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Shotcaller

Monday Morning Shotcaller: Stage 2 Week 1

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You have to give it to the Uprising – they do everything they can to make it interesting. Because after opening Stage 2 with a pair of reverse sweeps (3rd in a row in stage play) the entire league is catching on to the interesting story of of the Uprising. A team whose GM will make any roster change he can to better the team, fans be damned. A team full of players perceived to be ‘unknown’ or ‘unproven’ or ‘inexperienced.’ And a group who never says die and can’t be counted out till the last fuse of overtime burns out.

For a team whose mantra going into the season was Prove Them Wrong – they keep giving themselves plenty to prove. Fan favorite off tank Note was traded away for Dallas’ rCk days before Stage 2 started. How would the shakeup play out amidst a new meta? Had the team licked their wounds from having their Stage 1 playoff existence destroyed by the Vancouver Titans? Let’s take a look.

The Good

rCk

Before Stage 1 we traded fan-favorite Gamsu and brought up Fusions from Contenders. Uprising skeptics and haters had a field day. Boston dropped to the bottom of everyone’s power rankings. Then they make the playoffs and silence the critics. Well, can we do it again? Boston trades fan-favorite Note for Dallas Fuel’s rCk before Stage 2. Again, the skeptics and haters hold a vigil for Boston’s season. rCk – not as good a DVa as Note, they say. The team won’t be able to sync up in time for Atlanta and Toronto, they say. Could Boston possibly live up to the expectations they set in Stage 1?

With all that pressure on his shoulders, rCk delivered. Against Atlanta, he made himself a vacume all match against BabyBay’s Zarya, sucking up Gravitons left and right. Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be a subpar DVa? But there he was on Eichenwalde, just as the Reign were about to push the cart to victory. With Overtime on, his pick on Pokpo and a 2K Self-Destruct (when the rest of the Uprising were dead) that pushed the series to a 4th map. Note who?

Of course the Finn brought it on his Sombra. Against Atlanta and Toronto, rCk constantly harassed the backline players, dropped massive EMPs, and was the Sombra the Uprising always needed. With him on the team, Boston could afford a variety of team comps they never could have with Note. And it paid off. Farming EMP off health hacks and shooting down supports before Translocating, rCk seemingly always had an EMP when the Uprising needed it.

rCk’s stats against Atlanta

Against Atlanta, rCk made mincemeat of the Reign. If anything, I don’t think the rest of the Uprising are on the same wave length on capitalizing on the EMPs. They can get better with that given more time scrimming. rCk landed several EMPs that didn’t get the immediate team wipes you’d have expected. Look for this to become a more prominent weapon in the Uprising’s toolbox.

Colourhex

We knew the meta would get shaken up going into Stage 2, but we didn’t know how it’d play out. Turns out Boston had a smorgasbord of team comps ready to deploy. And none proved as effective as the different combinations that featured Colourhex on the Widowmaker. Now, this is a player many have been wondering about. His hitscan abilities were completely unknown as he’d been stuck on Zarya for Stage 1. The Australian region’s Overwatch scene has been a meme up to now, and many questioned the Uprising’s pickup of the Kiwi. With a DPS friendly meta – how would he do?

Well, turns out the guy can play. From his first switch onto Widow and picking off Atlanta’s sniper nlaaers (see above), we knew we were in for something special. In fact, especially against Toronto, Colourhex shoved that long-ass sniper rifle right down the Defiant’s throat. Clutch after clutch after clutch. Too many times we saw Atlanta and Toronto’s snipers lose their Widow duels, with Colourhex having free reign to pick off the other heroes.

Take a look back at Oasis against the Defiant. Boston had just forced a map 5 and were hungry for a third straight reverse sweep. With their vocal leader Fusions, and their new superstar stud rCk, it was Colourhex who popped off when it mattered the most. First, his 3k on Widow makes Toronto cower out of position. Then he switches over to Soldier 76 and picks off enough of the Defiant to help capture the stage. He showed his flexibility and hits can make him another in a long line of out-of-nowhere superstar pickups by Boston’s Huk.

Not that Colourhex was a one-trick. His Tracer’s Pule Bomb on Pokpo on Gibraltar clutched the win to force a 5th map. Same with his use of Pharah’s Barrage on Rialto, flanking Toronto’s Amplification Matrix on Rialto and forcing a 5th map. If Colourhex can keep up this level of play, the Overwatch League is about to get rolled by New Zealand’s only pro player.

The Bad

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. You can’t get reverse sweeps without losing two maps straight, and Boston certainly handed them out to Atlanta and Toronto. How did it happen? For the first half against Atlanta, I saw a lot of ineffective GOATs play. Teams were still trying to feel out the meta change, and I think Boston wasn’t willing to stretch into unknown territory at first. The apprehension caught them against Atlanta. With Toronto, especially on Hanamura, they couldn’t deploy the set plays they should have had. A bunker comp of Bastion and Orissa held them too long on Point A on both laps through on offense. Boston is usually better at preparing against set defenses than this.

