The name “Alex Ich” is familiar to many League of Legends fans, and with good reason -- this mid laner is a legend of the League scene. It all started with a team called Moscow Five; a once unknown group of five Russians who roared onto the European scene in December of 2011, during Season 2.

Alex and Moscow Five terrorized IEM Kiev, dropping only a single game to TSM. The previously anonymous team became one of the strongest opponents in Season 2, solidifying their reputation when they took down CLG Prime at IEM Hanover. They were also considered favourites heading into Season 2 Worlds, and while they didn't take the Summoner’s Cup home, they did overcome tough opponents.

When it was later announced that he was joining an NA Challenger team called the Misfits as their mid laner, some fans were skeptical it would pan out. But the Misfits endured, turning in a strong performance in the Challenger circuit before rebranding as the Renegades. The dark eyes of this veteran mid laner can now be found peering above the trademark red bandana of his team.

It’s appropriate that Alex Ich would fit in with a team once called the Misfits -- the Russian has been famous (or potentially infamous) for his off-meta picks. While he thrived during the AD assassin meta of Season 3, tearing through a team’s back line on Zed or Kha’Zix, he’s just as happy jumping on AP Kog’Maw, Ryze, or even the nefarious Crabgot. His rock solid career even boasts performances on tanky initiators like Galio and Malphite.

And good luck banning him out -- especially when you have the rest of the Renegades to deal with. Add in his ability to rack up farm, and you have a serious threat.

But Alex Ich's real secret weapon is that he’s nearly impossible to tilt. His long career, combined with the fact that he’s one of the rare pro players to have a family of his own at home, means that he has an unshakeable mentality. And he’s able to give his young teammates a hand using those skills. “Sometimes [Crumbz and I] act as mentors, and our coach is helping us a lot in this case, calming [teammates] down. Usually the biggest difference between the veterans and the new players is experience. So in complex situations they've never been in they can get confused, and you come in with your experience and you handle it.”

The rest of the team may need that advice and experience; as the Renegades head into the NA LCS, they face what is arguably the most competitive lineup ever active in the NA LCS at one time. Both the new and refreshed Cloud9 and TSM are ready and waiting for a challenge, as well as brand new and heavily stacked rosters like Immortals and NRG. Nevertheless, Renegades fans are staying true to the cause so far.

Part of that is thanks to the strength and solidity of Alex Ich in the mid lane.

Of course, the European veteran isn’t afraid to face off against old rivals and test new talent. “I think it'd be fun to meet Froggen. And Jensen," Alex says of his new NA competition. "Especially Jensen to be honest, because I've never played against him and he was banned when I was playing. But I was speaking to him a lot and he was helping me in terms of mid lane.”

With a wide champion pool that’s closer to a champion ocean, a hard earned aversion to tilt on the big stage, and a roster he can finally call home, Alex Ich will be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming Spring Split.

-- By Cassandra Marshall