LA Gladiators – Playoffs in the crosshairs as they rally behind Fissure

The LA Gladiators are looking like an entirely new team in Stage Two with the addition of Fissure at the tank position. As the team continues to gel and show off a variety of playstyles, is now a good time to buy into the LA Gladiators as they gear towards a playoff run?

Perfecting the dive

The last three weeks for the LA Gladiators have been all about improvement. After going 2-2 in the first two weeks working solely on their dive compositions, the Gladiators have finally developed the synergy they needed to succeed with a variety of strategies as they rolled over LA Valiant and London Spitfire in the same week.

Adding to that feat was their impressive record over both series as they managed to only drop one game in the process. Ever since LA Gladiators have acquired a more steady tank in Fissure, the DPS threats of Asher and Surefour have been able to engage in a much more coordinated way that has enabled them to look their best on a variety of heroes. The importance of an ‘anchor tank’ within the OWL cannot be understated, and the success of the Gladiators as of late is a testament to the importance of that role.

It’s not just Fissure’s play that makes the team better, but also how the team is able to play around him that really makes the new addition shine that much more. Asher’s Tracer play has looked better than ever with the engages Fissure is able to provide. Bischu’s ability to survive after risky dives has also improved with the nuanced play that his team has been able to enjoy as Shaz and BigGoose have also benefited from the added safety net.

Pushing for more

How does one player so drastically change a team’s playstyle? From the study of his film, it’s easy to see that Fissure is not your average player. Fed up with his subjugated role as a bench player, Fissure was adamant to prove his worth on the OWL stage as a full-time starter, and LA Gladiators were smart enough to make the move that would turn the wheels once again.

Too many times last stage iRemiix’s foolhardy engages would cost his team on vital pushes for the objective. Not having a substitute for a confidence driven role like Tank can be difficult for teams over the stretch of a long season, and Fissure’s presence in and out of the game have made improvements for the teams playstyle and overall mentality. Having a world class talent on your team forces everyone else to perform at that level, and the Gladiators are reaping the benefits of their strenuous labor at this stage of the game.

As Stage Two draws to a close in its final two weeks, the Gladiators will have a lot of goals to check off their list as they look to maximize their wins with a rather easy schedule. With other teams still finding their form and struggling to adapt to the new meta, the honeymoon phase for LA Gladiators is in full swing as Fissure and co. are putting the pieces together for a top six finish.

Heading into Week 4, look for LA Gladiators to steal the show against Houston on Thursday and cruise to an easy victory over Florida in Friday’s matchup. Week 5’s results are a little harder to decipher with the topsy turvy performances from both Boston and Philly so far this stage. So far, the Gladiators have shown more consistency than Philadelphia at this point of the season, but anything can happen in the OWL as we’ve seen the momentum of teams change by the week.