and i don't even mean the championship game, i'm talking the whole shabang. i have to say, i am thoroughly satisfied with the mid season invitational. yea, TSM shit the bed, yea Fnatic got a bit screwed by a wonky bug, but whatever, things like that happen. all sports/games/activities/hobbies, have quirks. shit happens, things go wrong or not as they were intended to go...it sucks, but we move passed it, just as these teams did. i can say, the fans are WAY worse than the players are, because the players understand that there is always a tomorrow, and a next time.
congrats to EDG, they made me look stupid. i put all my eggs in the SKT basket, and while they looked like the best team over the course of the 4 days, they lost when it mattered most. but we got to see Faker's LeBlanc, we got to see a shining example of a team, baiting a super star into playing into their trap. it was beautiful. there was legit excitement around all these games. we had trash talking, blown opportunities, surprises...MSI was the best thing we've had in competitive league in quite some time.
all this gilding the lily though, brings me to the "underbelly" of it all. the fans. while most were pretty great, on reddit, things got a little out of hand. the TSM/Fnatic apologists were out in full force. the haters, hating on Dyrus but making excuses for Bjergsen were relentless. the pissing contest between na and eu reached a fever pitch and stopped being about who's better, but who's the bigger asshole. it even spilled over into insulting casters! joshua "jatt" leesman was called out because of things he said about TSM and Fnatic, Jatt...who is incredible at calling things right down the middle, with an honest and unbiased eye. its things like that, that give this community a black eye. i'm not saying we all need to hold hands and sing songs while hugging and loving one another, but i do think we need to really look at how we handle "fandom" and stop being such colossal assholes about who we like, who we don't like, and why everyone is a dick. we the real fan of the game, who would rather see the best of the best, going toe to toe on the grandest of stage, whether they be korean, american, european, taiwanese, chinese, etc, we want to be entertained and given a great show...and that's exactly what MSI was, a great show. in a few months, when worlds rolls around, there might be new teams in the conversation, it's probably unlikely, but there's a chance, because that's what this game gives us, unpredictability. lets just all enjoy it, and let ourselves enjoy it, before getting too wrapped up in the bullshit that surrounds it.
have fun, and i'll see you on the rift!
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Monday, May 11, 2015
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Cptn's Log - i told you so
if any of you listen to my podcast (well, mine and Pan's podcast, but that's neither here nor there), you would know that i thought pretty highly of this AHQ team. maybe not highly enough to think they'd win, but i definitely thought they could compete...and look at that, i was right.
my "buying and selling" segment on this weeks show couldn't have been more spot on...i mean...all except my TSM prediction. what a letdown. this team. they just slipped back into old ways, being big fish in a small pond. Fnatic dominated them, SKT dominated them, EDG, AHQ, both dominated them, the only team they beat was the lowly turkish team that went 0-5. you can chalk up one or 2 games to being nervous, but going 1-4 was unacceptable for this squad coming into MSI after such a strong showing in the NALCS and IEM. TSM apologists will make excuses for Bjergsen not playing well, they'll blame Dyrus, who, while not the problem, was certainly not the solution, being banned out in most games and left to flounder on carry tops that he, simply, doesn't carry on. Turtle and Lustboy seemed overmatched most games in bot lane, and i don't want to blame it on Turtle, but i have to assume he had far more jitters than Lustboy, although the latter didn't look very impressive either. Santorin looked lost for most of the games, not much more can be said about him, but you have to assume he'd struggle, he's, by far, the most green member of TSM and has almost no big stage experience. all in all, they came out flat and looked intimidated. other teams brought THEIR game to the bigger, better teams, all TSM did was react to the way the other teams were playing. instead of taking the other teams to task, they were made to look like a little kid in the mall, who lost his parents, afraid and lost.
today we have the top 4 teams: EDG, Fnatic, AHQ and SKT1 all vying for a shot at the finals. SKT dodged a bullet against Fnatic potentially because of a strange bug, other than that, they've looked like the strongest team here. EDG looks good, but something about them seems to be missing, maybe they'll find it today, but maybe not. Fnatic plays a messy style, but it seems to work...on occasion, they'll have some trouble today, but they can surprise someone today. the real wildcard is AHQ. their good games have been very good, their bad, very bad. it depends on which team shows up to the stage today to see where they can go, they definitely have the talent to win, but can they?
i'm sure i can wax poetic on this for much longer, but i'd rather let the games do the talking. i'll be back here tomorrow, before the next docket of games to reflect on today's match ups. other than that, i'll see you on the rift.
