A Look Forward to The Only92 Heritage Classic Group Stage

[ALL Elo and Overall data taken immediately after the Group Stage ceremony - this may be inaccurate at time of publication or reading.] After an exciting qualifier run we have our 32 players ready for battle. They’ve picked their groups (some have picked better than others) and are a week of practice away. Will their managers rest them? Will they play to keep match sharpness. We will find out together. Terran: 9 Protoss: 10 Zerg: 13 Group A: Average Elo - 2097.25 (2) / Average Overall - 47 (2-4) Solid.Maniac (Solid Devs) 2188 - 49 [FAT🫃] TheFist (Fighting Fatslobs) 2103 - 47 🦆 Moominzerg (Ducks & Duct Tape) 2084 - 49 [FAT🫃] mayOnnAisE (Fighting Fatslobs) 2019 - 43 A very interesting group with 3 Zergs and a Terran. I’m not sure [FAT🫃] mayOnnAisE will benefit from having pulled his teammate [FAT🫃] TheFist into the group, and the other group members might agree - he’s a TvZ expert with a 9-1 record so far. Expect Solid.Maniac to feast on the other Zergs as well due to his 9-0 record. Week 1 matchups Solid.Maniac vs 🦆 Moominzerg - 2 very strong players, but I expect Solid.Maniac ’s experience in ZvZ to carry the day. [FAT🫃] TheFist vs [FAT🫃] mayOnnAisE - I wonder how these 2 will practice in the teamhouse this week? [FAT🫃] TheFist is the clear favourite unless some major surprises are cooked up. Group B Average Elo - 2093.75 (3) / Average Overall - 47 (2-4) Solid.Julundur (Solid Devs) 2173 - 55 LBF Sigmamaxxing (Left ball of flash) 2073 - 49 Feminize (makimaFC) (Free Agent) 2068 - 39 JPHS Repeat (ZePalZ) 2061 - 45 There aren’t many groups where Solid.Julundur wouldn’t be the clear favourite, but in this group he looks to be completely dominant. Feminize (makimaFC) has done incredibly well and has become a stalwart fan favourite with qualification sparking renewed interest in continuing his career but he is the most outmatched mechanically of any player in any group. The key match of this group is between LBF Sigmamaxxing and JPHS Repeat as they try to get out of the group in 2nd place. Week 1 matchups Solid.Julundur vs LBF Sigmamaxxing perhaps the only matchup Solid.Julundur might be worried about, but expect no upsets here. Feminize (makimaFC) vs JPHS Repeat If Feminize (makimaFC) has any hope they must win this match - grit has been enough so far, but can the storyline continue? No. Group C Average Elo - 2090.75 (4) / Average Overall - 47.75 (1) )BuSa. Nitro ()Bubensahne() 2157 - 53 k3nya [United] (Devils Angels) 2088 - 46 Portrayer (Fearless Mangos) 2078 - 48 UMA Kitasan Black (Umas go Brr) 2004 - 44 One of the toughest groups, and featuring every matchup, this will be a really tight group to call. Top seed )BuSa. Nitro is clearly a favourite, but he has struggled against Terrans which means he might have to perform against both Protosses. Every match is likely to be absolutely crucial in this group. Week 1 matchups )BuSa. Nitro vs Portrayer Nitro should expect to win, but an upset here would blow the whole group open. k3nya [United] vs UMA Kitasan Black Both players are rated similarly in this matchup, but I’d expect :playerid_13 to show quality across the series. Group D Average Elo - 2103.75 (1) / Average Overall - 47 (2-4) 🐍 Leonhardt (Ouroboros) 2149 - 49 JPHS Formative (ZePalZ) 2114 - 47 Gunky (Peaches) 2104 - 46 Dynamicist (GG Iota) 2048 - 47 Probably the tightest group in the entire group stage, and one from which any 2 players could have a good shot of making the R16. 