The setup
Ninety-four entrants, seeded by ladder position, single elimination over two weekends. The field was the strongest the community has run — eleven former finalists, three interstate entries flown in on their own dime, and a first-round draw that eliminated last year's champion by lunch.
The early upsets
Defending champion 'Vulcan' fell in round two to a qualifier on a Zero-Sen Kai — a result that previewed the meta shift the tier list would later confirm. The bomber line went 1-7 across the bracket, the worst showing in cup history.
The semi-final everyone is still talking about
'Merlin' vs 'Tex' went to the final boss of the final round. Both players entered the last phase with one life; both spent their last bomb in the same desperation bloom. The run ended on a graze call — three pixels — decided by frame review.
The venue was, to use the official record, 'loud.'
The final
Merlin took the cup 3-1, closing with the cleanest Flying Fortress kill the community has recorded — 47 seconds, no bombs spent. The trophy tag is engraved and on his keyring, where tradition says it lives until next season.
What the bracket proved
The winter cup confirmed what the stats suggested: agility frames dominate pressure play, and the bomber rework cannot come soon enough. Full VODs are on the community channel.
