Worlds 2015 Power Rankings

Co-Authored by Emily Rand, Ryanne "Froskurinn" Mohr, Carlos "H0tsawce" Bravo, Leah "Riot SpiNN" Jackson, Frank "Riot Mirhi" Fields

And here we are at the 2015 World Championship, where we'll discover the best League of Legends teams in the World.

This time, we decided to do something different with Power Rankings. Since even among analysts, we have a hard time agreeing with numbered lists, we decided to tier teams based on overall perceived strength. And while there were certain disagreements about where certain teams lie (AHQ down, KOO up, CLG up, C9 down, etc), we all were fairly confident that this ranking augers just how far the competing teams will making in the tournament.

Let us know if you like the format, and give feedback on Power Rankings in the comments below, or on Twitter, where your submission will be disseminated into The Matrix.

The following people contributed to Worlds 2015 Power Rankings:

Alex Manisier, Christopher "Montecristo" Mykles, Ryanne "Froskurinn" Mohr, Carlos "H0tsawce" Bravo, Emily Rand, Nelson Sng, Leah "Riot SpiNN" Jackson, Jason "Riot Jayway" Wai, and Frank "Riot Mirhi" Fields.

Teams ordered within tiers are sorted alphabetically.

S Tier - Tournament Favorites

EDG, LGD, SKT

A Tier - Teams that could make a deep run (Semis or Finals)

AHQ, FNC, IG, KT

B Tier - Teams that are strong, but probably not contenders to win

CLG, KOO, OG

C Tier - Teams who could make it out of some Groups, but would need to EITHER overperform massively OR need other teams to underperform

FW, H2K, TSM

D Tier - Teams who could make it out of some Groups, but would need to overperform massively AND need other teams to underperform

C9, PAIN

F Tier - Teams who wouldn't make it out of any group

BKT

For more rationale about why teams fall into each tier, keep on reading. This article is just starting!

S Tier - EDG, LGD, SKT

Tournament Favorites

These three teams have impressed us more than any other. Their placement has been primarily driven by regional dominance, the individual strength of their players, strategic depth, international prowess and history, and what we view as their overall form being the best among all teams in the tournament. Though the exact specifics between the three are different, if they play to their most recent form, we believe one of these three teams will win the 2015 World Championship.

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Edward Gaming

Edward Gaming are the most dominant team the LPL has ever seen. Since the topple of World Elite, EDG have established a stranglehold over China, and even added their first international title to their long list of tournament wins after conquering the Mid-Season Invitational. Since the acquisition of PawN and Deft, EDG had looked unstoppable.

And then they lost.

After a few regular-season stumbles, EDG experienced their first major domestic defeats twice in a row, dropping to iG and LGD in the LPL Playoffs. An organization completely new to defeat slinked away with a 4th place finish -- an all-time domestic low. But with great resilience, EDG dominated the Regional Qualifier, thrashing Snake before dropping iG to punch their ticket to Worlds. They approach Worlds this time as the second seed from the LPL, looking as confident as ever to rematch SKT for a Finals run.

Historically, EDG have been slow to react to patch shifts, particularly with respect to ClearLove’s champion pool. On Patch 5.16, however, the veteran jungler pulled out Skarner, Ekko, and Elise with confidence. Likewise, EDG’s substitute top laner AmazingJ opens up a whole new arsenal of threats for EDG as carry champions like Darius, Fiora, and Olaf look to dominate the Worlds stage.

EDG’s strength isn’t just a result of their newfound flexibility, though. They’re at their best when they have the freedom of selecting their own win conditions. And with PawN and Deft in top form, EDG are coming into Worlds with a myriad of options. Their toolbox approach to League of Legends is the reason they have been dominant for so long -- EDG can strike anywhere, any time.

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If there was a formula to EDG’s success, it would begin with ClearLove. EDG win through their skirmish pressure in lane, and locking down ClearLove stalls the team’s snowball. In two of the team’s four defeats, ClearLove’s champion pool was targeted through counter matchups or bans.

Ironically enough, if there’s anything that will hold EDG back at Worlds, it’s their adaptability. It’s unclear how successful EDG will be on 5.18 given their track record, especially when accounting for their last appearance on the Worlds stage. Still, EDG appear to be on the upswing and have solidified themselves as a team that can come back from defeat. We’ll see if any team is able to keep them down.

