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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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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

Shotcaller

Monday Morning Shotcaller: Stage 1 Week 3

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

Welcome to the Monday Morning Shotcaller column. For all you New Englanders, I hope you’ve shoveled yourself out and get a chance to build yourself a snow hero.

It’s been somewhat of a cluster for the Boston Uprising this year. Our new DPS player was suspended the first two games. Our star, called up from our minor league team, had to negotiate a new contract two games into the season. But no more! There’s nothing like waiting until 3 weeks into the season to have your house in order. Why have an offseason end at the start of the season?

That’s all in the past. Boston is 1-2 headed into stage 1 week 3. The starting roster is set. We’re locked in and ready to go. Fusions is in midseason form. Let’s get it started.

Boston Uprising (1-2) vs. Seoul Dynasty (1-2)

With all that drama as background, what was there to expect going into his match? First, we know Boston has failed time and time again against the Sombra play. After making Shanghai (and DDing specifically) look like the best team in the league, would Boston come prepared to counter the Sombra strat? Surely their supports, Kellex, Aimgod, and Alemao, would be prepared to take an EMP and twist it in Boston’s favor?

Second, would Fusions pick up where he left off? Clearly his last minute ejection from the starting roster had much to do with Shanghai’s win. Now that the Brit is under contract and had a week to prepare all the excuses are off the table. If he could continue his aggressive push into teams, timely Earthshatters, and possibly self-endangering shout calls (seriously dude, take a throat lozenge), Boston looked good.

But what about Seoul? First, they happen to have one of the best Sombra players in the league. Michelle as Sombra plays very aggressive – getting a lot of hacks but also a lot of deaths. Having a strong hacker would logically give Seoul an advantage. With wins against the LA Gladiators and the Chengdu Hunters and a loss against the Dallas Fuel, it’s been difficult to read the tea leaves on the Dynasty. They had just as much to prove going into this match as Boston.

Nepal

Capture began for Boston with Fusions playing on the Winston. Picking up right where he left off against Houston, he leapt into Seoul territory. While he occupied the Dynasty, Boston got the first capture. Playing a solid defensive front, Boston held on until Seoul landed a Self-Destruct on Kellex that spiraled into a team wipe. Up 69% – 0% at that point, the Uprising bided their time. Accumulating enough ults, Boston eventually recaptured the point. After several exchanges (including this Self-Destruct from Note that catches the Lucio, Zarya, and DVa) Boston cruises to a 100% – 27% stage win.

https://twitter.com/LoadScr33n/status/1101643146159669248

Boston gets the first cap on stage two, but Seoul charges in with several ults in tow (grav, rally, trans, earth shatter) to take it back. The stage features even exchanges on both sides for most of the match. The broadcast’s caster, Monte, started begging Seoul to go to the Sombra. To no avail. Michelle lands an unbelievable 3k as overtime starts to lead to a cap. With Seoul up to 88%, the Uprising charge in with a set of ults only to have Jesce boop the team right into a Michelle Self-Destruct 4k. Despite a decent last second Wrecking Ball by Fusions the delay doesn’t work and Seoul wins 100 – 99%

In sudden death, Seoul decides they don’t want to let Boston be the aggresor anymore. Fortunately for the Uprising, the initial push fails and Boston gets the first cap. Typical GOATs exchanges rules the match until the game goes to Overtime. Fusions gets a critical shield from Colourhex’s Zarya and times a perfect Earth Shatter in OT to lead to a 100% – 99% win.

Numbani

Boston’s first offensive push was highlighted by their playing mind games with their route to Point A. Taunting the high ground but running low, Kellex comes out of nowhere to boop some of the Seoul down to ground level to steamroll a capture. They capture Point B with less than a minute to go after Aimgod and Colourhex each get a 2k.

At long last, Seoul pulls out the Sombra with Munchkin taking the hacker role. With a Phar-Mercy combo running, Seoul steamrolls Boston for a quick Point A. Boston gets 4 players hit with the first EMP from Seoul, but, they’re ready. Aimgod, having hung back, pops the Transcendence. Unfortunately, they lose as Note getting picked snowballs the team. But everyone watching learned something – Boston could take the EMP.

