Mikado Arcade: Tenkaichi Budoukai Series 3

~What is Tenkaichi Budokai?~



Mikado Tenkaichi Budokai (Mikaten) is an 8-man, league style Guilty Gear event brought to you by Mikado Game Center in Tokyo, Japan. Hosted by Jonio, this event offers viewers a chance to see league style, round robin, first to 10 sets from the top GG competitors in Japan. This year’s Tenkaichi Budokai features recent champions, icons of the game, challengers from regions outside of Tokyo, and masters of new characters, all of them fighting for the title of “Best Under Heaven.”



~Why should I care?~



One major difference is that Tenkaichi Budokai is in person, live from an arcade. While most modern leagues are netplay based, Tenkaichi Budokai offers an offline league that seeks to capture the essence of the arcade experience. This year’s event will be broadcasted in HD through twitch.tv, and with live English (by Majinobama) and Japanese commentary (by Jonio). Thanks to support through the twitch channel, we were able to upgrade equipment and production, so you can look forward to a more unique broadcast experience. Whether you are new to Guilty Gear, a Guilty Gear veteran, or a casual fan, Tenkaichi Budokai will give spectators a riveting example of what makes fighting games special, and why the arcade scene is so irreplaceable.



~What do you mean by “league style?”~



The 8 players of Tenkaichi Budokai are split into 2 groups: The Spade League & The Heart League. With 4 players in each group, the players fight one another in round robin, first to 10 sets. One player will emerge from each group based on record and win/loss differentials. These winners will then advance to the final championship group. The second and third place finishers from each group will then fight each other in a FT5 single elimination bracket for a chance at redemption, and to claim the third spot in the championship group.



~Who are the Players? What are the groups?~



~A League:



Omito おみと (Johnny) -Evo 2017 Champion-



Evo 2017 and KSB 2017 Champion, West Japan's Omito steps into the fray! With support from the community, we were able to get competitors from outside East Japan to take part in the league! As the world champ reigning from West Japan, he has now set his sights on the most famous arcade in East Japan! Will he be able to beat his east coast rivals on their home turf, and take the trophy with him back to Osaka?



Ogawa 小川 (Zato-1) -ArcRevo2017 Champion-



A name that is synonomous with the game Guilty Gear, after his absence from Mikaten 2, he has finally returned to this series with one goal: revenge. While many of the competitors here have tourney wins on him recently, Ogawa says his motivation is very high right now.



Zadi ザディ (Raven) -Pre-EvoJp:Sai 2nd Place-



Since Raven’s release, Zadi has continued to wow people with awesome performances using this character. After his 2nd place finish at last year's Mikaten, he had a strong showing at Pre Evolution Japan Sai, where he beat Ogawa, Haaken, and a slew of other strong players. His terrifying, dynamic style of play that incorporates Raven’s tools in unique ways is sure to be fun to watch!



Haaken ハーケン (Sol) -Pre-EvoJp:Sai top 8-



Third place finisher at last year's Mikaten, & winner of this year's Player's Choice Mikaten Election. A former Potemkin player who changed to Sol since the first version of Sign, Haaken had a great showing at Pre Evo Japan: Sai, where he made top 4. Known for being a scary player in tournament, his footsies heavy style, coupled with his awesome defense and acute decision-making are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat! Although he fell short of top 8 at his first overseas tournament, he wants to make a strong showing at home going into Evo Japan!





~B League:



Nage ナゲ (Faust) -Godsgarden 12 Champion-



Top 4 finalist from SBO Tougeki 2010, KSB 2015 and 2016; Evolution 2015 Runner up and Evolution 2017 4th place. Faust sage and one of the top players of the game. As last year's Mikaten 2 Champion, he wants to defend his throne, face his demons (again), and sharpen his game going into the Arc System Works Fighting Game Award Show, and of course, Evo Japan.



Tomo T5M7 (Leo) -Arc Revo/Evo'17 2nd Place-



The White Lion had a pretty good 2017. Started playing competitively with Xrd Sign, and since Leo's release, he has been the standout pilot of the character. With pressure that can smother, fierce yomi, and a charismatic personality outside the game, he has been moving around Japan over the past few years. This has allowed him to practice and train with a variety of different players and styles. As a result, his power levels have increased dramatically, with 2nd place finishes at Japan Esports, Evolution 2017 (shoutouts to r/kappa for sending him there), and Arc Revo 2017. Hailing from the southern island of Kyushu now, he is able to participate in Mikaten thanks to support for the stream.



Tourio トゥーリオ (I-No) -Arc Revo Top 8, 2 years running-



Fresh off of another top 8 performance at Arc Revo 2017, Tourio is looking to challenge the best and himself looking forward to Evo Japan. Like Fumo and Zadi, he fought his way into this Tenkaichi Budokai league by winning a qualifier (icing out FAB in grand finals).



Fumo ふも (Elphelt) -Jespa Top 8-



Fumo is one of the premier Elphelt players in Japan. Winner of the first SBO Tougeki for Blazblue, and many various Guilty Gear events over the years, Fumo is a player who is fishing for a big win. With a top 8 finish at Japan Esports earlier this year, he is looking to make his mark by challenging his fellow Mikado regulars for the title of "Best Under Heaven."



~When is it?~



The schedule has mostly been decided, but

note that some of these match dates and times are subject to change. In order to keep up with schedule changes, please follow Jonio (@jonio_mikado27) and @2dJazz on twitter. In addition, we plan to use Twitch.tv's VOD feature to rebroadcast matches during North/South American Primetime hours. Through this, we hope to encourage people to watch together who may have missed the original broadcast!



A League:



12/23 Saturday

Omito vs Zadi



12/30 Saturday

Ogawa vs Zadi



1/6 Saturday

Omito vs Ogawa

Omito vs Haaken



1/7 Sunday

Ogawa vs Haaken



1/13 Saturday

Zadi vs Haaken





B League:



12/16 Saturday

Fumo vs Tomo



12/23 Saturday

Nage vs Fumo



12/30 Saturday

Tomo vs Tourio

Tomo vs Nage



1/7 Sunday

Tourio vs Fumo



1/14 Sunday

Nage vs Tourio



GRAND FINALS: 1/20 or 1/21



~Where to Watch?~



You can catch all the action on the official Mikado GG Twitch channel twitch.tv/joniosan or watch the youtube archives at

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDmFkuRZSbxyvqdK-cjMSog





Which matches are you looking forward to the most? Who do you think will win? Feel free to leave feedback either here or on my twitter account.



Last but not least, our goal with this series is to not only assemble the strongest GG competition & run the long set format league style gameplay, but we also want to share what makes GG special with those that might not know or understand. Please share this, and match updates via twitter, reddit etc.



Thanks for reading!



Majinobama





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