Team Falcons Zer0 “I’ve never lost a Split 2, so if I lose it with Hal…”

As a seasoned veteran of the Apex Legends competitive scene and having been through numerous map rotations, I can wholeheartedly agree with Formcastle’s sentiments about Storm Point being a bit of a ghost town for those not wielding the right loadout or playing the right characters. Team Falcons have had their fair share of struggles adapting to the new meta, but it seems like they’ve finally found their footing, even if slightly late in the game.

Xpsp speaks to Zer0 in Mannheim, Germany.

Ever since Team Falcons emerged triumphant at the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs in LA, they’ve been the talk of the town among us fans. This powerhouse squad, often referred to as a “super team,” boasts three of the game’s most celebrated players – Zer0, Genburten, and ImperialHal.

The team has had a swift and impressive beginning to their collaboration, particularly after joining the massive organization known as Team Falcons. They’ve dominated the North American Pro League, clinched the highest number of points in the EWC finals, but unfortunately couldn’t secure the crucial victory in a Match Point encounter.

In simpler terms, when the Falcons have established that “success is non-negotiable,” there’s a growing sense of tension surrounding the team. Since everyone anticipates them to win, merely fulfilling expectations can become quite challenging. With the excitement and unpredictability of a Battle Royale, it promises an action-packed weekend in Mannheim, Germany.

Xpsp spoke to Team Falcons IGL Zer0 ahead of the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs kicking off in Mannheim.

Zer0 doesn’t feel the pressure

Among any individuals capable of managing such widespread acclaim, it’s undoubtedly Zer0, Hal, and Genburten. Their familiarity with triumph and the accompanying aspects make them well-equipped for this situation.

“I don’t feel as much pressure compared to others, it’s always been like this for me, but it’s slightly higher now since we’re in Split 2 and I’ve never lost a Split 2 before. If I were to lose it with Hal…”

It came as a bit of a shock that Team Falcons failed to secure the victory in Riyadh, despite leading and accumulating the highest number of points overall. Yet, according to Zer0, it’s not wise to feel overly disappointed during a Match Point final.

“I’m not experiencing much additional stress following EWC. To put things in perspective, if we were consistently losing 5v5 matches, I might feel differently. But when it comes to Battle Royale, ending up second and falling just short of victory with Match Point, even leading in points, it’s often the best that can be expected, given the unpredictable nature of zones. Ideally, we’ll secure a win in at least one out of three games; if we fail to do so entirely, it would be disappointing.”

Zer0 on going from Hal fanboy to teammate

In London, following his victory at ALGS Split 2 in 2023, Xpsp shared that watching Hal win the Apex Pre-Season Invitational in Poland served as a significant motivator for his competitive journey. Now, a year later, he’s competing in his first ALGS LAN with Hal as his teammate.

As a gamer, I must say it’s quite thrilling! Initially, I was caught up in the ‘fanboy’ frenzy after winning a few LAN tournaments, but then I managed to move past that. However, when he teams up with someone who shares similar passions and competitive spirit as me, it becomes an exciting ride. We constantly push each other to grow and improve.

Zero observes that after some initial hiccups, Hal seems to have acclimated comfortably alongside him and Genburten.

Initially, I struggled with collaborative In-Game Leading (co-IGLing) with him. At first, he was quite reserved and didn’t offer many suggestions or take control. Later, he became too vocal, suggesting and counter-calling a lot, which wasn’t ideal. However, I’ve now found a good balance in our co-IGLing, and it’s been working out well for us.

The ALGS meta isn’t kind to Team Falcons

In Mannheim, the strategy in ALGS has undergone a significant change with the arrival of Season 22. Legends such as Crypto and Newcastle, previously considered rare choices, have now solidified themselves as crucial picks within the current meta. These characters might not be the immediate choices for players like Zer0, Hal or Genburten. So, how has Team Falcons adjusted to the new Season 22 playstyle?

In simpler terms, the gameplay has been quite uncomfortable due to an unusual role distribution. Essentially, each team’s In-Game Leader (IGL) was playing more aggressively than the rest of their team members. This strategy has caused trouble for teams like ours and players such as Sweet on LG. It seems that this setup benefits IGLs who don’t need to make significant individual contributions and can instead focus on directing their team from a position like Crypto, effectively controlling the gameplay.

“We tried that, but like kind of lost the entry fragging ability and aggression from always having a Bang. So we’ve switched around a lot, and have finally kind of settled on Fuse, Crypto for Worlds Edge. Then Newcastle, Cat I think that comp is just insane on Storm Point. It’s like you’re basically invisible no matter where you are.”

Zer0 admits that Team Falcons have struggled a little bit to adapt to the meta in time.

“We’ve had some difficulties adjusting, as we just finalized our team composition last week and have been making frequent changes. However, Hal has been playing quite a bit with Newcastle, Gen is still getting acclimated to Crypto, but they’re catching on, so it could be worse. It’s definitely a bit rocky compared to simpler games.”

Siphon and Mill are key to Team Falcons POI Draft

As a die-hard fan, I’m thrilled to share that this tournament marks a first: Zer0, along with any other player, is participating under the POI Draft rules for the very first time. In past events, a team like Falcons could almost certainly secure their desired POIs. If anyone challenged them, it would happen during the Group stage, and at most, in one of the three sets. However, this time around, Zer0 emphasizes the significance of securing a decent position for the Bracket Stage, as the draft’s impact on gameplay dynamics could potentially shake things up significantly!

Essentially, I’m limited to deciding between selecting Mill initially or choosing a powerful World’s Edge Point of Interest (POI) followed by something average on Storm Point. This isn’t ideal. We’re going with Mill first, which offers rapid rotation but also boasts substantial loot. By moving around and taking advantage of our opponents, we can secure excellent positions in each game thanks to our [Trident].

“We’re choosing Siphon since it offers an opportunity for contesting. Consequently, others avoid Siphon as they prefer to steer clear of contests. The console rate on Siphon isn’t outstanding, but we can take advantage of this by playing Fuse Crypto on that map. If we don’t secure the console, we can gather Purples instead and gradually push in like we used to.”

Zer0 feels that POI’s are worth a lot more than the Advanced Starting Points

Zero emphasized that the draft position leading up to the Bracket and Finals will be extremely significant. Yet, he believes that choosing to engage in combat at Siphon regardless of the circumstances implies they won’t be disturbed there.

1. “I absolutely agree with that viewpoint. Essentially, only Siphon and Climatizer seem to be viable locations for the task. However, failing to secure a top four position will undoubtedly result in losing The Mill, which would be extremely difficult to endure. Additionally, having priority picks is simply unbelievable. They’ve eliminated starting points this time around, but the way they’ve structured the draft means that if you’re the tenth team from the loser bracket, there’s hardly any reason to attend the finals.”

“You have the two most disgusting POIs on both maps, it’s just completely unfair. But if we get top three to four, Mill never goes first. But it goes top five a lot. So as long as we get Mill first, then we can contest Siphon, it’s all good.”

Zero suggests that instead of the 10 extra points you earned during Finals, an ideal Point of Interest (POI) might be worth between 20 and 30 points for competing teams in the final rounds.

As a gamer, let me tell you, finding Trident on Storm Point and then having to pick Geyser (or similar) is just soul-crushing. The map layout forces me into a specific composition, leaving out characters like Fuse or Crypto. This means I’m stuck with a fast-paced, low-loot, rotational gameplay style that isn’t exactly thrilling, mate!

Zero will carry on defending his ALGS Split 2 championship this coming weekend, as the intensity of the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs increases in Mannheim.

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2024-08-30 17:42