If Water Warfare was a Professional Sport
Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 4:01 pm
Howdy folks! For my 2,222nd post, I would like to share with you a little fictional story I've been working on. I actually got most of it done in January, but then school started and I got too busy. But now it is finished! For a long time I've wondered what it would be like if water warfare was a professional sport like baseball or football, and this is my humble vision. It's probably not very accurate, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. It is a pretty long read.
The Major League Water Warfare Championship Tournament!
Rules:
-Best of 3 rounds: 1HS, CTF (unlimited flags), 1HK
-Each round lasts 1 hour, except for 1HK which is unlimited
-1HS: whichever team gets the most hits wins
-CTF: whichever team captures the most flags wins
-1HK: the team that eliminates all the opposing players wins
-In the event of a tie game in either 1HS or CTF, tournament winner is determined by a 4th
"sudden death" close-quarters 5v5 1HK game. Teams pick which players get to enter
-In the event of a tie game in BOTH 1HS and CTF, the last 1HK round simply determines the winner
-Each team has 15 players, but only 10 can be on the field at one time
-A benched player may take the place of an eliminated or respawning player, but only after the eliminated/respawning player sits down
-Each player wears an electronic vest that senses water to determine hits
-Water balloons are automatically hits no matter where they connect; splatter counts if it triggers the vest
-Players go back to the bench to respawn
-Respawn time for both 1HS and CTF is 5 minutes
-Only one flag can be captured at a time in CTF
The Teams:
ARLINGTON SPIDERS (26-4)
vs.
TRI-CITY RAZORS (28-2)
Spiders Lineup:
Number: 1
Name: James Livingston
Age: 31
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Has led the Spiders for six years; holds highest number of hits made by a captain in MLWW this season (68).
Number: 3
Name: Charlie Damion
Age: 22
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Often leads scouting missions.
Number: 9
Name: Devin Flagg
Age: 29
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Once broke his arm while getting double-teamed, yet continued to play and eliminated both of his opponents.
Number: 16
Name: Evan Desmond
Age: 25
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Blizzard
Short bio: One of the two heavy gunners on the team, and one of MLWW's top defensive players.
Number: 20
Name: Allen Cramer
Age: 23
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Brother of Kyle Cramer; fearsome foes when paired up.
Number: 21
Name: Kyle Cramer
Age: 25
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Allen Cramer's older brother, whom he works very well with; difficult to hit.
Number: 36
Name: Brian Wu
Age: 19
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 155lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: First-round draft pick last season; skilled tactician for his age.
Number: 38
Name: Kevin Pirocco
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 175lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: The life of the party.
Number: 43
Name: Sabrina Imran
Age: 26
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 140lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Fast runner and eagle eyes.
Number: 49
Name: Jose Sanchez
Age: 27
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 175lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Blizzard
Short bio: The other heavy weapons user on the team; short but strong.
Number: 55
Name: Isaiah Brooks
Age: 20
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 150lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Tied for lowest number of hits recieved this season (12), and has the second-most flag captures (8).
Number: 64
Name: Ashley Villa
Age: 20
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 130lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather Lightweight
Short bio: One of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year.
Number: 88
Name: Sean Jackson
Age: 29
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 285lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Mauler + H2O Performance DualStrike MK3
Short bio: Only WBL user on the team; tallest person ever to play in MLWW; reserve lineman for the Denver Broncos.
Number: 93
Name: Evan Rockwell
Age: 36
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: One of the earliest players to compete in MLWW.
Number: 99
Name: Raphael Khan
Age: 28
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Made it into the 100 hits per season club last season; ranked 4th best attacker in MLWW.
Razors Lineup:
Number: 4
Name: Fred Shortt
Age: 24
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Very fast runner; one of the top scouts in MLWW.
Number: 10
Name: Victoria Masetti
Age: 23
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force F100
Short bio: Went from her worst season last year to her best season this year.
Number: 12
Name: Xavier Latson
Age: 42
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 205lbs
Primary weapon: Mavtech Labs Custom Blaster
Short bio: Leader of the Razors; oldest active player in MLWW; more wins than any other captain in history.
Number: 16
Name: Carlos Cabrera
Age: 26
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force F100
Short bio: Acquired from the Nevada Nightmares last season.
Number: 21
Name: Anthony Pagano
Age: 16
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 130lbs
Primary weapon: Water Warriors Kraken
Short bio: Youngest currently active player in MLWW; went unhit in his last high school season.
Number: 28
Name: Justin Clemson
Age: 32
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 220lbs
Primary weapon: Aquatech Hammer 10K
Short bio: The sole heavy gunner on the Razors; serves as the team's fitness trainer.
Number: 33
Name: Catherine Edwards
Age: 25
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Highest-ranked female player in MLWW.
Number: 36
Name: Brad Rogers
Age: 30
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 200lbs
Primary weapon: Aquatech ABX-223 + Water Warriors Eradicator
Short bio: One of the two WBL users on the team; covered in tattoos.
Number: 37
Name: Zach O'Shaye
Age: 28
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 175lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Contract expires after this season; possibly headed to Oregon.
Number: 39
Name: Sam Skeeves
Age: 33
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: May replace Latson as captain in the next few years.
Number: 49
Name: Ken Takashi
Age: 24
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: A recent addition from the Japanese leagues; often leads strike squads.
Number: 50
Name: Daryl Tolbert
Age: 29
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 240lbs
Primary weapon: Aquatech ABX-223 Heavy Duty + Aquatech CHP MK4
Short bio: League record for most hits with a WBL in one season (36); doesn't talk much but gets the job done.
Number: 54
Name: Chris Everett
Age: 26
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Former pitcher for the New York Mets, thus often throws water balloons.
Number: 66
Name: Ivan Skinner
Age: 35
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200lbs
Primary weapon: AirSlicer P9000XLR
Short bio: Currently the deadliest fighter in MLWW, scoring the most hits per season of any currently active player (2nd overall) at 122; described as cold and ruthless.
Number: 87
Name: Tara Willard
Age: 31
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 140lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force F100
Short bio: A recent addition to the team; known to climb trees.
Battlefield Map: Roughly 1/4 mile between each base (colored squares). Green speckles indicate standard open-ish forest, while solid green is thick undergrowth such as knotweed. Light blue indicates water, and the creek is narrow enough to cross in nearly all areas. Dark gray indicates buildings, while light gray is boulders/rocky areas. Not shown are various barricades scattered throughout the field. Very little elevation change throughout. Cameras are placed in trees all over the field for live TV, and a blimp circles overhead to catch occasional birds-eye-view shots. Battlefield is surrounded by bleachers with large screens so that spectators can view the action.
Each base consists of a short wall of sandbags surrounding it, a tarp roof (no walls), and a place to put a flag for CTF. There is also a large supply of water. Just out of the battlefield limits behind each base are each team's headquarters; a large RV where teams reside during downtime. Outside the RV is the bench.
Blue square: Spiders base
Red square: Razors base
Alpha: Swampy area. Possible to pass through, but not quickly
Foxtrot: Large clearing. Grass is about waist height to the average warrior
Golf: Old barn with several different rooms inside, as well as a second floor and a sniper's nest in the silo; point Golf also includes thick spot on east side
Kilo: Wide and deep section of river that is not possible to cross without swimming
Lima: Small bunker building with slits in the walls to fire through
Oscar: Pile of boulders about 10' high, with several ways to climb up
All other points are simply various clumps of thick vegetation
Let the tournament begin!
*triumphant Fox Sports theme*
CHAD: Annnnnndddd welcome back to the 13th annual Major League Water Warfare Championship Tournament! I'm Chad McCarthy coming to live from the beautiful Virginia countryside with my good friend Aaron Skazynski, former member of the Miami Typhoons.
AARON: Good afternoon!
CHAD: So how about this matchup Aaron? The top teams in the league duking it out here in the championship. On one side you have the nearly unbeatable Razors; only two losses this whole season! Yet on the other side you have the Spiders, who essentially came out of nowhere this season, who are responsible for one of the Razors' two defeats. I think we're looking at a very exciting tournament here.
AARON: I agree Chad, and I'm looking forward to seeing how each team handles these battles. If you're the Spiders, you're really going to want to take the 1HS game and go on to sweep in CTF. The Spiders have always been strong in CTF, and I think we can expect to see Brooks do what he does best. However the Razors are a deadly force in straight-up combat. They have a lot of talent, and of course all the talk has been about Skinner wielding the new AirSlicer prototype. The Spiders are definitely going to have to watch out for him.
CHAD: Yes, I don't think there is a single person who follows the league who hasn't heard that. But on the subject of blasters, how about the arsenals of these two teams? You've got the Spiders, who are of course sponsored by H2O Performance, with nearly uniform weaponry throughout the team. Then you have the Razors, who have a little bit of everything basically. Several players are even bringing in Water Warriors blasters, which you don't see very often at this level anymore. They also have been known to use water balloons quite often.
AARON: I actually talked to Captian Xavier Latson a couple days prior, and he says that he always prefers to let players choose which blasters they feel most comfortable with instead of just giving them all weapons with the highest stats. Yes, the new Firebreather is excellent, but a lot of players prefer Z-Force blasters due to their light weight and ergonomics. I used an FX1 back in the day, and even though it was down on power to some of the others on the field, I was always very effective with it.
