EU Summer LCS Preview Part 2: Top dogs
The grim future depicted in the first part of our preview is not as dark as people recently have made it out to be. Despite the shuffles within the scene, Europe's overall League of Legends quality remains strong. The significant difference is between our region and the rest is the top teams - those with the highest chances of obtaining a Season 4 World Finals spot. While it is undeniable that North America is, on paper, the more well-rounded and better prepared region, there is still hope for the top four squads to shine bright.
The top dogs in the Summer split all possess a unique trait within the line-up, a player, strategy or a practice method that makes them stand out and take games off everyone else. Whether it is the "X Factor" of fnatic or the calculated and strategy-oriented approach of SK, those four teams have what it takes to become champions in their own right and move on to the highest level of competition. As the game progresses, so does the pro scene - nowadays climbing to a high spot is hard and staying there is even harder. Being King in your own neighborhood and being King of the whole town are two completely different things. The European teams must mentally prepare and strive to look beyond the home turf first place, their thoughts must be aimed at competing with the creme de la creme from North America, Korea and South East Asia. Let us look at the top of Europe and try to see how the Summer split will go for each one.
Team ROCCAT: Continuing the Polish legacy
The cheerful Poles came and took Europe by storm. Masked behind the KMT name, they upset the heavy favourites NiP in the winter of 2013 much to the shock and awe to those who were unfamiliar with the names Celaver, Vander, Overpow, Xaxus and Jankos. Despite the convincing nature of the victory against the Ninja squad, the now ROCCAT squad entered the European LCS with humble expectations from the crowd. Defying everyone, the Poles started dominating the opposition right from the get-go, amounting a good number of wins matched only by the near-perfect start from Fnatic. At one point, Overpow's consistency in mid lane gave fruition to a first place during the middle of the split. Given this spectacular performance from a debutante, three people stood out - Overpow, Jankos and Vander. All three remained fairly consistent and punished time after time opponents, foolish enough to leave Thresh for Vander or Lee Sin for Jankos. Not to mention the versatility and non-stop aggression from Overpow who had the guts to experiment (to great success) with out-of-the-box picks, most notably Mordekaiser.
All good things must come to an end and so did their winning streak. The only thing to prove at that point was that the Polish strike team were no MYM v2. After three weeks of unconvincing performances, they found their mojo once more which helped them to a crushing 2-0 victory against Russian powerhouse Gambit Gaming. Strategically however, they were just a tad behind the curve which lead to their loss against SK in the semi-finals. A sound win against rising Alliance saw the Polish take third place in their debut within the LCS, a feat worthy of respect. With no roster changes and a stable line-up consisting of a good mix between raw skill and will to improve only one question lies in front of the Poles: can they persevere and push their limits even further in the Summer split? While the answer should be an obvious yes, there are a couple of things that do worry me about ROCCAT.
First off is the unspectacular performance of Celaver. During the Summer, lets just list the AD Carries who will be in complete beast mode in order to obtain a Worlds spot: MrRallez, Rekkles, CandyPanda, Tabzz. While the team does not have an obvious weak link and I cannot in my right mind describe Celaver's performance as bad (because it was not), the Carry must step it up as Vander hooks only go as far. In a recent interview the latter praised the work ethic of his lane partner and whether that was true remains to be seen. The other factor is their lack of strategical depth during slightly longer games. This will not be that big of an issue. Knowing Veggie's determination to spearhead ROCCAT into a Worlds spot and manager Flyyy's work hard, play hard mindset, the only variable is whether the quintet are willing to listen and improve. Let's hope that the Poles will rise to the occasion and continue to represent the motherland as many others have done before them in Counter-Strike, StarCraft and Quake.
Player to watch: Marcin 'Jankos' Jankowski
The consistency in his play and ability to create necessary plays for his team definitely impressed during the Spring split. While solid, Jankos went relatively unnoticed as many focused on Shook's lack of results, Svenskeren's good split and Cyanide's mastery of thievery. Marcin is presented with a unique opportunity - to be the dynamo behind his team's success. He is a fairly well-rounded jungler, with no clear weaknesses and only his determination and hunger for victory will determine whether he will be the hero at the end of the split or the reason ROCCAT missed worlds. I have faith in Jankos's abilities and hopefully coach Veggie will have a trick or two up his sleeve for his jungler to perform.
