Week 3 was about as easy as they come for the Shock players, however, this week may prove to be more much more formidable. The unpredictable Hunters and Spitfire are on the docket for Week 4, which should prove to be at least potentially close for the Shock.
This was a result that fans could have seen coming but this match spoke volumes about the Shock’s intentions to improve against Sombra play. Boston have as solid of a Sombra specialist as anyone in the league in Richard “rCk” Kanerva and the Shock absolutely shut him down. Boston showed some life on Paris but otherwise, this one was an absolute beat down.
The Shock showed here that, not only can they handle Sombra, but they can also handle five DPS heroes. This is what the Mayhem threw at them right out of the gate. This one went much the same way as the Boston matchup. The Mayhem managed to be relatively competitive on Numbani but were otherwise swept away by the clean and coordinated style of play that the Shock continuously bring.
Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
Chengdu has only managed to be masters of the Fuel this Stage, suffering losses to every other team they have faced. This one will likely be no different. The Shock have shown last week that they will not allow another team like Houston to sneak one by them. Yet, in the same breath, with the supposed 2-2-2 lock coming, the Shock may use this match to begin experimenting with some possible strategies in an attempt to get ahead of the curve against a relatively easier opponent. Even so, this one should not be close.
London is about as hot and cold of a team as there is in the OWL. Last week, they squeaked by the Justice in a close series and lost to the NYXL in a map 5. With such polarizing results, it’s hard to guess which London team will show up against SF. This unpredictability mixed with the Shock’s easy last three games could make this one closer than people may expect. Definitely one of the most interesting matches across the entire league for Week 4.
Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
For the second straight week, keep an eye on Rascal. With the supposed 2-2-2 lock incoming, it will be interesting to see former DPS players like Rascal grapple with either moving over to support, playing heroes like Baptiste or Brigitte, or moving back over to DPS where he made his name. There may not be much of a shift this week but he’s definitely a player to keep an eye on nonetheless.
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Featured Image Courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
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