The VCL South Asia has been an exciting tournament for esports enthusiasts, and the match between Reckoning Esports and Aster Army was highly anticipated. The two teams had dominated the competition thus far, with Reckoning Esports winning all of their previous matches. However, Aster Army had other plans, and they handed Reckoning Esports their first defeat in a thrilling match with a final score of 13-6 and 13-9 on the Split and Icebox maps, respectively.
Rosters and Lineups of Reckoning Esports and Aster Army
Reckoning Esports had a talented lineup consisting of Harsh “Harshhh” Arora as IGL, Saksham “Deadly10” Aurangabadkar, Varun “Mast3r” Menon, Daniil “flabben” Merzlyakov, and Aleksandr “hvoya” Eremin.
Aster Army’s roster consisted of Hrishikesh “DominiK” Khedkar as IGL, Soumyadeep “DOXZ3R” Dey, Ngô “Kishi” Huy, Pranav “Kohliii” Kohli, Lee “Wink” Zhen Yong, and Sami “SSSami” Ar Rahman (Sub).
Map Veto and Selection
The map veto process saw Aster Army banning Lotus and Reckoning Esports banning Haven. Aster Army selected Split, while Reckoning Esports selected Icebox. Fracture and Ascent were banned, and the final map was Pearl.
Recap of the Maps
On Split, Aster Army won the pistol round, and in the anti-eco, Reckoning Esports dropped three weapons from Aster Army with just sheriffs. Aster Army won the bonus round, gaining momentum, and Kishi displayed an outstanding performance on Sage as he got quadruple kills in round 4. In the 7th round, Reckoning Esports almost got a thrifty round but couldn’t convert it. Aster Army closed the half in their favor at 8-4. Kishi had the game of his life with 28 kills and an ACS of 393.
On Icebox, Reckoning Esports got the pistol round, thanks to Harshh’s triple kill. In round 5, Hvoya got a triple kill, and Reckoning Esports was leading 4-1. However, all hell broke loose, and Aster Army managed to come back with a score of 8-4. Reckoning Esports broke their momentum by winning the pistol round but almost threw away their buy round. In the bonus round, Hvoya got triple kills, helping them convert the round into victory.
The score tied at 8-8. Aster Army broke their momentum again and got two rounds consecutively. Harshh got a triple kill in round 19, and Wink got a triple kill in round 20. In round 21, Mast3r got insane triple kills on his sheriff, but despite having a man advantage, Reckoning Esports failed to convert the round in their favor. Aster Army went ahead to close the map at 13-9, ending Reckoning Esports’ winning streak in VCL SA.
Playoff Qualification
The top three teams qualifying for the playoffs will be decided on the rest of the Group B matches as Medal Esports and Reckoning Esports need to win their respective matches. Reckoning Esports, which previously dominated the VCL SA, will now have to work harder to secure its spot in the playoffs. The team’s roster is undoubtedly talented, but Aster Army’s impressive performance has proven to be a challenging obstacle.
Aster Army’s victory has given them a fighting chance in the tournament. With a 2-2 score in the points table, the team now has a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Their next matches will be crucial, and the team will have to maintain their form to secure their spot in the top three.
The Reckoning Esports vs. Aster Army match was an exciting display of talent and skills in the VCL South Asia. Both teams fought hard, but it was Aster Army who emerged victorious. The tournament is heating up, and the competition is getting tougher with each passing match. Fans are eagerly waiting to see who will make it to the playoffs and who will be crowned as the VCL SA champions. The tournament has provided a platform for aspiring esports players to showcase their skills, and it has shown the potential of esports in the region.
