As ever there's another EuroCup season approaching, and with the invited and qualifier teams being announced yesterday, its time to look forward into the dusty crystal ball and have a gamble and what could be in store for ET's premier competition.

My first reaction to the list of teams announced for ET was admittedly one of curiosity. For the first time in two seasons we have effectively the return of a Parodia side, who, on the last outing on the EC destroyed a confident Idle side not once but twice, sounding off their spell as uQ-Gaming with a 4-0 statement of grand final intent. The message was clear: we're better than you and have nothing left to prove. It cannot be claimed that the near comical appearance of sFx Abnormal Monkeys was Parodia incarnate, the team we saw there was one which looked as if it had completely forgotten about the competition, let alone having practiced for it. The losses against helix and noll8 effectively silenced all those who had predicted a triumphant return which was to ride the crest of a wave called backupboy. No, this was not Parodia, merely an early April fools joke, and one which was to bankrupt many a gbooky punter's pocket.

The situation this season is clearly different. Under the guise of Impact Gaming, the guidance of experienced manager eVo will certainly not hinder the Fins, who also have added a touch of Dutch in the former Kreaturen player m1lk and idle talisman teKoa, widely thought of as one of ET's forefront aimers. Whilst, yes, there is no saintt hiding behind the goldrush truck, or other noticable characters as drc or jauhis, what this team brings to the table is an undeniably experienced Finnish core, who know what it takes to succeed in the EuroCup. But, and it is a big but, it isn't the team that won EC gold. What it is however, is a team with clear aspirations - justified ones - to go all the way this season. The annoucement that "this roster will not change again" is surely masking a desire to topple the likes of dignitas and zeroPoint. The question is, is that going to happen?

Let's go first to zeroPoint. Make no mistake about it, their crushing loss to dignitas - 6:0 - in the finals of last season's EC would not have been taken well. zP have always seemed to end up second best. Second at sHgOpen, second at the aforementioned EC XIV, a lowly 3rd at the PGA lan, zeroPoint have never fulfilled the potential that they carry in bucketloads. Let us examine the ingredients they wield:
Their manager, the peremptory TosspoT, is perhaps the best qualified person to be leading a team in modern day ET. From overseeing the momentum of the ET community, to having captained his country, and also being the ex-saevus (latter-day zP) manager, Stuart knows his players and what makes them tick, although perhaps a question mark remains over his motivation. One thing that would make any manager motivated before the start of the EC is the arrival of ex KiH player FeTTe, who will bring another dimension to the team. As much as I loved his singing skills, the departure of Rapture will not necessarily come as a bad thing, and now zP see themselves in a position where they will mix experience and sheer determination - especially from Darky - to try and topple dignitas's iron grip at the top. Last finals they were also missing the damage giving force of butchji, a factor which cannot be underestimated. But, does the team now finally have the ability to justify TosspoT's claim that he "wouldn't be involved with their (zP) organisation if I didn't think they had what it took to become the best team in Europe", or will it be another early bath? The neutral in me screams for the former, the butchji dancepartner in me even more so. But my sober side also tells me that zP are simply the England football team in disguise, a so-called golden generation failing to live up to the hype. Will the introduction of Peter "FeTTe" Crouch change this?

You know whats coming. So too do the other teams. Idle, dignitas, whatever name they choose to go under, this team will yet again be the benchmark by which all other competitors will try to beat. Since the retirement of Parodia, dignitas have once again reverted to their monopoly of the EuroCup, stealing wins off both Northern Darkness and zeroPoint to leave the team with a record 4 EC golds. Whilst there are those who claim the team is the weaker for the losses of Holz and teKoa, the reintroduction of r3vers and JaKaZc has marked no significant loss of form for the European champions, indeed collecting the gold at sHgOpen was seen more as routine than the sort of achievement that any other team would see it as.
Furthermore, although the foundations of both dignitas and zeroPoint are comparable - strong management (idle have previously benefitted from the excellent guidance of galahad), promiment ingame leadership (here despite communication often being quiet, players' actions lead the belief) - it has been dignitas's ability to build a fort upon these which have lead to the continued success which they have seemingly forgotten how to live without. Ever present also is Night, a player with ability to win games by his own whim. In the past we have seen how the team's performance has been affected by his absense: PGA qualifiers anyone? Yet while many in the community will be expecting a dignitas whitewash, do not expect the players themselves to be disillusioned. They know better than any other the problems able to be posed by the other EC challengers, and the 'pressure' will be on to ensure vigilance is maintained. Can they be beaten? Both the heart and head say no, but the mad gambler inside is tempted to place a flutter. Far more likely however is that dignitas will be measuring their season by rounds lost, not matches.

As for the other teams present, expect competition to be fierce. One point I would make, however, is the large amount of roster juggling that has taken place. Gone too are familar institutions - no helix, no aMenti, no rewind: the names that were household last season are this time around lacking, and the transition has not been a simple case of swapping names. aMenti may still be pretty-much intact as TLR, but look at other examples:
AuxiliA are now a combination of highBot meets noll8, eZ look more like a packet of liquorice allsorts than a team, morrigu have had another reshuffle and snd are a combination of ex tank34 and German based sanctuary and highbot. Now while a combination of skills and backgrounds is by no means a negative attribute, the importance of stability cannot be overstated. Idle are the perfect example. Just like how Europe's finest cannot overcome a lacklustre Manchester United side, a team together for 2 months will be disadvantaged over one together for 2 years.

I feel below the 'big three' of above, the teams most likely to become EC challengers will be those groups of players who know each other, who have tasted defeat together and who have become all the stronger for it. We have yet to see how the ex 141 team, now vae 4i, lead by Sheep will fare without Squall, but other long-term teams such as the reformed t4ce/underscore (elite) and aMenti under MGC TLR.esports will now have the opportunity to prove themselves all the stronger for having kept the momentum going. Also in the frame undoubtedly will be Polar, again benefitting from their time together as cdap pi. EuroCup winning ability? It's questionable. But do not underestimate the advantage these teams hold against the 'newer' ones this EC season.

As for predictions, I will be boring and go for dignitas to win. However, 2nd place is highly debatable. I feel the first game of Impact will be enough to tell us whether or not they are a team who have themselves organised well enough to be a true contender. If so, sparks could fly, but if not zeroPoint and TLR will be waiting in the wings to take over. Remember zP beat TLR last season in the loser's bracket to set up the final with idle. Polar are my darkhorses, they could well be the team that suprise with their final standing this season.