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LGD Gaming

Rubbing shoulders between EDG and SKT are the unlikely contender in LGD Gaming. Anchored by their longtime captain and support Pyl, LGD finally became a superstar team after importing imp and Acorn from Korea. Alongside developed talent in GODV and longtime jungler TBQ, LGD are among the favorites of the tournament, despite a messy season run.

Make no mistake, however; LGD is no Cinderella story.

They are methodical, calculated, and clinical in their dissection of teams. Whereas most LPL teams are known for their brute-force command through skirmishes and team fights, LGD are a more refined beast. Their identity has always been the "smart team" through advanced objective identification and preparation, with Pyl at the reins. He kept the organization historically relevant despite a mediocre roster -- LGD’s recent success is due to the perfect marriage of mechanics and strategy with the Korean imports. This is why they are such a powerhouse team.

The core of the team sits with Acorn in the top lane. Acorn has a diverse champion pool with emphasis on his ability to utilize timely Teleports, not only for game-changing flanks, but -- more importantly -- in tandem with GODV’s split-pushing assassin identity. The most devastating aspect of LGD is their creep control and manipulation of side-waves.

No team will get anything for free from LGD. Beating them around the map is a chore, and even in a loss, LGD will make teams choke them out slowly. They buy time and amass passive gold leads through the control of funneled farm -- no gold goes to waste and imp will often find himself with 40+ CS leads.

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Where LGD fall short is in their jungle. Across a star-studded roster -- including a former World Champion and two OGN titles -- TBQ is the obvious blemish. His effective champion pool is questionable and in direct response to his short-comings, LGD have engineered one of the most refined lane-swaps in the LPL to hide their jungler. If teams can get the 1v1 against TBQ and punish LGD’s weakest link they can possibly open up a snowball before GODV and imp are able to collect sizeable CS leads to compensate for LGD’s lackluster 5v5.

Be warned, LGD are stall artists, and the longer the game goes the more relevant powerhouses like imp and GODV become, and although LGD have an obvious weak spot, it’s still on the heel of Achilles.

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SKTelecom T1

Faker may be best player competing at Worlds, but SKT is not necessarily the best team. They are, however, one of the favorites to win the tournament -- and for good reason.

They ran away with both LCK splits in 2015, winning fairly convincingly in each Champions Final. Their record in LCK Summer was 38-6, including Playoffs -- extremely impressive. It speaks to their regional dominance, in a historically dominant region. And putting the Korean Exodus aside, there were still several strong contenders for Worlds in Korea, even if no other Korean teams are quite S Tier.

If SKT is going to win Worlds, it will need to be a group effort. MaRin and Bang have both stepped up to be carry players at different times, but there are a few concerns. Much of MaRin's success has come on a very small champion pool (almost entirely Maokai, Rumble, Fizz, and Gnar), and Bang's breakout performances have often depended on SKT running "protect the ADC"-style compositions involving Nunu, Lulu, and/or Janna. Both players will need to step up and be able to perform above their expectations, and above their lane counterparts on LGD, EDG, or any other A Tier team they might face -- upsets can happen.

But not only that, Faker will have to play up to standard. Yes, he is the best player in the world, and yes, he is often thought of as a god, but even Faker is not infallible. In certain situations he may be required to play less aggressively in lane. Sometimes, intelligent teams have been able to take advantage of his over-aggressiveness. Regionally, teams like CJ Entus have capitalized on his tendencies, and internationally (and most notably) Edward Gaming got the best of him at the Mid-Season Invitational.

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If SKT does fail, it will likely be because Faker had no help. Bengi's career arc has been a rollercoaster, up and down. At Worlds, anything less than his average will likely not be good enough to win SKT a Championship. Wolf is very similar. He's looked anywhere between an above average Korean Support to a complete liability (and scapegoat), resulting in the team's somewhat disappointing MSI performance.

SKT can still advance to the Semifinals or Finals even with an underperformance from some players. But to win Worlds, it will have to be a strong team performance. Even gods can bleed.

