Fans of WoW were just treated to a perfect example of why RMP is still one of the strongest comps in the game. The three quiet guys from SK Europe got off to a slow start in game one, but after that it was like poetry in motion.

The immense control that Rogue/Mage/Priest has was utilised to its full potential by three players at the absolute peak of their powers. It’s not even like the US team played badly, but the fact that this was their first game was clearly visible. Reactions were barely a millisecond slower but as the old adage goes, give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile.

Despite losing game one, SK EU stuck with their original plan for the second game but executed it so, so much better. Zom was able to stick to Realz much more easily, despite having to proc Cheat Death early on (yes, he was playing Shadow Dance). Some well placed Deathgrips from Serennia kept his team in the game, but he couldn’t keep himself alive as both he and Zom went down.

The two-on-two was poorly played by the US team, however. They allowed Orly to drink time and time again, forfeiting the natural mana advantage that paladins usually have. That allowed Orly to play aggressively, something Sck was never really able to do. Sheep after sheep onto Sck really kept the pressure on the US team. But it was a superbly placed fear by Orly that split the paladin perfectly from the hunter and allowed Another to take down the latter.

Game three was on Nagrand and after a slow start, the action was over in a flash. Zom went all 3.0 style and blew nearly every cooldown in the first minute. Importantly, though, he saved Shadowstep for every time Realz used Disengage. That meant that went Sck got feared and bubble got mass-dispelled, Zom was right on top of Realz to finish him off while Another did the same to Serennia who was hardly involved in the game at all.

Game four was even faster than the previous as SK.EU really hit their stride. Serennia went aggressive on Blade’s Edge, but it didn’t work. Zom trained Realz again while Another was allowed to chain-sheep Sck. That allowed Zom to dominate Realz completely and pick up a 3-1 for his team.

SK Europe’s next game against Mousesports should see them go 2-0 in the group, but of course no game is ever that simple. Never the less, with the guys looking revitalised after Thursday’s disappointment, it will take something special to stop them.

The American team go on to face an all-American clash with Complexity next. They will be upset about losing to SK Europe, but at the same time it could be the perfect remedy for any jet lag. They didn’t play badly, SK.EU just played near-perfect, and if Serennia and co keep their belief they still have a great chance of progressing.