Week 5 - We're Halfway There
If you sang the title like the Big Time Rush song, you're a real one.
Welcome back, Scuttlers!
We’re nestled in the middle of the Summer Split with Rivalry Week to our back. As we look toward the rest of the second round robin and even further toward playoffs, let’s ask ourselves one thing: what will each team do to set itself apart from the rest? Will Cloud9 play bravely to move back toward the top of the leaderboard? Will FlyQuest figure out how to stop the bleeding? Will Dignitas find another way to disappoint me?
All of this and more on this episode of… ScuttleStack.
When it comes to the rift this week, we saw a lot of “make it or break it” matchups, so let’s focus on those this week.
TSM took wins against Immortals and Cloud9 before a scuffed loss to Dignitas. While Cloud9 actually looked solid this week, the scope of the TSM win establishes both that 1) TSM can still successfully scrap with top teams but 2) Their sloppy execution allows sub-par teams to take games off of them. If this weekend said anything about TSM, it’s that they need to beat themselves before they can beat other teams consistently.
100 Thieves enjoyed a 3-0 week, but not one deserving of much hype. Yes, they hold the top spot but they also took games off of FlyQuest and CLG. Their win against Liquid was after the whole Jatt drama, so you’re facing a pretty decent team getting over coaching and jungle changes. I don’t think this win is too telling.
Immortals, despite having a handful of hype in their pocket, lost to two of the top teams. The TSM loss felt pretty hard-fought and showcased a Karthus jungle that was super interesting to see show up. The Cloud9 loss felt like we were watching a whole different team play. While Cloud9 played well, Immortals felt like a skeleton of themselves. The Dignitas win was a bit redeeming, but this week was a mood killer for the Immortals hype train.
Outside of that…
Evil Geniuses boasted a 3-0 week, but it was against some of the weakest teams in the league. Then their strategic coach, Artemis, bragged about it on Hotline League, claiming they would make the top three in the LCS. Hold your Rift Heralds for now, EG.
Dignitas took a brief return to form with a 2-1 week. Wins over TSM and Golden Guardians were inspiring before the loss to Immortals snuffed that momentum.
FlyQuest is still bad.
We got a lot of spicy stuff off the rift that will make Week 5 really fun to watch from a narrative and competitive standpoint.
The biggest (and freshest) news is that Alphari is back. While it won’t be able to reform the megazord of a team it had last split, Armao is proving himself and I’m confident it will poise Team Liquid well for playoffs. Also, his addition doesn’t mean Jenkins will return to Academy. Instead, Team Liquid is running a 7-man roster if you count Santorin. Coaches said the double-stacked lanes will swap players around as needed, and that’s a sentiment I really appreciate. I can only imagine there will be some growing pains, but Team Liquid as a whole as been incredibly adaptable, so I’m sure any cobwebs will be shaken off quickly.
FlyQuest got sick of losing with their main team and sent their entire Academy team in to lose for them. In all seriousness, though, the swap is a good move on FlyQuest’s side. If your main team is losing by just butting their head against the wall, put them into a low-stakes environment where they can figure stuff out. On the flipside, let your younger players get some experience in and have them work to stick around. It’s not going to win them games, but now is the time to try something new. I admire them for taking such a big risk.
Golden Guardians acquired Licorice from FlyQuest and said they intend to build around him. Listen, at one point I had a lot of faith in Licorice. I was convinced he was in a really crappy environment on FlyQuest, just like a bird in a cage. Then I looked at his stats and was convinced otherwise. I really hope this changes on Golden Guardians, but I’m not optimistic. I still think it’s a good move, but more is going to need to happen.
A shorter Picket Pick this week, but wanted to share a brief glimpse into my experience with competitive League of Legends.
I started playing League back in about 2013 and watching pro play came immediately after. I remember how as I fumbled my way as a young player I would watch pro play and just be baffled by what was happening on the screen. I can’t say I learned a lot, but mostly fell in love with the narratives early on. You learned to respect the big three in Cloud9, TSM and Team Liquid (and kinda CLG). You learned who had clout and learned to watch out for Bjergsen and DoubleLift when they took the stage. I also learned to track stats and tracked game state.
Back then was when I found a favorite team in Dignitas (and learned how to cope with perpetual disappointment), got involved in fantasy LCS on the old client and started watching pro games with my dad. To this day, we still watch matches together, and I’ve even walked in on him watching games without me. He even knows my favorite champions and some of the others. Seeing Lee Sin in pro play still is a joy because I can hear my dad refer to him as “The Blind Monk” over his name 9/10 times.
Now I obviously follow a lot more. My one foot in the esports bucket (as a competitive gamer and a collegiate esports officer) and my other in the media world, I’m always looking for coverage and interviews. Eight years later, I’m still watching folks like Travis Gafford ambush players and dig for some tea. The scene has developed so much over the past decade and it’s awesome to see the blend of old and new talent in the league right now.
However, I do have my gripes. More on that in another newsletter.
Closing Thoughts from the River
No thoughts, head empty.
Browsing the shop for new glyphs and quints,
Nick Mo.