CHAD: Indeed. How do you think the weaponry matchups will affect things during battle?
AARON: I think we'll be looking at some very intense and exciting fights here. When team arsenals are mostly equivalent, which you see a lot at this level, things balance out and you see lower scoring and less action. Varation between teams results in differing strengths and weaknesses, leading to more intense fighting with lots of hits made. You've also got to take into account the different skill sets of each player. In this case we have two very offensively-oriented teams, which should also contribute to more exciting games.
CHAD: So I think it will definitely be a tournament worth watching. I personally can't wait. As we take a look down onto the field, we can see each team going over last-minute strategy in their respective bases.
AARON: Both captains have had exceptional careers up to this point. No doubt they've been planning things out for days ahead of time, and we'll see which team can make a better execution. Neither of them have fought on this battlefield before, so it should be very interesting to see what each team will do.
CHAD: Yes, this is the third season the league has used Larami Field for the championship, however it's been five years since Latson last led the Razors to victory. Back then they were still using Merriweather Park in Texas.
AARON: Larami Field is certainly one of the more tame battlegrounds in the league. It doesn't try to kill you with large drops like Tombstone Canyon, and it isn't massive like the Greene Flats. This field focuses a lot more on the players. It's not a battle against the environment, and that will definitely simplfy things for each team.
CHAD: And we will see just how things go down here on Larami Field in Virginia when we come back.
*COMMERCIAL*: Ask any water warrior what they need most out of a blaster...and they'll tell you...TOP PERFORMANCE! Come check out the all-new H2O Performance lineup, in select sporting goods stores now! Featuring the all-new Firebreather, clocked at a class-leading 96 FPS! H2O Performance. Proud sponsor of the Arlington Spiders.
CHAD: And welcome back.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your hats, and welcome Whitney Peyton, who will be singing our National Anthem.
*Anthem plays*
CHAD: And just listen to that crowd! They are pumped and ready for some good old-fashioned water warfare here on this beautiful day. And with only five minutes remaining until game time, it's no wonder.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen! We give you, the underdogs! Striking from out of nowhere, like the most feared of arachnids! We give you...the Arlington, SPIDERRRRRRS!
*Spiders run out of their HQ to cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: Starting lineup for the Spiders is: Flagg! Desmond! A. Cramer! K. Cramer! Sanchez! Brooks! Villa! Jackson! Khan! Annnnndddd Captain! JAMES! LIVINGSTON!
*more cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: And in the other corner...the deadly...the sharp-witted...the nearly undefeated...TRI-CITY RAAAZORRRRS!
*Razors run out of their HQ to cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: Starting lineup for the Razors is: Shortt! Masetti! Clemson! Edwards! Rogers! Skeeves! Takashi! Tolbert! Skinner! Annnnndddd Captain! XAVIER! LATSON!
*more cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: One minute countdown to round one...begin!
CHAD: And here we go, just one minute to go before the opening one-hit-scores round kicks off. Both teams are now in a huddle, getting that literal last-minute planning in.
AARON: Notice how calm Latson is at this moment. He's just sitting there with his arms crossed reminding everyone of their roles. That is the mark of a good leader, and it is no surprise given his experience and success on the field. It calms the whole team down, really. The Spiders are noticably more nervous, and might not be good for them unless they can put it all away once they start fighting.
CHAD: It is after all their first championship. Latson and the Razors have been there and done that, but the Spiders were barely a blip on the radar until this season.
AARON: Even if the Spiders don't win today, they have a lot of young talent and I wouldn't be surprised if they come back hard in the next few seasons.
ANNOUNCER: Round begins in five! Four! Three! Two! One! ZERO!
CHAD: And the crowd goes wild as each team takes off at a run! The Razors are heading for the barn, while the Spiders seem to be spreading out along the river. The Cramer brothers have split off and are heading along the north edge of the battlefield in the direction of the swamp, while the rest of the team heads toward the bushes at point Juliet, still spaced rather wide.
AARON: Both teams taking off at a run like that comes as no surprise, given how aggressive we've seen each of them play all season. They know what position they want, and they get there as fast as possible.
CHAD: And at the speed they're running, they are getting there very quickly. We'll see a good chunk of the Spiders disappear into the bushes at Juliet, with Livingston and the two heavy gunners going south to approach the pond at Kilo from a more open path. The Cramer brothers look like they are getting ready to cross the river. They are on the opposite side from point Foxtrot.
AARON: There are two schools of thought when it comes to heavy gunners. One says they should stay in a more stationary, preferably hidden location and take shots from there, while Livingston is going with the other approach and going with both of them in the open, where they can move better. I think that's the better choice, especially with bulky backpack blasters such as the Blizzards that they are wielding.
CHAD: Meanwhile we see the Razors start to occupy point Golf. Skinner will take Skeeves, Tolbert, and Masetti, and go into the barn itself. Latson takes up a position alone in the Golf bushes, while the rest of the team disappears into the massive Hotel section.
AARON: Teams like to affectionately refer to it as the "Hotel Larami". It is by far the thickest section in the park, but they only seem to be cutting through the northern half of it. My guess is, they're headed for point Lima to take the bunker and scout the enemy position.
CHAD: And in doing so they would see Livingston and the heavy gunners, almost like his bodyguards, because they are now at the lake's edge. The Cramer brothers have crossed the stream and are now crouched at the edge of the field at Foxtrot. Things should pick up any minute now...
AARON: The Razors seem to be settling into a defense. You've got Skinner, their best player posted up in the barn along with their heavy launcher. Latson in hiding, monitoring the east, and the rest of the team headed for the bunker. This is unusual for the Razors, but having lost to the Spiders before, it's understandable why they would take this approach.
CHAD: The Spiders are moving forward slowly but steadily at this point. The Cramer brothers are circling around the field, predicting that the enemy has a watch in the barn.
AARON: You don't have a clear line of sight from the barn to the field, but it is definitely possible, especially from the silo, where Tolbert has posted up with his heavy launcher. At maximum pressure the Heavy Duty version of the ABX-223 has been measured to hit almost a thousand feet in favorable wind conditions. You definitely do not want to catch Tolbert's eye!
CHAD: I agree with you there! And now we see that Livingston and his uh, bodyguards have crossed the stream just below the pond and are advancing upon point Lima! A risky move, but fortunately the other team hasn't...OH WAIT, THERE THEY ARE! Shortt dashes out of Hotel followed by Clemson, Edwards, Rogers, and Takashi! The first shots of the game are fired! We see dual blasts from the Blizzards, but none of them connect! Shortt makes it into the bunker and the rest of the team spread out!
AARON: Livingston needs to get the heck out of there right now if he wants to avoid getting hit!
CHAD: And he does indeed retreat! He jumps over the creek as the heavy gunners hold back the opposition. And OH! Rogers takes a shot with his launcher and GETS SANCHEZ ON THE LEG! First casualty of the game! Desmond makes it over without getting hit as Livingston pours on the cover fire. However it's a four-on-two situation now, Shortt's still in the bunker, and here comes the rush!
AARON: Now is the time for those hiding in Juliet to bust out.
CHAD: Takashi leads the rush at full speed ahead, and leaps over the river!
AARON: They would really like to take advantage of this opportunity and take Livingston out of the game.
CHAD: Livingston and Desmond retreat towards Juliet, and here comes the hidden Spiders force! Flagg, Brooks, Villa, Jackson, and Khan finally come out of hiding and engage! It's an intense firefight, and now the Razor squad is outnumbered four to seven! Livingston and Takashi square off in the center. It's Firebreather versus Firebreather!
AARON: Takashi is amazing but Livingston is a fighting captian, and he's got experience on his side. It doesn't look good for the rest of the Razors in this squad either!
CHAD: But instead of retreating, they bring Shortt over from out of the bunker! Now the Razors are only down two heads, but it's still not looking good. And OH! OH MY GOODNESS! Villa drives Clemson toward the newly-arrived Shortt, leaving them both isolated on their right flank, she gets walloped by a close range blast from Clemson's Hammer,
AARON: Ouch...
CHAD: BUT JACKSON LETS LOOSE A BARRAGE OF BALLOONS FROM THE MAULER AND GETS SHORTT AND CLEMSON AT THE SAME TIME! Score is now tied two-two! I cannot believe it!
AARON: That is only the third double kill I've ever witnessed as both a player and a commentator!
CHAD: The Razors are down to three now! They finally give up and fall back! WOW, how about that Aaron?
AARON: That was a very risky and well coordinated move by Villa and Jackson there. Trying to push back a heavy gunner nearly always ends up badly, but she managed to do it enough so that Jackson could take advantage of his short-range cluster launcher and get both opponents at the same time. Shortt had just arrived to the skirmish and wasn't in position yet, so everything worked in the Spiders' favor.
CHAD: Now back at the barn, the Cramers have been spotted! They seem to be caught in a standoff; the enemy does not want to leave the barn, and the brothers cannot hope to attack it on their own.
AARON: However we see Kyle saying something into his headset, and so is Livingston, so we can bet that reinforcements are on the way.
CHAD: Sanchez and Villa are now on the bench, and we see Charlie Damion and Brian Wu come onto the field for the first time. They will definitely be planning an assault on the barn. The question is whether or not they'll be able to pull it off.
AARON: The barn is a good position, but obviously it wasn't designed by the field crew to be invincible. There are many ways in, and plenty of cover for those both attacking and defending.
