With the CDL matches on pause it is a crucial time for teams to be improving. Matches are not set to resume for the time being and players have ample time to perfect their craft in the interim. Many players have taken to playing Warzone in addition to 10s to improve their game. So far this year the Huntsmen are one of the top teams in the CDL. To truly solidify themselves as the top team to beat there are a few areas to polish up in the coming weeks.
Reliable Search and Destroy Play
It is no secret the Huntsmen have dominated the respawn game modes throughout the first three events of the season. The area where they could use the most improvement is Search and Destroy. Given Search and Destroy can account for 40% of the total maps played in every series. The Huntsmen have players on the roster who have historically been less strong when it comes to the Search and Destroy game mode. At CDL Atlanta the Huntsmen have won 50% of their Search and Destroy maps, which was a significant drop in winning percentage given they only dropped two Search and Destroy maps through the first two events.
The first key for the Huntsmen to improving their Search and Destroy gameplay is not dying first or being “first blood”. Given Chicago typically has someone playing as a sniper this can further complicate the map dynamics as well. By losing a sub or AR player, there are only three mobile players available on the map for the Huntsmen. By losing the first gunfight on the map, Chicago is at an immediate advantage and has to work harder just to stay in the round. When the team is on offense it alleviates some of the pressure if they can get the bomb down to force the opposing team to come to them. On defense, however, players are much more helpless and the round is very difficult to win barring good fundamental play from the opposing team.
Getting first blooded feeds into the next area for the Huntsmen to focus on which is getting teammates’ trades. In Search and Destroy it is crucial to maintain a level playing field, but having a man advantage is definitely preferable. Given the superstars on the Huntsmen’s roster, sometimes players play by themselves on an island. Although this strategy is great when it works to get first blood or to get a pick, it is quite high-risk high reward. Sometimes at CDL Atlanta Chicago found themselves getting picked off or first blooded with no trade available. This put the Huntsmen in a compromising position. If a team loses the first gunfight it but manages to get the trade it is not an issue. Going forward if the Huntsmen orchestrate a few more two/three-man pushes instead of solo plays it will enable them to keep people alive longer and potentially enable a man advantage on the map.
Letting Muscle Memory Take Over
One of the more intangible areas for the Huntsmen to improve is trusting one another. Although CDL Atlanta went well for the Huntsmen and they gained CDL points, their gameplay seemed far less seamless than the previous two events. In some of the post-match interviews a few members on Chicago mentioned they needed to trust one another more. Although practicing and letting muscle memory take over is likely enough, it appears the elongated period of rest has enhanced the Huntsmen’s team chemistry. During this quarantine the Huntsmen’s YouTube channel has been churning out content and shows the team getting along very well. While it is not to say Chicago did not get along well before, it appears this elongated break has given the team more time together outside of practice. The Huntsmen spend hours week in and week out training each game type with 2Pac and Sender. It will be crucial to follow the game plan set out at practice to propel them past the competition.
Featured image courtesy of Dexerto
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