LPL Week 1 Preview
Riot·6/14/2014, 12:06:33 AM·0 votes·3 views
The first week of LPL Summer has set up a clash of sister teams. Rumors that World Elite Academy can best World Elite will be tested, and Young Glory will face a team they know all too well. In a battle of sister teams, anything can happen, and an upset could occur right out of the gate.
OMG will also confront Edward Gaming on Saturday. This new rivalry is fueled by EDG’s recent acquisition of the 2014 LPL Spring title, and you can be sure that OMG is out to knock the trophy from EDG captain Clearlove’s grasp. The fourth set will be between LGD Gaming and StarHorn Royal Club, and both have undergone massive roster surgery.
Still, possibilities for YG to slip in and ruffle iG’s feathers exist. Hou “DianGun” Guo-yu has a great deal of mechanical skill that would make him capable of holding off Zzitai. On top of that, this will be YoungSu’s Chinese debut, and if communication issues exist on iG’s team as they try to adjust to a new top lane style, it will quickly be made apparent. IG’s investment in YoungSu is for the long term, but in the short run, their sister team might take advantage of the change.
At the same time, EDG will have to find a new strategy against OMG. Though they are fielding a changed roster, their lineup isn’t new; it’s identical to the configuration they had in 2013 LPL Summer, where they again took first in the regular season. Then, the team relied upon Yu “Cool” Jia-Jun and Yin “Allen” Le to make plays around the map. If Ming “Clearlove” Kai and Ceng “U” Long can disrupt their efforts, EDG will find their first LPL victories over OMG.
LGD Gaming has lost a star, but gained a new one. Wei “We1less” Lian will be taking over the mid lane role, and he has a reputation for wanting to play the hero. He’ll often make strong plays to control the game, and in the absence of Qu “Styz” Zi-Liang, LGD might be looking for a new star to base their strategy around. Whether or not his strong personality will clash with his teammates could determine whether or not LGD finds success against SHRC’s new intimidating lineup.
To take out WE, WE.A will look to abridge the laning phase, as WE will find ways to pick them off while it lasts. From there, they’ll want to group immediately and force fights on their terms, as WE has been a bit gun-shy when it comes to engagements in the past. With the departure of mid laner suk1M and jungler Ruo for replacements that will create an initial language barrier in the team, WE.A has an open window to slip through. Even with EDG and OMG challenging each other this week, many Chinese fans consider this sister team clash the most exciting matchup in Week 1. We can only hope WE delivers.
Catch the first match between iG and YG on June 14th at 1:00am PDT.
INVICTUS GAMING VS YOUNG GLORY
June 14th, 1:00am PDT As the second place Spring Playoff team with a guaranteed spot in the Chinese Regionals, Invictus Gaming is the favorite here. Ge “Kid” Yan was the reliable backbone of the team throughout the Spring split, and Liu “Zzitai” Zhihao has found himself again on his preferred AD mids like Zed and Yasuo.
Still, possibilities for YG to slip in and ruffle iG’s feathers exist. Hou “DianGun” Guo-yu has a great deal of mechanical skill that would make him capable of holding off Zzitai. On top of that, this will be YoungSu’s Chinese debut, and if communication issues exist on iG’s team as they try to adjust to a new top lane style, it will quickly be made apparent. IG’s investment in YoungSu is for the long term, but in the short run, their sister team might take advantage of the change.
OMG VS EDWARD GAMING
June 14th, 4:00am PDT Though Edward Gaming took home the crown, they didn’t take a single game from OMG in LPL play. OMG’s LPL record against EDG remains pristine, despite their loss to their new rivals in the International Esports Tournament finals. EDG could have a head start here in that their roster has remained the same, and OMG is once again adjusting to swaps and trading out their mid laner.
At the same time, EDG will have to find a new strategy against OMG. Though they are fielding a changed roster, their lineup isn’t new; it’s identical to the configuration they had in 2013 LPL Summer, where they again took first in the regular season. Then, the team relied upon Yu “Cool” Jia-Jun and Yin “Allen” Le to make plays around the map. If Ming “Clearlove” Kai and Ceng “U” Long can disrupt their efforts, EDG will find their first LPL victories over OMG.
STARHORN ROYAL CLUB VS LGD GAMING
June 15th, 1:00am PDT The two teams that avoided relegation yet didn’t make the playoffs have undergone the largest changes of all. StarHorn Royal Club has acquired four new players: two stars from Chinese solo queue and two imports from Korea. A lot of hype has centered around jungler Choi “InSec” In-seok, but the Chinese acquisitions are worth a glance as well. Cola played top for Kx.Cash, a fifteenth place LSPL team, but top is an increasingly difficult role to perform well in without a strong team. However, his solo queue win rates on Jax and Shyvana are over 80%. His slot on SHRC could be his chance to prove his salt.
LGD Gaming has lost a star, but gained a new one. Wei “We1less” Lian will be taking over the mid lane role, and he has a reputation for wanting to play the hero. He’ll often make strong plays to control the game, and in the absence of Qu “Styz” Zi-Liang, LGD might be looking for a new star to base their strategy around. Whether or not his strong personality will clash with his teammates could determine whether or not LGD finds success against SHRC’s new intimidating lineup.
WORLD ELITE VS WORLD ELITE ACADEMY
June 15th, 4:00am PDT A rematch of G League semifinals has been anticipated since January. World Elite will be changing up their spring roster, and they might be in for a bruising when they face World Elite Academy head-on. In interviews, Wei “CaoMei” Handong has nearly laughed in the face of the sentiment that WE.A could be the stronger team, but Chen “suk1M” Zhi-Yuan has stated that a powerful sister team has helped WE improve. Since then, suk1M has been replaced by rising Korean mid laner, Ninja.
To take out WE, WE.A will look to abridge the laning phase, as WE will find ways to pick them off while it lasts. From there, they’ll want to group immediately and force fights on their terms, as WE has been a bit gun-shy when it comes to engagements in the past. With the departure of mid laner suk1M and jungler Ruo for replacements that will create an initial language barrier in the team, WE.A has an open window to slip through. Even with EDG and OMG challenging each other this week, many Chinese fans consider this sister team clash the most exciting matchup in Week 1. We can only hope WE delivers.
Catch the first match between iG and YG on June 14th at 1:00am PDT.