Power Rankings - Week 9

Welcome to Week 9 of Lolesports Power Rankings. We use a system similar to the Associated Press power rankings for College Football or Basketball - a panel of writers vote on who they think should be listed, and an aggregate is produced from combining their rankings. Our panel votes on these criteria, in this order:

• Recent results
• Predicted future performance
• Historical trends (as they pertain to future results and present form)
• The "eye" test (How good does a team look, relative to the rest of the world)

Our panel is available at the footer of this article, with each of their credentials and specialties. It is important to note that all our voters follow all five major professional leagues (LPL, OGN, GPL, NA/EU LCS) on a weekly basis. Make sure to tweet @Lolesports with your #LCSRANKINGS if you have feedback Here are our Week 9 Power Rankings. Current league record in parenthesis. Number of first place votes in brackets

1. ( - ) SK Telecom T1 K - [14] - SKT Masters - (4-0) | OGN Champions (1-1) After a few weeks of Masters and the opening day for OGN Champions Spring, SKT K looks as powerful as ever. The synergy between Piglet and support player Casper isn't yet fully where SKT K's used to having their bot lane, but the wily and aggressive play-making from Casper is a welcomed asset to the world championship team. KT Arrows jungler KaKAO's fateful ballot draw's sent a cloudburst in their direction: not only are the SKT sibling teams now rivals in the group stages, but his draw pits the reigning champions against the one team that knows them best. They were left looking dazed and confused after the first day of OGN Champions Spring -- despite a crushing victory over their sibling team in game one that seemed to set the stage for another dominant performance, they actually lost the second game as SKT S rallied, fought on even ground, and finally overtook the champions. KaKAO might be laughing now, having indirectly caused SKT K to lose their first professional game in almost half a year, but that does mean he's stuck in the same group with the champion team and a team grown powerful enough to take the champions down. SKT might yet have the last laugh -- but which one? Written by James "Obscurica" Chen
2. ( - ) CJ Entus Blaze - SKT Masters - (3-1)
3. ( - ) Samsung Galaxy Ozone - SKT Masters - (3-1) Facing NaJin e-mFire last week in OGN Masters, Samsung Galaxy Ozone delivered a devastating blow to NaJin Black Sword. Ozone continues to perform successfully as Looper, DanDy, and PawN all went deathless in their match. As the team prepares for their inaugural match for OGN Champions spring, Ozone's first gamewill be this Saturday against IM#1. Should Ozone continue to perform at the level they have been recently, IM#1 will be a stepping stone on Ozone's path to locking down Group B. Written by Jack "NeoIllusions" Ho
4. ( - ) Najin White Shield - SKT Masters - (2-1)
5. (+1) OMG - LPL - (6-0) OMG's slight hop up the ladder is attributed to the fact that they're the only undefeated team remaining in LPL. Their strategies may be more AD carry-centric than we remember from last season, but they're proving themselves just as innovative and successful as ever under new circumstances. Adaptability is one of those qualities that separates the top ten from the rest of the world, and if they still lead the LPL standings after their six games this weekend, they'll have carved out a new niche. Written by Kelsey Moser
6. (+1) SK Telecom T1 S - SKT Masters - (2-1) | OGN Champions (1-1) SKT T1 S blew everybody's mind when they broke the winning streak of Faker and SKT T1 K in what might have been the best game of the year. One of the dragon fights had more complexity than some professional games, with K and S going back and forth before S managed to finally secure it, and push ahead to the win. There had been a lot of talk of SKT T1 K perfecting League of Legends, but it looks like they may soon have a rival, if SKT T1 S can continue to improve. Written by Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman
7. (-2) Najin Black Sword - SKT Masters - (1-1)
8. ( - ) KT Rolster Bullets - SKT Masters - (0-4) Though the Bullets have changed their roster twice since Masters started, things are starting to look up for the former No. 2 team. inSec's performance in the jungle is reportedly approaching a decent level, and Leopard has always been one of Korea's quiet performers in the top lane, in the same vein as players like Expession or Save. IEM Katowice will surely be a defining point for the team's growth, and their performance in Poland will shape their training decisions as they prepare for their fifth season of Champions, chasing that elusive first place. Written by Alex Manisiser
9. (+2) Team SoloMid - NA LCS - (17-3) For most teams, using a sub is a less than optimal situation. When it was announced that Bjergsen would be away due to visa issues, Reginald had some big shoes to fill. Fortunately for TSM fans, Reginald stepped up big during Super Week. Showing a strong performance with Gragas and Lulu, Reginald was a big factor in TSM's 4-0 run last week, taking down Coast, Evil Geniuses, XDG, and long time rival, CLG. While Reginald's cameo in Week 8 garnered him the weekly MVP, undoubtedly TSM is eagerly awaiting Bjergsen's return for Week 9 so the team can practice with its full roster once again before the split closes. Written by Jack "NeoIllusions" Ho
