The Masters of Master3
Riot·1/16/2015, 12:09:30 AM·0 votes·10,767 views
Even with an all-new roster and an all-new name, it can be hard to shake a stigma. The promising WE Academy team who dominated LSPL fell flat after the loss of their captain, Liu "AhrI" Xiudong and a very public weibo slugfest. WEA dropped to the bottom of the standings in 2014 LPL Summer and failed to rise from last place until the end of the split. Big changes were on the horizon.
When WEA managed to return to LPL through the expansion for 2015, the announcement of LACE’s single ownership policy followed. WEA didn’t just rebrand to comply, they replaced every single member of the 2014 lineup. With new faces and a new name, Master3 seeks to shake off their 2014 crash and burn.
As if to further signify independence from the WE umbrella, M3 has become a team focused on powerful solo laners as opposed to the star AD carry formula that led WE to success with Gao "WeiXiao" Xuecheng. M3 has landed two of the strongest and most renowned picks in the world in Bae "dade" Eojin and Jang "Looper" Hyeongseok.
Dade’s proficiency with specific champions has in the past taken him to heights beyond what almost any other player can hope to reach. Looper, long known for turning games with perfect Teleports, showed signs of some carry prowess at Worlds that a team like M3 relies upon cultivating.
Fleshing out the rest of the roster with talents as impressive as Dade and Looper is difficult with scarce resources, but M3 has at least provided a powerful jungler to get the ball rolling. Tengyang "Ruo" Tianxia has been missing from competitive League of Legends for half a year, but during the 2014 LPL Spring, he was in the running for best jungler in China. Jungle competition has intensified since, but Ruo’s tendency to focus on snowballing his mid laner and corral the enemy with Pantheon ults is more in style than ever.
Even with a less impressive bottom lane duo in Tang "Candy" Xin and Li "lovecd" Junfen, M3 in theory should have no problem leveling competitors this split.
If M3 wants to escape the cloud of WEA’s 2014 Summer performance, they’re their own worst enemies. So far, the trio of Looper, Ruo, and dade have played one best of three against OMG in the Demacia Cup Quarterfinals. The first game, Ruo’s attention to top lane and OMG’s mistake in letting Yasuo through the ban phase lit both solo laners on fire. M3’s solo lanes took off with the game, and it didn’t look like OMG had a prayer of fighting back.
In Game 2, Dade seemingly did himself in. Despite refusing to touch Leblanc for nearly all of 2014, Dade picked her into Hu "xiyang" Bin’s Zed. Either through cockiness or misunderstanding, Dade counter-picked himself. The match tipped in the reverse, and OMG’s solo lanes snowballed ahead. After that, M3 couldn’t retrieve their moxy for Game 3.
Image source: WE Tazatu
Dade can always be his own worst enemy. Whether he gives a match his full attention sometimes seems down to a whim. Finding the best formula for channeling the focus of the two-time Champions Korea winner could be one of M3’s greatest challenges.
As for Looper, his teleport-focused style relies heavily on communication and snowballing a strong bottom lane. As M3’s bottom laners aren’t their stars, and the team is plagued somewhat by a language barrier, Looper might have to develop a new approach. If he and Ruo work on the hints of synergy they displayed in Demacia Cup Quarterfinals, Looper could transition to become M3’s heavy-hitter.
As for Candy and lovecd, it might initially seem easy to dismiss them. Candy played a few offseason games with Team WE that left much to be desired. Before that, he was replaced on Team WEA by Han “SmLz” Jin. After WEA’s poor performance in LPL Summer, Candy has returned to M3 to find a very different team that might be more suited to his passive laning style.
On paper, M3 is top heavy and formidable, completely unlike the previous bottom lane focused incarnation, WEA. Several storylines are ready to unfold. Dade’s unpredictability can be both an asset and a curse. Looper strives to serve a whole new role in a new team. Ruo’s decision-making as a jungler could mark a triumphant return to the pro scene. Candy and lovecd might find their niche.
