CDL Florida is coming up this weekend and the Huntsmen will not make an appearance. With the Mutineers, FaZe and ROKKR in attendance, Chicago will inevitably fall in the standings. However, it is about playing the long game in the CDL. All that matters is Champs at the end of the year. Chicago can capitalize on the next few weeks to reinforce upon the team’s strengths and focus on cutting out the little mistakes to strike while the iron is hot.
Over the past few tournaments, the Huntsmen have been dethroned as respawn kings. The nearly perfect map one success and crushing Domination wins are few and far between.
Courtesy of MLG
In recent weeks Chicago’s Hardpoint sharpness is growing dull. Although the team started strong, the other top competitors caught up and learned how to properly play the game. Earlier this season, Chicago relied on strong rotations and executing all of the little things correctly to propel them past the finish line. For the last two tournaments, however, the sailing was not as smooth.
The Huntsmen are making small mistakes that compound into close matches or map losses. There are two scenarios that are occurring with higher frequencies than normal. When moving to the key money hills, Chicago are simply getting out-rotated time and time again. Once their opponents set up and have spawns it becomes exponentially more difficult to break into the hill. Conversely, the Huntsmen are getting set up in hills but find themselves getting broken. Whether it is watching the flank or taking fewer solo gunfights, these are a few keys Chicago can practice in the coming weeks to tighten up their Hardpoint gameplay.
Similar to Hardpoint, Chicago routinely squashed their early-season opponents. They routinely won the opening gunfight which created tons of space on the map. Additionally, the Huntsmen’s understanding of positioning on the map enabled them to push through and capture their opponents’ spawn flag. Combined together these factors create chaos. Chicago’s maneuvering on the map caused opponents to turn around to return to their spawn flag. Additionally, this created ample opportunity for the Huntsmen to capture the B-flag and expand their lead.
The tide has changed in recent tournaments regarding Chicago’s Domination. Previous 30-90 point victories are now single-digit wins or large losses. The Huntsmen are losing the majority of gunfights making it extremely difficult to obtain map positioning and drive up the score. Recently Chicago is playing a fair bit of Hackney Yard Domination. Even on the better spawn side (closer to the B-flag) the Huntsmen struggle. They are closing the half with either a single-digit victory or even a deficit. They are losing the execution edge they held earlier in the season. To get back to team of old, Chicago needs to revert to creating chaos on the map and control the power positions on the map.
Courtesy of Call of Duty League
Map two has not been fruitful for Chicago as of late. Whether it is Chicago shooting themselves in the foot or getting outplayed, Search and Destroy is not going well for the team. Time and time again the Huntsmen continue to dig themselves a hole with slow starts. Anywhere from 0-3, 1-4 or 0-5, Chicago are consistently starting map two on their back foot. Although the Huntsmen are playing marginally better at times, digging such deficits creates mountains to climb. With the large holes the Huntsmen find themselves in, it requires near perfection to pull off wins. Chicago needs to find a way to relieve some of the pressure they are adding.
There are a few options for Chicago to take. The first is coming up with tangible plan B’s. Sometimes when executing their first plan and it is a slow play, the Huntsmen are stuck in the middle of the map. When the initial push does not work out a plan B needs to be in the cards. Something along these lines provides a lot more clarity and control to the second map. Additionally, Chicago need to get more first bloods to give themselves a man advantage. Too many times Chicago finds themselves losing the first gunfight or they are not in a position to trade out a kill. Playing a man down exponentially increases the difficulty to win rounds and the map.
Chicago shoots themselves in the foot a fair bit of the time in Search and Destroy. Tidying up their play will enable them to execute their strategies better and start quicker out of the gate. While the team does not play this weekend it is crucial to capitalize on their practices and strike while the iron is hot.
Featured image courtesy of Call of Duty League
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