After an interesting Day 1, the first match of the upcoming day is nobody else than Hera vs. MbL. 2 legends, one known for his extreme skillset and currently being the best player in the world and the other for the most chaotic and unpredictable player in the games history.

Dorothea Quarry

Hera started his default wall-up build, which was completely mitigated by MbL. He went extremely aggressive from the start on with his Eagle Warriors. Just after 10 minutes ingame there is a 7 villager difference and 13 military difference.

MbLs aggression looks like it could be they key against Hera. However, Hera is known for coming back in a majority of games. While he tries to counter with Cavalary Archers, MbL is booming with 3 Town Centers on the other side. 20 villager lead after just 14 minutes.

After multiple raids, MbL manages to take the first map from the clear favorite in this tournament and leads the series with a 1-0.

Glacis

Glacis is partially walled from the start on, so early aggression needs to be planned ahead. Hera opens with double Archery Range, MbL single stable. Hera managed to take out 5 villagers with 2 aggressive raids, both players advancing to castle age at the same time.

After some interesting back and forth Hera managed to push in with elephant archers, leading to an early gg from MbL. 1-1.

Thames

Hera went for the early push, while MbL walled completely with an extremely fast castle for MbL. He also tried some wild walling tactics with a various amount of buildings.

Game slowed down a lot after, as both focused on building up their economy, including a fast imperial time for Hera as answer to that fast castle.

Hera wasn't able to take an advantage of that fast imperial, resulting in MbL getting back. It is essentially a stalemate at 22 minutes, both players with roughly 100 villagers and imperial age.

Hera tries to flank from the upper side of the map, resulting in the loss of all trebuchets and monks he had, countered by villagers.

MbL tried to go for an aggressive castle which was initially countered by Hera, however he managed to recover it slightly after. Bohemian War Wagons are currently way to strong in Post-Imperial age.

Slowly but surely MbL manages to push in against Hera, however Hera kept up a 100 villager food production, leading to a lot of Light Cavalary and Hellbardiers being produced. Slowly but surely MbL lost momentum by not raiding Heras upper base.

For almost 20 minutes, it is a constant back and forth in the middle part of the map. After 25 minutes, MbL decides to switch into infantry as well. There is only a total of 13k wood left on the map. After 1 hour ingame time, MbL reached a total of 1000 k/d against Heras 500.

After a nailbiter at the end, MbL manages to take the match 10 minutes before timelimit hits with a total of a 1200/600 K/D. MbL has the chance to take the first match of Hera now, with a 2-1 lead.

https://www.twitch.tv/t90official/clip/OilyCrunchyAlbatrossPlanking-h7zfIEaNld8qC6sW

Hengehold

Both players walled up early and the game is rather defensive compared to before. After a bit of back and forth, MbL decided to go with a castle push straight into the middle. MbL fully focuses on mangonels and now conquisadors, against Heras full crossbows and then moved into a straight aggressive castle into the base of Hera.

With that aggressive castle he managed to push hera away, however he prepared with a triple Town Center to boom behind. After that, the game went into a stalemate for abnout 10 minutes until Hera went for imperial age and an agressive castle towards MbL. MbL goes for a crazy play trying to kill the castle with only his villagers, losing a lot of his economy, now a 100 economy difference, leading into a GG right after. 2-2, the last map will decide.

Stonedrift

The only full water map in the map pool. MbL opens up with a quick 2 villager 2 man at arms push with a transport, which Hera managed to scout instantly. A hole in the woodline allowed MbL to kill 3 villagers early. After the initial loss, Hera counters the play with 7 archers in MbLs base which he was completely surprised by, as he result he transitioned into a 3 town center boom.

Both players advanced to castle age, now turning it into a more naval-based warfare. MbL tried another push with 10 villagers and 2 scorpions but hera managed to counter with 3 knights, leading to a 3-2 for Hera at the end of the series. Close, but MbL did not manage to beat the Titan.