The one thing M3 absolutely must avoid is a repeat placement at the bottom of the pile. A new roster full of big stars is ready to shake off the clouds of the old WEA brand.
THE SOLO LANE FORMULA
As the only club to hold two spots in LPL, WE agreed to split their holdings among their three owners. Pei Le and Li Xiaofen agreed to retain the title teams, WE and WE Future in LSPL, while the third owner, Zhou Hao, would take sole ownership of WEA. To commemorate the original triumvirate, WEA became Master3 or M3. Sponsorships were also split, and M3 became an independent entity.
As if to further signify independence from the WE umbrella, M3 has become a team focused on powerful solo laners as opposed to the star AD carry formula that led WE to success with Gao "WeiXiao" Xuecheng. M3 has landed two of the strongest and most renowned picks in the world in Bae "dade" Eojin and Jang "Looper" Hyeongseok.
Dade’s proficiency with specific champions has in the past taken him to heights beyond what almost any other player can hope to reach. Looper, long known for turning games with perfect Teleports, showed signs of some carry prowess at Worlds that a team like M3 relies upon cultivating.
Fleshing out the rest of the roster with talents as impressive as Dade and Looper is difficult with scarce resources, but M3 has at least provided a powerful jungler to get the ball rolling. Tengyang "Ruo" Tianxia has been missing from competitive League of Legends for half a year, but during the 2014 LPL Spring, he was in the running for best jungler in China. Jungle competition has intensified since, but Ruo’s tendency to focus on snowballing his mid laner and corral the enemy with Pantheon ults is more in style than ever.
Even with a less impressive bottom lane duo in Tang "Candy" Xin and Li "lovecd" Junfen, M3 in theory should have no problem leveling competitors this split.
IN SEARCH OF FOCUS
If M3 wants to escape the cloud of WEA’s 2014 Summer performance, they’re their own worst enemies. So far, the trio of Looper, Ruo, and dade have played one best of three against OMG in the Demacia Cup Quarterfinals. The first game, Ruo’s attention to top lane and OMG’s mistake in letting Yasuo through the ban phase lit both solo laners on fire. M3’s solo lanes took off with the game, and it didn’t look like OMG had a prayer of fighting back.
In Game 2, Dade seemingly did himself in. Despite refusing to touch Leblanc for nearly all of 2014, Dade picked her into Hu "xiyang" Bin’s Zed. Either through cockiness or misunderstanding, Dade counter-picked himself. The match tipped in the reverse, and OMG’s solo lanes snowballed ahead. After that, M3 couldn’t retrieve their moxy for Game 3.
Image source: WE Tazatu
Dade can always be his own worst enemy. Whether he gives a match his full attention sometimes seems down to a whim. Finding the best formula for channeling the focus of the two-time Champions Korea winner could be one of M3’s greatest challenges.
As for Looper, his teleport-focused style relies heavily on communication and snowballing a strong bottom lane. As M3’s bottom laners aren’t their stars, and the team is plagued somewhat by a language barrier, Looper might have to develop a new approach. If he and Ruo work on the hints of synergy they displayed in Demacia Cup Quarterfinals, Looper could transition to become M3’s heavy-hitter.
As for Candy and lovecd, it might initially seem easy to dismiss them. Candy played a few offseason games with Team WE that left much to be desired. Before that, he was replaced on Team WEA by Han “SmLz” Jin. After WEA’s poor performance in LPL Summer, Candy has returned to M3 to find a very different team that might be more suited to his passive laning style.
BOTTOM LINE
On paper, M3 is top heavy and formidable, completely unlike the previous bottom lane focused incarnation, WEA. Several storylines are ready to unfold. Dade’s unpredictability can be both an asset and a curse. Looper strives to serve a whole new role in a new team. Ruo’s decision-making as a jungler could mark a triumphant return to the pro scene. Candy and lovecd might find their niche.
The one thing M3 absolutely must avoid is a repeat placement at the bottom of the pile. A new roster full of big stars is ready to shake off the clouds of the old WEA brand.
