The Minnesota Rokkr will be heading to Atlanta next weekend to participate in the second home series of the young Call of Duty season. However, there will be some rule changes that may have an impact on the course of the tournament.
For Search & Destroy, the time will be by 30 seconds, going from 2:00 per round to 1:30 per round, meaning early leads will be twice as critical. This also means there’s a possibility for fewer comebacks as well, although, with the immense speed of Call of Duty, anything is possible.
Domination also receives a change, with an extra minute ticked off, making each map five minutes instead of six. A similar situation here is that players won’t have as much time to execute and will have a little more pressure on their shoulders.
So, how will the Rokkr fare with these new rules, as their matchup with the Paris Legion quickly approaches? It could be an advantage particularly for one of these game modes.
Domination
Hardpoint has far and away been the team’s strong suit, but their performance in Domination can’t be overlooked either. One thing they have a tendency of doing is grabbing early leads.
This could really prove to be advantageous for the Rokkr with there being less time to work with, even if it’s only a minute difference. They could come back if they fall behind of course, but they tend to be at their best when gaining early leads.
That one extra minute can have a major impact on who wins or loses each map. Things can change pretty quickly in that short amount of time if the game is fairly close.
In short, the key for the Rokkr here is to come out guns blazing and try to pin the Legion against the ropes early. Easier said than done, but if they can do that, they should come out with a win, but it’ll be a tough battle.
Search & Destroy
The one game mode where the team struggled with during Launch Weekend, it’ll be interesting to see if they can bounce back with the new rules. The tendency that they have with SnD is that they keep matches close early on, but let their opponents pull away.
It’s as if they run out steam down the stretch (which certainly isn’t the case) although they start off solidly. It’s all about if they can squeak past opponents in the shorter time limit.
They don’t need to put on a firework show, they just need to deliver, even if it’s just a one-point victory because a win is a win. Paris will prove to be a formidable foe, however, as SnD is one of their strengths, winning three of their four maps between Launch Weekend and the London home series.
They did get walloped by OpTic Gaming L.A. in SnD during week one, so they are beatable in this mode, despite their record. The Rokkr will just need to take small bites as they try to reach the six points needed to win.
With the new timing, it’s possible that six points won’t be needed for a win, if they can try and shut down the Legion as best they can. The pressure will be on all teams to perform well as the clock ticks. It’ll be interesting to see how the Rokkr battles two opponents: the Paris Legion and time.
Colin Mieczkowski covers the Minnesota Rokkr for The Game Haus and can be followed on Twitter @GhostPandaColin (DM’s are open as well). Also, make sure to follow TGH for the latest news on all of the Call of Duty League action @TGHEsports.Â