Faze Clan wins Eleague Invitational but still suffers from many of the same problems. 

Faze Clan won the Eleague CS: GO Invitational 2019. They managed to defeat Cloud9 in the Grand Finals 2-1. With this victory, Faze Clan looks all set and prepared for the upcoming CS: GO Major. However, there are many problems within the team and their playstyle which will prevent Faze from lifting the trophy at IEM Katowice 2019.

They won the grand finals after a very strong individual performance by Guardian. The veteran player was able to carry Faze on his back as he was all over the map on Train. His Ace Clutch against Cloud9 helped them win a crucial round; one which could have turned the tide in the map.

The final Boss 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ugNKK9mu6d

— ELEAGUE (@ELEAGUETV) January 28, 2019

Faze Clan's Playstyle needs work

The Faze Clan roster recently made changes to their team. They replaced Karrigan with Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubayev as their fifth player. Finn "karrigan" Andersen's position as the In-Game Leader on the team was on turbulent grounds since the FaceIT London Major. In fact, after two consecutive losses in the Group stage, Nikola "NiKo" Kovač took over as the In-Game Leader of the team. Over the next few months, the two players alternated in shot-calling and leadership on the roster. This dual Leadership roles was definitely very confusing for the fans and maybe even the players themselves.

Bringing in AdreN provides Faze Clan with a player who is dedicated support. He can ensure that the rest of the team moves ahead and gets a chance to prove their individual performances. Allowing the players such as Guardian and Niko to take their aim duels with the assistance of grenades and flashes can prove to be the difference between a victory or a loss. Robban was a great coach, but he was not well-equipped to handle five superstar players. Can YNK achieve some results with this team?

Great individual players, but lack of coordination

The Faze roster has several superstar players on the team. Almost every player on the team has been a part of a successful roster in the past. However, as a part of Faze Clan; they need to find a more structured environment than just going out to win based on skill.

The team has great individual players, but they lack structure in their gameplay

In fact, their focus on trying to win rounds based on their skill is a big reason for their downfall. In yesterday's match, we saw Faze Clan win multiple rounds based on their individual player performances. If Guardian did not manage to win the 1v4 on Train, things would have turned out differently for the Team. There were other instances as well when Cloud9 made elementary mistakes allowing Faze Clan to take the lead.

They pretty much always play all over the place, but when they had karrigan, they had a lot more structure. Now, it's more random, the way they are playing. It does not have a lot of structure... They never really mixed stuff up.

-Flusha

However as we get into the IEM Katowice 2019 Major, Faze Clan will face teams with little to no mistakes. The skill level on their opponents is bound to be much higher than the present. It will take more than just their raw skill for Faze Clan to have an impact at the Major.

Teams like Astralis have perfect team chemistry and combined with their high individual skill, it makes them the strongest roster in CS:GO. If Faze Clan can form some kind of structure to their gameplay, their efficiency will increase manifold.

Janko "YNk" Paunović

YNK needs to have a greater impact on the team's performance

YNK needs to have a greater impact on the team's performance. Formerly a player who has experience playing with Niko, Ynk understands how Niko works. But is it enough for him to give Niko the space required in order to become a successful coach? After all, his first and only stint as the coach was definitely underwhelming. Made in Brazil was unable to have any decent results despite having a star-studded roster.

YNK has a tough time ahead of him as he will require to help the team and its unique playstyle. The focus on the development of a playstyle will require players to work together and not individually as has been the case until now. Sometimes, a star player will need to take a backseat on the roster and allow others to go into mode advantageous situations. Is this possible with the current lineup? We will get a glimpse at IEM Katowice 2019.

The development of strategies and a unique playstyle requires time. This is something that Faze Clan seem to lack, especially as they are attending multiple tournaments after their roster announcement. In 2019 itself, Faze has already participated in the IBuyPower Cup Masters IV and the Eleague CS: GO Invitational 2019.