I've watched every Gambit game since Masters 3 EMEA challengers, I've seen this team in its prime and I've seen this team struggle, like right now. I'm nowhere close to an analyst but just watching M3C playstyle I've noticed a lot of issues.
Again, I know nothing about what's going on behind the scenes, and what I'm saying could be very presumptuous so I'm sorry if what I say is really fucking stupid D:
I love this team and love these players
Even if they beat somehow Liquid in my opinion, something needs to change.
I truly don't think that any player needs to be dropped, we've seen the mechanical skill and game sense with all 5 of the players. Hell they won Masters 3
Just to list off a few of this team's incredible strengths
- Individual aim: There is not a single player has bad aim on the team
- Clutch potential: Everybody can clutch, nAts is probably one of the best clutch players in the game, anyone can pull off a clutch
- Mental fortitude: This team has some of the best mental in the entire game, they have pulled off insane comebacks against the best teams in the world
- Breeze: Yea just ban it but, they are still the best Breeze team in the world
- The players: You undeniably have multiple top 20 players on this roster
I think the issues in the team lay in things like the mid-round and post-plant decision-making. I'm gonna separate it into sections
- Post plants
This problem became very apparent on Icebox against Liquid just a little bit ago.
M3C can get themselves onto sites very well, they prevent teams from being able to push them back excellently. The issue I see resides in their post plants, they get on sites and then most of the time just up and leave. Opting to play longer post plants, this lets the enemy back into the site, and have free time to set up utility and defuse. It's 50/50 to be able to stop a defuse. When we saw a 3v4 where the players remained on sites, their raw skill and instincts took over they won the round.
I feel like if the team, rather than falling back, dig into a site they will have a way better success for post plants. They have the skill to hold it, have the confidence to hold the site and take those fights. From 50/50 to 70/30
- Site holds
I think that the team needs to play deeper site on defense, hold tighter angles, and rely less on retakes and more on-site holds. Even in slow rounds, the players seem to play very back letting the post-plant get down. With the comps they run, they don't have a lot of retake utility to justify the reliance on retakes. Even if it is just one player holding site, if they go one for one or even one for two it's worth it. They have a top 3 worldwide sentinel player let him go nuts.
It's undeniably risky for deep site holds, but it's a better risk than going unadvantaged into a post-plant retake. Play deep, be confident, but not to overzealous.
- Over extensions and peaking in weird moments
This team is for the most part good with this, they are very patient players but recently on some of the rounds weird pushes and decisions are made that lead to first blood going heavily in favor of the opponents. It seems like one round you'll have a laid-back defense and then another where individual players will charge ahead without much information and give an advantage away super quickly.
Taking space is important but not when there's nothing to back the player up, this team was fabled as the best defensive team in the world for a long time. Mostly for their ability to hold and take space at the right time. Now it seems like they don't want to hold sites or properly take space. Let them come, be patient, rely on the skill you have, and force the opponent to come to you rather than seek them out. I would be much less confident charging into a site with nAts and sheydos holding it down with support from teammates than charging into a site with maybe one player and a stretched-out front of players.
- Roles
I'm not too good with role knowledge but I'll still share what I think just cause i guess. For some of the maps, the roles are fine. Don't switch the Breeze comp at all for example. However, I think for other maps there need to be some smaller role changes for a few other maps. Maybe for fracture switch nAts onto chamber, it allows for that aggression they play with, with a far better escape route. Keep giving nAts viper and sentinels, they already phased this out but don't give him roles like Omen. For icebox, bring back the sheydos sage, he is so fucking good on sage its incredible. Replace the Brim with something more util heavy, hell double initiator with Fade or switch over the Kayo.
I'm not going too into detail cause again im not too verse but imo just give the players their comfort picks to the extent you can and they will perform
These are my thoughts lmk what you think
If this somehow in some universe reaches the eyes of any M3C players, I fucking love you guys, you're incredible I know you'll bounce back. Keep on fighting
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