Back on offense after Seoul caps Point B, we see the Uprising do the same strategy. This time the Overwatch League meme it:

Boston uses the boop and Point A capture to snowball to an incredibly far push. Back on offense, Seoul runs the same DPS heavy comp to get Point A. Unfortunately, they have to reset their ultimate economy to get back to 3-3. Boston didn’t. Punishing the Dynasty with shatters and gravitons, Boston stops Seoul in their tracks to win the map.

Temple of Anubis

Boston and Seoul put on a GOATs buffet for fans of the 3-3. Discoordination and inability to combo ults doomed Boston from the get-go. Taking 3 attempts to get the final point, Fusions decided it was time to show everyone what they were missing from the Shanghai match:

Seoul decides they don’t want to get thrashed in front of the whole audience and put everything on the line. Punishing Boston’s choice of the Winston, they roll through Point A onto Point B using their cult advantage and picking off the right supports. They take Point B with a huge (5 minute) advantage.

After stopping the Uprising from capturing Point B, the door is open for Seoul. Note does a notable job on defense, particularly surviving as baby DVa long enough between team fights to call down the mech and push with the rest of the Uprising. Unfortunately, Seoul gets a 4k with the Self Destruct that they snowball into a Point A & B capture to win the map.

Route 66

Boston says they’ve had enough of the Sombra comp and pull it out themselves. Their first EMP hits 5 and allows them to get past the Bastion on offense. Munchkins’ first EMP does hit Aimgod, but Kellex is there with a Sound Barrier. The cat and mouse between Aimgod and Munchkin continues through to the last point, where this beauty happened:

After making it through to the end, Boston shows an impressive defensive effort. Between Note’s Self-Destructs and Fusion timing his Earth Shatters, Boston nearly gets a full hold. Seoul gets their act together enough through Point A, but the Uprising put an end to any thoughts of a reverse sweep.

Analysis

Boston Uprising fans were served a smorgasbord of deliciousness to chew on this night. Goodness gracious. Let’s start with an unsung hero in Kellex. First, his Lucio was seemingly in the perfect position all night. Whether it was hitting a boop to set up an ultimate combo or knock Seoul out of position, Kellex’s offense was fantastic. Additionally, he staggered the Uprising’s losses all night by wall riding into tough places to get picked off. Supports don’t get enough love and here’s some shine for our main support.

Aimgod and Kellex both did a great job showing that the Uprising were up to the Sombra challenge. The two positioned themselves outside of EMP range masterfully all night. In the future, when scholars look back at why a seemingly overpowered hero like Sombra wasn’t nerfed, they’ll study this game’s tape. Seemingly every time an EMP hit from Seoul, Boston triggered a support ultimate to weather the storm. Aimgod in particular baited Munchkin’s EMP all night and seemed to win each bout.

Our captain also showed he had something to prove. Has any Rein ever had over 100k in blocked damage on 4 maps? That stat is unbelievable. But the numbers don’t tell everything. Anyone with eyes could see Fusion was leading the Uprising into each battle, hitting his charges, sweeping the hammer, and knocking his Earth Shatters with surgical precision. If anyone thought the NYXL & Houston matches were a fluke, they are all certainly paying attention now.

At 2-2, with their full roster finally available, Boston was in the driver’s seat.

https://gfycat.com/gargantuanseparatecod
I know what it’s like to lose. To feel so desperately that you’re right, yet to fail nonetheless. Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same -Fusions

Boston Uprising (2-2) vs. Toronto Defiant (2-2)

After the high of beating Seoul, Boston was feeling invincible. They’ve got the starting roster they waited all season for. Sombra no longer posed a threat. Fusions was destined for league MVP. NYXL was sweating playing Boston in the stage 1 playoffs. What could possibly go wrong?

Enter Toronto. Themselves waiting for their star player, Neko, to come off a suspension. Tonight was their coming out party, five games into the season. Who is this Neko guy? If you don’t know, Neko is the star off support Boston plucked from obscurity and built into a juggernaut last season. I’m sure that he has nothing to prove going up against his former team. In his first game of the season. With Boston playing the guy (Aimgod) that replaced him in the starting roster. Just another normal game!

