Ready for takeoff: The Jin Air Green Wings

Flying under the radar last year were the two teams of the Jin Air Green Wings. As perennial Champions staples -- and punching bags for the top-tier Korean teams -- the Stealths and the Falcons had steadily improved throughout 2014. When Korea prohibited the use of sister teams, unlike many other organizations in Korea, Jin Air retained most of their top-tier talent. Expectations were high for Jin Air’s 2015 Champions Preseason performance. Fans and pundits were subsequently shocked when Jin Air failed to win a single match in their first three preseason sets against NaJin e-mFire, GE (formerly HUYA) Tigers, and KT Rolster.

Where have all the playmakers gone?

In the rush to pinpoint the cause of their disappointing performance, the loss of former Stealths mid laner Song “Fly” Young-jun to China was quickly highlighted as a source of Jin Air’s woes. Former CJ Entus and Falcons mid laner Lee “GBM” Chang-seok became the Green Wings only preseason option, even among rumors that he would be replaced. While GBM showed some improvement from previous seasons, exemplary plays were few and far between. With a lack of playmaking from the mid lane, Jin Air primarily looked to their former successful Steaths players -- jungler Lee “Chaser” Sang-hyun, top laner Yeon “TrAce” Chang-dong, AD carry Kang “Cpt Jack” Hyung-woo, and support Choi “Chei” Sun-ho -- to carry their team. Unfortunately for Jin Air, all of these players but Cpt Jack had lackluster preseason performances. The absence of the Chaser, who had so handily guided the Stealths in Champions Summer, was particularly concerning for Jin Air. In light of the recent exodus of jungle talent to China, Chaser was expected to dominate in their absence. His inability to create pressure for his team was a significant detriment to the Green Wings, and a key factor in their losses.

Slow and steady wins the race

Jin Air entered the SBENU Champions Spring 2015 regular season with lowered expectations. They overcame a completely green Samsung Galaxy team in their first outing, and then fell 1-2 to the GE Tigers in Week 2, placing them in the middle of the pack. Their first strong showing came in their Week 3 set against NaJin e-mFire. Clocking in at an hour and four minutes, Jin Air played the long game, while NaJin was with them every step of the way. When one team managed to carpet a portion of the map with vision, the other team was there to take it away. Showcasing a near-flawless execution of their strategy, Jin Air overcame NaJin, going on to win the second game in somewhat similar fashion. Week 4, Jin Air faltered, losing 1-2 to Incredible Miracle, but picked themselves up for another spectacular set against SK Telecom. This was followed by a record-breaking Game 1 against CJ Entus in Week 5. In spite of falling behind CJ Entus early, Jin Air again played their composition perfectly, earning the win after an exhausting and calculated 80 minute match. At the end of the first half of Champions Spring 2015, and in spite of missteps against KT Rolster and IM, Jin Air’s execution of the long game placed the team solidly in second place.

Ganked By Magnificence?

Much of Jin Air’s newfound late game strength can be attributed to GBM and his champion pool. Dismissed by most in the preseason, GBM has quickly become one of Korea’s premier mids. He's currently tied for fourth place in the MVP standings with a 6.2 overall KDA, the second-best in his position. The champions that GBM can carry with often have poke -- Xerath, Lissandra, and recently Ezreal -- and take a bit of time to scale. GBM keeps himself surprisingly safe in the early game, relying on the rest of his team to play for the late game. Jin Air’s overall strategy has molded to GBM’s late-game tendencies, making what at first seemed a marriage of convenience a love match. In molding the team to GBM, Jin Air’s other carries have also flourished. TrAce has regained his top-tier form, and Chaser looks far more like his impressive Summer 2014 self. With their support, GBM thrives. He is additionally supplemented by whomever Jin Air chooses to place in the bottom lane. In a recent interview, GBM said that he preferred the more aggressive combination of Cpt Jack and Chei when he is on a defensive champion, and the more defensive option of AD carry Na “Pilot” Woo-hyung and support Lee “XD” Eun-teak when he takes a more aggressive champion to the mid lane. This further shows how Jin Air has optimally used the talent available to them in order to bolster their players’ strengths. Throughout the first half of Champions Spring 2015, Jin Air has displayed impressive patience and outstanding knowledge of how to play the game they want to play. Unfortunately, they have also suffered losses to lesser teams. While they have the aptitude for showing opponents something amazing, their losses indicate a tendency to play up to specific opponents and down to others. Now entering the final stretch of Champions Spring 2015, Jin Air looks to prove that their dominating victories were not a fluke, and they have the discipline to contend for the Champions title.

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