Entry Fragger, Pointman, Front-Line, Shot Caller. The titles of some of the most overlooked role players in competitive gaming.

Boiled down, all of the players that fall under these titles are leaders. Pulling the trigger, they are the start of any play. Engaging in Overwatch is the biggest proponent of a world class team. Aim is something that can come in time, call it a subjective difficulty. Decision making however, is something that is much more difficult to practice and perform consistently. The reason? It takes the whole team to make the mechanics of a well-thought out play function correctly. It take the leader to see and call the play. It takes the supports, to apply buffs and position correctly. It takes DPS squad to land some of the most difficult shots. The whole team needs to be on the same page but, it all starts with the chess like eye, of the shot caller.

They view the map like general moving his battalions and units, in and almost theatrical sense. A mahogany rod gently pushing his infantry in a war game. Picking apart the enemy with surgical precision. These grand-masters in the art that is “decision making”, will be mainstays of the Overwatch scene in years to come. These are the stars, some becoming key players faster than others, that lead their teams into battle.

Ironclad

A walking suit of armor. Reinhardt and engage go together like peas and carrots. Mentioning Reinhardt you have to look to, arguably one of the best Reinhardt players in the world: Panker. KongDoo Uncia’s, Lee "Panker" Byung Ho leads his team into the heavyweight bout that is professional Overwatch. Teams continuously throwing hay-makers with questionable accuracy. Scales always tipping back and forth. Panker does not miss. Not only are his abilities aimed with infallible accuracy, his shield mysteriously is always up, tanking the onslaught of the enemy. Behind him, one of the fastest growing organizations (yes, the entire organization). Both KongDoo rosters, both Uncia and Panthera, have quickly built a surprising story in South Korea’s APEX League.

King of the Jungle

Dangerous, unforgiving, cut-throat. The jungle. Having these characteristics in check are mandatory in the jungle. Gong "Miro" Jin Hyuk pilots the giant, genius gorilla; Winston. Miro is a king, hands down. He abuse of the mobility of his favorite hero, is utterly inspirational. Positioning like a king, he traverses the map with a swagger only Miro can bring. The map is his jungle. Miro uses every advantage the map gives him as a tool to impose his will on the enemy team. One could argue that only playing Winston could be an “achilles heel” to the South Korean powerhouse team, Lunatic-Hai. Well do we have a deal in store for you! Miro is not only a leading Winston player, but has shown proficiency on D.va! He slices, dices, and makes julienne fries! There isn’t much that Miro can’t do. Lunatic-Hai ride on the back of a king moving forward after their disappointing APEX finish.

The Ring Bearer

I lift this title away from one of the most legendary writers of the modern era, J. R. R. Tolkien. The “Ring Bearer” from Thailand, Pongphop "Mickie" Rattanasangohod, carries the “one ring” for Team Envyus. For those who haven’t read “The Hobbit” or have not seen “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, any person who wears the “one ring” becomes invisible. After some dramatic roster changes, Team Envyus was search for anyone who could quickly travel to South Korea and aid the roster. The little ball of energy that is Mickie, had big shoes to fill, but shattered all expectation. His D.va play was artwork. Lending Team Envyus his “one ring”, they dodged past every team in their wake. Sneaking past arguably the best team in the world, Rogue. Mickie didn’t stop there, he then used his power to help Envyus to sneak past KongDoo Uncia in the semi-finals. Will Envyus, with the aid of Mickie, assassinate Afreeca Freecs Blue in the finals of the APEX League? The “Jolly Mercenary”, Pongphop "Mickie" Rattanasangohod, looks to make his mark on the Overwatch scene on December 3rd in the finals of the Overwatch APEX League.

The Human Torch

BK Stars have the epitome of aggression on their team, housing one of the most explosive duo’s in Overwatch today. Not only a pun on his in game handle, Shin "BERNAR" Se Won, leaves the map scorched in his wake. Piloting the russian strong woman Zarya, Bernar is the governor of power. He controls the battlefield with superior positioning, consistency hitting multiple people with his ultimate, and some of the best Zarya play in the world. Bernar is the diving board of his damage dealers, the Scottie Pippen to Micheal Jordan. BK Star’s DPS squad can carry their own weight, but when Bernar is on his game it is the ultimate offence. BK Stars poses too many threats, it is almost not fair to other teams how much damage they dish out. If you like stylelistic gameplay and  flashy combos, BK Stars are your team for 2017.

The Legend and The Locksmith

Considered to be one the greatest Quake Live player of all time, “The Legend” himself, Anton "COOLLER" Singov is signed by the European organization Misfits. Known for his lightning fast  speed, his boa constrictor like control of maps, and over amazing game sense, Cooller is certainly an old god of Quake. Oddly enough, Cooller has taken his talents to Overwatch, in an interesting way, leading his team to capture DreamHack Winter 2016. Cooller, “The Legend”, is now a support player. He plays mainly Lucio. Why that is important lies with how teams value Lucio. The Lucio player is usually the general, the mastermind behind the plays. Cooller is the puppeteer and your eyes are his audience. Yes, he plays support,and this may seem surprising but it makes sense. Cooller knows what it takes to become a champion, to ascend to Mount Olympus and live amongst the gods.

Now that leaves us with “The Locksmith”. A locksmith is someone who creates a lock, simple as that. Team Envyus is home to someone with just that skill: Jonathan "HarryHook" Tejedor. He has the keys to every situation. Known for his potential, he is finally being hired to crack the lock that are Team Envyus’s problems. After some recent roster issues, Envyus called upon HarryHook to leave Lucio behind for something a little more impactful. A quick shuffle of the deck, and HarryHook found himself a DPS player, and he has done nothing but show the world his potential. It seems like HarryHook has every key for every situation. From leading his team from the back lines, and now stepping into the front lines as Soldier 76. He and Team Envyus charge ahead to the finals of the Overwatch APEX League and are in contention to be a truly great team.

These are your pointmen, your front-liners, your shot callers. These are the players that lead the charge for their respective teams. They command the court and demand respect. Their keen eyes see every opening, start every fight, and take every advantage. If you're not on for the ride, then you might want to excuses yourself, and move out of their way. The losers bracket is a cold and lonely place, quite like the bottom of the ocean. Their anchors are away, and they’re not going anywhere.

Source images courtesy of Blizzard.