Showing posts with label ROCCAT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ROCCAT. Show all posts
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Saturday, May 30, 2015
What We Learned from EU LCS Summer Week 1
by Reece "SabrewoIf" Dos-Santos
1. Origen are as good as they were made out to be.
Origen-ally I was sceptical about how xPeke's team would adapt to top tier competition that they haven’t yet been exposed to as a group. I thought that against some of the best EU has to offer, they might have some flaws exposed which they could later build upon. Instead what I received was a 2-0 trash of a week where Origen brushed away the likes of Giants Gaming and then proceeded to steamroll H2k - what I believed to be EU’s second best team and practically guaranteed worlds squad.
While Mithy is no Forgiven and opted against declaring himself as part of the best bottom lane in EU…by far, the duo pair of him and Niels has been crazily effective with the rookie marksman picking up the first MVP award of the summer split. But with so much attention on the oppressive dominance in the bottom lane duo, the good work and Peke, Soaz and Amazing are not to be overlooked. Aside from the occasional positional hiccup from Soaz, the top three members all held down their roles spectacularly showing that they’re still able to exhibit a top level of play. This will be especially warming to the top half trio as they all shouldered their fair share of doubt towards their ability to perform near the end of their last splits on Fnatic and TSM respectively.
I’m now excited to see how Origen fare up against some of the wilder teams in the LCS, as both H2k and Giants are quite tame and telegraphed in their style compared to the likes of UOL or Fnatic who aren’t afraid to shake the table.
2. The Copenhagen Wolves are still consistently inconsistent.
This team is about as consistent as my solo queue MMR, which by the way could be mistaken for an analogue radio wave. On their best days they can pool together a dominating performance and completely clean house against the best teams in EU, the next day or even literally half an hour later, they’re a mess of basic mistakes that can’t retain any control against a team that hardly looked like they knew why they were winning.
Although Freeze’s pure mechanical ability has been a shining point in lost moments along with areas of inspiration from Soren, the team needs heavy focus on regaining their flow and recovering from a loss of tempo if they want to be challenging for any of the spaces in the top half of the table this split.
3. Forgiven ruins the flow of any team he graces.
Although a tad bit harsh, there’s no way to express this without flat out saying it, Forgiven has proven to me that his playstyle appears to be unadaptable for everyone who tries to tame it. While the benefits of his presence are more than evident in having one of the best skilled ADC’s the west has to offer, it seemed like Gambit this week put themselves into a Piglet/Team Liquid situation where they tunneled on the acquisition of a world class talent and tried too hard to pool themselves around making it work. What Gambit need to avoid is the situation that has followed Forgiven like a dark cloud and it’s the internal collapse of teamwork, trust and synergy due to the clash in personalities. While SK Gaming held on for the best part of a split, it was too much for them as was with the Wolves. Personally with the history of how emotional Diamond and Edward can be, I’m a little worried as to how the team will recover if they don’t pull off a momentous upswing like last split.
4. The right Elements may have finally been blended together.
What an upgrade! This team looks to be with the right players in the mix alongside the right mentality. No joke, the KaBuM! incident obliterated the original lineup of Alliance and alongside the embarrassing worlds exit that followed, really tore apart the civil colleague relationship between the team. Only with the purging of the teams members and eventual rebuilding with the return of Tabzz, has the team finally begun to show the spark it showed in the summer of Season 4.
Dexter, Jwaow and PromisQ bring a new fresh feel and dynamic to the playstyle of the team and also seem to mesh with the rest of the team in a much better fashion than the previous trio of Wickd, Shook and Nyph who were simply Mission Impossible, Froggen’s waiter and some guy no one listened to. Rotations were good, the top laner actually looked like a member of the team and Froggen wasn’t giving off the vibe that he believed he was in elo hell.
As to how far this team can go, it’s still unknown as EL’s first game was a stomp over the currently broken Gambit and while they put up a good fight, they were ultimately taken down by the Unicorns. If EL wants to sneak in for a worlds spot, they need to overcome potential rivals for the spaces. Now it looks like they can, and not just on paper.
The question is, will they?
5. Roccat still have many problems that need to be addressed.
Woolite’s positioning has been the cause of many LCS face-desk moments for me and we’re only two games into the split. Whether or not he’s upped his poor positioning game to make up for the loss of his partner in crime, P1noy, is beyond me, but it’s hurting his team’s chances of being anything but relegation zone bound. It’s also apparent that every time Roccat change their top laner, it only seems to make the situation worse. Steve has yet to show why he was worth being selected as Roccat’s new top laner in place of Overpow, who went from the team’s shining star to a quickly ousted unmemorable top laner.
In fact, Steve’s biggest impact upon the LCS so far is the crowd chant of his name which follows a particular pattern of Roccat crowd memes when underperforming, one example being the ward chanting at LCS Wembley last season. On top of this, Jankos and Vander are mere shadows of their former selves and it’s been a very long time since I’ve heard anyone even try and call Jankos the “best jungler in the EU LCS”. Last but not least is Nukeduck, being the one returning Lemondog who isn’t a valuable asset to their new team. Out of the meta and completely out of his depth in most matchups, it’s a surprise Roccat chose only to make a change in the top lane, it’s even more surprising that it doesn’t seem like they’ve made any headway to addressing these issues which have carried on from the last split. In both management and player mentality, something is clearly wrong.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
EU LCS Possible Relegation Scenarios
by Reece "SabrewoIf" Dos-Santos
Remaining
Games:
EL- GIA, FNC
CW- ROC, GIA
GIA- EL, CW
MYM- SK, ROC
Approaching the final week of the EU LCS,
not everything is set in stone. There is a variety of situations that can still
entangle the Copenhagen Wolves, Elements, Roccat, Giants and Meet Your Makers.
Before I break down what could happen, I can explain that it’s impossible for
Copenhagen Wolves to be auto relegated and Giants Gaming or Meet your Makers to
reach playoffs.
Here are three I picked out:
Scenario
1: What I think will happen: CW (2-0), EL (1-1),
ROC (1-1), GIA (0-2), MYM (0-2)
This clinches at least sixth and playoffs
for CW on 9-9 while Elements and Roccat fight out a tiebreaker for seventh
which I believe will be won by Roccat judging by the standard of play of both
teams currently. Although I wouldn't put it past Elements to surprise us, while
Roccat have been consistently below average, Elements have been fluctuating
between showing signs of hope and being completely broken. This also leaves the
bottom two in a scrap for auto relegation, one I actually favour MYM for at the
moment. The latter having shown improvements in synergy and survivability while
Giants have failed to secure any kind hold on their split.
Scenario
2: Three-way tiebreaker for Sixth: EL (1-1), GIA
(1-1), ROC (1-1), MYM (1-1 or 2-0), CW (0-2)
For this to happen, Elements would need to
pick up Giants and lose to Fnatic, Roccat take down CW and lose to MYM and
Giants also need to take out CW. This will leave all three on a score of 7-11
and force the most important three way tie for the last playoff spot, the LCS
safe zone and the promotion tournament. Also in this scenario, the auto
relegation spot is decided by if MYM beat SK to go 2-0. If not they also get a
tiebreaker for tenth. EU love tie breakers and this is definitely one that
could change a lot.
Scenario
3: Four-way tiebreaker for Seventh: GIA (2-0), MYM
(2-0), CW (1-1), EL (0-2), ROC (0-2)
This scenario seems wild and really
far-fetched but it’s still a possibility. Under this scenario the Wolves get
the last playoff spot and the bottom four all finish on 6-12 opening up the
biggest tie breaker possible for the safe zone, the promotion tournament spots
and the auto relegation zone. While this opens up the biggest storyline
comeback for the bottom two, it’s a scenario that can end ugly for Roccat and
Elements who cannot afford to tilt at such a crucial time. It's also not too
hard to see this happening considering that GIA are 1-0 up against both their
opponents and MYM have been looking better as of recent.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
EU LCS Week 6 Preview
By Reece "SabrewoIf" Dos-Santos
The Spring Split is past its halfway point and now, more than ever, each game matters. Here are my picks for what to watch in the EU LCS Week 6.