CHAD: And now we see the remaining eight Spiders cross the stream NORTH of the pond at Kilo this time. They are heading right for the bush that Latson is still in!
AARON: This is huge, because if the Spiders send troops into the Golf bush, Latson could possibly pick up multiple kills. However once they find him it'll be over rather quickly, and he'd be off the field for the time being. Latson isn't as much of a fighting captain as Livingston is, but he can't do much from off the field aside from talking through his headset. If I were him, I would try to switch with another player in the barn.
CHAD: The Cramer brothers start to press forward! They look like they're going to- WHOA! TOLBERT TAKES A SHOT AND...misses Allen by about two feet! Holy moly does that launcher pack a punch! You can hear it all the way from over here in the booth. Sounds a bit like a rifle.
AARON: Yes, Allen Cramer really had to move to get out of the way of that. He had less than a second! Kyle is known for having great reflexes, which is why Tolbert didn't aim for him, but it looks like his little brother can really move too.
CHAD: And we do see Latson come out of the bush at last and switch with...Skinner!
AARON: Ha ha, oh boy. The Spiders better be on their toes. Now we'll get to see what happens when you send the best player in the league with the most powerful blaster ever made against eight enemy players.
CHAD: And the eight still continue to press forward, and are now fanning out. Looks like they are going to attempt to surround the barn. Damion and Brooks are headed right for the bush at Golf! Right into Skinner's jaws! The sharp-eyed Damion jumps back! He's seen the trap! BUT IT'S TOO LATE! Skinner just took a shot and got him easily from ninety feet away!
AARON: I don't think ANYONE could have prepared for that! I have never seen a stream of water move that fast!
CHAD: Skinner emerges from the bushes to take on Brooks! The latter is known for his dodging ability but can he possibly outspeed the AirSlicer? Brooks is taking shots but he's not close enough to land the hit. SKINNER FIRES, and Brooks gets by with minor droplets but a SECOND SHOT TAKES HIM OUT! It's four-two!
AARON: We see the rest of the Spiders have now surrounded the building, but they need to take advantage of Skinner being the only enemy not in the barn, and take him out. He has caused way too much damage already!
CHAD: But they continue to press the attack on the barn! Shots are flying now, and the Cramer brothers manage to duck in under cover fire!
AARON: That's some smart stream managment right there by Flagg to help them get in, and now the defense has to worry about threats from the inside as well as out, but oh! Flagg was hit in the process!
CHAD: WHOA! Things are not looking good for the Spiders! That was Skeeves who got the hit on Flagg from the second floor. The Razors are still outnumbered five to seven, but that hasn't been a problem so far!
AARON: Indeed, but now that the Cramers have made it into the barn, the Razors are going to have a tougher time defending.
CHAD: We see the brothers are now in the main room and are squaring off with Latson and Masetti! Meanwhile on the outside Skinner is taking on Khan and Desmond at the same time, and Tolbert is keeping the rest of the Spiders at bay with his launcher.
AARON: Nobody wants to get too close to that thing!
CHAD: Skeeves now goes downstairs to aid in the fight against the Cramer brothers! It's a two-on-three inside the barn while Skinner is still being double-teamed outside. But now the rest of the Spiders take advantage of Skeeves' absence to storm the barn! Livingston rushes with Jackson and Wu, but TOLBERT FIRES AGAIN!
AARON: Oooh, lucky break for Jackson!
CHAD: The balloon hits a branch and explodes fifty feet away! The three Spiders enter through a window on the northeastern side of the building, right into the indoor battle!
AARON: And it's obvious why Tolbert was aiming for Jackson; that Mauler is going to be brutal in close-quarters! Unfortunately for him he wasn't able to get the hit and now Jackson is going to be a serious threat to the Razors here.
CHAD: We see Tolbert draw his blaster and head downstairs to aid! Meanwhile Skinner is still locked in with Khan and Desmond in the narrow gap between Golf and Hotel!
AARON: All three of them are very dangerous on the field, so it makes sense that they'd try to take each other out, but what often happens in these situations is that they'll cancel each other out.
CHAD: The Razors look to be in trouble now, but here come reinforcements! Takashi, Rogers, and Edwards, plus Chris Everett and Carlos Cabrera, filling in for Shortt and Clemson!
AARON: The Spiders need to act quickly to secure the barn and defend against the new threat.
CHAD: And we might be seeing that now, as Jackson GETS THE HIT ON MASETTI! Almost got Latson as well!
AARON: There's just no dodging the Mauler from that close up, but now the reinforcements are surrounding the barn! Khan and Desmond have seen them and are yelling into their headsets, but it might be too late!
CHAD: We see the five Razors rush the building! This is going to be intense! Livingston knows they're coming! And IT'S A BREAKOUT RUSH! Every Spider in the building busts out and attacks the newcomers! Khan and Desmond fall back to join them! Skinner in pursuit! Rogers fires his launcher but misses and now HE'S HIT by Livingston! SKINNER GETS DESMOND! EDWARDS HITS ALLEN CRAMER! OH MY GOODNESS!
AARON: The Spiders have retreated to Foxtrot! But they won't want to stay there long because here comes Tolbert with his launcher! The Spiders don't have a long-range launcher so they'll want to get out of there as soon as possible!
CHAD: It's a hot pursuit over the field at Foxtrot! TOLBERT FIRES AND MAKES THE LONG-RANGE HIT ON KHAN! The score is now eight to four in the Razors' favor!
AARON: That was a lucky shot! Now it looks like the Razors have called off the pursuit and are heading back to the barn to regroup.
CHAD: The Spiders head to the river near point Echo. They've only got four heads now, so they're probably going to head back toward their base and pull themselves together.
AARON: That was some very intense fighting. We'd always say that the "dam burst", in such situations. Players are locked in and offense-defense situation, then something happens to stir things up, and it's like an avalanche from there. I'm a little surprised that the Razors didn't continue the pursuit, but I guess they felt that they did enough damage.
CHAD: And now we see Jose Sanchez and Ashley Villa come back onto the field, along with Kevin Pirocco, Sabrina Imran, and Evan Rockwell, all making their first appearances. Everyone else is still respawning. Damion and Brooks will come back in in about a minute, so we'll see who gets the nod.
AARON: Meanwhile it looks like the Razors will call in Anthony Pagano and bring back Justin Clemson to replace Masetti and Rogers. They're huddling at the barn right now. I'm guessing they will go for a mobile defense now that they're ahead.
CHAD: And it looks like Brooks will be Livingston's choice to take up the final slot, and that completes the roster for both teams.
AARON: The Spiders are going over strategy at the moment, and as we head into the final half of this round, they are going to have to take roles of hunters here. It's unfortuanate that Khan is still respawning because he would be a big help here.
CHAD: And now both teams break the huddle and head out. The Razors head south and into the Hotel bushes! The Spiders look to be heading back towards the barn. As you said Aaron, they need to go after the enemy at all costs.
AARON: Yes, the Razors now hold all the cards. They do not have to press engagement, and are free to try and evade the enemy assault. Much easier to do than attack.
CHAD: And now the Spiders have reached the barn, and are clearing it out. I think they realize now that the enemy has hightailed it.
AARON: And now they're going to split up to cover as much area as possible. If just one person finds the enemy they can report it to the whole team. Much easier than in my early days when we didn't have headsets!
CHAD: So now all the Spiders will head out in different directions. The Razors are all inside the Hotel undergrowth, and it looks like Sanchez, Kyle Cramer, and Pirocco are heading in that direction. We'll see who finds them first!
AARON: We can see the Razors on this camera here. I believe it is located somewhere just south of the center, so Cramer will be the first one to reach them if he continues his path. We've seen a lot of defensive plays from the Razors this game, which is unusual for them.
CHAD: And now it looks like the Razors will move south toward the creek. They may want to refill, although it would definitely be a risky move.
AARON: Definitely, and wouldn't make a whole lot of sense either, since they've done an excellent job managing their water so far, and haven't done a ton of shooting. They've also got plenty of bottles to go around.
CHAD: And Cramer does indeed get the sighting! I don't think anyone on the Razors can see him yet, and he has chosen to lay low, but I'm willing to bet the rest of the team is on the way.
AARON: That's the downside of having your whole team move as one unit. Even in thick foliage, it's pretty hard not to notice ten people moving, no matter how stealthy they are.
CHAD: But now it looks like the Razors are on the alert. I can't quite tell from up here but it looks like they may have heard something.
AARON: Right, and as we can see, Sanchez and Pirocco are closing in fast, and the rest of the team has just entered the foliage. They are actually spread out quite a bit; looks like they're going to try surrounding the enemy. That shows real good coordination and battlefield knowledge right there. The whole team knows where the enemy is just by a descripition from one player.
CHAD: Yes, both teams have definitely put lots of work in scouting out this field. And now the Razors have started to move toward the creek. The Spiders are incoming! They'll be there any second.
AARON: They are definitely not taking it slow, which is obviously how the Razors can hear them coming.
CHAD: The Razors will reach the stream; they are now inbetween Hotel and Mike, but Brooks has also reached the stream farther down, and is coming up on them from along the bank. He's well hidden, they don't see him! Oh! But they have seen some other players! Cramer and Pirocco have taken shots!
