The Seoul Dynasty finally get to step onto the stage for the June Joust this week. There is no doubt the Dynasty want to keep that second position in the APAC region that they held at the end of the May Melee. To do that Seoul are going to have to come swinging right out of the gate. Their first two matches are no walk in the park, as they face the upsurging NYXL and the always persistent Shanghai Dragons.
NYXL :
This rematch is happening shortly after their first face-off. Though it has only been a couple of weeks, the outlook of this match has greatly changed. As of now, the power of the Dynasty during this meta is unknown, but the NYXL came out in week one and made a statement. If the NYXL have a strong showing this week as well it could cement them in the upper levels of the APAC region power rankings.
Prediction: 3:2 NYXL
The NYXL seem to be putting all the puzzle pieces in place. Their win over the Fusion was a big upset in the APAC region. With each map, the NYXL seem to be understanding what they need to do, which makes them all the scarier to play against. Though it was a 3-0 the last time these two teams met up in favor of Seoul, that is only going to fuel the fire of the NYXL to want to win against the Dynasty. The DPS line of the NYXL have the potential to go up against the likes of Junyoung ‘Profit’ Park and get the better trade if Profit isn’t in tip-top shape that day.
If the Dynasty want to win they need Youngwan ‘Creative’ Kim to pull out some amazing sleeps and bionades like Youngseo ‘Kariv’ Park did in the Charges’ match against the NYXL. That will help delay and drain the clock as well as make it go the front line is more vulnerable for the Seoul DPS to take down.
Player to Watch: Youngwoo ‘Flora’ Lim
.@FloraOw02 with the smooth 1-2 punch. https://t.co/YUEARD30SF#EverUpward #OWL2021 pic.twitter.com/e2amBV5kka
— NY Excelsior (@NYExcelsior) May 22, 2021
Flora is a massive threat to any team that plays against the NYXL. The NYXL in the June Joust have started to play as they did in Season 1, but instead of Jjonak getting the king treatment, it is Flora. There has been an increase of resources that are being invested into Flora, which allows him to frag out of his mind. As seen in the week 1 matches, even if a team dives in to kill Flora there is Seungwoo ‘Feath5r’ Lee right there to do damage.
If Seoul are able to shut down Flora and play around him so that he isn’t able to be impactful this will be an easy match for Seoul. But if Seoul allow Flora space and are too respectful or too aggro they will be hard shut down. The best that Seoul can do is not allow for the NYXL to have time to set up as well interrupt their rotations so that line of sight won’t be in their favor.
Shanghai Dragons:
Since Season 3 the Shanghai Dragons have been a strong presence in the APAC region. Last week, at the beginning of the June Joust, the Dragons looked a little more mortal. This is not to say that they are not incredibly strong, as to underestimate the Dragons in any meta would be a bad idea. Byungsun ‘Fleta’ Kim hasn’t been able to deadlift the team in some instances, such as their match against the Hangzhou Spark where they were 3-0-ed.
Prediction: 3:2 Seoul
This might be optimistic. But there is logic behind the prediction. The Seoul Dynasty have at most times had close matches with the Dragons. Yes, the scorelines might show a different story, but the maps themselves will be pretty competitive.
If the Dynasty study the match that the Dragons had against the Hangzhou Spark they will see the cracks in the armor of Shanghai. It is essential that they are decisive in their timing and take advantage of mistakes or openings that the Dragons give them. They can’t let Panseung ‘Fate’ Koo stagger them or go in at a disadvantage if Fleta picked one off before the fight. The advantage that the Dynasty have is that they have been able to see the Dragons in a winning and losing match. The coaches should be able to analyze the best situation for the team.
Player to watch: Gesture
Will Gesture get melted as Mano did in his matches in week 1? The aggressive tank play is dangerous in this meta. If Gesture is able to stay alive and harass the backline the Dynasty will be in a great position to take control of the match. Though if Gesture is shut down it going too hard for the rest of Seoul to survive without their main tank and they will crumble under the pressure that the Dragons will put on them.
Week 7
If the Dynasty were able to get two wins this weekend it would be big not only for the June Joust but also for their overall standings. With the Philadelphia Fusion losing their two matches, this gives the Seoul Dynasty an opportunity to move up in the rankings. Either way, the Dynasty need to have decisive wins because if they lose in a close fashion, map differentials can hurt them at the end of the season. This week will be stressful for Tiger Nation but also promises to have some great matches of Overwatch.
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