Division 1's greatest minds share their thoughts on Week 5 as we whet your appetite for destruction with a medley of tantalising tussles on the menu for ETF2L Season 7

ETF2L Division 1 is once again proving to be the hottest ticket in Team Fortress 2. Despite the relatively meagre prizes on offer the community and its teams have always placed the league in high regard. As the biggest TF2 competition in Europe, dare I say the world, it instils a ferocious competitive romanticism in its players as they fight not for hard currency nor soft boothbabes but for the intangible pride of simply being the best... oh and some delightful pink headsets.

It comes as no surprise that there have been some great games produced so far this season, just last night Team Dignitas and Power Gaming exploded on to our screens, raking in the spectators and disappointing no one. Dignitas managed to compose themselves to secure a slim victory on the first map, Turbine, their bogey-map of recent times, and presenting themselves with a good opportunity to put the ghosts of their latest defeats to rest. However, Power Gaming had other plans, opting instead to demolish the Dignitas behemoth in what I can only describe as a Kritzkreig blitzkrieg on Gullywash, denying them even a single round.

Today Dignitas are perched precariously at the top of the table, with TCM-Gaming and Power Gaming both having games in hand. What Women Want's title hopes will mostly likely be decided tonight in the last of their matches against the "big three", where they take on the all-conquering TCM side which topped February's Top Ten here on Cadred. It also looks like TCM's blushes might be spared as Team Empire, who stonewalled them on Well in Week 1, appear to be in dire straits.

After a midweek exodus of players from their roster, the common consensus is that the newly promoted Russians will be the second team to fold this season in Division 1, although it seems less likely that a frogs-style replacement will be introduced this time as we are already five weeks deep. Team Empire's predicament remains speculation for now, as they have yet to be marked as "dropped" on ETF2L, but the outlook seems bleak. Unfortunately, the Russian scene is all but impenetrable to a simple Irishman such as myself, but fear not, I currently have a man on the inside trying to decipher it all; so you can expect some more concrete news in the not too distant future.

On the upside, you will be glad hear that there is no map overlap this week; not only are we blessed with two virgin killing fields, but we have seen the last of Well, Turbine and Gullywash for Season 7. So cheer up all you curmudgeonly map haters, it's time for Gravelpit and Obscure. The Finnish community would have you believe that they birthed Gravelpit from their frostbitten manginas, such is their love for this the definitive stopwatch map. Although fundamentally flawed in its three-cee-pee design, the A point being populated only by tumbleweed for 90% of match time, it produces some epic games as teams take turns to attack and defend against the clock: expect to see airshots, headshots and sentries aplenty.

A few months ago TCM-Gaming's Ahmad "Byte" Fansa had idea for a new 5CP map, and being so insufferably annoying he had soon pestered an army of unfortunate bastards to implemented, play-test and polish his brainchild. Obscure is that map, and in a bold move the ETF2L establishment have taken the gamble of including it in Season 7, and I salute them. The linear nature of the map induces the bulk of the action, with flanking being less effective than on other maps you will see Ubercharges being popped on pretty much every point. The current version has opened up what had traditionally been a rock-hard last point to attack, akin to Fastlane, with bunch of new offensive options and some cover in the flanks elsewhere in the map. Previous iterations of the map had proven to be low scoring affairs, but these adjustments will go a long way to lubricating the game mechanics. Watch out for the occasional Sniper on middle or Heavy clutching on last.

The more perceptive amongst you will have noticed that I have added a per-map breakdown to the match listings and also to give a more complete picture. This has been applied retroactively to all the previous articles in addition to the ETF2L scoring system for all you detail junkies. Yes, I really have nothing better to do with my time.

Now prepare yourself mentally for more cerebral commentaries from the beautiful minds of our top tier...

What Women Want's Duncan "dunc" Wraight thinks...

"Dignitas aren't having a good time of things at the moment. Their morale is low, their interest in the game is rapidly ebbing away and they've been beaten more in the past two weeks than they ever have in their long team history. I can't see idk? touching them on Gravelpit, a map where they still rank amongst the very best in Europe, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see idk? take Obscure. You can nearly guarantee that Dignitas won't have played more than 2 PCWs on it."

FakkelBrigade's Arie "Arie" M thinks...

"TLR has played pretty well so far. Good fights against FB and PwR, and a comfortable win against Empire. Blight on the other hand hasn't caused any surprises against TCM and Dignitas. I'm predicting a draw on Gravelpit and a win for TLR on Obscure."

I Don't Know? Frog's Eric "cami" Cantona thinks...

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think that sardines will be thrown into the sea."

TCM-Gaming's António "Haunter" Rodrigues thinks...

"This will be the match of the week, not by the fact of their rank on the scene but for their relationship, dunc made it clear how much he loves FakkelBrigade and I'm pretty sure the feeling is reciprocal. My bet is in an easy win from www on Gravelpit if wltrs is in a good sniper day, Obscure can go either way, it will be very close but since it will be the new RC2 version (aka more scout friendly). I would say www to take it... that or a default win!"

USSR's Joseph "Uncle Joe" Stalin thinks...

"Deserters Will Be Shot!"

That's your lot for this week then, sports fans. This splendid ETF2L coverage channel and the adjacent match ticker is all you need for the latest scheduling, results and spectating action because those lazy bastards and Division 1 won't fucking tell you!

ETF2L Season 7 Week 5 Fixtures