Busan

Boston walked out in this game with their pants down. Weird/nervous switches from the very start from a tank heavy to a damage heavy and back to a tank heavy team comp. I haven’t seen such indecisiveness since I asked my wife what movie she wants watch on Netflix. More importantly, by the time they got their act together, Toronto had the point. Both teams ran the traditional 3-3 and saw the typical grav/self-destruct/earthshatter combos we’re used to. Only thing I saw that was interesting was Aimgod popping trans in a team fight towards the end of the stage that was too late to save Colourhex. They had baited Toronto into popping theirs, but lacked the coordination to fully counter with their own. Toronto ends up winning 100%- 84%.

Stage 2 was even worse for Boston. Kellex did a nice camp on top of the point to delay a Toronto cap at the start, but to no avail. That summed up the stage, too. Boston never seemed well coordinated, mismanaged their health and ultimate economy, and couldn’t hit their ultimate combos. Toronto wins the stage 100% – 43% for the map win. A pretty decisive first map win for the new expansion team.

Hollywood

After getting rolled on the first map, Boston came up flaccid on the second. Unable to pull off any ultimate combos or meaningful engagements, the team looked dead. Defiant’s Ivy on Zarya got several picks, especially on Fusions and Blasé. Note was Boston’s bright light, getting some great picks on Zarya and DVa. Once again, Note showed throughout the day how quick on his feet and improvisational he is. This is special, as his team operates based on set plays. Unfortunately, Aimgod was outmatched by Neko on Zen, as was Colourhex by Ivy. Defiant won handedly.

Temple of Anubis

Coming back from halftime, Boston faced a daunting task in having to get a reverse sweep. On offense, Kellex played a crucial role getting a pick on Neko that allowed the Uprising to cap Point A, and immediately snowball to Point B to finish the round with over 5 minutes in the bank. Taking note of how they just got rolled, Toronto pushes Point A and ropes the team wipe they unleashed into a snowball of Point B – also with over 5 minutes in the bank.

Back on offense, Boston had to keep up the pace from their first go-around. The back and forth on point A prolongs the round, but they capture it with under 3 minutes to go. Toronto holds several times. In fact, with nearly all six of their ultimates, Toronto pushes out past the entrance to hold off Boston. Unfortunately for them, Kellex booped them off the high ground and the Uprising feasted off the ensuing chaos. Boston pushed to the point and…

Toronto pulls one of the most egregious pauses in the history of eSports. Yes, we don’t know what happened. But after Toronto gets cocky enough to push out with six ultimates, under a minute to go, get steamrolled, and are about to lose the Point, who else did it? Regardless, Boston finished the push and went up 4-2.

Having to push back Toronto or else face another round on offense, Boston nuts up and pulls off a full hold. Toronto actually picks Kellex off at the last team fight first and eats the graviton. Unfortunately, they fail to put someone on the point just as the team fight is turning their favor. That’s Boston’s first C9 of the season!

Rialto

Coming out of halftime with something to prove, Boston was looking good. They turned things around coming out of Point A and put Toronto on their heels. Reverse sweep was hanging over Blizzard Arena. Uprising were not going to go quietly into that good night.

Then Rialto. What is there to say? Envy got a quad kill with the Self-Destruct. Oops wrong team. Boston didn’t give up the third point. Yeah! That’s it! Toronto couldn’t bring the payload home. There’s that.

Boston didn’t give up. It certainly looked like they were going to get full held at the first point. Leave it to Note to come in and pop a Self Destruct that clears the way for a cap. There was at least that. But not much else. Toronto wins the map and the match.

Analysis

Coming back to reality hurts. Whether you get a bad test back from a teacher, get scolded by your parents, step on the scale, or look at your bank account. Sometimes all the hubris and positive thinking in the world can’t obscure the painful reality of things. And that’s what this game was for Boston. Remember when the Boston Celtics used the fact that the Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins squad never lost in the playoffs? Those excuses ended against Seoul for the Uprising. While the Celtics had injuries and nostalgic memories of championship glory, the Uprising had to put their nose to the grindstone. And they didn’t deliver.

Where do we go from here? We’ve got Fusions. We’ve got Colourhex. Axxiom and Alemao, who have each shown moments of brilliance, are sitting there on the bench. Maybe Boston spent too much time training for Sombra. The fact that Toronto didn’t pull it may have hurt them. But there is enough tape out there on Toronto to not justify such a shortcoming.

