Quarterfinals Discussion & Predictions
 

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QUARTERFINALS
(1)dead man vs. (9)big baby
(R)Nigma vs. (21)oXus
(2)Pent uP vs. (7)Lars
(3)Vulgar vs. (R)oats

One of the best quarterfinals in recent memory Congratulations to everyone who's made it this far and to everyone who's helped us get here. Mag will be up either 1/28 or 1/29.

Any discussion, shit talking, bitching, and predictions go here.

Am I the only person who can't make a prediction on any of these battles?

I really dunno, all of them could go either way.

1)dead man vs. (9)big baby - this will be an interesting matchup. Baby is capable of the upset if Black doesn't bring his A game.

(R)Nigma vs. (21)oXus - Only question for me with Eng is his consistency, if he's gonna show up or not. If he does, he's one of the top writers here. Nigma is an enigma to me, not sure what he's capable of.

(2)Pent uP vs. (7)Lars - tossup, can't call it. Probably BOTW.

These are some interesting pictures (so I made up bland names).

(1)dead man vs. (9)big baby | "Dead People Around a Rock Hole"
The topic favors storytelling, which neither quite excels at but dead man is more experienced with. big baby, though, has been on his game with arguably the best verses of the first two rounds. I think he can come up with something dark and demented. But dead man loves writing to grim topics. I could see him turning this into a dissertation on religion. Hopefully he finds himself inspired again.
Prediction: big baby 52-48

(21)oXus vs. (R)Nigma | "Strange Stuctures in the Desert"
The dark horse matchup features two interesting writers. Nigma has a fantastic imagination and should be able to run with this topic. oXus will have to step out of his comfort zone, but his writing is more polished and interesting. I think there are quite a few good ways to approach this picture, and I am guessing Nigma will go large-scale storytelling while oXus might develop what these structures are and why they reflect on humanity.
Prediction: Nigma 54-46

(2)Pent uP vs. (7)Lars | "Underwater City Also Has Whales"
I don't know what to think of this topic, which seems to my eyes to be by far the hardest to write for. Pent uP has the better style to approach something fantastical like this, but Baron Mynd is a pro's pro. I think Pent uP will spend more time developing his concept and write something enormous and showy, while Baron Mynd will shoot straight and crisp with a more minimalist bent on underwater living or something like that. The former approach works better here.
Prediction: Pent uP 53-47

(3)Vulgar vs. (R)oats | "Man Looks at City from Cliff"
This is the best, boldest topic of the round. It suits Vulgar particularly well. My guess is he will go with a bold return to his more abstract bent and give us a fundamental deconstruction on city life. oats will counter with the story of the man. This battle is going to come down to which writer goes all-in on his approach, and it's my clear-cut battle of the week.
Prediction: oats 51-49

Some credit goes to Vulgar for the topics. I picked them out from the EOW(?) Art topic he made awhile back.

Coward.

Nice topics.

Always thought those eow pics you posted would be good for writing. Should've used them in an earlier round tbh.

Today, I finally came up with an ideal approach to my topic vs. Lars. It was right under my nose the whole fucking time.

do tell

SUPER DOPE TOPICS THIS WEEK HUH

I though you were died.

You went complete Wild Turkey Split mode for a few posts then nothing.

What's up, Pancake?

yeah, i stepped out of my office to smoke with this womanfolk.

I'm tired. Going to run, go to the gym, and watch a few episodes of HIMYM after work. Then go to sleep. THEN BANG OUT THE MAG ON THE MORROW.

How far along are you?

Barney dies.

Opening section, bracket breakdown, previews. Have to do reviews, interviews, and get Bags' video mag.

No, I meant in How I Met Your Mother.

Season 7 episode 12(?) I think. Last episode was when Marshall and lilly actually move to their suburban house

is a league beginning shortly after this tournament?

Yes, sign ups will go up around the time of the semifinals.

yay

You're at probably the weakest run the show has had, but stick with it because this season is great.

I've liked it all the way through. Can't recall not liking a run of episodes. Writing and actors are too good for a slump, at least for me.

I'm probably the biggest How I Met Your Mother apologizer around, but there are a few clunkers in late Season 7 and early Season 8.

QUARTERFINALS
(1)dead man vs. (9)big baby
>> too close to call. dead man could pull one out with a more conceptually contained verse as opposed to bb's open dialogue type writing. both write dope rhymes like its their 9-5. bb might get inspired and drop to full enlarged infantile capacity.

(R)Nigma vs. (21)oXus
>> i have oxus taking this, nigma seems exhausted.

(2)Pent uP vs. (7)Lars
>> another tough call. Pent uP rhymes lucid dreams together, but Lars deconstructs them so. there is that. i feel like Pent will take this by a slim margin.

(3)Vulgar vs. (R)oats
>> dope match-up... Imo both have been a tad reserved, calculated. saving effort for later battles. this would be one they'll need all they juice. I have Vulgar with more recent competition experience.

whats ur average mile time.

