VGJ Storm vs Invictus Gaming

For our first match of the day we have a clash that might seem a bit underwhelming, with J.Storm taking on Invictus Gaming. Both of these teams seem somewhat mediocre (with noticeable flashes of brilliance), but they should definitely be able to deliver once they step foot on stage.

We’ve seen “China’s pride” (Invictus Gaming) in action yesterday when they fought against Beastcoast and stood victorious with a 2-1 score. The first game started off fairly slow, with both teams being cautious. Maybe even a bit afraid to make the first move. Such slow-paced play continued throughout the game and after a long back and forth session, Beastcoast barely managed to snatch the first win. It certainly wasn’t an impressive affair, but at least they got the job done.

Once the second game began Invictus adapted far better than anyone could have expected. They were cohesive, they played like a well-oiled machine and dominated over Beastcoast in just 23 minutes. This was, by far, the shortest game in this tournament.

The third game was as intense as possible. A ton of action from both sides with both challengers playing to their winning conditions. Neither team wanted to leave the tournament at that point which meant they fought tooth and nail for every possible advantage.

In the end, one big mistake from Beastcoast was all Invictus needed to capitalize, push through and close out the series.

Invictus fought against both lower and upper bracket teams and even if they didn’t always win, they at least entertained everyone in attendance. They might not be a top-tier team, but have definitely proven that they’re a worthy contender in Chengdu. They’re also hard to read — a team with quite a fair bit of potential as well as more than just a couple of inherent flaws and weaknesses.

As for J.Storm, things get even more complicated. They are a fairly new team from North America, and they’re still rough around the edges. In other words, other than a couple of flashes of brilliance, they didn’t do much to warrant anyone’s benefit of the doubt.

Their captain Clinton "Fear" Loomis (of Evil Geniuses fame) is definitely a top-tier leader, but the team as a whole is often lacking the strength which is necessary to compete at the highest of levels.

Ever since the beginning of the tournament, J.Storm’s path has been a mixed bag. They upset Liquid in 2-1 fashion, but were then annihilated by TNC Predators. For every good play they make there’s often an abysmal one immediately following it. And you never really know what you’re going to get which, while exciting at times, is quite a nightmare betting-wise.

Will they be able to leave a mark in Chengdu? We’ll have to tune in to find out, but the odds aren’t exactly stacked in their favor. That said, they’re definitely a solid underdog that never goes down without a fight.

This time, however, we simply have to side with Invictus Gaming. They've proven numerous times that they're a better team across the board, and they definitely have all the right tools in order to outclass an inconsistent (and perhaps underwhelming) J.Storm.