Pilot & Cpt Jack are playing for keeps
When it comes to teams roster battles, it’s easy to focus on the Easyhoon vs. Faker debate. But a similar and equally intriguing battle is taking place on the Jin Air Green Wings’ squad. Woohyung "Pilot" Nah and Hyungwoo “Cpt Jack” Kang are duking it out over the starting AD carry role.
The two have found themselves in a back-and-forth affair that has never really seemed to settle down. Just when it seems that Jin Air are sticking with one, they swap him out for the other. This juggling of AD carries means spectators are always guessing who they’re going to see play every week, and whether or not they’ll even last an entire series.
Their differing play styles only serve to keep the pot stirring. One week it’s Pilot, the next it’s Cpt Jack, and so the fight for playing time continues.
It’s Historical
It all started when Jin Air’s sister teams merged, creating a single team with a huge roster. Having both Cpt Jack and Pilot on the same squad meant that there was bound to be some serious battles for the starting AD carry role.
[[{"fid":"18147","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/full_width_scale/public/cpt%2520jack.jpg%3Fitok%3D9Flgsyjz","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","height":"556","style":"width: 300px; height: 309px; border-width: 10px; border-style: solid; margin: 10px; float: right;","width":"540"}}]]The competition has lasted from the unified team’s inception, all the way into the 2015 Summer Split. The reason for this is that they are both extremely proficient at melting opponents on the Rift. Even though their methods differ, there is little, if any, margin to separate the two. It boils down to recent performances, and whether or not they delivered when it mattered.
The back-and-forth nature means that the team is often switching identities. With the Split winding down and playoffs nearing, one of the two is going to have to take the reins and guide this team into the playoffs (with Chaser’s help, of course!).
Different Strokes, Different Folks
Although Pilot and Cpt Jack play the same position, the way that they approach the Rift couldn’t be any more different.
[[{"fid":"18143","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/full_width_scale/public/pilot_1.jpg%3Fitok%3DeQ8WhUms","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","height":"612","style":"border-width: 10px; border-style: solid; height: 340px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; width: 300px; margin: 10px; float: left;","width":"540"}}]]
There’s not a ton of games where you’ll see Pilot with a huge stat line. That’s due to his highly conservative, defensive style of play. It plays to the strengths that the team has developed recently. Low kill counts, and minimal-risk maneuvers play a huge role in how Jin Air closes out games. Having a player in the squad that you can count on to make safe, high percentage plays is invaluable.
You can’t always count on Pilot to play the aggressor and push advantages. The consistency of his defensive play is appealing, though. Yet, this style doesn’t necessarily translate into ever-so-crucial, early-game pressure that a lot of teams treasure. Early pressure means objectives, and objectives trigger win conditions.
Cpt Jack on the other hand fills the aggression void nicely. He is a streaky, all-or-nothing style AD carry that will try to apply pressure. Rather than sitting back and letting the game unfold a bit like Pilot, he opts to bring the pain to the enemy team early and often.
The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t always pay off. Cpt Jack likes to play the game with the pedal pinned to the floor, but if he’s off the mark it can spell trouble for Jin Air. Getting behind takes him out of his signature aggression comfort zone and forces him to play into his weaknesses. The complete carry potential is there, yet so are the defensive gaps in his play.
Depth of Field
So, what is it about their different approaches to the AD carry position that warrants keeping them both on board? Why not keep one and build around that style of play? The answer is simple: depth.
[[{"fid":"18158","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/full_width_scale/public/Pilot2.jpg%3Fitok%3DEfki3dz8","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","height":"381","style":"width: 640px; height: 452px; border-width: 10px; border-style: solid; margin: 10px;","width":"540"}}]]
Korean teams started the trend of housing multiple players in the same position. This gives their teams a different level of depth and adaptation that isn’t common in other leagues. For example, SK Telecom houses two world class mid laners in Faker and Easyhoon. It not only adds a layer of strategy with the players being swappable between games, but it also can help prevent player fatigue and offer back-up in case of injury (which have been weirdly common this LCK Split).
Having both Pilot and Cpt Jack creates dilemmas for other teams looking to prepare strategies against Jin Air. It could be the reckless aggression of Cpt Jack or the conservative calculation that Pilot offers -- pick your poison.
Jin Air’s bottom lane is bolstered by the competition. Pilot and Cpt Jack are great players, but they are both made better by the presence of the other.
It Takes Two to Tango
When looking into what the future holds for these two, it’s probably best to look to their history together. It’s been quite a long battle for the starting role, and that battle looks likely to continue into the future. One thing is clear: having them both on the roster only adds to Jin Air’s strength.
[[{"fid":"14051","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/jag-cptjack.jpg%3Fitok%3DPffCVi2a","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","style":"width: 700px; height: 315px; border-width: 10px; border-style: solid; margin: 10px;","width":"700"}}]]
Their play styles are both supplemented by one another, and having them together makes for quite a dangerous package. With Jin Air’s willingness to sub them in and out on the fly, the opponent can never know quite what's coming next.
The flip flop nature of Jin Air’s bottom lane isn’t likely to change in the near future, and it seems they are always willing to go with the hot hand. Barring a huge change of strategy by Jin Air both AD carries are here to stay, and so is all the excitement that comes with watching these two great players compete. Want to catch Pilot or Cpt Jack fight for a spot in Playoffs? Tune into the LCK right here on Lolesports!
Images courtesy of Inven.
