On Sunday the 1st of July, Team Exile5 squared off against Avant in the second semi-final in the first season of CGI. Representing Exile5 were Floormassace, Dlux, BigArmz, Cryptic, Shan1n, Gary, Beefay and Syrim.

Showing consistent form in the traditional pre-match repair tool challenge, x5 having lost were asked to pick what map they would play first in the best of three maps format.

First Half of Dama:

Having picked Damavand Peak as our choice, x5 quickly set about enacting the Russian stratagem. A successful chopper drop and assault on the enemy home flag meant that as planned, x5 had an early grasp on A and C flags, leaving Avant to sit vulnerable from both fronts on B flag central to the map. The rest of the first half followed along the same route as this early success, with Syrim masterfully maintaining air superiority and Beefay countering Avant?s armour x5 were able to quickly and efficiently rebuke any attempted counterattacks. A dominant 203 ticket victory was just reward.

Second Half of Dama:

Expecting a team of the quality possessed by Avant to strike back, x5 moved quickly as the US side to take the fight directly to B. Ut est when both teams elect to fight over B on Damavand, each successful skirmish and subsequent lockdown was challenged and broken from determined counterattacks from both sides. Not happy to spin idly in this carnage, both sides attempted raids on the home flags. Eventually Beefay?s skill in the tank (ably repaired by latest team member Gary) shone through, allowing x5 the rare gift of a sustained lockdown on two flags allowing us to take the hard fought second round 125-0.With one map down, it was now time to play Avant?s choice of map. As expected they opted for Grand Bazaar, the map they had soundly beaten us on just a week ago. However, in the ensuing week much effort had been put into practicing for this outcome. Floor in particular was instrumental in picking up some organisational slack and arranging some much needed practice matches. The fruits of this labour were about to be seen.

First round of Bazaar:

Starting on the favourable US side, we knew that this was the only leg up we would receive in the gruelling match to follow. Leaving Bravo squad on our home flag to contend with armour pushes, Alpha moved into the fray of B alley determined to confront one of the best infantry teams around. Having learnt from previous matches Avant?s aggressive flanking rollout was well countered. As expected the resulting melee around the flag was a see-sawing affair with the flag trading hands numerous times. Superbly led by Dlux, bravo squad was able to take some of the pressure off Alpha. Seizing any opportunity Bravo again and again combined with Beefay in the LAV to harass, cap and generally make a nuisance of themselves on Avant?s home flag. Enjoying this distraction, Alpha was able to make significant inroads through the central alley, eventually capitalising on sustained pressure to hold the flag and give x5 a ground out 43 ticket win.

Second round Bazaar:

Confronted with the less forgiving Russian side, x5 once again engaged in a direct confrontation on B whilst holding our home flag. Whereas capping B from the US side may be considered more of a bodies on cap in the relative safety of ?Pool? and ?420? affair, to attack it from the Russian side involved liberal use of smoke, well timed darts between cover and sharp reviving. Gary, playing his second major role in as many games acquitted himself skilfully in the fracas along with another relative new comer to the workings of alpha squad in Cryptic. It would again fall to Bravo squad to be the tie breaker in this round with Shan1n, Syrim and Dlux working in tandem with Beefay to flank the central alley and support Alpha?s fight on numerous occasions, while acting as a holding squad on the captured flag to allow Alpha to maraud into Avant?s home territory. In the end it was enough to allow x5 to cling onto a narrow 20 ticket win.

A compelling win against quality opponents produced much jubilation in TeamSpeak, with the hours of effort put into practice during the week bearing one of the most rewarding victories in Exile5?s BF3 history. Special thanks goes out to our unofficial prac partners in Crux Crew as well as Carnage and Team Immunity who were good enough to provide us with a much needed warm up before the main event. We progress to the grand final of the inaugural season of CGI to be played against iM in the much anticipated clash of two true Battlefield heavyweights.