NA LCS Week 5 Preview
Riot·6/18/2014, 5:55:56 PM·0 votes·3 views
The EU LCS teams heading to London means that North America gets to go first this week. Instead of a full five days of rest, these teams have to get back on the field with just three. It’s gut-check time for these NA LCS teams, and with almost half of the regular season over, it’s time to take stock of how well these teams are doing.
LMQ and Dignitas remain in the lead, but CLG has now joined them, while TSM and Cloud9 are just a game behind. With 5 teams all a single game within each other at the top, the playoff picture is more or less in focus, so it all becomes a battle for seeding. Meanwhile, the rest of the league is going to be duking it out for a shot at the playoffs.
Team SoloMid vs. Dignitas
When: Thursday, June 19, 1:00 PM PDT / 22:00 CEST
TSM rebounded in a big way last week, taking games off Cloud9 and CompLexity. Despite some early season issues, Wildturtle and Bjergsen look back on track, largely in part to Amazing beginning to look like the superstar he promised to be when he joined the team in the offseason. Amazing’s 17.0 KDA last week against Cloud9 was a large reason TSM came out on top.
Dignitas, therefore, present the perfect challenger. If TSM truly want a shot at the top, they’ll need to take down Dignitas. Dig’s loss to Cloud9 last week was unexpected, but the team was bound to come back down to Earth at some point. Shiphtur, whose 2 deaths last week bring his season total up to 5, is still as deadly as ever and will be key to keeping Dignitas in first place. Until teams can find a way to shut him down, expect Dignitas to continue their astounding pace.
LMQ vs. Counter Logic Gaming
When: Thursday, June 19, 2:00 PDT / 23:00 CEST
LMQ seem to be developing a habit of frustrating fantasy owners, and their inconsistent play is threatening to be their downfall. Despite a 1-1 record last week, LMQ performed far below their standards. XiaoWeiXiao, monster of the mid lane, only had two kills last week. They still sit at the top of the league, but with rivals closing the gap, this team needs to find ways to play with more consistently. In the playoffs, a performance like they had last week will see them sent home early.
One team certain to be looking to take advantage of this inconsistent play will be CLG. Their 2-0 record last week means that they now join the pile at first place, and another win here could see them alone at the top. They’ll have to rely on Doublelift putting up a big week if they want to come out on top of LMQ, as Vasilii and Mor will be out for blood. Pay attention to the bot lane in this one, as both sides have something to prove.
Evil Geniuses vs. CompLexity
When: Thursday, June 19, 3:00 PDT / 00:00 CEST
Both EG and CoL are in trouble right now, as they’re tied in last place. Unless one of the bottom three teams manage to put up some big games to ascend back into the mid-tier, games between them are going to be important for relegation seeding, and for determining who gets to play in the playoffs.
The biggest thing to look for in this matchup - and perhaps a hint as to which team will be the one to join the big dogs in the playoffs - will be EG’s Helios. His first week wasn’t phenomenal by any means, but he played well enough for fans to be hopeful that he can turn their season around. As he melds with the EG squad, he might just be enough to swing the scales in their favor. Coupled with CompLexity’s recent announcement that Brokenshard’s Visa issues were too difficult to overcome, EG find themselves with a second chance that begins now.
Cloud9 vs. LMQ
When: Friday, June 20, 3:00 PDT / 00:00 CEST
In their first matchup, Cloud9 came out on top. However, LMQ have managed to outpace the spring champions in the standings, keeping them at arms length. Cloud9 are definitely not going to have an easy run at first place this split, and LMQ are a big reason why. However, a win in this game to even up the matchup score might just be enough to close the gap between them, and Cloud9 have got to be tired of not seeing themselves at the top of the league. Expect Cloud9 to put it all on the line, as they have everything to lose.
Dignitas, therefore, present the perfect challenger. If TSM truly want a shot at the top, they’ll need to take down Dignitas. Dig’s loss to Cloud9 last week was unexpected, but the team was bound to come back down to Earth at some point. Shiphtur, whose 2 deaths last week bring his season total up to 5, is still as deadly as ever and will be key to keeping Dignitas in first place. Until teams can find a way to shut him down, expect Dignitas to continue their astounding pace.
LMQ vs. Counter Logic Gaming
When: Thursday, June 19, 2:00 PDT / 23:00 CEST
LMQ seem to be developing a habit of frustrating fantasy owners, and their inconsistent play is threatening to be their downfall. Despite a 1-1 record last week, LMQ performed far below their standards. XiaoWeiXiao, monster of the mid lane, only had two kills last week. They still sit at the top of the league, but with rivals closing the gap, this team needs to find ways to play with more consistently. In the playoffs, a performance like they had last week will see them sent home early.
One team certain to be looking to take advantage of this inconsistent play will be CLG. Their 2-0 record last week means that they now join the pile at first place, and another win here could see them alone at the top. They’ll have to rely on Doublelift putting up a big week if they want to come out on top of LMQ, as Vasilii and Mor will be out for blood. Pay attention to the bot lane in this one, as both sides have something to prove.
Evil Geniuses vs. CompLexity
When: Thursday, June 19, 3:00 PDT / 00:00 CEST
Both EG and CoL are in trouble right now, as they’re tied in last place. Unless one of the bottom three teams manage to put up some big games to ascend back into the mid-tier, games between them are going to be important for relegation seeding, and for determining who gets to play in the playoffs.
The biggest thing to look for in this matchup - and perhaps a hint as to which team will be the one to join the big dogs in the playoffs - will be EG’s Helios. His first week wasn’t phenomenal by any means, but he played well enough for fans to be hopeful that he can turn their season around. As he melds with the EG squad, he might just be enough to swing the scales in their favor. Coupled with CompLexity’s recent announcement that Brokenshard’s Visa issues were too difficult to overcome, EG find themselves with a second chance that begins now.
Cloud9 vs. LMQ
When: Friday, June 20, 3:00 PDT / 00:00 CEST
In their first matchup, Cloud9 came out on top. However, LMQ have managed to outpace the spring champions in the standings, keeping them at arms length. Cloud9 are definitely not going to have an easy run at first place this split, and LMQ are a big reason why. However, a win in this game to even up the matchup score might just be enough to close the gap between them, and Cloud9 have got to be tired of not seeing themselves at the top of the league. Expect Cloud9 to put it all on the line, as they have everything to lose.