Standings KDA Leaders Kills Leaders
1. TSM 4-0 (8-1) 1. BunnyFuFuu (C9) 12.3 1. Jensen (C9) 69
2. Team Envy 4-0 (8-2) 2. LOD (NV) 10.1 2. Sneaky (C9) 55
3. Cloud 9 3-1 (7-4) 3. Meteos (C9) 9.7 2. Doublelift (TSM) 53
4. Immortals 3-1 (7-4) 4. Sneaky (C9) 9.4 2. Huni (IMT) 49
5. Apex 2-2 (5-6) 5. Bjergsen (TSM) 7.8 5. Pobelter (IMT) 41
6. Echo Fox 1-3 (5-6) 6. Doublelift (TSM) 6.8 6. Ray (APX) 37
7. Team Liquid 1-3 (3-6) 7. Biofrost (TSM) 6.7 7. GBM (NRG) 36
8. NRG 1-3 (4-7) 8. Hauntzer (TSM) 6.6 8. LOD (NV) 36
9. CLG 1-3 (3-7) 8. Santorin (NRG) 5.7 8. Stixxay (CLG) 36
10. Phoenix1 0-4 (1-8) 10. Impact (C9) 5.4 10. 2 Tied at 33
Best-of-Threes: Working as Intended
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| Best-of-threes have brought a great deal of excitement to the NA LCS |
The implementation of best-of-three series into the NA LCS was a no-brainer and, quite frankly, should have happened sooner. This past weekend, we saw the depth and flexibility the new system allows, as exactly half (5) of the series went to a decisive third game. Often times, the results of the games were radically contrasting, as each teams' endurance, versatility, and ability to adapt on the fly was put to the test. How different would Week 2 look had these teams been playing just isolated matches? Well, Immortals would have not have the opportunity to ban out Ohq's Twitch that terrorized them in their first match-up, and in turn would have fallen to a winless NRG team. Counter Logic Gaming would be 0-4, now having lost the opening match of every single series. And TSM would look like invincible world-beaters, throttling Immortals in Game 1 before finally showing some vulnerabilities in Games 2 and 3.
The Eastern League of Legends regions have been playing best-of series for quite some time. The advantages are quite apparent, and are already on display just two weeks after adoption into the LCS regions (Europe plays best-of-two). Not only only does it force teams to be multi-dimensional and better prepared, but it also places more pressure on a coaching staff to adapt. In addition, this is a similiar format to the best-of-fives that teams can expect to see in a playoff scenario, making them more aptly prepared for such a situation. With nine weeks and two series per week, a team can play up to 54 total matches this season, well over twice the amount from the 2016 Spring Split. While no team is likely to actually play that many games, they will still be playing more than ever before in the LCS. With a greater sample size, we achieve more reliable results. When it's all said and done, the cream will rise to the top.
The implementation of best-of-three series into the NA LCS was a no-brainer and, quite frankly, should have happened sooner. This past weekend, we saw the depth and flexibility the new system allows, as exactly half (5) of the series went to a decisive third game. Often times, the results of the games were radically contrasting, as each teams' endurance, versatility, and ability to adapt on the fly was put to the test. How different would Week 2 look had these teams been playing just isolated matches? Well, Immortals would have not have the opportunity to ban out Ohq's Twitch that terrorized them in their first match-up, and in turn would have fallen to a winless NRG team. Counter Logic Gaming would be 0-4, now having lost the opening match of every single series. And TSM would look like invincible world-beaters, throttling Immortals in Game 1 before finally showing some vulnerabilities in Games 2 and 3.
The Eastern League of Legends regions have been playing best-of series for quite some time. The advantages are quite apparent, and are already on display just two weeks after adoption into the LCS regions (Europe plays best-of-two). Not only only does it force teams to be multi-dimensional and better prepared, but it also places more pressure on a coaching staff to adapt. In addition, this is a similiar format to the best-of-fives that teams can expect to see in a playoff scenario, making them more aptly prepared for such a situation. With nine weeks and two series per week, a team can play up to 54 total matches this season, well over twice the amount from the 2016 Spring Split. While no team is likely to actually play that many games, they will still be playing more than ever before in the LCS. With a greater sample size, we achieve more reliable results. When it's all said and done, the cream will rise to the top.
