Preseason Power Rankings 2016

With rapid-fire inter-regional movement and superteams forming left and right, it's only appropriate that we take a stab at where things stand. Welcome to the 2016 Preseason Power Rankings!

Since we left the professional scene at Worlds and All-Star, things have changed very quickly. In the Offseason before the 2015 Spring Split, we witnessed the Korean Exodus, where dozens of LCK starters left for China and other regions across the world. This time around, we've seen players coming and going from every major region. Players in China went back to Korea, Koreans went to Europe and North America, and numerous players from the West have switched teams or which LCS region they declare their loyalty for.

Make sure you check out our (EU and NA LCS infographics) to catch up on all the changes in the LCS if you need a refresher.

It's also a new season for Power Rankings! This year, we hope to level up the article, our panelists, and our methodology. First off, we have some new additions. From the LMS we have commentator Clement Chu, and from the EU LCS we have Krepo and Deficio.

Here is a breakdown of all of our panelists:

• NA LCS: Cameron Gilbert, Carlos "h0tsawce" Bravo, Frank "Riot Mirhi" Fields, Jason "Jayway" Wai, Joshua "Jatt" Leesman
• EU LCS: Cameron Gilbert, Frank Fields, Jason "Jayway" Wai, Joshua "Jatt" Leesman, Leah "SpiNN" Jackson, Martin "Deficio" Lynge, Mitch "Krepo" Voorspoels
• LCK: Alex Manisier, Erik "DoA" Lonnquist, Christopher "Montecristo" Mykles, Chris "PapaSmithy" Smith
• LPL: Barento "Razleplasm" Mohammed, Carlos "h0tsawce" Bravo, Indiana "Froskurinn" Black, Michale "Drexxin" Lalor
• LMS: Chia "Reazony" Yu, Clement Chu, James "Obscurica" Chen

Before we get started on the rankings, we just want to share a slight change in methodology. It shouldn't come as a surprise, but trying to figure out who will play well in international competition is really difficult. There are so many factors that play into it, but mainly it boils down to regional meta vs. international meta, and no shared competition or similar metrics across teams from different regions.

Because of this, we're putting a much greater emphasis on regional competition and rankings this season for most of the year.

We'll still be going in-depth on analysis before major international events like IEM Katowice, the Mid-Season Invitational, and of course Worlds. However, as much as we love putting teams in a list, there can only be about a rough approximation of what we think will happen, with little tangible evidence.

Power Rankings hasn't lost its international flavor though. We'll still be comparing teams at the top of each region each week, and telling you about some of the trends across all the regions and how they matchup.

So, to sum up, there's still plenty of room for argument.

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NA LCS

Written by Carlos "h0tsawce" Bravo

North America enters the Spring Split in an interesting situation -- having an epic fail during the backend of the 2015 World Championship Group Stage (ahem, 0-10), most people were quick to dismiss NA as a middling region. However, after re-arming perennial Worlds teams (TSM, Cloud9), and an influx of money and talent for some new teams, NA does not enter 2016 as a joke, but an opportunity.

Which new superteam will emerge?  How can new teams like Immortals and NRG synergize?  

This season, NA teams set their sights further than ever before, and this could be the season they finally make tangible progress towards the ultimate goal -- winning Worlds.

A Tier - Cloud9, Immortals, TSM

As the Spring Split rapidly approaches, these are the three teams we believe are the contenders for the NA LCS title. Unfortunately, none of them have established themselves as complete in the NA region. No S Tier for you, North America.

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Cloud9

Roster:

• Top: Balls
• Jungle: Rush
• Mid: Jensen
• ADC: Sneaky
• Support: Hai

Cloud9 enters this Spring Split with more potential than ever before -- potential for both success and failure. Given Cloud9's willingness to throw Hai into the bot lane, at this point we just have to trust Hai will be able to fill any position. His vision for the game leads us to believe he won't have a steep learning curve at support. Which leads us to one of the marquee transfers of the off-season: reigning NA LCS MVP Rush. Those who watch Cloud9 player streams will by now be familiar with the "toxic", aggressive, and explosive trio that is Jensen, Sneaky, and Rush. And with the team still finding their synergy, games early on will be both volatile and entertaining.

The team isn't perfect mechanically though. Balls still remains the weak link, but with the en vogue tank meta, that should be easy to cover for the first part of the Season while the team finds its feet. The biggest concern we have is actually related to strategy and coaching. At IEM Cologne, the team's choice compositions were questionable at best -- mismatching the team's clear identity of a mechanical and aggressive force. Given how the team had it's success during the 2015 Regionals and Worlds run, it's a cause for concern that Cloud9 doesn't seem to know what to do during Champion Select.

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Immortals

Roster:

• Top: Huni
• Jungle: Reignover
• Mid: Pobelter
• ADC: WildTurtle
• Support: Adrian

Immortals have amassed one of the most impressive new rosters in recent memory. Headlining the roster is arguably the best top laner in the West: Huni. There are a lot of people counting on Huni and an immense amount of pressure will be on him given how top lane focused he requires a team to play. Huni isn't coming to battle alone -- Reignover, Pobelter, and WildTurtle will provide steady performances at his side -- but make no mistake, Huni will have to lead his team to victory.

Given Huni's success on Fnatic, we're pretty confident he can face the music, but nevertheless, there are some questions for this team. Key to all of this is Immortals support Adrian, who was quietly the best support in the NA LCS last year. Can Adrian build on his progress as a player in his second year? Regardless, Immortals are a talented team with players who have succeeded in the past, so it doesn’t take an IQ over 200 to project Immortals winning the Spring Split.

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TSM

Roster:

• Top: Hauntzer
• Jungle: Svenskeren
• Mid: Bjergsen
• ADC: Doublelift
• Support: Yellowstar

I could give you 5.5 $*!@ing K reasons why TSM enters 2016 as the NA LCS favorite to win it all, but unfortunately I don’t have enough space for that. So, let’s get through what we can. TSM is the closest thing to a superteam we've seen in NA, with three players coming in as the best in their region: Bjergsen, Doublelift, and Yellowstar. Hauntzer showed signs of potential after holding his own versus Flame and Acorn at IEM, and Svenskeren is considered one of the best junglers in the West. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, though. Bjergsen took two weeks off over the holidays due to wrist injuries, and TSM’s showing at IEM should bring some pause to any expectations of a runaway title, but there was a key factor missing: Yellowstar. So while EU and Rekkles are still trying to adjust to the fact that Yellowstar is gone, their loss is TSM's gain, and expectations have never been higher.

B Tier - Counter Logic Gaming, NRG

Playoff contenders that can become Championship contenders if things go right for them during the Season.

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Counter Logic Gaming

Roster:

• Top: Darshan
• Jungle: Xmithie
• Mid: Huhi
• ADC: Stixxay
• Support: Aphromoo

I will be the first to admit -- with all of the changes in the offseason, I thought Counter Logic Gaming would be flirting in the Relegation zone. However, an extremely impressive performance at IEM San Jose allayed any concerns about the 2015 NA LCS Summer Split Champions. CLG's new AD carry Stixxay is a raw talent who has a lot of room to improve (namely positioning in team fights), but he's shown signs of emerging out of a certain ADC’s shadow.

Darshan also showed that he is still one of the best split push carry top laners in the world, so building team comps around him will be enough to win most of their games over teams in Tiers below. Aphromoo is still very much the heart and soul of Counter Logic Gaming, and with his mastery of paradigm-shifting support Bard, who is currently in the meta, Counter Logic Gaming could continue to surprise fans and pundits alike.

NRG

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Roster:

• Top: Impact
• Jungle: Moon
• Mid: GBM
• ADC: Altec
• Support: Konkwon

Alongside Immortals, NRG enters the 2016 NA LCS Spring Split as the other new team that fans anticipate to make waves this Spring Split. With hard carry players in GBM, Impact, and Altec, all of whom have enjoyed success on other squads, there is no shortage of talent.

Two players stick out at first as a mismatch with the other powerhouse players: Moon and Konkwon. Moon is an interesting prospect who failed in his previous chance to qualify into the LCS on the big stage, but the belief is he has learned from his experiences in CS and Promotions and will continue his development into a good jungler. Konkwon is an LCS veteran who hasn’t impressed to date, and might prove to be the weak link that leads to NRG’s mid tier position.

