The 2017 Spring Split of the North American League of Legends Championship Series has been filled with inconsistency from top to bottom, giving fans a shocking result every week.
Two teams set the pace
Tied atop the standings at 8-2 are Team SoloMid and Cloud9 – and these two teams had contrasting fortunes last time out.
For TSM, this past weekend went beautifully as they took down both Cloud9 and FlyQuest, who are currently tied with Phoenix1 in third place. This split has been more difficult than had been expected for TSM as star AD Carry Doublelift’s absence has left a larger void than anticipated. While replacement WildTurtle is a quality player, the lack of shot calling has been a weakness for TSM as they have looked disorganized at times on the rift. Last weekend, however, TSM seemed to find their footing, giving them title aspirations once again.
On the flip side, Cloud9’s incredible start came to a grinding halt. If being defeated by TSM was not bad enough, Cloud9 finished off their weekend by losing to former Jungler Meteos, who is currently substituting for Phoenix1, in an incredibly disappointing 2-0 result. After starting off the season 8-0, Cloud9 now have some time during the IEM break to figure out what went wrong this past weekend.
Cloud9 are still the favourites to win the NA LCS, but they will need to address their problems if they want to continue being viewed as a top team.
FlyQuest exceeding expectations
FlyQuest and Phoenix1 are tied for third and the biggest shock here is the former as many expected them to be destined for one of the bottom two spots in the league. With a last second need for a Jungler, FlyQuest signed Moon, a player many viewed as a failure on the professional level. However, Moon’s addition to the team has been incredibly positive as he has shone week in and week out.
LemonNation’s clever pick and ban strategies coupled with Moon’s deep champion pool has consistently given FlyQuest the edge coming out of champion select. However, in game this team is still completely reliant on midlaner Hai’s shot-calling. Perhaps the greatest ever at this, Hai’s ability to call a game is something that can never be underestimated as he’s proven once again this split. A note of caution, however, as FlyQuest may be a team that fades down the stretch as their lack of mechanical skill could catch up with them.
Consistency an issue for Echo Fox and Team Dignitas
The two teams in the region with the most up and down year so far have to be Echo Fox and Team Dignitas.
Echo Fox were viewed so poorly that they were not given any practice against other top tier teams for the first few weeks of the competition as those teams deemed practice against them to be a waste of time. Echo Fox have had a pattern for weeks now of losing both series one week and following it up by winning both series the next week. This leaves Echo Fox middle of the pack and looking for answers on how to stay consistent. One bright spot for Echo Fox has been rookie Jungler Akaadian, who thus far has been the best Jungler in the region.
Dignitas on the other hand have had a roller coaster of a season. With off-season acquisitions of Ssumday, Chaser and LOD, Dignitas looked primed to be a top tier team, but after an initial victory in the LCS, they hit a slide and lost match after match. This past weekend Dignitas were able to build on their solitary Week 4 victory due to a coaching change. Cop came in as the new strategic coach for the pick and ban in Week 5 and it has worked wonders so far, leading to a 2-0 week. Dignitas have one of the most talented line-ups in the league, and if they can maintain any form of consistency moving forward, they still have a chance to win the competition despite their slow start to the Split.
