The Seoul Dynasty were one of the teams that went back and forth in the early parts of Season 3 between NA and South Korea. In that time they played two official matches against the NA teams of the LA Valiant and the LA Gladiators. It was a 3-0 sweep against the LA Valiant and then a 3-1-0 against the LA Gladiators. It should be mentioned that the Shock and the Dynasty have played a match before, but that was a show match with Echo. In that match up, it was the Shock that got the better of Seoul. Can the Dynasty continue this streak of not losing to NA teams during official matches or will history repeat itself?
San Francisco Shock
The giant of the NA region are the Shock. The match up many have been looking forward to is the Shock, the best of NA, versus the Shanghai Dragons, the best of APAC. But for now the Shock has to get through the Seoul Dynasty. This match up will test two things, first the actual strength of the NA vs APAC regions as well as how Seoul will fare in the final four.
What do the Seoul Dynasty need to do to win?
The Dynasty have had a lot of weaknesses in the past. There is no doubt that the Shock have footage on the Dynasty. Seoul needs to be perfect when going against the Shock this weekend. No doubt the Shock are going to be bringing their A game. A big component have been the tanks and support of the Dynasty. In the playoffs so far, teams have known what the Dynasty were going to play but they weren’t able to out play them. Though in NA, the Washington Justice have a similar style to Seoul with the Hog compositions and both of the Shock and the Fusion were able to dismantle them.
The Dynasty need to pull out new strategies to surprise the Shock. Chanhyung ‘Fissure’ Baek said on stream that the Dynasty live or die by one strategy. The team practices that one strategy until they have perfected it and go by that playbook. That has worked so far, but with teams on paper may be mechanically better therefore there needs to be surprise to catch the teams off-guard. This was seen with the Dynasty when they forced the Dragons to play the mirror comp. Shanghai’s mirror had the edge because of the mechanical ability of the players over Seoul. There needs to be something that has been added that will increase their chances of winning and not just rely on the composition.
Prediction: 3:2 Seoul Dynasty
This is going to be dependent on the maps as well as their mental fortitude. Here is the optimistic prediction: 3:2 Dynasty. First off, the Seoul Dynasty has home turf advantage. The team has their own HQ and do not need to move locations. This is not the actual game play, but it is a variable that goes into how a team plays. With so many teams that are already on break it may be harder to find scrim partners, so that could be another variable.
Secondly the Seoul Dynasty want to win. It isn’t like the Shock don’t want to win, but there is a fire that the Seoul Dynasty has been suppressing for a while. That drive, while the Shock are defending their title, could be the extra percentage that is needed to try that outlandish strategy that works.
Third the Seoul Dynasty’s tank line has been essential to shutting down the DPS. The Shock’s biggest asset is their large DPS pool. Between hooks, sleep darts and stuns it is going to be hard for the Shock DPS to find good times to use their abilities. The coordination between the Dynasty and their composition will hopefully outweigh the pure mechanical skill of the Shock.
Player to Watch: Creative
Creative has been a lynchpin in the team. Though his hero pool is similar to Seungtae ‘Bdosin’ Choi, he has been putting up amazing performances. His sleep darts and healing has helped Seoul win many fights. Not only is it his individual performance, but his synergy with Jinmo ‘Tobi’ Yang. Whenever one of them are in trouble the other is there to save them. The bio nades are clutch when the Dynasty faces a mirror composition so that they can take down the opposing Hog faster. This match Creative is going to be facing some heavy weights in the support world. Keep an eye out to see how the Maknae stacks up and performs for the Dynasty.
Playoff Tension
To be a Seoul Dynasty fan is to have a metaphorical heart attack. The Tiger Nation has watched the team and players go through highs and lows. This is the time in which the team needs to come out strong. As funny as it sounds there is a lot of superstition involved. Caster cursing, historical match ups, reverse sweeps and momentum in game can all turn the mood of the Tiger Nation at a drop of a hat. As odd as it sounds all fans have faith in the team, it is swallowed deep down so not to curse the team. This is the moment that the Tiger Nation will be holding their breaths in hopes that the awoken tiger will dominate to prove those who have already discounted the Seoul Dynasty when it comes to the Grand Finals.
Follow The Game Haus for more sports and esports coverage:
Twitter: TGH Esports
Facebook: The Game Haus
For more high-quality esports analysis and memes, check out Lauren’s Twitter, @Daebakowl
“From Our Haus to Yours”