The Eastern League of Legends regions have been playing best-of series for quite some time. The advantages are quite apparent, and are already on display just two weeks after adoption into the LCS regions (Europe plays best-of-two). Not only only does it force teams to be multi-dimensional and better prepared, but it also places more pressure on a coaching staff to adapt. In addition, this is a similiar format to the best-of-fives that teams can expect to see in a playoff scenario, making them more aptly prepared for such a situation. With nine weeks and two series per week, a team can play up to 54 total matches this season, well over twice the amount from the 2016 Spring Split. While no team is likely to actually play that many games, they will still be playing more than ever before in the LCS. With a greater sample size, we achieve more reliable results. When it's all said and done, the cream will rise to the top.
Cloud 9 Ascending
No one had a better weekend than Michael "BunnyFuFuu" Kurylo
It is never an organization flying under the radar, but watch out for Cloud 9 in the coming weeks. After dropping it's opener in a tight set with Immortals, Cloud 9 has rebounded to win its next three series in rather convincing fashion. The players claim that the new lineup's communication is steadily improving each and every week, an assertion that has translated to the Rift. In a 2-0 weekend, Cloud 9 steamrolled Phoenix1 in a Game 3, then went on to sweep Counter Logic Gaming cleanly. What a win over CLG is worth these days is debatable, but we'll get to them later.
For me, it quite literally begins with the re-insertion of William "Meteos" Hartman into the starting lineup. Cloud 9 has played 11 games this season, and Meteos has either killed or assisted on first blood in nine of them (82%). Straying away from his old "farm until six" style, Meteos's early pressure, particularly on Rek'Sai, has given his team a jump on the competition. By purchasing an early Sighstone, he usually converts that early advantage into vision, allowing his team to press further. After nearly a year away from competitive play, rust and an adjustment period was to be expected. This has not been the case, however, as Meteos leads all junglers in KDA (9.7) and assists (101).
Meteos is not the only C9 member filling the stat sheet, as mid-laner Jensen and AD carry Sneaky are first and second in the league in kills, with 69 and 55 respectively. While these are a bit skewed considering C9 has played more games (11) than any other team besides Immortals, it still is a number worth noting. With two of the premier carries in the league, it demonstrates that C9 is managing to put it's gold in the right hands, and they are delivering. Not only that, but both players also reside in the top four in CS per minute. Jensen is in second with 9.6 and Sneaky tied for third with 9.0. While the mid-laner and AD carry rack up kills, the rest of the team accumulates assists.
While it is difficult to consider a former world-champion a supportive player, that's exactly what Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong has been for Cloud 9 this season. Since winning the 2014 World Championship with SK Telecom T1, Impact has been a part of several mediocre teams (Impulse and NRG), only to fade from prominence. Following a disappointing finish to the Spring Split, C9 acquired Impact to replace veteran top-laner Balls. The transition was not seamless, as Impact found himself floundering in the front-line and making questionable teleport decisions early in the first week of the season. As communication has improved, however, he has become a big-time initiator and tank for his team. Winning four of six games and boasting a 7.20 KDA on the champion, Maokai has emerged as Impact's most reliable pick, and something other teams might look to take away from him in the future.
Amidst all the big names and kill statistics, Cloud 9's most integral member might be a part-time player, Michael "BunnyFuFuu" Kurylo. Despite sharing time at the support role with Smoothie, it seems inevitable that Bunny will be named a starter for C9. When in the lineup, he ignites the team with decisive and aggressive play-making capabilities, which the team lacks in his absence. The results don't lie: C9 has won five of it's six games with Bunny at support, while actually posting a losing record (2-3) with Smoothie. While Smoothie did have a tremendous performance with Nami (0/2/18) in the closeout game of CLG, the team functions significantly better with Bunny in the lineup. With him, they defeated CLG in about seven less minutes (34:42) than with Smoothie (41:23).
This is no slight to Smoothie, as BunnyFuFuu is simply playing as well, if not better, than any support in the league right now. In fact, following his amazing weekend, he sits alone atop the NA LCS leaderboard in KDA, with a mark of 12.3. The next highest is LOD of NV at 10.1. But the stats don't do the man justice, as C9 looks like an entirely different team with him in the lineup. In addition to his signature Thresh, Bunny is emerging as one of the best Bard players in North America, constantly forcing this issue, especially when his team is ahead. C9 has found tremendous success on the combination of Bard and Sivir, champions that allow them to quickly rotate around the map and pick off opponents in the blink of an eye. With Meteos effectively controlling vision in the jungle, the difficulties are further exacerbating for opposing teams. Opponents, however, are already beginning to key in on this niche for C9, taking away champions and forcing them to expound on leads in different ways. As a group of highly skilled and versatile players, they are undoubtedly capable, and will only develop more as the season progresses. A huge test approaches this Friday, as Cloud 9 takes on TSM for the first time this season, seeking to prove that they can compete with the region's first-place team.
