Phase 3 Week 2

Warriors Impress While Titans, Bolts Drop

#1

Jade Dragons (2-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Next week: Warriors (1-0), Titans (1-1)

The Dragons won easily this week against both a bottom team in the Scarabs and a top team in the Kings. In game two of each set, Pegon went an assassin in Jungle while Scream ran Atlas mid—an unorthodox approach allows Scream to play an unconventional pick he excels on, while simultaneously disrupting their opponents’ preparation (the Scarabs and Kings both banned mages in the second phase despite Pegon’s pick already being locked). It is possible Scream’s Atlas may see bans in this week as other teams try to stay within their comfort zone. While both the Warriors and Titans are capable teams, it is hard to imagine the Dragons dropping either set. Their strategies are as varied as their play is consistent—a fact which makes adjusting to the Dragons difficult if not impossible.

Prediction: Dragons 2-1 Warriors, Dragons 2-0 Titans

#2

Camelot Kings (1-1)

Previous ranking: 2

Next week: Scarabs (0-2), Warriors (1-0)

It may seem harsh to punish the Kings for a loss to a team expected to beat them, but the loss was convincing enough that dropping the Kings to the #3 spot would have made some sense. Still, the Dragons, who play fast paced and aggressive, are something of a mismatch for the Kings’ slower style, and the Kings still have a longer track record of success than the Warriors, the only team that could reasonably supplant them. The Kings will have a nice reprieve against the struggling Scarabs before facing off against those Warriors—another strong team with a style very similar to the Kings. Securing both wins will solidify their #2 spot—and they should win, but stranger things have happened.

Prediction: Kings 2-0 Scarabs, Kings 2-1 Warriors

#3

Oni Warriors (1-0)

Previous ranking: 6

This week: Dragons (2-0), Kings (1-1)

I wrote last week that the Warriors struggled with consistency. However, this week they looked far more consistent than the teams now below them, despite only playing one set. The Warriors managed to dominate the objective play up against the Leviathans, who struggled to build a lead despite winning their share of the fights. As long as they play objective-minded, the Warriors will be tough to defeat—especially for teams that struggle in teamfights. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they face the top two teams this week, a fact which may take some wind out of their sails. If those sets remain competitive, the Warriors may come away feeling like they could beat anyone. And perhaps they can.

Prediction: Warriors 1-2 Dragons, Warriors 1-2 Kings

#4

Atlantis Leviathans (1-1)

Previous ranking: 4

This week: Bolts (1-1)

After a convincing loss to the Warriors, the Leviathans turned around and defeated the Titans 2-0. In the Warriors set, Zapman played both Eset and Raijin which allowed Sheento to play physical gods in in mid. The result was a struggle to establish pressure in either lane, and an even harder time in fights. Both returned to more conventional picks in their wins over the Titans who themselves continued to run mages in duo. These result calls into question the strategy of mages in duo altogether, but it must be recognized that the Leviathans outclassed the Titans in other areas, such as objective play. This week they face the Bolts who are still acclimating to Baskin. How that match plays out will shape much of how the middle teams shake out going forward.

Prediction: Leviathans 2-0 Bolts

#5

Tartarus Titans (1-1)

Previous ranking: 3

This week: Valkyries (0-1), Dragons (2-0)

Fair or not, the Titans’ jungler was at the center of a twitter debate about the future of the SPL on LAN, and whether or not Hi-Rez should grant lengthy exceptions to allow players to play from home. It is hard not to wonder if this situation was a distraction, or if simply not having Layers present effected their synergy. In four games, Paul has yet to play a mage and Cyclonespin has yet to play a hunter. The strategy suggests that they want Paul playing a physical in order to establish early game pressure, but the results speak for themselves: a sloppy win over the Bolts and a loss to the Leviathans who dropped the strategy themselves. The Titans have the talent to win against anyone—so long as they figure out how they want to play the game.

Prediction: Titans 2-0 Valkyries, Titans 0-2 Dragons

#6

Olympus Bolts (1-1)

Previous ranking: 5

This week: Valkyries (0-1), Leviathans (1-1)

The Bolts look exactly as they are: a team trying to find their identity after a roster change. They lost to the Titans in two back and forth games and beat the Scarabs 2-1. The dropped game against the Scarabs is the biggest cause for concern; a late lead was lost during a phoenix siege, and the Scarabs were able to capitalize and come back to win. The Bolts were in a winning position that they should have converted, and they will need to play cleaner from ahead if they plan to finish in the top half of the standings. This week they face the Valkyries and the Leviathans, both of whom are entirely winnable match ups for the Bolts. A strong week will put them back on track, but they likely need more time to find their identity.

Prediction: Bolts 2-1 Valkyries, Bolts 0-2 Leviathans

#7

Valhalla Valkyries (0-1)

Previous ranking: 7

This week: Bolts (1-1), Titans (1-1)

It is hard to judge the Valkyries from one set against a tough opponent, but they looked as though the long break had stolen some of their momentum. This week’s matches against the Bolts and Titans should provide a better idea of where this team ultimately ranks. The bright spot is that BennyQ was impressive, getting 6 kills to only 2 deaths in the set. The team likely still needs more time to grow, but an upset over either team is entirely possible.

Prediction: Valkyries 1-2 Bolts, Valkyries 0-2 Titans

#8

Solar Scarabs (0-2)

Previous ranking: 8

This week: Kings (1-1)

The Scarabs struggled. They showed impressive resolve in their lone game win over the Bolts, but their four losses this weekend were tough to watch. With all of this talent, it is hard not to imagine that they turn it around eventually, but things will get worse for the Scarabs before they get better as they face the Kings this week.

Prediction: Scarabs 0-2 Kings