Return of ROCCAT?
Riot·7/2/2014, 8:03:39 PM·0 votes·1,245 views
When we last talked about ROCCAT back in Week 3, they sat at the bottom of the EU LCS standings, with a record of 1 win, 7 losses. Since then, the Poles have managed to turn things around with back-to-back 2-0 finishes in Weeks 4 and 5, pulling themselves out of the No. 8 spot. Despite their poor performance last week against the two EU LCS leaders, Alliance and SK Gaming, fans are looking at ROCCAT and wondering if they have what it takes to return to their spring split form.
For Jankos, he played at his best when he fulfilled a playmaking role with the likes of Lee Sin or Elise. While Overpow was typically the recipient of his early ganks, when Jankos also hindered the enemy jungler enough, ROCCAT obtained control of the map and made the appropriate rotations to secure themselves early turrets. This gave Jankos the ability to further pressure the map by ganking lanes where he was needed, instead of waiting to set a countergank that could potentially result in time wasted.
While the new patch has allowed ROCCAT to skirt by on their apparent weakness on Twitch, it’s also negatively impacted Celavar’s champion pool. The nerfs to Bloodthrister’s early game make Graves a suboptimal ADC pick at the moment. Graves needed Bloodthrister as his first major item because it provided the most AD and Life Steal from a single item. However, with the Outlaw out of commission, Celvar is already preparing other ADC champions to utilize in this patch, such as Corki.
Similar problems arose in ROCCAT's second match of the week against Alliance. Except this time, Froggen's Orianna made Overpow's Lulu into a complete nonfactor. When Overpow fell behind Froggen by more than 50 CS, there wasn’t much ROCCAT could do afterwards without their star player. Tabzz consistently outplayed Celavar while Wickd abused a matchup he was all too familiar with: Irelia against Jax. If ROCCAT wants a fighting chance against the top four teams, they can't afford to have Overpow fall behind. How Overpow plays in mid lane has an impact on the rest of ROCCAT; it's a delicate balancing act. If Overpow goes into mid game ahead, the team has a fighting chance. However, rarely do ROCCAT pull out a comeback victory without Overpow pulling the strings.
In future matches, ROCCAT needs to find a way to avoid sliding into a passive position, only reacting to the opposing team's aggression. When they are on the defensive, ROCCAT's rotations are far from crisp and they have a tendency to get outplayed in team fights. Already 2-1 in Super Week, ROCCAT is poised to finish the week in the black--but can they maintain that momentum?
Jack is a freelance writer for Riot Games and he wants to know which two EU LCS teams you think will miss the playoffs? You can tweet him your thoughts @NeoIllusions.
Positive changes
The common thread for ROCCAT during high performing weeks was stand-out performances in their mid lane and jungle. This began with a strong early laning phase where ROCCAT took the lead in farm and converted that into aggressive plays at team objectives. They not only picked up Dragons and buffs, but also racked up additional kills for their efforts. When Overpow had a solid match, he maintained his CS lead from the early game and he transitioned well into to the late game with superior items. In these matches, he was able to win any 1v1 matchup as Kayle or LeBlanc as well as become a sieging, wave-clearing monster on Ziggs. The amount of pressure he applied in mid lane drew the attention away from the side lanes and allowed Xaxus and Celavar to either match or overtake their opposition in farm as well.
For Jankos, he played at his best when he fulfilled a playmaking role with the likes of Lee Sin or Elise. While Overpow was typically the recipient of his early ganks, when Jankos also hindered the enemy jungler enough, ROCCAT obtained control of the map and made the appropriate rotations to secure themselves early turrets. This gave Jankos the ability to further pressure the map by ganking lanes where he was needed, instead of waiting to set a countergank that could potentially result in time wasted.
Adapting to 4.10
Since the introduction of the 4.10 patch in Week 6, the changes have been notable, especially in the bot lane. Although the team hasn't done much to address their weakness to Twitch, a champion that Celavar is reluctant to play and ROCCAT seems determined to not play against, the changes to ADCs in 4.10 may have sent the Plague Rat back underground after a significant drop in bans and picks. As the two best champions for the Blade of the Ruined King/Youmuu’s Ghostblade and Infinity Edge builds, Lucian and Caitlyn surged in popularity among European Marksmen last week. And that was good news for Celavar, as they’re two of this best.
While the new patch has allowed ROCCAT to skirt by on their apparent weakness on Twitch, it’s also negatively impacted Celavar’s champion pool. The nerfs to Bloodthrister’s early game make Graves a suboptimal ADC pick at the moment. Graves needed Bloodthrister as his first major item because it provided the most AD and Life Steal from a single item. However, with the Outlaw out of commission, Celvar is already preparing other ADC champions to utilize in this patch, such as Corki.
Mountains to climb
Reviewing the two matches where they lost last week, Jesiz's Kayle gave Overpow very little breathing room in the mid lane. While Overpow's Ziggs has little to no problems last hitting under turret, there was no controlling Jesiz, who roamed often after pushing the wave. In bot lane, CandyPanda's Caitlyn and nRated's Zyra exerted complete control over ROCCAT's Lucian and Thresh duo. VandeR looked very much like a shell of his spring split self after initiating poor engages and getting caught by SK picks.
Similar problems arose in ROCCAT's second match of the week against Alliance. Except this time, Froggen's Orianna made Overpow's Lulu into a complete nonfactor. When Overpow fell behind Froggen by more than 50 CS, there wasn’t much ROCCAT could do afterwards without their star player. Tabzz consistently outplayed Celavar while Wickd abused a matchup he was all too familiar with: Irelia against Jax. If ROCCAT wants a fighting chance against the top four teams, they can't afford to have Overpow fall behind. How Overpow plays in mid lane has an impact on the rest of ROCCAT; it's a delicate balancing act. If Overpow goes into mid game ahead, the team has a fighting chance. However, rarely do ROCCAT pull out a comeback victory without Overpow pulling the strings.
Playing to stay alive
While winning has had a positive impact on morale for ROCCAT, there is still room for improvement. During postgame interviews, the players have openly stated that they have not adapted well to the patch changes and this has consequently taken a toll on their collective mental fortitude. Confidence remains the primary issue for the Poles and their shaky approach to the new meta is something they need to overcome as a team. Although ROCCAT remains grounded and doesn't possess the unrealistic aspiration of qualifying for the World Championships, their goal is rooted back at home: looking to regain the swagger they've lost since spring split and pour their hearts and effort into avoiding relegation.
In future matches, ROCCAT needs to find a way to avoid sliding into a passive position, only reacting to the opposing team's aggression. When they are on the defensive, ROCCAT's rotations are far from crisp and they have a tendency to get outplayed in team fights. Already 2-1 in Super Week, ROCCAT is poised to finish the week in the black--but can they maintain that momentum?
Jack is a freelance writer for Riot Games and he wants to know which two EU LCS teams you think will miss the playoffs? You can tweet him your thoughts @NeoIllusions.