A Tier - AHQ, FNC, IG, KT

Teams that could make a deep run (Semis or Finals)

These teams have each showcased gameplay that would put them in the S Tier -- just inconsistently. Each of them has their own set of weaknesses that sets them lower than the S Tier teams, but even when they are having off games, they are usually able to match up and beat the teams in the B Tier. You can think of this tier as excellent, but with key weaknesses and inconsistencies. If they cleaned up those issues, they'd be in the S Tier.

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ahq e-Sports Club

ahq had quite the coming out party. At the end of LMS Spring 2015, they entered the Playoffs as the 4th place team. They drastically changed their lineup and went on an improbable 9-1 gauntlet run to win the Spring Split, and qualify for MSI -- where they then further impressed by dominating Fnatic, and subjugating SKT, before a series of late-game errors cost them the game in one swift motion. You can probably see where this is going.

ahq doesn't have any liabilities among team members -- every one of their players is at least in the top half for their role at the event. Many are higher. Similarly, there isn't any one player that is prone to underperforming at any stretch. And thus ahq is able to reliably execute their game plan -- team fighting.

LMS teams in general are very prone to using team fights as their win condition, but ahq represents the one that has used it to the most success internationally. Blue buff spawn? Fight. Dragon is in two minutes? Let's not setup vision, let's fight. They look like they're setting up for a siege? Fight them before they can. ahq is so happy to fight because they are confident in their ability to out team fight anyone -- and they're usually right. The advantages that the team builds from their superior team fighting, even with inferior vision, is usually enough to snowball a game in the mid-game. That is what puts them into the class of teams listed above.

But there are two huge dangers with ahq's execution in this manner caused by ahq's extremely linear win condition. If ahq faces a team that's equally skilled at team fighting (or better), then suddenly their strategy falls apart. Their team fighting doesn't become a source of advantage, but instead is essentially treading water. Their opponent then would pull ahead via map control, vision control, or objective control -- things that ahq aren't horrible at, but are not the team's focus.

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The other danger is if ahq's opponents are able to counter their style by avoiding team fights all together. Very strong disengage and/or poke and/or siege compositions are certainly one answer, while late-game scaling compositions with good disengage are another. If a team's mission is to fight, sometimes it's best to just run away or stall the game.

Similar to the Uzi-led Star Horn Royal Club teams in 2013 and 2014, ahq will have success if they are able to execute their linear strategy to a degree that other teams cannot compensate for -- ahq will give teams their best shot, and for many that will be enough. But sometimes it might not be, which is why they are not a tournament favorite, and could be susceptible to upsets. But they are an A Tier team, because their ability to execute has proven to be worthy of a team prepared to make a deep run at Worlds.

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Fnatic

Fnatic's been on a tear ever since the Mid-Season Invitational. Even without their prominent AD carry Rekkles on the roster, they still took SKTelecom T1 to five games at the international event. And with the continued guidance of their coach Deilor, they've only become a stronger force since.

An undefeated 18-0 record in the regular EU LCS Summer Split is nothing to knock, and they're an A Tier team that's shown the ability to adapt quickly, possessing the mental fortitude to come back strong after a tough loss.

Plus, Fnatic's resilient. We've seen them crawl back from behind and blossom into a mid-to-late-game team fighting powerhouse. Their team cohesion is unparalleled in EU, and they have strong players with deep champion pools in every position. This will be a big boost for them at Worlds, especially as the meta shifts slightly away from tank top laners, allowing Huni to shine on his more comfortable carry style champions.

To make it through their Group and beyond, Reignover needs to be successful in his ganks, specifically top side, to put Huni ahead. And if YellOwStaR makes the most out of his risky roams, Fnatic can get around their notoriously weak early game, positioning themselves for success. If not, they'll be exploited by those teams that are rated above them.

Although we haven't seen Fnatic lose much, they can be taken advantage of when they aren't on their staple aggressive engage compositions. Without Reignover or YellOwStaR initiating, and the team following up, Fnatic can falter in the mid- to late-game -- which normally is a point of strength for them.

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Despite Huni's generally deep champion pool, we've seen him play somewhat uncomfortable on new champions. In situations where Huni is uncomfortable, Fnatic falls back to a more passive playstyle, which is easily punishable by the exceptionally aggressive teams they're up against. Fnatic does not have the luxury of taking any team lightly, because even with all of their technical prowess, they can be run off the map if they slump at all.

