Curse, CLG & Gambit joins Fnatic for IEM Cologne

By Anel “Musinlol“ Musinovic

The European team that is going to join Fnatic will be Gambit Gaming, who has a long history with Intel Extreme Masters.

Every other team in this poll doesn't have a full roster, which could have led to more votes if they had. (In Copenhagen Wolves case, they have no players at all, hence the 3% vote.)

Gambit will be going head-to-head with the recently qualified 'new' Moscow 5, who are going to represent the CIS region; the previous organisation for some long-standing Gambit members such as Diamond and Edward. It will be interesting to see Gambit playing with their newly signed top laner, Cabochard, and ADC, P1noy (previously known as Krislund), as they try to qualify for IEM Katowice through IEM Cologne.

Going across the Atlantic and looking at the NA poll, it will be Curse and CLG joining Fnatic and Gambit. 

No surprises here. CLG and Curse are both loved by the community and Curse probably clinched the higher percentage of votes since signing Korean superstar, Piglet, who previously played for the Season 3 World Championship Winner, SKT T1 K.

IEM Cologne will be taking place in Cologne, Germany from December 18th to the 22nd. Team SoloMid, Cloud 9, Alliance and Unicorns of Love were not participating in this poll as these teams are already fighting it out at Intel Extreme Masters San Jose on December 6th and 7th.

Poll graphics via intelextrememasters.com

NA LCS PREVIEW : Week Two

Written by Hussain Moosvi

At the end of a fantastic Super Week in the NA LCS, the results have left a bigger question mark on roster changes than before the split started. The hope was that Week One would show the impact of those changes, but the only immediate difference was seen in Team Dignitas. With the jury still out on the others, and Week Two having an incredibly competitive schedule, fans hope to have some of their questions answered in what is sure to be a memorable week in the 2014 Summer Split.

DAY 1

Counter Logic Gaming (2-2) vs Team SoloMid (3-1)

The day starts off with one of the best rivalries in League of Legends. CLG had a decent Week One with the addition of Seraph and they show promise for the rest of the split. There were good signs for fans in the form of CLG's early game, which only lost to C9, and the rush hour bot lane looked as solid as ever. Link seems to have improved his laning phase quite a bit, and has shown that his trip to All-Stars was well worth it. With that said, CLG's shot calling had some glaring mistakes and it is clear that Seraph is not up to par with the other high tier top laners in terms of his understanding of the current meta. This was touted as a problem by CLG's coach, MonteCristo, and should not be a concern for CLG fans moving forward, as Seraph will only be improving from here.

TSM had a good week with their only loss to Cloud 9, but it is important to note that they had a fairly easy schedule. EG and Complexity are by far the weakest teams in the split right now, and if TSM wants to compete with the better teams they need to improve their vision control and early game rotations around the map. Amazing had a strong showing in Week One with a 10.2 KDA, while Gleeb showed potential, but against some relatively weaker bot lanes. This game will be key in scouting the strength of the TSM bot lane against arguably the best bot lane in NA. It will also give a good idea of where each team stands, with TSM finally facing a higher caliber team and CLG's two wins being against weaker teams in EG and Curse.

All that aside, TSM vs CLG matches are always instant classics. Make sure you're strapped into your seat to witness what is undoubtedly going to be an explosive match.

compLexity (1-3) vs Evil Geniuses (0-4)

compLexity and Evil Geniuses looked way out of their depth in all their matches. EG's performance made it clear that they had a lot of work to do with their new roster, and despite compLexity's huge upset win over Cloud 9, they looked lost in all their other games. This is expected of compLexity as they're coming into the strongest collection of teams the NA LCS has ever had, and with their constant "need to improve" attitude, compLexity looks to learn as much as they can from this split. EG showed a few moments of good play in mostly bad rotational decision making (Baron for Nexus is worth, right?), but that is to be expected from a team with a new player and their previous split record. EG knows that they need to make changes to improve their form and with the competitive nature of this split, they are bound to improve.

One important thing to note is that compLexity will be fielding a new mid laner in mancloud while pr0lly deals with some family obligations for this week. Despite EG's problems, this should give them a heavy advantage and it will be up to mancloud to fill some very vocal shoes in pr0lly's position. mancloud is a player with a lot of experience and an immense amount of skill, and while the change does make EG the favorites, a surprise upset from compLexity is not out of the question. Keep an eye out for the mancloud vs Pobelter match-up as it will be crucial in deciding the winner of this match.

