TSM & ROX Tigers @ Worlds
Is this the year that the ROX Tigers win Worlds?
or
is it the year TSM steps up and gives SKT a run for the title?
I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts... or will Edward Gaming have something to prove.
28 Comments
TSM definitely looks incredible, EDG is always strong, I know Rox looks pretty solid, SKT never stops being a contender even if they didn't do so hot this past split.
I'd personally love to see TSM take the win at worlds, but that might be a tad overly optimistic. Anything is possible, but usually Korea and China are miles ahead of the western teams. I'm just hoping SKT doesn't win a third world championship, it begins to show a massive disparity in competition that makes worlds less interesting to watch.
Need to see the Group Draw to really predict anything However there are a few things before the Draw that we can make.
LCK KOREA STREAKS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN For the past 2 years every LCK team have went into the Playoffs after the Group Stage. SSW-SSB-NWS SKT-ROX-KT. HOWEVER- Samsung Galaxy looks to be the weakest team from the LCK in the past 3 years. Their team fighting wasn't great against KT in the LCK regional playoffs. KT looked dead in that series and it wasn't a very objective focused games more around Kills and clown fiestas. I'm predicting that SSG will NOT make it out of Groups, breaking the LCK 3 teams advancing streak.
NA NORTH AMERICA HOT n COLD NA Starts HOT FINISHES COLD. 2014 WORLDS TSM started the groups 2-0 to finish with a respectable 4-2. Losing their chance to avoid SSW in the QT after Losing to SK. LMQ started their groups 2-0 to only finishing 2-4 losing 4 straight games. C9 started their group 2-0 then losing 2 straight games and having to play a TIE-BREAKER against NWS in which they lost in doing so they had to face SSB in the QT.
2015 WORLDS C9 started their groups 3-0 and then losing their next 4 straight games. They lost 3 group games and had to go into ANOTHER TIE-BREAKER but this time LOST. 3-4 CLG started 2-0 in their group and the same thing that happened to LMQ a year previous they lost their next 4 games. Finishing with a 2-4 record in groups.
OVERALL NA starts off 11-0 in the first half of groups compared to the second half of groups where they are 4-17.
LPL CHINA TOP SEED ? EDWARD GAMING was China's top seed in 2014 and they had to play a TIE-BREAKER just to make it out of groups only to be eliminated in the first round of the Playoffs after groups. EDWARD GAMING was China's second seed going into the 2015 Worlds however with their line-up they went into groups for China in people's eyes as the TOP seed from China as they went to MSI/and Won the first split in the LPL but lost in the second split to LGD but yet again was quickly eliminated in the first round AGAIN of the playoffs. The same thing COULD happen to EDG again for a 3rd straight YEAR.
There is no real reason to believe that a Korean team won't win but if every team was playing like they were in playoffs then SKT would be very unlikely to be repeat champs.
However, don't forget that there is around a month gap between finals for any given region and when the tournament starts so a lot could change. Who knows what mindset the players will show up with?
It will really be about which team can put their respective regions year in the past and properly prepare for the upcoming games because there is a lot of time for teams who are on fire to cool down or teams that look rusty to sure up.
I don't think I've ever been this excited about Worlds before but mainly because I feel like this is the year we are finally going to see a new champion. With all the great North American teams in the hunt and the Koreans and the Chinese, it's going to be exciting to see which North American team will rise up and accept the challenge.
TSM and C9 are definitely at the top of their game and CLG can never be counted out but Immortals inconsistent plays this year doesn't give me a lot of hope for them. Exciting times are ahead.
Worlds is going to be fucking hyping this year. The only year so far where everybody feels that NA has some challenge-worthy teams in TSM and even CLG and Cloud9 at this point.
The infrastructure and training processes behind these 3 old timer teams have really shown their effects on the results, the rosters are made up of veterans who are very serious about their training.
TSM has a really good shot at this in my opinion. SKT faltered a bit this season, and CLG already proved they could stand up to them at MSI even if they lost. That said, SKT shouldn't be the big threat here, ROX and EDG are far more monstrous competitors.
I don't know about you guys but If I was coaching TSM right before worlds and there was a 1 month gap, I would be desperately trying to get a hold of coach Phil Jackson, to get the team to spend a few days with the zen master.
:)
just saying
If TSM and C9 keep playing like they have been NA might have a legitimate chance this year. I don't know how I feel about CLG currently, maybe they get it together in the practice leading up to Worlds. I just don't want to see SKT win again because repeat champions are boring in anything.
I believe in NA this Year we got close at MSI (even if it was CLG) and play has only improved(minus the Pheonix)
Feels bad for Immortals.
"For Immortals, this is a bitter end to a season with high points but not hardware. After a 17-1 Spring Split regular season, Immortals bottomed out in the semifinals, getting swept by sixth-seeded TSM. After a 16-2 regular season in the Summer, Immortals once again lost in the semifinals, and now misses out on Worlds"
I feel like they could have competed better at worlds compared to the Brazilian or Russian teams. Course I'm a little biased towards NA but still.
TSM, you are really taking an NA team into consideration? Kappa
ESPN Power Rankings are out.
http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/17538447/league-legends-world-championship-power-rankings
I think TSM will be highly competitive and is almost guaranteed to make it out of groups. I also think C9 and G2 have good chance at making it out, though likely as 2 seed. Both ROX and EDG will almost surely make it past the first round of the tournament, but never count SKT out. If their showing at MSI means anything, they are never to be underestimated. As for who wins, I think any of the four 1 seeds could take it. That being said, I would definitely say it is between ROX and EDG as the favorites to win it all.
TSM looks good in their region. If you actually watch the LCK games, just the recent finals and regional, you can see that they are still on another level. Like last year with FNC; they looked great in their own region. FNC did not lose one match up the entire split and they couldn't beat a runner up from Korea.
Haunt, Sven, and DL still holding TSM