Astralis wins once again: IEM Katowice Grand Finals Match Recap

The final day of IEM Katowice has concluded and Astralis is the champion once again.

Map One- Cache: FaZe Clan 16 – 9 Astralis

• Astralis won the first pistol round as CT, but FaZe answered back with a quasi-force buy the next round, despite their lack of a bomb plant to break Astralis’ economy.
• Full buy at 3-1 FaZe; Trades went down in the B site, but Kjaerbye was left alone on rotation and Karrigan cleaned him up from mid. 4-1 FaZe.
• Full buy at 5-1 FaZe; FaZe went to B but Astralis was able to retake with three men alive.
• Full buy at 5-2 FaZe; FaZe took down two Danes holding down A site with no deaths as Astralis decided to save three weapons to retain a decent economy for the next round. Despite being down in weapons, Astralis took the next round.
• Full buy at 6-3 FaZe; FaZe did a clean sweep of Astralis only losing two players without a bomb plant. Next round’s quasi-buy allowed Astralis to get three exit frags on B site.
• Full buy at 8-3 FaZe; Astralis gave FaZe full A site control, playing solely for the retake.
• Full buy at 10-3 FaZe; FaZe went to B, but Astralis rotated early. FaZe’s numbers became thinner as they eventually took the site. Astralis successfully retook the site and defused.
• Full buy at 10-4 FaZe; FaZe spread out for picks but failed to follow through as Astralis took the final round of the first half. 10-5 FaZe at the half.
• Astralis took the second pistol round as T with a bomb plant and left FaZe broke at 10-6. FaZe forced four deagles the next round, but lost.
• Full buy at 10-8 FaZe; Astralis methodically took A site after a crucial pick at mid. Karrigan was left in a 1v3, but he got the clutch and retook after outplaying Xyp9x in A main.
• Full buy at 11-8 FaZe; Astralis got bomb down on B site, but failed to hold it. FaZe retook with three players alive.
• Fully buy at 12-8 FaZe; Astralis finally got bomb down after two waves of players. Kioshima won a 1v1 to win the round for the CT side. Astralis able to plant the next round, despite having a broke economy. Astralis called timeout.
• Full buy at 14-8 FaZe; Both teams were spread out playing picks after the first minute. Astralis slowly took A site leaving Karrigan in a 1v4. Karrigan got two exit frags before dying.
• Full buy at 14-9 FaZe; Trades went down as both teams stacked mid for picks. NiKo got a crucial pick on dev1ce to make it 3v2 for FaZe. Trades occurred in B site and dupreeh was left in a 1v2 with bomb down on B, fell to rain while playing tri box.
• Quasi-buy at 15-9; Astralis got bomb down and lost players one by one. gla1ve was left in a 1v3. He successfully killed two, but allu killed him with a USP to end the map 16-9.

Map Two- Overpass: Astralis 16 – 12 FaZe Clan

• Astralis successfully planted and won on their first round of the T side to gain an advantage. Dupreeh got a 3K on A site, but gla1ve decided to send bomb to B. FaZe killed three players with deagles the next round to slightly affect their economy.
• Full buy at 3-0 Astralis; FaZe answered back with a successful B site defense.
• Full buy at 3-1 Astralis; FaZe picked off the T side one by one, leaving Dupreeh to save a rifle.
• Quasi-buy at 3-3; Astralis was able to finally take the B site in order to re-establish their economy. Allu and rain both fell in an attempt to save an AWP and a rifle.
• Full buy at 4-3 Astralis; Astralis successfully took A site with a 3v3. Karrigan almost clutched a 1v3 as the last dev1ce killed him with low HP. FaZe won the next round using crossfire P250 setups on B site and Astralis failed to break the anti-eco.
• Quasi-buy at 5-4 Astralis; FaZe held B site once again. Gla1ve’s B site calls seemed to not be working, regardless of the approach.
• Full buy at 6-5 FaZe; FaZe’s already-established dominance gave them early map control in order to thin out Astralis one by one. Gla1ve and co. decided on using a tactical timeout with their backs against the wall.
• Full buy at 7-5 FaZe; Astralis got onto B site, but failed to plant the bomb as Karrigan hit them with a flank at 2v2 – another successful B hold.
• Full buy at 8-5 FaZe; Astralis finally took B site after gla1ve got an entry frag on an AWPing Karrigan. Grenades held off the defense.
• Full buy at 8-6 FaZe; Trades occurred throughout the map and kioshima was left as the last alive. Kioshima successfully clutched a 1v2 against Dupreeh and Dev1ce on the B site. 9-6 FaZe at the half.
• Second Pistol Round; dupreeh got two opening kills, but was traded out. Dev1ce ended what dupreeh started with a 3K. NiKo almost clutched a 1v3 the next round with a rifle from bathroom with bomb down but gla1ve refused him as the last Dane alive.
• Quasi-buy at 9-8 FaZe; FaZe easily obtained the A site with a mixed economy. Dupreeh saved a rifle for Astralis’ next quasi buy.
• Quasi-buy at 10-8 FaZe; Astralis’ map control forces FaZe to save two rifles after falling one by one.
• Quasi-buy at 10-9 FaZe; Trades happened all over bathroom and Xyp9x was left in a 1v3. He picked off NiKo and Karrigan but failed to follow through onto kioshima.
• Anti-eco at 11-9 FaZe; Dupreeh aced FaZe with a deagle from short on B site. Dupreeh shifted the momentum of the game as FaZe looks puzzled.
• Full buy at 12-11 Astralis; FaZe answered back with a quick B site take after slipping up for several rounds. Dev1ce was left in a 1v4 and saved an AWP.
• Full buy at 12-12; Astralis defended A site after FaZe waited over a minute to push into the site. FaZe’s economy was shattered.
• Full buy at 14-12 Astralis; FaZe’s aggression in connector was halted by Kjaerbye. Astralis read FaZe’s late push through long and ended the round.
• Full buy at 15-12 Astralis; Astralis easily held B site while FaZe looked uncoordinated on the push.

