Analysis and Opinion

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.

Analysis and Opinion

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 →

Analysis and Opinion

Chaser: Free Agent Jungle Superstar

Korea has a long lineage of superstar Jungle talent. Players like KaKao, Spirit, Dandy, and Bengi are international household names. After the 2015 exodus of Korean talent to China and elsewhere, the LCK Jungle talent pool was heavily depleted, with three of the four players I just listed leaving the Korean scene.

Other players stepped up, trying to fill the void. One stood out above the rest: Chaser of the Jin Air Green Wings. Now he has declared free agency, and may be following his better known compatriots overseas, or perhaps simply looking to find a better chance to win at home.

What makes Chaser worthy of comparison to the great names I’ve listed? Let’s start with his Summer split stat line.

Continue reading at Unikrn →

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