And then there’s GBM. He has proven to be a world-class player with two champions at least, but for this analyst, the question remains -- is he hype or the truth? Unfortunately I’m not a Time Lord, so I can only surmise that GBM won’t be much more than a serviceable mid laner until we see him display skills on a larger variety of champions.

C Tier - Liquid

These (or, this) are borderline Playoff teams, who we aren't quite sure on, but still has a lot of individual talent.

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Liquid

Roster:

• Top: Lourlo / Zig
• Jungle: IWDominate / Dardoch
• Mid: Fenix / Youngbin
• ADC: Piglet / Fabbbyyy
• Support: Smoothie / Matt

Liquid has had a very tumultuous offseason. Releasing Xpecial for personal reasons would devastate any team. But also losing Quas, one of the best tops in NA, left Liquid in an awkward, and all-too-familiar position: on the outside looking in. In addition, there have been rumblings of internal problems between management and players, as well as lackluster performances from some of key members from last Season. The team even brought in Locodoco to head coach, as a last second addition. Given Loco's prompt exit from TSM, and his feelings about coaching teams in general, we have to wonder what prompted the move.

The good news is Liquid managed to keep top performers Piglet and Fenix, who are expected to keep up with their continued improvement. The ten man roster, and the potential innovations that could result, brings some hope to the Liquid camp. But with so many unknown factors, we can't put Liquid above being a fringe Playoff team for now.

D Tier - Team Dignitas, Echo Fox, Renegades

Teams that are likely going to be mired in the relegation zone all split.

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Team Dignitas

Roster:

• Top: Smittyj
• Jungle: Kirei
• Mid: Shiphtur
• ADC: Apollo
• Support: Kiwikid

After an impressive showing at IEM Cologne, Team Dignitas is giving fans more hope than initially expected. Kirei and Shiphtur showed an instant synergy that could revitalize and bring back the Shiphtur of old. However, Smittyj did not play well, Kiwikid is still a low tier support, and Apollo is not the hard carry you're looking for. From all indications, Team Dignitas continue to have the same albatross that hangs over their neck: Shotcalling. Team Dignitas were well on their way to a 2-0 at IEM before the comically predictable "Dignitas Baron." So, is the story of Dignitas the same as it ever was -- live and die by the Baron?  Probably, and we know how that story ends.

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Echo Fox

Roster:

• Top: kfo
• Jungle: hard
• Mid: Froggen
• ADC: Keith
• Support: Big

A few weeks ago, we were all wondering what was going to happen with Gravity and their roster. Well, all that happened was three-time NBA Champion Rick Fox bought the team, acquired the best available free agent in the LCS with Froggen, and signed two relatively unknown talents in kfo and Hard.

Hard's situation is intriguing. He was a longtime substitute player for Cloud9, including during their 2015 run through Worlds, but it's unclear how much his experience as a sub and Challenger standout has helped him coming into the LCS. Kfo is a highly heralded top laner from Korea, and Keith has proven he can play well in the LCS after stints with TSM and Liquid, but support is the glaring weakness -- no one really knows what to expect from Big. It could be another rough Split for Froggen, but if the team can gel, Echo Fox could sneak into the Playoffs as a low seed.

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Renegades

Roster:

• Top: RF Legendary
• Jungle: Crumbz
• Mid: Alex Ich
• ADC: Freeze
• Support: Remilia

Renegades enter the 2016 NA LCS Spring Split in an unfortunate position. As one of the better teams to come out of the Challenger scene since Cloud9, there were a lot of hopes and dreams for this squad. However, all of the teams placed in Tiers above them have upgraded their rosters in the offseason. And while the acquisition of Freeze is noteworthy, there are still too many deficiencies on Renegades.

RF Legendary was losing lane to Challenger top laners, so one cringes to think about what will happen when he faces the likes of Huni, Darshan, or Impact. Remilia has performed extremely well, but only on Thresh and Morgana. If she improves her champion pool, it will greatly improve the team and could lead to some more wins. Alex Ich could very well lead Renegades out of the bottom three, after all, he's hard carried teams before, but he has a lot of work to do. Looking into my crystal ball, I prophesize a Relegation battle for Crumbz and co.

F Tier - Team Impulse

Welcome to Relegation.

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Team Impulse

Roster:

• Top: Feng
• Jungle: Procxin
• Mid: Pirean
• ADC: DontMashMe
• Support: Gate

Holding the dubious honor of belonging in F tier all alone comes Team Impulse. After an uneventful offseason, it appears there isn’t much too look forward to for Team Impulse fans. With a team of unknown (Feng, Pirean) and unimpressive (Procxin, Mashme, Gate) players, it’s not difficult to see why we have Team Impulse coming in last place. There isn’t much hope for Team Impulse beyond the potential of new pros Feng and Pirean being diamonds in the rough. It doesn’t get much better from there -- Procxin was mediocre in Japan's LJL and Mash has been on some of the worst LCS teams to date. But hey, it’s not all bad news; at least there isn’t auto-relegation anymore!

Prediction for end of Spring Split:

1. TSM
2. Cloud9
3. Immortals
4. Counter Logic Gaming
5. NRG
6. Echo Fox
7. Liquid
8. Team Dignitas
9. Renegades
10. Team Impulse

EU LCS

Written by Frank "Mirhi" Fields

S Tier - Origen

Normally teams at the top have a combination of great teamwork and synergy as well as talent at multiple positions. In Europe, while there are a lot of teams with bits and pieces remaining, and a lot of upgrades at multiple positions, Origen is the only team that so clearly upgraded their roster, while maintaining the core that made them excellent in 2015.

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Origen

Lineup:

• Top: SoaZ
• Jungle: Amazing
• Mid: PowerOfEvil
• ADC: Zven
• Support: Mithy

Origen takes nearly all the winning pieces from last year's Worlds Semifinal team and adds a premier European mid laner in PowerOfEvil. With PowerOfEvil in the lineup, they now have highly skilled mechanical players across the board. Zven (formerly Niels) and Mithy now look to be the best bot lane in EU, Amazing is probably the best jungler, and SoaZ reprises his role in top. Assuming PowerOfEvil is able to mesh with his new teammates, Origen won't miss a beat, and will be heavy favorites going into the 2016 Season.

A Tier - Fnatic, H2K, Vitality

All three of these teams have an immense amount of talent, some including previous EU LCS MVP winners (Rekkles & FORG1VENGRE), and multiple players from World Championship teams. But there are some question marks as far as synergy and consistency for various reasons, as well as some weaknesses on the rosters. It's very possible all of these teams could quickly catch, or overtake, Origen during the split, but because of these question marks, we rate them all lower until proven otherwise.

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Fnatic

Roster:

• Top: Gamsu
• Jungle: Spirit
• Mid: Febiven
• ADC: Rekkles
• Support: Noxiak

Fnatic lost a lot of the pieces that made it one of the best four teams in the world -- Yellowstar went to TSM, and Huni and Reignover went to Immortals. In their stead they've picked up one superstar in Spirit, one solid player in Gamsu, and one relative unknown in Noxiak. When you add the three newcomers to Febiven and Rekkles, this lineup looks pretty solid on paper. However, it's unclear how much team chemistry and shotcalling will suffer.

Assuming that a strong leader and shotcaller emerges, this team could be setup to do well, but we don't have confidence in that yet. Overall, this team seems solid, but not amazing long term.

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H2K

Roster:

• Odoamne
• Jankos
• Ryu
• FORG1VENGRE
• VandeR

Given the substantial roster overhaul of H2K, we aren't sure exactly how it'll end up. The team held onto two strong players in Odoamne and Ryu, and added former Roccat jungler and support Jankos and VandeR, respectively. As far as raw talent goes, this looks like the best of the A Tier teams, but the game isn't played on paper. The real prize of H2K is ADC FORG1VENGRE, who is known as an extremely mechanically skilled ADC (maybe best in the West), despite his struggle to stay on a roster long term.

It's really hard to imagine this team finishing much lower than 4th place based on talent alone, but how much higher they climb depends on synergy and adaptation.

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Vitality

Roster:

• Cabochard
• Shook
• Nukeduck
• Hjarnan
• KaSing

Vitality represents one of the new teams in the LCS who got choice free agents. Former Gambit standout Cabochard joins two past stars in Shook and Nukeduck, as well as the fully intact bot lane duo from H2K last season in KaSing and Hjarnan. All five of these players are among the best in their positions -- just not quite the best. What could elevate this team to true greatness, is if Shook and Nukeduck can play at their peak consistently -- maybe even exceed what we've seen from them in the past.

