EPTNations Will Rise
The Nation Wars top four will be live from Le Trianon Music Hall in Paris, France in what is no doubt the most important global sporting event since that time two weeks ago when a couple of countries gathered to kick a ball around in Brazil or something (Editor's note: Darkhorse is American). Four countries are taking center stage to fight for the championship in a format that might be unfamiliar to many. The semifinals and 3rd place match will be best of 7's like the rest of the tournament has been, and with teams of three this means that one player can be revived late in the match. The finals will be a Bo9, and the revive rule gets a little more convoluted. Each team will of course get two revives, but the same player cannot be revived twice. The first revive can occur any time during the match, but it can only be used on the player that has just lost. The second revive must be used for match point, and it cannot be used on the player that has already been revived. The top four of Nation Wars is somewhat surprising bunch, as three Europeans countrie in Poland, Norway, and France will battle along with the underdog Mexico to decide the champion of Nation Wars II.
Semi Final Preview
Match 1: 
Norway vs Poland 
Norway
Previous matches: 4-1 Netherlands, 4-3 SwedenTeam Norway had one of the more difficult runs through the tournament as their first two matches were against some of the stronger countries in Europe. However, being able to advance to the semis through a difficult bracket only proves that they deserve to be here and that they have every chance to be the victors of Nation Wars II. This exact lineup of players managed to win Nation Wars I back in January, so Team Norway is out to defend their throne.
Lineup:
Karnage.EikiRecord: 0-1
Some countries who lack star studded lineups have to fill their three man roster with a player that is perhaps not as well known as his teammates. Not to be rude, but Eiki is that player for Norway. He has made only one appearance in Nation Wars so far (a PvZ loss to Sweden's hOpe) and he will be looking to pick up his first win of the tournament should he be needed in the semis or the finals.
Imaginary.TargARecord: 2-1
TargA is a strong zerg player that has done good work for his country in Nation Wars so far. After Snute fell to Harstem in their match against the Netherlands, TargA managed to close out the set with wins over Harstem and uThermal to get his team past the round of 16. TargA is a workhorse and is probably Norway's second strongest player, so expect to see him come out either first or second in their matches this weekend.
The Ace:
Liquid`SnuteRecord: 6-2
Snute is currently challenging for the title of world's best foreigner and he has shown why in Nation Wars. After picking up two kills for Norway in the Ro16, he proceeded to get all four of the team's wins against Sweden to send them to the Round of 4. Snute is coming off a weekend in China for IEM where he beat TRUE and Stork, but narrowly lost to Jaedong 2-3 to finish top eight. If he is not too affected by the travel, expect Snute to be the player that Norway relies on if it needs someone to carry them to the finals.
Poland
Previous matches: 4-1 UK, 4-2 UkraineTeam Poland made the top four after two fairly straightforward victories, and they are looking for more with their star studded lineup. Their depth is unmatched by any other country remaining in the tournament, and they are out to prove that they are the best non-Korean Starcraft II country in the world.
Lineup:
d.TefelRecord: 2-2
Make all the jokes you want about how Tefel is the worst player on Earht, but he has actually been playing pretty well recently. He is coming off his second season in Premier League, where he was able to upset Vortix in the opening series even if he was unable to advance past the Ro32. Tefel is a solid addition to the lineup, and if you can say that Tefel is the least accomplished player on your team in a tournament like this, that is a very good thing.
Liquid`MaNaRecord: 1-1
MaNa is one of the better Protoss players in Europe right now, and he has now been in Premier League for four of the six WCS seasons. His performance in Nation Wars has been fairly short, as he beat Ukraine's Dimaga but was defeated by Bly in the following match. MaNa is good enough to be an ace player for most of the teams in this tournament and is without a doubt the strongest protoss player left in Nation Wars.
The Ace:
Acer.NerchioRecord: 5-0
You can argue about whether MaNa or Nerchio is the better player, but in Nation Wars Nerchio has been the undisputed ace of team Poland. He three-killed the UK to secure victory for his country and then came in as cleanup duty to grab the final two kills against Ukraine. Nerchio has anchored the Polish team remarkably well, and he will attempt to lead his team to the Nation Wars final.
Closing thoughts:
There is an interesting dynamic between these two teams. While Team Norway are perhaps weaker overall, they have the strongest player remaining in the tournament as their ace. On the other hand, Poland have more depth and the stronger lineup overall. Both teams will be using two zergs and one protoss, and strategic choices like when certain players are sent out and in what matchups could change the results considerably. All in all, I think it will come down to whether or not team Poland can neutralize Snute.
