June 25-26 Featured Matches

Featured Matches this Arc

The next round of the featured matches starts this week. It seems like a good milestone to take a moment and give everyone a rundown of the “score” or history for each faction in the featured matches from the arc so far. Don’t forget that these are only looking at featured matches and not pickup matches, so while it gives a good general idea of the lore stakes won so far, it’s not necessarily going to represent each faction’s standings in BoP.

• Everyone
  • 3 weeks or sets of featured matches have been played so far
  • those sets have created a total of 18 matches played in featured matches, each faction has played in 9
• Bandle City
  • Best of 3 sets won: 2
  • Total games won: 5
•  Bilgewater
  • Best of 3 sets won: 3
  • Total games won: 8
• Icathia
  • Best of 3 sets won: 1
  • Total games won: 4
• The Freljord
  • Best of 3 sets won: 0
  • Total games won: 1

Nice job by Bilgewater with a nearly flawless record. With Freljord struggling so far I am really rooting for them to pull it together this week and make up some ground, and have high hopes that their most recent champion pickup will give them some help.

The stories and stakes for the matches this week are in the makings, but for now enjoy some non-cannon placeholders.

Schedule

Saturday, June 25 – Icathia (the Void) vs the Freljord

Saturday’s matches will be making a special appearance in the hit show Mythbreakers. The hosts, Jayce and Viktor, are hoping the matches will be able to give them a demonstration that will verify or break the claim that the ice created by an accomplished sorcerer is capable of holding back all sorts of Void energies, ranging from disintegration rays, spikes, multiple forms of silencing fields, even maddening, insanity causing mental attacks.

Both hosts have high levels of expertise with void energy due to their experiments with Pyrikhos and its use in hextech. However, neither host has much experience in dealing with ice magic, or have reliable means to replicate it. Hence why they are relying on analyzing footage from the matches between Icathia and the Freljord to test this myth.

Despite their similar amount of experience in the sciences involved in this myth, Viktor and Jayce have very differing predictions to the myth’s outcome. As Viktor put it, “I have witnessed void creatures blast straight through hypersteel armor used on the giant death robots in the Hexkorps as though it wasn’t even there. If the void energies are capable of going through my designs with such ease, water cooled to zero degrees Celsius will stand no chance against it. The idea is just an old wives’ tale.”

When we asked Jayce on what he though of the myth, he gave a very different answer, “Viktor has spent too much time with a metal rod up his…lower back. ‘Oh, I, uh, “invented” this piece of metal that has the ductility and brittleness of cast iron but the strength of aluminum, but to make sure it sells I have to act like its useful and give it fancy names.’ Quite simply, the Avarosan built an entire fortress out of nothing but ice. That thing is nearly impenetrable, whether it be attacked by Noxian catapults, blasted by explosives, or exposed to countless forms of void energies. Maybe Cho’Gath will manage to smash through a rather thin wall of ice, but that’s just masses and forces, basic physics, not void energies that will break through the ice.”

And there you have it. Make sure to watch for Jayce and Viktor in the audience and to look at how well the ice stands up to the void. And, of course, make sure to tune in to the next exciting episode of Mythbreakers.

Sunday, June 26 – Bandle City vs Bilgewater

We have another special guest appearance at the institute this weekend. The cast of The BC Team, a hit action show, will be signing autographs in the Bandle City wing of the institute before the matches begin. We will be seeing some of the most well known characters such as John “Fluffy” Smith, “Hug Mad” Murdock, Templeton “Cute and Cuddly” Peck, and B.H. (Big Heart) Baracus.

Gangplank released a statement earlier today, claiming that the actors should not be allowed near the match, as he believed it was to cover up Bandle City attempting to cheat in the matches. “Ya see, that Fluffy one is what ye be callin’ a master of disguise. He could take me coat and me other effects and pretend to be me on the fields. Well, I warn ye right now, Fluffy, you so much as step a toe past and me be bashin’ your head, carvin’ your leg, eatin’ your stomach, and swimmin’ your elbows. I’de sooner see ya used as chum than let you mess with the business of ole’ Bilgewater.”

A reporter inquired to Gangplank, “Could you please repeat that last action you said you would take against Fluffy if he were to step a toe out of line?”

“Arg, ye heard me. I said I would swim his elbows; I’ll ban his torso, poke his back, jump his head, search his knees, and cut his liver if he be messin’ with me or anyone else from Bilgewater.”

Everyone present looked at the person next to them and gave each other a look of, “Is he actually saying that, or am I just hearing things?”

It was then that Gangplank entered the room. He slammed his metal fist against the wall, making a loud clang that got the attention of everyone present. “What the devils is going on here. Ye think me be he? That be an impostor I tell ye!”

Gangplank, the second one who had just entered the room, raised his sword and pointed it towards the other Gangplank, “Ye must have a death wish, ye slack jawed, belly achin’, bag o’ maggots! I’ll string ye up till ye legs stop kickin’ before feeding ye to the wharf rats.”

The crowd stared in awe, shocked silent as two completely identical Gangplanks stood before them. The first Gangplank, the one who had been talking to the audience, drew his sword, “Ye be thinkin’ ye a match for me, the pirate king? I’ll clean ye neck ye parrot-lovin’, seaweed slurpin’, whale-fart!”

The second Gangplank drew his pistol in his other hand, “Ye bleatin’, toothless, swabber, I’ll turn ye arm and make you rue the day you crossed blades with the true pirate king!”

The first Gangplank grabbed his beard and ripped it off, revealing that he was really none other than John “Fluffy” Smith. The audience gasped and a few people with weak blood pressure even fainted, for the two Gangplanks had looked completely identical until Fluffy revealed himself to be in disguise.

Fluffy smiled and put a cigar in his mouth before lighting it. “I do love it when a fresh batch of cookies comes out of the oven. Which should be happening right now, so I must bid you all a found farewell. Murdock, start up the van!”

Gangplank ran after Fluffy, “I don’t think so. Ye won’t be leaving here cept’ locked up in irons.”

Fluffy motioned his head for B.H. Baracus to come over, “B.H., show this pirate why we call you Big Heart.”

B.H. stared down Gangplank. He walked right up to him and pointed his figure right in the pirate’s face, “I’ll cuddle with you, fool!”

Gangplank gave a confused look, “What the blazes ye be talki…” He was cut off as B.H. gave him a great big hug. Now, you see, Gangplank might be one of the toughest, meanest, and battle-hardened people in the whole world, but no one is though enough to stand up against B.H. Gangplank first was clearly shocked and surprised, but his defenses quickly wore down against B.H. and before he even knew what was happening, he was hugging B.H. right back.