Team Dignitas 2018 Spring Split Preview Week 4

Team Dignitas returns for Week 4 of the Summer Split with their first rematch of the split, having dominated the first half. Let's take a look at what awaits them.

Team Dignitas vs Team Rival, Monday, 18th of June, 9:00pm

Considered by most to be the top teams in the region, this is going to be a set to watch, much like Team Dignitas and Rival's first set this split. In that set, Team Dignitas took the victory but this should by no means cause Rival to be counted out. A big reason for that is due to Rival's duo lane, KaLaS and Vote. These are two players that have been playing together for a long time, much like Arkkyl and Zyrhoes, which is a rare thing in a league with a lot of newly-formed duo lanes. What this means is that KaLaS and Vote can bring the fight to Team Dignitas' duo lane a lot more. Arkkyl and Zyrhoes are masters of controlling their lane, but Rival's duo lane are just as good, which often leads to a tense dance between these players as they try to establish control. However, Rival has always been more prone to aggressive play, which Team Dignitas could use to their advantage by baiting them to play aggressively in bad situations. Whatever the case, the matchup in this lane is going to be extremely close and a microcosm for the game as a whole.

Another incredibly close matchup can be found in the solo lane, which has Team Dignitas' Variety and Rival's Deathwalker. Both are incredibly strong and aggressive solo laners and their matchups have always been close and fun to watch. This one should be an even matchup as well, though it's worth noting that Variety has been doing better against Deathwalker recently by outthinking him in the drafting phase, picking and playing gods that have a winning matchup. However, both teams and players are extremely skilled theorycrafters, so Variety may have to be extra careful when he drafts this time. 

One of the more one-sided matchups is the jungle, as QvoFred and iceicebaby when both playing at full capacity are evenly matched junglers. However, both being at full capacity is the issue, as iceicebaby suffers from inconsistency. In the games where he's on, he's an incredible jungler, capable of being everywhere whenever he's needed. But when he isn't iceice has seriously struggled against QvoFred, who seems to always be playing his best. If iceice doesn't step up, it could mean disaster for Rival, as they rely on him and KaLaS for powerful early game rotations and impact plays.

Finally, the midlane matchup is also pretty even, as Wolfy faces off against Team Dignitas' Zyrhoes. An all-star midlaner with years of experience, Zyrhoes tends to have the advantage in most matchups, although Wolfy is one of the midlaners that regularly manages to keep up with him despite having a very different playstyle. Wolfy tends to lean on gods with high base damage and good early game aggression, using their CC to play a more supporting role for his team in the late game, while Zyrhoes is known for his proficiency on late game powerhouses such as Discordia and Thoth. This matchup usually ends with no clear winner, as both midlaners also like to farm up and safely secure their jungle above all else.

Team Dignitas and Team Rival have faced off many times before, with mixed results for both teams. Team Dignitas tends to take the first few games until Rival adapts and starts outdrafting them, leading to some very close final games. Team Dignitas needs to focus on finishing games, something they've struggled with before, and make sure their drafts are up to par with Rival if they want to win.