EU LCS Week 3 Preview
Riot·6/4/2014, 10:15:46 PM·1 votes·856 views
As we’ve come to expect from the region, Europe continued to be unpredictable during Week 2. Alliance and SK Gaming appear to be the only teams capable of shaking the inconsistency issues plaguing the region, and unless another team can break free, these two should find themselves atop the league come playoffs without too much difficulty. For the teams hit the hardest - notably ROCCAT and Gambit - hope is fading fast. Week 3 closes the first quarter of games this season, and if the struggling teams want to stay afloat, they’ll have to put it all on the line to secure a few precious victories.
SK Gaming vs. Millenium
When: Thursday, June 5th, 19:00 CEST, 10:00 AM PDT
There isn’t a better way to dive headfirst into a solid week of LCS than a great match between two teams that are trending upwards. SK are up to their old ways, winning games with consistent play. They may have dropped a game to Alliance last week, but it still looks as if SK are on a roll, and there’s not much right now that can stop them.
Millenium looks to be that wall that brings them down. Despite a sloppy week 2, it’s hard to dismiss their breakout Week 1. Kerp slowed down significantly last week, but Creaton stepped up, showing that he has the skill to pick up the slack, if needed. Nothing would do more to get the Millenium crew back on a winning track then a thrashing of SK, so expect them to come out swinging in their first game of the week.
Copenhagen Wolves vs. Gambit
When: Thursday, June 5th, 21:00 CEST, 12:00 AM PDT
With both teams at 2-4 over the first two weeks, expect some desperation in their play this week. The fight to break even is an important one, and both teams are staring down the barrel of the gun coming into Week 3 Going 2-5 is unacceptable for both of these teams, and with a season on the line, expect a no-holds-barred fight to the finish.
The Copenhagen Wolves, sans Amazing, are now trying to rebuild their core, with little success through Week 1. But last week, both newcomers Airwaks and Woolite lit up, especially in their game against ROCCAT. With a combined record of 22/7/25, both players look to become . If the Wolves can tap into it, they might very well be in for a banner year.
Gambit, on the other hand, are just barely clinging to hope. NiQ has not proven to be the Alex Ich replacement they were looking for, but he is the mid laner they're sticking with. It's time for them to get to work training him how to be the star they need him to be. As the weeks tick by, he's sure to improve. The only question remaining is whether or not he can become the player they need before the team runs out of time.
Supa Hot Crew vs. Alliance
When: Friday, June 6th, 20:00 CEST, 11:00 AM PDT
Supa Hot Crew and Alliance are facing off in the middle of two respective hot streaks. Both teams are fresh off 2-0s last week, and both are setting their sights on securing themselves at the head of the league. Alliance, right now, appear to be the team to beat, and for good reason - Tabzz is on fire. The team is clicking like never before, and promise some very good play this season. If the other teams don’t watch out, Alliance could take the season with ease.
Supa Hot Crew, however, are heating up and seem to be their biggest challengers as we head into Week 3. A simple glance at last week’s results can tell us why. SELFIE and MrRalleZ are playing extremely well, and with the former finally seeming to have melded with the Crew, the sky is the limit. Far from a depressing start, the Supa Hot Crew are this season’s breakout team, and if they can keep it up, could threaten to upset the power balance that Europe has kept maintained for so long.
Fnatic vs. ROCCAT
When: Friday, June 6th, 21:00 CEST, 12:00 AM PDT
Two of the strongest teams in the region last split, Fnatic and ROCCAT are now struggling like never before. ROCCAT’s 1-5 record has more than just this writer scratching their head at how a team that appeared so dominant could have fallen so far, so fast. The biggest culprits appear to be the bottom lane combo of Celaver and Vander, who combined last week for one kill - and thirteen deaths. To get back on track, this team needs a reboot.
Fnatic, however, might provide an opportunity for a win. The former champs won last season, but now appear very vulnerable with a 3-3 record. Their loss last week to Gambit was an unexpected embarrassment for the team. Still, their win against Millenium should do well to put them back on course, especially with xPeke laying down the pain on Nidalee. Yellowstar, similarly, stunned with 15 assists over the course of the game. The question, as always, remains whether or not “good Fnatic” who won seven straight to open the year shows up, or whether we see a return of the team that lost eight in a row soon afterwards.
If all these trends continue, we will likely see the new kings of Europe emerge as the season progresses.
The Copenhagen Wolves, sans Amazing, are now trying to rebuild their core, with little success through Week 1. But last week, both newcomers Airwaks and Woolite lit up, especially in their game against ROCCAT. With a combined record of 22/7/25, both players look to become . If the Wolves can tap into it, they might very well be in for a banner year.
Gambit, on the other hand, are just barely clinging to hope. NiQ has not proven to be the Alex Ich replacement they were looking for, but he is the mid laner they're sticking with. It's time for them to get to work training him how to be the star they need him to be. As the weeks tick by, he's sure to improve. The only question remaining is whether or not he can become the player they need before the team runs out of time.
Supa Hot Crew vs. Alliance
When: Friday, June 6th, 20:00 CEST, 11:00 AM PDT
Supa Hot Crew and Alliance are facing off in the middle of two respective hot streaks. Both teams are fresh off 2-0s last week, and both are setting their sights on securing themselves at the head of the league. Alliance, right now, appear to be the team to beat, and for good reason - Tabzz is on fire. The team is clicking like never before, and promise some very good play this season. If the other teams don’t watch out, Alliance could take the season with ease.
Supa Hot Crew, however, are heating up and seem to be their biggest challengers as we head into Week 3. A simple glance at last week’s results can tell us why. SELFIE and MrRalleZ are playing extremely well, and with the former finally seeming to have melded with the Crew, the sky is the limit. Far from a depressing start, the Supa Hot Crew are this season’s breakout team, and if they can keep it up, could threaten to upset the power balance that Europe has kept maintained for so long.
Fnatic vs. ROCCAT
When: Friday, June 6th, 21:00 CEST, 12:00 AM PDT
Two of the strongest teams in the region last split, Fnatic and ROCCAT are now struggling like never before. ROCCAT’s 1-5 record has more than just this writer scratching their head at how a team that appeared so dominant could have fallen so far, so fast. The biggest culprits appear to be the bottom lane combo of Celaver and Vander, who combined last week for one kill - and thirteen deaths. To get back on track, this team needs a reboot.
Fnatic, however, might provide an opportunity for a win. The former champs won last season, but now appear very vulnerable with a 3-3 record. Their loss last week to Gambit was an unexpected embarrassment for the team. Still, their win against Millenium should do well to put them back on course, especially with xPeke laying down the pain on Nidalee. Yellowstar, similarly, stunned with 15 assists over the course of the game. The question, as always, remains whether or not “good Fnatic” who won seven straight to open the year shows up, or whether we see a return of the team that lost eight in a row soon afterwards.
If all these trends continue, we will likely see the new kings of Europe emerge as the season progresses.
