The state of IMT

Ready 2 B Blamed·Dec 14, 2016·1 votes·988 views

Already seeing a lot of prejudice against the new IMT lineup, I've noticed how unrealistic the expectations are with certain fan bases. I wanted to address this. IMT has had 1 and a half days of practice with their full roster and maybe a week of practice in fragments. With that in mind, they took advantage of their invitation to IEM Gyeongie (However you spell it) to play against higher level talent to gain experience as a team. Despite them advancing as a 2nd seed into the semifinals, IMT has already more than completed their goal. Facing against SSG, a team that ended in the finals of world 2016 and is still practically the same coming into 2017, despite losing, IMT gained experience and knowledge. Not only that, but they at least kicked SSG in the leg a time or two before being put down. That, to me, shows great potential within this team and how they perform from now on can only become better. That goes for all the players in the roster. To me, someone that stood out was their support Olleh who not only shows that he's a threat in this roster but he will exceed the other top tier supports in NA. I never thought much of NA ADC talent but Cody Sun also has proven that he can hold his own and is probably going to change tha talent tree of ADCs in NA with given time. All players have a place in this team and that's what really ties it together, they weren't randomly thrown in. They have veteran talent along with high potency rookie players. Given how strong their showing was so far, I can only imagine this lineup looking even stronger in 2018.

13 Comments

Miror BDec 14, 20161 votes

Yeah, you're somewhat right but somewhat wrong as well due to how NA is shaping up as a whole. Looking at it from the outside, only 3 teams are going into 2017 with a lack of a major/multiple weaknesses: C9 (who replaced meteos with someone who has more of a longterm upside), P1 (whose core of inori/ryu/arrow/adrian is looking to be terrifying) and TL (with a "new and improved" goldenglue who from what I've seen looks like a changed player). Outside of those three teams, the rest of the field is wide open barring the almost certain 10th place finish from echo fox. While many could suggest that the final order will be TSM/CLG/(insert fanboy team here), I'd actually argue that those 2 teams combined with the potential of C9C's thing (should they add two powerful imports like bengi/selfie) and the raw talent of IMT (flame/dardoch/pobelter potentially coming in with chips on their shoulders) makes the 4-6 spots literally anyone's guess.

Long story short: if IMT finishes 4th, then they've basically matched the realistic expectation of them going into a pretty weird split. Not expecting them to repeat last year's success, as their talent is good but is in no way "juggernaut-ey".

NightmareAmazoXDec 14, 20161 votes

Although, IMT top laner is now SKT T1 top laner & from ROX Tigers their jungler ROX peanut joined SKT T1 as well.

B00B00Dec 16, 20161 votes

{quoted}

Although, IMT top laner is now SKT T1 top laner & from ROX Tigers their jungler ROX peanut joined SKT T1 as well.

i am honestly scared to fuck of peanut being on SKT with FAKER an HUNI, these are aggressive players, faker can shift between styles when required but peanut is a mental nut job who's talented beyond belief in the jungle.

providing Huni does what is asked, which if he doesn't he WILL be dropped almost instantly i can see SKT being far scarier than 2016 by leaps and bounds.

of course don't forgot about their SOLID bot lane, and of course things need to slot into place and they need a period of ''cohesion'' but if an assassin meta emerges i expect peanut and faker to be near unstoppable if they synergise.

NightmareAmazoXDec 16, 20161 votes

Its gonna be nice to see more SKT T1 skins in 2017. [slayer-pantheon-popcorn]

B00B00Dec 16, 20161 votes

{quoted}

Its gonna be nice to see more SKT T1 skins in 2017. [slayer-pantheon-popcorn]

haha well if they are the best.....they are the best, its actually a credit that ''the best'' keep winning in any sport/esport.

think of it this way WHEN they are and they will be beaten sooner or later that team will be known as legend slayers / god kllers and will instantly create a brand and immortality for themselves.

its good for the sport.