AARON: The Razors aren't in the best position right now; I don't think they expected the enemy to reach them so fast, and now it looks like they're going to try crossing the river.
CHAD: Yes, Latson is already across. Now Sanchez appears! He's laying down some heavy fire with that Blizzard, and...AMBUSH!!! BROOKS PULLS OFF AN AMBUSH AND GETS TOLBERT! THIS IS HUGE!
AARON: He's trying to follow it up and get some more hits but he's in the danger zone now!
CHAD: Yes, I don't think things look good for him, maybe he'll- NO! HE'S HIT! Clemson took him out! It's nine to five!
AARON: It was a beautiful ambush and while the Razors were able to neutralize, losing Tolbert will be a big blow for them. Now they don't have any launchers on the field, at least until Rogers comes back.
CHAD: The rest of the Spiders have appeared, but the Razors have already made it across the creek, so now it's a battle over the water!
AARON: Both teams will bring out their long range weapons here. Desmond is out so now each team has one heavy cannon; Sanchez for the Spiders and Clemson for the Razors. But you can't forget Skinner! That AirSlicer doesn't have the mighty output and capacity typical of a heavy cannon, but I'd say it either equals or exceeds them in range! He just has to pick his targets carefully.
CHAD: And now we see some of the Razors bring out water balloons! Everett hurls one...but Sanchez SHOOTS IT OUT OF THE AIR, and almost gets Everett in the process! The Razors are starting to fall back into the foliage at point Mike! Jackson takes an angled shot with the Mauler but he's not close enough, and Skinner and Edwards are able to evade the storm of balloons!
AARON: That still wasn't the easiest thing in the world to dodge! Skinner and Edwards were lucky to have trees nearby.
CHAD: And now the Razors have disappeared into the undergrowth.
AARON: It would definitely not be wise to follow them, so now it looks like the Spiders are going to follow the creek in the direction of point Lima. Each team has nine heads now, and with the end of the game coming up soon I wouldn't expect them to try and refill the last slot.
CHAD: Well it looks like the Razors are heading back toward their base, while the Spiders head in the opposite direction.
AARON: Maybe I'm wrong then. The Razors may in fact be going back for another player. It actually does make sense, as they don't have any launchers and they need to stall the clock as well. I'd expect them to bring Rogers into the game.
CHAD: It looks like you're right. We can see Tolbert taking a seat and Brad Rogers get up and head towards his team. Meanwhile it doesn't look like the Spiders have called in anyone, and are now at point Lima.
AARON: They're sending troops out to look for the enemy, but they haven't realized that the Razors doubled back. We've only got fifteen minutes left on the clock, so if they don't find the Razors soon, they will have lost.
CHAD: And we see Rogers meet up with the rest of the Razors just north of point Delta. It looks like they are now headed in the direction of the barn again.
AARON: And I see Livingston talking frantically into his headset. I think he's realized what the Razors have done since his team cannot find them in the southeast corner.
CHAD: The Spiders are now moving toward the Razors' base, staying in the more open areas and not even bothering with the thick stuff.
AARON: At this rate they might just bump into each other one last time.
CHAD: The Razors approach point Golf and seem to be wary of the barn. The Spiders are coming in fast, but they're not quite there yet!
AARON: Neither team can see each other yet. It looks like the Razors are going to skirt around the barn and head north, but the Spiders are closing in from the east. Will they miss each other?
CHAD: NO THEY WON'T! Livingston just pointed! They're coming at the Razors full sprint! Will there be time to overturn the score!?
AARON: At this point it's win or lose for the Spiders, so instead of taking the slow, stealthy approach, they're just going to attack head on. Even if they lose a few people they're still no worse off than they are now.
CHAD: And the Razors have spotted them! This is going to be an epic showdown!
AARON: The Razors form a spread defense! They do not want to risk any suicide rushes for double kills.
CHAD: Here come the Spiders! They go directly for the right flank! The streams start flying! There are a lot of big trees and barricades in this area, and we see each team take full advantage of them!
AARON: Good move by Livingston attacking the flank! They're concentrating their force and trying to pick off stragglers one-by-one!
CHAD: Some intense fighting here! We see Skeeves ROLL OVER A BARRICADE, trying to avoid getting hit by a massive wall of water from Sanchez's Blizzard, BUT HE STUMBLES, AND...SANCHEZ GOT HIM! Skeeves tries to pull off some acrobatics but loses to brute force!
AARON: There is just too much pressure on that one side! The Razors are pulling back and trying to keep the Spiders at bay with a broadside!
CHAD: The Razors RETREAT! Latson obviously did not like that position, and they are now on the run towards Foxtrot! Rogers sends a balloon flying back at Livingston but it goes wide! The Spiders are in hot pursuit, but there are only ten seconds left!
*siren goes off*
CHAD: And that's the game!!!
ANNOUNCER: Round one over! Final score: Razors, nine! Spiders, six!
AARON: A well fought game by both sides. Had the game gone on longer we might have seen it swing in favor of the Spiders, but you have to respect the Razors' fighting ability.
Round 1 Stats:
Spiders:
Livingston: 1-0
Damion: 0-1
Flagg: 0-1
Desmond: 0-1
A. Cramer: 0-1
K. Cramer: 0-0
Wu: 0-0
Pirocco: 0-0
Imran: 0-0
Sanchez: 1-1
Brooks: 1-2
Villa: 0-1
Jackson: 3-0
Rockwell: 0-0
Khan: 0-1
Razors:
Shortt: 0-1
Masetti: 0-1
Latson: 0-0
Cabrera: 0-0
Pagano: 0-0
Clemson: 2-1
Edwards: 1-0
Rogers: 1-1
O'Shaye: 0-0
Skeeves: 1-1
Takashi: 0-0
Tolbert: 1-1
Everett: 0-0
Skinner: 3-0
Willard: 0-0
CHAD: And as we can see from the stats, Ivan Skinner is the obvious choice for the MVP of this match. His incredible fighting skills paired up with the brutal power of the AirSlicer make him one of, if not the most deadly threat on the field.
AARON: And on the Spiders' side, their go-to-guy has been Sean Jackson this whole match, scoring half of his team's hits. He has been a force on the field with that Mauler. While historically, teams have always gone with long range when it comes to launchers, I think these new close-range cluster launchers will start to have a bigger presence in the league going forward.
CHAD: Yes, and overall the battle was quite intense as expected. Next up we have CTF, and I think we can expect nothing less.
AARON: I'm actually quite interested as to how this will turn out. The Spiders have always been strong in CTF, and only lost one game this season I believe. But on the other hand the Razors have momentum. If they win this, they are the league champions. The Spiders must win this and then face the Razors in 1HK. Not an enviable task!
CHAD: And we will see just how things go down in CTF, after this message.
*COMMERCIAL*: Get the edge in combat with TurboBoost additives! Shown to increase blaster range by up to 15%! Safe on the environment, dangerous in battle! Your results may vary.
CHAD: Welcome back! We are now fifteen minutes before round two begins. Each team is huddled at their respective bases at the moment. Aaron, how do you think this will turn out?
AARON: Well as we've said Chad, both teams are known for their aggression. In such cases you often see lots of captures early on, then when one team secures a safe lead, they will beef up their defenses and make it very hard for the losing team to come back. As we all know, this is where the Spiders excel, and it's the best chance for them to start turning this tournament around. I am very much looking forward to this game.
CHAD: And I think the crowd is too! You can hear their excitement as the round start time draws nearer. Here we see a bunch of diehard Spiders fans:
*shows a group of yelling shirtless dudes with Spiders logos painted on their chests*
AARON: Ha ha ha. They are in no way discouraged by that first game.
CHAD: Yes they are still one hundred percent into this tournament, and now we'll see the starting lineups for each team.
ANNOUNCER: Starting for the Spiders, we have... Damion! Desmond! A. Cramer! K. Cramer! Imran! Sanchez! Brooks! Jackson! Khan! Annnndddd Livingston!
CHAD: So similar to last time, only Flagg and Villa have been swapped out for Damion and Imran.
ANNOUNCER: And for the Razors, we bring you... Shortt! Masetti! Clemson! Edwards! Rogers! Skeeves! Takashi! Tolbert! Skinner! Annnndddd Latson!
CHAD: And it looks like the Razors will open with the same lineup as before.
ANNOUNCER: One minute countdown to round two...begin!
AARON: Yes, Damion and Imran coming in does make sense as they're both fast runners and have made several captures this season. I think they would've liked to have kept Flagg and Villa in for their fighting ability, but there's really nobody else to switch with, as they need heavy guns and launchers on defense, and the other potential attackers have better records. In a way it's actually a good problem to have. Both teams have a lot of talent throughout the entire lineup. Even if they lose players in the field, they've got strong benches to back them up, which is not something that a lot of teams have.
CHAD: That is a good point, and probably one of the main reasons they have made it this far. We've seen a couple instances this season where a team won't even call in a benched player, preferring to wait out the five minutes for their hit player to come back.
AARON: And that is not something you want to do in CTF, where numbers matter a lot more. For this game we are probably going to see most of the weight go towards the offense early on, as I've said. Number managment is going to be extremely important here, and is no doubt what each captain is going over as we speak.
CHAD: And now with ten seconds left before the start of round two, we see the Razors get into position. The Spiders are still huddling...only six seconds left...
ANNOUNCER: Round begins in five! Four! Three!
