If they were serious they'd get a better IGL, but hard to downplay the amount of raw fragging power with Keznit, Nightz, Demon1 and a sometimes streaky but generally good Rossy

Dynasty starts after you ahhh

r u guys 12

1. G2
2. DRX
3. TL
4. TH
5. LEV OR 100T

Recycling T1.5 talent is so boring

EU smokes just suck in general outside of Ruxic, that's why these teams are just important them. Over half are either IGLs or imports.

At some point the 'selfless entry' label only goes so far. He's a clear weak link in the team and is mechanically behind. He was also bad on stage.

Team obviously needs more firepower and a better neon entry player to play with Marteen. Lewn is a good shout, as is ara if GX look to shake up their roster. How do people feel about Tomaszy these days?

I was someone who thought Penny and Xepppa clearly were the odd mans out after their bad start, but if you're going to bring in your future at scan initiator, why drop Penny?

Ya I mean Penny is a T1.5/AAAA (for my baseball fans) player but that's a crazy choice to make at this moment in time.

I doubted Penny made it to 2027 with this team, but why replace him after you performed so well in literally your last game?

Jackk is a good T2 talent, leading in rating in NA VCL, and would be a great option to have in a rebuild, but why do this right now? Why force Xeppaa onto a role that probably won't work for him

Ya the vyse isn't the main problem, it's the fact that Tejo is so much worse than Phoenix on Pearl and Phoenix in general is too good to not even try.

They should be playing fracture and breeze as much as possible in these final two matches. Lotus too.

At least in NA, the meta is Neon on every map and Phoenix on 3 while almost never playing double initiator and half of the maps playing sentinel agents.

Mada hates Neon and would rather play any other duelist
They don't have a Phoenix player
Ethan's best role is as a second initiator

They can't win on split because other teams are better at fade - vyze
They don't play Haven while Phoenix has won all but one game when picked
They can't win on Pearl because Phoenix is just way better than Tejo

All of this while perma banning bind, likely because they know the best teams are going to run them down with Phoenix.

Bao has some potential at least, they've just forced him to be a KJ 1 trick. Would like to see him as a full-time smokes player. Supamen and c0m are just washed, though. Get younger IGL. Get another fragger to play alongside Oke, whose shown some proficiency as a flex player. He can sorta be your secondary duelist, but has been good on things like Kay/O and Smokes

It's been almost 2 full years since Shanghai man

Boostio Gekko comps and Cryo Jett Asuna Raze every map are a thing of the past.

They should probably build around Leaf Trent Valyn with a new staff in 2027

I've felt at times that Jaw has gotten the short end of their style of play, but at some point he's just got to play better as the entry. It's ben frustrating for a few stages and international's now.

They can realistically have the pick of the litter of any duelist they want given the other three around them.

Because people kept telling them the region's skill level was too low.

It just ended up being an IGL and development problem IG.

Wouldn't mind a Loud rebuild with Askia, Raafa and trying to snipe as many of the above players as possible

You can legit make two all star teams with this current crop

Aspas
Sato
Mwzera
Artzin
Less

Spike
Silentzz
Blowz
Cortezia
Luxko

Can't even find a spot for Dgzin or Cauanzin, Pancada

Region is in a great spot in terms of talent, especially across multiple roles. Tremendous Sentinel depth, just need more IGLs to come up (raafa redemption)?

Envy goes to full rebuild around Ion and maybe D1 next offseason anyway.

Why give the team any attention when clearly they aren't anything notable?

what about the double negative and 3-10 defensive half to end the series after the only stat that is even average?

He can't shoot back.

title

Future C9 Sentinel player

Zekken Phoenix, Aspas Chamber, Tex figure it out

Reins is the only one I feel is actually irreplacable.

Benjy is on good form right now, so he probably is in that discussion too.

Woot is just too inconsistent with a head scratching agent pool.

Boo is so hard to rate.

I could see them running it back with minus Boo/coaching staff but keeping that core three because of the upside in fragging, but who would they do that with?

Boaster/Nats aren't going anywhere. You already have problems with language so it wouldn't be a Turkish player. Starxo or Cloud with their respective coaching staffs? IDK.

PCFC rebuild off to a good start

Duelist diffed by Navi acad on Neon

If he's not on Iso (dog agent) he's useless

Maybe TH can change roles around him for the third straight failed split!

