How momentum affects play in the LCS
Riot·5/29/2015, 9:22:41 PM·0 votes·7,976 views
Riding upstream on a flurry of wins can give players a lot of confidence, but much like a Sion zipping past his target, momentum can take a turn for the worst.
In any competition, teams can go on hot streaks. After back-to-back victories, these teams often show a huge spurt of confidence in their play. But it’s not always sunshine, as even a single loss can shatter all a player has tried to build up.
In the LCS, momentum plays a huge role in the performance of a team and can mean the difference between performing or falling off.
Cloud9 faltered in the beginning of the 2015 NA LCS Split, becoming the only team to go 0-2 in Week 1. While the players determine their own fate on the Rift, coaches have to do what they can to remedy the situation. And C9’s head coach Charlie Lipsie knew he had to act fast.
“We had a shaky start coming into last Split as well; it's not a new experience for us as a team,” Lipsie tells us. “The shaky start at the beginning of the split indicated to us that something needed to change. I think we just needed some time to figure out what exactly that change was.”
Whatever sort of magic chalice Cloud9 drank out of worked. With every passing week, the former NA LCS champions made comebacks, winning game after game. Eventually, they climbed the standings and took the tiebreaker against Counter Logic Gaming to secure their second seed and Playoffs bye.
The Playoffs are a totally different beast than the regular LCS season, though. Not only are all the remaining teams the best in your region, but you must face them in a Best of 5 series. It’s one thing to beat someone once, but three times?
A series just strengthens the importance of your team’s momentum, as a single win can turn the tides of battle. “In a best of x series the first win tends to set the tone for the whole series," says Lipsie. "But this is where the more experienced teams have an upper hand."
Cloud9 proved that in their series against Team Liquid in the Semifinals, taking them down in a reverse sweep, 3-2. “A veteran team will be better able to hold their ground and bounce back from their first or second loss, while a lesser experienced team is more likely to fall apart,” Lipsie explains. For C9, it only took one win after coming off two awful losses to spring back.
The Game 3 loss for Team Liquid took a toll on their gameplay, especially because the loss came on their signature composition: the Juggermaw. Despite that, TL’s Kim “FeniX” Jae-hun claims you can’t just give up and have to take each game one step at a time. “We only focus on the next game. I don’t consider losing, I just focus on the next game.”
“It’s important to focus on the upcoming games,” Lipsie echoes.
Prior to their loss against C9, Team Liquid was placed in the spotlight, having to endure must-win games against Team Dignitas and Team 8. Their wins in those high-stake games, albeit against teams in the bottom of the standings, gave them the confidence they needed entering the Playoffs. FeniX claims when you’re on a hot streak you become “more confident” but you shouldn’t let that get to you. “Playing more aggressively is not good for the team, it’s better to just get more confident and go from there," he says.
Despite the philosophy of taking it one game at a time, in the NA LCS Spring Playoffs, we’ve seen how one loss can cause a team's momentum to crumble. Counter Logic Gaming came into the 2015 Spring Split with an iron fist, but unfortunately, they could not overcome their internal demons in time for the Playoffs.
CLG played Game 1 against Team Liquid quite well, proving they could stand toe-to-toe with a surging team. Yet the resulting loss not only caused CLG to crumble, but gave Team Liquid that extra surge of confidence they needed to take the series 3-0.
“When you lose the first game of a series it obviously takes a toll on the players," Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black explains. "This will determine who is mentally prepared going forward in the rest of the series. It shows which players thrive or falter under pressure.”
Aphromoo continues, “Teams that are mentally strong will always have a chance to turn things around whether they're down 1-0 or 2-0 in a series. A good example would be the Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid series. Even though Cloud9 was down two games they never faltered and pulled a reverse 3-0 sweep.”
League of Legends is a mental game. Even if your mechanics are top notch, being in the wrong state of mind can bring your momentum -- and your performance -- down. Darshan “Zionspartan” Upadhyaya likes to stay positive no matter the scenario. “Something I always do going into a match is believing I will win and come out on top with my team, because I not only fully believe in myself, but also my teammates, who are in the everlasting struggle for victory with me.”
For others, like his teammate Jake “Xmithie” Puchero, treating every game like it’s the first game of a series helps. “I make sure that I don’t let anything that happened in past games affect my play in the current game. This lets me concentrate on what’s in front of me rather than what’s behind,” he tells us.
