent the holidays in a Korean team house with Mancl, perhaps he learned how to channel the energy of all of NA into his gameplay - whatever it is, Mitoe seems back in form and ready to win a finals.Beginning with a seed into the Ro16, Mitoe first played a best of seven against The_LastSamurai. These players had previously met in the Spring 2017 Ro32, where Mitoe took a close 3-2 win in what was one of the best series of the tournament. Here in 2020, Mitoe again came out on top with a 4-2 record, finishing TLS off in a German mirror a crushing a fight that looked unwinnable.Mitoe moved onto the quarterfinals against fan favorite Aizamk. The players initially traded games to a 2-2 score, but Mitoe won games five and six through an impressive (but somewhat unorthodox) Japan game and closed out the series with his signature China.Finally, Mitoe played his semifinals match against Mandarin Duck Squad teammmate Lukas_L99. Lukas had shown good promise throughout the year and during the tournament, with an enviable practice record and the ability to boast a series win against the player who bested LordRaphael. Although Lukas lost his first game in the series, his perseverance, continued raids, and calmness in a losing position kept him in the game long after weaker players would have quit. For a moment, it looked like we'd have a lengthy match with an uncertain victor.But instead, Mitoe unleashed his full power, taking three short victories right after the first game and finishing the series with a stunning 4-0 sweep. Not many players can claim to be capable of beating Lukas 4-0, and for Mitoe, it may well be the confidence he needs for the finals.Hazza54321, meanwhile, has no such comeback story - he never left. Unlike Mitoe's ups and downs, Hazza's AGe of Empires III career has more-or-less seen a continuous upward trajectory. Rather than a return to form, a victory in the finals is a culmination of hard work and the sign of an era to come.If Hazza's road to the finals looked easy, it's only because he made it appear that way. Opening with a quick 4-0 against SKG teammate and LAN top 8 PrinceOfKabul, Hazza set the tone for his tournament run. Displaying clean army positioning in his French game, excellent multitasking in the British mirror, and greatmicro with his Spanish play, Hazza put on a display of multi-faceted strength with no obvious blemishes.In the quarterfinals, Hazza dashed relative newcomer iamturk's hopes of a deep tournament finish, trouncing him 4-1 (and really, who counts Ottoman games as real losses?). Despite the score being a little lopsided, this is a series worth watching - especially game 4, one of those rare gems where the players run out of gold mines on the map and start training Veteran Pikemen to keep an army together.Hazza's real triumph, however, was his series against Kaiserklein. Kaiserklein's incredible 2019 record - seriously, look at it - put him at the top of the power rankings of the Winter 2020 tournament. Early in the match, it looked as if Kaiser would once again demonstrate why he's at the top, starting the series 2-0 with a win as Ottomans and against Ottomans.It ended there. Hazza reversed his fortunes in the series and won four games in a row, upsetting the likely champion and earning himself a spot in finals.Between LAN tournaments, Age of Empires III DE, and Age of Empires IV, it's fair to say that competitive Age of Empires is undergoing a renaissance unimaginable only a few years ago. If we're lucky, this will be one of the last major Age of Empires III tournament - instead, not too long from now, we'll be holding DE tournaments to even larger viewership, with even larger prize pools, and even stronger community support. Whatever the future holds, ESOC will be around as the premier destination for coverage, streams, strategy, and, of course, memes. Check us out at https://twitch.tv/esoctv this Thursday at 18:00 GMT for all of the above!