NightmareAmazoXDec 16, 20161 votes

It's gonna be good for everyone. [slayer-jinx-wink]

GeminiRuneDec 14, 20161 votes

The prejudice feels a bit uncertain as to which side it leans on. It's almost as if fans used the last game or series as the measuring stick for favorite players and then throw the rest out. It reminds me of last year where despite reaching and losing the finals of IEM San Jose, CLG still received a good amount of negative response about their roster changes and expectations for next split. Granted though, many didn't approve of CLG's changes in the first place; that the "other teams were more stacked than them." You can also say that IMT (alongside GIA; not including MB) have used this tournament as a trial period for team synergy and preparation. The core native players in Dardoch, Pobelter, and Cody have shown they can work together (Dardoch and Cody even before this). Flame and Olleh are two players that recently had the wrong teams going for them to shine. Mix some homegrown talent with an icon and a world warrior, and you kind of get a really decent combination. Whether that translates into the 2017 season like CLG's friendship and synergy system successfully did is yet to be determined.

However, now IMT is the second seed coming out of the group, which means they'll face the first seed on the other group in the semifinals. There's a chance we could see a TL vs IMT match up for more evidence to where they line up.

III BAKURYU III Dec 14, 20161 votes

I think the new IMT roster scares the fans of the team and also the fans of NA. With the older roster fans knew what they were going to get, but with this roster is more so as a mystery.

Huni-Reignover-Pobelter-Wildturtle-Adrian..... Everyone looked at Huni and Reignover as 2 of the best players that left EU for NA, also they were really good at their roles. Pobelter a recent LCS Champion and a decent mid that doesn't die 24/7. Wildturtle a fan favorite and former ADC for TSM. Adrian a Support that constantly wins the assists leader it seems each split(2015 Summer 2016 Spring 2016 Summer)

With the newer roster it scares people.

Flame- Really big name but honestly I personally haven't heard that name since 2013. Maybe that will give him the advantage over his opponents. Cody Sun- Seems good but not much exp to fall back on for fans to rely on him when and/or if he hits a speed bump. Olleh- In my opinion he will be the real "mvp" of this team but he needs Cody to go with the flow. Pobelter- Before the previous IMT team everyone knew Po as just a consistent player but not a superstar more so as a above average player. Dardoch- We all know he's a good player that part has already been answered a while back but it's how he acts behind the scenes that scares fans. Is he the same ol' Dardoch who just loses his cool and also just loses games?

B00B00Dec 16, 20162 votes

[{quoted}](name=III BAKURYU III ,realm=NA,application-id=9hBQwnEU,discussion-id=NFqypKO6,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2016-12-14T18:42:26.531+0000)

I think the new IMT roster scares the fans of the team and also the fans of NA. With the older roster fans knew what they were going to get, but with this roster is more so as a mystery.

Huni-Reignover-Pobelter-Wildturtle-Adrian..... Everyone looked at Huni and Reignover as 2 of the best players that left EU for NA, also they were really good at their roles. Pobelter a recent LCS Champion and a decent mid that doesn't die 24/7. Wildturtle a fan favorite and former ADC for TSM. Adrian a Support that constantly wins the assists leader it seems each split(2015 Summer 2016 Spring 2016 Summer)

With the newer roster it scares people.

Flame- Really big name but honestly I personally haven't heard that name since 2013. Maybe that will give him the advantage over his opponents. Cody Sun- Seems good but not much exp to fall back on for fans to rely on him when and/or if he hits a speed bump. Olleh- In my opinion he will be the real "mvp" of this team but he needs Cody to go with the flow. Pobelter- Before the previous IMT team everyone knew Po as just a consistent player but not a superstar more so as a above average player. Dardoch- We all know he's a good player that part has already been answered a while back but it's how he acts behind the scenes that scares fans. Is he the same ol' Dardoch who just loses his cool and also just loses games?

true, dardoch / TL also said of tension and disagreements between him and piglet, which is part of the reason why piglet opted to go into the challenger scene among a mini-hiatus.

so i guess we get to see/hear if them being apart helps the respective teams.