Also screw this guy. Neko sprayed the Uprising logo throughout the match. In a post-game interview, he claims he hadn’t switched his setting. Right. And I have crouch speed-binded to the wrong key because I let my wife use my computer. This guy has put himself on top of the Uprising hit list. Public enemy #1.

Looking Forward

I’m not hitting the panic button yet. This type of humility, early in the season, could be good for them. At this point it seems likely that stage 1 playoffs are off the table. Short of a collapse by one of the higher ranked teams, Boston needs to prepare for stage 2. With only Florida and Dallas left to play in stage 1, there’s no reason they can’t build up some confidence. I’m sure the coaches are already looking at the PTR, studying Baptiste (and his Immortality Field), and drawing up strats. Still, today is a pretty dark day. It’ll be a long week before next Sunday’s match.

http://gph.is/1UOPmVL

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Uprising Stage 1 Week 3 Preview: Dynasty & Defiant

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Thursday, February 27th @ 8:30 P.M. – Boston Uprising vs. Seoul Dynasty Sunday, March 3rd @ 3 P.M. – Boston Uprising vs. Toronto Defiant

What a long week for the Boston Uprising. It’s not a typical one when you consider they just became the first team to lose to the Shanghai Dragons. On top of that, many wondered if Fusions could get a full OWL contract negotiated before Thursday’s game. Boston’s schedule isn’t giving them a breather, either. Let’s check in with where this week’s opponents, Seoul and Toronto, are in the standings:

Seoul and Toronto, at 5th and 6th respectively, have been good this season. Additionally, Toronto will be playing former Uprising support Neko on Sunday for the first time all season. Getting shut out this weekend will most likely knock Boston out of the Stage 1 playoffs and force some serious questions about the team. Is there a legitimate cause for concern for Uprising fans?

Good news

Fortunately the Uprising have done a lot to prepare for the two games this weekend. First, they’ve settled the Fusions contract situation:

With the team’s stud young main tank secured and ready to go, one of the main excuses I and many others gave to Boston from Friday won’t be available. Second, the boys will have had another week of scrims, practice, and VOD review to prepare. Third, Colourhex has gotten his first Blizzard Arena match over with and can now settle down going into the week. Also, the GOATS meta has made parity across the league the rule rather than the exception. Seoul and Toronto’s records mean nothing. Lastly, if you need a new hype video, the Uprising have you covered:

https://twitter.com/BostonUprising/status/1100917309391069184

Taken together, Boston seems to have put the devastating loss against the Dragons behind them. They know what they need to work on (counter Sombra), where they’re good (Fusion’s shot calling) and where they’re going (big matches against Seoul and Toronto). What are their chances? Let’s break down the matches.

Boston Uprising vs. Seoul Dynasty

One of the questions the Uprising need to answer right away is who will play Lucio. Kellex was put in last Friday in place of Alemao and it’s anyone’s guess who will get the call Thursday. We saw at the end of the match against Shanghai that the supports became the key to countering Sombra. Kellex made several great plays wall riding around the team, dropping in after the EMP hit, and hitting his Sound Barrier. Blasé got a few nice stuns on Sombra to stop the ultimate hitting. It will be key for Boston to use this and other strategies to counter Sombra.

Match Preview

As a matter of fact, the Sombra fight will be the focus of this match. Both Sang-beom “Munchkin” Byun and Min-hyuk “Michelle” Choi of the Dynasty played Sombra more than competently in their last match against Chengdu. They are a big part of why Seoul had a clean 4-0 that night. I would expect to see a lot of Sombra this match, as it has been the thorn in Boston’s side all season. And the whole league knows it.

Thursday’s match will be played on Nepal, Numbani, Temple of Anubis, and Route 66

Then again, this is the same Seoul that lost to the 2-2 Dallas Fuel. Three weeks into the season, there have been very few teams able to distinguish themselves from the pack. Minus the loss-less NYXL, Vancouver Titans, or Paris Eternal, all teams are down in the mud with each other slugging it out for relevance. Still operating under a small sample size, we’re not yet able to tell where any of these teams are. After watching the hype video, you have to believe that Boston is focusing on the Sombra counters. If they are to stand any chance, they can’t keep getting hit with the 5 or 6 player EMPs.

