How does NinjaCW stack up against the World?

When the SAN FRANCISCO OPTX lost in the first round of the playoffs during the 2007 season, General Manager, Kat Hunter, knew something was missing. In the 2008 Draft, she picked up Chris “NinjaCW” Harris for the DOAM division, and despite a few setbacks in other divisions, strong play by NinjaCW has helped the OPTX make it into the World Final. After defeating the DALLAS VENOM in the quarterfinals, the OPTX now face the BERLIN ALLIANZ. DOA has been a pivotal factor for the OPTX all season, and NinjaCW could become the deciding factor for the team in the coming matches.

The OPTX are two matches away from a World Championship, but they will not be easy matches. From a DOA standpoint, NinjaCW will face Rudolf "THE_TACTICAL" Fischer in the match against the BERLIN ALLIANZ. If the OPTX win, NinjaCW will then face either Ryan "Offbeat Ninja" Ward of the CAROLINA CORE, or Mingzhi "MESSY" Deng of the BIRMINGHAM SALVO. Based on NinjaCW’s performance throughout his rookie season, all three matches should result in wins for the OPTX.

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NinjaCW vs. THE_TACTICAL

Team: Berlin Allianz
Character: Hayabusa
Record vs. NinjaCW: 0-0
NinjaCW will battle against THE_TACTICAL when the OPTX play against the ALLIANZ. While THE_TACTICAL uses Hayabusa, NinjaCW has already had a great deal of experience against the best Hayabusa player in the CGS. His league matches against Emmanuel "Master" Rodriguez, as well as his practice matches with the VENOM star will become a huge asset in the match against THE_TACTICAL. There are very few strategies THE_TACTICAL can use that will catch NinjaCW by surprise.

The only question about this matchup is how NinjaCW will approach it. Playing against Master greatly limits NinjaCW’s options as Gen Fu. Master knows multiple ways to escape nearly every offensive trap NinjaCW sets. However, THE_TACTICAL is not as versed against a high level Gen Fu player. If NinjaCW goes into the match using the limited arsenal of tactics that worked against Master, he could find himself having problems with THE_TACTICAL. If he uses his full book of strategies, THE_TACTICAL should go down with relative ease.

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NinjaCW vs. MESSY

Team: Birmingham Salvo
Characters: Hayabusa, Gen Fu
Record vs. NinjaCW: 0-0
Between Offbeat Ninja and MESSY, it’s tough to determine which player would be an easier matchup for NinjaCW. It’s become very clear that MESSY has lost confidence in his Hayabusa. After losing to Avtar "Paddaman" Padda in the UK Final and THE_TACTICAL in the Continental European Final, MESSY switched from Hayabusa to Gen Fu when he faced Israel "El Divino Xmas" Navidad in the World Quarterfinal. The question is, who will MESSY go to if he has to fight NinjaCW?

If MESSY selects Hayabusa, he’ll fall into the same boat as THE_TACTICAL. NinjaCW knows how to fight against Hayabusa after going toe-to-toe with Master. Assuming the OPTX beat the ALLIANZ, NinjaCW will have yet another Hayabusa match under his belt before he plays against MESSY. Given MESSY’s lack of confidence with Hayabusa, it would not be wise to use the super ninja against NinjaCW.

If MESSY opts to use Gen Fu, he runs the risk of entering a mirror match. For many competitive fighting game players, a mirror match is more difficult than most other matchups. NinjaCW lost to Carl "Perfect Legend" White during the 2008 Combine when Perfect Legend switched from Hayate to Gen Fu. NinjaCW has had time to improve his ability to mirror match with Gen Fu, and should be able to hold his own against MESSY, but it will almost certainly be a more difficult matchup compared to fighting MESSY’s Hayabusa.

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NinjaCW vs. Offbeat Ninja

Team: Carolina Core
Character: Ein
Record vs. NinjaCW: 0-2
While most would consider Offbeat Ninja to be superior to THE_TACTICAL and MESSY, given NinjaCW’s track record with Offbeat Ninja, it may be his easiest matchup of the three. When the two first met around the beginning of the North American season, NinjaCW stepped up with a big 5-4 win over the 2007 NA champion. The second time these two met, NinjaCW grew two feet taller and earned a huge 5-1 victory over Offbeat Ninja.

We haven’t seen a dominant Offbeat Ninja since the end of the 2007 NA playoffs and it doesn’t look like he’ll be returning if the CORE battle against the OPTX in the World Final. You can never count out Offbeat Ninja, but NinjaCW has really taken his game to the next level for the OPTX this season. He took out Perfect Legend early on and even beat Master in the NA playoffs when it counted the most. He has gotten the job done every time his team needed him and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, no matter who his opponent is.