Optimus Analysis: Posed for NA LCS Playoffs

Riot·3/21/2018, 11:21:11 PM·0 votes·4,660 views

Poise. Grace. Composition. Anime references. A picture is worth a thousand words, and as every solo queue player knows a well-placed D’Pengu stings more than a million question mark pings.

Throughout history, photographs and paintings have been used to describe emotion in ways words can not seem to capture - and our pro players express themselves in many ways besides cheering, hanging their heads, or twitlonger messages. Although I eventually wound up in the Stats department at Riot Games, one of the subjects I majored in during college (since “League of Legends” or “Esports” wasn’t an option back then) was art history, so join me as I break down the messages behind the mannequins in the latest Optimus Analysis - Posed for Playoffs.

100 Thieves

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One of the only things that may be more surprising than their first place finish in the Spring Split may be the coordination that 100 Thieves displays both on and off the Rift. While many teams are struggling to shot call themselves through a photoshoot, this team came in with a plan and executed it. What plan was that you might ask? Fingers. Each member of the team is utilizing their digits - a direct reference to how they play League of Legends. Leave it up to a squad of veteran players to really come together and execute a game plan for asset day. Bonus points to Aphromoo for really selling his confusion, making viewers look every time.

NA LCS Rank: 1 out of 10
Creativity: 6 out of 10
Execution: 10 out of 10 (fingers)
Cohesion Multiplier: 100 (Thieves)%
FINAL SCORE: 29

Echo Fox

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Heading into the Spring Split there were a few questions for Echo Fox, mainly “Is this a Playoff team?” and “When will this team fall apart?” The former question can be answered with a straight-forward observation, as Dardoch’s confident pose not only portrays a sense of arrogance but a prediction for the future as he holds up a single finger, defining the place in which his team would finish the Regular Season. The latter however, requires a deeper look into the team’s composition. Like the Ginyu Force in disarray, the team members have a lack of cohesion in their poses and a clear divide between the top and bottom halves of the map. While I feel the carry potential coming from Huni and the smug sureness of Fenix - the almost giggle escaping Altec’s lips isn’t selling me on the fact he thinks he can soar above the competition. His duo partner does no help as Adrian’s heart looks about as sincere in his delivery as the Valentines cards you were required to give out in Kindergarten. Echo Fox may be one of the two the NA LCS teams with a bye, but their poses don’t reflect the placement.

NA LCS Rank: 2 out of 10
Creativity: 6.5 out of 10
Execution: 3 out of 10
Rick Fox Factor: 10 out of 10
FINAL SCORE: 26.5

TSM

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A team known for success generally exhumes confidence in their poses, and TSM mostly got there. Strong stature and stance really sell the point to me that Bjergsen and Hauntzer (especially the “laissez-face” attitude) think they’re top of the table in the NA LCS. Zven shows off why he was one of the best Bot Laners in the West with an open display of power-stance intimidation - daring other ADs to step to his lane. Mithy’s attempts at “The Scream” don’t go unnoticed - but his art history could use a little work. Unfortunately, Edvward Munch was a Norwegian artist and Zven and Bjergsen are from the country just across the North Sea in Denmark. Meanwhile MikeYeung has taken his new job seriously as his pose mimics that of a ward - but he could raise those elbows just a little bit to really sell it!

NA LCS Rank: 3 out 10
Creativity: 7 out of 10
Execution: 6 out of 10
Vision Score: 2 out of 10
FINAL SCORE: 27

Team Liquid

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Supposedly the “NA LCS Super Team” heading into the start of the Spring Split, Team Liquid was going to be the lead artists on the “NA Renaissance” - a movement in NA LCS fueled by a League identity, ADC classicism, and a surge of economic advancement (this description is paid by Steve™). Instead, TL had to make a late season run just to be able to be in the Post-Season. Similar to Echo Fox, the cracks in their play could be seen as early as their photos being taken - but we were blinded by pageantry on display by the veteran players. Impact has the smug grin of an internet troll face, asking if you have any “problems?” with what his team is going to do this Split. Xmithie is putting on a happy face but his body language is really asking us “am I right?” about this team. Pobelter, calm and collected as ever dares anyone to come into his lane and is a steady point of confidence in a lineup of shaky photos. Doublelift looks like he wants the same, but the lack of conviction from his second hand makes this photo trash. Olleh seems to be going for a “Thinker” pose, but isn’t really selling me on his thoughts about the game - but maybe instead wondering what’s for dinner.

NA LCS Rank: 4 out of 10
Creativity: 4 out of 10
Execution: 4 out of 10
Paid by Steve to give this score: 10 out of 10
FINAL SCORE: 4th

Cloud9

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While it’s very easy to equate Cloud 9 to the memes they are so well known for, I’m going to use a different term - Dadaism. You might not be as familiar with that, but as an art movement that expressed itself in forms of nonsense and irrationality - well it’s pretty much the closest thing to categorizing the internet into art history. Challenging the convention of other player’s photos, Licorice gives us a neo classic hit with his “Kissy Boy” work while the synergy of C9’s bot lane duo really shines. The tactful adjustment of the corner area of the glasses speaks volumes to the intelligence and strategic positioning both on and off the Rift by these two players, and the role-reversal by Smoothie confuses our normal senses of “who is the real carry?” While Svenskeren’s rendition of the classic “Atlas” seems to lack the World he should be holding up, it’s a tongue-and-cheek reference to those who thought this team had “lost the off season” and would wind up worse than they were in 2017 Summer. Jensen completes the Dada style with his own interpretation of “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands lane” - really selling the QTPie philosophy of “If you don’t know what you’re doing, how will your enemies know what you’re doing?”

NA LCS Rank: 5 out of 10
Creativity: 8 out of 10
Execution: 9 out of 10
Memeology: 5 out of 7
FINAL SCORE: 30

Clutch Gaming

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Clutch may be a bit of a surprise to see in the Playoffs for some fans of the NA LCS, and maybe even for the team themselves. While I’m sure they play with first place in mind, the way they posed themselves in their photos can speak to some misdirection. Febiven attempts to sell us on the realism of his “I could care less” pose, but his expression betrays that confidence and gives room for doubt. LirA may be praying the Playoff gods bless them with good games and great seeding, but Apollo thinks the team is trending to the tops of the NA LCS. Hakuho just wants to let fans know he cares about them, while Solo can’t decide if their team is good, or bad. Solo may also be physically representing “the line” that Clutch struggled to get over during the Regular Season, which showcases the hardships that he and his team had to overcome in order to make it to Playoffs at all. Talk about coming in Clutch!

NA LCS Rank: 6 out of 10
Creativity: 5 out of 10
Execution: 5 out of 10
NV Member Multiplier: 3x
FINAL SCORE: 28

Final Rankings

1- Cloud9

2- 100 Thieves

3- Clutch Gaming

4- Team Liquid

5- TSM

6- Echo Fox

Learn more about the 2018 NA LCS Spring Playoffs over on our primer.

How did the NA LCS teams rank compared to their Academy counterparts? Check out the NA Academy Posed for Playoffs edition.

“Optimus” Tom Searfoss is a part of the LCS Stats Team and former shoutcaster for the NA Challenger Series. Never MIA for too long, you can find him @OptimusTom on Twitter, or hand-selecting the perfect pose for the pros on @LolEsportsStats. He also hates Poppy.