Manta Cup IV - XV - Manta Cup v2 Recap (English)
Manta Cup V2 Recap
This year, we aimed to build a sense of community and familiarize the teams with each other. Therefore, we started the search for teams 2.5 months before the tournament. In addition, we introduced the "Scrim Rule," requiring all teams to complete a certain number of scrims before the tournament. This was to ensure that teams did not drop out at the last minute.
By the tournament itself, we had the 12 teams ready. In the first group were the defending champions, Black Manta, who showed impressive performances in the lead-up to the tournament. They won 14 out of 17 scrims, suffering losses only against the Fünf Freunde and the Snek Pack. NSM Esports was a mix of players from the NSM organization and considered a dark horse. Boomers United were again in the Mantas' group, seeking revenge. The Fünf Freunde were a team specifically formed for the Manta Cup with inexperienced but talented players. Make Inting Great, founded by Glunox, was seen as the successor to Stoneheart. The last team in the first group was the Tilted Monkeys, who had longstanding connections with the Mantas.
The second group included The Skumbags and the Snek Pack, the 2nd and 3rd placers from the first Manta Cup. While the Snek Pack was considered the favorite, the Skumbags faced challenges. Poor scrim performances and the loss of their new midlaner forced them to bring Skumbag Zoe out of retirement. Extraordinarii was back for a chance at revenge against SFD and SKB. OP Energy and Dark Star Kojin both joined two weeks before the tournament and were hard to gauge. Finally, there were the Elominers Germany, entering the tournament with great anticipation.
The first group stage began with two pivotal matches. Black Manta and the Fünf Freunde were considered the clear favorites of the group, while Boomers United and NSM Esports were seen as the "runner-up" teams. Both Black Manta and NSM advanced, while Make Inting Great won the underdog duel.
In the second round, there were no surprises; NSM played weakly and was defeated by the Mantas, while the Fünf Freunde and Boomers defeated the underdogs. The third round, especially the match between the Fünf Freunde and NSM, was intense. However, it became clear that individual skills paired with uncoordinated and sometimes lacking teamwork were the Friends' issue. Although they still felt relatively secure, Make Inting Great upset NSM in the fourth round, securing two victories as well.
Before the last round, the Mantas and NSM were already safely through, as the Tilted Monkeys had to withdraw from the tournament. The winner of the Boomers United vs. Fünf Freunde game would directly advance to the quarterfinals, while the loser had to face Make Inting Great in the tiebreaker. The Boomers won, and the match between the Fünf Freunde and MIG was set. However, those expecting excitement were disappointed as MIG secured a relatively clear victory, eliminating the Fünf Freunde from the tournament.
Group 2 kicked off with an impressive match between SFD Gaming: Snek Pack and The Skumbags. Snek Pack emerged victorious in this duel. Additionally, in the clash of dark horses, Dark Star Kojin secured a win against OP Energy.
The second round seemed to set the direction for the group as both SFD and the Skumbags won their respective games. The third round brought excitement to the group: Extraordinarii defeated OP Energy, Dark Star Kojin triumphed over SFD, and the Skumbags emerged victorious against the Elominers. As a result, Extraordinarii, The Skumbags, Dark Star Kojin, and SFD all had 2 wins.
In the fourth round, Dark Star Kojin and SFD managed to pull ahead. However, the upset of OP Energy against the Skumbags led to three teams still standing with 2 wins each. In Round 5, only The Skumbags among these teams secured a victory, meaning that a tiebreaker had to be played in this group as well.
In the tiebreaker, Extraordinarii and OP Energy faced each other once again. Unlike the group stage, this time OP Energy emerged victorious, earning them a spot in the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals, held on the same day as the group stage, brought forth four exciting matchups:
Black Manta vs OP Energy: Black Manta, the clear favorite and undefeated group winner, faced OP Energy. The first game turned into a true slugfest with 59 kills in 31 minutes. Surprisingly, OP Energy's midlaner Torhaleus on Diana led his team to victory. However, in the second game, the Mantas showcased their strength, especially BLM Linus on Mundo. The third game was a clear win for Black Manta, securing their spot in the semifinals.
Boomers United vs SFD Gaming Snek Pack: Boomers United, though considered underdogs, were known for upsets. In the first game against SFD Gaming: Snek Pack, they secured a victory in nearly 40 minutes, putting pressure on SFD. In the second game, SFD controlled the match and won. The decisive third game went to SFD, led by Sushikiller on Orianna, guiding their team to the semifinals.