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
my "buying and selling" segment on this weeks show couldn't have been more spot on...i mean...all except my TSM prediction. what a letdown. this team. they just slipped back into old ways, being big fish in a small pond. Fnatic dominated them, SKT dominated them, EDG, AHQ, both dominated them, the only team they beat was the lowly turkish team that went 0-5. you can chalk up one or 2 games to being nervous, but going 1-4 was unacceptable for this squad coming into MSI after such a strong showing in the NALCS and IEM. TSM apologists will make excuses for Bjergsen not playing well, they'll blame Dyrus, who, while not the problem, was certainly not the solution, being banned out in most games and left to flounder on carry tops that he, simply, doesn't carry on. Turtle and Lustboy seemed overmatched most games in bot lane, and i don't want to blame it on Turtle, but i have to assume he had far more jitters than Lustboy, although the latter didn't look very impressive either. Santorin looked lost for most of the games, not much more can be said about him, but you have to assume he'd struggle, he's, by far, the most green member of TSM and has almost no big stage experience. all in all, they came out flat and looked intimidated. other teams brought THEIR game to the bigger, better teams, all TSM did was react to the way the other teams were playing. instead of taking the other teams to task, they were made to look like a little kid in the mall, who lost his parents, afraid and lost.
today we have the top 4 teams: EDG, Fnatic, AHQ and SKT1 all vying for a shot at the finals. SKT dodged a bullet against Fnatic potentially because of a strange bug, other than that, they've looked like the strongest team here. EDG looks good, but something about them seems to be missing, maybe they'll find it today, but maybe not. Fnatic plays a messy style, but it seems to work...on occasion, they'll have some trouble today, but they can surprise someone today. the real wildcard is AHQ. their good games have been very good, their bad, very bad. it depends on which team shows up to the stage today to see where they can go, they definitely have the talent to win, but can they?
i'm sure i can wax poetic on this for much longer, but i'd rather let the games do the talking. i'll be back here tomorrow, before the next docket of games to reflect on today's match ups. other than that, i'll see you on the rift.
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Cptn's Log - Taking My Time, Doing it Right...
i'm spacing out my posts more, in an effort to let more happen so i have more to say, lets see how that worked...so the last few days, a lot of shit has gone down. hai retired - not a big surprise. for a time, he was a great "support" mid laner. when the meta started to shift, and his champs either became irrelevant or were simply banned out, his game began to suffer. when his wrist problems began to rear their ugly head, his limited game suffered even more. he couldn't practice as much as his team, he couldn't get better or deepen his pool, and C9 as an organization slowly started to dip. now, it wasn't a significant slide. it isn't like one day they were first, and the next, last. they still remain a top na team, but they got figured out and couldn't change their style enough to fix the growing issues. i'm not blaming all that on hai, but as the captain and shot caller, this is a decision that needed to be made sooner. C9 is HIS company, he started it, he should have known, the moment he couldn't put 100% effort into it, even if it is because of a medical issue, then he needed to step down. "playing through it", "toughing it out", these aren't things that a team owner should be considering, he should think "what is best for the team", and an injured player that can't deepen his champion pool is not helping the team. i like hai, and he will be missed as a personality in the scene and as a player, but this was a move that is a full split late. either way, best of luck in management, hai. i have the utmost confidence that you will succeed in this new chapter in your life.
