Vision Strikers vs FULL SENSE: It’s not that simple

On Wednesday, December 1, we will see the opening Group D match at the VALORANT Champions tournament. This opening match will pit Vision Strikers against FULL SENSE in the main event of the year.

VALORANT Champions is the last tournament on the VALORANT Champions Tour 2021. This tournament is a battle between the 16 strongest teams in each region for the right to be the best team in the world. Besides the title of the best team in the world, the champions will also earn $350,000 for taking first place. The world’s best teams will compete from December 1 to 12, 2021.

Vision Strikers have one problem. k1Ng is a full-time support player, but the Koreans don’t play certain King’s agents on the Bind map. So what should we do? That’s right! Only on the Bind map, Lakia comes, who replaces King. In general, the agent picks from Vision Strikers are a separate topic of conversation on each map.

Having received a direct ticket to the VALORANT Champions, the Koreans have not shown since September 17. What they can show at the main tournament of the year is a very big question. But I can say with great confidence that the Koreans trained a Fracture map as a last resort during this time.

Now to the tournament itself. In the group to Vision Strikers except for FULL SENSE also got Fnatic and Cloud 9, which means the first match for sure can not be lost. If we talk about maps, they are on a fine level:

Haven - The most frequent pick, which is very rarely lost

Icebox - Only lost one time all year (Gambit Esports at VCT: Masters Berlin)

Bind - The map they are willing to both pick and ban from the start

Split - They don’t kick it, but they put up a good fight.

Ascent - Same as Split, but less stable than the others.

And what about Breeze and Fracture? The first map Koreans ban instantly, well, the second we have not seen on the pro scene.

And what can we imagine with this map pool? We ban Breeze and then either spike Haven or Icebox. At the very least, Bind.

This should be a pretty easy matchup for Vision Strikers, but the Thais have a couple of secrets, but which ones?

FULL SENSE are in the group of death. That’s a fact, but they still have a chance. What was their path to this tournament anyway?

Because of the lack of VCT points for a direct invitational to the main tournament, they had to play VCT APAC: Last Chance Qualifier.

Well, the opponents there were not the easiest. While it was easy with the Japanese region, the Koreans were the favourites for a chance, but the Thais did not give up so easily. They were only able to put up a fight in the final of the top flight when they lost to NORTEMPION 2-1, they met again, and this time FULL SENSE avenged their defeat and took a ticket to the Championships.

Now, let’s talk about the game. What’s there to do with such a strong map pool from Vision Strikers? We can almost win it all for ourselves:

Haven - We’ve got a bunch of opponent demos, plus we’re always experimenting there.

Icebox - We hate this map. Banning is the first one to go.

Bind - We are ready to play it on equal footing but as a decider or your picks.

Split - Well, that’s the one. Not a particularly pleasant map for us. On the second wave of bans, we will try to get rid of.

Ascent is our strongest map, and you have a problem there.

Well, what about Breeze and Fracture? Sure! FULL SENSE are ready to play Breeze and they’re pushing it with their pick. But with Fracture, it’s the same as with the Koreans. No information so far.

So what do we have then? FULL SENSE has only one chance to catch on—the strongest from the Thais and the most unstable from the Koreans.

Then I veto the maps for this encounter, knowing that Vision Strikers pick first, I see it this way:

Vision Strikers - ban Breeze

FULL SENSE - ban Icebox.

Vision Strikers - pick Haven.

FULL SENSE - pick Ascent.

FULL SENSE - ban Split

Decider - Bind

The Fracture card ban by Vision Strikers gently hints to the Thais that the decider will be Bind. Otherwise, FULL SENSE will have to play their awful Split. At the start of the tournament, few will want to take the risk of kicking a Fracture map so that veto maps will be more reliable.

Knowing that the first map will be one of the best from Vision Strikers, I will take their handicap -4.5 on the first map for 1.62.

As well, I will risk taking a handicap 2 (+1.5) on maps. The Thais have a good chance to come out on three maps in this match. The odds on this are 2.35.