This Sunday brings us another stellar match in the #EVE_NT Collides Tournament between the might of controversial team Warlords of the Deep (formerly known as HYDRA RELOADED) and the J-space sweethearts Sleeper Social Club. You can watch the match here on Sunday at 20:00. If you need to refresh yourself on the rules and format, you can find that here.

Warlords of the Deep

Warlords of the Deep are the only group that have ever truly challenged PL in the Alliance Tournament until Camel arrived on the scene (and let’s talk no further about Hydramel unpleasantness). In their rivalry, PL beat them in the finals of ATs VIII and XI, HYDRA winning(?) ATIX over Outbreak. (To my knowledge the result still stood despite collusion unlike this year). HYDRA were the only team to be able to take a series from PL for years, that’s how good these guys are.

As with Camel, apart from their excellent theorycrafting, their true strength is in their piloting skill. The execution of the Warlords pilots is second to none, if you watch closely enough the feats of piloting they pull off are extraordinary. It should surprise no one if we see them in the finals of this tournament.

Sleeper Social Club

Earning their place in this tournament by beating Cynosural Field Theory in the pre-season, SSC are one of our two WH alliances competing in Collides. It’s undeniable that SSC don’t have the same pedigree as some of the other teams in the bracket, but part of what makes tournaments so exciting is seeing new players battle their way to the top and take big names.

If Warlords beat SSC, then it’s really no shame to SSC, Warlords are a top tier (see what I did there?) team, but if SSC win, or even give them a good run for their money, it will be absolutely epic. SSC here have a great opportunity to solidify themselves as a big tournament name, and I wish all the best to them.

The Setups

Warlords of the Deep:

Typhoon Fleet Issue, Typhoon Fleet Issue, Hyena, Navitas, Navitas

Sleipnir, Scimitar, Svipul, Svipul, Stiletto

Damnation, Oneiros, Confessor, Confessor, Ares

Vindicator, Guardian, Kitsune, Cruor, Cruor

Scorpion Navy Issue, Scorpion Navy Issue, Vigil, Malediction, Malediction

Claymore, Curse, Gila, Burst, Burst

Widow, Basilisk, Jackdaw, Jackdaw, Maulus

Setups 1, 2 and 5 here follow straight from last week’s matches between PL and Tuskers. Tuskers showed us how strong the missile BS plus frig logi combo can be, and Minmatar rushes after years of service are still a strong choice. Setup 5 is a variant on my beautiful (if 0-3) SNI team with Maledictions instead of bombers, I am very happy to see it out again. Setup 3 is mostly continuing the theme of CS/T2 logi/2x T3D/flavour frig with the interesting choice of a Damnation over all other armour CS, known very well for its amazing buffer tank but not so much for DPS output.

Setup 4 is a sexy little Gallente rush team with the Cruors adding some neut flavour, but the two setups that have me really interested are 6 and 7. 6 could be a super interesting kite team, or alternatively ram the claymore in as heavy tackle, I really don’t know what to expect there. Setup 7 is somewhat analogous to the Tusker archetypical CS/logi/T3D/frig setup, switching up to the Widow but in a shield team, which will really limit the number of jams it can bring while maintaining any tank/mobility.

Sleeper Social Club:

Sleipnir, Scimitar, Svipul, Svipul, Hound

Widow, Tengu, Blackbird, Vexor, Venture

Barghest, Barghest, Vigil, Bantam, Bantam

Nighthawk, Rook, Kitsune, Kitsune, Daredevil

Typhoon, Guardian, Confessor, Confessor, Cruor

Orthrus, Orthrus, Cerberus, Caracal, Flycatcher

Claymore, Basilisk, Jackdaw, Jackdaw, Nemesis

Again, we see Minmatar rush in setup 1 and missile BS + frig logi in setup 3. We really haven’t seen much ECM outside drones in Collides yet, so I’m really looking forward to see how setups 2 and 4 fare. A lot of it will be dependant on the matchups, innate sensor integrity can vary wildly between ships, and if SSC win a few matches with only ECM setups left, Warlords will be able to counter-fit ECCMs hardcore. That said, wormholers use sustained ECM in combat far more regularly than any of us K-spacers, so we’ll just have to see what their wisdom will give them.

Setup 5 to me looks like a weaker variant on CS/logi/T3D/frig as you’re losing links for a vanilla Phoon with setup 7 being a little more true to form, but SSC are absolutely a team capable of making me eat my words on that one. Setup 6 is a fairly straightforward light missile kiting comp, which I would find super scary to take against Warlords as they will know exactly their capabilities as it’s a style all of them fly regularly throughout the year on TQ.

There are some really cool setups here, I can’t wait to see the matches!