CHAD: And the Spiders finally get into position!
ANNOUNCER: ...One! ZERO![/b]
The Major League Water Warfare Championship Tournament!
Rules:
-Best of 3 rounds: 1HS, CTF (unlimited flags), 1HK
-Each round lasts 1 hour, except for 1HK which is unlimited
-1HS: whichever team gets the most hits wins
-CTF: whichever team captures the most flags wins
-1HK: the team that eliminates all the opposing players wins
-In the event of a tie game in either 1HS or CTF, tournament winner is determined by a 4th
"sudden death" close-quarters 5v5 1HK game. Teams pick which players get to enter
-In the event of a tie game in BOTH 1HS and CTF, the last 1HK round simply determines the winner
-Each team has 15 players, but only 10 can be on the field at one time
-A benched player may take the place of an eliminated or respawning player, but only after the eliminated/respawning player sits down
-Each player wears an electronic vest that senses water to determine hits
-Water balloons are automatically hits no matter where they connect; splatter counts if it triggers the vest
-Players go back to the bench to respawn
-Respawn time for both 1HS and CTF is 5 minutes
-Only one flag can be captured at a time in CTF
The Teams:
ARLINGTON SPIDERS (26-4)
vs.
TRI-CITY RAZORS (28-2)
Spiders Lineup:
Number: 1
Name: James Livingston
Age: 31
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Has led the Spiders for six years; holds highest number of hits made by a captain in MLWW this season (68).
Number: 3
Name: Charlie Damion
Age: 22
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Often leads scouting missions.
Number: 9
Name: Devin Flagg
Age: 29
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Once broke his arm while getting double-teamed, yet continued to play and eliminated both of his opponents.
Number: 16
Name: Evan Desmond
Age: 25
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Blizzard
Short bio: One of the two heavy gunners on the team, and one of MLWW's top defensive players.
Number: 20
Name: Allen Cramer
Age: 23
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Brother of Kyle Cramer; fearsome foes when paired up.
Number: 21
Name: Kyle Cramer
Age: 25
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Allen Cramer's older brother, whom he works very well with; difficult to hit.
Number: 36
Name: Brian Wu
Age: 19
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 155lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: First-round draft pick last season; skilled tactician for his age.
Number: 38
Name: Kevin Pirocco
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 175lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: The life of the party.
Number: 43
Name: Sabrina Imran
Age: 26
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 140lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Fast runner and eagle eyes.
Number: 49
Name: Jose Sanchez
Age: 27
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 175lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Blizzard
Short bio: The other heavy weapons user on the team; short but strong.
Number: 55
Name: Isaiah Brooks
Age: 20
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 150lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Tied for lowest number of hits recieved this season (12), and has the second-most flag captures (8).
Number: 64
Name: Ashley Villa
Age: 20
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 130lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather Lightweight
Short bio: One of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year.
Number: 88
Name: Sean Jackson
Age: 29
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 285lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Mauler + H2O Performance DualStrike MK3
Short bio: Only WBL user on the team; tallest person ever to play in MLWW; reserve lineman for the Denver Broncos.
Number: 93
Name: Evan Rockwell
Age: 36
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: One of the earliest players to compete in MLWW.
Number: 99
Name: Raphael Khan
Age: 28
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: Made it into the 100 hits per season club last season; ranked 4th best attacker in MLWW.
Razors Lineup:
Number: 4
Name: Fred Shortt
Age: 24
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Very fast runner; one of the top scouts in MLWW.
Number: 10
Name: Victoria Masetti
Age: 23
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force F100
Short bio: Went from her worst season last year to her best season this year.
Number: 12
Name: Xavier Latson
Age: 42
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 205lbs
Primary weapon: Mavtech Labs Custom Blaster
Short bio: Leader of the Razors; oldest active player in MLWW; more wins than any other captain in history.
Number: 16
Name: Carlos Cabrera
Age: 26
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force F100
Short bio: Acquired from the Nevada Nightmares last season.
Number: 21
Name: Anthony Pagano
Age: 16
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 130lbs
Primary weapon: Water Warriors Kraken
Short bio: Youngest currently active player in MLWW; went unhit in his last high school season.
Number: 28
Name: Justin Clemson
Age: 32
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 220lbs
Primary weapon: Aquatech Hammer 10K
Short bio: The sole heavy gunner on the Razors; serves as the team's fitness trainer.
Number: 33
Name: Catherine Edwards
Age: 25
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Highest-ranked female player in MLWW.
Number: 36
Name: Brad Rogers
Age: 30
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 200lbs
Primary weapon: Aquatech ABX-223 + Water Warriors Eradicator
Short bio: One of the two WBL users on the team; covered in tattoos.
Number: 37
Name: Zach O'Shaye
Age: 28
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 175lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Contract expires after this season; possibly headed to Oregon.
Number: 39
Name: Sam Skeeves
Age: 33
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: May replace Latson as captain in the next few years.
Number: 49
Name: Ken Takashi
Age: 24
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 160lbs
Primary weapon: H2O Performance Firebreather
Short bio: A recent addition from the Japanese leagues; often leads strike squads.
Number: 50
Name: Daryl Tolbert
Age: 29
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 240lbs
Primary weapon: Aquatech ABX-223 Heavy Duty + Aquatech CHP MK4
Short bio: League record for most hits with a WBL in one season (36); doesn't talk much but gets the job done.
Number: 54
Name: Chris Everett
Age: 26
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force FX3
Short bio: Former pitcher for the New York Mets, thus often throws water balloons.
Number: 66
Name: Ivan Skinner
Age: 35
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200lbs
Primary weapon: AirSlicer P9000XLR
Short bio: Currently the deadliest fighter in MLWW, scoring the most hits per season of any currently active player (2nd overall) at 122; described as cold and ruthless.
Number: 87
Name: Tara Willard
Age: 31
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 140lbs
Primary weapon: Z-Force F100
Short bio: A recent addition to the team; known to climb trees.
Battlefield Map: Roughly 1/4 mile between each base (colored squares). Green speckles indicate standard open-ish forest, while solid green is thick undergrowth such as knotweed. Light blue indicates water, and the creek is narrow enough to cross in nearly all areas. Dark gray indicates buildings, while light gray is boulders/rocky areas. Not shown are various barricades scattered throughout the field. Very little elevation change throughout. Cameras are placed in trees all over the field for live TV, and a blimp circles overhead to catch occasional birds-eye-view shots. Battlefield is surrounded by bleachers with large screens so that spectators can view the action.
Each base consists of a short wall of sandbags surrounding it, a tarp roof (no walls), and a place to put a flag for CTF. There is also a large supply of water. Just out of the battlefield limits behind each base are each team's headquarters; a large RV where teams reside during downtime. Outside the RV is the bench.
Blue square: Spiders base
Red square: Razors base
Alpha: Swampy area. Possible to pass through, but not quickly
Foxtrot: Large clearing. Grass is about waist height to the average warrior
Golf: Old barn with several different rooms inside, as well as a second floor and a sniper's nest in the silo; point Golf also includes thick spot on east side
Kilo: Wide and deep section of river that is not possible to cross without swimming
Lima: Small bunker building with slits in the walls to fire through
Oscar: Pile of boulders about 10' high, with several ways to climb up
All other points are simply various clumps of thick vegetation
Let the tournament begin!
*triumphant Fox Sports theme*
CHAD: Annnnnndddd welcome back to the 13th annual Major League Water Warfare Championship Tournament! I'm Chad McCarthy coming to live from the beautiful Virginia countryside with my good friend Aaron Skazynski, former member of the Miami Typhoons.
AARON: Good afternoon!
CHAD: So how about this matchup Aaron? The top teams in the league duking it out here in the championship. On one side you have the nearly unbeatable Razors; only two losses this whole season! Yet on the other side you have the Spiders, who essentially came out of nowhere this season, who are responsible for one of the Razors' two defeats. I think we're looking at a very exciting tournament here.
AARON: I agree Chad, and I'm looking forward to seeing how each team handles these battles. If you're the Spiders, you're really going to want to take the 1HS game and go on to sweep in CTF. The Spiders have always been strong in CTF, and I think we can expect to see Brooks do what he does best. However the Razors are a deadly force in straight-up combat. They have a lot of talent, and of course all the talk has been about Skinner wielding the new AirSlicer prototype. The Spiders are definitely going to have to watch out for him.
CHAD: Yes, I don't think there is a single person who follows the league who hasn't heard that. But on the subject of blasters, how about the arsenals of these two teams? You've got the Spiders, who are of course sponsored by H2O Performance, with nearly uniform weaponry throughout the team. Then you have the Razors, who have a little bit of everything basically. Several players are even bringing in Water Warriors blasters, which you don't see very often at this level anymore. They also have been known to use water balloons quite often.
AARON: I actually talked to Captian Xavier Latson a couple days prior, and he says that he always prefers to let players choose which blasters they feel most comfortable with instead of just giving them all weapons with the highest stats. Yes, the new Firebreather is excellent, but a lot of players prefer Z-Force blasters due to their light weight and ergonomics. I used an FX1 back in the day, and even though it was down on power to some of the others on the field, I was always very effective with it.
CHAD: Indeed. How do you think the weaponry matchups will affect things during battle?