Fnatic: Trouble in paradise
The undisputed champions of Europe have secured their third title in a row, but as we know from Winston Churchil - no success is final. The fanatics performed fantastically during the spring split and went through a "full cycle", from a incredibly dominant start to a slump then back to a higher gear near the end to put another title in the bag. At that point, Fnatic once again proved that they are the best Europe had to offer. Unlike any other line-up in the old continent, they possess such a constellation of power that should only one step-up, others will immediately follow and in turn, perform way better than usual. The time and money invested in Martin 'Rekkles' Larsson paid dividends as the youngster took every individual award out there this split in addition to the big cheque after the grand final against SK Gaming. What was even more impressive is that his superstar status did not get in the way of his endless hunger for 1st place silverware. Compared to the preview season of the team however, a steady decline was seen outside the Summoner's Rift.
Hints here and there were more than visible in the players' approach to the game. In interviews a part of the squad hinted a rather declined interest in the game or dissatisfaction with the state of the meta in certain aspects. Given the longevity of their careers it is inevitable for such a period to arise. What is alarming is the circumstances around Fnatic. When key players lose interest or do not give their best, the line-up is supposed to struggle, not win a third consecutive split. Is competition in Europe easy for Fnatic? Does the LCS system allow teams with low motivation to still garner enough success as long as they reach the playoffs? Just some food for thought and definitely topics for other, more editorial oriented articles.
What Fnatic accomplish in terms of training and strategical improvement during the break will determine their Summer performance. What should keep them on their toes is the fact that the eternal enemy - SK Gaming is breathing down their necks, ready to snap at the first possible moment. In addition, both ROCCAT and Alliance are more than capable of not just beating, but crushing the fanatics, so this is certainly the most competitive and difficult split they will encounter so far. On the other hand, the story line with their C9 rivalry is one which fans from both NA and EU follow with great interest. It would be a shame if the quintet does not find the motivation to not just win, but excel. The qualifier means nothing when you cannot you reveal your determination and hunger for the number one spot in the world, a line which Rekkles and co should take note of. Proving time and time again that they are a constant part of the European elite, now it is time for the team to assume their place among the World's best.
Player to watch: Lauri 'Cyanide' Happonen
The Finn is by now a legend in the European scene. An expert in stealing objectives and securing advantages for his laners, Cyanide has earned the nickname "the most selfless junger" on more than one occasion. Possessing a diverse champion pool and experience rivaled by no other jungler in the LCS, he would play a key part in this split for Fnatic. We have all seen Lauri swing games in the team's favour in a variety of ways, but the question here is a very serious one: will the Finn have the motivation and hunger to compete with the fresh blood in the scene after so many years and trophy room which includes a Season 1 Championship gold? If the answer is yes, then I cannot wait to see a determined Fnatic. If it is otherwise, then they will disappoint either in the LCS playoffs or the group stage of Worlds. A sight European fans cannot stand.
Alliance:
Once, a great fallen white wizard exclaimed "A new power is arising!". The rise of Alliance began disappointingly late last season, but has been a gradual rise in all aspects for Froggen's gang. Their loss to ROCCAT was definitely a surprise, but considering the incredibly rough start filled with slip-ups that was a respectable finish. The quintet had a lot of performance issues and everyone besides Froggen took their sweet time in adjusting to the LCS format, the new teammates and environment. Their initial bad performance came as a surprise to many, but behind the scenes the struggles of the team were not met withe neither shock, nor awe. In a Summoning Insight edition with Thorin and MonteCristo, mid laner and captain Froggen gave a very good overview of the "worst case scenario" situation the team was in - winning every scrim, but failing to deliver when it mattered, effectively shooting in the dark as to where the real problems were rooted.
Despite the numerous setbacks, the team bounced back, making it to the playoffs. Coming off a strong set of wins, everyone expected an incredible clash against Fnatic. However, the power of top lane Soraka was revealed to the world and despite taking a game off the the future champions, Tabzz and co fell to the 3rd/4th place match where they awaited the loser of SK Gaming vs Team ROCCAT. Venting their fury after the loss to SK Gaming, the Poles from ROCCAT demolished Alliance in a convincing fashion, stopping them in fourth place. A respectable ending to a tale that started in a horrific manner.
