We are now down to just the four top teams of the qualifier, with GankStars Sirius vs. Kinetic and Alliance vs. Nemesis Hydra. Let’s take a look at how these matches are shaping up.

GankStars Sirius vs. Kinetic

Note: due to spotty data from R64 and R32, the following statistics are from R16 and the quarterfinals.

GankStars Sirius Overview

Team K/D ratio: 2.4

IraqiZorro (lane)

Draft picks: Skye (x3), Vox

CS per minute: 7.2

Gold per minute: 477

Average K/D/A: 8.0/2.8/7.0

CullTheMeek (jungle)

Draft picks: Blackfeather, Glaive (x2), Kestrel

CS per minute: 8.3

Gold per minute: 529

Average K/D/A: 7.3/2.8/8.8

gabevizzle (roam)

Draft picks: Ardan, Catherine (x2), Glaive

Gold per minute: 374

Average K/D/A: 2.3/1.8/7.0

Kinetic Overview

Team K/D ratio: 1.7

FearPoseidon (lane)

Draft picks: Glaive, Kestrel, Ringo, Vox

CS per minute: 8.3

Gold per minute: 513

Average K/D/A: 8.5/3.0/5.5

Baunfire (jungle)

Draft picks: Adagio, Koshka, Skye (x2)

CS per minute: 5.9

Gold per minute: 426

Average K/D/A: 5.5/2.8/8.3

Huskiesrock321 (roam)

Draft picks: Ardan, Catherine (x3)

Gold per minute: 376

Average K/D/A: 1.8/3.5/14.0

Match Overview

Although Kinetic’s stunning sweep of VON Menace has made them a veritable dark horse this qualifier, there’s also no doubt Kinetic is the underdog in this match against GankStars Sirius. However, Kinetic has one advantage: mystery. The competitive information on Kinetic is light. Taking it a step further, in the match against VON Menace, Kinetic practically reinvented themselves, selecting many heroes they had never before used in the qualifier. Kinetic really doesn’t have enough a history for us to see a trend or pattern, whereas GankStars seems to be consistently playing the same cards they played in VIPL.

The big advantage GankStars typically exhibits is their mechanical prowess and they’re typically able outplay almost any opponent. However, this is very reminiscent of the team Kinetic just beat, VON Menace, who were also mechanical wizards. In that regard, from what we’ve seen, Kinetic seems to be similar to Alliance, the latter of which beat GankStars in the VIPL semifinals.

Whether we see GankStars run circles around Kinetic or Kinetic outwit GankStars, it’s bound to be an exciting matchup for the viewers.

Alliance vs. Nemesis Hydra

Note: due to spotty data from R64 and R32, the following statistics are from R16 and the quarterfinals.

Alliance Overview

Team K/D ratio: 3.1

MICSHE (lane)

Draft picks: Skye (x2), Vox (x2)

CS per minute: 10.0

Gold per minute: 597

Average K/D/A: 8.5/2.0/7.3

iLoveJoseph (jungle)

Draft picks: Koshka, Skye, Taka (x2)

CS per minute: 5.2

Gold per minute: 407

Average K/D/A: 6.0/1.5/9.3

FlashX (roam)

Draft picks: Ardan (x4)

Gold per minute: 405

Average K/D/A: 4.0/2.5/11.5

Nemesis Hydra Overview

Team K/D ratio: 1.7

hardek (lane)

Draft picks: Blackfeather, Glaive, Ringo, Skaarf, Vox

CS per minute: 8.7

Gold per minute: 504

Average K/D/A: 6.0/2.4/4.8

chicken123 (jungle)

Draft picks: Glaive, Koshka (x2), Skye, Taka

CS per minute: 4.5

Gold per minute: 324

Average K/D/A: 4.6/2.6/6.0

lostboytoph (roam)

Draft picks: Ardan (x4), Catherine

Gold per minute: 373

Average K/D/A: 2.0/1.4/8.8

Match Overview

The members of Nemesis Hydra have been seen in the Halcyon fold for almost as long as it has existed and the players are well-known in the NA region. However, do they have what it takes to defeat VIPL world champions, Alliance?

In the past, part of Alliance’s strength has been derived from their ability to study their opponents and outthink them. In this case, Nemesis Hydra may prove to be an interesting opponent. Yes, they have a long history as a team, but if you look at their recent array of draft picks, they’re unpredictable. Alliance will probably find themselves more reliant upon securing their strongest picks rather than trying to guess what Nemesis will do.

Most notably, the fabric of the universe will be torn asunder when LostBoyToph and FlashX, both renowned roam players, fight over the prized Ardan pick. As you can see from their draft histories, this has been a highly prized selection to secure during the draft. In this matchup, one team’s gain, will certainly be the other team’s pain. Depending on which team gets first pick, we might even see a vindictive Ardan ban or two.

Whenever Alliance plays, I have my notebook ready – this won’t be any exception. With Nemesis Hydra being such a worthy opponent, filled with a roster of seasoned Vainglory veterans, expect this to bring some thrills to your weekend.

The matches will begin at 1pm PST on Saturday, January 30th. They will be streamed live on the VaingloryLeague Twitch channel.