NSM Esports vs The Skumbags: NSM Esports entered the match with confidence, while the Skumbags showed some weaknesses in the group stage. In the first game, the Skumbags dominated with a strong performance from Zoe on Vex. They continued their dominance in the second game, especially with Harryyyy on Wukong taking charge. Thus, the Skumbags advanced to the semifinals.
Fünf Freunde vs Dark Star Kojin: The Fünf Freunde, narrowly making it to the quarterfinals and without jungler Robbery, faced the surprising group winner Dark Star Kojin. In the first game, they couldn't counter the star power of Xsaiyan and 1Evox1. However, in the second game, they secured a win thanks to an impressive Sivir performance from Usejin. The third game went to Dark Star Kojin, as Lina faced difficulties in the midlane matchup against 1Evox1's Vladimir.
The next day brought the semifinals of Manta Cup V3, with three of the teams reaching this crucial phase for the second time:
Black Manta vs SFD Gaming Snek Pack: The anticipation was high as Snek Pack had been waiting for six months for the opportunity to take revenge on the Mantas. However, they had to once again play without a key player, this time missing Sanojjon. The first game closely resembled their initial encounter, with the Mantas in dominant form, and the Snek Pack appearing transformed compared to the first day. The Mantas secured the victory in 34 minutes. In the second game, the Sneks showed resistance, and Sushikiller and Cupcake delivered strong performances, securing a win after 35 minutes. The last game was extremely close but ended with a victory for the Mantas. Chwischi excelled on Viktor, while Cupcake and Sushikiller had their least impressive Manta Cup performance.
The Skumbags vs Dark Star Kojin: Both teams entered this duel highly motivated, set to become a legendary series in the history of the Manta Cup. Game 1 was an intense 35-minute battle, narrowly won by the Skumbags. In the 38-minute Game 2, Xsaiyan shone on Lucian, securing the win for Dark Star Kojin. The dream of revenge against the Mantas seemed to fade. A dramatic moment occurred as Another Skumbag, the seemingly unremarkable Weakside Toplaner, picked Sion and narrowly survived multiple teamfights to prevent his team's elimination. At minute 33, the Skumbags had Baron in DSK's base. Instead of finishing the game, they opted for the Elder Drake. DSK seized the opportunity, secured Elder Drake, and, in turn, aimed for victory. In a close teamfight, the Skumbags emerged victorious, ran down the midlane, and closed out the game. Finals!
The eagerly anticipated rematch between the Skumbags and the Black Mantas began with an impressive performance from Harryyyy in the first game. The Mantas, attempting to control the jungle, banned both Kha'Zix and Wukong, only to be punished by Harryyy's outstanding display on the field. The game quickly snowballed in favor of the Skumbags, also due to the Manta draft lacking crucial damage. The Skumbags took a 1-0 lead.
In the second game, the Mantas took a different approach with a split-push composition. Although Linus on Yorick almost secured the victory, the Skumbags maintained control and won the close game, extending their lead to 2-0.
In Game 3, the Mantas rose in impressive fashion to defeat the Skumbags. The strong damage output from Ziggs, Veigar, and Gangplank proved too much for the Skumbags' lineup, and the Mantas narrowed the gap to 1-2.
With a close fourth game, the Mantas found themselves in ruins, while the Skumbags held their well-deserved title firmly in their hands. The final concluded with a 3-1 victory for the Skumbags, repeating their success from the previous Manta Cup and once again crowning themselves as champions.
After the tournament, the Skumbags decided to disband. Their last successful dance was danced, and they went their separate ways. Harryyyy joined the Mantas, but after a few weeks, they parted ways again due to disagreements.
In recognition of their achievements, the Skumbags received five Goody Bags from the Techniker Krankenkasse, the tournament sponsor.
The MVP awards were as follows:
- Tournament MVP: BLM Linus (Black Manta)
- Community MVP: BLM Linus (Black Manta)
- Toplane MVP: BLM Linus (Black Manta)
- Jungle MVP: Harryyyy (The Skumbags)
- Midlane MVP: Skumbag Zoe (The Skumbags)
- Botlane MVP: Skumbag Reset (The Skumbags)
- Support MVP: Skumbag Boxhead (The Skumbags)
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