Yet Fnatic has had time to shore up their weaknesses. They can safely rely on the late game damage output of Rekkles, Febiven's consistency, and the shot-calling of their talented leader YellOwStaR -- who's entering the competition with four prior years of Worlds experience. They need to be the ones driving the games instead of playing risk-averse in order to have a good run towards the Summoner's Cup.

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Invictus Gaming

Invictus Gaming are a dynasty of the LPL, part of the long-standing royal guard of the Chinese scene alongside World Elite. But since their peak in Season 2, iG have been shadows of their former glory, falling back on their heels and sitting mid-tier for countless splits.

Their results might well continue to be mediocre but for the injection of RooKie, KAKAO, and Save into the roster. iG peaked early in their season run, fielding a rotating roster in the top lane while Zz1Tai attempted to orient himself to the role after switching from mid. They hit a plateau for the rest of their split, sitting just below a relevant talking point -- but never out of contention. Considering the explosive nature of new challengers Qiao Gu, iG flew under the radar, experiencing massive growing pains between "good" and "brilliant" in their team identity. They had all the right weapons, but no semblance of how to utilize them.

But then the LPL Playoffs happened.

The pubescent prodigy team suddenly matured; Zz1Tai embraced his new identity as a top laner, bringing out hard-carry styles that would handedly settle several of iG’s games with his backdoor pressure. Likewise, iG’s superior preparation and draft on the new patch gave them the ability to outmaneuver their opponents even before setting foot on the Rift.

This was the iG that fans had expected, and although they wouldn’t be able to cut Qiao Gu down quick enough for a trip into the LPL Finals, they would still show their best form in the Playoffs and Regional Qualifiers. RooKie in particular was a standout for the team, with a near perfect performance through both the Playoffs and Regional Best of 5s.

Still, the most consistent thing about iG is their inconsistency. And this keeps us from putting them in the S tier.

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After more than 44 games in the Summer Split, iG have just started to explore their skill ceiling. It’s unclear if they’re a predictable threat to the likes of LGD or EDG, much less their weaker competition in ahq, Fnatic, and KT Rolster. With the weakest bot lane of the LPL Worlds teams, and a wildcard in the top lane, the only sure point for Invictus are their KT Arrows transplants.

iG’s most recent victory over Qiao Gu showed more matured team fight coordination on top of an already established split-push strategy with Zz1Tai. Versatility is rare in LPL teams, and iG are attending Worlds because they’ve demonstrated something unique.

In the end, iG have always been their own worst enemies. Against the cut of talent in the World Championship, they cannot afford to be fighting on multiple fronts. They have the talent to rise to the occasion; it’s now simply a matter of executing.

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KT Rolster

No team characterizes the growing pains of post-Exodus Korea quite like KT Rolster. The waning moments of the 2014 Season saw the KT Rolster Arrows bomb out spectacularly in the Regional Qualifier, and the KT Rolster Bullets a withered husk of their former selves. In addition, the core of the Arrows -- jungler KAKAO and mid laner RooKie -- left for China. This left mid laner Nagne and AD-turned-jungler Score to fill the vacuum. Most doubted whether they were up to the task.

In order to understand how KT Rolster works, and their chances at succeeding at Worlds, one must first look at their jungle and support duo of Score and Piccaboo.

What Score lacks is practical experience. He spent years as an AD carry, but hasn't seen the game regularly from a jungler's perspective until this year. Score's jungle pathing is adequate, and better than expected for an unseasoned jungler, but when his lanes fall behind, he often is unable to adjust quickly enough to help.

This is where Piccaboo comes in.

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Together, the two roam aggressively and place deep wards in opponents' territory while also ganking lanes if the opportunity strikes. They attack early and often, ensuring adversaries are tracked in their own jungle. Again, this allows Score to have a greater impact on his lanes, while Piccaboo ganks a lane or two himself if Score is farming camps.

The primary beneficiary of the one-two Score-Piccaboo punch is KT Rolster top laner Ssumday. There is not a more dangerous top laner in the world with a lead than Ssumday, as this year he has seemingly found his sweet spot between reckless aggression and taking full advantage of opponents' weaknesses.

