Two of South America’s strongest teams meet in the opening round of StarLadder StarSeries Fall, with FURIA facing MIBR in an all-Brazilian matchup.

FURIA enter as the clear favourites, but their recent results have left some room for doubt. MIBR produced their best tournament run in several months at FISSURE Playground 3 and should have enough confidence to challenge their regional rivals.

FURIA need a response after FISSURE exit

FURIA started FISSURE Playground 3 with victories over GamerLegion and PARIVISION, but their tournament ended with consecutive defeats.

Legacy beat them 2–0 in the upper-bracket semi-final before G2 eliminated them by the same score in the quarter-final. The opening map against G2 was close, with FURIA losing Ancient 16–14, but they were then beaten 13–3 on their own Dust2 pick.

Those results continued an inconsistent period for FURIA. They have recorded victories over teams such as G2, Aurora, paiN and M80 during the last few weeks, but have also lost series against Spirit, Vitality, Legacy and FUT.

FURIA still have the stronger lineup on paper. KSCERATO remains their most reliable rifler, while molodoy, YEKINDAR and yuurih give FalleN several players capable of taking control of a map.

KSCERATO has produced a 1.17 rating over the last three months and should once again be central to FURIA’s chances. His kill lines on the opening two maps could be worth following once the markets are available.

MIBR arrive after their best recent tournament

MIBR were one of the positive surprises at FISSURE Playground 3.

They defeated The MongolZ and 9z before losing to BETBOOM in the upper bracket. MIBR recovered with a 2–0 victory over Alliance and eventually reached the semi-finals, where their run ended with a close 2–1 defeat against Legacy.

That was their best finishing position since the CS Asia Championship in May and showed that this lineup can compete with stronger opposition.

Insani remains the key player. His aggressive rifling gives MIBR the firepower required to challenge FURIA, and he enters this match with a 1.20 rating and 88.3 average damage per round across the last three months.

Nqz and venomzera also played important roles during the FISSURE run. MIBR may not have the same level of individual quality across the entire lineup, but their recent form makes them dangerous in a best-of-three series.

Cache could change the normal veto

FURIA usually remove Anubis, but this matchup could produce a different veto.

MIBR have played Anubis three times with their current lineup and lost on every occasion, meaning FURIA may not need to remove it immediately. Cache could become the more important ban instead.

MIBR have won four of their five recent matches on Cache, while FURIA have managed only two wins from six. Removing Cache would prevent MIBR from getting their strongest statistical map into the series.

MIBR are expected to ban Dust2, leaving Nuke, Inferno and Mirage as the most likely maps. There is very little separating the teams on those three options.

FURIA and MIBR both hold a 67% win rate on Inferno. FURIA have won 67% of their recent Nuke games compared with MIBR’s 60%, while their Mirage records stand at 62% and 56%.

Those numbers give both teams a realistic route to winning their own selection.

Verdict

FURIA have the stronger lineup and should recover from their disappointing end to FISSURE Playground 3. KSCERATO gives them the most reliable player in the server, while the team has more experience in matches at this level.

MIBR should not be dismissed, however. Their run to the FISSURE semi-finals was their best performance in months, and insani is capable of carrying them through difficult stretches.

The likely map pool also points towards a competitive series. Nuke, Inferno and Mirage are all playable for both teams, and neither side has been consistent enough to make a 2–0 result feel safe.

FURIA are the more likely winners, but MIBR can take this to a deciding map. KSCERATO’s kill lines on maps one and two are also worth checking before the match.

Tip

Over 2.5 maps