The only reason this team might not be great, is if the past inconsistencies from members of this team become the norm instead. While possible, we think this team will do very well.

B Tier - G2 Esports, Splyce, Unicorns of Love

Teams in this group could either be the ones that squeak into the Playoffs, or find themselves battling to avoid Relegation. It's not that these teams are bad, but there are teams above them that upgraded in such significant ways that these three are just behind. Whether it comes from unproven talent, or a mismatch of boilerplate journeymen, these teams will have to improve to achieve any measure of greatness throughout the season.

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G2 Esports

Roster:

• Top: Kikis
• Jungle: Trick
• Mid: PerkZ
• ADC: Emperor
• Support: Hybrid

The G2 roster is a spattering of talent from longtime Challenger mainstays and a few journeymen professionals. Of all the players, it is Kikis who has seen the most success -- but that was as a jungler. Who knows how he'll perform as a top laner? Emperor's best days appear to be behind him, which finally brings us to Trick, PerkZ, and Hybrid. All three are completely unproven on the professional scene.

For this team to play well, the three Rookie players all have to grow significantly and showcase their ability to perform on a professional level. There are a lot of question marks, but even being the most optimistic, this is probably a solid Playoff team and not a Championship contender. At worst? They're heading to Relegation.

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Splyce

Roster:

• Top: Wunderwear
• Jungle: Trashy
• Mid: Sencux
• ADC: Kobbe
• Support: Nisbeth

Of all the teams in B Tier, this team has the most hope. Splyce is rated low mostly because their players have little-to-no professional experience, not because their players haven't performed. Trashy was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise uninspiring Enemy Esports roster. Top laner Wunderwear outclassed many of his top lane counterparts in key moments of matches. Additionally, Wunderwear, Sencux, and Kobbe have all demonstrated abilities to play supportive or hard carrying champions for their respective roles, and have done so adeptly. Given the level of flexibility, the team can feel good about their chances in adapting to the pro meta.

The only thing that gives us pause in rating the team is that their ability to perform in the LCS is completely unknown. It's one thing to win in Challenger, and another to win under the lights of the EU LCS.

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Unicorns of Love

Roster:

• Top: Vizicsacsi
• Jungle: Diamondprox
• Mid: Fox
• ADC: Steeelback
• Support: Hylissang

This lineup barely resembles the team that took the LCS by storm in 2015. Nearly the whole roster was replaced by a smorgasbord of players. Joining the Unicorns' remaining core of Vizicsacsi and Hylissang, are Steeelback, Fox, and Diamondprox. For UOL, this doesn't seem like an upgrade for any of the three positions, and at best could be considered a side-grade. For UOL to be a contender for the championship, it will require Diamondprox returning to his former glory, or one of the others having a breakout season. I'm not sure if these players are the ones that will deliver UOL to the promised land.

C Tier - Elements, Giants, Roccat

It's not looking good for our heroes. These teams all have very little hope of making Playoffs, and most likely are heading for Relegation. There are varying reasons why, but a combination of low-synergy lineups and no definitive upgrades across the board, there isn't much hope.

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Elements

Roster:

• Steve
• Gilius
• Eika
• MrRalleZ
• sprattel

After a few splits of despair, Elements is no longer Froggen & Friends. But that's not a good thing in this case. With a roster that boasts castoffs from other LCS teams, Elements resembles the scraps of the EU LCS -- a roster that appears to be put together with the leftover crayons in the box and some Scotch tape. Steve and MrRalleZ have both shown good form in the past several years, but not the kind necessary to be the primary carry of a championship team -- and the rest of the roster is relatively unproven. This team will need to surprise a ton to avoid Relegation.

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Giants

Roster:

• Atom
• k0u
• xPePii
• Adryh
• G0DFRED

Giants now barely resembles the all Spanish squad that qualified into the LCS in 2014, and it's unclear if that is for better or worse. In response to their swift exit from the LCS Playoffs, Giants have added long time Challenger jungler K0u to the lineup as well as Solo Queue talent Atom, of whom little is known. The team retains the somewhat successful core of xPePii (formerly Pepiinero), Adryh, and G0DFRED, which will at least alleviate some of the growing pains of the team. But given the level of talent, we don't think that this lineup is destined for much more success than previous splits.

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Roccat

Roster:

• fredy122
• Airwaks
• Betsy
• Safir
• Edward

Anytime a team replaces every member of their roster, it raises a lot of questions. This squad consists of players from four different teams, many of whom either don't exist anymore, or were Relegated. Though Edward and fredy122 have both at one time been considered world-class players, it has been a while since that was the case. Similarly both Airwaks and Betsy showcased decent play, but were anything but stars. If this team is to make waves in the season, it will require a return to form for their veteran players, and a level of teamwork that we haven't seen from a roster with this much upheaval ever before.

Prediction for end of Spring Split:

1. Origen
2. H2K
3. Vitality
4. Fnatic
5. Unicorns of Love
6. Splyce
7. G2 Esports
8. Giants
9. Roccat
10. Elements

LMS

Written by Clement Chu

S Tier - Flash Wolves & ahq e-Sports Club

Championship Contenders: These teams dominated the 2015 LMS together. With improved rosters and no loss of players to other regions, they are poised to do so again.

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ahq e-Sports Club

Roster:

• Top: Ziv
• Jungle: Mountain / RD
• Mid: Chawy / westdoor
• ADC: AN
• Support: Albis

Coming off a Quarterfinals finish at Worlds, and fending off offers for its team members, ahq now boasts the deepest roster in terms of talent the LMS has ever seen. The club acquired former Taipei Assassins mid laner Chawy and jungler RD from Logitech Snipers in the offseason. However, these new additions will likely force ahq into unfamiliar territory with their style. The skirmishing and team fighting core of westdoor and Mountain will see reduced minutes as they make room for the newcomers.

This is a roster that is aiming for Summer and Worlds, with marksman AN as their center piece. I predict a slow start from ahq. They will likely steamroll through B Tier & C Tier teams based solely on the sum of their talents, but I don’t expect a repeat of last season's flawless first round.

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Flash Wolves

Roster:

• Top: Rins / MMD
• Jungle: Karsa
• Mid: Maple
• ADC: NL
• Support: SwordArt

Flash Wolves are our pick for the best team in LMS this split. Newcomer Rins will replace Steak as Steak moves to the coaching staff. The greatest achievement for the Wolves this offseason has been their ability to hold on to their young and talented core of Maple, Karsa, and SwordArt. We expect to see continued growth from all three after their second Quarterfinals finish at Worlds, and more spectacular assassinations being performed by Maple. With a relatively unchanged roster and the Wolves always being the more disciplined compared to ahq e-Sports Club, perhaps this is will be the first split they win the title.

A Tier - Taipei Assassins & Machi17

Playoff Ready: With the dissolution of two former Playoff teams in Hong Kong Esports and Midnight Sun e-Sports, this is their chance to step in the limelight and reclaim past glories.

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Taipei Assassins

Roster:

• Top: Morning
• Jungle: REFRA1N
• Mid: Achie / FoFo
• ADC: BeBe
• Support: Jay

Even with losing their main damage source in Chawy, the Taipei Assassins have managed to field a respectable roster by welcoming back BeBe and Achie from Assassin Snipers, while also revealing coming-of-age trainee FoFo. It’s a good roster, but one that leaves little to be imagined. BeBe, Jay, Morning, Achie and REFRA1N are all long-time players who’ve maintained their status as above-average players with clear strengths and glaring flaws. Four have even played together on the same roster, the 2014 TPA squad which bowed out 1-5 in the Worlds Group Stage.

For any other team this would be good enough; but for a team that once held the Summoner’s Cup, I would like to see more experimentation in the Spring Split. FoFo has a fair amount of hype surrounding him, taking rank 1 in the Taiwanese servers by the time he was 16, but he will need to start a chemical reaction in an aging team to challenge the top two spots.

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Machi17

Roster:

• Top: BoBo
• Jungle: Taizan
• Mid: Apex
• ADC: Dee
• Support: Dreamer

Not much has changed for this squad besides Taizan replacing Hanji. Machi’s rise in our predictions is admittedly due to HKE and MSE’s loss of talent, but they’ve also given us some reasons for excitement.