LMQ (4-0) vs Team Dignitas (3-1)

The second highlight of the week, this match-up is going to be crucial in determining the true strength of the Dignitas roster with their new support staff. LMQ has looked dominant, especially with XiaoWeiXiao's CS numbers in every game. Vasilii seemed like a hit or miss player coming into the week with his aggressive style, but his 17.7 KDA says everything about his skill. Individually, LMQ have looked near perfect across the board. While DIG's solo lanes have been heavily upgraded and look formidable so far, it is going to be up to the "kiwipie" lane to withstand the threat that is Vasilii.

Despite LMQ's dominant performances, their shot calling at times has looked a bit shaky. It will be very hard for DIG to individually outplay their opponents in this match-up and they'll have to look at outplaying LMQ around the map. With shaky shot calling against compLexity and dominant shot calling against Cloud 9, this aspect of DIG is still up in the air. The key match-up in this game will be Shiphtur against XiaoWeiXiao. Shiphtur has looked incredibly good in DIG but has fallen behind in his CS during laning phase in every game so far. This is because of various factors and so far hasn't been too big of a concern, but against a player like XiaoWeiXiao, Shiphtur's performance is the key to a Dignitas victory. With LMQ's team aggression meeting Crumbzz's early game aggression, the first fifteen minutes of this game should be explosive and will likely decide the winner.

This is a key game during Day 1 as it sets up our expectations for both teams going forward into their equally tough Day 2 schedules. Have your popcorn ready before this starts because you won't want to miss a single second.

Cloud 9 (2-2) vs Curse (1-3)

Our last match-up of the day features two teams that have confused the minds of most fans. On one hand, we have Cloud 9, one of the most dominant teams in the history of the NA LCS. Two time consecutive NA split champions, Cloud 9 were expected to show up insanely strong at the start of this split. The losses that occurred were a huge shock to every viewer watching. A lot of fans are worried that this might be the beginning of the downfall for Cloud 9 but it is important to remember that the team was playing with barely any practice with their primary shot caller, Hai, and Cloud 9 has always recovered from losses with a vengeance. Despite their initial stumble, Cloud 9 are still the heavy favorite in this match and will most likely show the world their true strength as a team. Hai is a passionate player and doesn't take losses lightly. He'll be coming into this with something to prove.

Curse has had a very strange time so far. In all of their games, Curse looked just a tiny bit away from winning their games and the consistency with which they managed this feat is a troubling issue. Curse lost their early game in the majority of last week's matches but still gave their opponents a solid fight through good picks. They also scored a victory over Team Dignitas, who had beaten Cloud 9. The scary part about Curse games is that the issues for the team to fix aren't as blatantly obvious as some other teams. Curse plays a good game, but never a great game. Their early game needs to improve and their mid/late game, while good, could be better. Curse has been constantly improving since Spring Split, and if that trend keeps up, then this match will be a very good game to watch for the sheer rotational outplays that are bound to occur.

Cloud 9 wants vengeance for their losses, and Curse wants to desperately prove that they belong among the top teams in NA. Both teams are thirsty for a win, and because of that, be ready for a fantastic match to end off Day 1 of the second week of the NA LCS. 

NA Summer Split Preview:

Things are HEATING UP in the NA LCS!

by Pieter "antdriote" Cnudde

All-Stars is over and Korea still owns us all. But how did this off-season really affect the NA LCS scene? Many teams have made significant adjustments and this is my breakdown of all the teams and how beneficial those changes should be for them.

-Cloud 9: 1st Place team in the Spring Split (regular and playoffs).

Even without Hai, they had a good run at All-Stars. They've been the best team in NA for two splits in a row and they are the only LCS team that has stuck with their line-up. C9 works great together and every role has accomplished players. Balls was a big carry during All-Stars, the bot lane held their own, and Meteos is still praised by junglers worldwide. While Hai couldn't show his skill against Faker or the other mid laners at All-Stars, he's eager to play with the team again and prepare for worlds.

They come out of the off-season with all the benefits: no roster swaps, excellent synergy and good international experience from All-Stars. They are the smartest tactical team in NA and probably have learned a thing or two from playing SKT T1 K. The only thing that could hold them back would be Hai’s health.

Prediction: First place -  99% sure for both playoffs and regular season.

-Counter Logic Gaming: 3rd Place team in the Spring Split (regular and playoffs).

Top laner Nien voluntarily left CLG after folding to fan criticism following his weak performance during the playoffs. CLG immediately started searching for a suitable replacement. Shin "Seraph" Woo Yeong presented himself to CLG’s coach and he is now living in the CLG gaming house to see if he can work with the team. A substitute for Najin White Shield in OGN, the mechanically-sound Seraph has been wrecking NA solo queue since the day he arrived in LA, playing a wide variety of champions from meta picks like Renekton and Shyvana to less orthodox picks like Lissandra and Yasuo. His English is good enough for in-game communication and he has a great work attitude. Little LAN experience is his only downfall. (He's played just one OGN game in his life.) Only the future will tell how strong the "shinergie" will be with his team.

