Stormy Waters for Mutineers to Open S2

Tough 1 – 3 Loss to start season 2 for the boys. Lets get into it.

Apocalypse Hardpoint | L 104 – 250

The guys got off to a slow start and never really recovered map 1. I felt like the pace was down getting to power positions and taking map control, and when they were getting early rotation their setups were just not holding out. I think its a combination between some of the problems the team has been dealing with throughout season 1 and being behind on the new map. Owakening had a really subpar game for his standards, I thought he was getting himself caught out of position and a I recall being conflicted about a few solo challs he took.

The key moment in this hardpoint came in the second rotation of hills about 30 seconds into P1. Florida was setup for P2 spawns and was making a push to contest the last 30 of P1 sending Neptune and Skyz through bottom/mid and Slacked hitting a pinch from temple through coop. Both guys mid go down as Slacked is about to hit coop. He pushes through and causes the spawns to flip as Seattle crossed P1 towards temple side. This play costs Florida the early setup for the strong P2 hold and leads to a parallel spawn giving Seattle the opportunity to hold P2 from the front. This hill extended Seattle’s lead from 90 – 145 to 90 – 207 and really put the game out of reach.

Seattle then took the momentum of Prestinni absolutely FRYING all map and in the last break to easy push Florida out of position on their rotation and close out the map P3.

I feel like this is somewhat of a pattern with this team in respawns. They have trouble regaining when momentum shifts and on pure eye test / emotion I would say these swings happen against Florida pretty consistently. I didn’t like them committing to the late contest on P1 so hard, I think they could have committed much less and focused on holding the biggest money hill on the map. They ended up losing significantly more than the ~25 seconds they were looking to contest. On not being able to regain, their rotation to P3 was soft. In the way that they sent to hard for the back spawns when I think they needed to be applying more pressure to Seattle on exit of P2 to try and really lock the rotation. I definitely think these could be errors related to being on a new map. Very fixable, they have time to fix it. Honestly just thank god no Crossroads.

Checkmate Search & Destroy | L 3 – 6

This SnD started HOT for the Mutineers. Neptune had 3Ks in both of the first two rounds and I was fully leaned forward expecting momentum to carry and the Mutineers to find themselves a bit. Little did I expect Seattle to toggle on teamplay and cruise through 5 straight rounds. They just played some great Team Search and total respect to them on that. Seattle was able to find space and isolate fights consistently through the game. FLA was taking and losing some solo challs and things just weren’t falling in their favor.

I will make it known now I despise Checkmate. Carry on.

Checkmate Control | W 3 – 0

Control: Some love it, some hate it. I like it.

Round 1 Offense felt like a standard defensively sided round of control until about 20 seconds left in the round when Florida was able to get 4 down, capture A and roll that straight through to a Offensive round win. Once they got that 4 down they pushed control of the map and were able to keep Seattle essentially split and coming off spawn as they capped A and B back to back.

Round 2 we got a listen in on the Florida comms. Hectic close round, but the boys secured the defense. I will be leaving my opinion of the listen in here, however im disclosing a non professional opinion as they and many others are way better than I.

I felt the comms were a little hectic, most of what was being communicated was just enemy locations, often post death. What I got from the listen in combines with one of my theories on Florida’s woes is a lack in a strong In Game Leader or In Game Voice. I didn’t find that anyone was taking control of the flow of information overall and directing a little more of the meta game for the rest of the team. I’m mentally comparing to a listen in with Empire where Crim was directing the overall flow of the game in comms along with all the other callouts. I have also seen Arcitys used as a great example of a strong In Game Voice that can control the team in hectic moments and really direct the flow.

Round 3 Florida played the break off very patiently. Slow clearing angles and pushing up as a team they secured map control and made sure no one was getting out behind them off the break. The boys got 4 down all on first life and from that point on the map was mixy. They almost immediately capped A but had to finesse a little which added some excitement. After the A cap I was sure allw as lost as they fully secured and lost B three times before finally closing it out.

Good map win, defiantly needed in the series I will never complain about losing a swing game. However it was against Seattle, the worst Control team in the game. They should not be our barometer for success here.

Checkmate Hardpoint | L 224 – 250

If you would tell me before this map that we would spawn bad side and leave P2 up 51 to 28, I would of dropped some STAAAACKS on the boys. So its a good thing you didn’t because this one turned into an absolute heartbreaker of a loss in much the same fashion as P1. From P2 they are able to rotate out and hold most of P3 from Armory side which is preferred in my opinion and are able to win and make the most of the rotation to P4. P4 stayed scrappy but they are able to work around and hold the back spawns setting up for P5.

At this point I have considered this a nearly perfect rotation on Checkmate Hardpoint. Big Wake was winning some key engagements throughout and is still absolutely filthy at COD. All in all we end the first rotation up 132 to 79. End of P1 Florida hard commits to the wrap deep behind Nasa for spawns and win control in the back however this is where things go oh so wrong. (End P2 Florida 187-96) As Florida had done to them, Seattle returned the favor in putting our Mutineers back in the blender. Seattle full holds P3, wins rotation, full holds P4, wins rotation, and full holds P5. After a mixy P1 Florida find themselves down 206 to 228 with Seattle in control of the P2 spawns.

Just as in last rotation the boys are able to make the full flank and take spawns however Loony finds an opening and gets 3 kills in the back to open the hill for the Surge to take control and win the game. Overall pretty rough way to start Season 2.

THE GOOD

• Neptune still looking absolutely gross on the sticks
• Wake ^
• Lot of fixable mistakes, some things lending to new map

THE BAD

• Need an in game voice, feel they need someone able to reel in the meta game and control the hectic nature
• Tough losses feels like they lose composure in game and things get away from them

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