second, and this could have been first, because its impact was felt, almost at the same time. popular (or notorious, depending on what side of the fence you're on) esports journalist, Richard Lewis was perma-banned from reddit, all of it, not just the league sub. now, while his interactions with the average reddit user/hater/troll, might not always be viewed as the most professional way to handle a community, there is no argument that his facts, his leads, his stories, they're on point and usually broken by him. he is important to this community as an unbiased voice breaking the news we want and need. the reddit mods, who, in their own right, have been marred by controversy and seem to have a bad habit of overstepping their boundaries, not following their own rules and generally making mountains out of molehills. what they apparently want is not something Richard was intending to give, mostly because of journalistic integrity. they wanted his stories before he published them, they wanted his sources, they wanted what he should never HAVE to give to a moderator of a subreddit, but they felt they were entitled. while not necessarily related to this issue, it is no a surprise to find out that the reddit mods of /r/leagueoflegends are in riot's back pocket, and there is nothing wrong with that, inherently, unless riot is making content suggestions to them, and then they are subsequently following those "requests" to stay in riot's good graces. mind you, that is all speculation, but still something to consider. either way, Richard was silenced in a blatant act of censorship with no ground to do so. he violated no rules, yet had posts deleted and was being stalked by certain mods who were constantly warning him about things he wasn't doing. ultimately, he was banned because he refused to have, what was called "a working relationship" with the moderators of the subreddit. they didn't care for him personally, and they overstepped their bounds in banning him. i have personally have correspondence with Richard, and there will be more on that when i can talk about it freely, but this is all what i know and my opinion on the matter.
lastly, the rest of the world is wrapping up their spring seasons in preparation for MSI. EDG bested LGD in a great match up of two powerhouses to decide the chinese champion. Korea got a rare treat when SKT took on CJ Entus in a match up that went the full 5 games, and if you know anything about the korean scene, you know game 5 means....BLIND PICK!!! blind pick games in a professional setting are always great, mostly because you get pro's on their top champs, which meant Faker's 11-0 LeBlanc was going to be brought out. the sad truth was, CJ Entus had to know that when they were up 2-1 and lost game 4, that their time was up, because a game 5 meant LeBlanc, and that meant they had no chance. well the game was played, Faker got LeBlanc, went 15-1-10, and SKT rolled to victory. now SKT goes on to play the GE Tigers in what may prove to be a real clash of titans and a potential look at where the world championship will have to go through.
in na and eu, relegation matches were played, personally, i was hoping to see more new blood infused into the summer split, but only one new team (outside of the challenger series winners) will be joining the ranks of the LCS as Team Dragon Knights (with Alex_Ich playing as a sub) defeated Team WinterFox in not a very close series. WinterFox never looked truly comfortable and Pobelter and Altec couldn't find their groove, and the team was bounced from the LCS. it will be interesting to see what ends up happening to the team now, will they stay and play for next season in the challenger series, will the team be dropped, what will Helios and his brother do? a lot of questions need answers, but these answers will have to come at another time, mostly because i have written a great deal here and you have a lot of reading to do. thanks so much for checking me out, keep an eye open for the next Tower Dive podcast this week and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers,
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
second, and this could have been first, because its impact was felt, almost at the same time. popular (or notorious, depending on what side of the fence you're on) esports journalist, Richard Lewis was perma-banned from reddit, all of it, not just the league sub. now, while his interactions with the average reddit user/hater/troll, might not always be viewed as the most professional way to handle a community, there is no argument that his facts, his leads, his stories, they're on point and usually broken by him. he is important to this community as an unbiased voice breaking the news we want and need. the reddit mods, who, in their own right, have been marred by controversy and seem to have a bad habit of overstepping their boundaries, not following their own rules and generally making mountains out of molehills. what they apparently want is not something Richard was intending to give, mostly because of journalistic integrity. they wanted his stories before he published them, they wanted his sources, they wanted what he should never HAVE to give to a moderator of a subreddit, but they felt they were entitled. while not necessarily related to this issue, it is no a surprise to find out that the reddit mods of /r/leagueoflegends are in riot's back pocket, and there is nothing wrong with that, inherently, unless riot is making content suggestions to them, and then they are subsequently following those "requests" to stay in riot's good graces. mind you, that is all speculation, but still something to consider. either way, Richard was silenced in a blatant act of censorship with no ground to do so. he violated no rules, yet had posts deleted and was being stalked by certain mods who were constantly warning him about things he wasn't doing. ultimately, he was banned because he refused to have, what was called "a working relationship" with the moderators of the subreddit. they didn't care for him personally, and they overstepped their bounds in banning him. i have personally have correspondence with Richard, and there will be more on that when i can talk about it freely, but this is all what i know and my opinion on the matter.
