By sjj_admin 
Originally published on GameOnAus.com in June 2022
World Of Tanks ANZBL Season 3 Playoffs Week 3. The Grand Final. A chance for either the Cairns Comets or the Bundaberg Badgers to be crowned Season 3 champions and secure their place in the ANZPL. Who would emerge victorious? Read on to find out!
ANZBL Season 3 Playoffs Week 3 Grand Final
Cairns Comets Vs Bundaberg Badgers
There were no more chances for these teams. No leaving strategies in reserve. The Comets and the Badgers would need to bring their A game.
Map Picks:
| Bans Ghost Town (Badgers) Mines (Comets) Prokhorovka (Badgers) Tundra (Comets) | Picks Cliff (Badgers) Sand River (Comets) Coin Flip Murovanka Tie Breaker Himmelsdorf |
ANZBL Season 3 Playoffs Week 3 Map 1
Cliff
The Grand Final action kicked off with Badgers on attack of their Cliff map pick. The Comets charged out and took control around the donut at F3, putting some shots into the Badgers early. The Badgers got a CS-63 onto the top of the hill but were unable to take much map control thanks to the Comets positioning. The Badgers moved two of their tanks to F2. With just over two minutes on the clock they were joined by two Kranvagns as they pushed toward the donut. Bleeding HP early came back to haunt them. The Comets took two kills and lost one of their own but the Badgers had clipped out and had to reload. The Comets mopped up the rest of the Badgers and took an early lead.
Both teams sent CS-63s to the hill but chose not to climb all the way lest they be farmed for damaged. The action settled around the base of the hill but the Badgers’ Vz 55 made it to the donut uncontested and started looking for an angle. Comet’s Dark Knight rotated to the donut and got shots onto Badgers’ Fury. Fury was forced out into the open. Dark Knight took control of the donut and proceeded to work the angles and fire onto the rest of the Badgers. He created a crossfire and gave his team a 5v2 tank advantage. It was only a matter of time before the Comets took down the rest of the Badgers and take a 2-0 lead on their opponent’s map choice.
ANZBL Season 3 Playoffs Week 3 Map 2
Sand River
The Comets took to the attack on their map pick of Sand River. The Badgers opted for a hard defence of the 2 flag leaving only one tank covering the 1 flag. The Comets scouted well and discovered how undefended the 2 flag was. They forced Badgers’ AuzzieNoob away from the 1 flag and move in that direction. The teams traded kills as the Badgers regrouped as the Comets started the 1 flag capture. The Badgers pushed double Vz 55s onto Comets’ Flaming. The Comets took another two kills but time was running out. The Badgers’ Phatom_Yamato the last defender standing as the clock runs out. Badgers win to bring the score line to 2-1.
The Badgers started the return leg by pushing hard towards the 2 flag. Their cross resulted in some early bleed damage to their Vz 55s. The Badgers who were looking to isolate the Comets’ Rupro but the Comets’ defensive setup wouldn’t allow it. They snuck a tank onto the 1 flag but an easy rotate from Dark Knight forced them back. Having divided the Comets’ attention the Badgers’ double Vz 55s forced a fight. They took a 4v3 tank advantage but facing a much healthier Comets line up. The Comets used that HP advantage to win their Sand River defence.
ANZBL Season 3 Playoffs Week 3 Map 3
Murovanka
The Comets were now only one win away from being ANZBL Season 3 champions. The Badgers needed a win to stay in the fight. The Comets were defending Murovanka, historically the easier side. The Badgers moved toward the 1 flag, with Fury losing a chunk of health while the Comets took up standard defensive positions. The Badgers eventually started the double cap trying to draw the Comets in. The Comets did come in and get the reset, also getting a kill. The Badgers abandoned the capture and dumped onto Flaming. He had the support of his team though and the Comets’ focus fire was proving too much for the Badgers. The Comets take the win.
Congratulations to the Cairns Comets who beat the Bundaberg Badgers 4-1 to become the ANZBL Season 3 champions and secure promotion to the ANZPL.
Season 3 of the ANZBL is over but there is still more tanking to be had. Tune in to https://twitch.tv/worldoftanksanz from 7:30pm AEST Friday 25th June for the ANZPL Grand Final live from Fortress Melbourne. Tickets are available for those that want to attend in person.