NGL or Elimination Style

In the lesser known NGL style, there is a starting map chosen at random for each round / playday. Both teams submit a pool of 4 players, one of which is a starter for the first map. Each set is best of 1. The loser is eliminated from the match. After one team loses, they choose which player from their pool to put in next, and this player gets to choose which map the game will be played on. Each team may only use the same map once (with exception to the starting map). There is also a limited number of “Jokers” that you can use to “revive” a player who has already lost to play again.

To view the difference, we will show you again the classic SK v MYM matchup in last Seasons NGL Finals.

Starting Map:

SK.SoJu	vs	MYM]Susiria
	Twisted Meadows

This is an interesting first map for this matchup as MYM and SK each have plenty of NE / UD to put on this map. Soju has a nearly unstoppable NE mirror, so I think SK wanted to get Moon out of the way if they happened to put him first on a map Soju is comfortable beating him - Soju is also a very good player against UD. Susiria has a great UD mirror, and a pretty good Elf matchup, so it would make sense to start him here.

Susiria wins game 1.

What does SK do now?

SK opts to put in Reign to try to take down Susiria. Why didn’t SK put in Lyn? My guess they were holding him back in order to take down Moon on Lost Temple.

SK.ReiGn	vs	MYM]Susiria
	Twisted Meadows

Susiria wins game 2.

MYM goes up 2-0. SK now needs to do anything they can to prevent Susiria from getting 3 points (requiring only 1 more point total from 3 MYM players)

They put in Lyn and Lyn chooses Lost Temple, pretty much a guaranteed point between equally skilled players in the Orc v Undead matchup.

SK.Lyn	vs	MYM]Susiria
	Lost Temple

MYM is still up 2-1 over SK.

Naturally then MYM puts in Moon in his best matchup, and he chooses Terenas Stand.

SK.Lyn	vs	MYM]Moon
	Terenas Stand

Surprisingly Moon loses to Lyn, and Lyn evens the match at 2-2.

At this point in the match, MYM has lost Susiria and Moon, SK has lost Soju and Reign.

MYM's remaining player pool:

Lucifer
FoCuS

SK's remaining player pool:

Lyn
ReMinD

MYM has used Terenas Stand as their only map, SK has used Twisted Meadows and Lost Temple.

MYM now has a precarious situation. If they put in Focus, he would likely win; as previously stated, Orc mirror on Lost Temple is his best possible situation. However, he would then meet Remind on the map of his choice, and would almost definitely lose Orc v NE on Turtle Rock. However, putting Lucifer against Lyn, even on an Undead favored map like Turtle Rock or Twisted Meadows would be risky, and even then, you force Lucifer to play Remind on an Elf favored map, even if he beats Lyn in a difficult matchup.

MYM makes a safer bet for a (relatively) sure point and puts Focus on Lost Temple.

SK.Lyn	vs	FoCuS
	Lost Temple

As MYM had hoped, Focus wins. MYM then leads 3-2. SK responds with Remind on Turtle Rock.

SK.ReMinD	vs	FoCuS
	Turtle Rock

Remind wins, and the match is tied 3-3.

It comes down to Lucifer against Remind on Turtle Rock. And we know who came out on top this time.

MYM all smiles after winning NGL Season 4

With this in mind, MYM has managed this perfectly. The only event that didn't go to plan was Moon losing his choice. Other than that, the match was chalk. Every matchup went the way you would expect (with possible exception of Susiria vs Soju on Twisted Meadows, really about even).

I have to criticize SK for their managing in this match, I would say that they should have put in Lyn immediately after Susiria beat Soju. Reign would be a good player to put in against Moon or Lucifer later in the match, and you have to think Lyn would beat Susiria on Lost Temple.

Meet Your Makers later won the Grand Final 4-2 over SK Gaming yet again.

You can easily see where planning the maps that you use, especially when you have 2 top players that use the same race (Susiria and Lucifer for MYM, Remind and Soju for SK, Sky and InFi for WE to name a few), is extremely important to win. Making sure that you complete the objective of your players getting their best map in their best matchup (or at least top 2) is a key aspect of winning in NGL format.