2024 Champs is way in the past big dog. You can't just play Iso Gekko this meta.

Only if you're planning to play weird comps like the G2 Haven or Split where Leaf is on a flash character. Skuba is the best NA sentinel right now, and is also very good on Astra and Omen on double-smoke maps.

IGL/Smokes: Valyn
Initiator: Trent
Sentinel: Skuba
Entry: Jawgemo (would prob represent USA)
Flex/second Duel: Zekken

Can see arguments for Brawk, Leaf, Ethan, Crashies, Verno, Bang and Oxy

Let me rephrase

What useful agent is Woot good at?

What agents is Woot good at

CN loves their 6th man

Good point

Well of course, but what if your team is struggling with the secondary duelist? Maybe he's more of a scope player than a yoru/secondary entrant. I think Cryo and Babybay are two clear examples of that in NA. KK in CN, etc.

Ya you're right, I got my maps mixed up. I'm changing that.

Chamber seems to be good, not great on most maps. Useable, but never meta.

But similar to how Dambi's ability on Neon basically carried NS through APAC and eventually Masters, could a team with an elite chamber playing it every map work?

He's clearly a good option on Haven, Bind and Pearl

C9 farmed on him with both Demon1 and Oxy on Split

When the character was at its best, it was a must-pick on Breeze and Fracture.

I think the only questionable map would be Lotus, and that's just because he'll be more niche behind double duelist and/or viper and vyse.

If you had:

• a duelist who could solo entry
  • A scan initiator
  • A smokes main
  • And a flex who can play viper, but even also yoru/phoenix for the haven comp

I think it could actually work.

I wonder if teams like 100T, G2, RRQ, EDG or even T1 (with Meteor's struggles) would think about majoring in using Chamber on most maps.

Would love to see it happen from at least one semi-competitive team. I think 100T, G2 or RRQ are the best candidates for it.

In games like this there are agent/characters/champs that will always be inherintly swayed towards one portion of the playerbase than the other.

Overwatch: Mercy was user friendly, but dogshit compared to Lucio/Brig in pro play most of the time (I stopped watching around 2020 FYI)
League: Casuals love Garen, but it's almost always more impactful to have a Renekton or K'Sante.

In Valorant it's even more egregious when it comes to the uses of a Viper vs the uses of a Clove, or Reyna.

They have to make it so Viper is playable in non pro play as well, and outside of completely changing her kit, she's always going to inherently be better in a completely team style environment. Her wall is just too good. There's too much global presence.

It's similar with Omen because it's really hard to replace a character in your comp that adds both a flash and mobility. How many non-duelists have that?

Viper could clearly use a bit of a reduction on what makes her work as a sentinel (snakebite and vulnerable), and maybe Omen needs just one TP, but it's very difficult to keep them relevant in pro play and just regular valorant at the same time.

That doesn't go for every agent, though. Harbor, Kayo, Gekko, Breach, Deadlock, Veto are just not powerful enough, especially the initators and harbor.

Cypher and/or KJ need reworks. They're just too stale/plain with how they're adding in new sentinels.

Waylay and Neon are clearly overtuned, it's good they've already started to change Yoru.

But it's a really hard ask to change Viper, specifically.

I think a lot of people have very different takes on what 'duelist' counts as in some contexts.

I wouldn't put Yay as a duelist, honestly, and I would be hesitant to put either of Demon1 or cNed. It's just hard for me to put someone top 10 all time if they only succeeded at 1 duelist in 1 meta, and their second most notable agent is a sentinel.

It's no secret EMEA is behind in the meta and recently with international success. APAC had the two finalists, both of which have now won 2/3 events, and NA had the 3rd and 4th teams, and won champs last year. AG diffed M8 with duelist diff with Kira vs Bipo.

The teams that did make it out of EMEA were 2/3 inexperienced rosters who captured the double-duelist meta exceptionally. TL also did it decently well in a TL fashion.

Now that we know EMEA teams have to start adapting a bit more, what teams do you think have a higher double-duelist ceiling than previously unveiled?

FNC is an obvious one with Alfa and Kaajak, they should be more aggressive to get Alfa in duelist roles.
KC/Navi are both moving that way with new signings
Heretics and Vitality are both theoretically good at it, but I think we need to see it for real for real.
I don't think it fits the GX style at all
Likely one of the bottom feeder Turkish teams will also adapt better and see better results. It fits that regions playstyle better, and we've already seen it with BBL.

