Boards›Esports

How I'd Build a Team Around... (An LCS article idea)

Miror B·1/11/2017, 1:44:02 AM·4 votes·1,260 views

With there being only a few weeks left until the LCS starts and the sheer lack of "articles" on the LoL esports thing, I decided to try and craft my own and potentially create a "Series" of these depending on how much free time I can nab. The "rules" I have for this one are simple:

  1. I must use the player in their intended role for the upcoming split (no jg hai or mid gate)
  2. Import slots/all rito-related rules apply (so if I wanted to pair someone with 4 SKT members, I'd have to select korea as my region)
  3. I am only allowed to use players who were either free agents or traded during the offseason, as to keep things "real"

Froggen remains an enigma among players. Despite being one of the longest consistently-playing midlaners in the world, his overall success both regionally and internationally has many people questioning his skill. While many people will blame others for not "building" the right team around him or suggest that doing so is impossible, I'm opting to settle the former and build a team that'd have a realistic shot of making it to worlds (because let's face it, winning worlds with SKT around is impossible).

Froggen's Pros:

-Experience as a mid makes him valuable when paired with rookies -Champion pool usually draws a lot of bans (anivia+at least 1 of his "safe backup picks" ) -Can play both a carry and non-carry style if need be

Froggen's Cons:

-Limited champion pool often makes him somewhat predictable (control mages being more of his specialty, falling back onto corki as a "safe other option") -Hyper-Aggressive jg almost mandatory to avoid "stall games" and to push through the mid-game -Takes up an import spot outside of EU, making region selection a bit awkward

My region selection: NA Reasoning: For me, NA makes the most sense for a "froggen team" for multiple reasons. For starters, there were plenty of quality free agent NA talent compared to other regions, making it relatively safer to build teams. Secondly, the overall region has 2 and a half "quality teams", so being the 3rd place NA team isn't hard with the right strategy.

The Roster:

Top, Soaz: For me, having soaz on this roster is almost mandatory. Being one of the top-tier playmakers in the world, he not only brings experience but also benefits off the bans Froggen will draw, allowing him to potentially play more meta things. He also acts as a "safety valve", potentially drawing more attention from the other lanes allowing them to shine a bit more than they normally would. Overall, a quality player well worth the import slot.

Jg, Dardoch: Upon learning that Dardoch was originally going to be nabbed by echo fox (before rito vetoed the deal due to it being outside their "deadlines"), I almost immediately had them finishing in top-4 NA not even considering the rest of the roster. The fact it didn't happen was much a surprise to everyone, as the pairing makes perfect sense and just makes everyone (barring IMT, who nabbed him after the fact) happy. Dardoch comes in as a top-tier jg who not only tries to make his teammates better (as long as they're not korean), but also provided the "mid-late game voice" that froggen so desperately needs.

ADC, Wildturtle: With all of this firepower in the other lanes, I decided to go a bit safe on my botlane choices. Turtle was probably the most coveted adc in free agency (articles suggest that he was "courted" by 9 different teams across 2 regions), and it's kinda easy to see why. Bringing both experience and skill, he is probably the 3rd-best ADC in na right now (I'd put sneaky/piglet ahead of him in that order) and doesn't really have any crippling flaws.

Sup, Lemonnation: 50/50 toss up on the support, decided to yet again go with the safer option even though he hasn't played in the LCS in a year (as opposed to my other idea, adrian, who came off an almost "hybrid-ey" year). Being one of the great strategists of the C9-tree, Lemon is not only a top-tier player, but also just generally makes his entire team harder to deal with (which I'm thinking is why C9 made him their coach during spring).

Coach, Weldon Green: Possibly the most oddball choice I've made, yet having him added to this roster makes a ton of sense. Coming off a year in which he made teams noticably better (TL hired him then went 4-0 afterwards, TSM added him before that "godly" summer split), making him a full-time coach seems like the most logical advancement. It could also potentially eliminate the "bad side" of dardoch, as if there's anyone capable of tackling that it's a psychologist.

So yeah, there's my idea of what a Froggen-based Worlds-qualifying team would look like. Comparing it to potential spring rosters, this is a team that'd probably finish tied for top-2 with P1 (c9 still remaining my choice for "NA spring superteam").

7 Comments

Ale non è male1/11/2017, 10:14:03 AM2 votes

So, in the end, you would build it EXACTLY like how EF has been currently built, except with different players...

Strong focus on the top half of the map with the 2nd import slot taken by a top laner that is supposed to carry as good 1vs1 duelist and weaker mechanical bot side with support as main shotcalling source for the team that has as its goal just to not fed and get carried by top half of the side

In the real roster, Looper is supposed to fulfill the same role of Soaz, Gate is supposed to fulfill the same role of Lemon, Keith is a similar kind of player to Wildturtle. The only slight difference could be between Dardoch and Akadiaan as the former look like to be more aggressive , but I'm not sure as I don't follow NA CS, and by the way both of them in this type of roster would still aim to do the same things, get top half of the map fed and would depend on top and mid laner to beat their lane opponent to be able to apply pressure in the entire map (because bot is going to go even or lose almost always, and if one of the other lane loses, they would lose the space to operate in the whole map).

