Six Masters is almost upon us, with action kicking off in just under 24 hours. There’s some absolute belters awaiting Siege fans that could determine just how the final placements shape up in seven weeks.

The off-season for ANZ Siege is over. Rosters have been shuffled, and a new order is being set. The Six Masters is set to determine who is the second-in-line behind Fnatic, and the first week of action is set to be explosive.

Every week, we will be breaking down what you should expect from the week’s action with our expert predictions. Now, I can’t talk about these predictions without introducing our panel for the tournament. We’ve brought on five of ANZ Siege’s brightest minds (and me) to deliver you tips and analysis heading into each week of action.

• James “Devmarta” Stewart: Caster
• Michael “Guzz” Gurrie: Caster
• Brandon “Raven” Langiano: Caster
• Alex “Skye” McCallum: Observer
• Jess “Jess” Bolden: Analyst

While this piece will be an overview of our general predictions for the week, we will also have our own tips running alongside these. Be sure to check out Snowball Esports’ Twitter tomorrow for the full rundown.

Wildcard vs. SiNister

Prediction: 1-1 Draw

First up on the card is an absolute rip-snorter of a match ?— quite possibly one of the most exciting we will see all season. Wildcard and SiNister have just come off hard runs in Pro League, finishing in fourth and fifth respectively.

While it was a fall from grace for the second ANZ representative at Six Invitational 2020, Wildcard have also been working in some new talent in the background. Bolstering their forces with Onyxian’s Jonathan “Gio” Luciana and Kanga’s Patrick “Pat” Wines (formerly Thumbnail), Wildcard will be looking to keep marching on and improving their form as time wears on.

“With Wildcard yet to prove that their new roster can keep them at the top of ANZ, and Sinister off the back of a flawless end to Pro League, any result is possible.”
James “Devmarta” Stewart

SiNister, on the other hand, are on hot form. Their fifth place might not speak volumes, but they were dead last before the SI break. Since then, they’ve dropped one map ?— sweeping the tail end of Pro League, and taking out the LPL Pro Grand Final against LFO 3-1.

With both teams relatively evenly matched heading into Tuesday’s opener, the jury is split. While we know the peaks of Wildcard can make them the best team in ANZ, this new roster must prove themselves to scale to the heights of their pre-SI selves. If they can, then it’ll be a rough day at the office for SiNister.

Elevate vs. LFO

Prediction: Elevate 2-0

Results-based analysis would lead you to believe that Elevate should trounce LFO. After all, Elevate are arguably the best team in Six Masters in the absence of Fnatic, while LFO made it in through the Open Qualifiers.

However, this matchup could still prove to be a worthy fight. LFO did make it through mostly unscathed, dropping one map in their five-match run through the qualifiers, and did make it through to the LPL Pro finals against SiNister.

The former Oddity roster will have the odds stacked against them though when matched against Elevate. While they took a while to find their feet after adding Trent ‘Worthy’ Rose, they pulled back a top-two finish in Pro League Season 11 with clutch map wins over Fnatic and TBD.

While an Elevate win is expected, expect LFO to put up a fight. This is the perfect opportunity for the underdog squad to start making a name for themselves, and really punch their names in  ?— either as a full core or as individuals ?— for a possible appearance in Pro League Season 12.

TBD vs. Kanga

Prediction: TBD 2-0

TBD and Kanga is another game that might seem like a done deal on paper.

Kanga’s roster has struggled since being gutted by various top-table Pro League teams at the end of last season. The loss of Worthy and Thumbnail disrupted the bit of momentum they were building before the SI break, leaving the team floundering at the bottom of the ladder.

TBD, on the other hand, seemingly went from strength to strength. The ex-Mindfreak roster had a shaky start to play, before pulling it back after the break in tight games with Fnatic, Wildcard, and Elevate, cementing their status as a top four team in ANZ Siege.

TBD should take this game comfortably, but with more time with their new roster under their belt, Kanga should look better than they did at the end of Pro League.

Ferox vs. Pittsburgh Knights

Prediction: Split between Knights 2-0 & 1-1 draw

Now, we come to the matchup that has divided the panel the most. Ferox’s return to Rainbow Six with the old Fury roster is one of the biggest moves of the Pro League off-season, while Knights are looking to build off Pro League Season 11 with the same roster.

The new Ferox roster builds on the old Fury roster with a mix of veteran and young blood. While Todd “Todd” Francis has been around the top for years, this Six Masters marks Deptra’s real break into the top flight.

The previous matchup between these two rosters saw Knights walk away with a 7-5, 7-2 win at the tail end of Pro League Season 11. However, we’re yet to see what this new-look Ferox roster can do.

Tips-wise, the panel has been evenly split between a Knights win and a draw. While the Knights have the record against Ferox’s roster, their off-season moves could prove to be the X-factor that elevates this team into the top four of Six Masters.

Six Masters 2020 kicks off on Tuesday, April 28, at 7pm AEST with Wildcard vs SiNister. You can catch the action on the official Rainbow Six channel.

Be sure to follow Snowball Esports on Twitter for all your Six Masters content throughout the season, including tips, analysis, and interviews.