Standout moments from the underdogs' first OWL 2019 match.
As has been well established by now, Shanghai Dragons are very much the underdogs of the Overwatch League. As a team they struggled to find many high points during last year’s inaugural season.
Year 2 kicked off yesterday evening though, and one of the first matches of this year’s competition was between those very same underdogs and newcomers Hangzhou Spark.
As it turned out, the new guys in town won out in the end. The Dragons were able to declare their first League outing a resounding victory, thanks to a pretty convincing 3-1 show of power.
That’s not to say the Shanghai Dragons didn’t provide their fair share of excitement in their second crack at the League though.
In this feature, we wanted to celebrate some of their best plays from yesterday evening, along with a few tips on what you can take from them.
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Highlight #1: Geguri storms Busan with Wrecking Ball
On Busan, Geguri had a fantastic moment where she was able to catch up with her team, then drop a devastating Wrecking Ball slam onto the team clustered below.
With Hangzhou Spark unsettled, the team then drops in to mop up the damage while Geguri picks off D.Va before she can get back in her suit.
Highlight #2: diem’s super clean Zarya picks on Hollywood
Right before this clip diem spots a few Spark team members heading for high ground and does a superb job of chasing them down and rattling off some very nice predictive bomb shots.
He’s not under pressure when on the high ground, and rather than rushing note how he takes time to reload before dropping down, buying himself plenty of opportunties to pick off IDK’s Lucio with a 1-2 punch.
Highlight #3: YOUNGJIN drops an Earthshatter bomb
There’s not a lot to add to YOUNGJIN’s superb Earthshatter here, although keep in mind how willing he is to provide his rear teammates with shielding almost immediately.
Rather than going for the glory immediately, he knows there’s more to be gained as a team by bringing the other players into the zone before taking some opportunistic – and excellent – hammer swings of his own.
Highlight #4: Geguri drops the perfect Wrecking Ball Ultimate
Geguri showcased another excellent Wrecking Ball play last night, and one that’s well worth thinking about in your own games.
By waiting for the Sparks to cluster in defense of the payload, he was able to effectively block them in with his ultimate.
Left with nowhere to turn, they’re compelled to participate in the team fight on the Dragons’ terms, which ultimately helps them clear the first checkpoint.
Highlight #5: YOUNGJIN’s Nano Reaper piles on the pressure
You can’t beat a good Death Blossom (unless you’re on the receiving end obviously), but YOUNGJIN makes the most of his Nano Boosted status to obliterate Bastion, before smartly withdrawing temporarily while his teammates come forwards.
From there he’s able to continue applying pressure without being the sole centre of attention for the ensuing point capture.
