All posts by Tim Sevenhuysen

Tim Sevenhuysen is the founder and sole developer of Oracle's Elixir and provides a variety of consulting and contracting services throughout the esports industry. He is the former Director of Esports Analytics for 100 Thieves, served as Head of Data Science for Esports One, led Shadow.gg from 2017 to 2019, and was Statistical Consultant for Fnatic in 2015. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimSevenhuysen.

LA Renegades Spring 2016 Scouting Report

The LA Renegades won their way into the North American LCS by defeating Team Coast in the Finals of the NA Challenger Series. It had been their first split together, but while Renegades was a young brand, its players were far from inexperienced. This is a roster that boasts the world-renowned Alex Ich in the mid lane, best known for his time with Moscow 5, alongside longstanding veteran Crumbz in the jungle. Joining them are RF in the Top lane and the LCS’s first female player, Maria (previously known as Remilia), at Support. And while it hasn’t been formally confirmed yet, it’s common wisdom that the team’s AD Carry will be high-profile European import Freeze, the standout performer on the now-relegated Copenhagen Wolves.

If the name power within the roster wasn’t enough to catch your attention, maybe you’ve heard of the team’s owner, Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles.

There are plenty of reasons to show interest in the Renegades as the 2016 LCS season approaches. They should have a decent fan base right off the bat. But will their in-game success match their strong out-of-game standing? Here’s a general overview scouting report on the Renegades for the 2016 Spring split.

Continue reading at Unikrn →

Early-Game Kings: Summer’s Most Impactful Jungle Players

The early game is the Jungler’s playground. Roaming through the fog of war, the Jungler stalks their prey, attacking both the witless monsters of the Rift and a far more dangerous target: live opponents.

In Summer 2015, some Junglers had more early-game impact than others. Players like Rush, Shook, Chaser, and Karsa rolled out gank after gank, leading the charge over the first 15 minutes. But how did their early-game results compare to the other players in their leagues? Who were the strongest (and weakest) early-game Junglers across all regions?

The charts below show the early-game influence and play styles of all Junglers who played at least 10 games during the Summer regular season in the NA LCS, EU LCS, LMS, and LCK. The LPL unfortunately does not make their data available.

Continue reading at Unikrn →

For complete data on all players included in these charts, head to the companion page.

Is Gamsu the Next Huni?

Despite their excellent performances in-game throughout 2015, Fnatic has had a rough offseason so far, losing three of their five players as well as their Head Analyst. According to a recent report out of the Daily Dot, though, two of the empty roster spots have now been filled, with Spirit, formerly of World Elite, set to replace Reignover in the jungle and Gamsu, formerly of Dignitas, attempting to fill the shoes of the ever-exuberant Huni. By reputation, most analysts would rate Spirit as an upgrade over Reignover, but what about Gamsu? Is he an unpolished gem, a high-potential player who will blossom under Deilor’s coaching? Is Gamsu the next Huni?

If you’d asked me a few days ago, I might have said a simple yes. But after a deeper investigation of Gamsu’s play, I’ve come to a different opinion: it’s possible that Gamsu may, some day, become as good as Huni, but he is definitely not the type of player Huni is, and he probably never will be.

Continue reading at Unikrn →