Reigning Over the Competition
Riot·5/29/2015, 7:33:58 PM·1 votes·26,569 views
Following an impressive 2015 EU LCS Week 1 debut on Rengar, a slight young man with a mop of unruly hair and glasses slightly too large for his face joined his team captain, Bora “YellOwStaR” Kim for a post-match interview. Expressive, upbeat, and well spoken, Kim “Reignover” Yeu-jin brought a pleasant attitude -- and a surprising amount of teamwork -- to his new Fnatic roster.
In later weeks, the European audience would embrace Fnatic top laner Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon as their idol, gasp at the feats of mid laner Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten, and praise YellOwStaR for bringing the roster together. Throughout this same season, Reignover worked tirelessly alongside them, a crucial component of their domestic and international success.
As Korean players left their country en masse in the Winter offseason, Fnatic’s announcement of Reignover and Huni was met with tempered skepticism. The more well-known player of the two, Reignover’s name was mired in mediocrity. He had the experience of three OGN Champions seasons with the Incredible Miracle organization, but none of his teams made it past the Group Stages.
“It was my first experience being a pro gamer, so everything was new and fun. I learned a lot of thing about team games. It was a very useful time,” the jungler says of his experience on IM. “I learned a lot about basic team game knowledge. And by losing a lot of games, I could figure out my weaknesses and strengthened them.”
In these losses, Reignover earned a reputation for collapsing under pressure, missing skillshots due to tilting. It’s a reputation that he has strived to shed ever since.
“It's totally not true,” he says. “I really try hard every game, and I could not even tilt in game because I was fully focusing. Usually I tilted after a lost game.”
After IM #2 was eliminated from playoff contention again in Hot6ix Champions Spring 2014, a restless Reignover left the organization. He took a break from competitive play before trying out with SKTelecom T1.
“At first, I didn't consider leaving IM, I just wanted a break and I decided to rest for one season,” Reignover says of his departure. “Most of the old [IM] members left the team, and even I felt like I needed a turning point. So as SKT T1 began their official [jungler tryouts], I decided to leave my old team and try a new challenge on a new team.”
Following the SKTelecom T1 trial, Reignover received an invitation to join Fnatic from Huni, who was already with the team. The turning point that he had wanted would come to him not in Korea, but on one of Europe’s most storied franchises.
Reignover’s Fnatic debut earned him a 7/3/11 KDA on Rengar, causing fans and players to take notice. He followed this up on Day 2 with a 4/2/10 showing on the off-meta pick of Olaf. His most-picked champion with a strong 71% win ratio, Rengar remained a Reignover staple although he admits to loving tank junglers the best.
“I always enjoy playing tanks, so every time tank junglers get buffed I’m happy. There was a time that Nasus was an OP jungler. I really enjoyed playing at that time because I could actually 1 vs. 5,” he says happily.
As the meta shifted in favor of tanky jungle options, Reignover boasted impressive statistics on Rek’Sai, Nunu, and Gragas en route to another European League Championship Series title for Fnatic. Eschewing the early game farming style chosen by his opponents, Reignover played his tanks proactively, leveraging Fnatic’s skirmishing strength.
“Fnatic have a pretty unique play style. They take advantage by fighting all around the map and snowballing from it,” he says of his continued early game prowess. “I am a player who is very aggressive, and I always wanted to fight because I trust my mechanics. So I think my aggression on the this kind of play style has a positive effect on my performance.”
In spite of Reignover’s bold nature as a net positive for the team, Fnatic’s Final against the Unicorns of Love spanned across five messy games. Fnatic won the 2015 Spring Season, earning a spot at the Mid-Season Invitational, but general expectations of the European team based on their Finals performance were low.
Once at the Mid-Season Invitational, Reignover and Fnatic immediately went to work dismantling the preconceived notions of their team game by game. In the first match of MSI, North America’s Team SoloMid attempted to stymie Fnatic in champion select by banning Rumble, Hecarim, and Vladimir against Huni. Huni picked Cassiopeia, Reignover opted for Gragas, and the two immediately capitalized on TSM’s lack of presence in the top lane.
Reignover again cites his team’s early aggression as the key to their achievements at MSI.
“I think [our success was] because we have unique aggressive playstyle and we were able to have big stage experience right before MSI by having the Final at Madrid with 6,000 fans,” he says.
Fnatic’s Group Stage performance earned them a Semifinal matchup with tournament favorite, SKTelecom T1.
“I think we would have beaten ahq for sure in Best of 5,” Reignover says of their other potential opponents. “For EDG I think we have good chance if we can take good pick bans and if we are able to play our style.”
This ability to remain calm under pressure and play to their strengths is what led Fnatic to a fifth game in their Best of 5 against SKTelecom T1. Notably in Game 5, SKTelecom T1’s Bae “Bengi” Seong-ung on Nunu dominated Reignover’s jungle, carrying his team to the series victory while putting on a clinic in creative counterjungling.
“We learned many things about lane rotations and forcing map pressure,” Reignover says of their time at MSI. “It’s really hard to learn instantly, but we are working on it.”
Now with more competitive experience and a roadmap towards working on diversifying his jungle pathing, Reignover continues to set his sights high.
“My personal goal is being the best jungler in the world,” he says.
Reignover is off to a strong start in the 2015 Summer European League Championship series. In Fnatic’s first match against fellow Spring Finalists Unicorns of Love, the jungler ended an impressive 1/1/14 with 100% kill participation, further proving how crucial his role is to Fnatic’s success.
In the not so distant past, Reignover had once been nicknamed “Game Over” with an aforementioned reputation for tilting under pressure. His performance in the 2015 EU LCS Spring Split silenced those who questioned Fnatic’s decision to bring the former Incredible Miracle jungler onto the team. His performance at MSI made strong inroads towards silencing those who were only familiar with his Champions mediocrity. Now he aims for continued domestic success, and another chance to prove himself on an international stage.
