by Waxangel

Where they Stand

Team MVP: The Power of Depth

GSTL has long been known as the league of all-kills and individual strength, but Team MVP helped shake that perception this season. On many nights, it was Team MVP's opponent that had the strongest single player. However, Team MVP always had the strongest roster overall, and that proved to be worth more than having any S class player as they cruised to a #1 finish in the regular season.

Team MVP actually had a bench so deep they've essentially been running two squads this season. The main team, MVP Ozone GSTL, has run with Super as their unlikely ace, backed by players like KeeN, Monster, DRG and Sniper. The "B" team, playing in the Acer TeamStory Cup, has run primarily around players like Lure, Dream, Bang, and duckdeok, occasionally receiving support from the main team members. That team is currently holding #2 in the ATC, so regardless of how the GSTL finals go, MVP are likely to play at another live final in the future.

When you put those two rosters together, you see a team that has no clear ace but is still extremely tough to take in a best of nine. Like LG-IM, they have a number of players who have the potential to get hot in any given match, like KeeN, SuperVampire, Monster, or Sniper. The playoffs have been all about multi-kills so far, and team MVP have plenty of reason to be optimistic about their chances of cashing in as well.

LG-IM: For Real?

The last few series for LG-IM have provided very little information. Yes, you have to give them credit for winning, but the way they won didn't teach us much new about their team at all. A Yonghwa all-kill? That's been in LG-IM's arsenal since last year. YoDa's all-kill was a little bit surprising considering that YoDa didn't have a history of being a multi-killer for LG-IM in the past, but it was also completely unsurprising when you recalled the fact that GSTL is basically a playground for Terrans to all-kill on.

So, our general assessment of LG-IM hasn't changed much since last week. They have a number of powerful, all-kill capable players in First, Squirtle, and YongHwa (add YoDa to the mix now) who make up their core strength, and a handful of past champions who have better reputations than results.

When their streaky players are getting three, four, or five kills at a time, LG-IM has little to worry about. The problem is if their matches turn into the slower paced chess matches, with the teams going back and forth as they take points, and no player getting more than a single win a piece. That's not how the playoffs have gone so far, but we've seen plenty of regular season matches go that way. In those situations, LG-IM will have to nervously put their trust in bit part players like ByuL and RagnaroK, or their inconsistent legends MC, NesTea, and Mvp (who for all their individual league exploits, can't be called reliable in team leagues).

Overall outlook

First, I've gotta preface everything by saying there's ample all-kill power on both teams, and both sides have even put two streaky players in Keen and First at point. From the very start, there's the potential for someone to go all-out Gumiho on the other team, rendering any analysis useless.

That said, I like the overall depth of Team MVP a little bit better than LG-IM's. A best of 11 would suit Team MVP better, but even best of nine should be enough for them to show they have no holes at any position. They're 3 + players deep at every race, and I can't imagine a scenario they won't have a sniper for. While LG-IM can field five fearsome players, their racial balance is not quite as good, and they just don't have as many cards to play. As long as Killer doesn't insert himself into the line-up, MVP has a slight advantage.

Prediction: Team MVP 5 - 4 Incredible Miracle