Higher ceiling team with KC and Navi for sure. Still a lot of SUPER individually talented players between the two with Ruxic, Hiro, N4rrate, dos9

Lowk did not see this LMAO

I guess their best bet is looking closer to T2.

Can we all accept that the Babybay fun is/has run its course?

The team is capped with him and his agent pool, and Jawgemo clearly is worse with him on the roster than with JonahP. No amount of content Smeag clips can change that. They clearly need to find a player that can work in double-duelist, but also doesn't hurt the rest of the roles if the meta changes?

So why not N4rrate?

EDIT: Because he's going to KC you moron, anyway.

They need someone who can play a secondary duelist and can flex into flash initiators or allow Leaf to play double-controller. I think N4rrate checks those boxes.

Outside of Zekken and Keiko (impossible to get), N4rrrate now going to KC, the best fit is probably someone like Okeanos, Boni or Satellite

Why is G2 picking Corrode over Bind?

Dambi and Mada are the only ones with even close to a positive rating on it on the international stage.

Dambi is just different.

Got the maps and bans right, just the order wrong.

Concerned for NRG against this NS Haven and it getting to the third map of a BO3

Hypothetical and optimal top 3 teams for NA, EU and PCF (not as familiar with CN teams/players)

NA:

NRG:
Ethan
Mada
Keiko
Skuba
Brawk

G2:
Valyn
Jawgemo
Babybay
Trent
Leaf

SEN-hybrid:
JohnQT
Aspas
Zekken
EEIU
Cortezia

H.M.: Verno, Koalanoob, Artzin

EU:

BBL
Rose
Lovers Rock
Lar0k
Loita
Crewen

FNC
Boaster
Kaajak
Alfa
Chronicle
Crashies

TL-Hybrid
Nats
Derke
Marteen
Hiro
Riens

H.M.: Minny, MiniBoo, Starxo

PAC:

PRX
D4V4I
Jingg
Something
F0rsaken
Invy

NS:
Rb
Dambi
Francis
Xross
Ivy

T1-Hybrid
Munchkin
Hyunmin
Izu
Karon
Meteor

H.M: Primmie, Patmen, Jemkin

Tried my best to keep it to two established teams and one hybrid team trying to bring the best players together. Might have missed a name or two on accident

What team takes home this LAN, and what would the Chinese teams look like? Which region looks best?

G2 ban Split
PRX ban Abyss

G2 pick Haven
PRX pick Corrode

PRX ban Breeze
G2 ban Pearl

Bind finish

Haven
Corrode
Bind

Ya but either way it's been a problem for them this year. 1-3 with the only win against GE, and they don't have a comp that works.

Needs to start with Jingg Raze no matter what

Would prefer Raze - Yoru - Fade - Brim - Viper, but can also see why you might want to put Something on Chamber/Veto

G2 ban Split
PRX ban Abyss

That's chalk, no reason it doesn't end like that.

G2 pick Haven
PRX pick Corrode (AG loss shouldn't hold too much weight, they played it close against the best Pearl team with very unique ideas. PRX killed G2 last time)

PRX ban Breeze (don't want to play G2 on it)
G2 ban Pearl (rarely play it)

Bind finish (relative unkowns for both squads, though G2 great in Americas and roles fit well)

Feels like one of those where either PRX wins 2-0 by being the better team on Bind, or it's an as expected 2-1 for G2 because they have more Bind comfort

NRG ban Corrode (NS far too good on it)
NS ban Pearl (It's their perma, and NRG elite on it)

NRG pick Abyss (even with L to BBL, it's a great map for them and the Tejo)
NS pick Haven (undefeated this year)

NRG ban Split (tough one, but they found something on Bind vs PRX, and NS has just one Breeze game all year)
NS ban Breeze (they let Bind through against M8)

Bind decider

Abyss
Haven
Bind

Lots of viper for Skuba, 3 different duelists for Mada, Ethan gets a Tejo map, Keiko full flex

Need to put Dambi on Neon Abyss if you want a chance, Ivy plays all three of his agents, 3 yoru maps for Francis

Abyss feels like the only map that HEAVILY favors one team, but it's hard to pick against NRG. Their only bad maps have been Corrode and Split, but they just beat BBL on that map with the Vyse, Neon comp. I could see NS picking that > Haven, though. Gets Brawk off sova as well.

Ya less about merit/performance and more just what this kind of swing of emotions in a 2 month stretch can do to a person

If only the six year old website that used to have this exact function gave you the ability to search for players from a specific country and their stats at the highest levels of play