Whether it's the first game of a series or the last, the momentum from a win streak can certainly boost any team's confidence, while a series of losses can put them in a competitive slump. Yet being critical of your own play and bringing a positive mindset to each game seem to be key factors for LCS pros achieving victory.
Reflecting on success
Cloud9 faltered in the beginning of the 2015 NA LCS Split, becoming the only team to go 0-2 in Week 1. While the players determine their own fate on the Rift, coaches have to do what they can to remedy the situation. And C9’s head coach Charlie Lipsie knew he had to act fast.
“We had a shaky start coming into last Split as well; it's not a new experience for us as a team,” Lipsie tells us. “The shaky start at the beginning of the split indicated to us that something needed to change. I think we just needed some time to figure out what exactly that change was.”
Whatever sort of magic chalice Cloud9 drank out of worked. With every passing week, the former NA LCS champions made comebacks, winning game after game. Eventually, they climbed the standings and took the tiebreaker against Counter Logic Gaming to secure their second seed and Playoffs bye.
The pressures of win or go home
The Playoffs are a totally different beast than the regular LCS season, though. Not only are all the remaining teams the best in your region, but you must face them in a Best of 5 series. It’s one thing to beat someone once, but three times?
A series just strengthens the importance of your team’s momentum, as a single win can turn the tides of battle. “In a best of x series the first win tends to set the tone for the whole series," says Lipsie. "But this is where the more experienced teams have an upper hand."
Cloud9 proved that in their series against Team Liquid in the Semifinals, taking them down in a reverse sweep, 3-2. “A veteran team will be better able to hold their ground and bounce back from their first or second loss, while a lesser experienced team is more likely to fall apart,” Lipsie explains. For C9, it only took one win after coming off two awful losses to spring back.
The Game 3 loss for Team Liquid took a toll on their gameplay, especially because the loss came on their signature composition: the Juggermaw. Despite that, TL’s Kim “FeniX” Jae-hun claims you can’t just give up and have to take each game one step at a time. “We only focus on the next game. I don’t consider losing, I just focus on the next game.”
“It’s important to focus on the upcoming games,” Lipsie echoes.
Prior to their loss against C9, Team Liquid was placed in the spotlight, having to endure must-win games against Team Dignitas and Team 8. Their wins in those high-stake games, albeit against teams in the bottom of the standings, gave them the confidence they needed entering the Playoffs. FeniX claims when you’re on a hot streak you become “more confident” but you shouldn’t let that get to you. “Playing more aggressively is not good for the team, it’s better to just get more confident and go from there," he says.
Head in the game
Despite the philosophy of taking it one game at a time, in the NA LCS Spring Playoffs, we’ve seen how one loss can cause a team's momentum to crumble. Counter Logic Gaming came into the 2015 Spring Split with an iron fist, but unfortunately, they could not overcome their internal demons in time for the Playoffs.
CLG played Game 1 against Team Liquid quite well, proving they could stand toe-to-toe with a surging team. Yet the resulting loss not only caused CLG to crumble, but gave Team Liquid that extra surge of confidence they needed to take the series 3-0.
“When you lose the first game of a series it obviously takes a toll on the players," Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black explains. "This will determine who is mentally prepared going forward in the rest of the series. It shows which players thrive or falter under pressure.”
Aphromoo continues, “Teams that are mentally strong will always have a chance to turn things around whether they're down 1-0 or 2-0 in a series. A good example would be the Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid series. Even though Cloud9 was down two games they never faltered and pulled a reverse 3-0 sweep.”
It all comes down to confidence
League of Legends is a mental game. Even if your mechanics are top notch, being in the wrong state of mind can bring your momentum -- and your performance -- down. Darshan “Zionspartan” Upadhyaya likes to stay positive no matter the scenario. “Something I always do going into a match is believing I will win and come out on top with my team, because I not only fully believe in myself, but also my teammates, who are in the everlasting struggle for victory with me.”
For others, like his teammate Jake “Xmithie” Puchero, treating every game like it’s the first game of a series helps. “I make sure that I don’t let anything that happened in past games affect my play in the current game. This lets me concentrate on what’s in front of me rather than what’s behind,” he tells us.
Whether it's the first game of a series or the last, the momentum from a win streak can certainly boost any team's confidence, while a series of losses can put them in a competitive slump. Yet being critical of your own play and bringing a positive mindset to each game seem to be key factors for LCS pros achieving victory.