Day 1- Roccat (4-6) vs H2k Gaming (6-4)
Since the introduction of KaSing, H2k have become a much more competitive team. They've gained the ability to make better calls, gained stronger map presence on a whole and now look much more decisive in closing out games and holding onto leads. This momentum is also helped by the slide some of the bigger teams have been having in terms of living up to their hype. One of those teams being Roccat. It’s been hard to predict Roccat this season as they have all the tools available to be a top tier team; they’re just not falling into place. Roccat can be the team to halt H2k’s KaWin streak but, considering the latter is coming into this off a win over SK, momentum is certainly in H2k’s favour.
Day 1- Gambit Gaming (5-5) vs Copenhagen Wolves (6-4)
Gambit fans finally have something to smile about, the team has been on a good reverse tilt ever since H2k turned themselves around as well. P1noy and Cabochard look great in their positions, Diamond and Edward seem like they've been revitalized and NiQ, prior to his side-lining, looked to be meshing well with the team. Luckily for Gambit fans, the swap in of Betsy didn't affect the team dynamic much and they should feel confident going up against what looks like the strongest Copenhagen Wolves squad in a very long time. Youngbuck, Airwaks and Unlimited are starting to show really good moments while Freeze and Soren have been instrumental in holding the team together in later phases and team fights. The special matchup of this game will certainly be in the bot lane. P1noy vs Freeze won’t disappoint.
Day 2- SK Gaming (8-2) vs Elements (4-6)
The battle of the two "should-be-top" teams in the EU LCS. While one team has lived up to its hype, the other has fallen prey to the same kind of weaknesses they displayed this time last season. Froggen’s super team are no strangers to really slow starts, but with the addition of Krepo in place of Nyph, maybe they have the right Elements to produce a winning formula. Krepo provides a strong analytical game sense, leadership and solid mechanics in a form that nRated brings to SK. If Elements have actually built upon their hardship and learnt the power of teamwork and friendship, this will be the perfect time to show it against a recently shocked SK. While an 0-2 week isn't necessarily a panic siren for them, poor momentum could easily make it a third consecutive loss.
Fantasy Forecast:
H2k owners should feel very confident considering Giants and Roccat aren’t the toughest looking competition on paper right now. Unicorn owners should be wary of SK Gaming and Fnatic owners of the Wolves but generally those two remain solid picks. Be mindful that this is a week that could halt the Wolves' hype train but it could be a very profitable week for their carries. While it seems impossible for Elements to lose against MYM, it also seemed impossible that they’d be 4-6 this far into the season so never say never.
Reminder: Krepo is Elements’ starting support over Nyph and Betsy will continue to start over NiQ on Gambit.
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By Reece "SabrewoIf" Dos-Santos
Thursday, February 12, 2015
EU LCS Week 4 Preview- Games to Watch
by Reece "SabrewoIf" Dos-Santos
Week 4 of the EU LCS is about to begin, these are my picks
on what will be the games to watch:
Day 1- Giants Gaming
(2-4) vs Gambit Gaming (1-5)
Coming out of their first win of the split against H2k, the
seemingly tilting Gambit squad should be going into this game with renewed
confidence and their heads held high. If they can sustain the momentum and
avoid being put behind early they should be able to give a good game to Giants.
The lane to watch will more than likely be top lane since both Cabochard and
Werlyb are key components in their team’s victories. Jungler interaction with
the top lane will definitely be a swinging point in this matchup
Day 1- Unicorns of Love (3-3) vs Roccat (3-3)
This match has a lot of weight in being the match that
decides who is biggest challenge to the top three in Fnatic, SK and Elements.
As it stands UOL are 1-2 against the top three taking a game off Fnatic while Roccat
stand at 0-3 against the top competition. On the flip side however Roccat have
yet to lose against any non-top three team while UOL slipped up to the Wolves
last week. In terms of skill and potential I’d have these two at the same.
Being arguably the two most hyped teams going into the split, this will surely
be a hotly contested match.
Day 2- Copenhagen
Wolves (3-3) vs Fnatic (5-1)
Of all the matches in day two I picked this one because the
Wolves have recently shown a sturdy resilience and a refusal to be defeated
early. Soren in particular has had a really good time in some of the Wolves’
games. The matchups of Freeze vs Steeelback will be interesting to watch as
well as seeing who can leave a bigger map-wide impact between Reignover and
Airwaks. This game can go the way of the Wolves if the right conditions come
into play, a victory here could also really help turn some heads to them being
a dark horse for the playoffs. But Fnatic will be looking to shut out any more
surprises after their loss to the Unicorns last week.
Fantasy Forecast:
If you have any SK or Fnatic members it’s in your best
interest to slot them into your team with high scoring games on the outlook for
both. Elements owners should also be rather happy with what should be fairly
easier games on the cards for them too. While a shock result for the Wolves
against Fnatic could happen, their week also starts against SK so be mindful.
Unicorn and Roccat owners will be hesitant as both heavily impact the other’s
weeks. Giants owners should also be mindful as while SK seems like a sure loss,
Gambit might go either way. Any H2K and MYM owners should avoid fielding those
players/teams as it looks to be fantasy drought for them this week, hard games
as well as lineup changes and internal conflict come to mind.
Reminder- KaSing is now H2k’s starting support over Voidle.
by Reece "SabrewoIf" Dos-Santos
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Roccat Waltz Into IEM Cologne Semifinals With Decisive Victory Over DoWS
Matt “It’s Pure Luck” Lee
It was far from the hardest test they will face this year, or even this tournament, but the new look Roccat lineup was dominant today versus the Dolphins of Wall Street in the first round of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne. Coming into IEM Cologne as the likely favorite to win a spot in Katowice in March, Roccat was crisp and efficient in the two game sweep. The second round will see them draw stiffer competition as they square off against NA LCS representative Counter Logic Gaming but based on today’s performance it’s hard to not like their chances to move through to the finals.
Game one started off fairly slowly but for a bit of early action down in the bottom lane that saw former Millenium AD carry Creaton (Ezreal) nearly pick up an early kill on Woolite (Corki) only to be thwarted by a nice Aqua Prison by Vander (Nami) in the middle of an Arcane Shift. The game would see its first attempted gank just after the five minute mark. Lasagna (Pantheon) went to the top lane in an attempt to pick off Overpow (Irelia) who would quickly flash to safety but almost immediately reengaged as Jankos (Elise) was arriving on from river. The level two Equilibrium Strike from Overpow would prove crucial this fight as not only was the stun long enough to use the ability twice, it helped lock down Lasagna as it was chained with Cocoon from Jankos. The Roccat jungler picked up first blood as we have seen so many times before and with a little help from Ryu (Jayce) roaming up top Overpow picked up the second kill on Meziljie (Gnar) while just barely surviving himself.
Roccat would find a pick on Lasagna
a few minutes later courtesy of a deep ward placed at the red buff of DoWS. The
game started to snowball out of control at this point. Roccat would pick up a
dragon just after the ten minute mark while Overpower would simultaneously pick
up a solo kill in the top lane as he tower dove Meziljie. Ryu, Jankos and
Vander would find a kill on Bebe (Xerath) on the edge of the jungle near the
mid lane as he was caught trying to steal dragon with a Xerath ultimate only to
be Aqua Prisoned himself. The only lane that hadn’t gone horribly wrong for the
Dolphins this late into the game was bottom where Creaton and Masterwork
(Karma) were trading with Woolite and Vander fairly effectively. It simply wasn’t
going to be enough for the Dolphins to get anything done. The vision control
and map pressure were too stacked in Roccat’s favor and so was the gold
advantage. At just over the fifteen minute mark Overpow was already 6/0/2 on a
very snowbally champion and closing out the game was merely a formality for
Roccat and it would mercifully end for the Dolphins in twenty-two minutes.