lastly, the rest of the world is wrapping up their spring seasons in preparation for MSI. EDG bested LGD in a great match up of two powerhouses to decide the chinese champion. Korea got a rare treat when SKT took on CJ Entus in a match up that went the full 5 games, and if you know anything about the korean scene, you know game 5 means....BLIND PICK!!! blind pick games in a professional setting are always great, mostly because you get pro's on their top champs, which meant Faker's 11-0 LeBlanc was going to be brought out. the sad truth was, CJ Entus had to know that when they were up 2-1 and lost game 4, that their time was up, because a game 5 meant LeBlanc, and that meant they had no chance. well the game was played, Faker got LeBlanc, went 15-1-10, and SKT rolled to victory. now SKT goes on to play the GE Tigers in what may prove to be a real clash of titans and a potential look at where the world championship will have to go through.
in na and eu, relegation matches were played, personally, i was hoping to see more new blood infused into the summer split, but only one new team (outside of the challenger series winners) will be joining the ranks of the LCS as Team Dragon Knights (with Alex_Ich playing as a sub) defeated Team WinterFox in not a very close series. WinterFox never looked truly comfortable and Pobelter and Altec couldn't find their groove, and the team was bounced from the LCS. it will be interesting to see what ends up happening to the team now, will they stay and play for next season in the challenger series, will the team be dropped, what will Helios and his brother do? a lot of questions need answers, but these answers will have to come at another time, mostly because i have written a great deal here and you have a lot of reading to do. thanks so much for checking me out, keep an eye open for the next Tower Dive podcast this week and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers,
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Cptn's Log - I'm back!
so i took a few (10) days off, 1. to let some news happen. i felt like i was saying a lot of the sames things over and over, ad nauseam infinitum, and 2. i want you to CRAVE what i say...ok, so really it's just the first part. that being said, a lot has happened during my self imposed sabbatical. first things first Fnatic!!! so, Fnatic is the EU Spring Split champs, with an amazing series against the Unicorns of Love. you really couldn't have asked for anything more from this series...well, i mean, other than high quality play and calculated objective calls. this series was fun to watch from a viewers perspective, but a "what not to do" in terms of its educational value. but education and entertainment have never played nice together, so screw that shit and bring on the ham! congrats to eu darlings, Fnatic, who, against all odds have emerged as the champs and are still the team to beat, even with a new roster. maybe they're sloppy at times, maybe they play all ham all day, but i think this team can definitely put on the blitzkrieg bop on a korean or chinese team...catch them off guard and potentially steal a series on the world stage. on the other hand, UoL didn't even expect to be in this spot, which is nice to read, since, unlike a lot of teams, they didn't lie to themselves and their fans. everyone knew what they were capable of, but no one honestly believed they'd ascend to the top of the division. this team is definitely poised to make a move next split, and while they might not be ready to take on korea or china, i think they are just good enough to scare a team or 2.