Doublelift and Link should bring fresh All-Stars' insight on Cloud 9 and the international teams. CLG might struggle a bit in the beginning of the season (a new player always takes time to adapt,) but Seraph really wants this and he'll work hard to help them become a great team.

Prediction: Top 2 or 3 at least and might upset C9 in the playoffs.

-Team SoloMid: 2nd Place team in the Spring Split (regular and playoffs).

Sadly, the General stepped down, replaced by MVP jungler, Amazing, from the Copenhagen Wolves. Amazing has shown brilliance in the EU LCS and ended the split with the highest KDA and total gold for a jungler. Nervous TSM fans will point out that the team picked him up without trying him first, but Regi has never made a bad roster choice in the past. Mechanically, Amazing is definitely an upgrade for TSM. TheOddOne lived his glory days. He had issues adjusting to the new jungle and his pressure and duel skills were probably the worst in the league.

The departure of Xpecial was a big surprise. At first benched for his attitude, Reggie then traded him to Curse. Now Gleeb, former support player for Cloud 9 Tempest, is taking up the role. I don’t feel Gleeb is an upgrade for TSM. He is a challenger support with little experience at the top level and TSM lost a good shot-caller in Xpecial. However, he could bring some new life to the team.

This is the first time TSM has replaced two players at once, so it might take time for them to get back into form. They are a strong team that, with even poor shot-calling, could still beat most of the lower LCS teams.

Predictions: Top 4 in regular split, will try and compete for worlds. Can only go super wrong if the new players don’t fit with the team and more swaps or time is needed.

-Dignitas: 4th Place in the regular split and 5th in playoffs.

Dignitas narrowly escaped relegations by beating Coast in the playoffs with the aid of retired player, Scarra (who is now their coach). The team received an upgrade in mechanics with Zionspartan and Shiphtur, but neither player brings much by way of shot-calling ability or insight. Strategy-wise, Dig is still a very low tier team. As a coach, Scarra will try to fix many of these issues so they can contend for a top slot again. Dig now has three strong lanes, but they need to have a good transition into the mid game and fix their shot-calling issues. I don’t feel they will grow insanely this split, but they can work towards the next split and make life hard for most teams.

Predictions: Around 3-6  in regular and semis in playoffs.

-Curse: 5th Place in the regular split and 4th in playoffs.

Pleased after ending fourth, Curse didn't seem to look for a roster swap until they saw the opportunity to pick up Xpecial as their new support. Xpecial seems like an advantage for the Curse line-up:  a decent shot-caller and top NA support to help Cop realize his full potential.Curse has always shown great early strategies and fighting ability, but they look like a group of kids playing the game for the first time when they go past the 20 minute mark. Hopefully some coaching and the addition of Xpecial's voice will help Curse become stronger in the upcoming split. Both Curse and Dig have made mechanical upgrades, but their core issues are still there, so they are pretty even to each other. Curse will have problems in their solo lanes, though, in the head-to-head games.

Prediction: Around 3-6 in regular and maybe semis in playoffs.

-Evil Geniuses: 7th Place in regular split.

The only team that didn't get relegated during the promotions tournament. They haven’t announced any official roster swaps but are supposedly doing some try-outs. EG will need to improve a lot in their laning and skirmishes. They are tactically not the worst team in NA, but they fall too far behind in gold to fight for the objectives they want to take.

Innox has a small champion pool with almost no meta picks. He might become more relevant now that the tank meta top is shifting a bit. Pobelter seems to be godlike, but only on rare occasions. When he finishes high school in June, he should be able to work on his consistency and perhaps live up to the hype that surrounded him earlier in the season. Help will still be needed for Snoopeh and Yellowpete, who don’t seem to be able to handle the competition in their respective roles. The try-outs might help EG a bit, but if they just get outplayed mechanically, it will be hard for them to win a lot of games. I’m fearing for the boys in blue - but there's always hope.

Prediction: 6-8 (and probably relegations again).

-LMQ (aka Chinese overly-hyped train)

Yes, LMQ swept the challenger scene. No, they won’t just come in and win NA LCS. You put any LCS team in challenger and they will also dominate the scene (eg. Coast in NACL) but that doesn't mean they would be tops in the LCS. LMQ is created from a secondary Chinese team that has great mechanical players (like most Chinese teams) but they lack any strategy and seem to experience a lot of LAN nerves.

