Team Liquid’s standout day one performance at the ALGS Championship Group Stage earned them a respectable fifth-place finish, one spot below G2 Esports. Ever since the core of Nocturnal and Flanker teamed up with TSM’s Albralelie, Liquid has been rocking a new and improved playstyle that has them consistently ranked with the best teams in North America.
Image Credit Team Liquid
|
Team: Team Liquid |
||
|
Players |
||
|
Albralelie – Octane |
Flanker – Bloodhound |
Nocturnal – Gibraltar |
|
Group Stage Performance: 5th Overall – 154 Points One Win, 87 Kills |
Drop Spot: West Skyhook & Trials |
Best Zones: Trials Lava Fissure Anywhere w/ Edge |
Albralelie – All-Around Excellence
Albralelie is Liquid’s Octane, taking on most of the macro calling responsibility. The Apex Legends‘ veteran is certainly one of the most complete players in the world. His gun and movement mechanics are both top of the line. His game knowledge is extensive and reliable. The thing that really puts Albralelie above the rest is his pure instinct. No matter what situation Liquid finds themselves in, Alb will find a way to pull them through.
Nocturnal – Reliable Right-Hand Man
Liquid’s Gibraltar is Nocturnal. Unlike many Gibby’s, Nocturnal is very vocal and active. He will often assist with information gathering and decision making which takes some of the pressure off of Albralelie’s shoulders. This also carries the benefit of Liquid being on the same page for plays much quicker. When all hell starts breaking loose, Nocturnal is the one who will lead the way for Liquid.
Flanker – Supportive Yet Deadly
With two loud and assertive callers already on the team, Flanker chooses to take a more supportive approach on Bloodhound. He still communicates all necessary information but uses the rest of his time to focus on Liquid’s micro. Flanker excels at finding positions and angles to impact a fight from while staying close enough to the main unit. He is always able to help Albralelie or Nocturnal in a flash, making Liquid a very hard squad to pick off.
The Best Rotators in NA
Liquid’s defining feature as a team is their edge rotation-based play style. Their goal in-game is centered around being the last ones to the edge of zone, clearing their backs along the way. From there, Liquid is able to find rotations into the next zone, wiping squads along the way. Their drop spot provides exactly what they need to make it work. First, Liquid gets tons of loot from Trials and the majority of the Skyhook buildings. If zone is nearby, they’ll get going to take a spot to farm from.
Most of the time, however, Liquid is forced to rotate across the map, away from their extremely North West landing. Their rotational instincts then kick in. No matter where zone falls, Liquid always seems to find a way in. The best example of this was in Day One of the Group Stage. In two consecutive Lava City zones, Liquid managed to take home 39 points coming from the longest rotation of any team.
Look for Liquid’s cross-country antics to continue in the ALGS Championship Finals on June 13th.