Throughout 2015, KT Rolster has shown a significantly high skill ceiling as a team, particularly with the addition of Piccaboo. If they perform at their best, KT Rolster could easily make the Quarterfinals at this year's World Championship. Unfortunately, KT Rolster cannot always be relied upon to recognize their own win conditions. All too often, the team finds themselves lost in the mid game, and occasionally squanders their advantage by misplaying compositions -- this is why they are strong enough to be an A Tier, but not an S Tier squad.

KT Rolster making a run to the Finals is extremely unlikely. This scenario would require KT Rolster playing at their absolute highest level or other teams faltering. Unfortunately in the LCK Summer Finals, SKTelecom T1 drew up an excellent blueprint of how to beat KT Rolster: standard lanes, take advantage of Score in his own jungle, push KT back early, and dive. And with weeks of preparation, others no doubt have worked to further SKT's work. Given KT's weaknesses, the Semifinals are likely the best that KT can hope for.

B Tier - CLG, KOO, OG

Teams that are strong, but not contenders to win

Each of these teams has looked like they could enter the A Tier at one point, but then come crashing down to Earth. Their long stretches of winning and consistency have eventually ended at the hands of superior opponents -- they are generally unable to sustain their momentum and improve to a new level. These teams all have a macro understanding of the game, and can play a number of diverse playstyles, with multiple threats and few glaring weaknesses. But they rarely, or never, sustain their high level of play long enough to truly achieve greatness.

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Counter Logic Gaming

The #GoldenAge is upon us. Not only making it to their first Worlds Championship in three years, but also coming in as the strongest contender from the NA region, CLG has their sights set on much more.

At the start of the Summer Split, CLG were at an all-time low in morale. But they finished the season, and subsequent Playoffs, in dominant fashion -- coming into Worlds as the 1st place North American team. As a No. 1 seed, CLG were able to draw a favorable group, making their chances for a deep run possible.

But a lucky draw isn’t why CLG belongs in this tier. CLG plays a disciplined, methodical style that translates across regions, into international play. CLG’s greatest strength is also their greatest weakness -- they live and die by their early game. Masterful Level 1s often enable Doublelift to freeze his lane and free farm, while support Aphromoo roams the map looking to make plays and provide vision, which can put his solo laners at an advantage. ZionSpartan always has carry potential from the top lane as we saw in the NA LCS Finals, and the current carry top lane meta may prove fortuitous.

However, if CLG does not get ahead early, they have proven to struggle. While Xmithie was impressive in the Summer Split Finals, he can't quite lay claim to the title of clutch player. Pobelter has shown he is capable of thriving in the shadow of his teammates, but still has a tendency to lose lane or go even. In a position as pivotal (and competitive) in this Worlds tournament as mid lane, that could prove to be a deal-breaker. Also, although Zion has improved with his initiations, positioning, and Teleport timing, in the past he has shown deficiencies in these areas.

With the huge news that Xmithie is available to play for CLG, morale is most likely restored, and with good reason. If Rush Hour and ZionSpartan step up while Xmithie and Pobelter can stay afloat, CLG has the game knowledge, mechanics, and decent draw to make a deep run at Worlds this season. But the reality is that the team hasn't been able to put the pieces together to challenge some of the A Tier teams above them.

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KOO Tigers

Initially known for their endless wardrobe and strong team coordination, the KOO Tigers have gone through as many meta shifts as the game itself. They have been called both peerless and awful, coordinated and disjointed, washed-up and resurging, all over the course of Champions Summer 2015.

Yet -- like the lesser teams that they themselves would have once scorned -- the KOO Tigers cannot be underestimated. Just as shotcalling should not always be equated with leadership, the strength of the KOO Tigers is more nuanced than their primary source of power: preparation.

Assembled with pieces that the rest of the scene discarded, the KOO Tigers' backbone is shored up by their support, and only star player prior to the start of Champions Spring: GorillA. Even at the Tigers' worst during Champions Summer, GorillA tried to control and corral his team through vision and roaming ganks. Due to these efforts, GorillA finished in the top 10 Korean players for kill participation through the regular season with 76.2%, showcasing his importance to the team.

More surprisingly is the second core player of the KOO Tigers: top laner Smeb. Previously considered mediocre at best, Smeb has evolved into one of the most versatile and best top laners in Korea. As his team's primary shotcaller, the Tigers' decisive mid- and late-game map movements can often be attributed to Smeb's quick thinking.  

