Faces In The Crowd
Riot·9/2/2014, 11:15:34 PM·0 votes·11,619 views
When the LCS began, veteran teams dominated the scene. Fnatic and Gambit, Curse and Team Solo Mid—it was as though newcomers were simply there as fodder for established organizations. Fortunately, the relegation system allowed new challengers to arise, paving the way for fresh teams like Cloud 9, LMQ, and the Lemondogs. These teams clawed through the crowd and fought their way onto the stage to test themselves against the giants of the sport, becoming stars in their own right. As the promotion series approaches once again, it’s time to meet some of the players who could become the next LCS star.
The top lane is often referred to as a “wet noodle fight.” Two beefy champions slap each other ineffectually as they farm alone, creating little impact until the mid game. The top lane champion pool is often limited and predictable, altering only for specific matchups. However, there are some who consistently work to test the limits of the top lane, and set themselves up to not only lead the charge, but carry their team to victory. Calitrollz is the newest in this exciting breed of top laners.
Before the rework, Calitrollz often left opponents flustered with his bruiser Nidalee. With consistent aggression in lane and determined split pushing, Calitrollz was drawing Nidalee bans before it was cool. Additionally, his Vladimir and Malphite have been winning games long after most professional top laners declared these champions too weak to play. In the most important series of his young career, Calitrollz once again went outside the norm and wowed the crowd with a 10/3/6 performance on Fizz.
Often when a top laner with a diverse champion pool enters the LCS, his champion selection gradually trends toward the expected picks. Calitrollz is certainly willing to play within the meta when necessary, however, when his team needs their wildcard to lead them to victory, Calitrollz has gone back time and again to his deep and unique roster. Should Team 8 qualify for the LCS, you can expect not only great play out of their top laner, but diverse and exciting champions as well.
League of Legends is a team sport and the importance of team synergy cannot be overstated. Team Coast has been one of the most consistently dominant teams throughout the NA Challenger Series. Yet the team recently announced that its top and mid laners, Rhux and Goldenglue, will be replaced for the promotion tournament by Miracle and Ringer. With limited time to come together, as well as a language barrier to overcome, Coast’s star jungler Santorin will be tested on multiple fronts. Not only will he have to set his team up with well-timed ganks and aggressive counter jungling, he will also have to keep his team focused with confident shot-calling.
In the past, LCS teams have found mixed success bringing in Korean players to beef up their rosters. CLG’s season ended in disappointment with Seraph never really proving himself, while TSM and Lustboy now sit comfortably as the number one seed for North America going into worlds. If Team Coast hope to follow the TSM path, much will be required of Santorin’s leadership abilities.
These new competitors have fought hard to earn their spot in the promotion tournament. Their year has been a success thus far, but all their hard work has only earned them a chance to reach the LCS. Should they earn a spot, they will have a chance to stand alongside Doublelift, Krepo, Dyrus, and all the other established names, and we are certainly excited to watch their journey.
Who do you think will become the next LCS star?
Calitrollz (Top Lane, Team 8)
The top lane is often referred to as a “wet noodle fight.” Two beefy champions slap each other ineffectually as they farm alone, creating little impact until the mid game. The top lane champion pool is often limited and predictable, altering only for specific matchups. However, there are some who consistently work to test the limits of the top lane, and set themselves up to not only lead the charge, but carry their team to victory. Calitrollz is the newest in this exciting breed of top laners.
Before the rework, Calitrollz often left opponents flustered with his bruiser Nidalee. With consistent aggression in lane and determined split pushing, Calitrollz was drawing Nidalee bans before it was cool. Additionally, his Vladimir and Malphite have been winning games long after most professional top laners declared these champions too weak to play. In the most important series of his young career, Calitrollz once again went outside the norm and wowed the crowd with a 10/3/6 performance on Fizz.
Often when a top laner with a diverse champion pool enters the LCS, his champion selection gradually trends toward the expected picks. Calitrollz is certainly willing to play within the meta when necessary, however, when his team needs their wildcard to lead them to victory, Calitrollz has gone back time and again to his deep and unique roster. Should Team 8 qualify for the LCS, you can expect not only great play out of their top laner, but diverse and exciting champions as well.
Impactful (AD Carry, Curse Academy)
The North American LCS has a tradition of discovering great AD carry talent from the challenger scene. TSM plucked Wildturtle out of the Cloud 9 roster, and he earned a pentakill in his debut performance. Team MRN brought in Nientonsoh, who not only elevated their performance, but earned himself a roster spot with CLG as a top laner in the next split. Even this past summer split, new challenger carries have been shocking the competition. Altec, Robertxlee, and Vasili have all put in tremendous performances over the course of the season, earning multiple quadra and pentakills between them. While Teams Coast and Team 8 have former LCS players at their AD carry positions, Curse Academy is hoping that Impactful will be next in the line for LCS carry gold. While his League of Legends professional career is relatively new, he has been competing in esports for years. His World of Warcraft guild, Stay at Home Dads, was rated among the best PvP guilds in North America. Impactful is an experienced competitor with a lot to prove in this new arena. Not to mention his K/D/A ratio in wins has been strong throughout the Promotion Qualifiers. If Curse Academy can set their carry up for success, Impactful will have a great opportunity to add his name to the list of exceptional NA carries.Santorin (Jungler, Team Coast)
League of Legends is a team sport and the importance of team synergy cannot be overstated. Team Coast has been one of the most consistently dominant teams throughout the NA Challenger Series. Yet the team recently announced that its top and mid laners, Rhux and Goldenglue, will be replaced for the promotion tournament by Miracle and Ringer. With limited time to come together, as well as a language barrier to overcome, Coast’s star jungler Santorin will be tested on multiple fronts. Not only will he have to set his team up with well-timed ganks and aggressive counter jungling, he will also have to keep his team focused with confident shot-calling.
In the past, LCS teams have found mixed success bringing in Korean players to beef up their rosters. CLG’s season ended in disappointment with Seraph never really proving himself, while TSM and Lustboy now sit comfortably as the number one seed for North America going into worlds. If Team Coast hope to follow the TSM path, much will be required of Santorin’s leadership abilities.
These new competitors have fought hard to earn their spot in the promotion tournament. Their year has been a success thus far, but all their hard work has only earned them a chance to reach the LCS. Should they earn a spot, they will have a chance to stand alongside Doublelift, Krepo, Dyrus, and all the other established names, and we are certainly excited to watch their journey.
Who do you think will become the next LCS star?