back in the good ol' us of a, we had a familiar match up, pitting C9 against mainstay, TSM. the na region hasn't been quite as exciting as eu, but has still provided us with some great series...this just wasn't one of those times. i've been saying, all split, C9 doesn't look motivated to win. they play very reactionary and they just don't dictate any sort of pace. Hai's champion puddle is evaporating, Meteos makes questionable gank calls and Balls is far from the power top laner he's been in past splits. all in all, they are not the same team from a few splits ago, and they've slowly gone down hill, as Jatt was quoted as saying in a recent interview. will next split be the first time C9 has a roster change? only time will tell. on the flip side, TSM, since IEM, has looked pretty dominant. Bjergsen is the straw that stirs the drink. his mid lane dominance has given TSM what they've craved for so long, a true carry. Santorin has been the perfect compliment for this teams composition, and Lustboy has been the balance that has kept WildTurtle from going too ham too much. as it stands, this team, i believe, as much as it pains me, has a viable chance to win worlds. it may be a small chance, but its a better chance than they've had in any previous year. what i am happy about is that na has some new blood on the rise, with TiP, Team8 and Gravity all having strong showings this split, we could see a shift in power sooner than later.
now with the na and eu splits over, korea and china finishing up, as well as the other regions, this leads us to the Mid Season Invitational (MSI). while this will be a fun, post split, distraction, the real heat will be generated by the potential roster swaps amidst all the rumors and rigmarole. so many players futures are up in the air, and so many are being talked about going to all sorts of regions, it will be fun to see what changes and it will give me plenty to talk about. just a few names to keep in mind, Rekkles, Wickd, Shook, Forg1vengre, Hai, Incarnati0n and HolyPhoenix. i'm sure there are others, but off the top of my head, those could end up be some movers. as for the MSI, GE Tigers and Edward Gaming are the 2 that are obviously "expected" to be, 1. in the MSI and 2. be contending to win it. SKT1 and Vici Gaming are respectively on the other side of that conversation, and if you replace either of those former teams with the aforementioned teams, the other regions still have their hands full. i hate to be another broken record, but any type of championship still goes through korea and/or china and not beating a team from either of those regions would feel like a hollow victory. beyond that, we have our relegation matches for both na and eu. hopefully some more new blood will be injected to both LCS' and shake things up even more. i tire of the same old teams.
now for the fun stuff, we MAY be getting our Samsung world championship skins! no announcement has been made, and no previews have been provided, but the timing is roughly around when we got the SKT1 skins from s3, so hopefully we'll see something of those in the coming months.
i've typed a lot, and i think i've given you a lot to read. a new podcast from Tower Dive is on the way this week, where i'll get to bicker with my main man, Pan, about all things League. thanks for reading, and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
back in the good ol' us of a, we had a familiar match up, pitting C9 against mainstay, TSM. the na region hasn't been quite as exciting as eu, but has still provided us with some great series...this just wasn't one of those times. i've been saying, all split, C9 doesn't look motivated to win. they play very reactionary and they just don't dictate any sort of pace. Hai's champion puddle is evaporating, Meteos makes questionable gank calls and Balls is far from the power top laner he's been in past splits. all in all, they are not the same team from a few splits ago, and they've slowly gone down hill, as Jatt was quoted as saying in a recent interview. will next split be the first time C9 has a roster change? only time will tell. on the flip side, TSM, since IEM, has looked pretty dominant. Bjergsen is the straw that stirs the drink. his mid lane dominance has given TSM what they've craved for so long, a true carry. Santorin has been the perfect compliment for this teams composition, and Lustboy has been the balance that has kept WildTurtle from going too ham too much. as it stands, this team, i believe, as much as it pains me, has a viable chance to win worlds. it may be a small chance, but its a better chance than they've had in any previous year. what i am happy about is that na has some new blood on the rise, with TiP, Team8 and Gravity all having strong showings this split, we could see a shift in power sooner than later.
