KOTD4 Qualifier - Bruh vs Straydog

Bruh overcame PL_Dziamdziak and _WWP_Straydog on his way to qualification. An exciting four game finale saw plenty of forward aggression, with Straydog selecting Goths in game one and heading forward with four Villagers on the way to the Feudal Age.

Both players focused on Spears and Skirmisher production before Straydog made the first switch into Scouts. Straydog opted to slow down his military production, clicking up to Castle Age a little earlier but lost momentum in the process. The remaining Feudal military from Bruh was able to find considerable eco damage, mainly on the woodlines and the defensive towers from Straydog delayed his first Castle.

Bruh as the Tatars was able to transition into Knights and then mixed in Camels to maintain his momentum. The Goths player’s switch to Pikemen allowed him to stabilise before a forward Castle drop forced Bruh into using the market to buy his own. Bruh’s stronger economy allowed him to expand his base with more Castles, securing more resources and enabling Keshik production. A faster Imperial Age for Bruh allowed him to secure his base by destroying Straydog’s forward Castle. The greater mobility of the Tatars allowed Bruh to raid the food eco of Straydog, who had been stuck in Castle Age due to a bit of economic imbalance, before Straydog called the gg.

The players had a long wait after game one before the servers were stable again and they could jump into game two. It started in a familiar pattern, with Straydog heading forward with his four Villagers. Game two ended up being much shorter, with the Scouts transition once again being vital to the momentum. This time, as the Khmer, Bruh had access to Bloodlines on his Scouts unlike his opponent and was able to overwhelm Straydog’s Viking Scouts. This advantage then lead into the Castle Age where Knights were able to dominate for Bruh before Straydog’s resignation.

Game three saw some variety in strategy. Bruh as the Lithuanians came forward with a ‘drush’ which was effectively walled out by Straydog. Bruh upgraded these into Men-at-Arms as an attempt to again deal with the forward production from his opponent. Some excellent micro with Spears and Skirms cleared these up giving Straydog the military lead. Some further variation to the strategy saw Straydog as the Chinese switch into Archers instead of Scouts, going for a second range along with the Blacksmith. The combination of Archers and Skirmishers gave Straydog the impetus as he was able to deal with the Scout switch from Bruh. The destruction of Bruh’s army paved the way for conceding the game.

Onto game four and the same familiar start from Straydog. This time as the Byzantines, the strategy synergised with their cheaper trash bonus perfectly. However, Bruh was equal to it. A faster Scout transition with Franks, combined with the existing Skirmishers gave Bruh a commanding lead, raiding Straydog’s economy and pushing his military back. The successful Archer switch of the previous game was much later and far less effective as a result. Straydog was forced into defensive towers to give his Villagers a means to escape the Scout raids.

Bruh kept up the pressure with Knights on reaching Castle Age Once again, Straydog attempted to reassert control with a forward Castle, to which Bruh responded with one of his own and, crucially, a Siege Workshop too. The extra hp on the Byzantines Castle wasn’t enough to save it in the exposed forward position. Now it was Bruh’s turn to push forward with Castles of his own, giving him a position to treb into his opponent’s base. The raids from Bruh kept coming and with Cavalier and Halberdier technologies completed, the Camels could not prevent the loss of economy giving Bruh the series and a place in the main event.

Bruh will move on now to face MbL in the round of 32.