YellOwStaR on Fnatic's undefeated EU LCS run
Fnatic has done it!
In the most dominant performance in LCS history, they've gone an undefeated 18-0 in the Regular Season of the 2015 EU LCS Summer Split. With Bora "YellOwStaR" Kim at the helm, they've out-team fought, out-rotated, and out-played every other team in Europe. Twice.
Now, with the Playoffs ahead of them, their mettle will be tested in Best of 5 series for the first time since the 2015 Mid-Season Invitational. Fortunately for them, with their 1st place finish in the Regular Season, they've got a bye straight into the Semifinals. From this point forward, they're two Best of 5's away from taking their second EU LCS championship in a row.
To find out exactly how they did it -- and their hopes for the future -- we sat down with Fnatic's team captain and star support, Bora "YellOwStaR" Kim.
Trust is everything
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When the new roster of Fnatic was formed in the 2015 Spring Split, many questioned their ability to come together as a squad with so many new members. Traditionally, many teams struggle to attain trust among new members of a team, never quite finding their groove.
However, as YellOwStaR points out, trust has never been a problem. He says, "The trust among the team is something you can't take from us. It makes us able to do well."
It shows in their play. When YellOwStaR makes a call, the team follows without question. When Seung-Hoon "Huni" Heo or Yeu-Jin "Reignover" Kim goes in for a dive, they can count on the rest of the team to back them up. When Martin "Rekkles" Larsson or Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten make a risky play to bring down a priority target, you better believe that the others will be there to pull them out of danger's way. It isn't just about having some of the best individual players in every role -- though they have that, too -- it's about trusting in one another.
Staying hungry
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Sure, Fnatic has ridden their teamwork to an undefeated Split, but it's not even close to time for them to take a breather. There's still the EU LCS Playoffs to play, and then, assuming they qualify, the 2015 World Championship.
Never one to rest on his laurels, YellOwStaR says, "We don't really stare at our score and be happy, we just ignore the fact that we haven't lost yet and focus on the areas we are showing weaknesses."
Then, as if he almost hopes this will be the case, he says, "If we drop games, if we struggle in some of them -- it clearly helps us to identify our flaws and then we try to find a solution to fix them…Having hard games or losing games is really helpful because it tells you what you can improve and try to find a solution to it."
Perhaps unfortunately for them, YellOwStaR doesn't believe they'll really find those losses during the Summer Split Playoffs. "We have played against all the teams, whether in scrims or in the LCS and for more than one Split, so we are not really afraid of anyone."
Worlds domination
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While Fnatic has only truly been tested a few times during the Summer Split, YellOwStaR knows that the real challengers won't show up until they've reached the Worlds stage. "One thing is sure," he says. "When we look at the teams from other regions, they look super strong. We can't really tell how good they are compared to us until we get matched against them. They can appear to be even stronger when we face each other on a direct confrontation."
In order to prep for the best the rest of the world has to offer, Fnatic has been pulling out new strategies, team compositions, and champion picks during the Regular Season. The hope is that they'll have all the tools they need to deal with anyone they could run into as they go on their Worlds run.
"We are trying a lot of different strategies to see if we can exploit the game properly," says YellOwStaR. "Having wide champion pools makes the draft easier. You can deny, counterpick, adapt a certain way to play that can be strong against opponents. But mainly feel comfortable or find our strong points and comfort zone."
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And when Fnatic finds that comfort zone, they seem near unbeatable. With their expanded strategic repertoire, enormously talented roster, and that special "never stop improving" mentality, their future seems to be bright.
To find out exactly how far they can go, keep your eyes right here on Lolesports, particularly the EU LCS Summer Split Semifinals when Fnatic takes on the winner of the Quarterfinal matchup between Unicorns of Love and ROCCAT.