Game two started off quite slowly much
as game one did and it was at the five minute mark again that the game would
see someone take a trip back to base via a grey screen. It was played
brilliantly by Vander (Thresh) landing a hook on Masterwork (Nami) who erred by
venturing into his bushes instead of staying in his minion wave. Jankos (Lee
Sin) took the lantern from river into the fight and would make a nice play on a
ward hop to slow Masterwork down and allowed Roccat to pick up first blood.
However, DoWS would answer back a few minutes later as Jankos was caught being
a bit greedy as he seemed to favor
stealing the enemy blue buff away. He would pay for it as Bebe (Syndra) picked
up the kill and secured his own blue. But Jankos would get revenge shortly
after that as he and Ryu (Fizz) would team up to take down the Dolphin’s mid
laner and the blue buff would be turned back over to Jankos.
The lead for Roccat stood at one
thousand gold at ten minutes with neither team yet to take a dragon. The two
teams would exchange kills on a Roccat invade that stole away the DoWS red
buff. Masterwork was caught by Jankos and Ryu but was able to flash away.
Lasagna (Kha’Zix) and Bebe were then able to close in on Jankos and Ryu with
Bebe once again taking Jankos out with another Unleashed Power. A teleport
bottom from Overpow (Gnar) sent the Dolphins scrambling away with Masterwork
being killed for the second time in the game. But while this was happening,
Bebe found another victim as a straggling Vander was picked off in the river
close to mid lane resulting in a two for one in favor of the Dolphins of Wall
Street. Meziljie (Jax) took down the top tower just after all of this ended and
it brought the gold between the two teams to dead even just shy of twelve
minutes into the game.
Bebe played well up until this point
but would make a mistake of face checking a bush in his own jungle that resulted
in a kill for Jankos and a dragon being picked up for Roccat. They would continue to hang close with Roccat
for the next few minutes but little mistakes would begin to add up. Meziljie
went for an engage in bottom on Vander in what appeared to be a 3v2 in favor of
DoWS but they never saw Ryu enter the brush and it was quickly turned back around
on the Dolphins. Woolite picked up the kill on Meziljie and would get another
on Masterwork on the ensuing chase by Roccat. The fight would be extended long
enough for Lasagna and Bebe to attempt to get involved but their efforts were
in vain as they both were killed and it was a 4-0 for team Roccat. The lead was
suddenly commanding for Roccat as it surged to four-thousand gold at sixteen
minutes; as noted above, it had been dead even just four minutes prior.
With sightstones completed for two
members, Roccat began to find picks as they wanted. They would catch Creaton
out near his own red bluff and took their second dragon of the game. Overpow
would defeat Meziljie in a duel and the deficit grew to almost seven-thousand
for DoWS twenty minutes into the game. It took a bit longer this time but now
it seemed to be a repeat of game one. The Dolphins seemed dazed as Roccat would
take objectives and turrets as they pleased as the game progressed. A great
hook from Vander onto Bebe would initiate the team fight that all but signaled
the game was over as Roccat would ace DoWS without losing any of their own
members. Roccat would pick up the Baron before winning one final team fight in
the opponent’s base and pushing through for the win in twenty-six minutes.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
TOP FIVE EU FREE AGENTS
By Reece "SabrewoIf" Dos-Santos
Europe, for me, has always been a promised land of talent for the League of Legends pro scene. Whenever you think that there won’t be another rising star, three more pop up and burst onto the scene. However, with so much rising talent, sometimes shaky infrastructure, and a tendency to hold onto well-known names too long, EU has a habit of letting some great talent slide into the shadows. So let's take a look at the top five players currently listed as free agents.
In no special order:
Gillius
Gillius technically didn't qualify for Worlds 2014; he was only brought in to sub for Svenskeren due to his unfortunate racial incident in Taipei. Prior to this, Gillius had only garnered experience from playing on SK Prime and Unicorns of Love in the challenger scene. Despite this, Gillius still put up a pretty solid showing for a rookie, at times even looking better than some of the actual team veterans who struggled to adjust and compete at their best level. While one would think that Gillius would go back bringing a wealth of experience and growth for newly LCS bound Unicorns Of Love, the team made the rather shocking decision to bench him, leaving him in the unfortunate position of having played in Worlds...but not the LCS itself.
Best Team Choice: Copenhagen Wolves
The Wolves have always been EU’s hub of promising talent, I believe they would greatly benefit from Gillius’ newly gained experience and solid playstyle.
Nukeduck
Nukeduck, in his prime, was arguably one of EU’s best mid laners and a real force to be reckoned with, especially at the height of the Season Three assassin meta, which greatly suited his playstyle. The whole of the Lemondogs' squad were some of EU’s best in their positions and the degradation of the team and the eventual suspension of Nukeduck and Mithy was a huge waste of talent. However, with his suspension over, Nukeduck now has another opportunity to explode onto the scene and every team should honestly give him a look. The recent rumours surrounding him and Woolite possibly moving to Roccat would be amazing for the team, as a Nukeduck/Jankos partnership has the raw potential to be one of the scariest if they gather good synergy to accompany their individual talent. With so much time off to work on his attitude, his work ethic and mechanics he should now be ready to take the EU LCS by storm.
Best Team Choice: Roccat
Nukeduck
Nukeduck, in his prime, was arguably one of EU’s best mid laners and a real force to be reckoned with, especially at the height of the Season Three assassin meta, which greatly suited his playstyle. The whole of the Lemondogs' squad were some of EU’s best in their positions and the degradation of the team and the eventual suspension of Nukeduck and Mithy was a huge waste of talent. However, with his suspension over, Nukeduck now has another opportunity to explode onto the scene and every team should honestly give him a look. The recent rumours surrounding him and Woolite possibly moving to Roccat would be amazing for the team, as a Nukeduck/Jankos partnership has the raw potential to be one of the scariest if they gather good synergy to accompany their individual talent. With so much time off to work on his attitude, his work ethic and mechanics he should now be ready to take the EU LCS by storm.
Best Team Choice: Roccat
The more I think about it, the more I believe Nukeduck can take Roccat to higher levels. I’m really excited at the prospect of a huge playmaker and arguably EU’s best Season 3 mid laner paired with arguably the best jungler from EU Season 4. I also believe Overpow might be able to properly benefit from the more farm-centric style of the top lane, where there will be less expectation to hard carry Roccat games.
Forg1ven
After the Copenhagen Wolves had to give back Rekkles to Fnatic, many people doubted their ability to gather another AD carry who could have anywhere near the impact that Rekkles had. Then Forg1ven was picked up and all the doubt was silenced. Forg1ven was a monster AD Carry during his split with the Wolves, setting GPM, Total Gold, CS per min and Total CS records for EU and he was hailed by many as the best AD Carry in EU. Unfortunately, his fall out with the Wolves management left him unable to play during summer, but he is now free to be picked up and, in my opinion, is one of the biggest free agents EU currently has on the market to offer. His wealth of talent, fierce achievement-driven nature and prior LCS experience will get great assets to any team that take it with a pinch of salt.
Best Team Choice: Roccat
Forg1ven
After the Copenhagen Wolves had to give back Rekkles to Fnatic, many people doubted their ability to gather another AD carry who could have anywhere near the impact that Rekkles had. Then Forg1ven was picked up and all the doubt was silenced. Forg1ven was a monster AD Carry during his split with the Wolves, setting GPM, Total Gold, CS per min and Total CS records for EU and he was hailed by many as the best AD Carry in EU. Unfortunately, his fall out with the Wolves management left him unable to play during summer, but he is now free to be picked up and, in my opinion, is one of the biggest free agents EU currently has on the market to offer. His wealth of talent, fierce achievement-driven nature and prior LCS experience will get great assets to any team that take it with a pinch of salt.
Best Team Choice: Roccat
AD Carry-wise, most EU LCS teams are in a good spot. Every team expect Roccat, who currently doesn't have one. If the rumoured acquisition of Nukeduck is any kind of upgrade, the further acquisition of Forg1ven would catapult them into godly levels of potential. It would also likely leave Woolite on the Wolves allowing for Unlimited to actually play more than one split with a particular ADC.
