#MicksDesk Tournament: The Finals

It began with 109 people, 5 NPCs, and the promise of glory that comes with winning the first ever #MicksDesk tournament. The past few days of competiton brought surprises, made new stars, and reminded everyone that skill will only take you so far when the !fight is for everything. Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and Round 4 are complete.

Now the finals...

Quarter Final Results:
The fourth round claimed some of the big names heading in to the first lot of finals. Fourth seed Kron was the most shocking loss, falling to DaMo in something of a grudge match. SixArmedSamurai lost a battle of the NPCs to Aqua, setting up a blockbuster bout between Aqua and Toryn, who made ElJobber his most recent victim in the last round after a controversial five hour minion slaughter. The NPC seeds were poised for victory as opponents appeared to be lambs led to the slaughter, Ratt and Genku the next in line to be claimed.

1. Ratt progressed to the semi final due to a bye.
In a surprising twist, Ares Menschlich [#1 seed, War] opted to forfeit his position in the finals of his own tournament.The third of Lord Mislukking's Four Barons, he cited his own domination as reason for withdrawing. The twist was exactly what fan-favourite, Ratt, needed to continue his incredible rise through the ranks!

2. Toryn defeated Aqua in a solid win.
After eliminating Cr0w in the third round, Aqua had forged a reputation beyond perhaps the true capacity of his skills. Toryn set about restoring some perspective with a good win over the NPC ninja, who certainly tested Toryn's controversially attained newfound powers, but not enough so to silence his critics.

3. Hokey defeated DaMo in a comprehensive win.
All eyes were on DaMo after his elimination of Kron in the round of sixteen, but that luck seemed to have run out in the Quarter Finals. Hokey, a quiet contender throughout the tournament, emerged as the heaviest hitter of the QFs, rocking DaMo with a +3 impact in a punishing solid win.

4. Genku defeated Famine [#2] in a shock decimation!
Bez Busshitsu, the first of Lord Mislukking's Four Barons, had cut a convincing path through the tournament to this point, and although most opponents were decimated, Famine's results weren't nearly as impossible as War's. Genku stepped up to the plate to solidify his status as a tournament favourite, eliminating the last remaining seed in devastating fashion!

Semi Final Results:
The elimination of NPCs in the Quarter Finals overshadowed the users who managed to oust them. Ratt's bye into the semi final created a lot of excitement about his potential to win, despite the fact that he did not actually defeat War. Toryn remained a hot topic as critics continued to speculate about the legitimacy of his rise to the Semi Final, allowing Genku to fly under the radar after his eliminating win over #2 seed, Famine.

1. Toryn defeated Ratt in a total decimation.
The dream run was over as Ratt succumbed to a full strength Toryn. Ironically, it may have been Ratt's successes that allowed complacency to set in as he distanced himself from the near-death power levels that motivated his early matches. The win earned Toryn hot odds to take the whole thing, a fact that only solidifies his heel status.

2. Genku defeated Hokey in a decimation.
Genku had been one of the strongest competitors throughout the early rounds, earning the heavy hit of the tournament with his +9 crushing of Shadaloo in Round 2, but it was only with his graduation to the Final that his potential was truly recognised. Hokey was appreciated in defeat.

The Final:
Their Semi Final results were almost mirrored. Toryn had the better of Ratt, but Genku punched harder in his battle with Hokey. Incredibly well matched, the pair made an undeniably compelling scenario for the tournament final, regardless of prejudices. Toryn's path included Ken, Twiztid_Ninja, Mimik, ElJobber, Aqua, and Ratt. Genku's path included foahchon, Shadaloo, Tyrant-Cenobite, Baraka_MK, Famine, and Hokey. There were no words when it came to the fight, only battle...

Final: Genku defeated Toryn in a comprehensive end.
Come tournament final, both men were punching below their weight. In the end, it was Toryn who grossly under performed, achieving an attack near his lowest potential. Genku was far from the top of his game, but in the end, comfortably defeated his opponent with a +2 impact. It was a surprising, but satisfying result to several days of competition.

Speculation now turns to the future. You can join the action in #MicksDesk and begin your career as a combatant by !fighting NPCs, other users, and cheeving your way to a gamerscore. The !RPCheev plot will no doubt advance at some point. When it does, who will be champion?...