As the season inches to its close, we find ourselves playing on some strange maps. This week is Warmtic, a non-winter version of the infamous Arctic – the map that cemented the Beggar's Bazooka as a legendary weapon of the past.

The Teams

A surprisingly small amount of changes happened this week, with most being temporary switches (all if you include moment.'s musical chairs).

Despite all the attempts at making the map FPS friendly, cK's normal Sniper, Scizor, has unfixable issues with the map, so cK will be bringing in Corsa temporarily to snipe instead.

With Catface taking an extended break from competitive TF2, Dedoris found themselves looking for a new Scout, and have filled the void with former .$$ Scout Lechs.

Memento Mori's change is prompted by their Medic, Apple's headset breaking. They've brought in Drake, someone who's been at the top of Gold for a few seasons now, but has yet to play in Platinum.

Poor, poor moment. While still managing to pull together nine players every Monday, it must be difficult to have it be a significantly different roster every single week. They've even had to go across the pond to find anyone able to show up at match time. This week, Spamfest returns, but Auzzie and Jacob are mysteriously absent. In their places are (potentially) unlock legend useoftoaster, and MS, a European Spy.

As for the teams that didn't change...

The Race

Acoomuma has been defeated by 'platinum winners', putting Pellovley and co. in a very good position to live up to their team name. Their one loss comes from Memento Mori, a team with a chance at getting into the top three, but with two losses should be unable to overcome the ultra lords. The reason they're separated from the other 4-1 teams is a small 2.5 MP advantage, which comes from the round they took Week 1 against Memento Mori on Borneo. Acoomuma is certainly not down and out, having faced enough teams that they now face the #8 position, Corn Ducks. While technically '92 Dream Team could've been their opponent, sheen and the ultra lords have also yet to face them, and took priority. '92 Dream Team currently occupy the #3 spot, and will probably face the most opposition as teams try to uproot them and take the spot for themselves.

There are four 3-2 teams; Curse of Knowledge, Dedoris, Memento Mori, and Corn Ducks. All of these teams are a mere 5 MP or less away from snatching a spot in the top three, and will most certainly do so should '92 lose to sheen this week. More detailed calculations for each team will be in next week's article, but for now it's still largely up in the air.

As for the rest of the teams, while some of them have outside chances to slip into the top three, it'll be a very difficult path. They'll want to prioritize at least getting a single digit end placement, and certainly not end in last.

The Matches

Sheen and the ultra lords vs '92 Dream Team

Both teams were underdogs who proved they can beat the top teams, with sheen having beat cK and alec, and '92 Dream Team beating BR. Even with that seemingly fair comparison, sheen may just be a bit too strong for '92, especially when looking at each team's opponent for Viaduct, the other KOTH map this season. sheen had shut down cK there, while '92 took a 4-1 victory against a turbulent moment. 4-2 in favor of sheen and the ultra lords.

Acoomuma vs Corn Ducks

While Corn Ducks have the potential to end in a high position, an insurmountable game against Acoomuma may spell doom for them. While Warmtic is certainly a Sniper friendly map, and Timeless is definitely give Acoomuma a piece of his (and their) mind, it shouldn't be enough. 4-0 in favor of Acoomuma.

Dedoris vs Curse of Knowledge

Dedoris is another team who have the ability to end decently, but are stymied by a difficult game. While cK have not been quite up to expectations, they shouldn't be in a position to lose to Dedoris, even with the Sniper switchup. 4-1 in favor of Curse of Knowledge.

Memento | Mori vs Pyongyang Pyonggang

A loss against '92 Dream Team will send m|M crumbling further down the rankings, and PINGPONG will want to take advantage of that. The game looks fairly even, but of m|M can pull themselves back together and look how they were in the first three weeks, this should be their game. 4-2 in favor of Memento Mori.

Wartortle Warriors vs Chill Penguins

Wartortle Warriors' gamble on two low level players in Platinum don't seem to be working out, unable to secure a single legitimate win. While there's always potential for a first, Chill Penguins may not be the team for that, as they've got a fairly solid lineup with some star potential. 4-2 in favor of Chill Penguins.

The One Moment vs Ban Paals

In one corner, a team plagued with Revolving Door syndrome. On the other side, a team seemingly able to go toe to toe with everyone they've come up with, but unable to close the deal. The loser here will realistically be the bottom team this season, especially if one excludes the 1-match-down Wartortle Warriors. And while bp has some good players on their team, Warmtic won't be a map too friendly to closing that gap, as KOTH requires continuous ability to play at an acceptable level to win. 4-3 in favor of The One Moment.