Also – do we see some crazy comps come out again? Note’s turn on Reaper was one of the most unique team comps we saw league-wide last week. That type of boldness to counter the meta means you never know exactly what Boston will do. Huk likely has something cooking in his lab that his team will deploy. There’ll be some map or stage-specific scenario where I expect us to see an atypical hero get some play time. Here’s hoping it’s Soldier or Symmetra!

Prediction

Strap yourselves in Uprising fans, we’ve got us a slobber-knocker! I just don’t see Boston falling for the EMP for a third week straight. Assistant Coach Gunba and all the players mentioned Sombra in the hype video. The team is too focused to fall prey to it again. Maybe they change up the team comp, or just spread out more. Perhaps they swap in the Moira to hang back and toss Biotic Orbs out after the EMP drops. Kellex runs laps around wall riding as Lucio with his ultimate ready to launch. Who knows. I just don’t see them doing the same against a hero they know they’ll be seeing plenty of.

Losing to Shanghai had to have put a chip on Boston’s shoulder. Scratch that. A whole damn bag of Doritos strewn over all their heads. These guys must be itching for their chance at redemption. With Fusions back in the lineup, the British rookie has given us no reason not to believe in him. Taken together, I expect a close match, maybe stretching out to five maps. But in the end, I give the edge to Boston.

Boston Uprising vs. Toronto Defiant

After last week’s drama surrounding the matchup against our former captain and main tank Gamsu, Boston finds themselves playing against another former player. Neko, an obscure and unknown player when Boston picked him up, joined Toronto in the offseason after a successful rookie campaign. As mentioned earlier, this will be his first game of the season after serving a three game suspension for selling an account and obstructing an investigation. Last year, Neko made a name for himself for being the under appreciated Zenyatta of the league. He may not be NYXL’s regular season MVP JJonak, but the South Korean could make his presence felt. Given that the Defiant barely squeezed by with a 2-1 victory against the winless LA Valiant last week, the team and Neko come into the match with plenty to prove.

Match Preview

Just as Boston has had growing pains this season by incorporating new players, Toronto will get a taste of the transition game in this match. Can Neko come in as a starter and set the tone for the team? All eyes will be on his Zen and ability to gel with his teammates. If he’s anything like other former Uprising players Gamsu and Striker, who have each flourished on new teams, Boston will have their hands full.

Of course Toronto has their own fleet of competent Sombra players they’re likely to deploy. Besides Neko, both Kang-Jae “Envy” Lee and Do-hyung “Stellar” Lee both have seen playing time as Sombra this season. If Boston doesn’t figure out the counter strat for Sombra against Seoul, they’re in for a long match against Toronto.

Sunday’s match will be played on Busan, Hollywood, Temple of Anubis, and Rialto

Don’t sleep on seeing Colourhex pull out a non-GOATs DPS. Hollywood and Point A on Anubis have all seen some DPS usage. Do we get a Phar-Mercy, Bastion, Hanzo, or Junkrat? Not outside of the realm of possibility. Or maybe we just get more GOATs than we ever wanted.

Prediction

I watched the Atlanta and Toronto match last week. One of the only matches I’ve seen without Boston. What a match that was – two teams that could coordinate, make counter picks, manage ult economy, and get picks. After seeing that, I started to believe in this Toronto team. Selfishly, I’d like to see Neko drop egg on his face here, but I don’t see that either. Unfortunately, I think this is where Boston stumbles. Hopefully, like the NYXL match, the Uprising show up and push Toronto to the limit. While I don’t expect Boston to win this one, I do hope we’ll see a close match. Another possible 5th map match that reminds everyone across the league that Boston is a legitimate contender. And forget about that loss last week to Shanghai.

Outlook

Boston has two tough matches this week. After setting the league on fire after week 1, Boston hit as big a road bump as anyone could week 2. If they’re going to make stage 1 playoffs, there is no time like the present to make a push. Even more important, the Uprising need to show exactly what type of team they are. If they want to show that the Shanghai match was a fluke, they have a golden opportunity to do it now. Are middle of the road teams like the Dynasty and Defiant going to be the ones to put them away? Or can they take care of business and put the league back on notice? Here’s hoping we don’t look like Fusions when he saw us loose to Shanghai:

Same season. Same goal. PROVE. THEM. WRONG.

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