Supa Hot Crew at All-Star 2014
Riot·3/19/2014, 9:03:54 PM·0 votes·290 views
Though Supa Hot Crew is seventh in standings as of Week 8, any follower of the European LCS can tell you that rankings fluctuate, and currently seventh place is just four wins away from first. All-Star picks can come from any European team, as they're all brimming with talent. Supa Hot Crew is no exception, and the story of their entry into the LCS is replete with enough underdog panache to make them popular contenders.
Mimer "Mimer" Ahlström first appeared in the LCS during the Season 3 Summer Split as a replacement for Ninja's in Pyjamas' much-lauded extinkt. Whether it was LAN nerves or the pressure of filling his predecessor's shoes, Mimer did not receive much praise for his performances on NIP, and he was released at the end of the season.
By contrast, his stint on SHC has garnered him much more recognition. He again joined the team in a pressured situation within a month before the Spring Promotion Qualifier, where his Rengar pick against Kiedys Mialem Team, now ROCCAT, nearly single-handedly won SHC the game. After Rengar bans and nerfs forced him off the champion, he stumbled until he found his way with Dr. Mundo, and he has been a top lane terror ever since, picking up a formidable Renekton along the way. With the top lane meta changing, however, Mundo may soon fall out of favor, but Mimer's history suggests he's comfortable with more than just a hard tank style and would be more than willing to pull out a Ryze or a Rengar again. As the All-Star event may be less predictable this year, Mimer's versatility would make him an asset to any lineup.
Speaking of versatility, Matthew "Impaler" Taylor boasts the deepest champion pool of any member of his team, having played ten different champions this split. This, however, was not always the case, as he was singled out as a one-trick Vi player early this season. As if challenged by the label, Impaler stepped up his game and became one of the most fearsome Pantheon jungle pioneers in Europe.
Despite a large variety of picks, however, SHC hasn't won a game with Impaler on any champion besides Pantheon, Vi, or Wukong. Regardless, his mastery of these champions is strong enough to make a case for a ban on any of them, which frees up the rest of the team to play whatever they desire. His champion pool aside, it's difficult to argue that Impaler isn't a big factor in SHC's successes. He has the second most kill participation on his team outside MrRallez, and his early game rotations make him a standout jungler even among Europe's best.
Amaury "Moopz" Minguerche has been at the edge of the European limelight since Season 1, and he's recently come into his own as a serious contender for the title of "Best Gragas EU." With ten LCS matches on Gragas, six of them wins, the champion is seldom as deadly in someone else's hands. Moopz has certainly made his team's run in the LCS explosive this season.
Moopz's skillset also translates well to other champions, as his positioning and use of Explosive Cask easily lend themselves to any instance where team fight control is valued. Moopz has been known as one of the few players who will pull out Morgana in the mid lane, and he used it to great effect in the Promotion. Morgana's Soul Shackles also require an impressive understanding of engagement to deploy. One would be hard pressed not to find a place for Moopz on any roster looking to win team fights.
As competition for All-Stars is steep this year, Rasmus "MrRalleZ" Skinneholm may have the highest chance of any member of Supa Hot Crew in landing a coveted spot. MrRalleZ has nearly twice the KDA ratio of any other member of SHC and the fourth highest in the European LCS at 4.7. He has also managed to spread his success by participating in 74.1% of his team's kills, which is the third highest of any player in the EU LCS.
Aside from impressive numbers, MrRallez has also performed well on a qualitative scale, farming well and relentlessly pursuing enemies for the kill. Opponents have gone to great lengths to keep Lucian out of MrRallez's hands, but should they first pick it, they will often have to contend with his deadly Caitlyn. One might go so far as to say he is the… hottest member of the Crew.
Impressive AD carries seldom shine without equally impressive supports. Though Maxime "Migxa" Poinssot boasts the most deaths of anyone in either North American or European LCS at 89, his style requires him to launch himself bodily into the fray on Leona and Thresh, his most played champions this Spring, and these onslaughts often yield positive results for his team. As part of the shining bottom lane duo, Migxa is known for pulling off highlight reel catches more than once a game.
Migxa's deaths may also be a symptom of his tendency toward risky play-making, as he quickly adopted Morgana after Vander ushered her into the European LCS. Though Migxa will rarely take the easy road to victory, he will throw everything he has into its pursuit. His penchant for play-making and falling in place of his teammates would make him a solid backbone for an All-Stars roster.