LMQ will make every game hard for the bottom teams because they mechanically outclass them. They can win the solo queue way - stomping lanes and having better team fights. But the smart teams can just avoid the fights they don’t want and play safe or use lane-swapping to diminish the early lane bullying from the Chinese team. C9 showed at IEM and All-Stars that Chinese teams can be beaten and this team is much weaker than WE and OMG. I don’t see the team picking up an analyst or coach anytime soon, so they will probably be a Chinese TSM - strong lanes, good fights, but poor decision making. We’ll see how far they can make it in the split against the growing NA scene.

Predictions:  3-5 in regular and semis in playoffs.

-compLexity

The third-seeded challenger team may have beaten Coast, but they don’t look any better than them. Westrice had great issues against Zion and it seems only PR0LLY is really at a decent level to compete in the LCS. They are just a challenger team that will soon realize their solo queue mentality alone won’t make them a successful team in the LCS.

Predictions : 7-8 (At this point, I don’t see a way that Complexity can avoid relegation.)

The first Superweek will give us a better view how the teams look with their new rosters. The teams that ended the LCS with the same rosters they have now will have a great advantage going into playoffs and should be the highest seeded teams.

Thanks for reading my NA LCS preview. Thoughts or comments? Leave them below or tweet me @antdrioite

LCS Central's Question of the Day!

We asked:

Which team do you think will benefit most from their off-season changes?

And here's what you had to say - 

‏@meltotheany said: I hope #Dignitas because I'm a fangirl and #CLG because they will be so scary if Seraph is 100% confirmed as their starting top!

@LoLDecayd said: Seraph hype train incoming. But I think Dignitas/Curse benefited the most.

‏@Gentleman_Joey said: Love Dig's moves. Zions an amazing top laner and they got arguably the 2nd best mid in NA last split. Dig looks good.

‏@Reckcer  said: Fixing the weak solo laners on Dig will definitely be the most beneficial thing to happen for a team.

‏@JessuehCosplay said: Have to go with TSM again, Amazing will most likely get coaching by TOO to adjust to NA, also new support wind. looking strong!

‏@packieeeeee said: If Seraph stays on CLG then CLG it is. But since that isn't 100% sure yet I'll go for Curse!

‏@COGAvenger said: I'd have to say TSM, TheOddOne coaching and some new players put them in a great position - just what they need to break the slump!

‏@DSherony said: I really could talk about this for hours. C9 probably benefits most from all the off-season changes everyone else has something new.

‏@AndrewGridah said: Removing legacy members like OddOne and Xpecial might just put TSM in the position to take 1st place finally in this upcoming split.

‏@n_Fatic said: I'd say @TeamCurseGaming, imo, got the best support in NA/EU on their team. If IWDominate steps it up next split then who knows!

‏@kate_diegan said: I don't know about changes but I think EG will make it big next split. i think they need the whole team under 1 roof to make magic happen.

‏@JoeyDevaux said: Honestly, I think it's Curse. If Xpecial shows up to play then I think he'll dimensionalize the line up.

‏@AmunyLoL said: Dignitas. They now own very strong laners, and I can't wait to see how Crumbz will be able to apply pressure more freely.

‏@cbgaara said: Definitely clg. Having a consistent high level top laner will help them out greatly

‏@Konman81 said: CLG, a high mechanical top laner is almost the missing piece for them.

‏@Fenixsniper said: CLG! From #3 to #2 or 1 ez

‏@salicylism said: Probably DIG. Very good additions to their roster.

‏@rHougs said: Dig and C9, digs new solo owners are massive and C9 not making any changes is pretty smart

‏@irvomusyoka said: Dignitas!! They now have a very strong midlaner and their toplane can carry hard at times! As well as the legendary kiwipie bot!

‏@RderVayne said: i think Dignitas have strong players now if they can handle their shot calling then they will be strong next split.

‏@nuggetsauce said: After watching CLG's new top laner, they got a lot stronger.

‏@thebadw0lf_ said: Dignitas!

Looks like Dignitas picked up a lot of new fans and support this week. What do you think, #LCS Friends? :) 

NA LCS Playoff Predictions

NA LCS Playoff Predictions by antdrioite.

I’ll try and explain why I believe each team will win. Note that I add percentages to some matches. I believe those have more chance for an upset.

1.  Quarterfinals

CLG – Coast H2H (4-0) Expectations (2-0)

Even when CLG didn’t have Dexter on the team they had no problems with Team Coast. CLG has shown they can adapt quickly to new patches and clearly have a better mid/late game than Coast. If ZionSpartan or Shiphtur don’t get too big in the early game, CLG will just walk over them with good rotations and objective control. Dexter just has to control the pace of the game, and lane swapping can lessen the impact Zion has early in the game. Link can definitely handle himself against Shiphtur and the rush hour botlane has not shown fear of to many other botlanes. If both teams get evenly strong team comps then CLG should have no problems closing out the series in two quick games.