Mithy
Mithy, like Nukeduck was a member of the overnight sensation team, LemonDogs, and was one of the three who transferred to NIP only to lose their slot in the LCS, eventually leading to Mithy’s suspension with Nukeduck and Zorozero’s retirement. Regardless Mithy’s suspension time is also nearing its end and with his eligibility for the 2015 LCS spring split, he should be a big consideration for teams in need of a solid support. It should be remembered that Tabzz and Mithy were one of the best, if not the best bottom lane in Europe by the end of Season 3.
Best Choice: Supa Hot Crew (now Meet Your Makers) or Millenium
Mithy
Mithy, like Nukeduck was a member of the overnight sensation team, LemonDogs, and was one of the three who transferred to NIP only to lose their slot in the LCS, eventually leading to Mithy’s suspension with Nukeduck and Zorozero’s retirement. Regardless Mithy’s suspension time is also nearing its end and with his eligibility for the 2015 LCS spring split, he should be a big consideration for teams in need of a solid support. It should be remembered that Tabzz and Mithy were one of the best, if not the best bottom lane in Europe by the end of Season 3.
Best Choice: Supa Hot Crew (now Meet Your Makers) or Millenium
It would just so happen that Supa Hot Meet Your Makers are missing a support player following the teams rebranding and its release of Impaler and Kasing. It has also been heavily rumoured that Amin and Mithy will be the ones to fill in the newly freed up roles. Personally, I’m not too sure whether Mithy will gel well with the rest of the team, especially Amin, but MrRallez has shown himself to be the ADC equivalent to Unlimited, putting up good performances and easily building synergy with any duo lane partner he’s presented with. Alternatively, if MYM doesn’t work out another good destination for Mithy would be Millenium. With the departure of Kerp, Millenium is a team in dire need of a leader and a fresh start. Kev1n, Kottenx and Creaton are all top class players on the right day and I feel on most days, Jree just doesn’t allow them to perform to a peak of their (especially creaton’s) potential.
Kerp
As briefly mentioned, Kerp has now left Millenium in search of a fresh start. If he doesn't find a new team to settle down with, LCS casters and broadcast producers will surely be fuming at the loss of all the script they have to discuss his famous use of a trackball mouse. Despite how attractive it is to discuss, it isn't Kerp’s only asset. His raw talent is absolutely amazing and his ability to hard carry on assassin type champions is next to the best in EU. On top of this, his careful play on champions like Ziggs also provides a healthy switch between mid lane playstyles, which is impressive considering he was a top laner one season ago. Its also worth noting that Kerp was a Fantasy LCS superstar - bringing huge numbers (on his good days) for anyone who played him
Best Choice: SK Gaming or Copenhagen Wolves
If there was a better way to say I think Kerp is better than Soren and Jesiz, I would say it - but I can’t really find one. All three look the same in terms of being rather inconsistent, but generally Kerp can do a lot more a lot better and I think both teams would do well to consider how serious they are to be competing for the top spots with their current mid lane choices.
Kerp
As briefly mentioned, Kerp has now left Millenium in search of a fresh start. If he doesn't find a new team to settle down with, LCS casters and broadcast producers will surely be fuming at the loss of all the script they have to discuss his famous use of a trackball mouse. Despite how attractive it is to discuss, it isn't Kerp’s only asset. His raw talent is absolutely amazing and his ability to hard carry on assassin type champions is next to the best in EU. On top of this, his careful play on champions like Ziggs also provides a healthy switch between mid lane playstyles, which is impressive considering he was a top laner one season ago. Its also worth noting that Kerp was a Fantasy LCS superstar - bringing huge numbers (on his good days) for anyone who played him
Best Choice: SK Gaming or Copenhagen Wolves
If there was a better way to say I think Kerp is better than Soren and Jesiz, I would say it - but I can’t really find one. All three look the same in terms of being rather inconsistent, but generally Kerp can do a lot more a lot better and I think both teams would do well to consider how serious they are to be competing for the top spots with their current mid lane choices.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Roccat Cool Off Supa Hot Crew, Advance to Face Fnatic
It had been
a rough Summer Split for Roccat following their surprising performance from the Spring, in which they finished in third place. It was a split full of ups and
downs that saw them start off with a dismal record of 1-7, only to claw back to
.500 at 10-10 after Week Eight. But they
couldn't keep up the momentum they had gained and Roccat dropped six of their
final eight games to finish the season in sixth place with a record of 12-16.
Heading into playoffs, they were dangerously close to the dreaded relegation matches.
Now they needn't worry about it anymore.
Now they needn't worry about it anymore.
Roccat
managed to eliminate the young and upstart Supa Hot Crew in fairly easy
fashion, taking the Best of Five series in four games. With the win, not only does Roccat avoid the possibility of being sent to the LCS promotion tournament,
they keep their dreams of qualifying for the World Championship alive and will
now have two cracks at achieving it. Supa Hot Crew, meanwhile, have to beat
Millenium next week in the fifth place match if they want to dodge
participating in their second straight promotion tournament. It would be a
disappointing finish for a team that showed so much improvement from the Spring Split where they finished in seventh place.
And yet, watching this series, it looked as if Roccat were the third seed and Supa Hot
Crew the sixth. Roccat seemed to come into this set of games incredibly well
prepared, and it showed right away in the picks and bans of the first game. They let
Kassadin slip through during the banning phase, seemingly knowing that Supa Hot Crew
would first pick it, and Roccat was ready as they opted to run the Morgana and
Elise pick comp to retaliate. It paid off massively for them. Jankos was able
to put out a ton of lane pressure early, and at 8:05, they were able to drop the top
turret of Supa Hot Crew. Just a bit over two minutes later the mid turret
also fell, along with a dragon for Roccat.
Perhaps the
biggest moment of this game came at 15:40. Roccat were able to turn an
attempted initiate from Supa Hot Crew back around and pick up first blood when
the fight was five versus four in favor of SHC. That fight illustrated the
power of the team comp Roccat assembled, despite being one person down while it
happened. Vander managed to get a black shield onto himself and avoided being
knocked into the air by the Nami ultimate. At just about the same time, Jankos managed to
land a cocoon on Mimer to prevent the Renekton dive into the team. From here it
goes horribly wrong for Supa Hot Crew as Xaxus teleports in, and they start to
scatter a bit in panic knowing their initiate didn't go as planned. Roccat
immediately annihilate Selfie with a dark binding chained into an Alistar head
butt and pulverize combo. Following this fight, despite
only having one kill, Roccat already had a 4.5k gold lead at just over sixteen
minutes. Supa Hot Crew was never able to recover from this point. Roccat
methodically put the game away in slightly over thirty-five minutes to take a
1-0 series advantage.
In Game Two,
Supa Hot Crew attempted to adjust and this time they banned Elise away from
Jankos and grabbed Morgana themselves after Roccat first picked Maokai. Early
on, things were looking great for SHC. They managed to pick up three kills in
the first ten minutes and Impaler was far more active on Rengar than he
had been on Kha’Zix the previous game. Yet, as well as they looked early on, the
game turned around at just under twenty-one minutes. Holding a slight gold lead
of five-hundred at that point, SHC tried to go to the well one too many times.
Twice already they had snuck MrRalleZ up to the top lane along with Impaler to
get multiple kills on Roccat. The third time wasn't the charm as they had poor
ward coverage in the river and never saw Jankos was there along with Celaver and
Vander. They were able to kill Vander, but Jankos had a great cataclysm that
prevented any members of Supa Hot Crew from getting to Celaver, who picked up a
double kill. All of the sudden, Roccat
had the gold lead and the baron buff. They wasted no time with baron as before it
had worn off, they pushed bottom lane and won one final fight, ending the game
before it was even twenty-six minutes old.