It’s also worth noting that Overwatch League changed the order of map types going into Stage 2. Hybrid maps go from the second map played to the third, swapping with assault. You can’t say that Boston is just better at hybrid/escort because they had to win a 2CP in sudden death. But it’s reasonable to say that the assault maps may not be Boston’s greatest strength.

Fusions

We all knew the Disney movie story going into Stage 2. Last minute Contenders call up turns into a top tank player. Leads the team to many victories. Last minute reverse sweep to make Stage 1 playoffs. Hero rides off into the sunset. Roll the credits. But would the sequel be a bomb or could it live up to the original?

I think we have to give it a push. Throughout the matches against the Defiant and Reign, it seemed Boston forced themselves back to the Rein-GOATs well, and the well was dry. Trying to recapture the magic was commendable, but ineffective. There weren’t any great Earthshatters, and his hammer swings didn’t push back the other teams. Atlanta especially seemed to focus on him, going so far as to play a Mei on Temple to split him from the rest of Boston. He didn’t respond well to that type of pressure.

Instead, I think we saw he did much better on Hammond. Getting timely swings to push players off the points, helping snowball Point B on Hanamura, dropping the mines to stall the defenses. A new meta forces new strategies. Though he was passable in both series, I think it will be an adjustment for the Brit to get to the level he was at in Stage 1.

The Uprising

There are other performances that have to get their due in a week that saw two reverse sweeps. Blasé was clutch on a variety of heroes in both games. He pulled out a Roadhog, Pharaoh, Tracer, and Brigitte, amongst others, when the team needed it. Him pushing Point B with Fusion’s Hammond after an Overtime cap on Point A on Hanamura was key to the snowball. His hero pool seems wider than anyone ever expected.

Babybay pumping up the crowd after Atlanta went up 1-0 has got to be a meme somewhere. The Shock’s former bench player seemed a bit premature in his celebration – you hate to see that.

Don’t sleep on Aimgod. No, he didn’t need to play back to avoid the EMPs like he did on Stage 1, but his Ana/Zen play was crucial. On Oasis (and really throughout the Toronto match) he seemed to get the sleep darts at the most clutch times. When Toronto’s Solider 76 had his Attack Visor and it looked like Boston would get wiped from the point, Aimgod’s sleep dart put that dream to bed.

Boston is the first team to get three straight reverse sweeps. These boys know how to play under pressure. Toronto, specifically, looked absolutely devastated when they got stomped on Rialto and realized they were going to sudden death. That ability to play when the pressure is the highest will go a long way for the Uprising. With so many weapons on their roster, Boston is going to be a dangerous team moving forward. Never say die. And don’t ever turn off the TV until the final tick.

Player of the Week

Absolutely no way you can split up rCk and Colourhex. They both were pog champ in the Atlanta and Toronto matches. The Overwatch League is on notice.

For more weekly columns and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp

Uprising Stage 2 Week 1 Preview: Reign and Defiant

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New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.

Thursday, April 4th @ 11 P.M. – Boston Uprising vs. Atlanta Reign

After a whirlwind Tuesday it’s become even more unclear what to expect this opening week of Stage 2. First, Persia becomes the team’s fourth support player. Second, Note has been shipped off to Dallas in exchange for rCk. Lastly, Overwatch’s next balance patch continues to distort what the meta will be. In short, the tea leaves ain’t any easier to read. Here’s a shot in the dark.

Roster moves

Persia

The first roster change this week that Boston pulled off was signing off-support Persia. A peculiar move. Boston already has Kellex, Aimgod, and Alemao. Aimgod has earned several player of the matches (or at least been in the running). Kellex has mained Lucio nearly all Stage 1. Lastly, Alemao has had little stage time. It’s a bit strange to pick up another support. Not out of line – many teams have a full compliment of two whole 6 player squads on their roster. But knowing Huk, you see a move like this and start counting the days till some former diamond in the rough he bought low on gets sold high at top dollar.

Note

One of the Uprising’s few remaining OGs, Note was having by all accounts a great season. His nose for sniffing out supports amidst team fights has been mentioned by many casters. While I’ve taken issue a bit with the zoning and pick off efficacy of his Self Destructs, the Canadien has proven he play at a pro level.  Sure, his inability to flex to a Sombra like other DVa players league wide may have limited Boston’s team comps. But, his coordination with Fusions and peeling for the back line made him an effective player.

Trying to read into Huk’s thinking on this move is a fool’s errand. Clearly, the man has some balls. Note is probably the biggest fan favorite outside of Fusions. After trading away Gamsu earlier this season, Huk is showing no one is indispensable. It seems to me Note’s inability to flex onto Sombra limited Boston throughout Stage 1 and that was enough to force a move.