Machi has had the most dangerous duo lane in the LMS. Support Dreamer leads in Gold Differential @10 by 300% over any other support; an indication of high amount of lane kills without junglers splitting assist gold. Dreamer has been an under-the-radar talent for most of the past year, and his maturation into a team captain and his tear through Korean Challenger are signs of things to come. Apex is also uncannily similar to westdoor in strengths, making himself known by solo killing the latter on Zed. This is the team to watch for explosive lanes, and resembles the style of last Season's ahq. However, I would still give the edge to TPA due to experience and support staff in an extended series.

B Tier - XGamers & Hong Kong Esports

Work in Progress: Veteran supporting casts lead these teams, but their young stars have yet to be found.

Hong Kong eSports

Roster:

• Top: Stanley / Maplesnow
• Jungle: Dinter
• Mid: Chillyz
• ADC: GodKwai
• Support: Olleh

Hong Kong eSports is not the same team that dismantled the Flash Wolves in the Summer Playoffs. They still retain a stellar support cast in Olleh and Dinter, but the departure of May to finish military service in Korea, and unresolved disputes with Toyz and Raison, have left them without a reliable carry to build around. MapleSnow has potential to grow into a top lane threat, however his aggression is too punishable in lane, and his eccentric champion pool still needs work outside of AP tops. The goal for HKE this season will be searching for an up-and-coming talent in the ADC or mid positions.

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XGamers

Roster:

• Top: exciting / Nexus
• Jungle: Yo
• Mid: SuwaKo
• ADC: LBB
• Support: Suki

XGamers is a team of unlikely heroes. Team captain Yo was originally cut when Gash Bears acquired the LGS roster, but took his vengeance upon former teammates in the Promotion Tournament. Mid laner SuwaKo was a player that played “for fun,” never seriously considering gaming as a profession. Both showed head-turning performances to take down GB, a team with Korean imports and a robust organization. XG ranks above Tier C for showing tactical understanding, but probably lacks raw talent to go higher.

C Tier - Cougar eSports & Midnight Sun e-Sports

Promotion/Relegation: These two teams are going through rebuilding phases, one in roster, the other in organization. Their objective in the new split is simply survival.

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Cougar eSports

Roster:

• Top: Ajun
• Jungle: SpeaR
• Mid: KuKu / jeffeRy
• ADC: Rabi2
• Support: Never

Cougar’s ascension past AS in the promotions was not a graceful one. Lacking in any strategical finesse, CGE took the series by capitalizing on bizarre misplays. The core of CGE’s lineup is assassin player jeffeRy and SpeaR, new talent that has had some recognition in collegiate and streaming circles. At the moment, CGE represents the last amatuer team in LMS, an association of players with little organizational backing. Much like AS before them, it is difficult to see them compete against others while also dealing with scheduling, travel, and school. Their core players of jeffeRy and SpeaR are more likely to become household names than higher placed teams MSE and HW, but for now, their goal will be to hold on while settling personal arrangements and allowing Cougar (current name sponsor) to transfer into a managing role.

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Midnight Sun e-Sports

Roster:

• Top: Julian
• Jungle: Wulala
• Mid: M1ssion / Kaiwing
• ADC: Payne / CorGi
• Support: SkuLL

Midnight Sun finished in a respectable 4th place last season, but lost their entire starting lineup after tampering violations. Now leading the team is mid laner M1ssion, who shared minutes with caNdy, and four players with no competitive experience. They rank above CGE due to basic organizational advantages such as having a gaming house and a coach in NeXAbc. The silver lining is that MSE formed their lineup earlier than both CGE and HW, which should theoretically give them higher picks in an exhuastively scouted amatuer scene. I will choose to bet against the unknown here, and place them 7th before seeing further proof.

**All stats used were taken from 2015 LMS Summer Split.

Prediction for end of Spring Split:

1. Flash Wolves
2. ahq e-Sports Club
3. Taipei Assassins
4. Machi17
5. Hong Kong Esports
6. XGamers
7. Midnight Sun e-Sports
8. Cougar eSports

​LCK

Written by Alex Manisier 

It's been one year since the Korean Exodus took place -- one year since the world's premier region lost dozens of players to the attractive offers of foreign teams. Any other region would have been irreparably crippled by the loss of what was effectively half of the Challenger ladder, but in 2015, a combination of hard work, core talent and a superior understanding of the game saw Korea take a third World Championship in a row.

Although one would be inclined to believe that Korea's maintenance of the status quo would only serve to drive more players out of the region in search of better salaries, the reality has been quite different. Foreign sponsors have begun to take interest in the LCK, funding teams like Worlds runners-up ROX Tigers and new superteam Longzhu Gaming.

Champions Spring 2016 is poised to become one of the most interesting Korean tournaments in recent history. Here's how we think the teams are shaking out in the preseason:

S Tier - ROX Tigers, SKTelecom T1

These are the elite teams of Korea. They are proven contenders with no holes in their roster, and possess a unique strength that elevate them above the rest of the pack. On top of that, their fundamentals are the model for the rest of the region.

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ROX Tigers

Roster:

• Top: Smeb
• Jungle: Peanut
• Mid: Kuro / Sylph
• ADC: PraY
• Support: GorillA

The ROX Tigers, on the other hand, have made a strict upgrade in their jungler, while also cannibalising the corpse of e-mFire to pick up solo queue sensation Peanut. In a perfect world, Peanut patches up the main weakness of the Tigers -- their streaky early game.

Peanut was criticized during his time on e-mFire for his attitude and solo queue playstyle, but if there's any team that can rein in his rebellious nature, it's the Tigers. Coach NoFe conducted a relatively successful jungle experiment in the training of Hojin -- with a more promising prospect in Peanut, the ROX Tigers may well achieve new heights in 2016.

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SKTelecom T1

Roster:

• Top: Duke
• Jungle: Bengi / Blank
• Mid: Faker / Scout
• AD Carry: Bang
• Support: Wolf

SKTelecom T1 are the best team in the world, and with the acquisition of former e-mFire top laner Duke, it looks like they'll stay that way for a while. Their formula shouldn't change much moving into 2016 -- if anything, SKT T1 may actually have a greater array of strategies at their disposal with the more flexible playstyle of Duke.

Apart from getting Duke fully integrated into the SKT T1 system, it's hard to see what the team could be doing better. Faker improved vastly in 2015, developing a low-economy style that allowed him to absorb ganks and lane pressure to free up the team's side lanes. SKT T1's pre-match planning also levelled up after their defeat to EDG at MSI.

That said, it's a new year, and a new season. There will undoubtedly be a few wrenches thrown in the works for SKT T1 this year, and it's incredibly exciting to see how they'll deal with their new challenges.

A Tier - KT Rolster, Longzhu Gaming

These teams are the best of the rest -- fantastic teams that haven't yet crossed the bridge into true greatness. Their weaknesses (few as they may be) are fixable, and we fully expect these teams to develop into championship contenders with time. For now, they lack the experience that the S Tier teams have in spades.

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KT Rolster

Roster:

• Top: Ssumday
• Jungle: Score
• Mid: Fly
• AD Carry: Arrow
• Support: IgNar / Hachani

KT Rolster are a team that seem to fade into the aether at the end of every year. In 2013, the Bullets missed out on Worlds in a Blind Pick Game 5 which saw Faker pull off one of the greatest individual plays in history. In 2014, the Arrows also missed out on Worlds, falling in the gauntlet to a superpowered NaJin White Shield. And in 2015, the team finally made it to Worlds, only to be cut down in the Quarterfinals to Korean rivals KOO Tigers.

Know this, however: KT Rolster have never been a weak team. Even with the loss of star support Piccaboo, they still have a deadly weapon in top laner Ssumday, who was part of the 'Elite 4' LCK top laners alongside MaRin, Duke, and Smeb. Additionally, the preseason saw KT make an upgrade in mid lane, bringing Fly back from the LSPL.

The player to watch, however, is Incredible Miracle transfer IgNar. With hyper aggressive support play that smacks strongly of Piccaboo's early days on Xenics Storm, KT Rolster have a solid foundation in place for 2016. The only question is if they'll be the best come Worlds.

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Longzhu Gaming

Roster:

• Top: Flame / Expession
• Jungle: Chaser / Crash
• Mid: CoCo / Frozen
• AD Carry: Cpt Jack / Fury
• Support: Pure / Zzus

We live in a world where a team that has yet to play a professional game may well be one of the best in Korea. Boasting four extremely talented players who were held back to some extent in 2015 by their teams, Longzhu would be a tier higher if they were judged solely off the individual strength of their players.

