NA LCS Summer week 5 preview
The resurgence of Team SoloMid and dive in results of Cloud9 make the NA LCS the place to be in the next two days. The two titans have now locked themselves in a critical, mid-table battle for dominance that will decide who will enter the top 4 and who will stay out. And while Evil Geniuses and Complexity cannot seem to find the right formula and start racking up wins, the situation on top looks a lot more interesting.
On the leaderboard summit, LMQ, CLG and Dignitas are tied at 7-3 and will be actively seeking to take advantage of every wrong step the direct competitors make. With tough matches all over the place, week 5 promises to bring exciting shifts. Hopefully, the World Cup won't be the only tournament with shocking results.
Teams to watch:
Evil Geniuses:
The EG crew looks to slowly pick up the pace, albeit not racking any wins. The key addition of Altec, proved to be immensely successful with young Johny Ru quickly becoming a key player within a line-up. His great showing thus far rightfully gives him a top 5 spot in the KDA ladder. In addition to the young marksman, Innox has stepped up his game and tries his best to move away from the player he was last split. The variable in this line-up is the newest recruit, Korean jungler Helios. Should the veteran play on fire this week, EG could definitely surpass Curse and finally leave the dreaded bottom two spots.
LMQ:
A very rough week stands in the way of the Chinese team. With games against CounterLogic Gaming and Cloud9, the first place suddenly becomes very, very hard to keep. As CLG is a direct top 3 competitor and C9 are desperately looking to end their unstable performances, LMQ without a doubt have a target painted on their back. This of course does not mean that the Asian invaders are powerless. Key players will once be mid laner XiaoWeiXiao and marksman Vasilii. Should the "big bois" bring their A-game, LMQ will keep the first place.
Team SoloMid:
Coach Locodoco's impact will shine through in week 5. After the good "fresh start" last week, the boys are looking more confident and able to meet the challenges that the other competitors present before them. The "reawakening" of both Bjergsen and Amazing once again brings the "deadly" factor withing the TSM ranks. Key players here will be the bot lane duo between WildTurtle and Gleeb. The pair has been shaky in recent times and only a solid performance will elevate the squad above fifth place.
Players to watch
Yu 'XiaoWeiXiao' Xian
The "big boi" of LMQ will be needed by his team more than ever. Praised for his uncanny ability to maintain a ridiculous amount of CS regardless of the match-up, the Chinese player needs to bring the best form he's ever had in order to defeat both Cloud9 and CLG. With a long list of potential champions he can pick, XiaoWeiXiao cannot be removed from the game with a simple pre-game ban and both of his opponents know that. One things is for certain, do not get the "big boi" rolling!
Hai 'Hai' Lam
The heart and soul of Cloud9 seems lost. With him, the whole team is struggling to keep the pace while eager competitors pass them by. We're not used to seeing C9 in a such a spot and despite conceding a couple of losses the squad is far from a dire situation. It is better for Hai to take his time now and figure out what's wrong, just so he can wreck faces in the playoffs. The games this week represent a perfect "boot camp" for the mid laner. Hopefully, week 5 will set the stage for a grand C9 return.
Alberto 'Crumbzz' Rengifo
Team Dignitas' jungler had an unconvincing week 4. With dignitas on top of the table, all those below would seek to dethrone them. Alberto showed an amazing three weeks, where he established himself as probably one of the strongest jungler in the NA LCS. His drop in form, albeit not large, has affected the team and another unconvincing display could cost them their top 3 spot. Crumbzz will have to step-up and once again terrorize the enemy from the jungle, leaving breathing space for Shiphtur to do "his magic".
Top game to watch:
LMQ vs CounterLogic Gaming
The top of the table clash will prove to be incredibly interesting. The two best bot lanes in North America will face each other and give us an entertaining fight for the crown. On the other hand, Link can try and put a halt to XiaoWeiXiao's streak of amazing performances and brightly shine should he prove instrumental tomorrow. The mid lane match-up will be key here as whoever wins the "the battle of the shortest lane" will be a sure winner.
As we can see from the table, both teams are pretty even when it comes to stats, with small difference in Champions killed and Minions killed (definitely XiaoWeiXiao's doing). This clash will decide who's hopes to retain the number one spot will be shattered for the time being, a match which everyone eagerly awaits.
The NA LCS week 5 starts tomorrow at the usual time. The switch of places with EU is because of the weekend show at the Wembley Arena in London, England. Do not forget to follow all the updates, news and interviews right from the studio in California, here on onGamers.com.
