Category Archives: Articles

Analysis and Opinion

Froggen’s Echo: Is Rick Fox’s Team Playoff-Bound?

Froggen + 4.

That was the general impression of the Echo Fox lineup when it was announced in January. With Challenger Series players Hard and Big at Jungle and Support, journeyman Keith at AD Carry, and kfo coming into the Top lane from Korean solo queue, Froggen’s new teammates didn’t inspire an abundance of confidence. Maybe Froggen could carry his underwhelming team to a handful of wins. Maybe this squad could surprise us and earn a little bit of respect. But even that was in doubt.

It’s not a maybe anymore: Echo Fox have made a loud and clear statement that they belong in the playoff conversation.

So let’s discuss.

After a reasonable 1-1 record in their first week, Echo Fox’s prospects started tumbling like oil prices, as three of their players were locked out by work visa issues. With Froggen, kfo, and Hard benched, Echo Fox forfeited a game to NRG, then stumbled through five sequential losses, finding themselves in last place with a 1-7 record. Hard’s return partway through that run didn’t make a noticeable difference, but finally the news came that Froggen and kfo would be available for week 5.

What a change that made.

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Analysis and Opinion

H2K: They Do It Their Way

Around the world, league-leading teams like the ROX Tigers in Korea and Immortals in North America tend to play a certain style: hit ‘em early, hit ‘em often, finish ‘em fast. With aggressive Junglers and intense pressure, these teams are earning decisive early leads and then driving them home hard. This is true—in varying degrees—of each league leader in the five major regions, except for one team, a European squad that stands out in some interesting ways.

Through the first five weeks of Spring 2016, H2K is playing the game their own way, marching to the beat of their own drum. Led by their Head Coach, Pr0lly, they play slower, they prioritize things a little differently, and it’s working so far: H2K has an 8-2 record, tied with G2 Esports for first place in the European LCS. But can this style carry them to victory in the fast-approaching playoffs, or have H2K shown flaws that are likely to be exploited?

Let’s break down some of the unique aspects of H2K’s play style, and see what we can learn about Pr0lly’s team.

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Analysis and Opinion

Top 6 LCS AD Carries

We’ve just arrived in the Year of the Monkey, but for League of Legends, 2016 has felt more like the Year of the Marksman. We’ve seen AD Carry-type champions popping up all over the place, from Top to Jungle to Mid, spurred into action by sweeping itemization changes, champion reworks, and a meta game that promotes Tower destruction.

But you can keep your Graves, your Quinn, your Kindred; we know that the real AD Carries still play in the Bot lane.

Here are the six LCS players—three from North America and three from Europe—who I think have represented the ADC position best during the first four weeks of the 2016 Spring split.

Continue reading at Unikrn →