(1)dead man vs. (9)big baby | "Dead People Around a Rock Hole"
deadman enters nirvana and meditates with NYCspitz on a nether realm. Hyperbolic time chamber makes deadman very muscular. big baby da big baby drops a fucking bomb. deadman withers the storm. stay tuned on the next episode of dragon ball z
Prediction: over 9,000

(21)oXus vs. (R)Nigma | "Strange Stuctures in the Desert"
oXus stuns the crowd with a twist. He pronounces everything with a big accent and ends every sentence with matey. Nigma retorts in his verse with 'this verse should be in the OM HOF...BITCHES' there's an argument in the voting section about how this is a us based site/server and oxus should be banned for no patriotism. 3 admins die.
Prediction: Nigma 100-0

(2)Pent uP vs. (7)Lars | "Underwater City Also Has Whales"
pent up googles lars's verse before he even posts it. The whole time pent up WAS lars. Pent up admits to being banged in the ass by his girlfriend. Lar's whole persona is thrown off. Kills himself. Reserve battle is taken place by nyc and certain. Netcees isnt the same again
Prediction: Pent uP R.I.P aka lars

(3)Vulgar vs. (R)oats | "Man Looks at City from Cliff"
Vulgar makes up another 3 words. Graduates from his college with a degree in englishomics. BOTW verse. Oats knows what the 3 words mean though because 'hes a teacher'. Oats makes a video response to vulgar text response of him on a cliff in hawaii. Zooms in on his lips while saying the verse. Gets votes for creativity. Bolsters site activity. New wave of video topicalists join the site. Text topicaling is dead. Pent up gets HOF removed for death and inactive obsolete credentials. Oats becomes the face of a video topical poem surge. Becomes famous. Gets sued for smoking weed with students. Faces 9 years in jail for child endangerment. Finds strikta and kills him for me.
Prediction: oats 63- 37

botw - black vs bwahaha

There are seven incarnations (and six correlates) necessary to becoming an Artist:

1. Explorer (Courage)
2. Surveyor (Vision)
3. Miner (Strength)
4. Refiner (Patience)
5. Designer (Intelligence)
6. Maker (Experience)
7. Artist.

First, you must leave the safety of your home and go into the dangers of the world, whether to an actual territory or some unexamined aspect of the psyche. This is what is meant by 'Explorer.' Next, you must have the vision to recognize your destination once you arrive there. Note that a destination may sometimes also be the journey. This is what is meant by 'Surveyor.' Third, you must be strong enough to dig up the facts, follow veins of history, unearth telling details. This is what is meant by 'Miner.' Fourth, you must have the patience to winnow and process your material into something rare. This may take months or even years. And this is what is meant by 'Refiner.' Fifth, you must use your intellect to conceive of your material as something meaning more than its origins. This is what is meant by 'Designer.' Six, you must fashion a work independent of everything that has gone before it including yourself. This is accomplished though experience and is what is meant by 'Maker.' At this stage, the work is acceptable. You will be fortunate to have progressed so far. It is unlikely, however, that you will go any farther. Most do not. But let us assume you are exceptional. Let us assume you are rare. What then does it mean to reach the final incarnation? Only this: at every stage, from 1 thru 6, you will risk more, see more, gather more, process more, fashion more, consider more, love more, suffer more, imagine more and in the end know why less means more and leave what doesn't and keep what implies and create what matters. This is what is meant by 'Artist'.

Pent vs. Lars - In any tournament, both would be headliners. Battle of true heavyweights. It's TOO CLOSE TO CALL (ahem, Certain), but if I had to choose, I'd give a slight edge to Lars for his technical mastery, makes him tough competition. Could go either way.

I've had a very sore head for about 4 days and i'm not sure why but i think i might be dying.

@big baby has the best predictions.

you still off the cigarettes?

Nah, although i do smoke a lot less.

i quit smoking for two months and then commuting to uni underslept today totally fucked me up and i chainsmoked about 15. feel ill. leaned @ bb's predictions.

uhm. let's see. i haven't done this yet.

blacketh/bwahaha -- two writers that basically ooze ability to the point it is brimful. they're too good. possibly the best two on this site. minus frank. black has pretty much sharpened his patent brand of writing to a masamune, excalbur II and/or master sword. the other guy is a seemingly precocious talent who can smear words that could threaten the very fabric of existence with the excrement from his diaper. if he can fashion a swordbreaker out of an Æsahættr he can take this. big if, but he is capable.

prediction: me/nigma lose to either in the next round. fml.

oXus/nigma -- nigma drops a piece that should get om hof but it's only the fourth best of this round. begs for feed. the former changes his name to Eŋg, by popular demand, with the latin character ruining the potential for mentions. feigns indifference. girls like that. says he is happy to have simply fucked up cake's seeding. secretly wants to win but is writing about the conflict of passion and duty in Jane Eyre and wants to kill himself. prefers Villette but can't write about it. nigma is canadian. Emmanuelle Chriqui is 10/10.

prediction: did my topic get changed?

pent up/lars -- the old guard. grizzled veterans. it's Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto vs. William Munny. one rhymes exceptionally well and tells great stories. the other rhymes, well... exceptionally and tells great stories. what would set them apart is their approach, and in turn, their ability to coax voters. interesting battle. how many times have you two met before and who is winning the series? how about you both fuck off and let new blood win tournaments instead.

prediction: lars goes over the line limit and pent invokes the dq clause.

vulgar/oats -- oats is just a cool motherfucker who happens to be top-tier. lets teaching heavily influence his writing. even in his extra-curricular activities this nigga teaches. sanctimonius son of a bitch. plays a uke (guitar for retards). is hawaiian and a staunch bj penn fan. i'm not hawaiian but am a staunch bj penn fan. will probably friendvote for him because i still owe on something he proofread for me. not that vulgar isn't my friend. he is. he just keeps making fun of my semitic ancestry and/or kickboxing prowess. tell me when you're next in England, son. vulgar is probably the most esoteric writer in this entire tournament, capable of creating his own, storied, mythos. a frightening prospect.

prediction: this battle is pretty much even, predictably, like every other. i hope my friendvote tips the scale.

No, I was on my phone when I wrote my predictions, so the image was small and I thought it was a desert instead of mountains.

@Lars, let's schedule our third battle for 2024, tentatively.

this is accurate, fml2. double no show plz