The Los Angeles Gladiators have looked to continue their merry winning ways since their victory versus the LA Valiant two weeks ago. The Overwatch League has set up an impromptu tournament for the month of May. Starting this week, teams will compete to qualify via regular season matches. In the first week of May, the Glads were pitted against the Toronto Defiant.
Reviewing Week 13
Toronto Defiant: 4-5
The day before this match took place, Toronto support player Kellex retired, and in a related move, the Defiant had signed Paris Eternal support player Kruise. Roky however filled in for Kellex. Even with this major change, the Yaters couldn’t afford to take the team lightly. Just as the author had predicted, the Glads trailed 0-1 before winning the next three to rout the Defiant. Here is how this match went down:
Map 1 – Lijiang Tower
In Round 1, the Defiant were first to reach the point and take it to 20%. The Gladiators quickly got it back after Space as Sigma took out Logix. They got it to 39 percent until Beast with an Earthshatter turned the tables. Team Purple was able to retake the point after a strategic combination of abilities by Mirror on Echo and Shaz on Baptiste. The Gladiators had three Ultimate abilities used to try to take back the point, but they still lost. While LA were able to fill it up to 99 percent, they were not able to close it out. Toronto takes Round 1.
In Round 2, the Gladiators took the point first after quickly discarding Beast, but only managed to get it up to 17 percent before the Defiant got the point back, mostly thanks to Logix on Reaper. Gladiators struggled to take the point back. Nevix on D. Va managed to eliminate two with a Self-Destruct in the middle of the point. Birdring on Reaper claimed two of his own with a Death Blossom. Toronto got the point up to 67 percent until LA managed to win it back. Once again, LA gets the point to 99 percent, but Logix on Reaper claimed two and recaptured the point on his lonesome. The Defiant then proceed to mow LA down. Toronto takes the round and the map.
Map 2 – Eichenwalde
Uniquely, the first point was the hardest to capture for LA, and got easier from there. Toronto had their number for the duration of point A, but LA were able to power through with about 20 seconds on the clock to take point A. Point B was diligent for LA, while they didn’t lose a team fight, they had to take a tour through the fort in order to get in position to battle the Defiant. Some purple bodies fell but they were able to come back and keep the payload moving. A battle outside the castle looked unlikely for the Yaters to win, but with Space and OGE hanging in there, they managed to take Point B. Point C was a breeze for LA, as a well-timed Transcendence and B.O.B. from Shaz and Birdring gave them the advantage to take the payload to the throne. Gladiators finish with 46 seconds remaining.
Gladiators move to defense now. The Gladiators were able to defend pretty well against Toronto. Surefour was trying to flank the Gladiators on the top arch with the Assist Trophy Ultimate but botched it. The Defiant did, however, pick off Mirror and Birdring, and were making their way to Point B. The Gladiators were able to stabilize on Point B, and without any Ultimate Abilities for Toronto, they couldn’t gain back their momentum as time ran out. Mirror also was able to shine in this map as Echo. Gladiators tie the game 1-1.
Map 3 – Paris
LA starts on offense, and succeeded in taking point A on their second attempt with a six on five matchup. Onto the second point, the Gladiators spend all their Ultimate abilities to lose their first fight. Moments later, the Gladiators and Defiant play the cover game. The Gladiators damage-dealers take down the Defiant tanks, leading to a successful capture of Point B with 1:46 remaining.
On defense, Toronto were able to strategize diligently against LA, while not being able to rush into the point, were able to soundly stop their defenses by splitting up and taking out lone units. Toronto took point A in much less time than the Gladiators. Toronto had five minutes to take point B. Early on, they were able to secure two-thirds of Point B, but that was it before the Gladiators were able to fight back with Ultimate abilities. After losing that fight, Toronto switched to a totally new composition. The Gladiators still held strong and picked them off one by one.
Toronto inexplicably switched back to their old composition while many heroes were close to an Ultimate ability. While Toronto tried to get the upper hand, players like Shaz, Birdring and Mirror managed to limit the power of the Defiant. The Glads were able to successfully chew five minutes off the clock. Toronto had no chance to contest the point apart from the beginning. Gladiators pull ahead 2-1.
Map 4 – Rialto
Gladiators start on offense again. Like Eichenwalde, it got easier for the Gladiators the further they carried on, strangely enough. Nevix as Sigma took control of LA in a couple of team fights. It looked like the Defiant were able to hold on Point A in the final seconds, The Gladiators were able to chase Toronto into corners to pick them off one by one. Los Angeles makes it to Point A. On the way to Point B, Birdring summons B.O.B. where a chain reaction of Ultimate abilities come into play. Gladiators win another team fight and get Point B. The Defiant weren’t able to put together a defense line as the kills kept coming. Roky put up an Amplification Matrix, but the Gladiators were able to instantly take out three Defiant players. They cruise into to point C with 1:34 remaining.
On defense, the Defiant actually were able to take the payload all the way up to outside point A. Shaz and OGE go down, but the choke point, as always, is difficult to overcome, and the Gladiators used it to their favor to stop Toronto. Los Angeles won another team fight without either team using any Ultimate abilities. For the Defiant’s last hurrah, they tried to use the buildings to their advantage to take the payload back, but LA managed to use healing and stability effectively to be able to keep Toronto from prevailing. The Defiant run out of time as the Gladiators get their fourth win of the season.
Player of the Match: Birdring
No Widowmaker, no McCree, no problem for Birdring. Ashe was a necessity this week for both teams, but Birdring was able to deliver, firing headshots, TNT explosions, and deploying B.O.B. in great places and times. The commentary for this match put over Surefour’s performance on Ashe, but Birdring having played the hero better made quite a difference in Map 2 onwards.
BigGoose and Mirror also had phenomenal games. While Zenyatta is a hero that is more associated with Shaz, BigGoose was able to outplay the Defiant on multiple occasions. He was either picking off a member out of a whole group, or battling successfully one on one. Mirror seems to be enjoying himself on the Echo. While he still takes risks on occasion like he does as Doomfist, Echo seems to give him more control as well as success.
Previewing Week 14
Paris Eternal: 5-5
Next week, the Gladiators must face another scrappy team in the Paris Eternal. Despite where they stand in the records, they have managed to hold their own against some of the best teams in the league this season. They came up short recently against Philadelphia.
This French-Korean fusion team is one that has turned heads so far this year. Soon and NicoGDH are their main damage-dealers. Nosmite and Hanbin are their two tank players, with BenBest substituting for Nosmite on occasion. FDGod and Fielder make up their supports, with Fielder being a fresh face still playing in Korea, of course replacing the Toronto-bound Kruise. Fielder previously played for the GC Busan WAVE Contenders team.
Look forward to another hard-fought match next week. Of the heroes out of the rotation next week, Reinhardt is the only concerning one. So long as Space and OGE can find hero combinations that work for them, they should be okay to face Paris.
Prediction – Los Angeles wins 3-2
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