Well, this is what it all boils down to, the best team from North America, Enemy; and the best team from the European Union, Epsilon. I have to be honest, I think the best team in North America is Cloud 9, and I think the REAL final was yesterday, when Epsilon squeaked out a three games to two victory over Cloud 9, but the games have to be played, so let’s see how it turned out.
In game one, Epsilon came out fast, scoring First Blood in under one minute. Enemy fought back, and after six minutes the kill count was 4-3 in Epsilon’s favor. The game remained close until the thirteen minute mark, when Epsilon won a big team fight, going up 11-6, and the first Gold Fury of the game. Epsilon built that lead to 15-6 at the eighteen minute point, while building very solid map and objective control. By twenty-two minutes, Epsilon had pushed down all of Enemy’s towers, and dropped two Phoenixes, in preparation for the final base rush. Enemy had no answers as Epsilon invaded the base, building the kill lead to 22-7, before dropping the Titan and ending game one after only twenty-seven minutes.
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The guys from Epsilon, and the new Smite World Champions
Game two began with Enemy having a really strong pick/ban phase, looking like they might have an edge. Once again, Epsilon scored First Blood, around two minutes into the game, but Enemy answered right back, and at the five minute point the kill count was all even at 2-2. The teams trade kills for a while, but at the ten minute mark, Enemy had a 5-4 kill lead, and was building a nice gold lead as well. Both teams get into an extended Gold Fury dance, but after a long engagement, only a few kills are scored and no one can take down the Gold Fury. Nineteen minutes in the game is still too close to call, Enemy having a one kill lead at 8-7. At twenty-five minutes in, Epsilon takes a stealthy, uncontested Gold Fury, but we soon see why it was uncontested, as Enemy makes a huge push, taking three quick kills and several towers, to create the first real lead of the game, 15-10. Then the bottom drops out; Enemy gets caught being over-aggressive twice, over-extending to try and take a Tier two tower. The resulting team fight brings the kill score to 16-14 in favor of Enemy, but rewards Epsilon with the Fire Giant buff, and a huge momentum swing in their favor. Over the next ten minutes Epsilon uses their advantage to take the kill count lead, 18-17, the gold lead, and the experience lead. At forty-one minutes Epsilon gears up for their base push, up 23-18, and armed with another Fire Giant buff. The end comes not long after, at about forty-four minutes, with the kill count at 27-19, the Titan falls, and Epsilon takes the second of the three victories needed to close out the match.
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Team Enemy, in happier times, back in Super-Regionals
Game three goes as did the previous two, Epsilon jumps on First Blood, but Enemy fires right back, and at the three minute mark Epsilon has a 2-1 kill lead. The two teams trade kills for a bit, and, by twenty-one minutes the kill score is tied at 11-11, but Enemy has a small gold lead. Sadly, as before, Epsilon wins a game-changing team fight, taking the kill lead 16-11 along with the Fire Giant buff. Enemy has so answer to this burst of Epsilon momentum, and Epsilon grows the kill lead to 21-11, and using their Fire Giant buff to break the Enemy base, and drop the Titan near the thirty-one minute point, giving Epsilon the final win they need to take the title.
So congratulations go to Epsilon, for not only playing a nearly flawless regular Smite Pro League season, and following it up with only one stumbling point, and that one during Super-Regionals. Only Cloud 9 put a bump in the Epsilon road to the Championship, and even that only slowed Epsilon’s progress. It’s clear that a new day has dawned in the Smite world, one that favors the flexible European meta. We will have to wait and see how the other regions respond.