Game Three
saw Supa Hot Crew pick up their first and only win of the series in what was a
long and drawn out battle. Once again, SHC looked good early as MrRalleZ was
able to get a few picks on Twitch for the second game in a row. It might have
been nerves due to their season being on the line, but Supa Hot Crew did almost
nothing with this early lead. At the 28:40 mark,
Jankos and Xaxus picked off Mimer top lane, but in return, SHC was able to pick
up the dragon. Fifteen minutes later, despite having picked up the only baron
of the game and four of the six dragons, SHC was only ahead by one outer turret
and their gold lead was starting to mean less and less. And after a baron steal
by Jankos in the forty-seventh minute, it looked as if Supa Hot Crew could be
in real trouble as their lead dwindled away. It got worse for the Supa Hot Crew
in the fifty-sixth minute. Selfie had a poor Orianna ultimate that only hit
Xaxus, and Roccat won the resulting team fight as well as another baron pick up.
Selfie would ultimately redeem himself, however. In the final fight of the
marathon game, he hit a three person shockwave that allowed Supa Hot Crew to
pick up two important kills and push through the nexus turrets for the
sixty-seven minute win to avoid being swept.
It was far
from a convincing defeat, and Roccat quickly adjusted for game five, as they
smartly banned Orianna away from Selfie. One has to question the picks by Supa
Hot Crew on the turn after Roccat first picked Maokai; by taking Ryze and
Tristana they left both Elise and Morgana open for Roccat who immediately
locked them in. Once again, Jankos was
helping with an early turret push, this time down in bottom lane as they took
down the first turret of the game. Kasing committed a big no-no as he was
caught window shopping and Overpower managed to pick up first blood on him
right after the turret fell with a long range Ziggs ultimate.
As the game
went on, it just felt like Roccat was dictating the terms and the pace; they were being proactive and Supa Hot Crew was being reactive. The
fifteenth minute mark of the game is the perfect example of this. Supa Hot Crew
sent three people top to get a kill onto Xaxus while Roccat took dragon
followed by the bottom lane outer turret. Supa Hot Crew didn't even manage to
take the top turret down, and now the gold lead for Roccat swelled to almost
4.5k at sixteen minutes.
It wasn't
until the game was in the twenty-first minute that it began to spiral out of
control. Despite Celaver having a trinity force on Corki, which is stronger
than a mid-game infinity edge Tristana, SHC took a fight in the river near
dragon and lost three members. Roccat went on to do baron and managed to get
two more picks growing their gold lead to almost 7.5k. The
strength of the comp Roccat was running was on display while they were pushing
and sieging turrets down mid. Even the beefier targets like Braum and Dr.
Mundo were easily dropped if they were hit by a cocoon or dark binding.
Roccat did
make a few mistakes as they were trying to close the game out. Impaler
managed to sneak a baron steal and Jankos was picked off carelessly in mid. It
allowed Supa Hot Crew to cut the gold deficit to around six-thousand, but in
the end, it was too little, too late. Once again the cocoon and dark binding
chain crowd control combo caught onto Mimer as Roccat was trying to break
through the last defense of SHC, pushing down the middle inhibitor. After a
chaotic fight where the remaining Supa Hot Crew members desperately attempted
to defend the nexus turrets and the nexus itself, Roccat was able to destroy
the nexus and take the series 3-1.
It’s hard to
say for sure, but Roccat seem to have found their rhythm at an opportune time. They looked much better than the team we saw struggle all summer to close out games where they had leads. In this series, they were quick
and decisive in what they wanted to do when they were ahead, and Supa Hot Crew
was never able to rise to their level.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
EU Playoffs : Preview and Predictions: Quarterfinals
Intro:
I’ll be breaking down the teams: looking at recent performances and each position. Then I'll look how they are matched against each other: play style and champion picks. It's incredibly hard to predict what such a big patch like 4.13 will do on the pro scene (I hate it when riot does this right before playoffs, but they want everything in order for worlds so I guess we should forgive them.)
The most notable change is, of course, heal and exhaust. We will probably see more assassin play and perhaps barrier again on ADC's (I definitely recommend it on midlaners that don't want to run ignite.) The nerfs and buffs to the marksmen also open up the pool. Vayne could be a special pick-up again for players like CandyPanda or Rekkles, while Graves and Sivir buffs could bring them back to competitive play. Sivir was a very favourite markswoman, used for quick rotations, and she only got better at it.
The holy trinity of junglers got nerfed, but all three are still very strong and I don't expect too many new jungle picks. All power supports got scaled back except Morgana, but I don't expect many new picks there until Sona becomes available for play. Lulu and Gragas got hit a bit, while Maokai still runs rampant. Ziggs got hit on his ult, but will still be a priority pick for his normal wave clear, together with Xerath if they fix the bug on time. Nothing new and broken seems to have emerged, but no one has had enough time to figure everything out yet.
Supa Hot Crew - Roccat
SHC has been a team on the rise, half because of the downfall of stronger teams, but also because they have consistently improved throughout the split. It’s a team made off pseudo-star players. Selfie and MrRalleZ shine when they carry, but don’t do this frequently enough. Impaler and Mimer are the strong rocks of SHC in that they can be relied on to do their job and push them to victory. With the latest addition of KaSing, they have, so they say, found a better voice in the team; a solid captain in the wild seas they are sometimes in. Selfie’s large champion pool is a strong point for SHC, since he isn't easy to ban out and can really devastate the enemy if he gets a dangerous pick like Yasuo. He is, unfortunately, not the most consistent mid, and if he doesn't get the best start, he tends to falter later in the game. MrRalleZ is somewhat similar; he always brings good numbers, but he can’t do it without his team. Too much pressure in the botlane could make it hard for him to carry. Though he isn't the flashiest player, he will deal considerable damage in teamfights if left unchecked. Impaler is always aggressive, even when he shouldn't be, but it mostly works out for them. He is bannable, though, and not the strongest in 1v1s. He could be targeted with good counterjungling. If Impaler does well, the whole team tends to do well, so a lot will depend on him if the lanes aren't going smoothly. Mimir can be crucial on having great TPs, but should just have a solid laning phase so he can tank or be the utility that Selfie and MrRalleZ need to win the game.
Roccat was a team destined for relegation, then a team on a hot streak, but now they've fallen again in the last few weeks. Overpow is probably the most passive midlaner in EU. Even though he occasionally does well in teamfights at the later stages of the game, it’s usually way too late - when his opponents can just free farm to break the 20 minute CS record or roam the map and make an impact in other lanes. Jankos and Vander are the pillars for Roccat. Vander is a great support that can make clutch plays/picks to win a teamfight or snowball the botlane. While Jankos will always stick to his style, he is very scary at it; an aggressive jungler that carries his team through early ganking or strong counterjungling. Celaver feels like a weaker version of MrRalleZ, only going in when Vander makes a move, but he provides the dps the team needs to win the games. Xaxus is not the most mechanically skilled player, but he was quick to jump on the Maokai train before anyone else, so we might see some strong picks from him on the new 4.13 patch. In general, Roccat secured wins with (mostly in the midlane) strange picks and very long, sloppy games.
The teams' head-to-head is 2-2 this split, with Roccat winning the most recent match this past Superweek. To be fair, SHC didn't had the best start in Superweek. Impaler’s Rengar was lack-luster and the Zilean pick in mid is something teams still have to adjust to. SHC looked stronger on the last day of Superweek and has looked the better team this whole split. Jankos will probably be the key factor for Roccat to win the series. Roccat leads the EU with the most first bloods and Jankos is almost always involved. Overpow’s lack of pressure in mid will be heaven for Selfie, but Jankos will always be around to bite him in the ass. Impaler can handle Jankos if he gets a comfortable jungler to control the early pressure, and makes sure that his lanes can get ahead by themselves. Vander and Jankos could really swing the lead into their favour with good pressure all around the map.
Most bans will probably be targeted around the midlane since both players have a pretty big pool. This will open up the botlane and jungle to get the strong picks that they need to win the game. This mostly benefits Roccat, since Overpow is never the hard carry from the team. SHC’s best chance is focusing on Jankos or Vander, banning out junglers/getting Impaler a strong first pick, and making sure their botlane has a durable combo that can’t be beaten easily in lane. Roccat has to focus the midlane and make sure Selfie doesn't get rolling, or keep pressuring bot and get a lead by keeping MrRalleZ down and getting early dragons.