Note’s one-note hero useage in Stage 1 (I know, horrible pun)

Personally, I’ll miss Note. You could tell the kid had such an upbeat energy to him. Boston seemed to be a great fit for the off-tank. Thinking back, his leadership was a big part of the Uprising’s undefeated stage last year as the dive comps played around him. I hope to see him continue to pop off down in Dallas.

rCk

Well, what did we get for everyone’s favorite Canuck? Enter rCk, last seen hitting Uprising players with EMPs like fish in a barrel. Huk must be thinking if you can’t beat em, join em. I imagine the week 5 contest that went to a fifth map impressed Huk enough to seek a trade. 

rCk’s stats headed into his match against BU in week 5

Obviously we should all expect some Sombra comps this stage and beyond. rCk is an impressive Sombra player and a more than serviceable DVa. Boston may have gotten the better end of the deal if he can play as effectively in both roles.

rCk nearly split time perfectly between DVa & Sombra in Stage 1

Meta changes

No one knows for sure what teams comps we’ll see in Stage 2 until it starts. But, the news of GOATs death is greatly exaggerated. Lucio’s speed nerf may reduce Rein to specific map comps, but there’s no reason to think Winston 3-3 comps won’t pick up the slack. Additionally, none of the dps nerfs make them more viable than a high hp, shield boosting, stun disbursing Brigitte.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t see some exciting team comps out there. Everyone loved it when we saw a Widow or Tracwr last stage, and expect to see a more diverse array of heroes picked. I just think metas die slow in the face of small buffs, and nerfs handed out across all heroes. Players and coaches are risk averse and more likely to stick with what they’re comfortable with. Boston hasn’t been known for their experimentation either – so expect some 3-3 from the Uprising.

But let’s not forget the new hero Baptiste. His Immortality Field is a potential game changer. Will we see him deployed early or will he be a map and situational dependent hero? Look for the teams eager to experiment and shake up the meta to give the new hero his first pro level appearance. 

Matchups

Thursday – Atlanta Reign

While Boston has arguably the most last minute roster moves of anyone, don’t ignore what’s happening with Atlanta. Famous Overwatch streamer turned pro Dafran…. is returning to streaming. Despite being the top seller in player jerseys, and making the most pog play of the season, it’s likely the stress of the pro life that drove him away.

Well, Atlanta didn’t waste anytime. They picked up Baby Bay from SF. Shock’s former stud DPS player has been riding the bench all season, so predicting what he can do given his time off and the new meta is difficult enough. Additionally, just as this column was going to print Atlanta tweeted out they signing frd, a tank player from the LA Gladiator’s Contenders team. Why not have even more last minute changes? What could go wrong!

Sunday – Toronto Defiant

Boston’s second matchup of the week is against Toronto. You’ll recall the last time these two played, Neko, Boston’s former off-support, was spraying the Uprising logo every pick he got. He and Bumper – archvillains of the Uprising. Well, nothing would be more satisfying than seeing Boston steamroll the fellow Stage 1 playoff team.

Public enemy #1

Last time Boston was trounced 3-1. There were some bright spots. Boston pulled a C9 on Anubis. They pushed it to a map 4 down 2-0 at halftime. Toronto got full held on offense. That was fun. But generally, Toronto had their way with the Uprising that match. That was then and this is now. There’s a new meta out there. New players. New stage. The past is not the present.

Also, Toronto didn’t want to be left behind in the last second roster changes. On Tuesday, Toronto’s coach Don left the team and on Wednesday their DPS starter Stellar retired. Hey if everyone’s doing, why not them? Of course, Stellar was the Defiant’s Brigitte main, posting a 27/28 KD in his match against Boston. That leaves Toronto with just 7 active players on the roster – good luck with that.

Thoughts

We’re not sure where Persia fits into the team, so let’s just pretend that didn’t happen for now eh? But let’s look at the Note and rCk trade. First, let’s look at the data. Note played on DVa nearly twice as long as rCk, but many of the per 10 minute stats are close. You can see some symmetry in that Note has the edge in FK (First Kills – 12% vs. 10%) but drops in FD (First Deaths – 3% vs. 2.8%). That slight discrepancy gets a bit more spread out when you look at F3K (First Three Kills) and F3D (First Three Deaths). Note may be getting more of those first 3 kills, but he pays for it in dying in one of the first 3 spots.

What the data shows to me is these two are comprable DVas. There’s no case to be made that one is supremely better than the other. But, one can swap to the Sombra and the other can’t. That is an entirely different weapon in the arsenal of the Uprising. Why wouldn’t Boston want to equip themselves with as many tools as possible?

Not that the rCk and Note switch is all that there is to worry about. Given the rumors that have swirled the last few weeks about Fusions, it’s likely we’re going to see a change in the tank line. Axxiom, better known as a Winston main, is likely to get some additional playtime this Stage. Whether he’ll trade off/on with Fusions/Rein based on matchup or map remains to be seen. It’ll be an interesting storyline going into the first week.

There are roster changes across the league, with Boston, and both their opponents this week. A meta change will shift the landscape of the league. Questions abound again whether Huk just traded away the team’s best player. Sounds familiar. And so we have a familiar response.

https://twitter.com/BostonUprising/status/1096133294876327936

For more weekly columns and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp