An inevitability given the weaknesses displayed by the North American region in recent years, its most successful organisation, Team Liquid, recently made the decision to switch to a European core for the first time in its history.
A move that saw both nitr0 and EliGE depart for Patsi and Rainwaker, fans from all over the world patiently waited for their debut at BLAST Premier Fall Groups with much intrigue.
A debut played, and won, against G2, their win against one of the best teams in the world was a great initial display of both the firepower on this team, as well as the potential it holds. A result few would have expected prior to the game, Liquid played like a team that had been together far longer than a month, but how did they line up, and just how far can they go as a team?
In the run up to their first game, a lot was said about the split between the passive and aggressive features of this team. In Patsi and YEKINDAR, the team has two of the most aggressive players in the world. On the flipside, in NAF and Rainwaker, they also possess two of the most passive players in the world. Two sides of the coin, it made predicting how they would play far simpler than many of the new teams at the event.
On Mirage, just as any expert would have predicted, it was NAF and Rainwaker found anchoring the two bombsites. Rainmaker assumed nitr0’s former position on A, while NAF remained the turret he has established himself as on the B site. One difference to the old team, however, was that new IGL YEKINDAR now operates as the Connector player, a position formerly occupied by EliGE, while Patsi took up YEKINDAR’s former job on B Short.
Having the aggressive players in the rotator spots is logical, and given how aggressive they are, it is a feature that will give Liquid a unique look in tier one as they continue to build their system. If they can figure out early round aggression to the same extent as G2 or Heroic on a consistent basis, it will make them a powerful force going ahead.
On Ancient, aggression is partnered with the more passive elements. Towards B is where you will find NAF and YEKINDAR, whereas A and Mid is patrolled by new boys Patsi and Rainwaker. An effective set up, it allows the aggressive players to be dynamic, taking space and fighting for map control with their passive partners supporting them and acting as insurance should their play fail. If the new players can frag as well as those who have been there longer, they’ll have some of the best firepower in the world.
Judging by their debut, the sky really is the limit for this roster. While he might not be the greatest fragger in the world, HooXi is a good IGL, and YEKINDAR notching a win against him is a testament to what he can provide as a leader.
The series could easily have been a 2-0 too, if not for a masterclass from NiKo on Mirage. It took an overtime for G2 to even get a map against them, and why that could be down to rust after the playerbreak, given how well Liquid played, we’d say it was more likely a testament to the strength of this team instead.
It’s clear there is still some way to go for Rainwaker, but that’s to be expected considering he came from a team like 500. His tier one experience is extremely limited thus far, but given this performance, early signs are promising. It’s not like he got washed out by G2, but a larger sample size will give more indication as to whether his fragging is up to par in the higher level. Sites like A site Mirage require players to be comfortable defending them, and that’s something he struggled with today. Granted, it was against one of the best teams in the world, but it could be cause for concern should it become a more consistent issue.
In all honesty, it’s too early to say whether this team can win trophies, but the old Liquid team would always have struggled to take down G2, and beating teams such as them will always be integral to bringing home gold.
Of course, much still relies on the performances of oSee. A player many fans and experts would have cut, Liquid has put faith in his steady improvement in hope he will consistently tangle with the world’s best. He did well against G2, but the same level of impact must become the minimum expectation if this roster is to thrive.
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