Delta Fox Analysis
So, I've been watching the DFX games, and really enjoying them all. It's good to see the streamers I love back on the rift showing why they were originally famous. The only thing is, it's so painful watching lose over and over. So, I have been trying to figure out why and I honestly think I figured it out.
It's definitely not micro play. They are mind blowingly good at their champions, impressively flexible and they are just straight up good. Each of them is an experienced game carrier who knows how to play.
Macro play isn't really an issue either. They're communication is definitively sub-par and that's just straight up unfortunate for them, but their awareness, experience, and talent makes up for that. It is definitely a point of improvement, but their success in skirmishes, the consist gank synergy in every lane, and the ability to remain in the game once they're behind is marvelous and goes to show that they do not break down on that point even if they are being generally out rotated in the early game.
The honest issue that DFX is experiencing is in team fights, not even that they're team fights mechanics are poor, illustrated in the first eUnited game where against the 1st seed they won, primarily because eUnited just wanted to keep fighting over and over. DFX excels at fighting, but most unfortunately, they center their game on the wrong play style. The current META includes a fairly diverse cluster of top lane bruisers, strong jungle tanks with semi bursty CC based rotations and maximum damage AP and AD carries, with a significant emphasis on midlaners with catch potential. DFX game after game is falling victim to why this META is so good.
Thankfully the blame is equal on all roles. And breaks down into the following parts
1.) Tanks. Unfortunately for DFX, the game is getting carried against them by the enemy tanks. The enemy Frontline is just doing such a better job, and as a result Dyrus and Shiphtur in paticular end up painfully innefective against such a strong front line and Voyboy and QT hopelessly vulnerable to CC and lockdown. 2.) A dive based comp. Most DFX games are based around the fairly simple and effective strategy of the bruisers jump on the two squishies and get their rotation off quick enough that QT and Voyboy can just mop up. It works, and it's the solo queue special for sure but in a composed team fights, it just doesn't work. 3.)Before the fight. DFX engages fights to quickly. That's just everyone, but it's especially Voyboy. The mid laners job is to use rotations of spells to provide a good balance of both DPS and chunking potential. There are just too many fights where DFX runs in with someone at less than 60% HP but the other team at full life, or able to recover it almost immediately in the fight through lifesteal and healing. 4.) Not sieging. DFX needs to spend more time trading small blows. Invading as a group and zoning. Just as much can be accomplished by pushing the enemy back and splitting them up as can be killing them in the early game.
And that's really it. DFX is far too tunnel visioned on killing the enemy carries and I feel their playstyle can succeed if they develop the patience and fluency as a team to spend more time before the fight chunking, trading rotations, and zoning. It's really that simple and I hope they get this down because I really want to see them win.