AARON: I think we'll be looking at some very intense and exciting fights here. When team arsenals are mostly equivalent, which you see a lot at this level, things balance out and you see lower scoring and less action. Varation between teams results in differing strengths and weaknesses, leading to more intense fighting with lots of hits made. You've also got to take into account the different skill sets of each player. In this case we have two very offensively-oriented teams, which should also contribute to more exciting games.
CHAD: So I think it will definitely be a tournament worth watching. I personally can't wait. As we take a look down onto the field, we can see each team going over last-minute strategy in their respective bases.
AARON: Both captains have had exceptional careers up to this point. No doubt they've been planning things out for days ahead of time, and we'll see which team can make a better execution. Neither of them have fought on this battlefield before, so it should be very interesting to see what each team will do.
CHAD: Yes, this is the third season the league has used Larami Field for the championship, however it's been five years since Latson last led the Razors to victory. Back then they were still using Merriweather Park in Texas.
AARON: Larami Field is certainly one of the more tame battlegrounds in the league. It doesn't try to kill you with large drops like Tombstone Canyon, and it isn't massive like the Greene Flats. This field focuses a lot more on the players. It's not a battle against the environment, and that will definitely simplfy things for each team.
CHAD: And we will see just how things go down here on Larami Field in Virginia when we come back.
*COMMERCIAL*: Ask any water warrior what they need most out of a blaster...and they'll tell you...TOP PERFORMANCE! Come check out the all-new H2O Performance lineup, in select sporting goods stores now! Featuring the all-new Firebreather, clocked at a class-leading 96 FPS! H2O Performance. Proud sponsor of the Arlington Spiders.
CHAD: And welcome back.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your hats, and welcome Whitney Peyton, who will be singing our National Anthem.
*Anthem plays*
CHAD: And just listen to that crowd! They are pumped and ready for some good old-fashioned water warfare here on this beautiful day. And with only five minutes remaining until game time, it's no wonder.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen! We give you, the underdogs! Striking from out of nowhere, like the most feared of arachnids! We give you...the Arlington, SPIDERRRRRRS!
*Spiders run out of their HQ to cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: Starting lineup for the Spiders is: Flagg! Desmond! A. Cramer! K. Cramer! Sanchez! Brooks! Villa! Jackson! Khan! Annnnndddd Captain! JAMES! LIVINGSTON!
*more cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: And in the other corner...the deadly...the sharp-witted...the nearly undefeated...TRI-CITY RAAAZORRRRS!
*Razors run out of their HQ to cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: Starting lineup for the Razors is: Shortt! Masetti! Clemson! Edwards! Rogers! Skeeves! Takashi! Tolbert! Skinner! Annnnndddd Captain! XAVIER! LATSON!
*more cheering and booing*
ANNOUNCER: One minute countdown to round one...begin!
CHAD: And here we go, just one minute to go before the opening one-hit-scores round kicks off. Both teams are now in a huddle, getting that literal last-minute planning in.
AARON: Notice how calm Latson is at this moment. He's just sitting there with his arms crossed reminding everyone of their roles. That is the mark of a good leader, and it is no surprise given his experience and success on the field. It calms the whole team down, really. The Spiders are noticably more nervous, and might not be good for them unless they can put it all away once they start fighting.
CHAD: It is after all their first championship. Latson and the Razors have been there and done that, but the Spiders were barely a blip on the radar until this season.
AARON: Even if the Spiders don't win today, they have a lot of young talent and I wouldn't be surprised if they come back hard in the next few seasons.
ANNOUNCER: Round begins in five! Four! Three! Two! One! ZERO!
CHAD: And the crowd goes wild as each team takes off at a run! The Razors are heading for the barn, while the Spiders seem to be spreading out along the river. The Cramer brothers have split off and are heading along the north edge of the battlefield in the direction of the swamp, while the rest of the team heads toward the bushes at point Juliet, still spaced rather wide.
AARON: Both teams taking off at a run like that comes as no surprise, given how aggressive we've seen each of them play all season. They know what position they want, and they get there as fast as possible.
CHAD: And at the speed they're running, they are getting there very quickly. We'll see a good chunk of the Spiders disappear into the bushes at Juliet, with Livingston and the two heavy gunners going south to approach the pond at Kilo from a more open path. The Cramer brothers look like they are getting ready to cross the river. They are on the opposite side from point Foxtrot.
AARON: There are two schools of thought when it comes to heavy gunners. One says they should stay in a more stationary, preferably hidden location and take shots from there, while Livingston is going with the other approach and going with both of them in the open, where they can move better. I think that's the better choice, especially with bulky backpack blasters such as the Blizzards that they are wielding.
CHAD: Meanwhile we see the Razors start to occupy point Golf. Skinner will take Skeeves, Tolbert, and Masetti, and go into the barn itself. Latson takes up a position alone in the Golf bushes, while the rest of the team disappears into the massive Hotel section.
AARON: Teams like to affectionately refer to it as the "Hotel Larami". It is by far the thickest section in the park, but they only seem to be cutting through the northern half of it. My guess is, they're headed for point Lima to take the bunker and scout the enemy position.
CHAD: And in doing so they would see Livingston and the heavy gunners, almost like his bodyguards, because they are now at the lake's edge. The Cramer brothers have crossed the stream and are now crouched at the edge of the field at Foxtrot. Things should pick up any minute now...
AARON: The Razors seem to be settling into a defense. You've got Skinner, their best player posted up in the barn along with their heavy launcher. Latson in hiding, monitoring the east, and the rest of the team headed for the bunker. This is unusual for the Razors, but having lost to the Spiders before, it's understandable why they would take this approach.
CHAD: The Spiders are moving forward slowly but steadily at this point. The Cramer brothers are circling around the field, predicting that the enemy has a watch in the barn.
AARON: You don't have a clear line of sight from the barn to the field, but it is definitely possible, especially from the silo, where Tolbert has posted up with his heavy launcher. At maximum pressure the Heavy Duty version of the ABX-223 has been measured to hit almost a thousand feet in favorable wind conditions. You definitely do not want to catch Tolbert's eye!
CHAD: I agree with you there! And now we see that Livingston and his uh, bodyguards have crossed the stream just below the pond and are advancing upon point Lima! A risky move, but fortunately the other team hasn't...OH WAIT, THERE THEY ARE! Shortt dashes out of Hotel followed by Clemson, Edwards, Rogers, and Takashi! The first shots of the game are fired! We see dual blasts from the Blizzards, but none of them connect! Shortt makes it into the bunker and the rest of the team spread out!
AARON: Livingston needs to get the heck out of there right now if he wants to avoid getting hit!
CHAD: And he does indeed retreat! He jumps over the creek as the heavy gunners hold back the opposition. And OH! Rogers takes a shot with his launcher and GETS SANCHEZ ON THE LEG! First casualty of the game! Desmond makes it over without getting hit as Livingston pours on the cover fire. However it's a four-on-two situation now, Shortt's still in the bunker, and here comes the rush!
AARON: Now is the time for those hiding in Juliet to bust out.
CHAD: Takashi leads the rush at full speed ahead, and leaps over the river!
AARON: They would really like to take advantage of this opportunity and take Livingston out of the game.
CHAD: Livingston and Desmond retreat towards Juliet, and here comes the hidden Spiders force! Flagg, Brooks, Villa, Jackson, and Khan finally come out of hiding and engage! It's an intense firefight, and now the Razor squad is outnumbered four to seven! Livingston and Takashi square off in the center. It's Firebreather versus Firebreather!
AARON: Takashi is amazing but Livingston is a fighting captian, and he's got experience on his side. It doesn't look good for the rest of the Razors in this squad either!
CHAD: But instead of retreating, they bring Shortt over from out of the bunker! Now the Razors are only down two heads, but it's still not looking good. And OH! OH MY GOODNESS! Villa drives Clemson toward the newly-arrived Shortt, leaving them both isolated on their right flank, she gets walloped by a close range blast from Clemson's Hammer,
AARON: Ouch...
CHAD: BUT JACKSON LETS LOOSE A BARRAGE OF BALLOONS FROM THE MAULER AND GETS SHORTT AND CLEMSON AT THE SAME TIME! Score is now tied two-two! I cannot believe it!
AARON: That is only the third double kill I've ever witnessed as both a player and a commentator!
CHAD: The Razors are down to three now! They finally give up and fall back! WOW, how about that Aaron?
AARON: That was a very risky and well coordinated move by Villa and Jackson there. Trying to push back a heavy gunner nearly always ends up badly, but she managed to do it enough so that Jackson could take advantage of his short-range cluster launcher and get both opponents at the same time. Shortt had just arrived to the skirmish and wasn't in position yet, so everything worked in the Spiders' favor.
CHAD: Now back at the barn, the Cramers have been spotted! They seem to be caught in a standoff; the enemy does not want to leave the barn, and the brothers cannot hope to attack it on their own.
AARON: However we see Kyle saying something into his headset, and so is Livingston, so we can bet that reinforcements are on the way.
CHAD: Sanchez and Villa are now on the bench, and we see Charlie Damion and Brian Wu come onto the field for the first time. They will definitely be planning an assault on the barn. The question is whether or not they'll be able to pull it off.
AARON: The barn is a good position, but obviously it wasn't designed by the field crew to be invincible. There are many ways in, and plenty of cover for those both attacking and defending.