Both teams haven’t showed the most consistent tactical play, yet but I feel SHC will make the better rotations and clutch calls. Roccat plays conservatively and won’t risk too much in the midgame if they aren’t ahead by a large margin. This is a weakness but could also lure the SHC in a false sense of security and they could make ill-advised moves because of it.
In general, if SHC makes the right calls, they are the stronger team in mid-late game with better rotations and teamfights. Roccat will need to win early and feast on the occasional reckless moves from SHC to get a lead early and close out the game. If Roccat doesn't get a decent gold lead by the twenty minute mark, I don’t see them winning a game unless SHC makes really dumb moves. Both teams are exploitable in pick and bans and should really focus on that and early game vision to make the right moves.
My prediction: 3-1 for SHC. They have to prove that they deserve that third place and didn't just luck out in the split. I do think Roccat can take a game just by having a surprise pick, which could throw SHC off guard, or if Jankos gets a great opening which can snowball the game out of control.
Both teams haven’t showed the most consistent tactical play, yet but I feel SHC will make the better rotations and clutch calls. Roccat plays conservatively and won’t risk too much in the midgame if they aren’t ahead by a large margin. This is a weakness but could also lure the SHC in a false sense of security and they could make ill-advised moves because of it.
In general, if SHC makes the right calls, they are the stronger team in mid-late game with better rotations and teamfights. Roccat will need to win early and feast on the occasional reckless moves from SHC to get a lead early and close out the game. If Roccat doesn't get a decent gold lead by the twenty minute mark, I don’t see them winning a game unless SHC makes really dumb moves. Both teams are exploitable in pick and bans and should really focus on that and early game vision to make the right moves.
My prediction: 3-1 for SHC. They have to prove that they deserve that third place and didn't just luck out in the split. I do think Roccat can take a game just by having a surprise pick, which could throw SHC off guard, or if Jankos gets a great opening which can snowball the game out of control.
SK Gaming - Millenium
What seemed like a top contender for the top three in EU suddenly dropped at the end of the season because a lack of practice. SK Gaming stepped it up again in the last Superweek, beating Millenium, and both Fnatic and Alliance. They looked more focused; back as a solid team that has great synergy and an objective-focused mindset. However, their loss to Gambit showed that they can still fall easy under a lot of early pressure.
Fredy is a solid top laner but has the tendency to feed unnecessary on his favourite feed-to-win champ Aatrox. He hasn't shown much potential on the newly strong top laners like Maokai or Gragas, nor is his Lulu very scary. On the other hand, his Nidalee is ban-worthy, and he can put a lot of pressure down with certain older picks like Shyvana or Renekton. Map vision and clear communication from SK should make sure Fredy doesn't overextend too much so he can grow into a scary threat for the teamfights. Svenskeren makes or breaks most of SK's games. If he can do well, the team will carry with him, but when he isn't impactful early, then the team just seems to whither away like an old man in a nursing home. I feel the team will need to focus their priority on making sure he gets a strong champion and a solid start in each game. Jesiz isn't the flashiest player but has shown brilliant play on a variety of champions, most recently with Ahri. He can’t really be targeted heavily with bans anymore but he can be beaten in lane with some early pressure. He's not the best at farming, so it's very important that he gets off to a good start to be relevant in the whole game. Candy and nRated are not the strongest botlane but are very smart and have a lot of experience. They will not be easily swayed into a bad trade and can surprise the enemy on occasion. nRated’s Gragas support play is very scary when played well, which makes Gragas a great flex pick for the team if Fredy works on that pick as well. Though we have to find out if the Gragas nerfs in the new patch affect him much in laning phase. With Maokai still unchanged, he should probably be the biggest priority for most teams, but I believe we will see him almost perma-banned throughout the playoffs.
Millenium is a one-trick pony team that hasn't changed much at the end of the split. They excel at pick-oriented assassin comps that catch lone players off-guard. Most teams have gotten used to this style and know what to ban and how to play against it to minimize its effectiveness. However, this new patch favours assassins, and with increased Zed and Talon play in other regions, this could be a bright spot for Kerp and his team. Millenium went 0-4 in Superweek and is definitely not looking hot. This patch could be their lucky break to making it into the semi’s. They can beat SK with early power and a strong split push. kev1n is a strong top laner that can excel on certain picks like Irelia. His smart play in lane and timed aggression could be a real problem for SK if he gets help from his jungle. Kottenx has really helped Millenium get away from that relegation position they were in last split. Good pressure and mechanics have really helped the team to a lot of wins. His 2v2 with Kerp is very dangerous for any team if Kerp gets his hands on a strong assassin. Kerp’s Zilean drew some bans but teams just have no idea how to play against it. It’s not the best pick and Kerp should focus on his assassins or some heavy wave clear champs like Ziggs or Orianna.
Millenium’s botlane is the real strength of the team but with most comps relying on split push and pick potential, Creaton and Jree get left out on their own sometimes. Creaton has shown on many occasions that he is a brilliant ADC and can carry if the team lets him. Lucian will be a great champion to have back in his pool. The versatility and all-around strength of that champion let’s Creaton do whatever he wants, even if the team isn't focused around him. Corki and Tristana will probably be the priority picks since they bring mobility and carry potential for Creaton. Jree has also shown solid support ability and is one hell of a fisher on both Blitzcrank and Tresh.
Millenium should focus on their strengths: give Kerp a strong 1v1 champion and Creaton a strong self-peeling ADC - while Jree and Kevin zone for him. Kottenx just needs to take control of the early game and it could set Millenium up for an upset over SK.
The teams' head-to-head is also 2-2. They are both quite even in lanes with a slight edge to Millenium. SK more than makes up for it in having a much better tactical understanding of the game. A lot will depend on the junglers; both of them need to get their lanes rolling and have a big control over the map. SK will try to take advantage by grouping up and rotating to take down turrets, while making sure Kerp doesn't get free kills. Millenium’s recent performance doesn't promise much for the playoffs, but the new patch is really in their favour. SK should stay calm in the early game and not give up too much then they can out rotate and outplay Millenium on a tactical level with probably a better team comp. If SK can attack the weak points of Millennium in the pick and ban phase and then play a measured game, they should take the series without too many problems. Millenium can surprise them though, and their botlane should never be underestimated.
My prediction: 3-2 for SK. SK is the smarter team and have shown recently that their lanes aren’t as weak anymore. If they prepare hard and think about the series, even if they drop a game they should beat Millenium. Millenium has looked very weak lately and their one-style has always been weak and exploitable. They have a lot of talent in their team, however, and could surprise with a strong assassin pick or maybe a more ADC-centered comp. But in my experience, consistency and smart play beats explosive game play in a "best-of" series.
Thanks for reading, I’m open for any comment so leave them below or tweet me @antdrioite
I will make a preview about the semi’s and finals after the quarters are over.
Fredy is a solid top laner but has the tendency to feed unnecessary on his favourite feed-to-win champ Aatrox. He hasn't shown much potential on the newly strong top laners like Maokai or Gragas, nor is his Lulu very scary. On the other hand, his Nidalee is ban-worthy, and he can put a lot of pressure down with certain older picks like Shyvana or Renekton. Map vision and clear communication from SK should make sure Fredy doesn't overextend too much so he can grow into a scary threat for the teamfights. Svenskeren makes or breaks most of SK's games. If he can do well, the team will carry with him, but when he isn't impactful early, then the team just seems to whither away like an old man in a nursing home. I feel the team will need to focus their priority on making sure he gets a strong champion and a solid start in each game. Jesiz isn't the flashiest player but has shown brilliant play on a variety of champions, most recently with Ahri. He can’t really be targeted heavily with bans anymore but he can be beaten in lane with some early pressure. He's not the best at farming, so it's very important that he gets off to a good start to be relevant in the whole game. Candy and nRated are not the strongest botlane but are very smart and have a lot of experience. They will not be easily swayed into a bad trade and can surprise the enemy on occasion. nRated’s Gragas support play is very scary when played well, which makes Gragas a great flex pick for the team if Fredy works on that pick as well. Though we have to find out if the Gragas nerfs in the new patch affect him much in laning phase. With Maokai still unchanged, he should probably be the biggest priority for most teams, but I believe we will see him almost perma-banned throughout the playoffs.
