Samsung White’s Group Domination
Riot·9/25/2014, 7:49:15 PM·0 votes·20,743 views
When Samsung White entered the Worlds stage last year, they heard nothing but praise and admiration. Dade, their start mid lane player, was compared next to Faker as the best player in the world, and the rest of the team was hailed as some of the elite in their position against the best in the world. Having just been picked up by the global brand Samsung, White had everything -- a huge brand name, players excelling in every position, and a confidence that attracted foreign fans to their interviews and play style.
Everything came crashing down in the group stages last year. Dade’s champion pool was nerfed, leaving him hopeless on champions he didn’t know how to play. Imp and Mata, White’s stellar bottom lane, called the best in the world by many, was out of synch and didn’t live up to the hype placed on them. Their big words and cocky style came back to bite them, sending them home before even making the knockout stages.
Embarrassed, White would have to an endure a straight year of taunts, trash talk and criticism from Korean players and media for their lackluster performance at Worlds. Even with three straight trips to the semifinals during the 2014 season in OGN Champions, White were still the team that had gone to Worlds and humiliated Korea -- the consensus strongest region -- in front of millions of people. Their play was strong enough during the year that they could be considered once again a powerhouse in the Korean region, but none of it would matter until they made up for the follies that left a black mark on their name last year.
White’s road to redemption began against the team predicted to give them their toughest test in the group stages, China’s #1 seed Edward Gaming. The Chinese hopefuls, hailed for their late-game superiority and team fight coordination led by star Namei in the ADC role, were stopped early and often against the new White squad. White jumped out to an early lead thanks to their aggressive bottom lane of Imp and Mata, taking an early kill against EDG’s crown jewel Namei and sprinting to a fast start. The Korean #2 seed continued their strong macro game, laying down wards in every bush and crevice of the map. They shot up to a 10k gold lead during the mid-game and didn’t look back, cautiously stealing the air from Edward Gaming until they had to tap out due to White’s immense pressure.
If last year’s White team were a bunch of brash kids who thought no one from Korea could touch them, then this year’s team is the complete polar opposite -- professional and diligent in their preparation and play. White came into the group stages like it was another day at OGN Champions, sat down in their chairs, and played every single game like they were facing Samsung Blue in World Finals. It didn’t matter where they came from or what their perceived skill was -- every team put in front of White was another chance to redeem themselves for the failure they left behind last year in Los Angeles.
To put things into perspective, the White team of last year gave up 22 kills in the two games they played against the winless Minkesi. They played lax, gave up free kills when they didn’t need to, and while they won with lopsided scores, there was nothing impressive about getting aced by a team who couldn’t muster a win in eight group stage games.
This year against the winless Dark Passage, White treated them with the same respect they showed one of the Worlds favorites, EDG, in the first game of groups. Instead of trying to hurry up the game with tower dives and unnecessary showy individual plays, White didn’t force the issue. They went through the whole early game against Dark Passage without forcing a single fight, heading into the mid-game with an advantage through their strong laning and objective control. When it was finally time to fight, White dictated the match on their terms and romped the Wild Card team like many predicted they should have done last year to Mineski.
Compared to the 22 kills they gave up to Mineski last year, Dark Passage only got 2 off White this year -- both times nearing the end of the game when White had complete control of the game and the map. While they could have tried to the end games earlier by trying to pick up kills in the early game, it could have resulted in meaningless deaths and giving Dark Passage a small chance at getting their bearings in the game. This never happened -- White peppering the map with wards, Dandy projecting where Dark Passage’s jungler Crystal would be at all times, and they briskly walked to another simple, flawless victory.
In a scene where almost every single team relies on their mid lane or AD Carry to be the nucleus, Samsung White’s two most vital players are their jungler and support. A team like no other in the world, White’s one-two punch doesn’t come from their Pentakill hero Imp or their assassin happy Pawn, but it comes in the package of the two players who can control Summoners Rift like no one else.
Mata placed 260 wards through the first six games of the tournament. In his first game against EDG, he placed an astronomical 84 wards on the map and led his team a victory over the #1 seeded Chinese team. Only dying ten times (the least of any support in Group A or B) and securing 102 assists (the most of any support in Group A or B), White’s support proved that roaming the map to place wards didn’t always have to be a suicide mission. Mata, knowing where and when his opposition was at all times thanks to his partner Dandy in the jungle, was able to safely set up vision across the Rift and begin White’s dangerous macro game.
