Can London Royal Ravens Fly Under The Radar To Win Champs?
London Royal Ravens are one team that could be set to shock the world this week, as they embark on their flight path to success tonight versus Toronto Ultra. Even the Ravens would admit that their season has yet to take off, not quite hitting the heights that they are capable of. But if they can be freed from the birdcage, there's nothing stopping them spreading their wings and pecking away at the competition to become World Champions this month.
Starting their adventure against Toronto Ultra tonight (August 20, 8:00pm BST), they will look to set up a date with Florida Mutineers in Winners Round Two, and the Ravens could find their best form if they can find consistency from the twins Matthew "Skrapz" Marshall and Bradley "Wuskin" Marshall. Alongside Thomas "Dylan" Henderson, Seas "Seany" O'Connor and Trei "Zer0" Morris, the key very well lies in the hands of the twins, as they contain the wow-factor needed to explode London.
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The Marksmen Has To Continue His Deadly Displays
Not many people can hold a candle to Wuskin when it comes to sniping. Most people will hold the Mancunian as Call of Duty's finest Marksman, and if London ever needed him to be on form, this week is where he could cement himself as one of the games finest. We saw the power of a sniper on Search and Destroy last night, as Octane constantly found first blood on Arklov Peak (despite Seattle not hiding behind the bomb properly), and Dashy turned up to clutch game five for OpTic in the most remarkable fashion. His three kills on the final round were key as Vivid was causing havoc over the B bomb-site and eliminating him amongst two other allowed the SMG mains to swoop over the bomb site.
Time and time again this season we have seen Wuskin open the scoring, and if he can continue this form, London should look to close out most Search and Destroy maps. Getting the first blood will allow the likes of Seany and Dylan to push up through bomb sites and lock down maps.
On respawns, it's likely to see him wielding the M4, giving Zer0 and Skrapz a free rein to explode on map, and this is where they will need to show their worth if they want to take on the best teams in the league.
Get Scrappy, Skrapz
Respawns are where the best sides in the league are confident, leaving the likes of Atlanta FaZe and Chicago Huntsmen vulnerable. When coming up against the Ravens, teams may be expecting to win the Hardpoints, and even the Ultra has excelled in this area in recent times. Taking the game to Toronto and the top sides could play in London's favour, especially if they give Skrapz the freedom. He's shown glimpses of what he is capable of throughout this season, including that preposterous performance versus Paris Legion. Each point will be vital in this series, whether its five-second scrap time on Hardpoint or the neutralisation on Domination, Skrapz will be key in slaying up close and racking up as many objective points as possible.
Statistically speaking, the Ravens excel on Gun Runner and Azhir Cave when it comes to Hardpoint. If they can avoid Rammaza, where they have just two wins on Hardpoint all year, they can use this as a platform to take the game to the top teams, forcing a game five at a minimum. Skrapz and Wuskin both sit in the top 10 for their KD ratio on Hardpoint over the last three Home Series, seemingly heating up at the right time.
Zer0, now back representing the UK, will also be looking to show the world why he deserves a place in the starting line-up unlike his time at New York Subliners. If he can step into the limelight and help his fellow countrymen slay teams out, then London has the chance of going all the way.
Slay Away AR Mains
Of course, the twins cannot let it become a two-man team, and the slayers in Dylan and Seany will be just as crucial in stepping up to control maps. Seany has excelled in Search and Destroy in recent teams, racking up a 1.19 KD from the previous three events, and Dylan is normally the catalyst for this. Their Search and Destroy slaying often works in tandem, with Dylan getting 29% of the first blood kills for London throughout the season, allowing Seany to then push up after diverting the attention, and pick off players looking to trade Dylan's life.
The two can work in tandem to come out on top at World Champs, having their own partnership alongside the twins.
When it comes to respawns, the two will come up against some ferocious pairings, such as SkyZ and Owakening who they will face if they beat Ultra. It is no easy feat to lockdown pairings such as these, however, they certainly have the ability to step up. Dylan sits sixth in the record for most kills in a five-game series, showing he has what it takes to slay his way to victory.
Ultimately, the London Royal Ravens will need to embed the pairings that they have across the map to work as a revolving machine. There's no doubt that each individual has the clutch factor than can decide close games, but best to not let your foot off the snake's neck if you don't want to be bitten. Teamwork will make the dream work for the Ravens this year. Can they go all the way?
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