2 Terrans and 2 Protosses means that the best performers in this matchup are likely to go through. Based on form alone expect 🐍 Leonhardt and JPHS Formative to go though, but other results are not really even upsets. Week 1 matchups 🐍 Leonhardt vs JPHS Formative As the 2 top players so far both will be looking to set the tone, the winner will believe that puts them in the driving seat and the other will be looking to go perfect against the other 2 players. Gunky vs Dynamicist Conversely, both players here will believe that a win puts them in a good position to sneak through in 2nd place as they would only need 1 more series win from the remainder. Group E Average Elo - 2088.75 (5) / Average Overall - 45.25 (5) Farnsworth 🛡️ (Shield) 2145 - 48 《AST》 Heinz (Free Agent) 2095 - 40 Brogan [Enrgy⚡] (TS Energizer) 2076 - 47 🦆 Lady Esquire (Ducks & Duct Tape) 2039 - 46 This group features 3 very close players, and an overperforming 《AST》 Heinz . With all three hoping to win that matchup it will matter very much who wins the remaining matches, and I expect Farnsworth 🛡️ and 🦆 Lady Esquire to have the quality to get over the line. Week 1 matchups Farnsworth 🛡️ vs 《AST》 Heinz This gives Farnsworth 🛡️ a chance to get off to a great start and see the lay of the land caused by the other game. Brogan [Enrgy⚡] vs 🦆 Lady Esquire a must win matchup for both players I feel - but 🦆 Lady Esquire has shown enough in PvT to convince me this is a win for them. Group F Average Elo - 2071 (8) / Average Overall - 42 (8) Dribb10r (Mango) 2126 - 49 Segovia (For The Swarm) 2100 - 43 terranimbaisback (makimaFC) (Free Agent) 2072 - 38 Sanitaria (Raynor Mains) 1986 - 38 By far the weakest group by quality, mostly because of the two extremely weak Terrans. Both have shown great grit and determination to make it through the brackets to this point, but their time is done. Question is if Dribb10r can make it out in first or Segovia can upset them. Weak 1 matchups Dribb10r vs Segovia This is the only important match of the whole group and will determine who wins it. And it will probably be Dribb10r terranimbaisback (makimaFC) vs Sanitaria A match to see who comes last in the group. And it will be one of them for sure. Group G Average Elo - 2086.5 (6) / Average Overall - 44 (7) Sinful (Peaches) 2118 - 41 Garfield (SmokEveryDay) 2115 - 48 🦆 Smirk (Ducks & Duct Tape) 2065 - 42 Checker (ClickClack) 2048 - 45 A fairly uninspiring group. Most players here are looking to make a name for themselves and hope that a deep ISL run will give them bargaining power with sponsors, I doubt any of them think they can win the whole thing. Garfield is probably the strongest here, but who will accompany them out of the group? Week 1 matchups Sinful vs Garfield An interesting match where the highest seed is not the favourite. Sinful will have to have something planned to gain an edge here. 🦆 Smirk vs Checker a closer matchup that the other match. I expect 🦆 Smirk ’s skill in micro and defence to help him outlast Checker . Group H Average Elo - 2077.75 (7) / Average Overall - 44.25 (6) [FAT🫃] By.BabOoN (Free Agent) 2121 - 41 《AST》 Sylvanas (Free Agent) 2101 - 42 Firestorm x5 (Xenia Five) 2083 - 47 Waylaid (SmokEveryDay) 2012 - 47 Two free agents reviving their careers and two team pros trying to avoid embarrassment. I think the 2 pros will qualify but both Free Agents are capable of an upset. It only takes 1 slip up, after all. What an interesting group. Week 1 matchups [FAT🫃] By.BabOoN vs 《AST》 Sylvanas The winner of this game will immediately become a threat to the other players in the group, the other probably consigns their ISL journey to defeat. Both will need to find practice partners in the PC Bang. Firestorm x5 vs Waylaid Both will still feel confident if they lose this one, but both players will be trying hard to start the group with a win. Waylaid ’s vZ matchup gives cause for concern so I think Firestorm x5 takes this. Overall, we can expect next Saturday’s games to be full of excitement and reveal to us the shape of the groups.