Dignitas – Curse H2H (1-3) Expectations (2-1) 60-40%

Curse has been in a weak spot the last couple of weeks and will need to prove themselves during the playoffs. A win against CLG (who were obviously not taking the game seriously and had problems with the Shen bug) doesn’t convince me that Curse is back. Even though Curse has a lead in the head to head, Dig won the last game and has shown much improvement since Scarra stepped down as mid and became the full-time coach of Dignitas. Both teams have some unorthodox picks and might surprise each other with that, but Dig has shown that they can adapt quickly. Curse could definitely take a game off Dignitas with some strong picks or early snowballing but Dig shouldn't be surprised twice and I give them a good chance of winning the series 2-1 or even 2-0. Curse can’t be underestimated and will definitely show a good match, I give them a 40% chance of actually making an upset and winning the series but I do not expect them to actually win it.

2.  Semifinals

TSM – CLG H2H (3-1) Expectations (1-2) 35-65%

Fans will hate me for this but I just think TSM is a bit weaker these days. They also admitted to having problems adjusting to new patches. With patch 4.5 being such a big one, CLG will have a clear advantage in that point. TSM got a few blows during Super Week, losing to last place XDG and getting (sorry for my words) crushed by C9. CLG had a much better game against C9 and were on a mission the last day of Super Week. CLG has admitted that TSM is a strong (maybe even stronger) opponent, and much will be decided in the pick and ban phase. TSM can choose which side they start on, so they have a small edge in that if they want to counterpick mid twice or just have the strong first pick jungle/adc. TSM wins most of their games by having strong lanes and forcing team fights in the mid game so they can take an objective after they win that fight.

     Dexter is a bit stronger in the jungle than OddOne. If CLG can have even lane match-ups, they should have the edge transitioning into the mid/late game. They have stronger rotations and are clearly better in lane swapping. If Bjergsen and Dyrus don’t get too big, Dexter should be able to control the pace of the game until his team's rotations help them close out the game. Much will be decided in the botlane since both botlanes have shown they can carry the game. Wildturtle’s Twitch can’t be underestimated and neither supports should be given Thresh for free. Dyrus might not be the shining star of TSM, but he's been their rock for a long time and will have to be at his best if TSM wants a chance to win this series. I believe CLG can win this series 2-1, but TSM will not just roll over and die. I do fear their slow adjustments to new patches and worse objective control/jungle early will cost them. Whatever the outcome may be, this should be one hell of a series to watch for all the fans.

Cloud 9 – Dignitas H2H (3-1) Expectations (2-0)

Cloud 9 has been on fire. They evened their win streak record and after being in TSM’s shadow for most of the split, they want to show they are still the number one team in NA. Dignitas beat them once in the start of the split but these aren’t the same teams anymore. C9’s rotations are almost perfect and even if the lanes falter, Meteos can step up and solo the game.  

     Dignitas will not surprise Cloud 9 with special picks. All lanes are solid and if one gets behind, the rest will step up to carry the game. Dignitas fans might hope on a miracle but a focused C9 is almost unbeatable. Dropping only seven games in two splits and ending number one in both those splits tells enough, in my opinion. The team also has the biggest KDA and much better synergy than the new Dignitas with Goldenglue. This will probably be the most one-sided series of the playoffs and is mostly just preparation for C9 to win the playoffs. Dignitas should just try and show they can perform and take lessons for the third place match against TSM.

3.  5th and 3rd place match.

Coast – Curse H2H (1-3) Expectations (2-1) 50-50%

Both teams are at the bottom of the table and have problems being consistent. Coast has shown some improvement in the last few weeks and I always have the feeling they can win the game they are playing. Like Scarra said, up until they lose the game, they're winning. Shiphtur and Zion are incredible sololaners and show time and again that they can take control of a game. But winning is a team effort and league is a five man game, so the rest of Coast will need to step up to help get themselves out of relegations.

     Curse shows some life now and then but they lack consistency and a solid plan when going into pick and ban phase. If Coast can pick up LeBlanc or Nidalee for Shiphtur, then Curse will have a lot of problems dealing with both him and the always strong Zionspartan in the top lane. I feel those two might be just enough for Coast and they can avoid relegations if the rest of the team just doesn’t fall behind in this match. Curse has the advantage in the head to head standings and might take that to the playoffs but will not have it easy. I believe both teams are evenly matched but Coast will take the series on the backs of Shiphtur and mostly Zionspartan.

