After failing at ESL One: Road to Rio Virtus.pro decided to make changes and benched buster & acquired YEKINDAR from pro100. Not to say that the transfer solved their problems: Virtus.pro failed to qualify for ESL Pro League S12 and took third place at the CIS RMR event WePlay! Clutch Island.
We will look at how the VP game changed with the arrival of YEKINDAR on the example of Dust2. Let’s go!
CT side
Forcebuy rounds
Previously Virtus.pro preferred measured forces – “Bears” often played a passive default, and if they went out in aggression, they were not too fond of it.t. The main option of the early push was aggression on short.
With the arrival of the YEKINDAR Virtus.pro changed their playstyle on CT-forces: there are fewer defaults, more aggression, and variability.
It is worth saying that in the last games VP managed to use different gamble setups on CT-forcebuy rounds: paired short aggro, paider short aggro with boost, 4long, and the early push of the upper tunnel from B-site. This does not bring success yet – Virtus.pro haven’t won a single forcebuy round in the last two games (against Spirit and Natus Vincere), but the trend is noticeable.
AWP: Jame doesn’t feel confident
Interesting fact: Jame has always been considered one of the most nasty snipers. Playing against Ali is not something you can enjoy. You never know where will the main Virtus.pro AWPer peek you from.
Interesting fact: Jame has always been considered one of the most nasty snipers. Playing against Ali is not something you can enjoy. You never know where will the main Virtus.pro AWPer peek you from.
But with the arrival of YEKINDAR, Jame began to play more accurately. Less flexibility, less aggression, less non-default peeks. This is most likely due to the fact that Virtus.pro are now not in the best shape. The team, frankly, has a difficult period.
Along with lack of the confidence in the team, the confidence of Jame also weakened.
Less attention to B-site on gun rounds
If you look at the positions of the players, at first glance nothing has changed. YEKINDAR just replaced buster on B-anchor position, that’s all.
But in general, the game changed at the beginning of the round – with buster Virtus.pro made a serious emphasis on point B (frequent 3B-setups, very rarely when the team started with the only player on B-site).
Now Virtus.pro continues to occasionally play 3B-setups, but B-site is much more often open for early pushes: now VP often start with only one player inside B.
More flexibility and rotations
Virtus.pro has become a much more flexible team than it was with buster. Yes, the game on Dust2 in principle strongly depends on the players’ spawn positions, but with the buster VP had more structured rounds.
T-side
Virtus.pro are more flexible on pistol rounds now
If a few months ago Virtus.pro often started the T-pistol rounds with heavy tunnel control and the rounds were so slow, now the pistol rounds of VP have become more variable. So, in the last 5 matches, VP ended fast twice on B-site, and in two more rounds, they were ready to plant the bomb until 1:00.
Better mid-round play on gun rounds
With buster Virtus.pro preferred to play either very fast (rush B or early long take), or very slow, now Virtus.pro added more rounds that endfrom 1:10 to 0:40.
Constant lurkers
On Dust2, it often happens that the one with the best spawn becomes the lurker. This happened (not always, of course) in the old Virtus.pro, so it happened when YEKINDAR just came to the team.
Now Virtus.pro came to the conclusion that in the vast majority of rounds, they have specific lurkers – SANJI and YEKINDAR.
***
Overall, there are noticeable changes in the playstyle of Virtus.pro, even if they not obvious. Did it bear fruit? I wouldn’t say so. With buster in the roster, Virtus.pro surely would have not less chances to finish the season at the same level.
The team continues to stagnate, but we will see what will happen at the start of the new season.
Now Virtus.pro are on the third place in the CIS RMR rating. If VP continue to perform at the same level (let’s not take in the account buster’s return), it is quite possible that VP will lose their third place and get to the Major in the worst status.
There’s a small chance that Virtus.pro will not qualify for the Major, but well… Everything’s possible.
Written by Slava “innersh1ne” Britvin
