EU LCS Summer Split 2018 Week 6 Recap
If you would judge the EU LCS just by Friday’s games alone, you’d think that things have finally started crystallizing. With the playoffs quickly approaching, every single game matters and not just for the bottom three playoff contenders but for the very top of the table as well.
Getting a playoff bye is incredibly important, and it gives the two best teams a very valuable strategic edge. With so few games left in the regular season, no one can afford to be dropping games, and there’s a lot more pressure to perform.
Saturday’s EU LCS matches, on the other hand, were absolute chaos. You could argue that only one match went according to expectations. However, even though there were multiple unexpected outcomes, we did get a better read on multiple middle-of-the-pack teams.
So without any further ado, let’s focus on the current standings of the EU LCS:
1. Misfits
While it’s still too early to say that the “mighty have fallen,” Misfits have now strung two losses in two weeks. Even in their wins, they didn’t look that good.
They’re looking a lot less proactive, a lot less aggressive, and even though they’re still a Top 3 team in the region, you can’t view them as a top-tier contender right now.
They’re looking vulnerable, and that’s a problem. They’re reverting back to their Spring Split form, they’re having trouble setting up Baron, Sencux isn’t playing well any longer, Maxlore isn’t as impactful, and they’re showing a lot more indecisiveness in all facets of play which is a shame to see, especially after weeks of stellar top-tier play.
Is it just a couple of issues that can be fixed in a week’s time? We can’t know for sure, but they’re starting to exhibit a lot of kinks in their armor. While that might not be a big problem now, it could become a problem when we get to the playoffs.
2. Fnatic
It’s safe to say that Fnatic is currently the best and most consistent team in the region.
Their level of play is absolutely staggering, and seeing them execute all of their game plans to perfection is a fantastic sight. They might not always give it their all, but you can’t really blame them. They’re experimenting, they’re saving strategies for the playoffs, and quite frankly it seems like the EU LCS trophy won’t be changing hands this split either.
3. G2 Esports
The former kings of Europe are in an interesting position right now. They’re still a Top 3 team for sure, but their level of play doesn’t instill any confidence. Depending on the day, they can either look incredibly dominant and clean or at worst like a painfully mediocre team.
Perhaps the biggest problem last week was Jankos’ inconsistency. He played like an absolute beast on Friday – hard carrying his team on Taliyah, constantly pressuring both side lanes and dishing out tons of damage, and yet he was G2’s worst performer on Saturday, so much so that you could even argue that he lost his team the game by constant illogical invades and bad positioning.
Overall, they have a lot of work to do if they want to fight against the likes of Fnatic and Misfits.
4. FC Schalke 04
The football organization arguably had one of the hardest schedules last week. With both Fnatic and G2 Esports back-to-back, many predicted them going 0W-2L and with good reason.
Last week was perhaps the picture-perfect display of Schalke’s potential. You could have seen just how inconsistent and vulnerable they are. If they fall behind, they shell up, and things tend to spiral out of control quickly. If, however, they impose their playstyle – or, if they come prepared with a game plan rather – they can look really, really good. Playoff-worthy levels of good.
They were utterly demolished by Fnatic – in fact, they essentially lost the game after five minutes, but that’s somewhat forgivable. Fnatic is on a completely different level right now. Because of that, we’ll mainly be focusing on Schalke’s win over G2.
Now, sure Jankos did feed uncontrollably, but Schalke won through stellar team play and better macro. They had the lead, and they didn’t squander it – and in this chaotic meta filled with insane twists and turns, that’s worth something. This was also the first time in a while that they actually drafted a logical all-around team comp.
Amazing on a tank engage Sejuani, Nukeduck on a mid assassin, Vander on an engage tank support and perhaps most surprisingly – Vizicsacsi on a champion that can actually do some damage. No longer is he relegated to picks like Cho’Gath or Ornn, and it’s a refreshing change of pace. Watching him play tanks only was pretty crushing seeing how he’s still capable of producing clutch, highlight plays.
They’re currently 5W and 1L in their last six games, and that’s nothing to scoff at. While they’re not exactly a top-tier contender right now, you can’t deny their potential. Teams can no longer ignore them, as they’re quite the worthy opponent nowadays.
It seems like Schalke will almost certainly finish as a Top 6 team, which only leaves up two playoffs spots.
This is where things get very interesting and insanely close.
4. Team Vitality
Vitality is in a very interesting situation right now. Their head coach Jacob “YamatoCannon” Mebdi decided to start both games with Kikis as their jungler, and it paid off immediately.
He wasn’t exactly that consistent, and he did make ample amount of mistakes – especially in the first game, but the fact that he won both Player of the Game votes speaks volumes about his in-game impact. The most important change was somewhat nuanced – Vitality played slower, more subdued. It was evident from the very get-go, especially with Jiizuke going for Galio, rather than something like Zoe or Ryze.
They were losing against Giants on Friday, and that’s not exactly a good sign overall, but they were actually able to rebound and take the win – which isn’t something you ever really hear about Vitality. That’s actual growth and virtue that Vitality was never able to acquire with Gilius in the roster.
They went 2W-0L last week in the EU LCS, and more importantly, they were able to defeat ROCCAT – a team they’re fighting with for a playoff spot. It wasn’t clean – far from it, but they got the job done, and that’s the only thing that matters at this point.
If they manage to keep up this level of play they might as well be able to overtake ROCCAT and Splyce and secure a Top 6 finish.
6. ROCCAT & Splyce
Two teams currently tied at sixth place with six wins and losses each. ROCCAT remain in the playoff race, but it’s highly questionable whether or not they’ll be able to compete with Splyce. Their loss to Vitality was quite a big blow, however, if there’s a team that has the strength to fight back and stay competitive it has to be ROCCAT. Their remaining matches are far from easy, and they absolutely have to step up if they want to remain in the running for playoffs.
Splyce, on the other hand, has an easier strength of schedule going forward. They’re as dangerous as ever – in fact, they became the second team in the region that was able to take down Misfits on Saturday.
It was an absolute snooze-fest, by all means, but they managed to get upset. In true Splyce fashion, it took them one abysmal game during Friday’s EU LCS to actually get them to play to their fullest potential.
With only four kills in 38 minutes, this was one of the slowest and dullest games of the split, but if you’re a Splyce fan, you’re surely happy with the result.
With both G2 and Misfits in a single week, going 1W-1L was perhaps the best possible scenario for Splyce. Had they lost, their playoff spot would’ve been in jeopardy but by pulling off the upset, they actually managed to stay in the playoff race.
They’re still as volatile as ever, and you never really know how they’ll play but at least they’re showing signs of improvement. Nisqy was once again their biggest catalyst. The fact that teams aren’t banning his Zoe by default is still baffling – the guy’s an absolute beast when on the champion and manages to carry more often than not hard.
It’s still too early to predict anything with confidence, the clash between Splyce and ROCCAT next week should be the game to watch as it could very well decide who gets the last playoff spot.
Eight Through Ten
And lastly, occupying the last three spots of the EU LCS standings, we have the Unicorns of Love, Giants, and H2K. They’re pretty much completely out of the playoff picture, with the Unicorns being only slightly better than Giants and H2K when it comes to an understanding the current meta and having some team cohesion.
That said, both the Unicorns and Giants have the potential to upset depending on the opponent, so they shouldn’t be taken too lightly. H2K, on the other hand, failed to show anything worth mentioning last week, so their current trajectory isn’t too promising.
Comments