Round 2 is live! Linking to match 1 but all four have something of note.
Here’s the match docket.
| Match 1 | Heart of Battle (HC) | Lords of Aswick - First of His Blood |
|---|---|---|
| The Golden Rose: Book One | The War for the West | |
| Match 2 | Samurai of Hyuga Book 3 | Lords of Infinity |
| Highlands Deep Waters | Daria: A Kingdom Simulator | |
| Match 3 | Their Majesties’ Pleasures (HC) | I the Forgotten One |
| Samurai of Hyuga | The Grim and I | |
| Match 4 | The Twelve Trials | The Passenger |
| Fields of Asphodel | Way Walkers: University |
4 more round 2 matches up, we’re now halfway through this round (or will be when these end). A new wrinkle: Reddit disabled polls on the website last week. I had to do this on the app because…I don’t know. They just really want to push app downloads? So forgive any typos and the lack of the usual descriptive body text.
Highlighted match: #6, where Study in Steampunk, Gladiator, Mage Reborn and the first CCH duke it out. My money is on one of the latter two but we shall see, eh? Reddit - The heart of the internet
Also of note is #8, where the only HC title with a real chance at round 3 sees a split Lost Heir vote between two of its entries and yet another Hyuga, one of the only ones with a chance to persist past this round.
| Match 5 | Samurai of Hyuga Book 5 | A Long Weekend |
|---|---|---|
| First Bull Run | Doomsday on Demand 2 | |
| Match 6 | A Study in Steampunk: Choice by Gaslight | Gladiator: Road to the Colosseum |
| A Mage Reborn: Book One | Community College Hero | |
| Match 7 | The Magician’s Burden | Magikiras |
| The Soul Stone War | Keeper of the Sun and Moon | |
| Match 8 | All-World Pro Wrestling (HC) | Lost Heir 2: Forging a Kingdom |
| The Lost Heir 3: Demon War | Samurai of Hyuga Book 4 |
Another crop of four matches. The one to link is super obvious, as it is by far the most stacked one there will be in the 1v1v1v1 stage of the competition: Match 9, with a Lost Heir, Wayhaven, Fallen Hero and Infinity game all vying to go on. Sure, it’ll probably be Fallen Hero. But I bet Guns can at least keep things interesting.
| Match 9 | Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Two | Fallen Hero: Retribution |
|---|---|---|
| The Lost Heir: The Fall of Daria | Guns of Infinity | |
| Match 10 | Life of a Space Force Captain | Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Three |
| Scales of Justice | The Courting of Miss Bennet | |
| Match 11 | Midnight Saga: The Monster | The Gray Painter |
| Doomsday on Demand | Don’t Wake Me Up | |
| Match 12 | Breach: The Archangel Job | Kiss from Death |
| Dragon Racer | The Shadow Society |
Last 4 round 2 matches are up. The one to link to is the very last, #16: Infinity already lost one to the might of Fallen Hero, and while I am not sure Safe Haven has that kind of pull, I suspect it will be an interesting matchup either way. Especially since Whiskey-Four and Fernweh may also peel off votes.
| Match 13 | The Saga of Oedipus Rex | Way Walkers: University 2 |
|---|---|---|
| The Sword of Rhivenia | Tin Star | |
| Match 14 | Blood Moon | Fallen Hero: Rebirth |
| Life of a Mobster | Samurai of Hyuga Book 2 | |
| Match 15 | Demon: Recollect | Zombie Exodus |
| Scandal Notes (HC) | The Arcanist’s Journey | |
| Match 16 | Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven | Sabres of Infinity |
| Whiskey-Four | The Fernweh Saga: Book One |
I’ll post the finished results for round 2 after these end.
