A RooKie no longer
Song "RooKie" Eui-jin leans forward in his seat, rocking back and forth a bit before puffing out his cheeks and breathing out. The screen goes black and white as his Ekko falls to Wei "GODV" Lian's Yasuo with help from GODV's jungler Zhu "TBQ" Yong-Quan.
Stony-faced, GODV shrugs slightly, as if annoyed by TBQ's intervention in the gentlemen's 1v1 and the two premier mid laners go about their day. This is the continuation of many duels between the two as Invictus Gaming and LGD clash in the fourth week of 2015 LPL Summer. RooKie and GODV's respective teams take a game off of each other in the 1-1 split, but the true winners are the audience, who were treated to stunning performances from China's top two mid laners.
While many sing GODV's praises, RooKie often goes relatively unnoticed in China, in spite of dominating performances replete with flashy plays of his own. Taking a backseat to Heo "PawN" Won-Seok, and Bae "dade" Eo-Jin is nothing new for the former KT Rolster mid laner, and now he has the likes of LGD's GODV and OMG's Yu "Cool" Jiajun to contend with as well. Quietly, RooKie has continued to hone his skills, evolving into one of the world's best.
"This is us. This is the Arrows."
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RooKie's entire Korean career grew in the shadows of others. He seemingly harbored dissent against those who refused to give him -- and the rest of the Arrows -- due credit for their performances. These feelings crested following KT Rolster Arrows' 2014 Champions Summer victory over Samsung Galaxy Blue, where an exhilarated and exhausted RooKie implored his audience to recognize the other four Arrows members outside of their superstar jungler Lee "KaKAO" Byung-kwon.
"You guys all know KaKAO. You all cheer for KaKAO, but please after this, remember us four too. This is us. This is the Arrows."
This plea for recognition was not unfounded. Audiences often struggled to categorize the four other members of the KT Arrows under the large shadow cast by KaKAO. KaKAO had already made a name for himself as one of Korea's best junglers. The KT Arrows' success in Champions Summer indubitably stemmed from an unprecedented ability to create early game pressure and dictate the pace of both the Arrows and their opponents.
In spite of RooKie's vast array of champions and strong laning phase, he was criticized for his lack of aggression and carry potential in comparison to his Arrows teammates. Plucked from solo queue, RooKie's debut with the Arrows came with a great amount of oft-unrealistic expectations which were not always met. As KaKAO molded and guided the team, RooKie's standout performances were often attributed to KaKAO rather than RooKie, in spite of the mid laner's steady improvement.
The KaKAO and RooKie Pair
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In their departure from the KT Arrows in Korea and their eventual arrival on China's Invictus Gaming, RooKie remained in KaKAO's shadow. Everyone wanted to know where KaKAO was going, and RooKie was simply part of a package deal, an accessory to KaKAO's great Chinese adventure.
While Invictus Gaming struggled to find their footing in 2015 LPL Spring, RooKie was a bright spot on the team, bringing a stable presence to the center of the map for iG. The team relied on his pre-existing synergy with KaKAO to carry them as they sorted out the communication and cohesion issues that are part and parcel of a hybrid roster.
IG hit their stride during Demacia Cup Spring, as former mid laner Liu "Zzitai" Zhi-Hao settled down in the top lane. This unlocked a newfound coordination and team identity, and RooKie was a key component of this success.
A consistent and strong laner, RooKie was the centerpiece of iG's plan, rarely losing control of the mid lane while executing flashy plays in teamfights. Zzitai, who had previously been known for his ups and downs -- as well as a frequent lack of motivation -- attacked his new top lane position with vigor. He drew aggression away from both RooKie and iG's bottom duo of Ge "Kid" Yan and Liu "Kitties" Hong-jun, allowing them to farm safely while KaKAO made plays mid and bot. Invictus Gaming earned a respectable third place finish in 2015 LPL Spring.
LPL Summer and RooKie the Duelist
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Setting their sights higher -- to an LPL Summer title and the world stage -- Invictus Gaming leapt out ahead of the pack early, but have since faltered. Plagued with internal issues, the team has looked disorganized in recent weeks.
Still, RooKie is a constant force for his team, remaining consistent and often hard carrying iG to victory, all while AD carry Kid deals with his crisis of self-confidence and Zzitai continues to have moments of brilliance or ineptitude. His aforementioned duel with GODV is but one of many instances where RooKie has shone this season. RooKie is not only able to stay relatively safe throughout the laning phase -- often regardless of what happens in other lanes -- but then goes toe-to-toe with both China and Korea's best, nearly always coming out on top.
Invictus Gaming is currently tied for third place in 2015 LPL Summer thanks in large part to RooKie putting the team on his back. While iG still has significant work to do if they want to win LPL Summer, RooKie will remain a bright spot, continuing to work for the recognition that he so desperately craves and deserves.
Want to see RooKie's mid lane duels? Tune in to the LPL every week right here on Lolesports.
