WePlay Dragon Temple Day 3: Tekken Master Wins, But How Did The Others Fare?

What a night!

The inaugural WePlay Dragon Temple event ended with Tekken Master taking the title with a 3-0 win over rival, Foxy Grampa. In what was an action-filled night, we got to see some sick Mortal Kombat sets between some of the best players in the world. 

The night kicked off with Foxy Grampa completely annihilating Dubasik and sending him down to the losers bracket. Then Tekken Master, Konqueror, and Grr also recorded wins to move on. At the end of the day, Tekken Master took top spot, Foxy Grampa came in second, and Hayatei placed third. 

On an individual basis, I would like to score every fighter in the top 8 and talk about all the cool stuff they did. Starting with...

Foxy Grampa

A-

Foxy Grampa came into the tournament as a favorite to win, and with his performance on day one, it looked like he just might run away with it. His bag of characters was generally too much to deal with for most opponents, and his tendency to command grab, and bombard victims with fireballs made him impossible to contend with. On the night, he did pretty well, only losing to Tekken Master. He did almost fall against Hayatei, but in true champion fashion, he was able to clutch it out.

Dubasik

C+

The Russian Kabal user was a delight to watch— for better or worse. His exhilarating display against 2ez in his first match in Group B had me thinking he might be on to something, but he subsequently let his aggression get the better of him, thereby making him a much easier read for his opponents. To his credit, he toned it down for the top 8 and was a lot more deliberate and patient in his play. Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep him in the tournament.

AVirk

B-

For someone playing in an offline tournament for the first time, AVirk looked remarkably unflustered. His Scorpion was clean and polished, and his ability to patiently absorb his opponent's attack before unleashing a flurry of combos which usually ended with a 'Fatal Blow' and a win, were pivotal to his advancement. However, it is also quite true that AVirk has very little tournament experience and perhaps this played a role in his defeat to Konqueror.

Grr

B-

Who doesn't love Grr? The Geras user was the epitome of emotion and energy. Every time he sat down to take on a rival, his focus was intense, and his ability to clutch out situations was incredibly impressive. He was dumped into losers by Foxy Grampa, which is nothing to be ashamed of, before losing to a rejuvenated Hayatei. He did so well, but it could be argued that his emotion perhaps made him a little too eager in certain aspects and this could possibly have led to a few unfortunate decisions. 

Hayatei

B+

If the tournament ended on Saturday, perhaps Hayatei would have a 'D' grade. This is because, the Canadian started the competition in pretty disappointing fashion and found himself struggling for wins. He squeaked through as the 4th placed player in the group, but his performances left a lot to be desired. 

He came out swinging yesterday and after an initial defeat to eventual winner Tekken Master, he really showed his insane quality, running through losers before losing ever so slightly to Foxy Grampa in the losers' final. His remarkable comeback against Foxy, coupled with his terrific upturn in form, shot him all the way to third position, and that is not something to be sniffed at. 

Konqueror

A-

The Sub-Zero user was the picture of humility all through the tournament. However, beneath all that is a fierce competitor. Just like Tekken Master, Konqueror isn't the flashiest player to ever take the stage, preferring to master the basics and wait his turn for attacks, but this supreme understanding of the fundamentals meant that he was hardly ever caught doing anything remotely silly. His match against AVirk was a definite highlight, and we all hope to see him again soon.

MK_Azerbaijan

B-

The dark horse of the tournament. When Azerbaijan joined the WePlay Dragon Temple roster, few knew who he was, but he has admittedly left a mark by the end of the tournament. Using Rain, a character that is barely a month old, to make it out of his group and give the likes of Konqueror and Hayatei a problem is no mean feat. It is expected that he will only grow stronger, and there are several people (including me) who would love to see what he does in the near future.

Tekken Master

A++

Four matches against intense competition, only one set dropped makes for some impressive reading when looking at how Tekken Master became the champion. His insane roster of characters and adaptability were on full display last night as he had an answer to every single question thrown at him by opponents. Using Jacqui Briggs (he used Kotal Kahn, Sheeva, and Cetrion at various points in the tournament) he was virtually untouchable. 

A well-deserved victory for the Bahranian, and with this title under his belt, I wonder what next he'll do?

The WePlay Dragon Temple was so much fun, with hype matches, insane production quality, and the best analysis and action you could find anywhere. The good news is that they are far from over and as we say goodbye to what has been a torrid year, this tournament will certainly stand out as a remarkable experience for the FGC.

2021, here we come!