Category Archives: Analysis and Opinion

Splyce Spring 2016 Scouting Report

Several teams have changed ownership and branding this offseason, including Splyce, who earned their place in the European LCS by winning the EU Challenger Series playoffs over Mousesports. At the time, Splyce was known as Dignitas.EU, and their qualification into the LCS prompted the sale of the team since no organization is allowed to own multiple LCS squads.

DIG.EU was sold to an organization then known as FollowEsports, who rebranded both themselves and their teams to Splyce shortly thereafter.

Splyce will carry four of their players over into their first LCS split. Wunderwear will man the Top lane, Sencux is playing Mid, Kobbe is their AD Carry, and Nisbeth anchors the team as Support. In the Jungle, Obvious has been removed from the team in favor of Trashy, who played for Enemy in North America during 2015.

This article presents an overview scouting report of Splyce, including their strengths and weaknesses as a team and some thoughts about their chances for success in their first LCS split.

Continue reading at Unikrn →

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.