Dragons, Shock to face off in Overwatch League Stage Three finals
Emily RandESPN
There was a warfare brewing all through Stage Three of the Overwatch League, pitting extra DPS-heavy compositions or Sombra-focused compositions in opposition to the usual triple-tank, triple-support (GOATS) compositions.
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The Stage Three last is the fruits of this battle, with the DPS-oriented Shanghai Dragons taking up San Francisco Shock, the Stage 2 champions and triple-triple masters.
Highway to finals: San Francisco Shock
It is hardly a shock to see the San Francisco Shock within the finals, however a victory to cap off Stage Three is perhaps the final hurrah for the crew’s ironclad GOATS compositions. With a rumored two-tank, two-DPS, two-support place lock on the horizon for Stage four of the Overwatch League, Sunday is perhaps the final time we see a real triple-triple setup at Blizzard Enviornment, to the delight of many and chagrin of some others.
The Shock convey their very own team-specific variations on the favored GOATS comps, with Kim “Rascal” Dong-jun taking part in on Baptiste. Though teammate Matthew “tremendous” DeLisi stated that the Shock would probably face Vancouver of all opponents within the Stage Three finals, Rascal wasn’t stunned that Shanghai rose above them.
“Nicely, I anticipated them,” Rascal stated. “Since Stage Three everybody has been taking part in extra Sombra-GOATS or DPS comps. We thought that Vancouver was not pretty much as good at DPS comps, so it isn’t a shock.”
In playoff matches in opposition to the Seoul Dynasty and Los Angeles Valiant, the Shock emerged victorious in opposition to each of these composition variations. Now, they will face a extra highly effective and versatile DPS crew in Shanghai, and can probably assault them with triple-triple and Rascal’s Baptiste.
The @SFShock sweep the Valiant and advance to Stage Three finals. pic.twitter.com/S44FBN5xT7
— Emily Rand (@leagueofemily) July 14, 2019
“It is simply our consolation picks,” primary assist Grant “moth” Espe stated after the Shock’s win over Seoul. “We now have Tremendous on the Rein and [Jay “Sinatraa” Won] on the Zarya, and that is actually robust for us. Even when it isn’t the most effective hero picks in that state of affairs, we nonetheless could make it work a number of the time. And people two heroes, particularly, snowball very well, so on longer maps, even when it isn’t the optimum decide on the primary level, we will win with it simply by holding the ultimates and transferring on to the second and third level.”
Rascal additionally cited Sinatraa as a key part of their triple-triple success.
“Why we’re good at Three-Three, that’s from Sinatraa,” Rascal stated. “As a result of Sinatraa is the most effective Zarya, so GOATS is admittedly across the Zarya.”
As for the two-two-two lock or fully DPS-oriented meta, Rascal’s not fearful about his crew. The Shock have two excellent DPS gamers in Park “Architect” Min-ho and Kwon “Striker” Nam-joo able to chip in ought to Sunday’s sequence or the remainder of the Overwatch League season take a extra offensive flip
“We type of have a double roster,” Rascal stated. “We now have type of a DPS-roster with Architect and Striker, so even when they play solely DPS it isn’t an enormous deal.”
Rascal himself isn’t any slouch in that position. In opposition to the Valiant, he swapped again onto one in every of his signature DPS heroes, Pharah, giving followers a possible preview of what could possibly be a extra DPS-oriented mirror within the finals.
“I used to be actually nervous to play the Pharah,” Rascal stated. “In DPS comps, there are such a lot of variables. I did make somewhat mistake, however it was okay.”
Highway to finals: Shanghai Dragons
Within the last, chaotic moments of Oasis on Saturday, Shanghai primary assist Son “CoMa” Kyeong-woo did not know that his crew had overwhelmed the Vancouver Titans.
“Everybody thought that it was going to go to extra time,” CoMa stated. “I used to be attempting to rez [Jin “Youngjin” Young-jin] and take into consideration what was going to occur after the rez delivered. That was the rationale why the whole crew was delayed as a result of they have been anticipating that to occur after which –“
CoMa unfold his arms out as he mimicked the in-game sound that performs when some extent is captured.
“The victory emblem simply popped up. At the moment we had a tough time assessing who really gained, in order that’s why there was a delay.”
The Dragons needed to undergo two of the league’s three greatest triple-triple groups within the New York Excelsior and Vancouver Titans to succeed in the Stage Three finals. The third triple-triple crew is their finals opponent: the San Francisco Shock.
Shanghai Dragons DPS participant Bae “diem” Min-seong celebrates a spherical win throughout his crew’s Overwatch League Stage Three semifinal match in opposition to the Vancouver Titans on Sunday at Blizzard Enviornment in Burbank, California. Picture by Robert Paul/Supplied by Blizzard Leisure
Shanghai was one of many groups this stage to first deviate from the norm by taking advantage of Yang “DDing” Jin-hyeok’s Pharah and Youngjin’s Doomfist as an alternative of counting on the picks popularized by San Francisco, NYXL and the Titans.
“To start with of the season, we weren’t certain what we needed to play: GOATS, Sombra-GOATS, or DPS,” Shanghai primary tank Noh “Gamsu” Younger-jin stated after Shanghai beat the NYXL within the quarterfinals. “We began to play DPS meta means sooner than different groups, and it has been the meta proper now, and that is been the largest profit for Shanghai.”
Shanghai used this disruptive DPS-oriented fashion to fell the Titans within the semifinals, once more with Youngjin’s Doomfist and Brigitte play, DDing’s Pharah, and Bae “Diem” Min-seong on his signature Widowmaker together with the Sombra. The important thing to Shanghai’s success with these DPS compositions has come from an improved potential to guard their assist line of CoMa and flex assist Yang “Luffy” Seong-hyeon.
“I personally suppose that was one in every of our weaknesses,” CoMa stated, “however by means of fixed enhancements, defending the backline has develop into one in every of our best strengths, and I feel it should enhance sooner or later.”
This has allowed each Luffy and CoMa to shine. Luffy remained comparatively untouched within the Vancouver sequence, and his Biotic Grenades and clutch Sleep Darts on Ana earned him Participant of the Match. In the meantime, on Mercy, CoMa was capable of efficiently Resurrect his teammates even from extremely dangerous positions.
“I typically make the choice myself and make the play,” CoMa stated. “It’s true that oftentimes the angle of rezzes are very dangerous, however I feel it is a high-risk, high-return play, and I am the one Mercy participant able to making these choices persistently.”
In an effort to defeat the Shock, Shanghai must proceed to guard their assist line, enabling their DPS gamers to go wild and crack the Shock’s protection.
“I undoubtedly suppose the Shock are far more well-rounded. Consequently, the primary time we performed in opposition to them we have been actually thrown off, so we must be ready for that extra sooner or later,” CoMa stated. “It’s right for us to evaluate the opposite crew, however I feel the final word technique is simply to do what we do greatest and what we’re good at. If I’ve to alter something or contemplate something it could be to assist Diem do higher on Widowmaker.”