But League of Legends is a team game. It's true that no team has ever achieved greatness without a star or two carrying them there, but it's also true that teamwork and communication are absolutely key to winning the game. No one is expecting Longzhu to burst out of the gates and wipe the floor with the competition. If everything goes well, that comes later.

B Tier - Afreeca Freecs, SBENU Sonicboom

These teams are the benchmarks for what can be considered a 'good' team in Korea. They have clear strategic identities and notable strength in a few positions. Although history may eventually forget them, they are solid contenders now.

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Afreeca Freecs

Roster:

• Top: ikssu
• Jungle: Lira / Seonghwan
• Mid: Mickey / Lindarang
• AD Carry: Sangyoon
• Support: Snowflower

Once known as Rebels Anarchy, the Afreeca Freecs are in some regards the opposite of their tier-mates SBENU. Led by the charismatic Mickey (who famously changed his summoner name to 'Please Sponsor Anarchy' upon reaching the top of the Challenger ladder), they displayed a penchant for upsetting strong teams throughout Champions Summer off the back of their sheer mechanical abilities.

Now in a proper gaming house with a proper sponsor, Afreeca have the potential to reach new heights. Their roster is solid (ikssu might be one of the best new top lane talents in the world), their play is confident, and they have a remarkable carry in Mickey. The rest is up to them.

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SBENU Sonicboom

Roster:

• Top: SoaR / Soul
• Jungle: Flawless
• Mid: SaSin
• AD Carry: Nuclear
• Support: Secret

For much of 2015, if you heard the name SBENU Sonicboom, a solid benchmark team was not what came to mind. SBENU were the perennial joke of the LCK over both Champions Spring and Summer. While SaSin and Nuclear were undoubtedly LCK quality players, the team lacked any sort of strategic identity or cohesion once they hit the Rift.

But all that changed when a young Lee Sin main by the name of Flawless joined the team. Swooping in at the last minute to carry SBENU out of Relegations against Ever, Flawless pulled off highlight reel plays on Lee Sin and Nidalee to single handedly carry the team back into the LCK.

SBENU is undoubtedly Flawless' team for the foreseeable future. As long as the team leaves it up to their new jungler to dictate the flow of the game, they will be competitive. But as the younger rosters beneath them start to catch up, they will eventually have to choose a different path to traverse.

C Tier - CJ Entus, Jin Air Green Wings, Samsung Galaxy

These teams are undergoing a phase of reconstruction. As such, we're not holding out for any major performances from them. But given their rich history and promising talent, we wouldn't be surprised if these three 'wait-and-sees' developed into formidable teams later in the year.

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CJ Entus

Roster:

• Top: Shy / Untara
• Jungle: Bubbling
• Mid: Sky / Bdd
• AD Carry: Ghost / Kramer
• Support: MadLife

It is finished. Space Prison has officially shut its gates forever. The news may come as a pleasant surprise to CJ fans, but it's hard to say whether CJ will be better off for it in 2016. Their ace player CoCo departed the team for Longzhu, and while Bdd is a promising replacement, the development of the roster will be in the hands of Shy and MadLife -- two illustrious veterans to be sure, but certainly not strong leaders.

There's a potential bright side, though. CJ Entus are entering 2016 with brand new management. Perhaps a fresh start is just what CJ need to start winning titles again.

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Jin Air Green Wings

Roster:

• Top: SoHwan / TrAce
• Jungle: Winged
• Mid: Kuzan / Blanc
• AD Carry: Pilot
• Support: Chei / Sweet

Unlike CJ Entus and Samsung Galaxy, the 2016 iteration of Jin Air Green Wings has actually seen some playtime… even if it was a 0-2 at IEM San Jose against Counter Logic Gaming. It was a messy affair -- both rosters were new, and both approached the tournament as a learning experience above anything else.

The good news for Jin Air is that their current problems (poor fight selection and two inexperienced solo laners) are very fixable. Winged is no Chaser, but his veteran experience will be instrumental in the coming months if Jin Air are to become flight-ready. For now, don't expect Jin Air to start taking sets off teams like ROX Tigers like they did in Summer.

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Samsung Galaxy

Roster:

• Top: CuVee / Helper
• Jungle: Ambition
• Mid: Crown
• AD Carry: CoreJJ / Stitch
• Support: Wraith

In the 2015 Preseason, the new Samsung Galaxy team showed a lot of promise. Bot lane Fury and Wraith regularly won their lane against top teams, while jungler Eve played with a fervor reminiscent of his Samsung predecessors Spirit and DanDy. Fans were hopeful for the new lineup, especially after seeing White and Blue dominate in 2014. Unfortunately, that hope was never realized, and Samsung never progressed past their preseason form.

Their outlook isn't much better this year, considering the departure of their best player Fury. But there is a spot of hope in the surging form of solo laners CuVee and Crown -- both regular presences at the top of the Challenger ladder. With the addition of veteran and former champion Ambition, Samsung are equipped to take on many new challenges.

D Tier - e-mFire

The D stands for dire.

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e-mFire

Roster:

• Top: Hipo
• Jungle: Crush
• Mid: Edge / Roach
• AD Carry: SSol
• Support: GuGer

Yeah, we don't know either. For the majority of 2015, e-mFire's story was one of shocking mismanagement, but at least they had some remarkable players in Duke and Ohq. Now? Their mid laner used to sub for Nagne. Their AD carry used to be their substitute top laner. Their support used to play AD carry for Taipei Assassins.

This is a roster that's all over the place, and we have absolutely no expectations for them. But we'd be thrilled to be proven wrong!

Prediction for end of Spring Split:

1. SKTelecom T1
2. ROX Tigers
3. Longzhu Gaming
4. KT Rolster
5. SBENU Sonicboom
6. Afreeca Freecs
7. CJ Entus
8. Jin Air Green Wings
9. Samsung Galaxy
10. e-mFire

​LPL

Written by Indiana "Froskurinn" Black

2015 marked the best and worst performance from the League of Legends Pro League (LPL)  on the International Stage. After an incredible high of securing the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), the LPL looked poised for their best run at the World Championship. All that was undone in a matter of weeks as each and every representative would unravel at the seams, struggling to adapt to the Patch shifts and being exposed for their inconsistent highs.

Coming into 2016, the LPL - surprisingly - retained a fair portion of their imported talent, but lost the majority of their momentum. The league is skewed as the elite stayed elite while the mid-tier lost key all-stars like Dade, KaKAO, and Spirit. Once established dynasties and pillars of the league have been gutted to shells and a league-wide rebuild sets the stage for the current Season.

The LPL failed. But for how long?

S Tier - Edward Gaming, LGD Gaming

Championship favorites - Teams in this tier are considered the primary competitors for the domestic title. They are the elite and defined by an impressive resume, roster, and expectation.

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Edward Gaming

Roster:

• Koro1
• Clearlove / Fireloll
• PawN / Athena
• Deft
• Meiko

EDG return from another lopsided international performance with a focus on acquiring coaching and draft staff. They since have added RapidStar and FireFox, formerly of CJ Entus and LGD Gaming respectively. While other organizations competed in the roster shuffle, EDG retained their core talent while re-purposing several subs to eliminate the prospect of a rotating roster. Currently, the only likely candidates for rotation are between PawN and Athena, formerly of ESC Ever; which is a discrepancy in experience but not talent.

With pinpoint adjustments to structure, EDG seem confident that their failures were due to execution of strategy and not competitive ability. Despite a faulty Summer Playoffs, EDG remain the most consistent team and threat in the LPL. Time will tell if these structural adjustments will keep EDG a cut above their domestic competition or if their inability to transition to new patches is a curse they cannot prepare for.

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LGD Gaming

Lineup:

• MaRin / Acorn / Jinoo
• Eimy / xiaoxi
• We1less
• Imp
• Pyl

LGD have been second best for the majority of their history. The 2015 marriage of mechanical ability and strategic identity bought their first LPL Title in the Summer Split, but erratic performances on both the domestic and international stage mean LGD continue to sit in EDG’s shadow. Recent acquisitions of World’s MVP MaRin from SK Telecom T1 and Eimy from relegated Unlimited Potential are upgrades in their respective positions. But just slightly.

Talent has never been LGD’s shortcoming, and the new moves seem more sideways than forward in addressing problems.   

