Los Angeles Valiant vs New York Excelsior

This is where things get very interesting.

When the Valiant made quicky work of the San Francisco Shock no one was really that surprised. This was the famous Immortals squad, the winners of the very first North American Contenders season and after all they made a couple of key changes to their roster - most notably picking up Soon and Unkoe from Rogue. Two players that not only have fantastic synergy together but are highly talented playmakers and veterans of the scene. (not to mention their specialty on maps like Numbani) Even though they failed to play that well nearing the end of 2017, they look revitalized and perhaps stronger than ever.

They play around their leads and ultimates extremely well, their tank duo has fantastic synergy and Soon was in short sensational. While his performance against the San Francisco Shock was somewhat expected, his level of play against Dallas was nothing short of sensational.

It was an Overwatch match for the ages and it started off with an absolute bang. Teams mostly try to survive Junkertown as most of them don't have a definitive idea on how to best play it out but the Valiant and Dallas went blow for blow until it went into uncharted territory. When the dust settled the scoreline was 8 to 7 in Valiant's favor. The aggressive streak prolonged into Lunar Horizon Colony as well, with both teams focusing more on attacking and dominating as quickly as possible rather than defending. It ended as a draw but when Ilios came around Dallas was too exhausted and essentially just rolled over.

Valiant was constantly swapping between Agilities and Silkthread and both of them performed to an insane degree depending on what Valiant needed from a team comp/strat perspepctive. The fact the they're all so flexible and in-sync really allows Valiant to play their own playstyle regardless of the opponent.

But then again, it's impossible not to fear when you see the Excelsior play.

They were strong against the Boston Uprising (who proved to be a far greater challenge than expected) but when they played against Houston it was like a masterclass.

The fact that their DPS lineup is doing so incredibly well and they don't even have Flow3r in the active line-up is a frightening thing. Saebyeolbe has to be the unsung hero of the team as his performance on Tracer often goes unnoticed when compared to his flashier teammates in Libero/Fleta/Pine. His effectiveness and skill cannot be understated.

Things get even more frightening when NYXL steps foot on Ilios but with a big difference in the DPS lineup - Pine instead of Libero/Fleta. The brilliant highlight reel plays from Pine are exactly what you should show someone who isn't into Overwatch to get them hooked. To see such a sensational display of mechanical brilliance and overall game sense is a spectacular feeling. (13k damage as McCree in just 10 minutes)

With such a fantastic lineup this team is a force to be reckoned with and we cannot wait to see them tested against the London Spitfire and Seoul Dynasty. (for the exciting Fleta vs. Pine Widow rematch)

Overall, this should be an extremely exciting week for Valiant fans and even those who just want to watch some high quality Overwatch. They're fighting the New York Excelsior and the London Spitfire, and with their fantastic level of play against Dallas last week they might even have a chance.

That said the NYXL boys in blue should be able to take this. The Valiant were dominant against teams with glaring issues whereas New York only lost to Seoul in the preseason - a team with better synergy and team cohesion. (and a better Widowmaker on Ilios as well)

Bet on the Excelsior, but don't bet too much because the Valiant have the tools to make this uncomfortably close.