Carnage in Caldavar will soon culminate in another Amateur Invitational, where the best eight teams of the second Cycle will be set against one another to find the best squad, and to reward winners in gold and cash. The last four weeks have seen some pretty impressive plays by some of the more well known teams, but also saw the rise of newcomers, who are all now ready to give their all once more. Due to several teams sharing the same points after four Amateur Opens, this time we will also have tie-breaker matches to start the tournament off. But before we go into more detail, let's take a short look at all the hopeful teams:

[Dawn]Dawn

Dawn has been around for a while, and while they did not make it through last Cycle’s Amateur Invitational, they are now going stronger than ever. They won two of the four Amateur Opens and are looking very good to go far in this tournament as well. They may not have very well known names on their team, but they are performing very well on the field, and will be one of the favourites to win the Invitational.


[MOE]Moes Tavern

A team that most readers should know by now, Moes Tavern were among the favourites to make it to the Pro Division in the first Cycle. But things did not go as planned for them that day, so they had to stay on the Amateur level for now. But it seems that this has only made their resolve stronger; they won one of the Amateur Opens of the second Carnage Cycle, and have been practicing a lot in recent weeks, getting ready to win some money and prepare for the new HoN Tour Season. If it hadn't been for Dawn’s great performance as of late, Moes Tavern would be alone on top of the list, but it seems that they found a worthy rival.


[SolC]The Solaire Club

The Club has been improving steadily ever since Carnage in Caldavar has started. While they did not have much of a chance in the first Amateur Invitational, this time they worked hard to get where they are now, and their chances to win this Invitational have improved dramatically. They haven't won an Amateur Open yet, but they will certainly prove to be a challenge for any team that has to play against them. Prepare to see them in the Gold Division in the future.


[TF]Twisted Fuzion

These guys have been around for quite a while. In HoN Tour Season 2 they were a good and steady Gold Division team who got into Diamond at the end of the Season, and even managed to get through the first 2 rounds of that division. Now they’re back in the thick of things to prove that this was no accident. Under the leadership of [TwFu]Slot`PLZzZ, the team has matured and is now ready for greater challenges, perhaps even Diamond Division again in the future. As for this tournament, it will serve as a proving ground for their skill and determination; an early out is not an option.


[eN]Essence

Perhaps the surprise of the Cycle, the guys from Essence have been playing well in all four Amateur Opens, and defeated several of the teams that are now standing with them in the Invitational. Now it is time for them to show that they weren't just lucky and that they can play consistently in a competitive environment. They might not win this tournament, but are certainly able to make things difficult for the big teams, perhaps even making one of them stumble. And hopefully they will stick around for the new HoN Tour season, they seem like a solid team that would be able to go places.


[iRex]Instant Reflex
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This team is a bit of a mystery. One day they don't show up to an Amateur Open at all, at other times they almost win it. They seem to struggle with their roster and discipline, but the players are skilled and eager, which shows in excellent performances if they manage to get five players into a match. Currently they are lacking a fifth player in their lineup, so chances are that they might not be able to compete at all, but if they get a fifth and they get a little practice before the Invitational starts, iRex might as well win this. They’re the random factor of the tournament, keep an eye out for them - if you can find them.


The four teams below all have the same score and have to play in the tie-breaker before the true Amateur Invitational starts.

[CzSk]The Tyrants

In the past weeks, The Tyrants have been seen and doing well in both Casual and Amateur Cups, showing a vast skill set for every situation. They did not get far in the first CiC Cycle, but their performance improved recently, and now they have made it just one win away from the Invitational. In theory they have what it takes to advance, but so do the others and The Tyrants will have to give it their all to move forward. If they manage to get into the Invitational, they might make it into the second round, but for now it is not likely that they will topple the big teams.


[PpM]PepsiMaX

Another team that people should get familiar with, PepsiMaX made it to the second round of the previous Amateur Invitational and only dropped out there because the overwhelming Willowkeeper was their opponent. Unfortunately, from that day on they seem to have been a bit depressed. Nothing has really worked for them and they barely earned enough points to make it to the tie-breaker. But those who think that PepsiMaX are finished are making a huge mistake, this team has excellent players and it’s only a matter of time before they have success again. This team is probably the favourite to make it out of the tie-breaker and should be counted among the potentials for the second round in the Invitational.


[21cm]LisaAnn

This oddly named team has also been around for a while, but always been under the radar. Their victories were usually followed quickly by losses, but still they managed to be a challenge for the bigger teams they encountered. The fact that they earned enough points to be here this Cycle might be enough encouragement for them to make it through the tie-breaker and once more give the big teams a proper scare. In the future you may see them in the Gold Division if they keep practicing against good teams and take things seriously.


[AS5]Acid Squirrel Squad

The last of the 700 point teams. In the past four Amateur Opens they managed to defeat PepsiMax, The Tyrants, and Instant Reflex, so if they fight hard and get a bit lucky they have a good chance to survive the tie-breaker. They get a bonus for their awesome team name and logo, but they won’t get through the Invitational on looks alone. Still, just like LisaAnn, they deserve to be here and may have a bright future in HoN ahead of them - it's all a matter of practice and discipline.

Amateur Invitational Begins On Saturday

As mentioned before, the last four teams will first play a tie-breaker best-of-three on Saturday at 12:00 EDT | 18:00 CEST, before the winners of these join the other teams in the Amateur Invitational that will start right after at 15:00 EDT | 21:00 CEST with the RO8. On Sunday at the usual times will be the RO4, followed by the Grand Finals. The two teams to make it into the Grand Finals will also fight for a total of $500, with the winner taking a whole $300 of that, so get ready for some excellent matches coming up. With HoN Tour Season 3 in the background, this might be a first show of strength for the future Gold and Diamond teams. Good Luck and Have Fun to all players!

About the author: Blaze