Closer to the mark, like EDG, LGD have focused their acquisitions on coaching staff with the addition of Heart and repurpose of Acorn into Head Coach and Analyst respectively. Despite both coaches having no previous experience, LGD have recognized their failures in strategic execution, a new trend for a team that before wasted away on their laurels and skated by on talent.

A Tier - QG Reapers

Championship Contenders: Teams in this tier are considered possible upsets for the domestic title. They are strong but demonstrate growing pains in reaching their competitive ceiling.

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QG Reapers

Roster:

• V
• Swift
• DoinB / Dade / Borlsal
• Peco / UZI
• Mor

Following their inaugural split in the LPL, QG placed 2nd in both domestic and international events (IEM Cologne), demonstrating a consistency rare to the region. Their acquisitions of Dade and UZI are direct upgrades, but beg the question if QG sacrificed their famous 5v5 synergy for talent?

Despite QG’s unique playstyle around their hard-carry Jungler, Swift, there should be a seamless merge of expectations with UZI due to his familiarity with InSec's similar style from Star Horn Royal Club. But a team stacked with Swift, Dade, and UZI may spread the team’s resources too thin.

B Tier - Snake Esports, Royal Never Give Up, Team WE, Vici Gaming

Playoffs: Teams in this tier are considered secure for Playoff placement. They are good, but riddled with inconsistencies or missing carry pieces. Given time, they could refine themselves as dark horses for the Championship, but most won’t peak more than a footnote in another team’s success.  

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Snake Esports

Roster:

• Flandre
• ZZR
• U / TANK
• Martin / kRYST4L
• Ella / Jla

Snake leave their rookie year with two top-five finishes, but continue to fumble in the Playoffs. Their roster pigeon-holes them into a one-dimensional 5 vs. 5 style that’s left them exposed in best-of series. With the revolving door for players for several key positions, Snake haven’t found the roster experience to grow into their potential.

The star of the team is still Top Flandre, and in tandem with the Summer combination of Ella, and U, Snake have a sound support system to let Flandre shine in fights; however they -- like QG -- lack that consistent secondary carry to make them a viable threat. The acquisition of TANK from NaJin e-mFire doesn’t address any of the weak positions and shoehorns a language barrier on a four-man Chinese squad.  

Snake are unique in that they understand the teamfighting identity that makes them strong, but have no recognition of what makes them weak. Until they adjust their roster accordingly, they’ve shown their competitive ceiling, and it’s below being a relevant talking point.

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Royal Never Gives Up

Roster:

• LetMe / Looper
• mlxg / inSec
• Xiaohu / Sask
• Wuxx / NaMei
• Mata / Ley

RNG are the necromancers of the LPL, fighting back from Relegations multiple times with multiple faces. And like any good Frankenstein's Monster, the newest RNG roster is a ten man assemblage of several lackluster teams sewn together.  With acquired talents like Mata, NaMei, and InSec, RNG could feasibly start any combination of their players for an impressive run on paper.

Problem is that majority of RNG’s veteran talent had a questionable 2015 season. Luckily, they’ve also retained the dynamic rookie talents of the previous squad, giving RNG the ability to not only scrim in-house but also foster development. RNG have the tools but not the precedent to achieve greatness.

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Team WE

Roster:

• 957 / Aluka
• Condi / Wushuang
• Xiye
• Mystic / Mrsj
• Conan / Zero

WE is one of the few teams that made appropriate roster acquisitions in line with their weaknesses. Replacing their previous Top, Jungle, and Support -- WE retain only the undervalued Mystic and Xiye, both of whom proved themselves to be mechanical forces on specific Champions. With the addition of former King player Zero and Master3’s Condi, WE might finally have the necessary support to unlock their carries.

Outside the upcoming solo queue talent in 957, there’s little hype surrounding this roster because despite upgrading nearly every position, the fact is that these are upgrades speak more about how weak the previous roster was than how strong the current one could be.

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Vici Gaming

Roster:

• Loong
• DanDy
• Easyhoon
• Endless / Vasilii
• Duan

VG bring up the tail end of the predicted Playoff competition. On paper, the top half of the roster looks incredible with Loong, DanDy, and Easyhoon. The problem is the lack of an established carry as all the former players identify as either role-playing or more supportive in nature. Unfortunately, VG’s bot lane doesn’t provide the answer to this stylistic issue.

VG also suffered a shaky offseason performance with DanDy’s return to the Jungle looking uncomfortable and Easyhoon’s lack of experience with the team causing issues. Like the other teams in this mid-tier, VG have the talent, but do they have the carry and the synergy?  

C Tier - Energy Pacemaker.All

Work-in-Progress: One of the teams in this tier will scrape into the final seed for the LPL Spring Play-offs. These teams are okay, but lack direction, experience, or talent to compete for a deep play-off run. These are the miracles and underdog stories.

Energy Pacemaker.All (EPA)

Roster:

• GimGoon / Star
• Rabbit97 / Crisis / Amel
• Republic / EShen,
• Romantic
• JieZou

EPA are one of the two Promoted teams from the League of Legends Secondary Pro League (LSPL). They recently bested both EDG and LGD in offseason tournaments (Subs were involved) and repeatedly get the better of Hyper Youth Gaming. It’s possible that like predecessors QG and Snake, EPA could come into the LPL and remind the League that the LSPL teams are a reckoned force; which is why they’re the favorite to enter the Playoffs from this tier.

But it’s also important to remember that the EP brand has a longstanding ping-pong tradition with the LPL, bouncing between Relegation and Promotion through the years.

EPA enter the league with some professional experience on this roster due to player pickups from teams like Xenic Storm, Machi Esports, and Masters3. There’s no stand-out stars or purchased legacies, but there’s also nothing to lose.

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Invictus Gaming (iG)

Roster:

• Zzitai
• Kid
• RooKie
• Time
• Kitties / Mo

Coming off a disappointing Worlds performance, iG are looking into the 2016 LPL Split as a husk of their former selves. The roster has been gutted as KaKAO is nowhere to be seen, forcing a massive downgrade as former ADC, Kid, is to take position in the Jungle. Even if Kid can navigate the role-swap, he’s still attempting to fill the shoes of one of the greatest Junglers of all time.

Replacing Kid will be Time alongside either Kitties or unknown Mo. Any combination of this roster is just as inexperienced as the two LSPL teams, and it’ll be up to Zzitai and RooKie to drag iG to safety. Unfortunately for iG, not only did they lose talent, but they also lost their core identity as KaKAO was their primary enabler. They’re used to relying on the Solo Lanes to carry, but they’ll need to find some way to reinvent the wheel.

Hyper Youth Gaming (HYP)

Roster:

• ss17
• March
• Gosu / Jojo
• XQ
• X1u

HYG qualified into the LPL with a different iteration of the current roster before losing their Korean Mid/Jungle Combo to Masters3. Since assembling the new roster they’ve yet to show in competition, but it also includes former LGD talent ss17 and XQ. Like EPA, Hyper Youth Gaming brings a mismatch of experience levels into the pro league, giving them a slight edge on the title ‘underdog.'

The other high point for HYG is that XQ alongside X1u should be a surprising bot lane; both have competitive experience and the last time XQ performed in the LPL he demonstrated a respectable skill ceiling comprobable to the likes of NaMei, UZI, and WeiXiao.

D Tier - OMG, Masters3

Promotions: Teams in this tier are in dire need of a change lest they face the Promotion Tournament. They are considerably weaker than their competition due to the departure of talent and loss of identity. They need more than a miracle, they need a complete overhaul.

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Oh My God! (OMG)

Roster:

• Xiyang / Dark
• FishBall
• Cool
• S1mLz / Bei
• 5 / Luo

OMG were a dynasty of the LPL, but like iG, are now shadows of their former glory. After the acquisition and departure of UZI, OMG have suffered through the worst LPL Season of their history and are continuing to  plummet as long-established talent like San, Gogoing, and LoveLing have all retired.

Now, all that’s left is All-Star Mid, Cool. Flanking him are the leftovers of OMG’s LSPL squad, OMD, and former M3 Marksmen S1mLz. OMG have lost all the legacies that defined them, and for the first time in their history, are starting over. Unfortunately, they’re competing against some of the best players in the world in their positions and their philosophy to ignore all foreign talent to be an all-Chinese team has left them outmatched.

