A few weeks ago I wrote a column asking if beastcleave might actually be a good thing for WoW. After much, much deliberation… I’m still not sure.

You see, after Saturday’s MLG action I had this week’s column practically written in my head. It went something along the lines of “blah, blah, blah, beastcleave is terrible, blah, blah, no skill, blah, blah spam cooldowns etc.” But although I still feel that to some extent, the fact is that Button Bashers ’s game against CheckSix was arguably the most exciting game of the tournament. In my mind it was a clear battle of good-vs-evil, skill-vs-faceroll and the fact that skill won-out in the end really restored some of my faith in WoW as a competitive game.

Just like any Hollywood movie, the series went right down to the wire. Hell, that set of games even had some well defined characters. Naehyun 'Orangemarmalade' Kang was the main character: well known, well loved and performer of flashy moves. Then the rogue, San 'Hiren' Gyu Lee, was the brains behind the outfit. His ability was harder to see but is much more appreciated by ‘Those Who Know.’ Then there was Seoungouk 'Numberone' Oh who played the sidekick; picking his team mates up when they were down (… on health) and Renewing their hopes.

Okay, enough bad puns, but you get the idea.

Sure, the grand final had its moments. Obviously it had an added edge for myself, being a member of the SK crew and a proud European esports fan. But from a neutral perspective it was surely second best. Even the fact that SK Gaming EUROPE beat Check Six was more satisfying for me than the fact they were in the final.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying I hate the American team or anything like that. They thought they had the perfect counter to the most successful comp of all time so why the hell not run it? At the end of the day serious competition is about playing to win and that’s what they did. As one of the MLG commentators said at the time, now they need to find a counter to Button Bashers.

But despite all that play to win shtick, I’m still delighted to see a team do it with style. Partly this is for the pure entertainment factor and partly it is because I want to see the most skilled players win, not the best comp. But as I realised this weekend, it’s also partly because allowing those cheesy setups a chance to do well adds that extra bit of entertainment value.

Sure, it’s frustrating for players and fans alike. I’ve heard (and seen) a few professional players quit because of that kind of thing. And, I admit, when I lost to cheese-comps on live I also get pretty pissed. But teams like x6 add a subplot for the spectators to every tournament they play in. They add a little spice, a villain, a team to hate and I’m fine with that…

As long as they don’t actually win.

_

The Zechs Files returns next Tuesday, as always.