Millenium is a one-trick pony team that hasn't changed much at the end of the split. They excel at pick-oriented assassin comps that catch lone players off-guard. Most teams have gotten used to this style and know what to ban and how to play against it to minimize its effectiveness. However, this new patch favours assassins, and with increased Zed and Talon play in other regions, this could be a bright spot for Kerp and his team. Millenium went 0-4 in Superweek and is definitely not looking hot. This patch could be their lucky break to making it into the semi’s. They can beat SK with early power and a strong split push. kev1n is a strong top laner that can excel on certain picks like Irelia. His smart play in lane and timed aggression could be a real problem for SK if he gets help from his jungle. Kottenx has really helped Millenium get away from that relegation position they were in last split. Good pressure and mechanics have really helped the team to a lot of wins. His 2v2 with Kerp is very dangerous for any team if Kerp gets his hands on a strong assassin. Kerp’s Zilean drew some bans but teams just have no idea how to play against it. It’s not the best pick and Kerp should focus on his assassins or some heavy wave clear champs like Ziggs or Orianna.
Millenium’s botlane is the real strength of the team but with most comps relying on split push and pick potential, Creaton and Jree get left out on their own sometimes. Creaton has shown on many occasions that he is a brilliant ADC and can carry if the team lets him. Lucian will be a great champion to have back in his pool. The versatility and all-around strength of that champion let’s Creaton do whatever he wants, even if the team isn't focused around him. Corki and Tristana will probably be the priority picks since they bring mobility and carry potential for Creaton. Jree has also shown solid support ability and is one hell of a fisher on both Blitzcrank and Tresh.
Millenium should focus on their strengths: give Kerp a strong 1v1 champion and Creaton a strong self-peeling ADC - while Jree and Kevin zone for him. Kottenx just needs to take control of the early game and it could set Millenium up for an upset over SK.
The teams' head-to-head is also 2-2. They are both quite even in lanes with a slight edge to Millenium. SK more than makes up for it in having a much better tactical understanding of the game. A lot will depend on the junglers; both of them need to get their lanes rolling and have a big control over the map. SK will try to take advantage by grouping up and rotating to take down turrets, while making sure Kerp doesn't get free kills. Millenium’s recent performance doesn't promise much for the playoffs, but the new patch is really in their favour. SK should stay calm in the early game and not give up too much then they can out rotate and outplay Millenium on a tactical level with probably a better team comp. If SK can attack the weak points of Millennium in the pick and ban phase and then play a measured game, they should take the series without too many problems. Millenium can surprise them though, and their botlane should never be underestimated.
My prediction: 3-2 for SK. SK is the smarter team and have shown recently that their lanes aren’t as weak anymore. If they prepare hard and think about the series, even if they drop a game they should beat Millenium. Millenium has looked very weak lately and their one-style has always been weak and exploitable. They have a lot of talent in their team, however, and could surprise with a strong assassin pick or maybe a more ADC-centered comp. But in my experience, consistency and smart play beats explosive game play in a "best-of" series.
Thanks for reading, I’m open for any comment so leave them below or tweet me @antdrioite
I will make a preview about the semi’s and finals after the quarters are over.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
European LCS Week 10 Power Rankings
by Matt “It’s Pure Luck” Lee
Welcome to my European LCS power rankings! While it’s perhaps a bit late in the season to start doing this as we head into our final week, it’s one of the most enjoyable debates that can be had when talking about the LCS. First let’s take a look at the criteria teams will be judged on:
• It’s not just your record that determines your ranking. Just because you have a better record than another team does NOT necessarily mean you are better in my eyes. The proverbial “eye test” is incredibly important. Are you winning games narrowly or convincingly? Did you go 2-0 in a week where you trailed in both games but the other team made massive mistakes and it allowed you to come back? How a team looks is very important.
• Results from the past few weeks.
• General trends of a team’s performance vs upper-echelon opponents in the league. Playing well vs the top tier teams is obviously more impressive than crushing the bottom three constantly.
• A team’s performance historically. This will weight a bit less, but a team like Fnatic will get more of a pass when they are struggling a bit than someone like the Copenhagen Wolves will.
With that defined, let’s take a look at the rankings!
1) Alliance (18-6) – This one really won’t come as any surprise. After a minor setback in losing four straight during Weeks Seven and Eight, Alliance has come back very strong and won four in a row. The win over red-hot Fnatic was particularly impressive as Rekkles and friends had been destroying everything in their path on the back of an eight game win streak. It wasn't the cleanest of wins as it took fifty-two minutes, but they played it safe, knowing a win all but guaranteed them the top spot in the final standings.
2) Fnatic (16-8) – Fnatic saw their eight game win streak snapped vs Alliance on day one last week. It didn't faze them much, though, as they took down a good Millenium team on the second day. One could make a case for Fnatic being in the top spot and they might have a point. They sit at 9-1 in their last ten games and they weren't narrowly winning these for the most part. Fnatic had been decimating their opposition ever since Week Seven. Ultimately, Fnatic posting a 1-3 record vs Alliance gives Alliance the slight nod.
3) Millenium (13-11) – Millenium have been playing fairly well lately, picking up four wins in their last six games after scuffling a bit during Super Week. As usual for them, the catalysts continue to be Kerp and Creaton. Creaton has been outstanding the last three weeks, posting a KDA of 10.25. Kerp has continued to show his Twisted Fate pick is to be feared, and he even managed to pull out a surprise pick in Zilean last week and played it very well. If Millenium continues to progress their style and show they can play more than a pick based team at a high level, they have a very high ceiling with the talent that is on the team.
4) Supa Hot Crew (14-10) – Much like Millenium, Supa Hot Crew sits here with an outside chance at possibly grabbing that two seed and getting a bye in the playoffs. More than likely though, they will end up fighting it out for the three seed. The upcoming game between SHC and Millenium on Thursday could very well decide who does grab that spot; a loss by the Crew there would drop them to 1-3 vs Millenium on the split. While MrRalleZ tends to be considered the best player on this team, you could make a case that the most important is Selfie in the mid lane. We saw it this past week as he had a terrific KDA of 13.5 in playing Ahri both games. Consistent play from him should see positive results for SHC in the future and at the least a shot at Worlds in the third place game.
5) Roccat (11-13) – Roccat continue to be one of the most (if not the most) puzzling teams in the European LCS. They managed to pull their record back to .500 after they had an impressive run between Weeks Four and Eight, where they won nine of their twelve games. And then in Week Ten, they promptly managed to go 0-2, and it was to two teams very close to them in the standings, Millenium and the Supa Hot Crew. Celaver and Xaxus in particular have had a difficult time this split. Celaver currently has the sixth best KDA among AD carries in Europe, while Xaxus is seventh among top laners. Jankos has been a bright spot for the team, and as he goes the team tends to go. His teammates will need to step up if they wish to avoid facing relegation in the promotion tournament.
6) SK Gaming (12-12) – SK finally ended the free fall they had been in by defeating Roccat last week, though it wasn't easy for them to close that game out. That game itself showed where the confidence level of SK is right now; they had a massive lead early on and gave Roccat every shot to get back into it. They simply have not looked like the same team from the first six weeks of this split, or the one from all of spring. They sit at 3-7 in their last ten games; many of them decisive victories for their opponents. Looking even further into it, two of those three wins came in Super Week vs Gambit and the Copenhagen Wolves, both of whom are a mess. Many claims around SK the last split and even early on in this one were that they didn’t have great individual talent and mechanics, but great teamwork through the mid and late game. It might be the time where the lack of mechanical ability in comparison to their opponents is catching up to them.
