Power Rankings - Week 15
Riot·4/24/2014, 12:17:01 AM·1 votes·5,612 views
Welcome to Week 15 of Lolesports Power Rankings.
We use a system similar to the Associated Press power rankings for College Football or Basketball - a panel of writers vote on who they think should be listed, and an aggregate is produced from combining their rankings.
Our panel votes on these criteria, in this order:
- Recent results
- Predicted future performance
- Historical trends (as they pertain to future results and present form)
- The "eye" test (How good does a team look, relative to the rest of the world)
- ( - ) Samsung Galaxy Ozone - [10] - OGN Champions - (9-1)
- ( - ) OMG - [1] - LPL - (24-2)
If there was a doubt in anyone's mind that OMG deserved their spot at the top of LPL, it was dispelled this week when they played against LGD. LGD played Riven, which usually spells success for them, but Star was nearly decimated. In addition, OMG played strategies a patch ahead of their time, pulling out Twisted Fate and Graves before their 4.5 changes. If this is how they will play at All-Stars, they have a good chance of defending their second place slot on the list against any lingering nay-sayers.
Written by Kelsey Moser - ( - ) Najin White Shield - OGN Champions - (5-1)
- ( - ) CJ Entus Blaze - OGN Champions - (8-2)
Ambition might be best-known for overreaching and giving up first blood, but he was lethally on-point against the KT Arrows. Even as enemy mid laner Rookie carved out a reputation as "Faker Jr.," his team was beaten down by Blaze's abundant experience and precisely timed rotations. CJ Entus Blaze has yet again pushed through to the OGN Champions semifinals, affirming their position as an incredibly consistent top-tier team. The question is now whether they can topple the Samsung organization to take back their crowns.
Written by James "Obscurica" Chen - (+2) Samsung Galaxy Blue - OGN Champions - (8-2)
A 3:1 victory over CJ Entus Frost has stamped Samsung Blue's ticket to a semi-final teamkill against sister team Samsung Ozone, but there are some storm clouds ahead for Blue as they enter their first semi-final in history. Their Game 1 loss to Frost was by all accounts a great upset, and indicative of Blue's inexperience in high-pressure situations. All things being said, however, Blue is a rapidly improving team that should not be counted out, especially with Dade in the mid lane.
Written by Alex Manisier - (-1) SK Telecom T1 K - OGN Champions - (5-6)
In their first game in NLB, SKT T1 K had some small starting problems but secured a 2-0 victory over Prime Optimus. SKT T1 K are still one of the favorites to win the whole tournament. Today in T-LoL Masters, they get the chance to take some small revenge against Ozone who knocked them down to NLB in the first place, and it will be their chance to show the fans that the one win from Ozone was just luck.
Written by Michael "Chexx" Kiefer - (-1) KT Rolster Arrows - OGN Champions - (5-5)
The laughing is over - at least in OGN Champions for the KT Arrows. They lost against CJ Blaze in the quarterfinals of OGN 3-1 and it showed that while they are skilled players, they lack the experience to handle pressure situations in late game scenarios. Now they have the chance to gather more experience in NLB where they may meet their old foe SKT T1 K yet again.
As a KT Arrows fan, don't be too sad that they dropped out - the future for the team looks bright and with more experience under their belt, they can aim for the top.
Written by Michael "Chexx" Kiefer - (+1) Cloud 9 - NA LCS - (29-4)
The assumption has been that there were two top teams in North America: TSM, and Cloud 9. Cloud 9 has fully established their dominance over the NA scene with a 5-0 playoffs run, pushing them to 29-4 on the season. What's more, this patch seems especially strong for them, with rotations and clutch decision-making even more important due to the prevalence of 4v0 lanes.
Every member of Cloud 9 has showed champion variety in the past 3 weeks, and they look more versatile and dominant every week. Going into All Stars, they face another international test, and have the chance to prove themselves. They have already beaten TPA in the past, but will face strong competition from OMG, their European rivals Fnatic, and the 2013 season World Champions SKT T1 K. They may be the dominant team in North America, but a strong showing here is what they need to finally break into the scene, as far as Korea and China are concerned.
Written by Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman - (-1) KT Rolster Bullets - OGN Champions - (4-2)
- ( - ) Najin Black Sword - OGN Champions - (3-3)
- ( - ) Edward Gaming - LPL - (18-6)
- (+1) Taipei Assassins - GPL Champions - (19-4)
- (+3) Fnatic - EU LCS - (24-14)
Fnatic finally justified everybody's faith in them as a team that performs when it matters, with a commanding showing in the playoffs. Fnatic being No. 1 in Europe is starting to rank up there with death and taxes, and in the future, everybody should think thrice before doubting them on account of a mid-season stutter.
Written by Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman - (-2) SK Telecom T1 S - OGN Champions - (3-4)
- ( - ) Team SoloMid - NA LCS - (24-10)
TSM has faltered on the last two patches, lending credence to criticisms of a weak mid-game due to sloppy rotations. CLG punished them in the mid-game of Games 1 and 2 of the semi-finals, winning Game 1 and seemingly throwing Game 2 due to overconfidence and carelessness. They may be the No. 2 team in NA by record, but their reliance on superior laning and team fighting will only take them so far. If they can't acknowledge that, the potential for other NA teams to surpass them is growing as the scene rises to meet them.
Written by Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman - (-2) SK Gaming - EU LCS - (20-11)
- ( - ) CJ Entus Frost - OGN Champions - (5-5)
- ( - ) AHQ Esports Club - GPL - (17-4)
- (+1) ROCCAT - EU LCS - (24-16)
ROCCAT came out of nowhere this split. They may not be the No. 1 team in Europe, but their weaknesses are all fixable by experience. With a bit more versatility and experience in the late game, they can only improve. They can't be unhappy with their performance this split, and they are a team to watch closely next split.
Written by Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman - (NEW) Team WE - LPL - (17-9)
World Elite appeared a bit prematurely on lolesports rankings several weeks back. They hit the ground hard after an initial bout of success. They've managed to claw their way back up to third place in LPL, and members of their team that looked considerably weaker have made impressive strides. Recent performances suggest that WE simply had to find their sea legs in the new season, but since they have, they've made strange new picks and strategies work. Conan's Vel'Koz makes a definite case for the new champion finding a place in competitive play, and while they might not be debuting Gangplank top in high pressure situations, they've proved their players are talented enough to make even GP look good. WE's rematch against Edward Gaming is this week, and they have a chance to climb the ranks if they can pull out a win.
Written by Kelsey Moser