KOO is greatly favored to win Group A, yet they still fall into Tier B. Group A is inarguably the weakest of the four at the 2015 World Championship, and if KOO was placed in a different group, the likelihood of their success would drop. In a group with Fnatic, Invictus Gaming, and Cloud9, KOO's Quarterfinals probability would decrease significantly. Against the vastly superior squads of SKTelecom T1, Edward Gaming, and LGD Gaming, their chances of winning in a Best of 5 are slim to none.

The Tigers are not poised to make a deep run due to the limitations of their talent. At their best, they can outsmart opponents in champion select and follow it up with coordinated mid- and late-game team fights. Their jungler Hojin often fails to provide early pressure and ADC PraY's play has waxed and waned with the meta. Unless the Tigers ascend to an unknown ability level, with their current talent they're most likely to bow out in Quarterfinals.

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Origen

Origen is attending their first Worlds, but unlike some that have been trying to make it for years, they earned a spot after only their first LCS split. Even with a new roster, albeit one largely consisting of experienced veterans, the team has shown enough variety and successful strategies to be included in this tier.

One of those strategies puts their rookie star AD carry Niels on hyperscaling champions. And while Niels is the only team member without Worlds experience, his trust in his teammates allows him to show off his devastating Kog’Maw, Tristana, and Vayne. Niels has a very real opportunity to make a name for himself at this tournament by carrying OG.

But, he isn't the only carry on the team. SoaZ showed off an explosive Gangplank over the last month; becoming an absolute split-pushing terror. He's never hesitated playing any champion in the top lane, and with the meta shifting to be more top-focused, he could easily shine with new flavors like Fiora and Darius or pick up an old favorite like Lissandra.

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And speaking of old favorites, OG's also got the venerable mid laner xPeke. Although his mechanics have been suspect of late, with an Azir that left much to be desired, he's still proven that he can't be ignored. Favoring more poke-heavy champions like Kog’Maw and the oft-banned Varus, xPeke is at home when raining long-range destruction on his opponents. And with recent buffs to Kassadin, Leblanc, and Lissandra, the "xPeke at Worlds buff" could be in full effect.

The key to OG’s success is getting these three carries ahead. And the maestros that orchestrate that gameplan, Amazing and Mithy, are not afraid to roam early and often. Amazing's consistently helped push his laners ahead, favoring early pressure junglers like Elise and Gragas. When paired with Mithy on engage supports, they punish the slightest misstep from any laner. And if their opponent laners are playing safely, this duo will not hesitate to enter the enemy jungle looking for a kill.  

They've got a lot of tools in their toolbox, but that doesn't mean there aren't still areas to fix. OG suffers from a "Jack of all trades, masters of none" problem, often trying diverse strategies moreso than individual skill to win. They can build poke comps, they can split-push, or they can protect specific members in a composition, but they aren't better at performing those diverse strategies than the teams in the higher tiers. So if, in the Pick and Ban phase, opponents are able to counter the strategy OG hopes to unleash, it's tough for OG to adjust on the fly.

Otherwise, they're often eager to contest objectives, which gets them into trouble. Even in scaling compositions, they'll go for fights around objectives before they've reached their power spikes, putting themselves at a disadvantage if it means netting some kills. If they can overcome these weaknesses, they could go far. But even at their peak, they're likely not good enough to overcome the teams in the next tier.  

C Tier - FW, H2K, TSM

Teams who could make it out of some Groups, but would need to EITHER overperform massively OR need other teams to underperform

Teams here have solid game knowledge, but lack the execution to put their plans into place. Each has glaring weaknesses, both in terms of their strategic play and in mechanical execution. They have sometimes looked very strong, but only during periods against other teams that are unable to capitalize on their weaknesses.

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Flash Wolves

The Flash Wolves have some pretty obvious problems, but it isn't all doom and gloom. FW plays a style similar to many Korean teams -- focused on vision and objective control, and using those to win the game. When they are able to execute, the game falls slowly into their control as their opponents are squeezed out of the game. Often backed up by late-game team compositions, the Flash Wolves are content to sit back and yield certain objectives to ensure later victory. Their style is very safe, and solid.