10. ( - ) Gambit Gaming - EU LCS - (12-8) Gambit has struggled to hold the No. 1 spot in Europe, and are currently tied with SK for it. They are a good team with glimmers of greatness, and we can't forget that they beat out Ozone at Worlds, but they'll need to be on top form to do so again, and a 2-2 Super Week doesn't exactly inspire confidence. SK Gaming and Alliance are both starting to look like strong challengers, let alone if Fnatic or ROCCAT regain their composure. Expect a playoff bump for Gambit; their boot camp always works wonders, but they are no longer the untouchable giants they once were. Written by Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman
11. (-1) Samsung Galaxy Blue - SKT Masters - (2-1) When Dade's switch to Samsung Blue was announced, many fans felt that Blue was getting the short end of the stick, believing that Samsung management was pushing Ozone as the main team while relegating Blue to the sidelines as in the past. However, Dade's performance with his new team has been anything but disappointing. Bringing a type of aggression to the explosive Blue squad that was not found in the more controlled PawN, it almost feels as if Dade was meant to play for Blue all along. Ssumday and Deft remain on top of their game, and Champions Spring is looking good for Blue. Written by Alex Manisier
12. (+4) Edward Gaming - LPL - (5-1) Edward Gaming continues to ascend the rankings on the back of their outstanding performances. Normally, a win against Energy Pacemaker wouldn't cause a team to rocket through the standings, but during the series, they showed signs of cleaning up their dragon control, which appeared to be the team's greatest flaw in the past. Not only that, but AD carry NaMei and support Fzzf managed to shine on Twitch and Sona almost as much as they did on Lucian and Alistar. This is the kind of dominance we've come to expect from LPL's top teams. Written by Kelsey Moser
13. (+1) Taipei Assassins - GPL - (10-0) At 10-0, the Taipei Assassins are undefeated in the Garena Premier League's Group B. Old rivals Singapore Sentinels couldn't touch them, and an ascendant Saigon Fantastic Five couldn't overtake them. The Assassins that enter IEM Katowice look very nearly in perfect form -- a sharp contrast over their poor performance in 2013. Their penultimate group stage game is notable for highlighting both their strengths and a potential worrying weakness: they held their ground against the Fantastic Five despite an 8,000 gold deficit, and suddenly exploded to overturn the game in their favor, demonstrating their mastery of late-game tactics and especially of team captain Bebe's astounding mechanical power. But the fact is that they allowed an 8,000 deficit in the first place: lane swaps, a rarity in the GPL, easily beguiles them, and is a weakness they cannot afford to leave untouched as they re-enter the international scene. Written by James "Obscurica" Chen
14. (+1) KT Rolster Arrows - SKT Masters - (2-1)
15. (+2) Cloud 9 - NA LCS - (16-4) The problem with the North American scene is that the teams that are supposed to be dominant aren't always. SKT T1 K can go on a million game spree vs the best teams in the world without losing, but when C9 4-0s super week, they manage to almost lose a game to a now 8-11 Dignitas (to whom they have already lost once). Although Cloud 9 moves up the rankings after 4-0ing Super Week, they need a return to their consistent form before they can hope to stand toe-to-toe on the international scene when it matters. Luckily for us, they get their test at IEM Katowice this weekend. Written by Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman
16. (-5) Team WE - LPL - (6-4) Despite losing four of their six games last week, World Elite still put up a strong fight against OMG. Then, on Sunday, they redeemed themselves by refusing to let Energy Pacemaker claim an inch in their series, and so they remain in the rankings, albeit a little bit lower down the list. Their ultimate test comes this weekend, however, and World Elite will have a chance to face off against the top teams at IEM Katowice. As sukiM has been touted as one of the strongest mid laners in LPL by his fellows, more than just team pride rides on WE's games. Success or failure may determine whether we see more or less of China in future rankings. Written by Kelsey Moser
17. (+2) AHQ Esports Club - GPL - (9-0)
18. (NEW) SK Gaming - EU LCS - (12-8) From bottom feeder to top contender, SK Gaming has flown up the EU LCS ladder, consistently taking games from the likes of Gambit, ROCCAT, and Fnatic. Candypanda and Fredy122 have transformed from consistently average players into world class play-makers over the course of the spring split. As the new roster continues to mesh, their individual play seems to improve as well. If this meteoric rise continues, SK Gaming could very well win the EU Spring Split, and get their first crack at international competition at the All Star Invitational. Written by Trent Murray
19. (-7) ROCCAT - EU LCS - (11-9) The EU LCS standings have been turbulent, to say the least, but it seemed for a long time that ROCCAT was only capable of an upward trajectory. Now, that trajectory's a tragedy: ROCCAT's run out of fuel, and a three-game losing streak has sent them crashing down. They're still a top-three team overall off the numbers alone, but the defeats to a highly unstable Millennium and Alliance weigh heavily against them. Losing to SK Gaming, currently tied for first place, was just salt in the wound. This is not unusual for EU LCS teams -- ALTERNATE, last season, experienced a similar pattern of dominance and obsolescence -- but it remains to be seen if the relatively new ROCCAT has the tenacity to recover from their recent setbacks, or if the damage to their morale is too much to bear. Written by James "Obscurica" Chen
20. (NEW) Jin Air Stealths - OGN Masters - (2-4)