My hopes are that Alliance took the break between splits and have trained rigorously in order to assert dominance from the start. To be completely honest, Alliance house the most star-packed line-up in the LCS at the moment and this time, they have no excuses should they perform poorly. With the recent talks of analysts and coaches, the organisation has unofficially picked up two people who can provide the team with valuable input on the strategical aspect of League of Legends and improve small details in-game. Hopefully, we will see the fruit of their labour during the first two to three weeks of the Summer LCS. Alliance has all that it takes to siege the top 3 spots and qualify for Worlds later this year where they can, for the first time, duke it out with the best across the globe. My fingers are crossed as Europe definitely needs a new and fresh powerhouse which can prove naysayers wrong.
Player to watch: Erik 'Tabzz' van Helvert
The Dutch mid laner-turned-AD Carry is one of the rare "complete packages" of League out there. Incredible mechanics, sound decision making and a deep understanding of the game. His breakout season with Lemondogs was proof that Erik is a sound competitor regardless of his role switch and now, with Alliance the Dutch maestro must solidify his status withing the European marksman elite. Possessing a wide range of AA based champions he excels at, Tabzz will have to spearhead his lane into the lead, taking pressure and allow breathing space for the Danish dynamite duo of Froggen and Wickd who can, in turn, unleash their power on the enemy team. With the aid of Nyph, Tabzz needs to once again shine during the Summer and I really would like to see what the Dutch youngster can do against the rest of the world.
SK Gaming
The triumphant return of one of the oldest premier eSports organisations to the LCS was spectacular. As the ocelote era came to an end, a good mix of old and experienced competitors thrown in together with fresh blood, ushered in a new timeline for the SK line-up. Coming into the split with little to none expectations, the team was immediately considered sub-par, compared with the titans that had inhabited the upper part of the table. The edition of nRated finalized the roster which went on to finish first during the regular Spring season, ending with no negative record against other LCS teams. Lead by captain CandyPanda, the team adopted a clear style of play - calculated and well-thought approach, relying on crisp and timely rotations and an objective control-based game. Mid way through the split, comparisons between the new iteration of SK and Cloud9, definitely an honor and a testament to the success they have garnered.
During the split, SK were the only truly consistent team, steadily climbing the table, spot after spot, without losing their steam should things go wrong. What was even more impressive was the determination with which the team tried out new compositions and picks. The highlight of those experiments were the Kayle and Galio support picks, both of which won their respective games. Despite not boasting the most mechanically potent constellation of players out there, SK have adopted the right approach to the game which tailored to their strengths, yielded great results for the boys in white and blue. To see how much the line-up actually improved during the course of the split, let me just tell you that prior to joining SK Gaming, mid laner Jessie 'Jesiz' Le was actually an AD Carry main.
The future is bright for the squad with a couple of clarifications. First and foremost, they need to step it up. If we compare them to their North American counterparts, C9 have dramatically improved their laning and have established themselves as not only capable of outthinking their opponents, but also outplaying them. SK have had stable early game during the Spring with the ever-present threat in the form of Svenskeren in the jungle and despite doing good, the boys should now do even better in order to get a ticket for Worlds. Secondly, they should include more champions to their pool. Riot are no strangers to completely changing the meta during the split or just prior to Worlds so in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, a champion or two more are definitely a benefit. SK Gaming now have to prove that the comparisons with Cloud 9 were spot on and assert themselves as the strategical kings of Europe.
Player to watch: Jessie 'Jesiz' Le
The Danish mid laner received mix greetings once he entered the EU LCS. Many fingers pointed at him as the weakest SK link, but Jessie did step it up and even had a couple of very impressive displays of skill, pulling his team out of a rough spot. Namely in the game against Fnatic, his Ziggs made the difference as the Dane bullied xPeke out of the lane and made up for the considerable difference in bot lane power. Now, Jessie is facing a bigger challenge - the inspired and determined competition for Worlds. The abilities and help he can get from both more experienced member and the coaching staff within the organisation are sufficient to boost Jessie, but the overall factor that would determine his level of improvement is the youngster's work ethic. Hopefully, we will see a new and improved Jesiz, a mid laner capable of safely winning lanes and securing valuable pressure for his team. Make everyone who chose you (the author included) as a starting player in their fantasy LCS teams proud, Jessie!
The Summer Split of the European League of Legends Championship series beings on 20th May 18:00 CEST with a match between SK Gaming and Fnatic. Tune into lolesports.com to follow the action and to onGamers.com for all the news, coverage and interviews right from the studio in Cologne.
Images courtesy of lolesports.com, millenium.org and leaguepedia.com