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| No one had a better weekend than Michael "BunnyFuFuu" Kurylo |
It is never an organization flying under the radar, but watch out for Cloud 9 in the coming weeks. After dropping it's opener in a tight set with Immortals, Cloud 9 has rebounded to win its next three series in rather convincing fashion. The players claim that the new lineup's communication is steadily improving each and every week, an assertion that has translated to the Rift. In a 2-0 weekend, Cloud 9 steamrolled Phoenix1 in a Game 3, then went on to sweep Counter Logic Gaming cleanly. What a win over CLG is worth these days is debatable, but we'll get to them later.
For me, it quite literally begins with the re-insertion of William "Meteos" Hartman into the starting lineup. Cloud 9 has played 11 games this season, and Meteos has either killed or assisted on first blood in nine of them (82%). Straying away from his old "farm until six" style, Meteos's early pressure, particularly on Rek'Sai, has given his team a jump on the competition. By purchasing an early Sighstone, he usually converts that early advantage into vision, allowing his team to press further. After nearly a year away from competitive play, rust and an adjustment period was to be expected. This has not been the case, however, as Meteos leads all junglers in KDA (9.7) and assists (101).
Meteos is not the only C9 member filling the stat sheet, as mid-laner Jensen and AD carry Sneaky are first and second in the league in kills, with 69 and 55 respectively. While these are a bit skewed considering C9 has played more games (11) than any other team besides Immortals, it still is a number worth noting. With two of the premier carries in the league, it demonstrates that C9 is managing to put it's gold in the right hands, and they are delivering. Not only that, but both players also reside in the top four in CS per minute. Jensen is in second with 9.6 and Sneaky tied for third with 9.0. While the mid-laner and AD carry rack up kills, the rest of the team accumulates assists.
While it is difficult to consider a former world-champion a supportive player, that's exactly what Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong has been for Cloud 9 this season. Since winning the 2014 World Championship with SK Telecom T1, Impact has been a part of several mediocre teams (Impulse and NRG), only to fade from prominence. Following a disappointing finish to the Spring Split, C9 acquired Impact to replace veteran top-laner Balls. The transition was not seamless, as Impact found himself floundering in the front-line and making questionable teleport decisions early in the first week of the season. As communication has improved, however, he has become a big-time initiator and tank for his team. Winning four of six games and boasting a 7.20 KDA on the champion, Maokai has emerged as Impact's most reliable pick, and something other teams might look to take away from him in the future.
Amidst all the big names and kill statistics, Cloud 9's most integral member might be a part-time player, Michael "BunnyFuFuu" Kurylo. Despite sharing time at the support role with Smoothie, it seems inevitable that Bunny will be named a starter for C9. When in the lineup, he ignites the team with decisive and aggressive play-making capabilities, which the team lacks in his absence. The results don't lie: C9 has won five of it's six games with Bunny at support, while actually posting a losing record (2-3) with Smoothie. While Smoothie did have a tremendous performance with Nami (0/2/18) in the closeout game of CLG, the team functions significantly better with Bunny in the lineup. With him, they defeated CLG in about seven less minutes (34:42) than with Smoothie (41:23).
This is no slight to Smoothie, as BunnyFuFuu is simply playing as well, if not better, than any support in the league right now. In fact, following his amazing weekend, he sits alone atop the NA LCS leaderboard in KDA, with a mark of 12.3. The next highest is LOD of NV at 10.1. But the stats don't do the man justice, as C9 looks like an entirely different team with him in the lineup. In addition to his signature Thresh, Bunny is emerging as one of the best Bard players in North America, constantly forcing this issue, especially when his team is ahead. C9 has found tremendous success on the combination of Bard and Sivir, champions that allow them to quickly rotate around the map and pick off opponents in the blink of an eye. With Meteos effectively controlling vision in the jungle, the difficulties are further exacerbating for opposing teams. Opponents, however, are already beginning to key in on this niche for C9, taking away champions and forcing them to expound on leads in different ways. As a group of highly skilled and versatile players, they are undoubtedly capable, and will only develop more as the season progresses. A huge test approaches this Friday, as Cloud 9 takes on TSM for the first time this season, seeking to prove that they can compete with the region's first-place team.
Echo Fox Seeking Answers
Froggen is regarded as Echo Fox's best player, but the team is struggling
On the strength of a late-season push, Echo Fox finished the 2016 Spring Split at 6-12, barely avoiding relegation and securing a spot in the summer lineup. The momentum carried into the current split, where Echo Fox began the season with a 2-0 sweep of Phoenix1 in it's opening series. Froggen utterly dominated the series, following an 8/1/9 Viktor performance with a 3/1/5 showing on Swain. Since then, however, the team has lost three consecutive series, including back-to-back sweeps in Week 2.