III BAKURYU III Dec 16, 20161 votes

And that's the thing for Dardoch; you just started your career in what was really the most competitive NA that we have ever seen up to date. You're on an up and coming team; which also Team Liquid/Curse is actually a really good team/org, fans can laugh at the 4th place meme all they want but the team has been in the LCS since it was created only 2 other teams can say that ( TSM and CLG) also playing with young players(Lourlo-Matt) with a more than a viable mid(Fenix) and a proven WINNER/CHAMPION with Piglet, and less than a week or two later he plays the blame/rage card C'mon MAN!

It's not just on Dardoch, I look inside the Team/coaches/owners etc, does the owners and coaches just let Dardoch rage and act like a baby 24/7?
Anyone remember the suspension of Dardoch? Where he was at first going to be suspended for like a week or two but once TL lost 1- one- ONE GAME in a BO3 regular season game they subbed him back into the lineup? So while I do think the TEAM/the name is a good starting point for young talent I can't look away at some of the stupidest decisions made from that Org/team.

Not to mention Curse/Team Liquid SUCKS at getting junglers for some reason all they do is get the toxic ones Saintvicious-Iwilldominate-Dardoch only time will tell if Reignover will follow that path?

B00B00Dec 16, 20161 votes

completely agree with you dude, was merely just pointing it out :)

i don't think Reighnover will follow every single person he's played with so far and even in soloq is / says he is a nice chill guy, i think him + fenix/piglet, hell even the top laner(s) will work well together.

III BAKURYU III Dec 16, 20161 votes

Oh no Thank you dude I knew you agreed with me it's just I wanted to clarify on some of things was all ;]

Team Liquid..... IDK where to place this team; I'm sure we all know who/ what will carry Team Liquid { insert name here } but how much does Reignover need to do for TL to be good? TL has had decent players in the past and they still failed to reach a NA finals in previous years.

Lourlo- Honestly his TP plays are meh, he normally plays reactionary so he never makes a play when he TPs' at bot/around the map and that's going to be a really important role for him at this meta and he's just never been good at that. He also doesn't seem to tank... anything. I'v seen so many teamfights where his hp bar is at 100% maybe 75% full but Piglet mainly and his carries dies but yet he's A O K is that's good ??

Reignover - The thing that's really interesting is when he left FNC he became the main shotcaller if not the only shotcaller and the wins came but not in the right place. 2 straight EU Finals 0 straight 2nd round NA eliminations. How much did Yellowstar really shotcall for because it really seems like he needs a LT. floor general to help him out on that regard.

Goldenglue- So you can't have more than 2 foreign players ok fine. So Fenix is gone RIP.
Most fans of the LCS might think Goldenglue is a rookie mid but no this guy has been in the LCS for like 5 years and yet still hasn't made a name for himself. Bouncing from the Challenger scene to 10th place in the LCS for years. I'm not trying to be mean and I know FA's are hard to get but C'mon! Wouldn't be surprised if Goldenglue gets benched but more surprised if he actually plays well and the team wins.

Piglet- Is it me or does Piglet seem like he can't hit a freaking skillshot anymore?? or avoid them?? Holy this guy is like Doublelift of 2013 with skillshots on the D end, he can't miss being shot by the enemy team. Not to mention he's normally the first player to die in almost every fight(No thanks to Lourlo)

Matt- he want's to fight 24/7 and dies 60% of the time the other 40% percent when he does engage are decent plays! However if he doesn't engage and you don't take that 60% risk he just does nothing while getting poked down.
Fan " Well no shit if you don't engage you can't attack or do anything" Me " Yes I know that but Matt can't survive more than 2 mins in lane without either dying while engaging or just die after being hit 3 times from skillshots".

Overall my predictions on Team Liquid and Team Immortals Team Liquid 7-11 7TH Place Immortals 4-14 10TH Place

hotarseDec 20, 20161 votes

I think I might be an IMT fan this split. Hai was my main reason for being a C9 fan, and I liked Ballz too. People love to hate him, but Dardoch's my man. I was really hoping that FOX move had worked out cuz uniting him and McBrief would've been gangbusters. Fox is going to get dumpstered again this split but IMT I think is looking like a top 4 team.