Others Receiving Votes: CJ Entus Frost, CLG, LGD, Fnatic, Taipei Snipers, Invictus Gaming, LGIM#2, Royal Club

Falling

Invictus Gaming - LPL - (3-7) Despite an explosive off-season, Invictus Gaming cannot seem to get a break in LPL. With the exception of their games against LGD, they've averaged one strong showing a series—but also one weak showing a series. IG plays as if uncertain as to what to do with the new LPL best of two format, and their inability to 2-0 a single team has left them near the bottom. IG doesn't look bad, but not bad isn't top twenty. All eyes are on Katowice, however, and if they can put up a fight, they might find their way back on the list. Written by Kelsey Moser The Panel: Christopher "MonteCristo" Mykles - OGN Analyst and Commentator. Season 3 World Championship Analyst, esports veteran. Joshua "Jatt" Leesman - Riot Games LCS Analyst and Commentator. Veteran commentator of both Season 2 and Season 3 World Championships. James "Obscurica" Chen - GPL and SEA expert. Covers GPL for lolesports.com and watches all five major leagues regularly. Michael "Chexx" Kiefer - German born, Korean resident. TeamLiquid staff writer and Esports veteran. Expert on all things Korea. Regularly watches all five major leagues. Tyler "Fionn" Erzberger - TeamLiquid staff writer and OGN expert. Esports veteran and Freelancer for lolesports.com. Regularly watches all five major leagues. Thomas Watts - OGN expert and freelancer for lolesports.com. Veteran college football reporter. Regularly watches most of the five major leagues. Andrew "Glyceroll" Whitmore - Covers NA and EU LCS as well as Challenger for lolesports.com and surrenderat20.net. Regularly watches the five major leagues. Jack "NeoIllusions" Ho - TeamLiquid staff writer. Has covered OGN, NA and EU LCS for TL and lolesports.com. Regularly watches most of the five major leagues. Kelsey Moser - GosuGamers senior editor and LPL expert. Covers LPL for lolesports.com. Regularly watches all five major leagues. Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman - League of Legends theorycrafter and statistics nerd turned esports journalist, watches NA/EU religiously and all five major leagues regularly. Team Inven - Esports veterans and OGN experts. Regularly watch every game of all five major leagues. Frank "Mirhi" Fields - Web Content Editor for lolesports.com. Esports veteran, watches every game of all five major leagues. Jason "Jayway" Wai - Web Content Coordinator and stats aficionado for lolesports.com. Watches OGN religiously and regularly watches all five major leagues.

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