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Vulgarus rules Rankin: shock, streak and a 30:17 win

Krallbait struck first and Jano pushed with rockets, but Vulgarus took control after the only lead change.

DM-Rankin-2010 did not begin with a favorite's coronation but with a small uprising. The first 65 seconds produced no score, then Krallbait landed first blood on Vulgarus with a rocket. Seventeen seconds later he finished him with the Flak Cannon and moved to 2:0, only to lose a point to his own rocket in the 89th second. Vulgarus started more slowly but methodically: he opened his account against Naboj with the sniper, later added a headshot on Jano and gradually climbed into the lead. The match recorded only one lead change, yet behind that number was a loud fight of rockets, shock attacks and quick revenge kills. Krallbait opened the door to chaos, but Vulgarus later turned the surprise into a short episode.

Krallbait fires into the silence

The longest pause of the match was the opening 65 seconds, and it ended with Krallbait's rocket into Vulgarus. In the 82nd second he added a Flak Cannon kill, but seven seconds later punished himself with a rocket suicide. Naboj joined in with the Shock Rifle, Flak Cannon and Link Gun, while Vulgarus began collecting points with the sniper. In the 189th second he sent Jano back to respawn with a 29.9-meter headshot.

By the 230th second Vulgarus had four points, Naboj had three, and the lead never changed again. The match's only lead change therefore came early, but the result was not settled: Naboj remained active and Jano leaned more and more heavily on the Rocket Launcher.

Rockets against shock

The middle of the match showed two different recipes. Jano bet almost everything on the Rocket Launcher; 15 of his 18 kills came from rockets. Vulgarus mixed his arsenal and increasingly profited from the Shock Rifle, especially Shock Combo. Between seconds 414 and 477 he took down Jano with shock, Shock Combo and sniper fire, and also added Naboj. Jano answered with rockets and kept the duel alive.

In seconds 584 and 587 Jano struck twice with the Flak Cannon—first Vulgarus, then Naboj—and earned a Double Kill. Soon Vulgarus answered with a rocket and three Shock Combos. His average kill distance of 14.6 meters was the highest in the match, giving him more freedom when the pace and engagement range changed.

The weapon totals underline the contrast. The Rocket Launcher was the deadliest weapon with 24 kills, but Vulgarus spread his 30 kills across seven different causes and never depended on a single solution.

Five kills that broke the match

The decisive stretch began in the 669th second. Vulgarus hit Trajbalajka with a rocket from 32.4 meters, the longest kill of the match. He then added Jano, caught him twice with Shock Combo, and used the same technique to remove Trajbalajka. Five kills without dying pushed his score from 17 to 22 and produced the longest spree of the game.

Trajbalajka ended the run in the 743rd second with the Bio Rifle and added another kill on Vulgarus eleven seconds later. Jano also answered with a rocket, but the gap was already too large. Trajbalajka brought fresh chaos after entering later, yet Vulgarus had built enough of a cushion to absorb these short interruptions.

The sixteenth minute and the final point

The busiest period was the 16th minute with six kills. In the 901st second Jano dropped Vulgarus with a rocket, two seconds later added Trajbalajka for a Double Kill, and hit Vulgarus again in seconds 908 and 928. Trajbalajka broke his rhythm with the Stinger, but Jano still answered with another rocket. Vulgarus recorded 12 immediate revenge kills and Jano 11, so the finish was both personal and fast.

The leader absorbed the pressure. With Flak and Shock Combo he reached 28, then in the 1049th second hit Trajbalajka for point 29. Jano delayed match point with a rocket, but in the 1068th second Vulgarus ended the game with the Link Gun on Trajbalajka. The final 30:17 sealed a performance built on a broader arsenal, longer survival and the decisive five-kill spree.

Match moments

• Krallbait opened the scoring with first blood on Vulgarus by rocket in the 65th second.
• Vulgarus reached four points in the 230th second and never lost the lead after the match's only lead change.
• Jano earned a Double Kill in seconds 584–587 with two Flak Cannon kills.
• Vulgarus landed the longest kill: a 32.4-meter rocket on Trajbalajka in the 669th second.
• Vulgarus's five-kill spree from seconds 669 to 743 was the longest and Trajbalajka ended it.
• The 16th minute produced six kills, the busiest minute of the match.
• Jano scored another Double Kill late and kept answering with rockets, but the lead was already too large.
• Vulgarus scored the winning 30th point with the Link Gun on Trajbalajka at exactly 1068 seconds.

The 30:17 score looks clear, but the road to it was varied. Krallbait surprised with first blood, Naboj disturbed the order with an active start, Jano built his resistance around rockets, and Trajbalajka ended the winner's longest spree. Once Vulgarus took the lead, however, he offered no second chance for a comeback. Nine Shock Combo kills, seven rockets and six sniper kills, plus an average life of 50 seconds, showed that he did not win Rankin with one miracle moment but with steady control across several ranges and well-timed counterattacks. His two headshots were also the only headshots in the match.