CHAD: And now we see the remaining eight Spiders cross the stream NORTH of the pond at Kilo this time. They are heading right for the bush that Latson is still in!
AARON: This is huge, because if the Spiders send troops into the Golf bush, Latson could possibly pick up multiple kills. However once they find him it'll be over rather quickly, and he'd be off the field for the time being. Latson isn't as much of a fighting captain as Livingston is, but he can't do much from off the field aside from talking through his headset. If I were him, I would try to switch with another player in the barn.
CHAD: The Cramer brothers start to press forward! They look like they're going to- WHOA! TOLBERT TAKES A SHOT AND...misses Allen by about two feet! Holy moly does that launcher pack a punch! You can hear it all the way from over here in the booth. Sounds a bit like a rifle.
AARON: Yes, Allen Cramer really had to move to get out of the way of that. He had less than a second! Kyle is known for having great reflexes, which is why Tolbert didn't aim for him, but it looks like his little brother can really move too.
CHAD: And we do see Latson come out of the bush at last and switch with...Skinner!
AARON: Ha ha, oh boy. The Spiders better be on their toes. Now we'll get to see what happens when you send the best player in the league with the most powerful blaster ever made against eight enemy players.
CHAD: And the eight still continue to press forward, and are now fanning out. Looks like they are going to attempt to surround the barn. Damion and Brooks are headed right for the bush at Golf! Right into Skinner's jaws! The sharp-eyed Damion jumps back! He's seen the trap! BUT IT'S TOO LATE! Skinner just took a shot and got him easily from ninety feet away!
AARON: I don't think ANYONE could have prepared for that! I have never seen a stream of water move that fast!
CHAD: Skinner emerges from the bushes to take on Brooks! The latter is known for his dodging ability but can he possibly outspeed the AirSlicer? Brooks is taking shots but he's not close enough to land the hit. SKINNER FIRES, and Brooks gets by with minor droplets but a SECOND SHOT TAKES HIM OUT! It's four-two!
AARON: We see the rest of the Spiders have now surrounded the building, but they need to take advantage of Skinner being the only enemy not in the barn, and take him out. He has caused way too much damage already!
CHAD: But they continue to press the attack on the barn! Shots are flying now, and the Cramer brothers manage to duck in under cover fire!
AARON: That's some smart stream managment right there by Flagg to help them get in, and now the defense has to worry about threats from the inside as well as out, but oh! Flagg was hit in the process!
CHAD: WHOA! Things are not looking good for the Spiders! That was Skeeves who got the hit on Flagg from the second floor. The Razors are still outnumbered five to seven, but that hasn't been a problem so far!
AARON: Indeed, but now that the Cramers have made it into the barn, the Razors are going to have a tougher time defending.
CHAD: We see the brothers are now in the main room and are squaring off with Latson and Masetti! Meanwhile on the outside Skinner is taking on Khan and Desmond at the same time, and Tolbert is keeping the rest of the Spiders at bay with his launcher.
AARON: Nobody wants to get too close to that thing!
CHAD: Skeeves now goes downstairs to aid in the fight against the Cramer brothers! It's a two-on-three inside the barn while Skinner is still being double-teamed outside. But now the rest of the Spiders take advantage of Skeeves' absence to storm the barn! Livingston rushes with Jackson and Wu, but TOLBERT FIRES AGAIN!
AARON: Oooh, lucky break for Jackson!
CHAD: The balloon hits a branch and explodes fifty feet away! The three Spiders enter through a window on the northeastern side of the building, right into the indoor battle!
AARON: And it's obvious why Tolbert was aiming for Jackson; that Mauler is going to be brutal in close-quarters! Unfortunately for him he wasn't able to get the hit and now Jackson is going to be a serious threat to the Razors here.
CHAD: We see Tolbert draw his blaster and head downstairs to aid! Meanwhile Skinner is still locked in with Khan and Desmond in the narrow gap between Golf and Hotel!
AARON: All three of them are very dangerous on the field, so it makes sense that they'd try to take each other out, but what often happens in these situations is that they'll cancel each other out.
CHAD: The Razors look to be in trouble now, but here come reinforcements! Takashi, Rogers, and Edwards, plus Chris Everett and Carlos Cabrera, filling in for Shortt and Clemson!
AARON: The Spiders need to act quickly to secure the barn and defend against the new threat.
CHAD: And we might be seeing that now, as Jackson GETS THE HIT ON MASETTI! Almost got Latson as well!
AARON: There's just no dodging the Mauler from that close up, but now the reinforcements are surrounding the barn! Khan and Desmond have seen them and are yelling into their headsets, but it might be too late!
CHAD: We see the five Razors rush the building! This is going to be intense! Livingston knows they're coming! And IT'S A BREAKOUT RUSH! Every Spider in the building busts out and attacks the newcomers! Khan and Desmond fall back to join them! Skinner in pursuit! Rogers fires his launcher but misses and now HE'S HIT by Livingston! SKINNER GETS DESMOND! EDWARDS HITS ALLEN CRAMER! OH MY GOODNESS!
AARON: The Spiders have retreated to Foxtrot! But they won't want to stay there long because here comes Tolbert with his launcher! The Spiders don't have a long-range launcher so they'll want to get out of there as soon as possible!
CHAD: It's a hot pursuit over the field at Foxtrot! TOLBERT FIRES AND MAKES THE LONG-RANGE HIT ON KHAN! The score is now eight to four in the Razors' favor!
AARON: That was a lucky shot! Now it looks like the Razors have called off the pursuit and are heading back to the barn to regroup.
CHAD: The Spiders head to the river near point Echo. They've only got four heads now, so they're probably going to head back toward their base and pull themselves together.
AARON: That was some very intense fighting. We'd always say that the "dam burst", in such situations. Players are locked in and offense-defense situation, then something happens to stir things up, and it's like an avalanche from there. I'm a little surprised that the Razors didn't continue the pursuit, but I guess they felt that they did enough damage.
CHAD: And now we see Jose Sanchez and Ashley Villa come back onto the field, along with Kevin Pirocco, Sabrina Imran, and Evan Rockwell, all making their first appearances. Everyone else is still respawning. Damion and Brooks will come back in in about a minute, so we'll see who gets the nod.
AARON: Meanwhile it looks like the Razors will call in Anthony Pagano and bring back Justin Clemson to replace Masetti and Rogers. They're huddling at the barn right now. I'm guessing they will go for a mobile defense now that they're ahead.
CHAD: And it looks like Brooks will be Livingston's choice to take up the final slot, and that completes the roster for both teams.
AARON: The Spiders are going over strategy at the moment, and as we head into the final half of this round, they are going to have to take roles of hunters here. It's unfortuanate that Khan is still respawning because he would be a big help here.
CHAD: And now both teams break the huddle and head out. The Razors head south and into the Hotel bushes! The Spiders look to be heading back towards the barn. As you said Aaron, they need to go after the enemy at all costs.
AARON: Yes, the Razors now hold all the cards. They do not have to press engagement, and are free to try and evade the enemy assault. Much easier to do than attack.
CHAD: And now the Spiders have reached the barn, and are clearing it out. I think they realize now that the enemy has hightailed it.
AARON: And now they're going to split up to cover as much area as possible. If just one person finds the enemy they can report it to the whole team. Much easier than in my early days when we didn't have headsets!
CHAD: So now all the Spiders will head out in different directions. The Razors are all inside the Hotel undergrowth, and it looks like Sanchez, Kyle Cramer, and Pirocco are heading in that direction. We'll see who finds them first!
AARON: We can see the Razors on this camera here. I believe it is located somewhere just south of the center, so Cramer will be the first one to reach them if he continues his path. We've seen a lot of defensive plays from the Razors this game, which is unusual for them.
CHAD: And now it looks like the Razors will move south toward the creek. They may want to refill, although it would definitely be a risky move.
AARON: Definitely, and wouldn't make a whole lot of sense either, since they've done an excellent job managing their water so far, and haven't done a ton of shooting. They've also got plenty of bottles to go around.
CHAD: And Cramer does indeed get the sighting! I don't think anyone on the Razors can see him yet, and he has chosen to lay low, but I'm willing to bet the rest of the team is on the way.
AARON: That's the downside of having your whole team move as one unit. Even in thick foliage, it's pretty hard not to notice ten people moving, no matter how stealthy they are.
CHAD: But now it looks like the Razors are on the alert. I can't quite tell from up here but it looks like they may have heard something.
AARON: Right, and as we can see, Sanchez and Pirocco are closing in fast, and the rest of the team has just entered the foliage. They are actually spread out quite a bit; looks like they're going to try surrounding the enemy. That shows real good coordination and battlefield knowledge right there. The whole team knows where the enemy is just by a descripition from one player.
CHAD: Yes, both teams have definitely put lots of work in scouting out this field. And now the Razors have started to move toward the creek. The Spiders are incoming! They'll be there any second.
AARON: They are definitely not taking it slow, which is obviously how the Razors can hear them coming.
CHAD: The Razors will reach the stream; they are now inbetween Hotel and Mike, but Brooks has also reached the stream farther down, and is coming up on them from along the bank. He's well hidden, they don't see him! Oh! But they have seen some other players! Cramer and Pirocco have taken shots!
AARON: The Razors aren't in the best position right now; I don't think they expected the enemy to reach them so fast, and now it looks like they're going to try crossing the river.