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Masters3 (M3)

Roster:

• Top: xy
• Jungle: Yolo / Scenery
• Mid: Raphael
• ADC: qPqTq
• Support: Savoki / lovecd

Unlike OMG -- who retained a portion of their sub talent to support Cool -- M3 have lost all of their talent. This puts them in a curious position as last Split they barely scraped by to avoid relegation. Feasibly, this new roster could easily succeed their 2015 Summer performance, but only because that should be the minimum.

Expectations rest squarely with the Korean duo of Yolo and Raphael. This duo was adept at playing around the bottom lane on HYG, and it’s clear that M3 are betting on the same tactics with the pick up of aggressive Marksmen, qPqTq. For M3, they’re not bottom of the barrel because it’s expected of them, they’re bottom of the barrel because there are literally no expectations.

International

Among the elite regional teams, we've picked a few frontrunners we anticipate performing well internationally at events such as the 2016 Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship.

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Origen

​Written by Frank "Mirhi" Fields

Lineup:

• SoaZ
• Amazing
• PowerOfEvil / xPeke
• Zven
• Mithy

What do you get when you take a Worlds Semifinalist, upgrade your mid laner, and everyone shuffles rosters around you? A frontrunner.

Heading into the 2016 EU LCS, it looks like it's Origen's race to lose. In 2015 Summer, Origen stormed into the LCS and quickly emerged as one of the triumvirate powers -- along with H2K and Fnatic. Yet Origen was the only team in Europe that was able to beat Fnatic all Split, largely behind stellar play from the team's three carries: Zven (then Niels), SoaZ, and xPeke.

With great aggressive jungle play from Amazing, and many EU players hailing Mithy as the best support in the league, the only glaring weakness in Summer was xPeke's sometimes inconsistent play. It takes a lot of introspection and self-awareness as an owner to bench yourself, but following in the steps of TSM's Reginald, Origen owner xPeke has done just that. In order to fill the hole in his team, xPeke added Unicorns Of Love standout PowerOfEvil to his team.

Origen now adds another elite mid laner to a team that was already Top 4 in the world. That's quite a statement, but that doesn't mean success is assured. After all, even last season Origen had a few stumbles on the way to their impressive Worlds finish.

Granted PowerOfEvil had a great year in 2015, he'll need time to mesh with his teammates, especially if the mid lane remains as important to controlling the map as it was in 2015. But if he's able to do that, and the rest of the team keeps up their previous form, Origen should have no problems winning Europe -- and will be very hard to stop in international events. But it's not assured that each member of Origen performs at their top level all Season. Top laner SoaZ has had occasions where he's performed particularly poorly, and PowerOfEvil has turned in some inconsistent performances to go along with his dominating games.

As they level up their teamwork and individual form, Origen could beat anyone, but that's up to them. They still have to put in the work, and still have to play (and win) the games.

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H2K

Written by Frank "Mirhi" Fields

Roster:

• Odoamne
• Jankos
• Ryu
• FORG1VENGRE
• VandeR

With H2K replacing three members of its World Championship roster, we aren't sure if they're going to be better or worse long term. But we do know that they're good, and as far as potential, this team is very scary. The team retains two standouts from the previous roster in Odoamne and Ryu, and added former Roccat jungler and support Jankos and VandeR, respectively. All of these players are acclaimed among the best in their positions in Europe. But the crown jewel in the offseason for H2K was picking up 2015 Spring Split MVP FORG1VENGRE, who some still think is the best ADC in Western League of Leagues.

From a raw talent perspective, this team is absurdly good. The trick will be melding this assortment of veteran players into a cohesive unit -- and that won't be easy. FORG1VENGRE has had clashes with teammates in the past, and despite his reputation as an extremely mechanically skilled ADC, he hasn't been able to stay on a roster for more than a split since his days on the Copenhagen Wolves.

There is some synergy carrying over though -- Jankos and VandeR, as well as Odoamne and Ryu, have already had a year to get used to playing with one another. The key is for all of these ties to bind themselves together, and bring FORG1VENGRE in with them. If this team is able to play as a well-oiled machine, they will be better than Origen. But there are severe questions as to who leads this team, who shot calls for this team, and if this team can play together through strife, not to mention for the whole year.

Assuming the team stays together through the end of Summer, H2K is almost a lock for Worlds, but how much higher they climb depends on synergy and adaptation.

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Flash Wolves

Written by Clement Chu

Roster:

• Rins / MMD
• Karsa
• Maple
• NL
• SwordArt

Flash Wolves is our team to watch in the LMS. While beloved top laner Steak retires to the analyst position, in his place comes long-term trainee Rins. With a relatively unchanged roster, this should allow the Wolves to keep their system intact while their young core of Karsa, SwordArt, and Maple continues to mature.

Flash Wolves built their system of play around Maple. The 18-year-old is the most dominant mid laner Taiwan has ever produced. Maple starts exerting his pressure at the picks and bans phase with a wide-array of champions, being simultaneously the most feared Azir and Zed player in the LMS. In lane, Maple plays for trades and rarely settles for farming-it-out. Jungler Karsa is the second piece of the puzzle that enabled Maple’s high pressure laning phase. The Wolves, with Karsa, take First Blood 75% the time, with four out of five of these kills happening mid. Karsa’s addition was immediately felt as FW went a flawless 19-0 in Spring when fielding their starting lineup.

Perhaps Maple’s most breathtaking displays come in his team fighting. FW are known as more of a kiting team, favoring utility tops, disengage supports, and NL’s long range ADs. As the enemy team breaks formation to catch NL, this is when Maple strikes, assassinating mages and marksmen in the midst of the victim's team. It’s a very high-risk, in-and-out style that rests solely on individual outplay. “Maple simply has reflex superiority,” FW Analyst Fluidwind said, adding, “It comes with youth.” At 18 years of age, Maple has already earned two 8th place finishes at Worlds and we expect more appearances to come.

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Despite their smooth sailing early on in the season, problems began to emerge for the Flash Wolves in Summer Split. With wave-clearing mids being favored by the meta, it was becoming harder for Maple simply to carry from the mid lane. This trend continued into Worlds and their opponents performance largely determined their success.

Against opponents where Maple or Karsa could secure leads, Flash Wolves flourished. The LMS team shook the KOO Tigers by outclassing the combination of KurO and Lee. But when faced against more defensive mid-junglers, such as OG and even PaiN, Flash Wolves looked listless and lost. It’s clear that Flash Wolves lacked a second laning option to start the engine when neither NL nor Steak could reliably win lane.

This is where Rins could make his impact felt. Self-described as a counter-pick oriented top laner with a wide pool, Rins brings a much needed win-lane mentality for Karsa to diversify his ganking options. This, in turn, frees Maple from picking early-play making champions, and allows him more time on Ryze or Azir, if the meta calls for it.

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ahq E-sports club

Written by Clement Chu

Roster:

• Ziv
• Mountain / RD
• westdoor / Chawy
• AN
• Albis

ahq is our pick for the most talent-packed roster in the LMS. The team acquired MVP runner-up Chawy (Mid) and RD (JG/ADC) during the offseason. Both would be marquee players on different teams. Meanwhile, ADC AN has been promoted to team captain, while westdoor and Mountain will remain sharing minutes with the newcomers.

On paper, ahq has made the biggest improvements to their roster out of any team. However, we rank them behind Flash Wolves this split as there are foreseeable growing pains. Flash Wolves kept their system intact while improving options; ahq is looking to reinvent their identity, something they have not shown a knack for doing.

ahq Coach Backstairs has probably accomplished the greatest juggling act in League of Legends coaching by transforming AHQ from a middling domestic team to an international contender. The secret to their system? Stacking the weakness of his players so they canceled each other out. Albis was a poor roamer, westdoor had a subpar laning phase, Mountain would invade no matter what, and AN played in lane like a firearm without a safety button. The solution was the former three players would constantly be in AN’s bot lane, team fight, and then invade together afterwards. “My job isn’t to change the ahq style,” Backstairs commented after their return from MSI. “It’s to make sure we have the champion pool to avoid being banned out from it.” In essence, Backstairs traded in all of their weaknesses for being predictable, but it didn’t matter, as they were also unstoppable. westdoor is the best LMS mid at roam timing and skirmishing, Mountain is a master at team fighting and setting ambushes, Ziv was the league’s premier Teleport top, and AN, backed by his teammates, dominated lane to an 11.2 CSD@10.

