SNSD vs The Syndicate – NA vs EU Highlander Showmatch

With the signups for ETF2L’s 3rd season of Highlander opening in a week’s time on Monday 15th October and a potentially awesome season of one-of-each-class, cart pushing action going down with prize money involved, we figure now is a good time to start bringing up the hype. Now for the first time ETF2L is proud to present in association with VanillaTV and eXtelevision a 3 map showmatch series between the undisputed ETF2L champions of Highlander, SNSD who are undefeated in all official matches and the currently number 1 ranked UGC Platinum team  The Syndicate, who possess public stars such as  Stabby Stabby as well as i46 winner  Ruwin and ex-ESEA Invite champion  Vhalin on their roster.

Our friends from eXtelevision have kindly provided a server in New York for us to use (shoutout to eoreality.net) and community hero  Salamancer to join myself,  Hildreth and  Admirable on the microphone for VanillaTV this Sunday 14th October at 21.15 CET or 15.15 EST (for all you East coasters out there). As per usual TF2’s coolest cameraman  Comedian will be keeping it together on the stream for what we hope should be a close and exciting game as two divided scenes meet for the first time in an official capacity.

Being an online showmatch we cannot guarantee a fair game however we are of the good fortune that  The Syndicate is mostly based in the West Coast of the United States, meaning they will ping the same to New York as the majority of SNSD with both teams expected to average roughly 90-120 ping.

As the dust settles from the American dominance of i46, I can still clearly remember a sign read out from the stage before the Grand Final which read “At least we’re (Europe) better at Highlander…and MGE!” Now Epsilon’s  Mike has already shown the yanks his MGE skills but the North American and European Highlander scenes still remain quite far apart, never having played a proper showmatch to gain some bragging rights.

With the Americans playing over in the UGC League having just scrapped their 3 invite players per team policy, leading to the creation stacked teams meshing both talented Highlander players plus skillful 6v6 stars into a solid unit. This is so the case with  The Syndicate, who are currently 4-0 in UGC Platinum, rolling the league including besting other teams with similairly stacked rosters, having already got individual players who have won everything in 6v6, the team relies on the calls of their Medic,  Hein who is the only player in the side to have ever won a Highlander tournament.

SNSD over the years have grown into TF2 legend, being the only Highlander team in the history of TF2 to become a dynasty; they won the single biggest TF2 competition in the Community Highlander Challenge, defeating Colony in the final back in early 2011, they proved they weren’t just the best community by beating the talented Angry German Kids in the CommFT Highlander cup and have since sweeped up both Season 1 and 2 of ETF2L’s regular Highlander season and the Experimental cup #2, meaning they have incredibly won every game of Highlander they have ever participated in. On paper the records show  SNSD will be the dominant force but having not played for a few months, facing up against a team of talent who practise Highlander regulary will be a challenge unlike any they have ever faced.