Dignitas – TSM H2H (0-4) Expectations (0-2) 30-70%

TSM will be hungry for the victory after their most likely close loss to CLG and will not give Dignitas an easy time. The head to head record shows that TSM have had no problems with Dignitas this split and I think that will continue into the playoffs. Bjergsen will have little issues with Goldenglue and the superior laning should give TSM the match quite convincingly. Dignitas should definitely show some strength after their games against C9, but I believe TSM will win this match without many issues.

4.  The Finals

Cloud 9 – CLG H2H (3-1) Expectations (3-1) 60-40%

Cloud 9 proved to be the superior team in their last two meetings with CLG and, with near flawless rotations, they deserve the number one seed they earned this split. But they showed some weakness in their last game against Coast, and CLG will exploit any weakness that they can find. The pick and ban phase of every game will be very important for the outcome of the match. Both Cloud 9 and CLG have great rotations and the small skirmishes around objectives like dragon will probably decide the outcome of every game.

Dexter and Meteos will watch each other, and the team that wins the jungle battle will most likely come out victorious. If their latest match in Super Week was a taste, then this will definitely be the best series of the weekend. I expect both teams to show everything they have, but C9 will have a clear edge because they are the older and a more consistent team. Dexter has made big impacts for CLG and they will keep growing, but C9 has proven and should prove that they are still the number one team in NA.

5.  Persons to watch

Zionspartan is the strongest player from Coast and is also their voice. If the team gets into late game, he will be the man that gives the commands and will lead Coast to victory. Not just through skill but through leadership. If he has a good game and the team doesn’t fall behind, anything can happen for Coast.

Bjergsen is maybe new to the shot caller role but he'll need to be at the top of his game if TSM wants to end in the top three and maybe even win the playoffs. TSM is solid and will fight for every game, and Bjergsen will definitely not be easy on his opponents. Watch out for TSM when they get to the midgame with a good teamfighting comp or with Bjergsen on LeBlanc in a strong pickcomp. Even his Syndra should spread fear to his opponents and not to be underestimated. TSM won’t win or break with Bjergsen but he will have a big part in their victory.

Meteos and Dexter: Both junglers help their team immensely during the early game and their control around dragons and buffs will determine the success of their matches. Both junglers should be feared, but note that without their team they can be punished for aggressive behavior. Meteos might opt more to farm and Dexter to roam but if they get a small lead, they will be aggressive and dominating throughout every game.

These are my predictions for the NA LCS playoffs. Whatever you might believe or agree too, just support your team and enjoy the matches. They should be amazing!

Esports : NACS PlayOffs : Today's Matches

Today's Matches : 

1. Curse Academy vs compLexity Black for Third Place

2. LMQ vs Cloud 9 HyperX Tempest - Finals 

C9 Roster: Yazuki - Top , kez - Jungler, Bischu - Mid, Altec - ADC, Gleebglarbu - Support

LMQ Roster: ackerman - Top, NoName - Jungler, XiaoWeiXiao - Mid, Vasilii - ADC, Mor - Support

Want to know more about these teams? Check out @RedShirtKing's site, lessthanlegends. He's got everything you need to know there to help you enjoy the games. :)  (Then..erm..come back here!)

LCS CENTRAL POWER RANKINGS : PLAYOFFS EDITION

LCS Central Rankings : Playoffs : by Joshua Kon

1. Cloud 9 - Their undefeated Super Week ended with an intense backdoor of Coast's base by Meteos. Wins against top 2 NA Teams gives them #1 seed.

2. SK Gaming - Having the best EU Super Week, SK Gaming takes the #1 seed in Europe and looks to surprise a region.

3. Fnatic - They have found their stride once again and now are the #2 seed in EU. Favorites for the playoffs? I'd say so, as Fnatic has not lost a series in the EU LCS playoffs yet.

4. Team SoloMid - Fans for this team are now worried with their less than stellar adjustment to the 4.4 patch. With only two weeks to adjust to 4.5, can Team SoloMid change their losing ways?

5. Alliance - Having a chance to be #1 in Europe led to them going 2-2 and taking the #3 seed. A match-up with Fnatic in the semis is in their future.

6. Roccat - Going 2-2 in Super Week is not what Roccat wanted but they looked impressive in some of the games. They'll have the opportunity to stun the pro scene again against Gambit next week!

7. Counter Logic Gaming - Two bad loses against Curse and C9 puts them lower on the list than they should be. Though their dominating performance against Dig reminds us all just how good this roster can be!

8. Gambit Gaming - 14-14 is unimpressive for this organization. Maybe they tried different builds and champions but they are not looking great and could lose their opening series vs Roccat.

