Before the 2017 Spring Split, expectations were high<\/a> for Immortals. The team\u2019s new roster debuted at IEM Gyeonggi, defeating J Team twice and putting up a fight in losses to Korea\u2019s Samsung Galaxy and Kongdoo Monster. With many teams in the NA LCS changing up their rosters, the new-look Immortals seemed poised to be contenders for the crown. The team had moderate success in the first week of the LCS, and every player had at least one good game. It quickly became clear, however, that Joshua “Dardoch<\/a>” Hartnett was the key to the team\u2019s success. If he failed, the team failed. If the team won, you could bet that he was almost always the driving force. Sometimes, his play wasn\u2019t enough. Sometimes, his attitude got the better of him, and it was up to Cody Sun and Kim “Olleh<\/a>” Joo-sung, the team\u2019s duo lane, to share the burden and silently become top performers. The end result usually still relied on Dardoch performing well, but Immortals fans could always count on Cody and Olleh. The unsung heroes and likely the two most underrated players in the league, they kept Immortals from sinking while Lee “Flame<\/a>” Ho-jong and Eugene “Pobelter<\/a>” Park were struggling. This team hit its lowest point three weeks ago, losing to Team Liquid and Team EnVyUs, the two worst teams in the league. Fighting for a playoff spot and facing a strong schedule to close out the split, the future looked bleak. Then, Flame and Pobelter finally got in form and the team\u2019s skill skyrocketed. The odds have still been against them, however, as Immortals has had one of the toughest schedules in the league over the past two weeks. FlyQuest, TSM, Cloud9, and Phoenix1 all blocked their road to the playoffs. With two wins and two admirable defeats, Immortals are still in control of its own destiny. They can still make the playoffs, but CLG and Team Dignitas stand in the way. Technically, in a crazy situation, Immortals can go 0-2 this weekend and still make the playoffs. But here\u2019s what you should realistically expect. <\/p>
Immortals vs. Team Dignitas<\/h2>
Now, this series is a true must-win. Dignitas is one of Immortals\u2019 direct competitors for the final playoff spots, so Dardoch and company are in for a fight. Like CLG, Dignitas has had an odd split and is getting hot at the right time. They\u2019ve won seven of their last nine series, and the two losses were only to Phoenix1 and TSM, arguably the two best teams in the league. Dignitas has stayed under the radar because their wins were against opponents on the lower end of the league, but they were convincing. The NA LCS is full of parity this year; anyone can beat anyone. Dignitas has proven that they are only going to lose to the best. Benjamin “LOD<\/a>” deMunck and Alex “Xpecial<\/a>” Chu are good, but Cody and Olleh are better, so Immortals should have the upper hand in the duo lane. Flame and Pobelter may have some trouble against Kim “Ssumday<\/a>” Chan-ho and Jang “Keane<\/a>” Lae-young, but as long as Dardoch can keep track of Lee “Chaser<\/a>” Sang-hyun and provide good vision, he should be able to keep his laners safe. If Chaser is allowed to roam free and create plays, even if he isn\u2019t a primary damage-dealer, Dignitas will have the advantage. Immortals may not be favored in this series either, as Dignitas\u2019 early game has been explosive lately. If Immortals can\u2019t win the early game, the team usually doesn\u2019t look great as the game progresses. If Immortals wants to win this series, they will need to match Dignitas\u2019 early skill, and Dardoch will always need to know where Chaser is. Immortals is finally getting it together, but the squad faces two of the hottest teams in the league. This week could easily end in disaster, two losses, and shattered hopes. If every player on this team steps up to the plate, however, Immortals will be on its way to the playoffs in incredible form.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
