The Jin Air Green Wings take flight
Riot·11/13/2014, 10:18:27 PM·0 votes·6,733 views
When the juggernaut Korean airline Jin Air announced its sponsorship of the then KeSPA-owned Team 8 (not to be confused with the new NA LCS Team 8), amateur teams Eat Sleep Game and Hoon’s Good Day were selected as the Green Wings’ flagship League of Legends teams. Renamed Falcons and Stealths, both teams struggled to make a mark on the Korean scene, despite repeatedly qualifying for OGN Champions.
SK Telecom T1, Samsung Galaxy and KT Rolster all claimed championships in 2014, while Jin Air quietly worked to stay afloat in a cutthroat competitive scene. And in Champions Summer 2013, the Stealths finally broke through to the quarterfinals, in a match against reigning champions Samsung Blue. In all three games, the Stealths powered to early leads, only to have victory snatched away by Blue’s superior shotcalling.
With all five members of the Stealths remaining with the organization (at least for the foreseeable future), it stands to reason that they will continue as the starting five of the Green Wings as KeSPA teams move towards single five-man rosters. Should Jin Air management choose to make no changes to the core roster, the Green Wings will not have to deal with changes to team synergy, new team members, or other such issues.
This may prove to be a huge advantage leading into regional competition, as every other organization will have their time consumed by accommodating new players or new team configurations. Additionally, the Stealths were already on an upswing towards the end of 2014 as evidenced by their improved placement, and this momentum should guide them smoothly into 2015.
The Green Wings are no strangers to roster changes, however. AD carry Kang “Cpt Jack” Hyung-woo joined the Stealths after leaving his previous team CJ Entus Blaze, adding star power to the relatively unknown lineup. Choi “Chei” Sun-ho was brought in to support him after Lee “XD” Eun-taek was moved to the Falcons, along with Lee “Chaser” Sang-hyun. Combined with Cpt Jack and Chei’s impressive bot lane play, Chaser injected life into the Stealths, propelling them to their top 8 finish after a mere two months on the team.
If nothing else, the Stealths are a testament to the positive impact that roster changes can have on a team. Any roster changes that Jin Air decide to make should therefore be met with healthy optimism, considering that the Stealths have benefited greatly from their last three roster rotations. Whether the Green Wings choose to run with the Stealths lineup or switch things around, they can take comfort in the fact that they should find success with both courses of action.
Amidst a sea of changes in the Korean League of Legends scene, the Jin Air Green Wings stand out as a constant force. The Stealths have had time to patch up their weaknesses, and will be a big hurdle for any new rosters to overcome. Gameplay-wise, Chaser’s aggressive counter-jungling playstyle will keep the jungle interesting for spectators, particularly following the departures of jungle gods Lee “KaKAO” Byung-kwon and Choi “DanDy” In-kyu from Korea.
And as always, fans are looking forward to seeing the veteran Cpt Jack perform once again, and speculating whether the classic slippery Cpt Jack will show up, or the ‘Corpse Jack’ who spends half the game staring at a grey screen. Whatever the case, the Jin Air Green Wings are certainly a team to watch in the upcoming months, as they do battle with the revamped Korean rosters.
The Roster
Jin Air Greenwings Stealths Top: TrAce Jungle: Chaser Mid: Fly AD Carry: Cpt Jack Support: Chei Jin Air Greenwings Falcons Top: Rock → retired Jungle: Vin → left Mid: GBM → left AD Carry: Pilot Support: XD The Stealths have retained their entire roster since then - indeed, they are the only team among all of KeSPA’s League of Legends teams to have not released any players since the end of Champions Summer. The Falcons have lost three members, leaving only their bottom lane. Kim “Rock” Hui-chan announced his retirement in August, stating that he had “another dream to pursue”. This may come as a disappointment to Jin Air fans, as Rock’s performance was one of the few bright spots for the struggling Falcons. However, he will have left his mark on League of Legends history as the player who brought top lane Gragas back into the metagame. Lee “GBM” Chang-seok and Shin “Vin” Min-jae departed the Falcons soon after, in search of new teams to join. However, neither player has found a new home as of yet.Solidarity
With all five members of the Stealths remaining with the organization (at least for the foreseeable future), it stands to reason that they will continue as the starting five of the Green Wings as KeSPA teams move towards single five-man rosters. Should Jin Air management choose to make no changes to the core roster, the Green Wings will not have to deal with changes to team synergy, new team members, or other such issues.
This may prove to be a huge advantage leading into regional competition, as every other organization will have their time consumed by accommodating new players or new team configurations. Additionally, the Stealths were already on an upswing towards the end of 2014 as evidenced by their improved placement, and this momentum should guide them smoothly into 2015.
Change Is Good
The Green Wings are no strangers to roster changes, however. AD carry Kang “Cpt Jack” Hyung-woo joined the Stealths after leaving his previous team CJ Entus Blaze, adding star power to the relatively unknown lineup. Choi “Chei” Sun-ho was brought in to support him after Lee “XD” Eun-taek was moved to the Falcons, along with Lee “Chaser” Sang-hyun. Combined with Cpt Jack and Chei’s impressive bot lane play, Chaser injected life into the Stealths, propelling them to their top 8 finish after a mere two months on the team.
If nothing else, the Stealths are a testament to the positive impact that roster changes can have on a team. Any roster changes that Jin Air decide to make should therefore be met with healthy optimism, considering that the Stealths have benefited greatly from their last three roster rotations. Whether the Green Wings choose to run with the Stealths lineup or switch things around, they can take comfort in the fact that they should find success with both courses of action.
Flying Into 2015
Amidst a sea of changes in the Korean League of Legends scene, the Jin Air Green Wings stand out as a constant force. The Stealths have had time to patch up their weaknesses, and will be a big hurdle for any new rosters to overcome. Gameplay-wise, Chaser’s aggressive counter-jungling playstyle will keep the jungle interesting for spectators, particularly following the departures of jungle gods Lee “KaKAO” Byung-kwon and Choi “DanDy” In-kyu from Korea.
And as always, fans are looking forward to seeing the veteran Cpt Jack perform once again, and speculating whether the classic slippery Cpt Jack will show up, or the ‘Corpse Jack’ who spends half the game staring at a grey screen. Whatever the case, the Jin Air Green Wings are certainly a team to watch in the upcoming months, as they do battle with the revamped Korean rosters.