9. Copenhagen Wolves - They won and lost to some of the top teams in Europe this past week. I don't see an upset for these guys but they're miles ahead of any team in NA that's not Top 3.

10. Dignitas - Beating Curse and having some EG help has kept them at the #4 seed. They should have a great series vs Curse but I would not be surprised if they are in 6th place after the playoffs.

11. Curse Gaming - A huge win vs CLG lead to dud loses to Dig and EG. Curse should be a Top 4 team, but their team comps have been subpar.

12. Coast - This team has the potential to upset anyone at anytime! Zion and Shiphtur may actually be the best solo laners together on any team, but the weight of Nintendudex really holds them down!

Joshua's Predictions for playoffs:

EU - 1. Fnatic 2. SK gaming 3. Alliance 4. Gambit 5. Roccat 6. Wolves
NA - 1. CLG 2. C9 3. TSM 4. Curse 5. Coast 6. Dignitas

NA LCS Sun, April 6th - Super Week

Today's Matches: 

1. Team Dignitas vs Counter Logic Gaming
2. Evil Geniuses vs Curse
3. XDG vs Team SoloMid
4. Cloud9 vs Team Coast
5. XDG vs Evil Geniuses

One last chance at redemption for all....

CAN YOU HANDLE THE DRAMA??

NA LCS W11D2 Sat, April 5 - Super Week

Today's Matches: 

1. XDG vs Team Dignitas
2. Team SoloMid vs Team Coast
3. Curse vs Counter Logic Gaming
4. Team Dignitas vs Team Coast
5. Counter Logic Gaming vs Evil Geniuses
6. Team SoloMid vs Cloud 9 HyperX

The last game of the day is going to be one hell of a sweet match-up! 

GET READY!

NA LCS W11D1 Thur, April 3 - Super Week

Today's Matches:

1. Cloud 9 HyperX vs XDG
2. Team Coast vs Curse
3. Counter Logic Gaming vs Cloud 9 HyperX
4. Team Dignitas vs Curse
5. Evil Geniuses vs Team SoloMid

------------------------------------------------

EU LCS PLAYOFF BRACKET:

(From lolesports.com)

LCS Central Team Rankings Week 11

LCS Team Rankings : Week 11 : by Joshua Kon 

1. Cloud 9 - Last week, C9 went 2-0 in the NA LCS, destroying Curse and Dignitas. They have the toughest Superweek in NA facing both CLG and TSM, the powers of NA LCS.

2. Team Solo Mid - Despite a loss to CLG this weekend, TSM still looks strong and ready as ever to take the #1 seed and push to represent NA in the All Stars event!

3. Alliance - The hottest team in EU is finally living up to their potential. After a terrible start Alliance now finds themselves on top of a very tight race for the #1 seed in EU LCS.

4. Fnatic - Still hot from their 2nd place finish at IEM, Fnatic also finds themselves tied for first in Europe after a nightmare middle part of the split.

5. Counter Logic Gaming - Looking for another five game winning streak, CLG is coming off hot wins against XDG and TSM. Since Dexter has been in the roster, CLG has only three losses, two to TSM and one to C9. They look to beat C9 this week and maybe steal the #2 seed.

6. SK Gaming - They held First Place for a little while but now they have a chance to take their new roster and end a Split with the #1 seed in EU.

7. Gambit Gaming - Edward made some flashy plays on Thresh last week but Gambit needs to be careful this week as they face one of the toughest schedules in EU. If they don't win against CW on Tuesday they might find themselves fighting in Relegation much like NIP earlier this year.

8. Roccat - They are the roller coaster team in EU. Along with Gambit I personally feel Roccat has a much higher ceiling than what they have shown. They too need to be careful not to have a bad Superweek and find themselves on the outside looking in.

9. Copenhagen Wolves - The Wolves had  a strong Week 10 and may be a spoiler to some teams ahead of them. They have the potential to knock off anyone and they'll have to do some of that if they don't want SHC taking over their 6th seed.

10. Super Hot Crew - This is the bracket busting team in the EU LCS. Skill wise, I feel they are a bottom 2 team but they have very good chemistry and have proven with their strategies they can beat anyone fast. Look for the CW vs SHC match on Thursday to decide if they make the playoffs or if they are busted!

11. Dignitas - The Scarra era is over but a win against EG gave Dig fans hope. I personally was impressed with Goldenglue's performance on Lux after giving up first blood!

12. Curse Gaming - Playing the two top teams in NA really pushed Curse down but being up on TSM early shows the potential these guys have. A few misplays and some dodge spear practice and who knows what this Curse team could of done vs TSM.

