Team Liquid vs FlyQuest

The playoffs over in the LCS are as fun as they are chaotic. Granted, most of us expected such a state of affairs, but to see things go down in such dramatic fashion isn’t something you’re ever truly prepared for. The fact that Cloud9 are going to miss out on Worlds for the first time in the organization’s history is quite unexpected, and this has just been one of the many mind-boggling twists in recent LCS history. Things are incredibly exciting, but perhaps above all, they’re unnerving in more ways than one.

You’re never quite sure what to expect and what’ll go down. We always know who’s the favorite, but whether or not they’ll perform well is a completely different matter. In fact, the whole “favorite” part seems to be true only on paper and in theory. Top tier teams are struggling to perform, they’re struggling to adapt, and to grasp the nuances of the current meta. That’s true both in the LEC as much as it is for North America, and this means that betting on competitive League has never been this “dangerous.” There’s just nothing to hold onto, nothing to use as guidance. Nowadays, history is no indication that a team will perform up to expectations, and neither is their theoretical long-term potential and overall strength. How do we, then, approach betting? Well, frankly speaking, it’s a wild stab in the dark more often than not. There are, of course, certain parameters and information that should influence our decisions, but they’re rarely as impactful these days.

In the LCS, it’s twist after twist after twist. Cloud9 had one of the most dominant years in North American history and yet they imploded beyond measure without any apparent reason. Team SoloMid got destroyed by the Golden Guardians only to reverse sweep the boys in gold and black just a week later. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, they outclassed the defending LCS champions to advance further into the playoffs. Team Liquid went from ninth to first in the span of just a couple of weeks, and the deeper you go the less sense it all makes. Perhaps the only team that’s been able to perform consistently and up to expectations is FlyQuest. They finished second in Spring and maintained a respectable level of play throughout Summer as well. They weren’t always mind-blowing, but they got the job done, and they looked fairly good in the process, especially with WildTurtle as their starter. When they did manage to pop off, they were one of the most impressive teams in the region, and that’s saying something given just how good TL and C9 were back a couple of weeks ago. FlyQuest even went 1-1 with TL during the regular portion of the split and could’ve even gotten the 2-0 had Mash not mispositioned in a key moment in the late game. In fact, FlyQuest made it look easy. They read TL like a book, mainly because TL lacks depth, both individually as well as a five-man unit.

They’re pretty one-dimensional, and that’s rare for a team with so much talent. They don’t play what’s meta (no Lilia, no Neeko, no Evelynn), they don’t have obscene champion pools, and they always wait things out in favor of the late game. That’s pretty much a rule written in stone as far as Team Liquid goes. They’ll try to go as even as possible and then pick the right fights and engages to seal the deal come late. But that just doesn’t work as well against a team like FlyQuest. They’re incredibly proactive early on. Santorin always has the most insane level two ganks, and IgNar has spent more time roaming than laning with WildTurtle over the last couple of weeks. They’re always looking to create a lead and then snowball it. This is a huge clash of styles which makes it incredibly exciting, but it makes things incredibly complicated betting-wise. On paper, TL is the clear favorite and the odds tell the same tale. They’re also stacked with talent and former World champions. But they don’t have the depth which is necessary to maneuver through a full-blown Best of 5 against a team that is as good and flexible as FlyQuest.

Of course, none of this matters if FlyQuest don’t perform to the best of their ability. That’s the unnerving part. If they do everything as well as they can, meaning they draft to their strengths, give PoE priority in the draft, and give as much agency to Santorin as possible, then they actually stand a chance of upsetting Team Liquid. But that’s a big if, and it doesn’t have to come to fruititon either. TL’s more consistent, and they also don’t reach as high, meaning they prefer tried and true methods and strategies. They’re less fun to watch, but it’s impossible to fault them for playing in such a way, regardless if it’s outdated or not.

We’re going with FlyQuest on this one as the odds are too alluring to pass up. If you’re looking for a “safe bet”, then going with Liquid makes more sense, but have in mind that there’s no such thing as a safe bet these days when it comes to competitive League. Everyone’s taking games off each other, and there’s very little rhyme or reason behind it all. Don’t try to understand it either — it’s just that kind of meta. AD carries are pretty weak early and mid, junglers have a bit too much impact, top laners are once again left on an island, and supports can either make or break the game depending on the champion pools and strategy. Still, Liquid doesn’t seem to understand what’s the best and most optimal way to play the game these days. They’re winning primarily through their incredible players and their individual prowess — not as a five-man unit. Regardless, they have all the right tools to beat FlyQuest, so seeing how this is a 50/50 kind of set-up, we’d much rather go with the underdogs. Either way, this should be an insanely competitive Best of 5 that’s guaranteed to deliver!