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MWOWC 2017 Semi Finals Game 1 - RJFS vs 228O
Posted by live1991 on 18 Sep 2017 (1061 reads)

MWOWC 2017 Semi Finals Game 1 - RJFS vs 228O



The competitors:

228 Wild Ones (AP)

9th place, 2.10 W/L rate, 61 wins, 29 losses

vs

RJF/Black Spikes (EU)

8th place, 2.94 W/L rate, 50 wins, 17 losses


MATCH STRUCTURE

Competition Structure: Best of 3
Game Mode: Conquest
Player Count: 8 versus 8
Map: Determined by Teams through the Map Banning feature
Time of Day: Noon (locked)
Match Timer: 15 Minutes
View Mode: First Person Only
Tonnage Rules: 2/2/2/2 Weight Class structure

Video Link - https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175437906



Games



Drop 1 - 228 Win on kills 8 - 5

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Drop 2 - RJF/Black Spikes Win on kills 8 - 1

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"We wanted to try to initiate the engagement with a more heat efficient dropdeck. Unfortunately, our KDK got headshot (nice shot) and the push stalled before catching the Supernova on low ground in a pincer of our own. I also should have called my team to wrap back around my right and push over theta ramp on the Supernova cutting off sightline from their Kodiak." - Jayz Team Captain of 228


Drop 3 - RJF/Black Spikes Win on kills 8 - 3

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"Game 3 I felt the trades were going well and we initiated a small wrap and caught both their assaults. However, their wolfpack and LMG lights did a great job in our backline turning the tide in their favor. We should have controlled theta better and been more aware of their wolfpack.
Addressing the team at the end of the night, I remained positive since it is such a great (and rare) opportunity to play teams outside our timezone. We can always learn more from losses than wins and look forward to more cross timezone matches.." - Jayz Team Captain of 228


Val's Top 5 things we learned from game 1



1. At least on Mining Collective, 228 Wild Ones like to be the aggressor, even if it is to their determent.

They are not content with a more passive approach to trading. There may be many things that contribute to this issue, such as scouting, cap awareness, and control, mech preferences, etc. Possibly, they just believed that the northern section of that map was the strongest and wanted to take it at all costs. However, I don't believe that justifies abandoning a more central cap control setup like they did in game 1. Or pushing into an encompassing killbox with mechs that are fitted for long-range engagements like they did in game 2.
They tried again in game 3, but this was because their hand was forced. They had a light picked down south because it had little support due to aggressive northern movement leading to shallow map control.

2.The Wild Ones need some work done on their hard push movements, and team commitment to them.

We witnessed the Conga line happen in game 2, and it basically happened again in game 3, just not as bad. The push movements also headed directly into the center of the enemy, instead of working from 1 side towards the other, opening them up to multiple angles of fire exposing all sides and possibly backs as they twist.

They need the whole team on the same page when it comes to push engagements. Some mechs crest then stop to shoot, while others push forward with reckless abandon. You do not want 1 or 2 mechs pushing alone so far forward in an engagement. That leaves them isolated from support fire, while having most enemy mechs being able to shoot them in return. A better-executed push movement may have won them game 3.

3. At least on Mining Collective, but I suspect on most maps, RJFS leverage their light mechs. By use of a 'psuedo light' medium, they use them as playmakers with strong pilots in those mechs.

In game 1, RJFS nearly clawed that game back on the strength of their lighter mechs alone. Their ability to read the play, get behind mechs, and chew out weapons and torsos with machine guns was fantastic. In game 3, their lighter mechs were pivotal, securing a kill down south, forcing the 228WO push in the north, then countering it well also.

Care must be taken by their next opponents to not play into this strength of RJFS. An example of this would be that maps like polar highlands would probably receive a high ban priority when fighting them.



4. RJFS seem to prefer a more passive, long-range trading style and have pilots quite capable of it.

This probably appears obvious. But this style, like we saw in game 2 with lots of mechs set up in the rear of cakes, gives their 3 light setup time to work and establish cap control and the map dominance they need.

They used their assault mechs up closer, as bigger HP blockers, with more dps style mechs (uac5's). This controlled the centre of the maps for them, with their traders set further back, and allowed their 3 light setup to do work on map control and the enemies backs as they pushed in to get them.

Their positioning was quite poor in game 1, and it cost them. Once they shook off the cobwebs and warmed up, things went much better for them, with much better positioning in the following games. They will need to watch bunching up though, as strikes may punish them.

I am quite intrigued to see how this style plays out, against some of the more mid-range laser vomit NA meta in this tourney.


5. At this level of play, games are not decided by players aim, but team positioning and coordination.

Among the top teams, almost everyone can aim just as well as each other. Of course, there are people that stand out. However, generally speaking across the teams, I find mechanical aiming to be about equal. It is all about where you set your mechs up, the angles they can shoot, and angles they can get shot from. Both on a micro (individual player) and macro (team) level.

I decided to bring this up here because there are some superb examples of it across all three games.

Game 1 had those Kodiaks from RJFS getting chewed up early, with nowhere to go for cover, and no teammates to shoot enemies back down into hiding. This was because they were all bunched up. Game 2 had 228 push straight into a concave firing line, directly into the middle of a killbox.

Game 3 was similar, though 228 was forced to push after getting a light mech picked down south. It also had RJFS smartly set up 1 light up top to pounce on peoples backs as they pushed (Pel), while their HBK (Gnommer) took great angles slightly south of theta. This covered his assaults a little north, as well as the ASN and the 2nd ACH down south capping. The HBK was able to be there because 228 positioned themselves in such a way that only allowed shallow map control, mostly on the northern and northeastern side of the map. RJFS lights showed great game sense in knowing when to flank and pounce on backs.

It's these types of overall strategy and plans, as well as the individual on the fly decisions that turn matches into wins.




Thanks to Val and Daidachi for input, Scurro for building the stat website.





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