13. Millenium - At the bottom of the EU LCS, Millenium maybe enjoying their final week in Cologne but their new Jungler looked strong and confident in his ability to be a shotcaller in the future.

14. Coast - If there would ever be a possible free agent/trade system in the LCS then two at the top of everyone's list would be ZionSpartan and Shiptur. These two could really be the missing pieces of Curse and Dignitas but can't succeed on Coast because of the weak cast around them.

NA LCS W10D2 Sun, March 30th

Today's Matches: 

1. Counter Logic Gaming vs XDG
2. Curse vs Team SoloMid
3. Cloud 9 HyperX vs Team Dignitas
4. Evil Geniuses vs Team Coast

C9 have tied TSM for first place. Can they steal it away? 

NA LCS W10D1 Sat, March 29th

Today's Matches: 

1. Dignitas vs Evil Geniuses
2. CLG vs TSM
3. Coast vs XDG
4. Curse vs C9

Dignitas will have a new midlaner as Goldenglue takes over for Scarra. And he'd better be good, because Scarra is some big shoes to fill! 

NA LCS W9D2 Sun, Mar. 23rd

Today's Matches: 

1. Team SoloMid vs Team Dignitas
2. Team Coast vs counter Logic Gaming
3. XDG vs Curse
4. Cloud 9 HyperX vs Evil Geniuses

TSM and C9 continue their neck and neck battle for first place in the NA LCS.

Meteos...Streamlined...

NA LCS W9D1 Saturday, Mar. 22nd

Today's Matches: 

1. Team SoloMid vs XDG
2. Curse vs Team Dignitas
3. Team Coast vs Cloud 9 HyperX
4. Evil Geniuses vs Counter Logic Gaming

Hello LCS friends! So...Let us call this what it is: A day full of underdogs getting a crack at upsets. There could be some stunning victories. There could be some complete annihilations. There could be some really bad puns. In fact, I'm sure of that last part. But the most important thing is, after a week of seeing no one but C9 at IEM...we're ready for some hardcore NA action!!

NA LCS W8D3 Sun Mar 9 SUPER WEEK

Today's Matches: 

1. XDG vs Team SoloMid
2. Counter Logic Gaming vs Team Coast
3. Team Dignitas vs Curse
4. Cloud 9 HyperX vs Counter Logic Gaming
5. Curse vs Evil Geniuses

Today could be the last time we see Reggie playing in the pros so hopefully it will be a sweet send off! :)

NA LCS W8D2 Sat, March 8 SUPER WEEK

Today's Matches: 

1. Team SoloMid vs Counter Logic Gaming
2. Evil Geniuses vs XDG
3. Cloud 9 HyperX vs Curse
4. Team SoloMid vs Evil Geniuses
5. XDG vs Team Coast
6. Team Dignitas vs Cloud 9 HyperX

Cloud 9 continues to chase TSM for First Place.

TSM continues to win! 

Will anything change that today? 

NA LCS W8D1 Fri, March 7 SUPER WEEK

Today's Matches : 

1. Evil Geniuses vs Cloud 9 HyperX
2. Team Coast vs Team SoloMid
3. Counter Logic Gaming vs Team Dignitas
4. Curse vs XDG
5. Team Coast vs Team Dignitas

Ready for an exciting weekend of great LCS action, NA Fans? :)

NA LCS W7D2 Sun, March 2

Today's Matches:

1. Cloud 9 HyperX vs Team SoloMid
2. Evil Geniuses vs Dignitas
3. XDG vs Counter Logic Gaming
4. Curse vs Team Coast

The C9 / TSM game is definitely the headliner...but I'm also curious to see if XDG and Coast can continue their winning streaks. You realize...it's possible XDG could end this day NOT in last place...because they are now getting SheePR! Will CLG get fleeced? :P

                                         

After ewe...

NA LCS W7D1 Sat, March 1

Today's Matches: 

1. XDG vs Cloud 9 HyperX  
2. Counter Logic Gaming vs Curse 
3. Team Dignitas vs Team SoloMid 
4. Team Coast vs Evil Geniuses  

There's no reason to suspect the 3-11 XDG won't continue to hemorrhage in their match vs the far superior C9, and a C9 win will put a bit more heat on TSM to win their match vs Dignitas. A TSM win will also be good for CLG, who are trying to hold on to their third place spot.Their match vs Curse is somewhat of a toss-up - CLG have the stronger record but Curse has posted near identical stats to them in terms of KDA and gold gains. For the fourth game, I believe Evil Geniuses will ride their two game winning streak to a victory vs Coast, but I don't believe ZionSpartan and the boys will make it easy for them.

 Also...I do think ZionSpartan will shut down Innox top..so there's that.. :P