TOP: MIMER
Mimer "Mimer" Ahlström first appeared in the LCS during the Season 3 Summer Split as a replacement for Ninja's in Pyjamas' much-lauded extinkt. Whether it was LAN nerves or the pressure of filling his predecessor's shoes, Mimer did not receive much praise for his performances on NIP, and he was released at the end of the season.
By contrast, his stint on SHC has garnered him much more recognition. He again joined the team in a pressured situation within a month before the Spring Promotion Qualifier, where his Rengar pick against Kiedys Mialem Team, now ROCCAT, nearly single-handedly won SHC the game. After Rengar bans and nerfs forced him off the champion, he stumbled until he found his way with Dr. Mundo, and he has been a top lane terror ever since, picking up a formidable Renekton along the way. With the top lane meta changing, however, Mundo may soon fall out of favor, but Mimer's history suggests he's comfortable with more than just a hard tank style and would be more than willing to pull out a Ryze or a Rengar again. As the All-Star event may be less predictable this year, Mimer's versatility would make him an asset to any lineup.
JUNGLE: IMPALER
Speaking of versatility, Matthew "Impaler" Taylor boasts the deepest champion pool of any member of his team, having played ten different champions this split. This, however, was not always the case, as he was singled out as a one-trick Vi player early this season. As if challenged by the label, Impaler stepped up his game and became one of the most fearsome Pantheon jungle pioneers in Europe.
Despite a large variety of picks, however, SHC hasn't won a game with Impaler on any champion besides Pantheon, Vi, or Wukong. Regardless, his mastery of these champions is strong enough to make a case for a ban on any of them, which frees up the rest of the team to play whatever they desire. His champion pool aside, it's difficult to argue that Impaler isn't a big factor in SHC's successes. He has the second most kill participation on his team outside MrRallez, and his early game rotations make him a standout jungler even among Europe's best.
MID: MOOPZ
Amaury "Moopz" Minguerche has been at the edge of the European limelight since Season 1, and he's recently come into his own as a serious contender for the title of "Best Gragas EU." With ten LCS matches on Gragas, six of them wins, the champion is seldom as deadly in someone else's hands. Moopz has certainly made his team's run in the LCS explosive this season.
Moopz's skillset also translates well to other champions, as his positioning and use of Explosive Cask easily lend themselves to any instance where team fight control is valued. Moopz has been known as one of the few players who will pull out Morgana in the mid lane, and he used it to great effect in the Promotion. Morgana's Soul Shackles also require an impressive understanding of engagement to deploy. One would be hard pressed not to find a place for Moopz on any roster looking to win team fights.
AD CARRY: MRRALLEZ
As competition for All-Stars is steep this year, Rasmus "MrRalleZ" Skinneholm may have the highest chance of any member of Supa Hot Crew in landing a coveted spot. MrRalleZ has nearly twice the KDA ratio of any other member of SHC and the fourth highest in the European LCS at 4.7. He has also managed to spread his success by participating in 74.1% of his team's kills, which is the third highest of any player in the EU LCS.
Aside from impressive numbers, MrRallez has also performed well on a qualitative scale, farming well and relentlessly pursuing enemies for the kill. Opponents have gone to great lengths to keep Lucian out of MrRallez's hands, but should they first pick it, they will often have to contend with his deadly Caitlyn. One might go so far as to say he is the… hottest member of the Crew.
SUPPORT: MIGXA
Impressive AD carries seldom shine without equally impressive supports. Though Maxime "Migxa" Poinssot boasts the most deaths of anyone in either North American or European LCS at 89, his style requires him to launch himself bodily into the fray on Leona and Thresh, his most played champions this Spring, and these onslaughts often yield positive results for his team. As part of the shining bottom lane duo, Migxa is known for pulling off highlight reel catches more than once a game.
Migxa's deaths may also be a symptom of his tendency toward risky play-making, as he quickly adopted Morgana after Vander ushered her into the European LCS. Though Migxa will rarely take the easy road to victory, he will throw everything he has into its pursuit. His penchant for play-making and falling in place of his teammates would make him a solid backbone for an All-Stars roster.
