On the other side of the Group B bracket Fnatic had just been confirmed as group favourites thanks to a stumble by Cloud9, and were set to face Immortals in their first fixture of the tournament. They would not fall victim to the same trap, securing a 2-0 win on King's Row and Hollywood. The score line belies a spirited performance by Immortals on both maps, but the efficacy of Buds Nano Reaper simply proved to be too much.
Our first stop was grimy London Town where Fnatic were set to defend first and clearly feeling generous, feeding hype a 50% Nanoboost advantage which he duly unleashed on stand-in Reinhardt, wgb, who promptly ate a Sleep Dart and caught a Graviton Surge before unleashing a glorious Earth Shatter that Fnatic simply had not accounted for. Point A falls in 75 seconds. GrimReality switches from Hog to Pharah to patrol the skies of the streets phase, but Buds has already managed to ghost in behind, dropping from the window with a bubble into Sound Barrier to murder the supports against the backdrop of iddqd's Ice Wall and subsequent Blizzard. Team wipe for Buds - the first of many.
As the payload moves through the streets Immortals continues to mutate in to a DPS flank heavy composition; Agilities drops Mei in favour of Genji, Hyped opts for Tracer over Zarya. Fnatic are getting pulled apart and don't see the Nano Barrage coming from GrimReality until it's too late. Immortals secure the foundry capture, but the game turns in to a slugfest with ults traded willy-nilly. Winston comes out for coolmatt69 in the face of a still very squishy looking composition. Immortals fail to deal with Winston-Reaper dual threat and are held at the first corner.
Fnatic's attack setup sees iddqd to Hanzo as the only variation from their defence. There first attack wave proves to be ineffectual as Agilities Mei finds her way in to the backline on the defenders reengagement. Things only open up when Buds gets the Amazon Prime treatment from wgb; expedited to the heart of the Immortals defence with a successful cross map pin only for the Fnatic Reaper to be saved from death by a Custa Nanoboost Grenade combo before slaying everyone and taking Point A.
Fnatic seem content to lose numerous fights, allowing Immortals to spend their ultimates, all the time waiting for the perfect moment to set up Buds. IMT have slowly conceded ground right up to foundry checkpoint when one such opportunity presents itself and a Boosted Bubble Blossom floats majestically down from the gantry to claim a slew of frags. The Reapers trade Nanoboosts for a while, but it is Fnatic who win the war of attrition and make the distance.
Epic reaper play from @budsOW helps FNATIC go up 1-0 in this Bo3. Catch the match at https://t.co/fOYyGL1kwC pic.twitter.com/QHUaMW4Lsb
— ELEAGUE (@EL) September 25, 2016
Immortals choose to take it to Hollywood and find themselves on attack with Agilities Genji, GrimReality Winston and Hyped Mei. After a period of jostling for position Agilities opens up the flank and finds a crucial pick on Custa's Ana before unsheathing to scalp Vonethil's dreadlocks - no supports, no hope and no hold for Fnatic on Point A.
A multitude of ults are traded through the streets phase, until Fnatic take a decisive engagement just as the limo reaches the saloon corner. Immortals are wiped, but respawn with purpose, taking control of the roofs to lay a team smackdown of their own right off the top rope. The clock is dangerously close to timing out when Hyped lands a clutch Blizzard from beyond the grave that allows Agilities to carve out some Fnatic-shaped ice sculptures and secure the capture.
As Immortals press forward in to the cavernous studio there is a glimmer of hope as it seems like coolmatt69 has wasted a solo Whole Hog on corner, but huge play from Buds on the Nano Monkey kills off Agilities' Reaper before going Primal and isolating GrimReality's McCree. With no DPS power on the payload Fnatic soon mop up the attackers and hold fast under the final archway.
It's business as usual for Fnatic on attack, iddqd still rocking that Mei, they walk brazenly on to Point A only to be pummelled by McCree, Roadhog and Mei. As is the recurring theme of this game Fnatic seem happy to beef a push or two in search for the perfect opportunity and again Buds steps up to the plate, laden with support spells and hits a homerun.
The point falls, but Immortals try the NRG-style forward hold. Pressing toward the spawn, but Fnatic kite them, hold their ultimates and then repush catching Immortals in the transition from their overcommitted position. That one piece of manoeuvring brings the payload metres away from the studio gates and despite strong resistance from Immortals it seems to be an inevitability when back-to-back Nano Blossom plays first secure the streets and then the round as Buds nimbly skips past Agilities' Genji, deep in to the back line and the Winners Match.
GG WP @Immortals! Our boys walk away with the clean 2-0 victory. We face @Methodgg next.https://t.co/4WGOB8CE5y | #OWOPEN pic.twitter.com/6QlxrJKxPc
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) September 25, 2016
Immortals are knocked down to face Cloud9, whilst Fnatic move on to battle the upstarts from Method and restore some order to the world.