Upon entering the OWL Pellets challenge—after repeated pleas from Overwatch analyst Sideshow—I revisited the process of constructing successful teams. Numerous different formulas resulted in major LAN performances: old Rogue and Kongdoo Panthera showcased dominant DPS duos, Envy rose to the top due to strength on a particular patch, Lunatic-Hai took flight on the back of an incredible supportive core, GC Busan used a well-rounded formula. At the end of the day, one obvious theme rings true for all: success requires talent.

I chose to use a mixed roster and showcase talent from across the world, which led to an obvious choice for a city. Toronto is not only large, but also incredibly diverse, matching an equally worldly roster with both home talent and players from afar. The moniker "Tyrants" came to mind after some thought, as the team aims to rule over all competition. English is the language of choice, with very few players who would need to actively improve their basic understandings of the language. Despite seeming like a "mish-mash" of sorts featuring talented players, the Toronto Tyrants have a unified goal in mind.

Toronto Tyrants

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  • Ha "Sayaplayer" Jeong-woo (DPS)
  • Dylan "aKm" Bignet (DPS)
  • Robert "Shadder2k" Mocanu (DPS)
  • Kang "Void" Jun-woo (Flex)
  • Joonas "zappis" Alakurtti (Flex)
  • Tiago "Mowzassa" Rodrigues (Tank)
  • Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell (Tank)
  • Randal "Roolf" Stark (Support)
  • Luis "Greyy" Perestrelo (Support)
  • Adam "Adam" Eckel (Support)

The roster falls around a balanced team consisting of star DPS players surrounded by numerous talented role players. Ha "Sayaplayer" Jeong-woo serves as a star, and is a near-permanent fixture for the team given his skill on Tracer. Despite playing solid hitscan overall, Sayaplayer's McCree, Soldier: 76, and Widowmaker remain unnecessary outside of pocket strategies focused on battering with double hitscan. His Tracer was one of the best in APEX, competing with Birdring, Profit, EFFECT, and others while still remaining a focal point for Meta Athena. While his English will certainly be lacking, playing Tracer allows him to focus on solely calling targets or locations, so his lack of a voice is not a concern.

While it might appear strange to have Dylan "aKm" Bignet and Robert "Shadder2k" Mocanu on a rotating DPS role, splitting the focus between projectile and hitscan allows the team to have a map-specific goal in mind. Pairing Sayaplayer and aKm can allow for Tracer + Soldier: 76 compositions, and with aKm's resurgence on Pharah throughout the World Cup, also enables Tracer + Pharah on control maps. Sayaplayer and Shadder2k can obviously work incredibly well on dive maps such as Numbani, while Shadder2k can also play an OWL-caliber Pharah should it be necessary. The three can additionally function together in any sort of triple DPS composition, as every common role is covered.

Kang "Void" Jun-woo is a no-brainer in terms of OWL quality, and his role on this sort of team would primarily be to play D.Va. His skill on the hero in particular is top notch, and he'd focus mostly on playing a sort of middle man without needing to communicate too much outside of relaying Defense Matrix charge. In dive compositions, he can simply follow up on the Winston, while in other styles of play, he'd focus on preserving the Zenyatta and Soldier: 76 while counter-diving opposing Winstons. His efficacy in such a role remains unquestionable, and his stay on Cloud9 Kongdoo only reaffirms such a notion.

Joonas "zappis" Alakurtti would mostly remain behind unless needed in triple tank compositions, but he is still an important asset on the team for his leadership which was apparent in his building of both Ninjas in Pyjamas and Team Gigantti. The former was one of the strongest tank teams in the world, while the latter slayed Misfits in Contenders Season One. zappis would see most of his play on maps like King's Row, but his underrated flexibility would allow for seamless transitions between points on the map.

The tank lineup of Tiago "Mowzassa" Rodrigues and Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell would mostly showcase Mowzassa's skill on Winston and loud comms. Mowzassa would serve as a primary shotcaller for the team, and he fit this role perfectly on Cloud9 EU, where many claim his calls to be central in the team's uptick in performance for Contenders. FCTFCTN would be a Reinhardt specialist, and while the split in roles is not necessarily ideal, both are incredibly good at their respective heroes. A concern with this split could manifest in lower comms without Mowzassa, so FCTFCTN would need to fill large shoes through practicing his movement calls.

A support trio featuring Randal "Roolf" Stark, Adam "Adam" Eckel, and Luis "Greyy" Perestrelo rounds out the team neatly. Roolf and Adam would likely receive a brunt of the workload—Roolf's skills remain unquestioned after an incredible performance at the World Cup, while Adam's strong management ability and Mercy play are never concerns. Greyy mostly fills out the same role as Roolf, but his Sombra play is stronger, so he'd fit in for certain maps that might run the hero at points and swap on and off his signature hero.

The team's overall strength is dynamic—depending on the players who start, the Toronto Tyrants can either focus on a backline of aKm and Roolf, or dive aggressively using Sayaplayer and Shadder2k's skill. The surrounding members all have the ability to tune their playstyles to the team's needs, and despite the diverse backgrounds, should all slot in like gears in a well-oiled machine.

A final theme binds these players together: each carries a chip on his shoulder. Make no mistake—this is a team with vengeance in mind.

The Toronto Tyrants are here to rule.