It's time for another exciting Japanese tournament! On June 18th, Japan time, players will duke it out at Sumabato 11! Currently at 192 entrants, this event is sure to impress!
The Competition
Once again, Smashboards user Djent has brought us a preview of who to watch for at the event!
Kamemushi
wants to continue an impressive win streak that includes Kurobura, KSB 2016, and Umebura 23. He appears to be Japan's strongest player right now, and is even convinced he will win EVO! Is there anyone that can knock this guy down a peg? Given that he plays several characters at top level, it will prove quite difficult.Earth
is also in peak form, having recently won both Sumabato 10 and Nagobura (a small event at Nagoya University). Though he gravitates toward Pit at large tournaments, he used all three of his highly polished characters to take this second event. However, his record at recent Umeburas hasn't been so stellar.Komorikiri
dominated Japan throughout the early part of 2015. When he finished 13th at Sumabato 9, a lot of us thought it was just a fluke. Now that he also lost KSB and did even worse at Sumabato 10, it's beginning to look like he's in a bit of a slump. It's worth bearing in mind just how hard consistency is in Japanese Smash.SHIG|9B
decided he was having none of the Bayonetta nerfs and switched mains yet again. After landing in a disappointing 33rd place at Sumabato 10, he finally picked up steam at Hirosuma 4. Despite a shaky beginning, he managed to Shadow Claw his way through losers and win the tournament. Now he's looking quite strong again.For a long time, Kie
was overlooked in the hype surrounding Umeki, but now he appears to be Japan's strongest Peach. He emerged victorious in the ditto and attained two consecutive 7th place finishes at recent Sumabatos. Add in 5th place at Umebura 23, and you have the blossoming of an unimpeachable record.Sigma and Ri-ma
are two diligent players that continue to impress long after their breakout tournaments. Both performed exceptionally well at Sumabato 10. Sigma came very close to winning the entire event, falling only to Earth. Ri-ma eliminated Komorikiri in losers, but fell just short of top 8 thanks to the next player in this list!Taiheita
appeared like he'd soon be unstoppable, but his recent results haven't been quite as good as we initially expected. 7th place at Sumabato 10 was very impressive, but 7th place at Nagobura constituted an under-performance. He is easily still the world's strongest Lucas, but he has a ways to go before claiming other titles.HIKARU
and Atelier are both still in high school, but that doesn't stop either from taking people to school. HIKARU almost won Sumabato 10 (he finished 3rd) and Atelier finished 3rd at the event before that. How long will it be until one (or both) wins a major event? It seems quite likely to happen eventually.Mangalitza
placed 4th at Sumabato 10 having never before placed in the top 16. We don't know much about this player aside from what we saw there, which was certainly impressive. We can expect a decent or good performance, but what about another elite level one? This outcome is hard to forecast even for Japan.You3
upset ikep and KEN at KSB, netting him an impressive 5th place finish. This is the best numerical result for any Japanese Duck Hunt at a major tournament. Sumabato 11 will be his first tournament since then. The bar is set high, but You3 is no stranger to agility courses.Gomamugitya
performed really well in early 2016, but has been struggling more recently. He lost in pools at KSB and failed to crack the top 16 at Sumabato 10. However, he did put on an impressive showing at Karisuma 7 in boths crews and 3v3.Thanks to Shuton
and FILIP , the island of Kyushu is well-represented this Sumabato. Shuton placed 2nd after an amazing losers bracket run at Umebura 22, and FILIP finished 5th at Umebura 23. Having already terrorized Kanto, they now focus their attack on Kansai!ikep
is Japan's strongest Bayonetta main now that 9B and Nyanko are focusing on other characters. He hasn't attended anything since KSB, where he went 0-2 in the final bracket. However, previous results show that he is more than capable of beating elite players.Souther
was one of 5 strong Falcon players present at Sumabato 10. At one point, half of the players remaining in winners used him! Unfortunately, his run was cut short by Japan's strongest Smash couple (Earth and Fuwa). He also finished 13th at KSB in May.Oishiitofu
exhibits the ribbit. He narrowly missed top 16 at KSB, where he was responsible for putting 4th place finisher Ginko into losers. More recently, he cracked top 16 for the first time at Sumabato 10. His tag literally translates to "delicious tofu."Fuwa
has improved tremendously over the past few months. She just missed top 8 at the last two Sumabatos and at Umebura 23. Her best wins include the likes of Komorikiri and Brood. It seems only a matter of time until she manages to exceed her current standard.OCEAN
emerged from power-saving mode to place 2nd at Hirosuma 4. He defeated FILIP, 9B, and Ri-ma (the other three favorites to win the event) before losing the rematch to 9B in grand finals. Notably, his competition here at Sumabato will be much tougher.Rizeasu
is usually seen repping the Fire Emblem series, but his arsenal extends well beyond that. He allegedly used 10 unique characters in bracket at Sumabato 10. Will he use 11 this time around? I'd like to establish some kind of pattern in his eccentric choices.Shogun
makes his return after missing two Sumabatos in a row. He did quite well at KSB despite his inactivity, finishing just outside of top 8. His team also won Karisuma 7 in fairly convincing fashion. All signs currently point to a promising return to form.Gobu
has yet to place well at a large tournament, but the potential is there. Earlier this month at Nagobura, he clutched out a win vs. Taiheita, making it all the way to winners finals. Let's hope he breathes new life into a character who hasn't been doing very well in Japan.Vayseth
is spending an extended period of time in Japan and documenting his travels in the Vayseth's Voyage series. He tells me he was self-conscious about entering such a stacked event, but was encouraged to do so by HIKARU. Let him know you're rooting for him!Tatsutsuyo, Chart-yatsu, and Ranperu
Lickey★, Lucia, and tk3
Lagnel and Kurousa
Take and SHIG|Shimitake
Ocsy and Umiushi
Gazer and Smasher
Z~Tan
Gabusan
Sopumo
WAX
RIN
Hatsuyuki
Nojinko
Dol
Tsumusuto
SHIG|Notti-
SHIG|JUN
Lickey★, Lucia, and tk3
Lagnel and Kurousa
Take and SHIG|Shimitake
Ocsy and Umiushi
Gazer and Smasher
Z~Tan
Gabusan
Sopumo
WAX
RIN
Hatsuyuki
Nojinko
Dol
Tsumusuto
SHIG|Notti-
SHIG|JUN
Schedule and Stream
Here is the schedule of the tournament. Times are listed in GMT +9:
10:30 a.m. | Opening
10:45 a.m. | Pool Block A
12:30 p.m. | Pool Block B
2:15 p.m. | Intermission
2:45 p.m. | Bracket (main event)
7:00 p.m. | Ending (approximate)
Once again, SHI_Gaming will handle the streaming.
What are your predictions for Sumabato 11? Who will win it all? Will there be any upsets? Let us know in the comments below!
Note: This article was written in collaboration with Gearface, Djent, Jucchan, juddy96, and Vayseth.