Map Three- Nuke: Astralis 16 – 12 FaZe Clan

• Astralis defended both sites against FaZe Clan to win the first pistol round.
• Full buy at 3-0 Astralis; FaZe answered back with a successful A site take.
• Full buy at 3-1 Astralis; Astralis traded out the round with a successful B hold by thinning out FaZe in their aggression.
• Full buy at 6-1 Astralis; FaZe executed a standard push through outside and secret and got bomb down, but was unable to hold onto the site.
• Full buy at 7-1 Astralis; Opening kills from NiKo allowed the T side to take the A site with ease. FaZe got the plant to re-establish their economy.
• Full buy at 7-2 Astralis; Astralis picked off FaZe one by one in FaZe’s A push to win the round while only losing gla1ve and Kjaerbye in the process.
• Full buy at 8-2 Astralis; FaZe successfully got an early bomb plant, but Xyp9x put the Danes on his back with a 4K on the retake. Xyp9x lost the 1v1 retake against NiKo.
• Full buy at 9-3 Astralis; gla1ve read Karrigan’s call to spread out play for picks.
• Full buy at 10-3 Astralis; allu planted bomb and got a 4K. Kjaerbye saved a rifle.
• Full buy at 10-4 Astralis; Another A site take handed FaZe the round as Astralis’ inability to hold A site showed more at the half.
• Second pistol round; FaZe held onto A site and won the round thanks to two opening kills from NiKo.
• Full buy at 10-8 Astralis; Astralis’ outside push failed entirely as FaZe won the round without losing a player. Allu had two crucial AWP kills on aggressors from Astralis. Astralis won the anti-eco in the following round.
• Full buy at 11-9 Astralis; A methodical push from ramp to B site gave Astralis the site and the Danes were able to hold the fort from Karrigan and co.
• Full buy at 13-9 Astralis; Astralis rushed B site and planted, but was unable to hold it because dev1ce and Xyp9x wrongfully stacked into toxic room. NiKo got a 3K that round.
• Full buy at 13-10 Astralis; Trades occurred in A and Xyp9x was left in a 1v2. Xyp9x killed NiKo, but Kioshima played around the silo to trade him out on the retake. Astralis called a timeout.
• Full buy at 13-11 Astralis; An entry frag from Kjaerbye opened up the A site for Astralis. FaZe decided to save their weapons and they retained two rifles and an AWP.
• Quasi-buy at 14-11 Astralis; Astralis executed a standard outside B push and got the site but couldn’t hold onto the bomb as allu ninja defused with players still alive on both sides.
• Full buy at 14-12 Astralis; Trades went down throughout the map and Dupreeh was left in a 1v3. Dupreeh went to B site unchallenged and held the site by winning three 1v1 duels against rain, kioshima, and NiKo.
• Quasi-buy at 15-12 Astralis; Astralis played picks in the first minute to get a 4v2 man advantage. They cleaned up the final two FaZe players to end the map.

Map Four- Inferno: Astralis 16 -13 FaZe Clan

• First pistol round; FaZe won the round, even though Astralis planted the bomb. Astralis answered back in the next round with a force buy.
• Full buy at 3-1 Astralis; Astralis executed a mid to quad to A push methodically while gla1ve got a 3K. FaZe salvaged two rifles.
• Full buy at 5-1 Astralis; FaZe was able to defend A site from another Astralis push without losing a single player thanks to kioshima’s boost onto quad.
• Full buy at 5-2 Astralis; Astralis rushed B and gained control of the site with ease. FaZe saved a rifle and an AWP as a result.
• Full buy at 6-2 Astralis; FaZe held another A push from Astralis thanks to their varied positioning.
• Full buy at 6-3 Astralis; FaZe cleaned up another round with picks all over the map to win without a single player falling.
• Full buy at 6-5 Astralis; NiKo and Karrigan stopped a banana push to drop the Danes’ economy. Karrigan ended with a 3K to tie the game.
• Full buy at 7-6 FaZe; FaZe stopped another push on banana with ease.
• Full buy at 8-6 FaZe; allu cleaned up Astralis with an ace by positioning himself at mid and arch corner. FaZe led 9-6 at the half.
• Second pistol round; FaZe took control of A site thanks to the help of a 3K from Karrigan at arch corner. Astralis won the anti-eco the next round.
• Full buy at 10-9 Astralis; FaZe methodically took A site by taking out three stacked Danes. Xyp9x and gla1ve saved two rifles.
• Full buy at 11-9 Astralis; FaZe fell in their attempt to take A site in a slightly different way. Karrigan missed a crucial kill on Dupreeh that could’ve given FaZe the site.
• Full buy at 12-11 Astralis; Trades occurred throughout the B site on FaZe’s push. Rain was left at new box with an AWP in a 1v3; he picked up two, but couldn’t finish the job on Kjaerbye. FaZe called a timeout shortly after.
• Full buy at 13-12 Astralis; FaZe Clan took the site after two entry frags and Astralis decided to save three of their weapons for the next round. Astralis called a timeout once the game was tied.
• Full buy at 13-13 Astralis; Astralis successfully held the B site thanks to an important 3K from dev1ce.
• Full buy at 14-13 Astralis; Astralis got successful picks on banana and FaZe decided to rotate to A. Their rotation was read and Astralis won the round for map point.
• Full buy at 15-13 Astralis; Players from FaZe went down left and right and NiKo was left in a 1v3. Gla1ve killed NiKo after he planted to win the championship.

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