While the May Melee be over, the June Joust is right around the corner. Before the June Joust though, it is time for a signature article to return. Welcome back to the Stonk Market everyone. Some stonks went up and some stonks went down over the course of the May Melee, so it is time to see where those teams stand going into the upcoming games.
The biggest surprise of the May Melee was by far the success of the Dallas Fuel. Right before the season, the team lost Xzi due to health issues. Without a hitscan player, the team was compromised and in flux. Many people wondered how this roster would play without a hitscan player? Well, there was a resounding answer by the Fuel. Sp9rk1e played a bunch of Reaper and Tracer while Fearless played his signature Winston. After a rough start to the season, the Fuel blitzed through the tournament dropping a total of five maps. With a new player coming in to play the hitscan heroes, the small cycle of misery seems to finally be ending for the Fuel Fans.
Image Courtesy of @SFShock
The Shock, for the first time in a while, looked seriously shaky. While they went 3-1 in the play-in, those wins were not without many questionable moments. On top of that, they did not even make the May Melee finals. There is no reason to truly worry yet though. The Shock roster changed their main support and DPS players in such a significant way that they rightfully deserve a buffer. This team has a lot of talent, that if harnessed effectively, can win a championship. For now, their stonks are slightly down, but they still have Crusty. With Crusty as their coach, anything is possible.
Image Courtesy of @Outlaws on Twitter
The best surprise so far this season is the success of the Houston Outlaws. A team that spent years in mediocrity are now succeeding. A major part of that is the roster changes the Outlaws made. JJanggu and Piggy, were an extremely successful duo in Korean Contenders, brought their talent to Houston. Crimzo, one of the most underrated flex supports, came over from Dallas. Happy joined the roster after spending two years with the Charge. Lastly, Joobi came over from the collegiate scene. All of these players joined this roster and helped create an exciting roster with massive potential. While not making the May Melee Finals hurt, their 4-0 start to the year said a lot about where Houston are at. The Outlaws are a rising force.
Image Courtesy of @NYXL on Twitter
Death, taxes and the NYXL getting preseason hype are three things that always happen in life. Heading into the season, the NYXL entered the season in a roster flux. JJonak was the only player remaining from the original NYXL roster that took OWL Season One by storm. Instead, he is surrounded by almost all new faces save Bianca. Plenty of these players seem like good players, but nothing truly great. It was a roster full of what people perceived as underrated assets. As soon as the season started though, it became clear that the team would be in for a world of hurt. The NYXL did not win a single map versus the Hunters, Dynasty or Dragons. Their lone win came inexplicably versus the Hangzhou Spark. The NYXL are in for a rough go of it this year and there are no signs of that changing.
Image Courtesy of @Fusion on Twitter
No Europeans, not much of a problem apparently. Despite their visa issues, the Philadelphia Fusion surpassed all expectations and finished the May Melee seeding games with a 4-0 record. This roster surprised many pundits with their chemistry and teamwork, namely the tank line. Last season, the NYXL opened the year with a tank line of Hotba and Mano. As part of the NYXL, their performance was less than stellar together. Now on the Fusion, they both look revitalized. Hotba looks much closer to his season two form than his season three form. Additionally, the Fusion unleashed an aggressive style from Mano that was never seen while on the NYXL. With a 3-1 finish likely for the June Joust, the Fusion will look to hold the fort until reinforcements come.
The start of the LA Gladiators season was disappointing given the roster’s expectations. This team brought in Muze, one of the best main tank prospects in the world. They signed Moth and Shu, two of the best players at their respective positions. Yet, to start the year all that talent lead this team to a 2-2 record while missing the May Melee. Some people may excuse the results because this team could still be working to mesh. Others may cite the competition they played. The fact is though, this was a roster that was talked about as potentially a top-two team in North America. Their June Joust schedule will not tell much because of how easy it is, so their potential tournament results will have a massive impact on their perception.
One of the iconic hit-scan players is back in town. After GOATS and health issues caused his early retirement, Pine is finally making his return to the pro scene. This opportunity with the Dallas Fuel could not be any more perfect. As a part of the Fuel he will not need to be a full-time starter. When this team needs to play hitscan heroes, they have their specialist for it. This is also a win for the fans. Pine’s return means fans can now experience even more insane Pine plays.
What do you think? Tell Christian on Twitter at @TheWiz_SPM.
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