Misfits take down an undefeated G2

It is sometimes difficult for words alone to do justice to the significance of an event. Misfits’ victory against G2 means so much more than a mere number on a scoreboard. It is the completion of a brand’s redemption. It is the ultimate proof of the potential of a group of rookies. It is retribution for a roster of “no-name” nobodies rejected and ridiculed by a community.

With this one, solitary victory, Misfits have changed the complexity of the LEC. This bunny has done so much more than simply showing its claws. It has hopped right over all expectation to finally land outside the shadows of its past.

Shutting down Caps

On a surface level, one conclusion seems logical: Rasmus “Caps” Winther inted. The fact that the mid laner now turned ADC is inconsistent is no new information to anyone, especially his closest fans. In fact, they created the affectionate nickname of “craps” to refer to his tendency of dropping the ball in certain games. Considering the upset victory coming off the back of his failures, it is perhaps too easy to claim he had a bad game and move on. But doing so would betray the true beauty of Misfits’ play.

via @Misfits

Caps didn’t only have a bad performance; Misfits did everything necessary to shut him down. Right from the beginning of the game, Misfits made once thing painfully clear: they knew their win condition. Looking at G2’s team composition, their two main sources of damage were the Aphelios and the Yasuo. Gragas, Sona and Braum were there mostly for peel and setting up situations. Therefore, eliminating just one of these two main carries of the enemy would cripple the entire strategy of G2.

Realizing this fact is easy even for someone who is not an expert at the game. However, capitalizing on it and properly executing your strategy requires coordination, mechanics and excellent game sense. With impeccable application of fundamentals, as well as bold proactive play, Misfits were able to constantly pressure and eventually completely shut down Caps in an impeccable way. Their aggression was decisive yet systematic, always on control and always on their terms.

Push and Pull

Though proactive, Misfits were not blindly aggressive, they were patient and always aware of their windows of opportunity. G2’s comp, especially considering the Sona and Gragas, thrived on catching out their opponents and forcing them into disadvantageous skirmishes. But Misfits always moved like a unit and according to their vision line, losing only one bad fight in the entire game. This is just one example of their strong fundamentals.

via @Misfits

Danny “Dan Dan” Le Comte, though likely unnoticed by many, had an incredible individual performance into the sona and built a sizeable lead despite the bad matchup on paper. Iván “Razork” Martín Díaz made an excellent job on playing toward his strong side of the map and keeping up the pressure. Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten had incredible individual outplays and nearly killed Luka “PERKZ” Perković  in several occasions. Finally, today was the day in which Petr “Denyk” Haramach and Yeong-hoon “Bvoy” Ju showed up in full force and demonstrated exactly why they are a duo that should not only be respected; they should be feared.

The restraint showed when sieging objectives and utilizing baron buffs was incredible. Misfits had the lead and knew that they could suffocate G2 with it; putting them on a leash and not allowing them to employ any strategy. Even when G2 forced a window of opportunity, such as when Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski’ and PERKZ tried to get a pick top, Misfits were one step ahead and turned their initiative against them.

A new beginning

No longer will Misfits need to “prove themselves”. Five straight victories and dominant displays over both G2 and Origen have done more than enough to show the world that this is not only a good team; it is world class. Misfits can now march into the future with bright hope and fiery ambition. Even the number one spot is not beyond their grasp anymore; yet they are still the “rookie” team. Four out of their five players have yet to participate in a full Split. What this fact means for the ceiling of this team and this organization is baffling.

via @Misfits

Speaking of the organization itself, special recognition must be given to the coaching staff of “Amazing” and Jandro. When the lineup was announced, all of the teams’ social media was flooded with comments crying out for last place finishes and exclaiming that the players were “unknown nobodies”. But now it has been proven without a shadow of a doubt that these two men had a clear vision for a team and knew the exact kind of members that they needed to execute upon it. Even when the team failed in the first weeks of competition, they knew what to work upon and how to improve and ultimately overcame their flaws to surprise everyone.

Fans of Misfits can not only feel exited, but also proud. These are no longer rookies or upstarts; they are legitimate contenders that should be taken very seriously. However, that certainly won’t stop them from staying mischievous and playful. Misfits is back, and quite literally better than ever.

Featured photo from @MisfitsGG

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