This week, the Chengdu Hunters faced the Shanghai Dragons. After a spectacular showing in Week 1 of Stage 2, the Chengdu Hunters entered this match confidently. Meanwhile, the Dragons came into this match determined to prove their worth after a sub-par first week.
The Hunters didn’t quite live up to expectations on the first map. They employed several interesting comps, like Sombra-Mei and Pharah-Mercy-Widowmaker. However, they never managed to coordinate their attacks. Kyo wasted his Ana’s Nano-Boost. Ameng used his Wrecking Ball’s minefield way before it could have been useful. Their lack of coordination cost them the map. The Shanghai Dragons won Lijiang Tower 0-2.
Unsurprisingly, the Hunters brought out yet another unique team comp. With YangXiaoLong subbing in, Chengdu ran Pharah-Torbjorn-Orisa-Junkrat on their defense. The Dragons struggled to adapt, pulling out multiple team comps. However, no matter what they tried, Shanghai couldn’t penetrate Chengdu’s stalwart defense. The Hunters full-held point A.
For their attack, the Hunters ran Pharah, Mercy, Wrecking Ball, Tracer, Widowmaker and Sombra. Meanwhile, the Dragons ran Bastion, Torbjorn, Orisa, Pharah, Mercy and D.Va for their defense. Dislodging the Dragons would require expert coordination and skill to pull off. Fortunately, the Hunters expertly dismantled the Dragons’ defense and captured point A in their first team fight. Chengdu won Paris with a score of 1-0.
It seemed like the Shanghai Dragons had prepared their own surprise comps to bring to King’s Row. The Hunters were given a taste of their own medicine; they were now the ones unable to deal with the Dragons’ weird strategy. The Hunters managed to reach points A and B just barely. However, they were held at point C. When it was their turn to defend, they were immediately overwhelmed and defeated at points A and B. The Dragons ran a comp that looked like it was stolen from Chengdu’s playbook, and it was the Hunters’ turn to crumble. While Chengdu did manage to stabilize temporarily, they eventually crumbled from an EMP, losing the map 2-3.
Junkertown was the Hunters’ last chance to keep victory in their sight. The Dragons pulled out strategies that were every bit as unconventional as what the Hunters were known for. Despite their best efforts, Chengdu could not hold back the Dragons as they powered through the map. Shanghai finished point C with more than five minutes on the clock. On Chengdu’s attack, they did their best to match the Dragon’s ferocity. Unfortunately, Shanghai held strong on their defense, and stopped Chengdu from finishing the map. The Hunters lost the map 2-3.
Image courtesy of the Shanghai Dragons
This match exposed the Chengdu Hunters’ critical weakness. Their flashy, unusual strategies can overwhelm less coordinated teams. But against more prepared teams like the Shanghai Dragons, surprising comps aren’t enough to secure victory. The Hunters seem to lack tight coordination during fights which was especially apparent during this match. If the Hunters wish to secure a spot in the playoffs, they will need to focus on functioning as a cohesive unit instead of solely relying on their strange strategies.
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Featured image courtesy of the Chengdu Hunters.
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