Power Rankings #13 -- Team WE

Team WE Region: China (LPL) Roster Top: Aluka Jungle: Spirit Mid: Ninja ADC: Styz Support: Conan Team WE suffered great retirement blows at the end of last season, with both Gao “WeiXiao” Xuecheng and Wei “CaoMei” Handong turning to lucrative streaming careers. As with most teams, the offseason is a chance to rebuild, and WE has found a couple shining stars to add to a lineup primed for redemption. Despite a questionable roster on paper, WE climbed to the Demacia Cup Finals and took the domestically dominant Edward Gaming to a five-game series before placing second. Peng “Aluka” Zhenming, previous top laner for Positive Energy and winner of the 2013 LPL Summer title, is returning from a disappointing 2014 Summer in LSPL. He’ll need to work on converting 1v1 lane leads into a larger impact, but his presence on the roster allows his jungler to focus on other lanes. Noh “Ninja” Geonwoo is a first generation Korean import to China and returns to Team WE as one of their only two veterans from 2014. Ninja can succeed with help from a jungler, but has otherwise struggled. That’s where Lee “Spirit” Dayoon comes in. Spirit’s name was thrown around as a candidate for third-best jungler in the world last year. During his tenure on Samsung Blue, he specialized in counter-pressure to keep a team of weak laners and strong team-fighters together until the moment of reckoning. Nearly everyone is buzzing about WE’s new AD carry. In a recent interview, Qu "Styz" Ziliang said he is constantly trying to force open the lane with a fight, and many have compared him to the highly regarded Jian “Uzi” Zihao. So far he and Spirit have controlled games almost single-handedly during WE victories, but Styz’s apparent tendency to tilt could cost the team success. WE’s roster works together in ways such that its strengths compensate for its weaknesses. Their place in our rankings is precarious, but we’re tentatively optimistic. Who will be next on our Pre-Season Power Rankings? Check out the rest of the Power Rankings and stay tuned for more each day as we countdown to the start of the 2015 LCS Season.