7) Copenhagen Wolves (7-17) – The Wolves are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but the chances are minimal, as one win by Roccat or one loss by the Wolves puts Roccat in the playoffs and sends the Wolves to the promotion tournament. They had managed to put two decent weeks back to back in Weeks Eight and Nine, going 3-1 in their four games. Last week however, the wheels fell off the wagon. They were dispatched fairly quickly by Millenium in a game that only took 31:23, and then were defeated by Alliance in what was possibly the most lopsided game in the EU LCS this year. The Wolves can avoid the dreaded eighth place finish if they beat Gambit this week, or if they win one game and Gambit lose at least two.
8) Gambit Gaming (5-19) – While Gambit was definitely on a downward trend toward the end of the spring split, it would be hard for many people to say they saw this coming. They sit two games behind the Wolves for the seventh place spot with only four games left, so it’s likely Gambit end the season in last place. The twist of fate there would be the possible date vs Ninjas in Pyjamas and Alex Ich in the promotion tournament. The team as a whole simply does not look to be LCS caliber at this moment. The benching of Darien hasn't helped at all, and Diamond looks even worse since he was put back into the starting lineup. In fact, Diamond has a line of 3/17/7 since he was reinstated as a starter. At this point in time, it’s hard to imagine Gambit will retain their spot in the LCS with the way they are playing.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
EU LCS Thursday Preview:
by Silje
Copenhagen
Wolves vs Fnatic
The
Wolves showed off some good plays to an appreciative audience at Wembley last
week. YoungBuck led his team to one of their best games
vs Alliance , and ended up generating an impressive 12/3/5 on Irelia. Unfortunately, the game turned into a loss for the Wolves
after Airwaks stepped on one of Froggen's Nidalee traps on the way to baron.
Fnatic, on the other hand, won their first game against Gambit's substitutes.
It was a well-played match from Fnatic's side, and as veterans within the LCS,
they had an advantage over Gambit the entire game. Not a surprising win - but a
good one. Fnatic's game on Day 2 was entertaining and tense. Millenium, with
their gank-comp, set the pace of the game and took the early lead. Fnatic's
Cyanide did a good job kicking Millenium out of position in team fights, and when
Millenium got a bit overconfident, Fnatic punished them for it. Millenium still
won, though, thanks to their map awareness and control, plus strong late game
performances by Twitch and LeBlanc. But all in all, Fnatic showed some good
plays despite the loss.
Based
on last week's performances, this game should be intense and entertaining.
Personally, my featured match-up will be SoaZ and YoungBuck in the top lane.
SoaZ has shown that he can play a huge variety of top laners, from Renekton to
Lulu to Shyvana and Trundle. Nothing seems to stop that guy from picking any
champion. He knows how to play them all. YoungBuck on the other hand, leans towards tanky/bruiser top laners. He's
had some games on Vladimir , but without much luck.
Renekton, Shyvana, Irelia and Trundle are all champions he is capable of
playing. His last week's Irelia was huge.
Millenium
beat Fnatic, and lost to ROCCAT last week. That was, for me, somehow a surprise.
I was expecting Fnatic to keep up their good play and win against Millenium.
This game just shows how even the EU region is. Every team can beat each other.
Their win against Fnatic was thanks to their gank/pick comp and their good
late-game map control. LeBlanc and Twitch are also so strong late game that
they can molest any opponents in their way. Kottenx proved that he is a good
Evelynn and should not be underrated as a jungler. Alliance , on the
other hand, won both of their games last week. They secured a convincing win
against SK, who is known for their weaker early game. The match against the
Copenhagen Wolves didn't turn out to be as one-sided as you would expect,
looking at the standings. The Wolves put
up a good fight - and one of their best
games so far this split. Alliance had trouble with Youngbuck's impressive performance, and (with a
little help from that Nid trap) they were fortunate to take the win.
Supa
Hot Crew vs Gambit
In Supa
Hot Crew's game vs the Copenhagen Wolves, they suffered in the early-mid stages
of the game. It seemed like the Wolves might win when they managed to push SHC
into their base, but Mimer, with his 13/2/5 Kayle, kept that from happening. Mimer scored
a triple on the Wolves as they attempted to take SHC's middle inhibitor,
successfully stopping their advance. Woolite tried to backdoor them, but Mimer
went back to save the base, allowing SHC to secure the win. Supa Hot Crew vs SK Gaming was a funny match.
SHC's Selfie tried to play Nocturne mid against Jesiz's Kassadin and it didn't
work out the way they intended. With solid play from SK Gaming, SHC suffered a
loss. Gambit's core roster could not participate in London due to visa
issues, and yet NiQ and the team's last minute substitutes did a decent job. NiQ's
Nidalee was simply Godlike. I think that is a champion you should keep away
from him in the future. Gambit lost both their games, but with a team that
consisted mainly of solo-queue players, they weren't bad at all. They made some
amazing plays.
I think
this game will depend on how much of a positive impact the junglers can make on
the game. Both Diamond and Impaler possess good mechanics and gank-capabilities,
and both are capable of helping their teams win, depending on who does it best.
That's why my featured match-up will be in the jungle. Diamond can pull out
some unconventional junglers at times, such as Xin Zhao and Udyr, but usually
without much luck. Impaler has been sticking to the traditional junglers. He is
doing very well with Lee Sin and Elise.
SK
Gaming vs ROCCAT
SK
lost last week to Alliance and beat SHC. In their game vs Alliance , their
early game was a bit shaky and they didn't seem like the SK team we are used to
seeing being super decisive in their play style. In their game vs SHC, on the
other hand, SK showed what happens if you give them the freedom to do things at
their pace. We knew it was going to be an unusual game right from the picks and
bans phase. Why would SK first pick Morgana when there were so many other
strong picks open? When SHC locked in the Nocturne and Jarvan IV, first picking
Morgana started to make sense, and also the pick of Caitlyn instead of a Lucian
or Twitch. ROCCAT won their game against Gambit's substitutes, but it wasn't a convincing win. Their win against
Millenium looked stronger. They made good plays, and it looks like they're
slowly growing stronger again.
My
featured match-up in this game will be in the bottom lane, as the duo of
CandyPanda and nRated take on ROCCAT's VandeR and Celaver. CandyPanda's Caitlyn
scored a triple kill last week against Supa Hot Crew, showing that he is able
to handle a variety of champions, considering the last week's favorite picks
have been mainly Twitch, Kog or Lucian. In Week 5, Celaver had the highest KDA
among the ADCs, while CandyPanda had the third highest. On support, VandeR had
the second highest KDA and nRated the fourth highest KDA. nRated has shown that
he is a total beast on Morgana, while VandeR has proven himself as the Thresh
King multiple times. Both CandyPanda and Celaver can play the likes of
Twitch/Lucian/Kog, but are also able to handle other ad carries such as Cait.
Written By Silje
Thursday, June 5, 2014
EU LCS W3D1 PREVIEW
SK Gaming 4W - 2L vs
Millenium 3W - 3L
SK is showing consistant
play. Mellenium is still wavering. If Week 1 Kerp shows up, Millenium will have
a shot. If Week 2 Kerp shows up, Mellenium will lose. It's a Tale of Two Kerps.
Copenhagen Wolves 2W - 4L vs
Gambit 2W - 4L
Both teams are trying to find
synergy with their new players. Both teams are slowly improving. However, niQ
is still finding his stride with Gambit, while the Wolves' new players
are at the heart of their progress. Based on this observation alone, I expect
the Wolves to really come together and make a strong showing in this game.
Supa Hot Crew 4W-2L vs Fnatic 3W - 3L
Fnatic lost to Gambit. Lost...to...Gambit. Meanwhile, Supa Hot Crew are on a Supa Hot Streak. Once again, this should mean a Fnatic surprise win, but Fnatic like riding roller coasters and I expect them to beat Roccat on Friday, so, unfortunately, today will have to be the down side of 'up and down.'
Labels:
Alliance,
Copenhagen Wolves,
esports,
EU LCS,
Fnatic,
Gambit,
Jodi McClure.,
Kerp,
Mellenium,
niQ,
ROCCAT,
Supa Hot Crew