Armitra NXT played their 53rd ESEA season in the Open10 league. It was their first season playing together, and there was no indication that it would result in promotion to higher divisions. They finished the regular season with an 8-6 record and qualified for the playoffs in Group B. They started the playoffs with three wins, which we covered in our previous article. They had one final opponent left in their battle for promotion, and that was the German team Rebound Academy.
The match for promotion to ESEA Intermediate – Armitra NXT vs Rebound Academy
We started the match on a map chosen by our partner. It was Nuke, a map Armitra NXT often picks and feels very comfortable on. However, they started on the terror side, where the game is tougher on this map. Despite this, our partner had no intention of giving up and, thanks to a win in the pistol round, took a 2:0 lead. The opponents responded with a single full round win, but after that Armitra got back on track and extended their lead to 4:1. The Germans tried to fight back, though these were isolated rounds interspersed with wins for the Poles. By the end of the first half, however, they had managed to close the gap significantly, and it ended in a draw.
The second half began with Rebound winning the pistol round, putting them 8-6 ahead. Despite this, the fighting spirit of the Armitra NXT lads remained strong, allowing them to quickly draw level by the 16th round. Economic issues on the opposing side also allowed them to take the lead, although once these issues were resolved, we returned to a draw. Despite a fairly even map, the finish proved one-sided and our partner ended the match with a score of 13:9.
NUKE
(Armitra NXT pick)
Armitra NXT 13:9 Rebound Academy
After the first map, it was time for the second, this time chosen by the German team. It was Ancient, and our partner started on the CT side, which they had chosen themselves. They managed to win the pistol round and take a 2-0 lead, but the opponents woke up in time and slightly turned the tide of the match. Initially, Rebound levelled the score, but they didn’t stop there and took a 6-2 lead. Armitra NXT responded, though a single round wasn’t enough to halt their opponents’ momentum, and it was they who ended the first half leading 9-3.
In the second half, the German team once again started with a pistol round win, but it didn’t matter, as Armitra won the force buy, bringing the score to 10–6. Once the opponents had fully equipped themselves, there was no contest, and the second map ended in favour of the Germans, who took us to the decider – Train.
ANCIENT
(pick Rebound Academy)
Armitra NXT 9:13 Rebound Academy
It was time for the decisive map, Train. Thanks to winning the knife round, Armitra NXT could choose which side to start on, and they opted for the defensive side. Despite this, the opponents got off to a better start on this map, as they began with a pistol round win and a quick 2-0 lead. However, a similar situation arose to the previous map, because as soon as our partner found his form in the full round, he had no intention of stopping. He was only stopped by a win from the opposing team, which came when they were leading 5-2. However, this was merely a one-round halt, and after that the Poles continued to play superbly, bringing the score to 9-3 in their favour by the end of the half.
The final half separating our partner from promotion began brilliantly for them; a win in the pistol round put them 11–3 ahead. The Germans managed to respond, although following that response, Armitra scored their 12th point and took the match to eight rounds. The first was not taken, but after the second they could celebrate their promotion.
TRAIN
(decider)
Armitra NXT 13:5 Rebound Academy
| Armitra NXT |  |
2:1 |  |
Rebound Academy | | | Nuke 13:9 | Ancient 7:13 | Train 13:5 |
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