Prediction:
Norway 3-4 Poland Match 2: 
Mexico vs France 
Mexico
Previous Matches: 4-3 Finland, 4-1 CanadaFor many, Mexico have been the biggest surprise of this season of Nation Wars. A lineup of MajOr, Maker, and JimRising is not to be overlooked, but Mexico's bracket looked like a difficult obstacle to overcome. They beat Finland in a close set that ultimately came down to a best of three between MajOr and Welmu that went MajOr's way 2-1. Facing Canada's lineup seemed like it might be too much, as being able to use Scarlett twice in a foreigner only Bo7 teamleague seemed a little broken, but Team Mexico were once again able to overcome the challenge. By beating Canada, they have shown that they are top dog in North America and advanced to the top four. At this point it is clear that Mexico can beat any country in the tournament and they have every chance to come away with the Nation Wars grand prize.
Lineup:
Kaos.JimRiSiNgRecord: 1-1
JimRising is one of the lesser known players still in the tournament and he might be the least well known player on team Mexico. However, anyone who ladders on NA knows that he is a fairly strong zerg player. Having him in the lineup gives Mexico a little racial diversity which allows them to pick their matchups with more care. Although JimRising hasn't seen too much action in Nation Wars thus far, he may be needed to take at least a win in their upcoming match against France.
DuSt.MakerRecord: 2-2
Maker is another player that isn't extremely well known, but he has proven in the past that he is a player that deserves some recognition. He is a past Premier League player, and he has done well so far in Nation Wars. He went 0-1 in their first match against Finland with a loss to Serral, but he performed extremely well by taking out Desrow and Scarlett against Canada. Mexico probably can't rely on Maker to always pull out upsets like that, but if he can Mexico will have a much easier time making the finals.
The Ace:
MajOrRecord: 5-1
This teamless terran is without a doubt one of the best of North America and has been putting in work to get Mexico this far. On his kill list in Nation Wars to this point are: Serral, Welmu (twice!), Huk, and Scarlett, and he still has time to add more. MajOr is unquestionably the ace player of team Mexico, and a lot of the weight is likely to fall on MajOr's shoulders as his country gets deeper into the tournament. MajOr has the skills to challenge any ace player remaining in competition and this is his chance to carry his country to victory.
France
Previous Matches: 4-2 United States, 4-1 RussiaWhile France didn't have an easy run to the semifinals, they certainly didn't have the hardest. However, team France showed that they are a high caliber contender with solid victories over strong teams on their way to the top four. A clutch performance by Stephano got them their first win over the Terran trio from the United States, and Dayshi provided a three kill performance to lift them over Team Russia. France will no doubt be the crowd favorites with the event being held in Paris, and expect team France to use that to their advantage as they attempt to become Nation Wars champions.
Lineup:
XMG.LilbowRecord: 2-2
Lilbow is one of the up and coming protoss players in Europe, and he made his first ever Premier League in Season 1 of this year. His Nation Wars performance has been acceptable thus far, with wins over Illusion and sLivko under his belt. He has been France's opening player in each of their two previous matches, and if he is the starter here he has a lot of pressure on him. If he wins even one game to open the set, France are in a good spot. If he loses, it gets that much harder for his team.
Mill.DayshiRecord: 4-1
Dayshi is one of the top foreign terrans playing the game today, and he has shown why so far in Nation Wars. He went 1-1 against the Americans, but exploded in France's match against Russia with a 3 kill to seal the victory. His run to the semifinals at Homestory Cup IX where he beat Armani and Bomber shows how good he can be, and he will have to bring that level of play if he wants to help France claim the championship.
The Ace:
Meltdown.StephanoRecord: 2-0
These days, Dayshi might be considered the best player in France, but Stephano was the player sent out last against Team USA, so I have to call him the ace. Stephano may not be as strong as he once was since coming back from a lengthy break from Starcraft II, but even a diminished Stephano is a frightening opponent for most foreigners. Put one of the best foreigners of all time representing his home country in front of a crowd that will be going absolutely insane for him, and it looks like you have a winning combination.
Closing thoughts:
This is sure to be an exciting match, as the underdog North American hope are taking on the host country in a thrilling Bo7. France is the only team left that will be fielding one player of each race, which will make it a bit harder for Mexico to counter pick. Overall I think most of the weight will be on MajOr's shoulders. If he shows up big, Mexico will go to the finals. If he doesn't, France will should make the finals and compete for the Nation Wars championship in front of their home crowd.
Prediction:
Mexico 2-4 France Caster Lineup