An identical lineup to the one that had developed some cohesion last split now appears to be faltering, particularly in late-game situations. Despite going 0-4 over the weekend, three of Fox's four games hit the forty-minute mark, where the team had every opportunity to win. The one that did not go that distance was Game 2 versus NRG, where veteran top-laner Quas debuted Illaoi in the NA LCS to resounding success.While Quas did demonstrate proficiency on the champion, it seemed a foreign entity to Fox, and one the team simply could not deal with. In a feeble effort, they fell in just under 33 minutes by a kill count of just 2-7. Froggen farmed spectacularly as always (leading the game with 301 CS), but there just wasn't any sort of initiative taken on the side of Fox. For example, Hard finished the contest 0/0/0 on his jungle Graves, and dealt just 4,800 worth in damage. Maybe he's looking to preserve his KDA, but if you're going to go down, at least go down swinging.
This has been a theme this season, as Hard's kill participation (57.3%) is last among junglers having played at least eight games. For what it's worth, he has posted the highest KDA (3.9) on the team this season, while KFO is having an absolutely abysmal time in the top-lane. With a KDA of 1.6, KFO trails every NA LCS player whose name does not begin with P1. He is contributing on only 50% of his team's kills, which is dead last in the league by a wide margin. KFO made a name for himself last split as a prominent split-pusher as Fiora. In one Fiora game this season, however, he went just 1/5/3 and made a myriad of bad decisions. If he doesn't step up his play and the losing continues, don't be surprised to see Echo Fox go in a different direction.
Of course, the bottom-lane is not without it's own issues, as Keith and Big have been on completely different wavelengths thus far this season. After a brief stint on TSM propelled him into the LCS, Keith emerged as a serviceable AD Carry this spring. Thus far this summer, however, his 17 kills trails only P1's Mash among AD carries in North America. At 2.2 and 2.3 respectively, both Keith and Big are in the bottom 15 of the entire league in KDA. Despite repeatedly going back to Braum, Big has had some truly questionable performances on the champion. Some of his ultimates have been ill-advised and confusing, and he also often overestimates the champion's tankiness. Frankly, Echo Fox is a mess, whose only win-condition appears to be Froggen completely taking over a game.
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| Froggen is regarded as Echo Fox's best player, but the team is struggling |
On the strength of a late-season push, Echo Fox finished the 2016 Spring Split at 6-12, barely avoiding relegation and securing a spot in the summer lineup. The momentum carried into the current split, where Echo Fox began the season with a 2-0 sweep of Phoenix1 in it's opening series. Froggen utterly dominated the series, following an 8/1/9 Viktor performance with a 3/1/5 showing on Swain. Since then, however, the team has lost three consecutive series, including back-to-back sweeps in Week 2.
An identical lineup to the one that had developed some cohesion last split now appears to be faltering, particularly in late-game situations. Despite going 0-4 over the weekend, three of Fox's four games hit the forty-minute mark, where the team had every opportunity to win. The one that did not go that distance was Game 2 versus NRG, where veteran top-laner Quas debuted Illaoi in the NA LCS to resounding success.While Quas did demonstrate proficiency on the champion, it seemed a foreign entity to Fox, and one the team simply could not deal with. In a feeble effort, they fell in just under 33 minutes by a kill count of just 2-7. Froggen farmed spectacularly as always (leading the game with 301 CS), but there just wasn't any sort of initiative taken on the side of Fox. For example, Hard finished the contest 0/0/0 on his jungle Graves, and dealt just 4,800 worth in damage. Maybe he's looking to preserve his KDA, but if you're going to go down, at least go down swinging.
This has been a theme this season, as Hard's kill participation (57.3%) is last among junglers having played at least eight games. For what it's worth, he has posted the highest KDA (3.9) on the team this season, while KFO is having an absolutely abysmal time in the top-lane. With a KDA of 1.6, KFO trails every NA LCS player whose name does not begin with P1. He is contributing on only 50% of his team's kills, which is dead last in the league by a wide margin. KFO made a name for himself last split as a prominent split-pusher as Fiora. In one Fiora game this season, however, he went just 1/5/3 and made a myriad of bad decisions. If he doesn't step up his play and the losing continues, don't be surprised to see Echo Fox go in a different direction.