CHAD: Yes, Latson is already across. Now Sanchez appears! He's laying down some heavy fire with that Blizzard, and...AMBUSH!!! BROOKS PULLS OFF AN AMBUSH AND GETS TOLBERT! THIS IS HUGE!
AARON: He's trying to follow it up and get some more hits but he's in the danger zone now!
CHAD: Yes, I don't think things look good for him, maybe he'll- NO! HE'S HIT! Clemson took him out! It's nine to five!
AARON: It was a beautiful ambush and while the Razors were able to neutralize, losing Tolbert will be a big blow for them. Now they don't have any launchers on the field, at least until Rogers comes back.
CHAD: The rest of the Spiders have appeared, but the Razors have already made it across the creek, so now it's a battle over the water!
AARON: Both teams will bring out their long range weapons here. Desmond is out so now each team has one heavy cannon; Sanchez for the Spiders and Clemson for the Razors. But you can't forget Skinner! That AirSlicer doesn't have the mighty output and capacity typical of a heavy cannon, but I'd say it either equals or exceeds them in range! He just has to pick his targets carefully.
CHAD: And now we see some of the Razors bring out water balloons! Everett hurls one...but Sanchez SHOOTS IT OUT OF THE AIR, and almost gets Everett in the process! The Razors are starting to fall back into the foliage at point Mike! Jackson takes an angled shot with the Mauler but he's not close enough, and Skinner and Edwards are able to evade the storm of balloons!
AARON: That still wasn't the easiest thing in the world to dodge! Skinner and Edwards were lucky to have trees nearby.
CHAD: And now the Razors have disappeared into the undergrowth.
AARON: It would definitely not be wise to follow them, so now it looks like the Spiders are going to follow the creek in the direction of point Lima. Each team has nine heads now, and with the end of the game coming up soon I wouldn't expect them to try and refill the last slot.
CHAD: Well it looks like the Razors are heading back toward their base, while the Spiders head in the opposite direction.
AARON: Maybe I'm wrong then. The Razors may in fact be going back for another player. It actually does make sense, as they don't have any launchers and they need to stall the clock as well. I'd expect them to bring Rogers into the game.
CHAD: It looks like you're right. We can see Tolbert taking a seat and Brad Rogers get up and head towards his team. Meanwhile it doesn't look like the Spiders have called in anyone, and are now at point Lima.
AARON: They're sending troops out to look for the enemy, but they haven't realized that the Razors doubled back. We've only got fifteen minutes left on the clock, so if they don't find the Razors soon, they will have lost.
CHAD: And we see Rogers meet up with the rest of the Razors just north of point Delta. It looks like they are now headed in the direction of the barn again.
AARON: And I see Livingston talking frantically into his headset. I think he's realized what the Razors have done since his team cannot find them in the southeast corner.
CHAD: The Spiders are now moving toward the Razors' base, staying in the more open areas and not even bothering with the thick stuff.
AARON: At this rate they might just bump into each other one last time.
CHAD: The Razors approach point Golf and seem to be wary of the barn. The Spiders are coming in fast, but they're not quite there yet!
AARON: Neither team can see each other yet. It looks like the Razors are going to skirt around the barn and head north, but the Spiders are closing in from the east. Will they miss each other?
CHAD: NO THEY WON'T! Livingston just pointed! They're coming at the Razors full sprint! Will there be time to overturn the score!?
AARON: At this point it's win or lose for the Spiders, so instead of taking the slow, stealthy approach, they're just going to attack head on. Even if they lose a few people they're still no worse off than they are now.
CHAD: And the Razors have spotted them! This is going to be an epic showdown!
AARON: The Razors form a spread defense! They do not want to risk any suicide rushes for double kills.
CHAD: Here come the Spiders! They go directly for the right flank! The streams start flying! There are a lot of big trees and barricades in this area, and we see each team take full advantage of them!
AARON: Good move by Livingston attacking the flank! They're concentrating their force and trying to pick off stragglers one-by-one!
CHAD: Some intense fighting here! We see Skeeves ROLL OVER A BARRICADE, trying to avoid getting hit by a massive wall of water from Sanchez's Blizzard, BUT HE STUMBLES, AND...SANCHEZ GOT HIM! Skeeves tries to pull off some acrobatics but loses to brute force!
AARON: There is just too much pressure on that one side! The Razors are pulling back and trying to keep the Spiders at bay with a broadside!
CHAD: The Razors RETREAT! Latson obviously did not like that position, and they are now on the run towards Foxtrot! Rogers sends a balloon flying back at Livingston but it goes wide! The Spiders are in hot pursuit, but there are only ten seconds left!
*siren goes off*
CHAD: And that's the game!!!
ANNOUNCER: Round one over! Final score: Razors, nine! Spiders, six!
AARON: A well fought game by both sides. Had the game gone on longer we might have seen it swing in favor of the Spiders, but you have to respect the Razors' fighting ability.
Round 1 Stats:
Spiders:
Livingston: 1-0
Damion: 0-1
Flagg: 0-1
Desmond: 0-1
A. Cramer: 0-1
K. Cramer: 0-0
Wu: 0-0
Pirocco: 0-0
Imran: 0-0
Sanchez: 1-1
Brooks: 1-2
Villa: 0-1
Jackson: 3-0
Rockwell: 0-0
Khan: 0-1
Razors:
Shortt: 0-1
Masetti: 0-1
Latson: 0-0
Cabrera: 0-0
Pagano: 0-0
Clemson: 2-1
Edwards: 1-0
Rogers: 1-1
O'Shaye: 0-0
Skeeves: 1-1
Takashi: 0-0
Tolbert: 1-1
Everett: 0-0
Skinner: 3-0
Willard: 0-0
CHAD: And as we can see from the stats, Ivan Skinner is the obvious choice for the MVP of this match. His incredible fighting skills paired up with the brutal power of the AirSlicer make him one of, if not the most deadly threat on the field.
AARON: And on the Spiders' side, their go-to-guy has been Sean Jackson this whole match, scoring half of his team's hits. He has been a force on the field with that Mauler. While historically, teams have always gone with long range when it comes to launchers, I think these new close-range cluster launchers will start to have a bigger presence in the league going forward.
CHAD: Yes, and overall the battle was quite intense as expected. Next up we have CTF, and I think we can expect nothing less.
AARON: I'm actually quite interested as to how this will turn out. The Spiders have always been strong in CTF, and only lost one game this season I believe. But on the other hand the Razors have momentum. If they win this, they are the league champions. The Spiders must win this and then face the Razors in 1HK. Not an enviable task!
CHAD: And we will see just how things go down in CTF, after this message.
*COMMERCIAL*: Get the edge in combat with TurboBoost additives! Shown to increase blaster range by up to 15%! Safe on the environment, dangerous in battle! Your results may vary.
CHAD: Welcome back! We are now fifteen minutes before round two begins. Each team is huddled at their respective bases at the moment. Aaron, how do you think this will turn out?
AARON: Well as we've said Chad, both teams are known for their aggression. In such cases you often see lots of captures early on, then when one team secures a safe lead, they will beef up their defenses and make it very hard for the losing team to come back. As we all know, this is where the Spiders excel, and it's the best chance for them to start turning this tournament around. I am very much looking forward to this game.
CHAD: And I think the crowd is too! You can hear their excitement as the round start time draws nearer. Here we see a bunch of diehard Spiders fans:
*shows a group of yelling shirtless dudes with Spiders logos painted on their chests*
AARON: Ha ha ha. They are in no way discouraged by that first game.
CHAD: Yes they are still one hundred percent into this tournament, and now we'll see the starting lineups for each team.
ANNOUNCER: Starting for the Spiders, we have... Damion! Desmond! A. Cramer! K. Cramer! Imran! Sanchez! Brooks! Jackson! Khan! Annnndddd Livingston!
CHAD: So similar to last time, only Flagg and Villa have been swapped out for Damion and Imran.
ANNOUNCER: And for the Razors, we bring you... Shortt! Masetti! Clemson! Edwards! Rogers! Skeeves! Takashi! Tolbert! Skinner! Annnndddd Latson!
CHAD: And it looks like the Razors will open with the same lineup as before.
ANNOUNCER: One minute countdown to round two...begin!
AARON: Yes, Damion and Imran coming in does make sense as they're both fast runners and have made several captures this season. I think they would've liked to have kept Flagg and Villa in for their fighting ability, but there's really nobody else to switch with, as they need heavy guns and launchers on defense, and the other potential attackers have better records. In a way it's actually a good problem to have. Both teams have a lot of talent throughout the entire lineup. Even if they lose players in the field, they've got strong benches to back them up, which is not something that a lot of teams have.
CHAD: That is a good point, and probably one of the main reasons they have made it this far. We've seen a couple instances this season where a team won't even call in a benched player, preferring to wait out the five minutes for their hit player to come back.
AARON: And that is not something you want to do in CTF, where numbers matter a lot more. For this game we are probably going to see most of the weight go towards the offense early on, as I've said. Number managment is going to be extremely important here, and is no doubt what each captain is going over as we speak.
CHAD: And now with ten seconds left before the start of round two, we see the Razors get into position. The Spiders are still huddling...only six seconds left...
ANNOUNCER: Round begins in five! Four! Three!
CHAD: And the Spiders finally get into position!
ANNOUNCER: ...One! ZERO![/b]