Legit this was the single hardest round I’ve voted on so far. Whiskey eventually wins out, and overall it wasn’t the hardest choice to make, but it was the first one where I went, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. There were a couple like that in the first round, but not to this extent. All three of those, although sabers more because it’s part of the overall infinity saga, are easily in my top 10
Here they are, your HG Brawl for it All Sinister Sixteen:
| The Golden Rose: Book One | Lords of Infinity |
|---|---|
| I the Forgotten One | The Passenger |
| Samurai of Hyuga Book 5 | A Mage Reborn: Book One |
| Keeper of the Sun and Moon | Samurai of Hyuga Book 4 |
| Fallen Hero: Retribution | Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Three |
| The Gray Painter | Breach: The Archangel Job |
| Tin Star | Fallen Hero: Rebirth |
| Zombie Exodus | Whiskey-Four |
The first four matches are up.
| Match 1 | The Golden Rose: Book One | Lords of Infinity |
|---|---|---|
| Match 2 | I the Forgotten One | The Passenger |
| Match 3 | Samurai of Hyuga Book 5 | A Mage Reborn: Book One |
| Match 4 | Keeper of the Sun and Moon | Samurai of Hyuga Book 4 |
I’m not sure which one is best to link to here. I’m going with #3, solely because it features two stories with Book in the title. And, admittedly, because it’s an interesting matchup to have the newest entry in the most prolific ChoiceScript franchise up against one just starting out.
I did not think W4 would upset ZESH, but it did.
And if Tin Star must fall here, at least it will fall to a worthy opponent.
My prediction is forgotten one versus retribution or rebirth
Before today I would have called that crazy. Now, I think it highly possible.
I agree, Snow. W4 was probably the biggest upset of the first two rounds. It was in a very stacked match.
The second half of the Sinister Sixteen is upon us! First four matches saw the surprising exit of both Hyuga and Infinity from this contest, making way for newer stories. But the second half has both Fallen Hero titles, so, uh, yeah.
My highlighted match is match 8, Zombie Exodus vs. Whiskey-Four. As mentioned above, W4 pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the contest previously. But this is a HG story that has topped bestselling lists for a literal decade. Should be interesting.
Here’s the full slate.
| Match 5 | Fallen Hero: Retribution | Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Three |
|---|---|---|
| Match 6 | The Gray Painter | Breach: The Archangel Job |
| Match 7 | Tin Star | Fallen Hero: Rebirth |
| Match 8 | Zombie Exodus | Whiskey-Four |
The Egregious Eight is up! Ignore that two matches are match 2. I have to do these on my phone since Reddit suspended polls on the web browser for reasons unknown (but presumably related to forcing people to use the app more), and you can’t edit titles.
All the matches are good ones, but the one to link to is Fallen Hero 1 and Whiskey-Four. Whiskey has been the talk of the tournament, but this is the ultimate test. And the only thing that can stop the two FH games from meeting in the semifinals.
Full match list:
| Match 1 | The Golden Rose: Book One | I the Forgotten One |
|---|---|---|
| Match 2 | A Mage Reborn: Book One | Keeper of the Sun and Moon |
| Match 3 | Fallen Hero: Retribution | Breach: The Archangel Job |
| Match 4 | Fallen Hero: Rebirth | Whiskey-Four |
Malin and Bacon hold the honor of 2 of their works in the final 8.
It is funny because I bloody love Bacon’s writing!
The two fallen hero games go at each other in the semifinals and retribution wins, ITFO pulverizes the AMR/breach survivor and then loses to retribution, I’m calling it right now
That does sound semantically appropriate.
This prediction was made on one of the Reddit thread as well, and is by far the most likely turn of events in my book.
Wait Tin Star made it to the top 16??? THANK YOU MARSHALS 
(I know it’s fairly popular but still… also it was up against some pretty heavyweight opponents in the first 2 rounds that it won against which I’m actually really surprised of 
)
That’s because that was me
Damn, I thought this was juicy drama, not a wholesome favorite contest 
The Fallen Four has begun! The match to link to is the one to crown the contest’s inevitable winner, FH 1 vs. FH 2. ITFO is the favorite to win its own match.
Here’s the list:
| Match 1 | A Mage Reborn: Book One | I the Forgotten One |
|---|---|---|
| Match 2 | Fallen Hero: Retribution | Fallen Hero: Rebirth |
Vote on, HoGs!