Their playstyle isn't the only thing they have going for them, however. Jungler Karsa is a legitimate top tier international player, and mid laner Maple is frequently thought of as the best in the LMS -- pretty high praise considering the competition. The team's success often rests on the shoulders of these two stars, with Maple being an extremely dominant lane and team fight mid laner and Karsa controlling the early game.

Unfortunately FW suffers from some pretty extreme issues. Top laner Steak is the biggest problem, as he's a huge liability both in laning phase and in latter stages of the game. He often finds himself down by 30 CS @ 10 or more in games against elite top laners, and his contribution in team fights is minimal. This is compounded by FW not having a reliable late-game carry outside Maple -- ADC NL suffers from poor positioning at times and is otherwise not particularly strong.

The key to the Flash Wolves' success will actually be their support, SwordArt, who is able to compensate for many of NL's inherent weaknesses and provide good spacing for the team in fights both mid and late game. But SwordArt will need help from Steak and NL in order to get out of Groups.

While Flash Wolves probably won't make a run for the Championship, they could still impress fans if Steak and NL have the tournament of their lives.

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H2K

H2K is a team that understands the macro-oriented, objective-focused playstyle. While they do have some strong players, other teams in tiers above them match up just as well, if not better, from each individual position. And when those teams utilize the same macro style of play, they are able to execute it with greater success.

H2K's success usually rests on the shoulders of kaSing, who we've seen set his team up with excellent initiations on Alistar and Thresh. He's proficient at protecting Hjarnan in lane, and together they work well and can make plays. They also have one of the strongest EU mid laners in Ryu, who's shown true carry potential.

At their best, H2K make smart rotations as a single unit, prioritizing objectives and finding advantageous engages.

Unfortunately, H2K has had trouble effectively pulling off these strategies against lower-caliber teams in their own region, much less world class teams. Their weakest link lies in jungler Loulex, who's prone to making risky ganks that put his team further behind. And while Odoamne favors tanks and can be effective in split-pushing or team fights, he isn't the dominant 1v1 player we see in better teams.

The pool of ADCs at Worlds are far more aggressive than Hjarnan, even with kaSing at his back. And while Ryu is one of the better mid laners at the tournament, his champion pool is somewhat limited compared to the rest. H2K is simply outmatched by the strength of those in the tiers above them, and while upsets are absolutely possible, it will require a Herculean effort for H2K to make it far in this tournament.

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Team SoloMid

Perennial NA LCS title holders TSM find themselves in a new position heading to this season’s Worlds -- a team with no expectations.

Yet all is not lost. If TSM get out of Groups, it will be through experience, playing to their full potential, and a little luck. TSM has proven themselves capable of performing internationally this season (winning IEM Katowice), and that experience will work for them during their trials at Worlds.

Nonetheless, TSM currently has more weaknesses than strengths. Santorin's pathing seems aimless and passive, and it's complicated by his shallow champ pool. Dyrus, already alluding to his retirement after this tournament, has been mediocre all season; and we anticipate a carry top lane meta in Patch 5.18. WildTurtle has been lackluster in every aspect. And finally, Lustboy has quietly underperformed since IEM Katowice, where his Lulu terrorized opponents. Not to mention their terrible vision control, which is among the worst at Worlds.

In all reality, if TSM is to have success at Worlds, it’s going to have to be on the back of Bjergsen. With a deep champion pool and world-class mechanics, Bjergsen will not only have to play to the best of his abilities, but also make great shot-calls that capitalize on enemy mistakes and opportunities when they arise.  Lustboy and Santorin are going to have to facilitate Bjergsen’s success with solid vision and rotations.

D Tier - C9, PAIN

Teams who could make it out of some Groups, but would need to overperform massively AND need other teams to underperform

While it might seem strange to put paiN and Cloud9 in the same tier, we believe that both suffer from different sides of the same coin. paiN have great individual talent, but have almost no strategic depth to them, while Cloud9 has a great macro understanding of the game, but are lacking as far as individual skill. If their previous forms hold, it's extremely unlikely either would be able to win many games against any of the C Tier teams.

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Cloud9

What a wild ride it’s been for NA LCS Regional winners C9. After a memorable gauntlet run of two reverse sweeps and a fairly dominating finale versus Team Liquid, all the hopes of C9 fans were realized.

