SX Phase 2 Week 1
Major Roster Changes Promise Minor Shake-ups
#1
Oni Warriors
What were we expecting when SMITE’s most dominant team ever added a Worlds MVP? Sure, AwesomeJake408 had been playing like an MVP in phase 1, but let’s call a spade a spade—Genetics is the best support in the world, and he joins the high-octane Oni Warriors as they secure the Kickoff trophy. These Warriors have still only lost one set—sure, it was Masters finals, and sure, they sweat a couple of times at Kickoff. But this team is deadly and they got deadlier. Perhaps without Jake the Warriors’ ceiling is a tad lower, but I think with Genetics their floor has risen astronomically, and that kind of consistency is critical for winning a World Championship.
#2
Atlantis Leviathans
Over the summer the Leviathans announced that Zapman had been released from his position at ADC and PandaCat, a relatively unsuccessful mid laner from the SCC, would be taking his place. Okay, I joke about PandaCat—his resume at the pro level speaks for itself, and so do the immediate results the Leviathans showed at the Kickoff. Now a strange collage of the reunited Dragons side-laners, an ex-retired European Jungle legend, and the last two remaining members of the best Latin team the game has ever seen, the Leviathans played like a complete team at the Kickoff event, easily handling the Eldritch Hounds and stretching the Warriors to five games. This team always had the talent, and now something may be clicking with PandaCat making a surprise return.
#3
Jade Dragons
After making it to finals at the last Kickoff event, the Dragons sucked last phase before again showing some too-little-too-late signs of life at summer Masters. Then they made the Kickoff finals again, losing again to the Oni Warriors in 5 games—a reverse sweep. While failing to close out that series is tough to swallow, and seeing it as an omen may be tempting, these Dragons still feel different, even without roster changes. Easily handling SPL heavyweights in the Ravens and Ferrymen inspires a lot of confidence in this team; so too does their two wins against the Warriors, even if a third win never quite found them.
#4
Styx Ferrymen
The Ferrymen were Masters champions, but their body of work outside of that is middle-of-the-road. Everyone recognizes that this team has the talent to win it all; that is why their Masters championship was unsurprising as would be their victory at Worlds, should it come. But otherwise this team has looked just okay. They handled the Gilded Gladiators in the opening round, but managed just one game against the Dragons. Aror is adamant that the team doesn’t intend to only show up for playoffs, but nonetheless they remain a middling regular season team. The probably won’t rattle off 10 sets in a row, but they will always be hard to beat when it counts.
#5
Highland Ravens
The Ravens looked shaky at the Kickoff event, dropping unceremoniously to the Dragons in four games after just managing to stave off a sweep. Surprisingly, this motivated the Ravens into action, as it was announced that veteran BaRRaCCuDDa would be replaced in the ADC role by the newly available three-time champion Zapman. This move is weird. First of all, for Barra not to be in the league is as strange if not stranger than Zapman’s absence; to swap one for the other feels a little bit like chewing milk—it just feels wrong. Moreover, Zapman’s fit with this team is puzzling. Haddix, Venenu, and Screammmmm (and for that matter, Barra) are all intense competitors, but they approach their competitive drive with a veneer of loose, laid-back energy. Zapman, on the other hand, has always been rather straight-laced after his days with Dignitas. One thing is for sure—these aren’t the same tracksuit wearing Bolts of the past. No, these are the Zampan-Hurriwind duo lane Ravens. Seriously, what is that?
#6
Camelot Kings
The Kings feel flat right now. They lost an MVP, Twig had a baby, Variety has been struggling all year, and everything with this team just feels like it’s going to take some time to materialize. The potential is obviously there, having won the Championship only eight months ago, but we’re going to have to let this roster cook, I think.
#7
Eldritch Hounds
Quig leaving to replace Genetics on a team the Hounds finished higher than feels—what’s the word, exactly? Awful. It is hard to say what Quig saw in the Kings’ windows that made him so enticed to leave (the shine from their championship rings, perhaps?), but it has left the Hounds feeling almost back at square one. NeilMah is not a bad player by any means, but he strikes me as a particular player—one whose style takes some getting accustomed to. He rarely plays for leads and finds ways to be effective at a deficit of resources, but this often means his teammates have to play bigger with their greater access to levels and items. At Kickoff, the Hounds looked at least few weeks away, which is a damn shame after their 3rd place Masters finish.
#8
Gilded Gladiators
Ah, the Gladiators. What even to make of this team? They certainly seem more talented, swapping Inbowned for, at least in terms of phase 1 performance, MVP front-runner AwesomeJake408. Joining him is Cxnnahh, renowned SCC solo talent from Europe. Together they promise greater heights for a team that includes Kyrmi, who has turned into a high-pace all-or-nothing assassin the likes of Oathhh or Adapting, and Stuart, who I continue to defend as maybe the most underrated player in the entire league. Still, something in the middle of this team feels limiting for their long-term aspirations of serious contention.
