Looper: The Versatile Genius
Riot·10/17/2014, 3:01:50 AM·1 votes·22,545 views
The dragon pit is the setting for the battle. Two teams of four dance around the pit, poking and prodding to see which side will flinch first. A lone ward is set behind one of the opposing teams ready to turn the tide of the fight. With a swirling of light, Jang "Looper" Hyeong-seok teleports behind the enemy, runs at full speed to start off the fight, and begins a chain of events that leads his team to victory. It isn’t always the prettiest job, but Looper does it better than anyone in the world.
And of course, it's not just the novelty picks alone that's made Looper a threat at Worlds -- he's damn good on these champs as well. Compared to Save, Flame, and Shy, the three top laners who have been hailed as the best in Korea the past two years, Looper blows them away in almost every statistical category. With a career KDA of 6.4 and all-time win percentage of 73% compared to Save (3.1 KDA and 52% win rate), Flame (3.8 and 61%), and Shy (3.5 and 56%), Looper is able to stand above his more recognized peers in almost every statistical category.
Think about that for a second. As a primary engage and utility player -- the guy who a lot of times has to start the fight for White -- he has better stats and overall record on champions other people are hailed for. Shy’s legendary 16-8 Jax? Looper has played Shy’s signature champion even better -- going 4-0 all-time with a stunning 8.5 KDA. Flame’s Ryze that brought the champion to prominence in the top lane? Looper holds an 8-1 all-time record compared to Flame’s 4-3. Oh, and Save’s Shyvanna that was heralded as the best in the world? Yeah, Save is strong on the champion with a 13-8 record and a 3.4 KDA, but Looper even outdoes him on his best champion with a 13-6 record and a 6.1 KDA.
Even at times when White have fallen down hard, like at last years Worlds, Looper has been their saving grace. In his first games as a professional player, he brought life to a team with his Singed plays. Yes, talk about Imp and his heroic Pentakills all you want -- it’s okay. Praise DanDy and Mata for their incredible map control and predictive plays -- it’s understandable. Hey, you can even talk up Pawn and say he’s the best Jayce in the entire world. You’re probably right. You might not notice him now, but at the World Championship Final on October 19, Looper is going to make sure you remember his name.
Star Horn Royal Club takes on Samsung White October 19 at 3pm KST/11pm PDT/8 am CEST right here on lolesports.com. Make sure to catch the pre-game show and the opening ceremony, including a special performance by Imagine Dragons.
The Versatility
Nine champions in 13 games. From Maokai, a wall of hitpoints to soak damage for his carries, to Akali, a hyper carry who needs kills early to be relevant, Looper has shown the ability to slot into any role Samsung White needs. One of those needed roles has been an extra carry. He's pulled this off on a number of champions that were unheard of during the Champions season, with Akali, Rumble, Alistar, and Kassadin -- all being pro-career firsts for Samsung White's top laner at Worlds. These champions allowed him to outplay his opponents in top lane, securing solo lane kills. But his utility champions have also been spot-on. Yes, there's the tournament staple Maokai. But Looper also brought out the likes of Singed, whose potent miasmas of noxious death haven't exactly been tainting the Rift much this season. But Loopers' use here has thrown a wrench in opposing teams' pre-game strategizing. Before, when preparing for White, all eyes would be on the stars: stopping Choi "DanDy" In-kyu early in the jungle, not letting the bottom lane get first blood and snowball, and shutting down their expert vision control. Now, Star Horn Royal Club have to worry about a player who not only can pull out a wild card pick like Akali, but one who has also shown he can expertly play the four staple top lane champions of this tournament in Rumble, Maokai, Ryze and the frequently banned-out Alistar. With champions like Heo "PawN" Won-seok's Jayce and Gu "imp" Seung-bin's Twitch to worry about, it’s almost impossible to do any sort of damage to Looper’s vast champion pool in the pick and ban phase.The Brilliance
And of course, it's not just the novelty picks alone that's made Looper a threat at Worlds -- he's damn good on these champs as well. Compared to Save, Flame, and Shy, the three top laners who have been hailed as the best in Korea the past two years, Looper blows them away in almost every statistical category. With a career KDA of 6.4 and all-time win percentage of 73% compared to Save (3.1 KDA and 52% win rate), Flame (3.8 and 61%), and Shy (3.5 and 56%), Looper is able to stand above his more recognized peers in almost every statistical category.
Think about that for a second. As a primary engage and utility player -- the guy who a lot of times has to start the fight for White -- he has better stats and overall record on champions other people are hailed for. Shy’s legendary 16-8 Jax? Looper has played Shy’s signature champion even better -- going 4-0 all-time with a stunning 8.5 KDA. Flame’s Ryze that brought the champion to prominence in the top lane? Looper holds an 8-1 all-time record compared to Flame’s 4-3. Oh, and Save’s Shyvanna that was heralded as the best in the world? Yeah, Save is strong on the champion with a 13-8 record and a 3.4 KDA, but Looper even outdoes him on his best champion with a 13-6 record and a 6.1 KDA.
Even at times when White have fallen down hard, like at last years Worlds, Looper has been their saving grace. In his first games as a professional player, he brought life to a team with his Singed plays. Yes, talk about Imp and his heroic Pentakills all you want -- it’s okay. Praise DanDy and Mata for their incredible map control and predictive plays -- it’s understandable. Hey, you can even talk up Pawn and say he’s the best Jayce in the entire world. You’re probably right. You might not notice him now, but at the World Championship Final on October 19, Looper is going to make sure you remember his name.
Star Horn Royal Club takes on Samsung White October 19 at 3pm KST/11pm PDT/8 am CEST right here on lolesports.com. Make sure to catch the pre-game show and the opening ceremony, including a special performance by Imagine Dragons.
at worlds.