But to be successful at Worlds, C9 are going to have to rely on Incarnati0n and Sneaky. There are worse positions to be in. While the first eight weeks of Incarnati0n’s professional career left much to be desired, he stepped up when it counted the most. As the player of the series for the first two Regional Qualifier series, it seems like Incarnati0n has finally found his groove and confidence.

Meanwhile, Sneaky’s Summer Split performance was considered underwhelming and pedestrian, but he was an easy target on a weak team. However, with the surge of Incarnati0n, Sneaky's been able to shine with hard-carry champs such as Vayne and Draven.

Nevertheless, with a nightmare group draw, C9 is on the outside looking in. Truth be told, C9 will field some of the weakest players in three of the five positions in the entire tournament. While Hai’s shotcalling is S Tier, his jungle play is not. Hai’s jungle champ pool is unconventional, and his hallmark vision control surprisingly is not at the same level as when he played mid. LemonNation has never been a strength of C9, but his champion pool is extremely shallow and his performances have been bad-to-detrimental. Balls appears to be a shell of himself, and all jokes aside about Solo Queue ranking, his performance all season is very much a worrying trend. Facing the likes of Zz1Tai, Huni, and Ziv, Balls has an uphill climb ahead of him.

So, C9 has a tough road ahead. Getting out of Groups probably isn’t realistic, but if it were to happen, it would be due to out-of-world performances by Sneaky. And for Incarnati0n? Same.

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paiN Gaming

No Wildcard team has ever won more than a single game at Worlds, never mind had a chance of getting into the Quarterfinals. And yet, it is not impossible for paiN Gaming to make it out of Groups. It's simply highly, highly improbable.

paiN's players themselves have a significant amount of experience -- all have been playing since at least 2012 -- but that experience was forged in a region where, until this year, winning one's lane meant winning one's game. The epitome of "win lane, win game" teams, paiN has always had a good amount of talent, but lacked the support staff to foster that talent and compete at an international level. Brazilian teams are offered few chances to compete outside of their country, and the 2015 World Championship provides not only publicity but a rare opportunity to see how they stack up against strong competitors.

What is most impressive about paiN is not their 3-0 sweep of Kaos Latin Gamers at the Desafio Internacional Wildcard Final, nor is it their sweep of fellow Brazilian team INTZ e-Sports in the 2015 CBLoL Winter Final. paiN's greatest accomplishment is the exponential growth they displayed between these two Finals. The same team that was pushed around the map by INTZ -- even in victory -- was suddenly using a double Teleport strategy with mid laner Kami on Twisted Fate and top laner Mylon on Gnar to run KLG ragged.

paiN's opponents will play far better on the whole than paiN's home competition, still making a good finish at Worlds difficult. They'll need to showcase growth in their vision control, as well as close out games far more efficiently, to have a chance. Like most Wildcard teams in a similar position, it's imperative that paiN plays at their best every game, where other teams are allowed a bit more wiggle room due to their better macro understanding.

F Tier - BKT

Teams who wouldn't make it out of any group

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Bangkok Titans

Bangkok Titans don't have a lot going for them at Worlds -- their players overall are among the weakest in the tournament individually. What is a positive for them is that they are a great team-fighting squad, and do have a good understanding of map pressure. While they often fight irrationally, they generally are able to pick enough good fights to get through games.

Their mid laner G4 is basically what makes the team go. He dominates his lane opponent, draws jungle pressure, and later applies map pressure, often by split-pushing on champions like Diana. Unfortunately that's about the only positive spotlight that will transfer to international play. Even teams from other regions who have only boilerplate team fighting will be on a level with BKT just from their individual mechanical skill.

It's hard to imagine BKT taking a game at Worlds against most opponents, and certainly not the group they are placed in. If BKT is going to at least make a run for winning a few games, G4 needs to be a god. He has carried games almost single-handedly before, although never on this stage, and if he can somehow get the upper hand and snowball himself to divinity, then BKT stands a chance. But it's hard to imagine anyone else having much of an impact.

Who do you think will win the World Championship? What are the strongest teams?

Tell us what you think of our stack rank of teams on Twitter or in the comments below.

Photos thanks to Toan "HuongGGG" ThienAnh, Garena eSports