Dandy, Mata’s partner in locking down the Rift with vision and complete control, is what sets White apart from the rest of the world. Considered by many as the best jungler during last years Worlds, he wasn’t able to show his full potential during White’s nightmare of a group stage. This year, with a new mindset coming from White, he has been at the forefront of their success.
Instead of simply of hoping and waiting for an opportunity to counter jungle, Dandy will predict his prey’s movements during every section of the game and prepare diligently to make sure that he can expose the holes in his enemy’s jungling path. White’s jungler is always one step ahead of his jungler opposition, setting in motion his plan to steal a red buff minutes before it actually takes place. With his teammates help, he will make sure his opponents are in a weakened position before the buff’s appearing time to safely set-up a well-timed steal. Combined with his patented Baron steals that has given him the nickname ‘The Prince of Thieves’, Dandy’s presaging path talents make him the consensus strongest jungler in the world.
Together, Mata and Dandy form a partnership that is the backbone of the White team. Imp and Pawn, their two solo carries, benefit from Dandy’s predictive counter jungling style and Mata’s ultimate vision control to pick up easy kills and become dominant in the late-game. The two solo laners are already considered two of the best laners in the world, and they have the added bonus of having the two best players in the world when it comes to gaining advantages for their carries.
In the end, White could beat you in a number of ways -- with their individual talent that can outduel you in lane or with precise team fighting that leaves your team in tatters. But instead of a quick, swift death in a team fight that will make the defeat imminent and painless, White’s choice of winning games is the most suffocating in all of League of Legends. Like a boa constrictor, they rely on their macro game to know where you are all at all times, grab objective after objective, and slowly squeeze the life out of you until there is no point in fighting anymore.
What is there to do against a team that possess a support who has the ability to know the perfect times to ward the map and open the Rift completely to their team? What can you do against a jungler who knows where you’re going to be two minutes before you even know yourself? With a macro game that consists of safe lanes from their solo laners and a bottom lane that rarely loses in a 2v2 situation, it’s almost impossible to take an early objective from White. If you aren’t ahead of them early in the game with a kill on one of their carries, they’ll enter the mid-game where Mata and Dandy can truly shine with their ward control and counter jungling.
The only times they faltered in the first stage were when they either got cocky (going for an opponent’s blue buff after a won team fight and at half health) or were so far ahead they got lax and didn’t ward properly (the first game against EDG where they lost the fight at Baron that gave their opponents a few minutes of hope).
With Team Solo Mid next on their docket, TSM will need to find a way to stop the rolling juggernaut that seemingly overpowers them in every category. The only team to beat the current White roster in the past year has been Samsung Blue -- a team that not only heralded for their world class team fighting, but have the added advantage of scrimming White every single day. Can TSM find any way to combat the macro style from the Korean powerhouses in two weeks time, or will they end up like the numerous teams in White’s wake? Slowly, but surely, constricted to death by the overwhelming map pressure of Samsung White.
Simple, Flawless Victory
White’s road to redemption began against the team predicted to give them their toughest test in the group stages, China’s #1 seed Edward Gaming. The Chinese hopefuls, hailed for their late-game superiority and team fight coordination led by star Namei in the ADC role, were stopped early and often against the new White squad. White jumped out to an early lead thanks to their aggressive bottom lane of Imp and Mata, taking an early kill against EDG’s crown jewel Namei and sprinting to a fast start. The Korean #2 seed continued their strong macro game, laying down wards in every bush and crevice of the map. They shot up to a 10k gold lead during the mid-game and didn’t look back, cautiously stealing the air from Edward Gaming until they had to tap out due to White’s immense pressure.
If last year’s White team were a bunch of brash kids who thought no one from Korea could touch them, then this year’s team is the complete polar opposite -- professional and diligent in their preparation and play. White came into the group stages like it was another day at OGN Champions, sat down in their chairs, and played every single game like they were facing Samsung Blue in World Finals. It didn’t matter where they came from or what their perceived skill was -- every team put in front of White was another chance to redeem themselves for the failure they left behind last year in Los Angeles.
To put things into perspective, the White team of last year gave up 22 kills in the two games they played against the winless Minkesi. They played lax, gave up free kills when they didn’t need to, and while they won with lopsided scores, there was nothing impressive about getting aced by a team who couldn’t muster a win in eight group stage games.
This year against the winless Dark Passage, White treated them with the same respect they showed one of the Worlds favorites, EDG, in the first game of groups. Instead of trying to hurry up the game with tower dives and unnecessary showy individual plays, White didn’t force the issue. They went through the whole early game against Dark Passage without forcing a single fight, heading into the mid-game with an advantage through their strong laning and objective control. When it was finally time to fight, White dictated the match on their terms and romped the Wild Card team like many predicted they should have done last year to Mineski.
