Of all the teams from “lesser” regions taking part in the Mid-Season Invitational, few have had the success that BAU SuperMassive has had on this stage. Two years ago, BAU SuperMassive won the International Wild Card Invitational in order to be one of the six teams at MSI 2016. They finished at the bottom of the table, but the team was able to defeat Counter Logic Gaming in the Group Stage.
Last year, BAU SuperMassive was again supposed to be the play-in representative. They finished atop a group that included RED Canids and Dire Wolves in the first play-in stage. However, they were unable to defeat the GIGABYTE Marines and finished MSI 2017 in seventh place.
This time it’s about redemption. SuperMassive are favored to win their group and would love to make it to the main event this year.
Odds to win MSI Group B (Courtesy of BetDSI)
BAU SuperMassive -225
KaBuM! eSports +200
Dire Wolves +1500
Pentagram +2000
Backstory
Turkish teams have typically been portrayed as leading the second tier of regions, just behind the major ones. Besiktas e-Sports Club was the representative from outside the power five regions at MSI 2015 and Turkish clubs have been given privileged seeds at international events in the past.
That continued at 2017 Worlds, when 1907 Fenerbahce made it through the play-in rounds in order to qualify for the main event. They weren’t able to win a game in the proverbial Group of Death, but they did give some of the top teams in the world a scare.
After losing to Fenerbahce in last year’s playoffs, SuperMassive retooled their roster and dominated the TCL this year. They went 26-2 in the regular season and didn’t have much trouble dispatching of Royal Bandits in the final.
What to watch for
In the offseason, BAU SuperMassive made two big changes to its roster. First, the team brought in former Jin Air Green Wings and Team Vitality mid laner GBM. GBM was fantastic this season. He posted an 8.8 KDA in the TCL this season and continually flustered his opponents with off-meta picks. GBM didn’t play any champion more than four times and played a staggering 16 different champions this year. It’s hard to consider target bans against him because of his versatility, but teams may want to keep Vladimir out of his hands. He posted a 22.5 KDA on that champion this year.
The other big addition was SnowFlower. SnowFlower is also a former member of Jin Air Green Wings and signed a lucrative contract to come play in Turkey this season. Like GBM he has been very versatile, and he has even taken top lane champions as a support. He has played on Ornn, Kennen, and Cho’Gath this season, and that would certainly fluster a team not expecting it. Given the stakes he is more likely to use more traditional champions, but you can’t rule it out.
Prediction
I would be surprised if BAU SuperMassive did not win this group. In addition to the two Korean imports they added, they still have star AD Carry ZeitNot, jungler Stomaged, and top laner fabFabulous. All three of those players are experienced and know what it takes to win here. Their only real threat in the group is KaBuM.