Of course, the bottom-lane is not without it's own issues, as Keith and Big have been on completely different wavelengths thus far this season. After a brief stint on TSM propelled him into the LCS, Keith emerged as a serviceable AD Carry this spring. Thus far this summer, however, his 17 kills trails only P1's Mash among AD carries in North America. At 2.2 and 2.3 respectively, both Keith and Big are in the bottom 15 of the entire league in KDA. Despite repeatedly going back to Braum, Big has had some truly questionable performances on the champion. Some of his ultimates have been ill-advised and confusing, and he also often overestimates the champion's tankiness. Frankly, Echo Fox is a mess, whose only win-condition appears to be Froggen completely taking over a game.
Struggles Continue for Counter Logic Gaming
Facing adversity, CLG looks to its leader, Aphromoo
Is it time to panic yet? Counter Logic Gaming, defending NA LCS champions and MSI runners-up have started the season 1-3, including two series sweeps. The same roster that took a game off SK Telecom (first NA team to do so) is struggling against regional competition. Yet, all that being said, I do not believe it is time to panic.
During a champion select phase, one commentator stated that CLG picks specifically around it's style, and in a way that might be confusing to other teams in any given meta. In the ensuing game, CLG played one of its cleanest contests of the split, cruising past Team Liquid in just over 30 minutes, by a kill count of 17-6, to secure its first series victory. In this game, we saw the defending champs. We saw the runners-up at MSI that captivated everyone with their exciting style. Sometimes, you just need to revert to what works for you, and CLG did just that in the final two games of this series. In two straight games on Caitlyn, arguably his best champion, Stixxay went a combined 11/2/10 Darshan, meanwhile, broke out his fabled split-pushing Jax to the tune of 7/0/2 in Game 2 of the series (expect to see a lot more Jax with the buffs to Trinity Force). The team's leader, Aphromoo, pushed the go-button with some amazing proactive Alistar play, racking up 22 assists in two games on the champion. For the first time all split, CLG looked like CLG, and appeared poised to make a push up the standings.
The very next day, however, CLG drifted away from these comfort picks, and was, in turn, swept by Cloud 9. Darshan once again picked Swain in the top-lane, only to fall to 0-2 on the champion with a KDA under one. Darshan, stop playing Swain. It might be a prominent and powerful choice at the moment, but it simply is not working for the team. With both Caitlyn and Alistar on the table, Stixxay and Aphromoo passed on their best champions (only ones with winning records this split) and instead aimed to pick against Cloud 9, taking away Sivir and Braum. Eventually, CLG's members will realize that they don't have to conform to what is "meta" or what is regarded as good. They are too smart not to. CLG simply has to get back into it's own game, and I fully expect this squad to do so.
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| Facing adversity, CLG looks to its leader, Aphromoo |
Is it time to panic yet? Counter Logic Gaming, defending NA LCS champions and MSI runners-up have started the season 1-3, including two series sweeps. The same roster that took a game off SK Telecom (first NA team to do so) is struggling against regional competition. Yet, all that being said, I do not believe it is time to panic.
During a champion select phase, one commentator stated that CLG picks specifically around it's style, and in a way that might be confusing to other teams in any given meta. In the ensuing game, CLG played one of its cleanest contests of the split, cruising past Team Liquid in just over 30 minutes, by a kill count of 17-6, to secure its first series victory. In this game, we saw the defending champs. We saw the runners-up at MSI that captivated everyone with their exciting style. Sometimes, you just need to revert to what works for you, and CLG did just that in the final two games of this series. In two straight games on Caitlyn, arguably his best champion, Stixxay went a combined 11/2/10 Darshan, meanwhile, broke out his fabled split-pushing Jax to the tune of 7/0/2 in Game 2 of the series (expect to see a lot more Jax with the buffs to Trinity Force). The team's leader, Aphromoo, pushed the go-button with some amazing proactive Alistar play, racking up 22 assists in two games on the champion. For the first time all split, CLG looked like CLG, and appeared poised to make a push up the standings.
The very next day, however, CLG drifted away from these comfort picks, and was, in turn, swept by Cloud 9. Darshan once again picked Swain in the top-lane, only to fall to 0-2 on the champion with a KDA under one. Darshan, stop playing Swain. It might be a prominent and powerful choice at the moment, but it simply is not working for the team. With both Caitlyn and Alistar on the table, Stixxay and Aphromoo passed on their best champions (only ones with winning records this split) and instead aimed to pick against Cloud 9, taking away Sivir and Braum. Eventually, CLG's members will realize that they don't have to conform to what is "meta" or what is regarded as good. They are too smart not to. CLG simply has to get back into it's own game, and I fully expect this squad to do so.