Compared to the 22 kills they gave up to Mineski last year, Dark Passage only got 2 off White this year -- both times nearing the end of the game when White had complete control of the game and the map. While they could have tried to the end games earlier by trying to pick up kills in the early game, it could have resulted in meaningless deaths and giving Dark Passage a small chance at getting their bearings in the game. This never happened -- White peppering the map with wards, Dandy projecting where Dark Passage’s jungler Crystal would be at all times, and they briskly walked to another simple, flawless victory.
Hawk-Eyes
In a scene where almost every single team relies on their mid lane or AD Carry to be the nucleus, Samsung White’s two most vital players are their jungler and support. A team like no other in the world, White’s one-two punch doesn’t come from their Pentakill hero Imp or their assassin happy Pawn, but it comes in the package of the two players who can control Summoners Rift like no one else.
Mata placed 260 wards through the first six games of the tournament. In his first game against EDG, he placed an astronomical 84 wards on the map and led his team a victory over the #1 seeded Chinese team. Only dying ten times (the least of any support in Group A or B) and securing 102 assists (the most of any support in Group A or B), White’s support proved that roaming the map to place wards didn’t always have to be a suicide mission. Mata, knowing where and when his opposition was at all times thanks to his partner Dandy in the jungle, was able to safely set up vision across the Rift and begin White’s dangerous macro game.
Dandy, Mata’s partner in locking down the Rift with vision and complete control, is what sets White apart from the rest of the world. Considered by many as the best jungler during last years Worlds, he wasn’t able to show his full potential during White’s nightmare of a group stage. This year, with a new mindset coming from White, he has been at the forefront of their success.
Instead of simply of hoping and waiting for an opportunity to counter jungle, Dandy will predict his prey’s movements during every section of the game and prepare diligently to make sure that he can expose the holes in his enemy’s jungling path. White’s jungler is always one step ahead of his jungler opposition, setting in motion his plan to steal a red buff minutes before it actually takes place. With his teammates help, he will make sure his opponents are in a weakened position before the buff’s appearing time to safely set-up a well-timed steal. Combined with his patented Baron steals that has given him the nickname ‘The Prince of Thieves’, Dandy’s presaging path talents make him the consensus strongest jungler in the world.
Together, Mata and Dandy form a partnership that is the backbone of the White team. Imp and Pawn, their two solo carries, benefit from Dandy’s predictive counter jungling style and Mata’s ultimate vision control to pick up easy kills and become dominant in the late-game. The two solo laners are already considered two of the best laners in the world, and they have the added bonus of having the two best players in the world when it comes to gaining advantages for their carries.
The White Boa Constrictors
In the end, White could beat you in a number of ways -- with their individual talent that can outduel you in lane or with precise team fighting that leaves your team in tatters. But instead of a quick, swift death in a team fight that will make the defeat imminent and painless, White’s choice of winning games is the most suffocating in all of League of Legends. Like a boa constrictor, they rely on their macro game to know where you are all at all times, grab objective after objective, and slowly squeeze the life out of you until there is no point in fighting anymore.
What is there to do against a team that possess a support who has the ability to know the perfect times to ward the map and open the Rift completely to their team? What can you do against a jungler who knows where you’re going to be two minutes before you even know yourself? With a macro game that consists of safe lanes from their solo laners and a bottom lane that rarely loses in a 2v2 situation, it’s almost impossible to take an early objective from White. If you aren’t ahead of them early in the game with a kill on one of their carries, they’ll enter the mid-game where Mata and Dandy can truly shine with their ward control and counter jungling.
The only times they faltered in the first stage were when they either got cocky (going for an opponent’s blue buff after a won team fight and at half health) or were so far ahead they got lax and didn’t ward properly (the first game against EDG where they lost the fight at Baron that gave their opponents a few minutes of hope).
With Team Solo Mid next on their docket, TSM will need to find a way to stop the rolling juggernaut that seemingly overpowers them in every category. The only team to beat the current White roster in the past year has been Samsung Blue -- a team that not only heralded for their world class team fighting, but have the added advantage of scrimming White every single day. Can TSM find any way to combat the macro style from the Korean powerhouses in two weeks time, or will they end up like the numerous teams in White’s wake? Slowly, but surely, constricted to death by the overwhelming map pressure of Samsung White.
