New Eden Open Final Match 4: Last Chance Saloon

Asine Hitama’s team had total victory almost in their grasp, whilst RONIN and pixies‘ title dreams were hanging on by a shred. The next win could decide everything.

With an emphatic performance from the triple Vargur with frigate support setup that saw them win the previous bout, Asine Hitama’s team changed very little. However, RONIN and pixies brought something which could cause problems for the ECM-vulnerable marauder-class battleships, a Scorpion ECM battleship. With a fleet setup very similar to their victorious second round bout, it seemed both sides had opted to attempt to repeat previous victory tactics.

Unlike the previous match, the Asine Hitama’s team Vargurs were unable to make an impact as they were silenced by RONIN‘s ECM and both fleets cagily jockeyed for an advantage.

With a quarter of the match gone, little fire had been exchanged and no ships were destroyed. Despite RONIN‘s hugely defensive setup, it was Asine Hitama’s team who retreated to the edge of the arena, inviting RONIN and pixies to pursue.

With five minutes gone, there had still been very little action but the tension was palpable. A single Asine Hitama’s team Enyo became the focus of attention, it’s death potentially swinging the match. However, it survived long minutes of incoming fire only once being reduced to low shields.

After 10 minutes still there was no points scored by either team. It was a brutal, sudden death scenario. First kill wins.

The tension was elevated to unbearable levels and it became a duel of frigates as they charged into the fray, long-range damage splashing around with the RONIN Cyclone under fire and an Asine Hitama’s team Ishkur looking like the possible match losing victim, when a RONIN Merlin frigate took fire and lurched into low armour. There was a pause to see if it could survive… it couldn’t.

The match, and the competition, had been decided by the destruction of the smallest* of ships, worth only a paltry 2 points, but also $6,000…

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Match Score: Asine Hitama’s team 2 – 0 RONIN and pixies