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Outside of Ziv, who showed remarkable progress as a player, the rest of the squad really didn’t change from when the team was mediocre to when it was excellent. There was no character progression in the ahq cinderella story, they simply lived with each other’s flaws happily ever after. This is also the reason we’re skeptical that ahq will be able to hit the ground running. Chawy was a massive player last split, carrying over a third of TPA’s damage while also holding a league best 3.9 CSD@10 for a mid laner. But he is a very different player from westdoor. Primarily a poke/crowd-control mage, Chawy looks to establish his leads in lane before taking them elsewhere. Similarly, RD was the best player on Logitech Snipers last season, but is relatively new to the jungle. We see him as a mechanical upgrade over Mountain, but worry that it will cause the team to revert back to Spring.

Overall, the biggest benefactor to the changes will be AN. Some of AN’s strongest picks worked very poorly in the ahq system. His Ashe and his Twitch (AN is known as the “Rat King” in Taiwan) especially were never picked. ahq's system needed AN to win lane, and westdoor’s assassins provided no protection nor waveclear for AN’s late game carries to make it smoothly to 30 minutes. I see the promotion of AN to captain as a meaningful adjustment, since the end goal of ahq's roster changes will be to support AN in three separate ways: Bring out his lane dominant Kalista and Sivir, utilize his catch-oriented Twitch and Ashe, and enable his late-game teamfighting Jinx. If they’re successful, this year's ahq will be a more talented, more flexible, and far more deadly contender at Worlds.

**All stats used were taken from 2015 LMS Summer Split.

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TSM

Written by Carlos "h0tsawce" Bravo

Roster:

• Hauntzer
• Svenskeren
• Bjergsen
• Doublelift
• Yellowstar

TSM enters this season in a familiar fashion -- as one of the great hopes of North America to succeed on the Worlds stage. The difference this time is that they actually have the tools to succeed.

As it pertains to NA, TSM boasts advantages through more than just sheer talent.  With the arrival of EU LCS MVP Yellowstar, we can expect to see some innovative, decisive, and successful shotcalling. Additionally, Hauntzer has shown signs of potential to be a better version of Dyrus, who was always underrated in terms of contributions to his team. Svenskeren is a well respected jungler who will make decisive plays throughout the game, something sorely lacking from the position in previous splits.

Outside of intangible improvements like shotcalling and map presence/decision making, TSM has acquired talent that will make the team formidable on the international stage. Doublelift is internationally respected for his gifted mechanical play, and with good reason. Yet the ADC is going to be facing a lot of firsts this season: the first time playing without Counter Logic Gaming, and the first time playing as a secondary carry. How will he handle it?

When looking at TSM in 2016 and their roster, one has to say that the sky's the limit. Chock full of talent that has performed at the world stage, a more competitive league which will force TSM to play at their best every week, it isn’t a stretch to say TSM could make semifinals at world this year. The question is: will that be good enough?

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Cloud9

​Written by Carlos "h0tsawce" Bravo

Roster:

• Balls
• Rush
• Jensen
• Sneaky
• Hai

Perhaps it’s a little surprising to spotlight Cloud9 with another super team getting a lot of preseason buzz (Immortals), but Cloud9's off season changes put them on track for a fourth consecutive Worlds run. The signing of Rush was a coup, and allowed the team to kill two birds with one stone: replace Lemonnation at support while keeping Hai, thus improving the team at two positions.

It’s easy to note that Cloud9’s point of power will be in shotcalling and macro play, but that’s only a piece of what makes a champion. Cloud9 is also boasting the most mechanically skilled team they have had in their three LCS seasons, and a team with the potential for unparalleled aggression. Towards the end of the Summer Split last season, Cloud9 were running unconventional and aggressive comps with limited talent that caught teams by surprise, and with great success. After the acquisition of Rush, it’s safe to assume the aggression will continue, and with more success.

Rush brings a joie de vivre to Cloud9 that will allow his teammates to take chances and push their limits. Hai has already stated his team will win or die trying, and that should be a source of comfort for Cloud9 fans, as this mentality is going to bring the best out of Rush. A player already known for living in the enemy's jungle, Rush has the talent to put pressure on any team, regardless of their region. With the technical prowess he's already exhibited, Rush has the capability to lead Cloud9 to a deep World Championship run.

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SKTelecom T1

Written by Alex Manisier

Roster:

• Top: Duke
• Jungle: Bengi / Blank
• Mid: Faker / Scout
• AD Carry: Bang
• Support: Wolf

There's no doubt that SKTelecom T1 was the best team of 2015 -- their back-to-back LCK titles and near-flawless Worlds run was proof enough. But here's a scary thought: SKT T1 have a good chance of being the best team of 2016 as well. They succeeded in 2015 for multiple reasons: unparalleled understanding of the metagame, surgical map play, and the remarkable growth of their superstar mid laner Faker.

None of this has disappeared with the departure of top laner and captain MaRin.

The fact of the matter is that SKT T1 have a weapon that almost no other team in the world can boast of -- near unlimited flexibility. There's nothing that Faker and Bang can't play, and it's impossible to define either player's style as well. Bengi and Wolf are the jungler and support that Korean Solo Queuers dream of, due to their heavy team focus and selflessness.

What this means from a strategic perspective is that SKT T1 is essentially a blank canvas on which a strategy can be painted. In fact, the only thing that held them back from being perfectly malleable in 2015 was MaRin -- a remarkable top laner in his own right, but also a predictable and exploitable player when it came to the laning phase. SKT T1 were able to work around his weaknesses and focus on his strengths, but that's still far from their dream scenario.

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Duke, on the other hand, spent much of 2015 working on his weaknesses rather than buffing up his strengths. On a struggling e-mFire roster, he was pressured to fix his mistakes and become a player who could provide his team with more tools for victory. By the end of the year, he was one of the best top laners in the world, and not just for his strong laning. Rather, his ability to become the carry of the team regardless of his circumstances was what made him great.

It's true that we haven't seen Duke exert the same level of lane pressure as MaRin. Perhaps we're treating MaRin as a victim of his own success -- a player that never needed to fix his weaknesses. And perhaps he's secretly a more versatile player than we give him credit for. But based off Duke's superior skillset, it's hard to see SKT T1's preseason acquisitions as anything but a net benefit.

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Longzhu Gaming

Written by Alex Manisier

Roster:

• Top: Flame / Expession
• Jungle: Chaser / Crash
• Mid: CoCo / Frozen
• AD Carry: Fury / Cpt Jack
• Support: Pure / Zzus

Say hello to Korea's first superteam. While the ROX Tigers found success by meshing veteran experience with youthful energy, Longzhu Gaming is the first Korean experiment of its kind -- a brand new roster of star players, assembled from many different teams. To construct their ten-man roster, Longzhu acquired players from LGD Gaming, Incredible Miracle, Jin Air Green Wings, CJ Entus, Samsung Galaxy and KT Rolster. On paper, they're probably one of the strongest teams in the world.

It would be fruitless to speculate as to how Longzhu will perform once they hit the Rift for Champions Spring. At the same time, it's absolutely crucial to note that for all of Longzhu's players, there is something for them in the roster that they had always lacked previously.

Flame and CoCo received a gift in the form of Chaser -- an aggressive jungler who dictates the pace of the game on his own terms, not requiring the team to hide his deficiencies or direct his play in any capacity. For both solo laners, Chaser's presence means that there is no longer a looming pressure to overextend themselves in the early game to carry.

Chaser received two trustworthy carry threats who are more than capable of running away with a game if given a sufficient lead. Jin Air's main frustration was their inability to quickly snowball a lead due to the more passive, team-oriented playstyles of TrAce and Pilot -- now, Chaser's options have suddenly expanded beyond the mid lane.

Fury and Pure received a team that will not require a gargantuan effort from the bot lane to win. On both Samsung Galaxy and e-mFire, the AD carries were the centre of attention -- if they could not get off the ground, then the teams would usually flop. Now, they can take a break and allow their veteran teammates to do the hard work every now and then.

Longzhu Gaming should be your Korean team to watch in 2016. Its biggest strength is their talent -- five players who have always been held back by their teams in some regard, unchained by the sheer ability of their teammates. But few teams become legendary overnight. Give Longzhu their due patience, and your faith may well be rewarded.

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So what do you think? Which teams will have success in their regional championships? Who will represesent their peers at MSI? And who are the favorites to win the 2016 World Championship?

Let us know on Twitter, or in the comments below.

Photos courtesy of ESL