You can watch Reignover and Fnatic in their attempt to win another European League Championship series title every Thursday and Friday here at Lolesports.
Game Over?
As Korean players left their country en masse in the Winter offseason, Fnatic’s announcement of Reignover and Huni was met with tempered skepticism. The more well-known player of the two, Reignover’s name was mired in mediocrity. He had the experience of three OGN Champions seasons with the Incredible Miracle organization, but none of his teams made it past the Group Stages.
“It was my first experience being a pro gamer, so everything was new and fun. I learned a lot of thing about team games. It was a very useful time,” the jungler says of his experience on IM. “I learned a lot about basic team game knowledge. And by losing a lot of games, I could figure out my weaknesses and strengthened them.”
In these losses, Reignover earned a reputation for collapsing under pressure, missing skillshots due to tilting. It’s a reputation that he has strived to shed ever since.
“It's totally not true,” he says. “I really try hard every game, and I could not even tilt in game because I was fully focusing. Usually I tilted after a lost game.”
After IM #2 was eliminated from playoff contention again in Hot6ix Champions Spring 2014, a restless Reignover left the organization. He took a break from competitive play before trying out with SKTelecom T1.
“At first, I didn't consider leaving IM, I just wanted a break and I decided to rest for one season,” Reignover says of his departure. “Most of the old [IM] members left the team, and even I felt like I needed a turning point. So as SKT T1 began their official [jungler tryouts], I decided to leave my old team and try a new challenge on a new team.”
Following the SKTelecom T1 trial, Reignover received an invitation to join Fnatic from Huni, who was already with the team. The turning point that he had wanted would come to him not in Korea, but on one of Europe’s most storied franchises.
European LCS Spring Fever
Reignover’s Fnatic debut earned him a 7/3/11 KDA on Rengar, causing fans and players to take notice. He followed this up on Day 2 with a 4/2/10 showing on the off-meta pick of Olaf. His most-picked champion with a strong 71% win ratio, Rengar remained a Reignover staple although he admits to loving tank junglers the best.
“I always enjoy playing tanks, so every time tank junglers get buffed I’m happy. There was a time that Nasus was an OP jungler. I really enjoyed playing at that time because I could actually 1 vs. 5,” he says happily.
As the meta shifted in favor of tanky jungle options, Reignover boasted impressive statistics on Rek’Sai, Nunu, and Gragas en route to another European League Championship Series title for Fnatic. Eschewing the early game farming style chosen by his opponents, Reignover played his tanks proactively, leveraging Fnatic’s skirmishing strength.
“Fnatic have a pretty unique play style. They take advantage by fighting all around the map and snowballing from it,” he says of his continued early game prowess. “I am a player who is very aggressive, and I always wanted to fight because I trust my mechanics. So I think my aggression on the this kind of play style has a positive effect on my performance.”
In spite of Reignover’s bold nature as a net positive for the team, Fnatic’s Final against the Unicorns of Love spanned across five messy games. Fnatic won the 2015 Spring Season, earning a spot at the Mid-Season Invitational, but general expectations of the European team based on their Finals performance were low.
Surprise Party: The Mid-Season Invitational
Once at the Mid-Season Invitational, Reignover and Fnatic immediately went to work dismantling the preconceived notions of their team game by game. In the first match of MSI, North America’s Team SoloMid attempted to stymie Fnatic in champion select by banning Rumble, Hecarim, and Vladimir against Huni. Huni picked Cassiopeia, Reignover opted for Gragas, and the two immediately capitalized on TSM’s lack of presence in the top lane.
Reignover again cites his team’s early aggression as the key to their achievements at MSI.
“I think [our success was] because we have unique aggressive playstyle and we were able to have big stage experience right before MSI by having the Final at Madrid with 6,000 fans,” he says.
Fnatic’s Group Stage performance earned them a Semifinal matchup with tournament favorite, SKTelecom T1.
“I think we would have beaten ahq for sure in Best of 5,” Reignover says of their other potential opponents. “For EDG I think we have good chance if we can take good pick bans and if we are able to play our style.”
This ability to remain calm under pressure and play to their strengths is what led Fnatic to a fifth game in their Best of 5 against SKTelecom T1. Notably in Game 5, SKTelecom T1’s Bae “Bengi” Seong-ung on Nunu dominated Reignover’s jungle, carrying his team to the series victory while putting on a clinic in creative counterjungling.
“We learned many things about lane rotations and forcing map pressure,” Reignover says of their time at MSI. “It’s really hard to learn instantly, but we are working on it.”
Looking Forward to Summer
Now with more competitive experience and a roadmap towards working on diversifying his jungle pathing, Reignover continues to set his sights high.
“My personal goal is being the best jungler in the world,” he says.
Reignover is off to a strong start in the 2015 Summer European League Championship series. In Fnatic’s first match against fellow Spring Finalists Unicorns of Love, the jungler ended an impressive 1/1/14 with 100% kill participation, further proving how crucial his role is to Fnatic’s success.
In the not so distant past, Reignover had once been nicknamed “Game Over” with an aforementioned reputation for tilting under pressure. His performance in the 2015 EU LCS Spring Split silenced those who questioned Fnatic’s decision to bring the former Incredible Miracle jungler onto the team. His performance at MSI made strong inroads towards silencing those who were only familiar with his Champions mediocrity. Now he aims for continued domestic success, and another chance to prove himself on an international stage.
You can watch Reignover and Fnatic in their attempt to win another European League Championship series title every Thursday and Friday here at Lolesports.
