Golden Guardians vs FlyQuest

To close out the day we have a rather fascinating clash between FlyQuest and the Golden Guardians. No, that was not a typo -- "fascinating" is the most apt term here. If you're scratching your head, know that you're not in the minority. For the last two seasons, this was always *the* fight between two playoff contenders, and, frankly, it wasn't always that entertaining. FlyQuest and GGS were always even when it came to overall potential and competitiveness. The former thrived off of team work, team fighting prowess and an incredible tendency to engage and skirmish at the right moment in the mid and late game; the latter, however, basically got most of their wins because of Henrik "Froggen" Hansen.

They were, however, fairly one-dimensional which obviously hindered their chances of finding success in the long-term. 2020 is, surprisingly, not much different. FlyQuest made two incredibly important pick-ups during the off-season in PowerOfEvil and IgNar, and their effectiveness was obvious from the moment they stepped foot on stage to compete. This is truly a much more dangerous, cohesive, and well-rounded FlyQuest than we've ever seen. They're still every bit as insane and aggressive, but this time they have more tools to work with, and two players who already have a ton of synergy dating back all the way to 2017. That's no small advantage, frankly.

Their 2020 season so far has been fairly confusing, however. They've shown a ton of potential, but are also bafflingly inconsistent at the most random of times. One day they look like a bona fide titan, like a team that is unexpectedly clean and dominant. They play like a cohesive, well-oiled machine and just bulldoze through their opponent, regardless of whom they're up against. Other times, however, they're just passive, meek, and fail to do much in the early game. And, really, it's not opponent-dependent either as they've taken down some of the best teams in the region without breaking much of a sweat only to then fumble and fail against the unlikeliest of challengers.

There's very little rhyme or reason behind FlyQuest, but at least they're solid and are improving at a respectable pace. Their drafts are also fairly good, meaning they're strong and well-rounded from start to finish.

Opposite them, we have the Golden Guardians. This is the *really* confusing part. Are they good? Well, everyone in their right mind would tell you "no" but their .500 record tells otherwise. With four wins and four losses, they've already found more success than anyone could have ever imagined. How, though? They're not good on paper and they're often even worse on the Rift. Other than former TCL MVP Closer who's been doing most of their grunt work, they don't have much to work with. Sure, certain members sometime perform admirably, but as a whole, they're just not good enough to compete at the highest of levels.

And yet they're defying the odds -- for the time being. A team that is so underpowered is bound to fall down in the standings sooner or later, but at the moment, when almost every team is struggling to synergize and get on the same page, the Golden Guardians have a solid, puncher's chance of finding wins. They're not going to blow you away by any stretch of the imagination, but they're solid, and when they keep Keith in check they can actually trade heavy blows, at least in the early game. In any case, they're not a pushover, and they're embracing the role of the underdog.

If FlyQuest prepared well -- which means they didn't underestimate the Golden Guardians -- they shouldn't have too big of a problem in getting the win. They know where they're strong at and what they need to do to actually emerge victorious. Still, no one's quite sure what to think of either challenger at the moment, which makes this a fairly confusing, hard to predict match-up. In any case, entertainment should not be absent.