The thing is...NO ONE like how EF is currently built - and that's why they are projected to end so low in the standings in all the predictions -. Froggen is still a great mid laner, one of the best in NA LCS, but he plays a bit of old style game as focusing in beating and outscaling the enemy mid laner by winning trades and CS battle rather than roaming and putting pressure in the entire map from mid lane. To have him performing at his best, you should have kind of independent sidelanes that are capable to hold/win the lane on each own and be able to bear jungle/roaming mid and support pressure to not fed the enemies and give the possibilty to Froggen to carry them in teamfight late game. In this scenario, the jungler should possess superior map vision and be able to move around to anticipate/prevent enemy jungler moves to keep him on the bay and make all the lanes, especially side lanes, safe from enemy plays and not make any of them crumble under pressure to facilitate Froggen duty to carry the team (obviously in this kind of team other players could/would be able to occasionally pop off on game by game basis as you would have laners mechanically strong enough to represent independent side lanes).

Which is the opposite of both irl EF and your roster would do, as neither Akadiaan/Dardoch should be a very good shotcalling jungler and both Keith/Gate and Wildturtle/Lemon would represent weak mechanical lanes for different reasons (Keith for irl EF, Lemon for your roster). You are just swapping around the players EF got with others you like more, except your work is even worse as you didn't have further real life limitations as money or the competition of better offers from other orgs or time constraints in signing players, getting just a better quality jungler and ADC and a worse support than you liked more rather than building a more functional team

TL; DR if you want to build a team around Froggen, you should shift focus on having a shotcalling jungler with superior map vision rather than a playmaking jungle (aka a Reignover rather than a Svenskeren) and all the players on side lanes being individually strong enough laners as Froggen should the one capable to carry them in teamfights. Your team is just a " best possible fan option FA roster" put together upon the limitations you imposed to yourself

III BAKURYU III 1/11/2017, 3:22:19 AM1 votes

Interesting article MYE and honestly I'm lost for words as I pretty much agree with you on this article. With Froggen I'v always felt like an aggressive or just active top laner is the key for Froggen. Now with Looper on EF it will be interesting to see if that theory comes into play.

Soaz yeah agree 100% on top off the top of my head; a very active top that makes TP plays not only for teamfights but for also making FANTASTIC outplays.

Dardoch again yeah a much better version of Shook but again much better.

Turtle and Lemon played together back in 2013 "I think" so they will have that to go for them. As well as Lemon to potentially guiding the much younger Dardoch in the right direction as I'v always saw Lemon more as a person (face to face) coach more so as a Leading in game coach of mentor.

Weldon is interesting and you've made good points with the Dardoch situations and previous success etc but honestly I just view him as a dog eat dog style. I think he's overrated and just a person looking for the next check.
Now the "next check" part can be viewed any way people want to view it as such but but it's more so as an analyzing process FROM ME. The "overrated" part can be talked more about than the previous statement. I think he's overrated. Does he really know much of any League knowledge? Does he come up with plays? Is he more as a moral compass for the players and their inner conflict sure(Dardoch) but coach I don't think so.

To me he's a guy that lucked out on stacked teams with some great players on both TL and TSM and drunk from the fountain of "in the right place at the right time".
He's a psychologist nothing more and nothing less ATM as I can't stop him from learning about League but ATM he's a psychologist first and only. As a psychologist it's more of a asking many ????????????? and giving zero answers. You ask why and they turn that person's why into who or when or where. It's a rabbit hole cortex without the rabbit.

A regular average Joe and Jane can ask themselves the questions that a psychologist would ask and get the same answers(??????) without the nastiness that comes with it. During TSM's Summer split not once did I put any success under Weldon's belt because he nor his ????? gave any results. Physical health ok a suppose a regular gym trainer couldn't do that or a youtube video or just yourself.
I say yourself because you can find more answers and unlock more thoughts and "devices" if you just ask yourself those same ????. It's like someone cheering you on to do your best will you ? Just because a person tells you to or challengers you? NO you do because you ask and tell yourself you can.

The best psychologist isn't a person it's a thought that you create for it.

dakm1021/11/2017, 3:34:02 AM1 votes

Love this article. team-theorizing is something I love to do so major props man. I think that the big thing to think about is what do you think would be the way they play? Cause you have a lot of teamfighters here and then dardoch so I am just interested about that

GeminiRune1/11/2017, 5:36:21 AM1 votes

This was a nice read in preparation for the split. Throws opinions, good room for thought of those who read it. Most of us are just waiting around for the split to start as well. But back to the post. I'm quite pleased that you centered it around Froggen of all players. Given his last 2 years of less than adequate success, it does make sense as would any other well known player with a short end struggle as they continue to play. I also like that you used a few "safe" power picks as I would consider them.

GhostOfTsushima1/12/2017, 5:11:44 AM1 votes

A few weeks??? LOL

LCS start in 9 day, this isn't in a few weeks

Walmart Porn1/12/2017, 5:36:54 AM1 votes

To long diddnt read