Roster Swaps Change the Fantasy Field
Team SoloMid
Amazing
Amazing’s play last season was nothing short of incredible. Despite his team coming in 6th place, he put up the stats of a top-tier Jungler (5th Jungler with 16.2 pts/game Spring Split). Now he’s headed to a dominant TSM squad that finished 2nd in the NA LCS, where he will replace TheOddOne (2nd with 20.2 pts/game). When combined with the playmakers Bjergsen and WildTurtle, it’s hard to imagine him not putting up even better stats.
Gleebglarbu
It remains to be seen whether Gleebglarbu will be able to match Xpecial’s game experience and skill, but if any Support stands a good chance, it’s probably him. His performance on Cloud 9 Tempest in their games against Evil Geniuses hinted at his potential (1/0/15 on Thresh in Game 2). He and Wildturtle have been stomping opposing bot lanes in duo queue, but it remains to be seen if that will carry over into the LCS.
Counter Logic Gaming
Seraph
How do you improve from a solid Spring Split that ultimately flamed out in the Playoff semifinals? You pick up a mechanically hyper-competent Korean Top laner who specializes in lane control. Seraph is known for his extremely dominant bruiser Nidalee, and it hasn’t taken long for montage after montage of his top lane outplays to fill up YouTube. Given CLG’s upward mobility last season (14-5 after dexter joined), Seraph might just be the last piece of the puzzle they need to compete against the best in North America.
Curse
Xpecial
Cop has played with a multitude of Supports such as Zekent, Saintvicious, and Bunny FuFuu; and throughout all of that, he put up amazing stats last split (6th overall ADC, only 1.8 pts/game behind Doublelift, who was 3rd), so pairing him with the #2 Support from Spring should only see his stats go up. Xpecial might be one of the most mechanically gifted and experienced Supports in the game, and while it may take him a bit of time to adjust to Cop, it’s hard to imagine they don’t both become strong plays by end of season.
Dignitas
Shiphtur
When you're considered a top Mid laner despite being on the 6th ranked team, you’re doing something right. Speculation has driven Shiphtur’s pick value through the roof, and some consider him a draw for the best Mid in NA with Hai and Bjergsen. Shiphtur’s work with Coast always seemed to be to carry his team (5th most fantasy points for all Mids in spring). But with KiwiQTPie in the bot lane, Crumbzz in the jungle, and his old teammate ZionSpartan rounding out the team, the pressure is less strong for Shiphtur to carry, and teams won’t be able to focus all of their efforts on shutting him down.
ZionSpartan
ZionSpartan had a shaky season with very strong games vs EG and XDG (21.9 pts/game), but very weak games against everybody else (11.7 pts/game). It would be easy to chalk that up to his top lane matchups, but it likely came down to the jungle. Top-tier teams simply could devote effort to shutting ZionSpartan down early and often. Now, however, with the KiwiQTPie bot lane, the pressure will be less focused on him. This is his chance to answer his critics and put up a consistent season.
New NA Superteams
One thing to note is the big changes to the North American landscape. Before, you could expect North America to be led by Cloud 9, then TSM or CLG, and then everyone else. But with Curse and Dignitas getting huge personnel upgrades, and the wildcards of LMQ stepping onto the scene, NA looks poised to be more competitive than it’s ever been.
This means that players who aren’t from C9, TSM, and CLG become much more viable. Look for bargain picks on other teams, and not just those in this article, but also their previously undervalued teammates. Cop, Quas, ImaQTPie, and Crumbzz all just got buffed in my book, although only time will tell how successfully these new teams can rival NA's best.
Supa Hot Crew
Wewillfailer
Wewillfailer is an LCS veteran, having played on Lemondogs in Season 3, a team previously known as Sinners Never Sleep, and even subbed in the Mid lane for Fnatic at Dreamhack 2010. He saw moderate success supporting LD Tabzz, averaging 22.5 pts/game in victories. With an equally talented AD Carry in MrRalleZ, there's a chance that he could see similar stats this split. He certainly has experience playing with some of the best.
Copenhagen Wolves
Airwaks
The Wolves have added a couple of young players to their roster after the departure of Amazing and Forgiven. The first is their Jungler, Airwaks, who currently holds a top 10 Challenger spot on the highly competitive EUW server. He's been around the esports scene for nearly a year, playing for top Challenger Series teams such as Salade Tomate Oignon and he should be able to fit right in with the team. His two solo laners, YoungBuck and cowTard, are savvy veterans who have plenty of experience and can help usher in their new Jungler.
Woolite
Woolite, meanwhile, is hanging just outside of the top 10 of EUW's ladder and played admirably in the promotion match (as a member of Denial eSports) against the very same team he finds himself on. His series featured a perfect stat-line of 5/0/4 on Lucian in Game 1, and even in Denial's three losses, Woolite still equaled Forgiven's farm in two of those games.
Gambit Gaming
niQ
Gambit had a major hole to fill after the loss of Alex Ich, but niQ could be their savior. The Russians found themselves with one of the most talented players in Europe and have surrounded him with some of the strongest and famous players. With a world-class Jungler in Diamond backing him up at every move, this is a great opportunity for niQ to shine and pick up where Alex left off.
New European Blood
It’s hard to say too much about the new European picks. With Copenhagen Wolves picking up two new players, and the 5th place Gambit grabbing up a new Mid laner, there is potential for a reinvigorated and more experienced Millenium, led by KottenX and Kev1n, to make a push for the playoffs. This is a team that posted some of the best results in Super Week (no player under 75 pts in 4 games, including a 45 pt-performance by Kerp) and is gaining tons of momentum after an emotional victory over NiP (3-2) in the Summer Promotion Tournament. But if the powerhouse teams of Fnatic, Alliance, SK Gaming, and ROCCAT keep improving as well, those players remain much safer picks.
Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman is a League of Legends mathcrafter turned esports journalist who spends his spare time staring at mountains of League of Legends data. Follow him @GentlemanGustaf on Twitter.