now with the na and eu splits over, korea and china finishing up, as well as the other regions, this leads us to the Mid Season Invitational (MSI). while this will be a fun, post split, distraction, the real heat will be generated by the potential roster swaps amidst all the rumors and rigmarole. so many players futures are up in the air, and so many are being talked about going to all sorts of regions, it will be fun to see what changes and it will give me plenty to talk about. just a few names to keep in mind, Rekkles, Wickd, Shook, Forg1vengre, Hai, Incarnati0n and HolyPhoenix. i'm sure there are others, but off the top of my head, those could end up be some movers. as for the MSI, GE Tigers and Edward Gaming are the 2 that are obviously "expected" to be, 1. in the MSI and 2. be contending to win it. SKT1 and Vici Gaming are respectively on the other side of that conversation, and if you replace either of those former teams with the aforementioned teams, the other regions still have their hands full. i hate to be another broken record, but any type of championship still goes through korea and/or china and not beating a team from either of those regions would feel like a hollow victory. beyond that, we have our relegation matches for both na and eu. hopefully some more new blood will be injected to both LCS' and shake things up even more. i tire of the same old teams.
now for the fun stuff, we MAY be getting our Samsung world championship skins! no announcement has been made, and no previews have been provided, but the timing is roughly around when we got the SKT1 skins from s3, so hopefully we'll see something of those in the coming months.
i've typed a lot, and i think i've given you a lot to read. a new podcast from Tower Dive is on the way this week, where i'll get to bicker with my main man, Pan, about all things League. thanks for reading, and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Cptn's Log - well this exploded on the scene
now i've already gone into my feelings on Incarnati0n and how letting him play again is a bad idea. i don't love the idea of the hyper trolly, toxic and potentially dangerous (a confirmed DDOS'er) being allowed to play the game that i enjoy. that being said, he's an asshole, but not a genuinely bad person (he is but he isn't, its a fine line, you'll understand where i'm getting at later in this piece...). what he did affects everything you would do, IN GAME, that is the crucial element here. yes, he's a jerkoff and toxic and all that, but everything we've seen Incarnati0n do, it's all related to IN GAME activity. i put that term in caps again, clearly i'm alluding to something.
recently, on reddit, it was "confirmed" that XJ9 would be allowed to play League of Legends again. to those of you that don't know, and count yourselves lucky, XJ9 was a high level player, who, 2 years ago, was perma banned from League because he posted a naked picture of his underage girlfriend, on facebook. read that again, let it soak in. the reason he gave, because she played lee sin, and they had this...ridiculous pact, that if one of them played lee sin, then that meant they were over, or something incredibly childish like that. well, he saw her playing it and he acted...poorly. he attempted to ruin this girls life because she played a champion, in a game, that he didn't like...seems legit. well, the shitstorm that followed was pretty swift. he was banned for life from the game, Riot didn't press charges on him, i don't believe, he was a minor at the time anyways, but i don't believe they pressed charges and that was the end of it. over the years, his name has come up time and again, but his presence was no longer part of League. fast forward to this week, where he posted on reddit that he was "back", after successfully completing some class or something, Riot let him back in, provisionally, to play, stream and make money. XJ9's facebook post, proclaiming his return, was laden with passive aggressive jabs, canned "remorse" for his actions, and a promise he would change his ways, even though he didn't really believe he was those things that people said. if you managed to watch his stream, you see, he wasn't different, just older. still a troll, but now a bitter one, still passive aggressive, blaming everyone around him, not taking ANY responsibility for anything, yea...he's a new man. well, in the short time he was "back", RiotLyte, famed smiter and arbiter of justice in all things League, made short work of him. in short, XJ9 being allowed to play again was an oversight, it was an accident by someone, unfamiliar with the circumstances of his dismissal. quickly and with no pomp or circumstance, he was put back on the ban list, because what he did was heinous and Riot, as a company, did not want to be associate with activity such as he engaged in. justice served, everyone is happy, lets all move on, correct? wrong.
LS, currently a League coach for Gravity Gaming, decided to fire up his stream and comment about the situation, because he knows XJ9 in real life, and we're all just witch hunters. please, LS, enlighten us with your vast swaths of knowledge on XJ9, human nature, legal and moral issues and all things we should be thinking. as you can already tell, i'm not a particularly large fan of LS. so he starts his stream unable to figure out how to type in notepad, not a great start, but keep going. so he starts his stream breaking down what XJ9 did, essentially rationalizing it because the girls face wasn't shown in the picture, she didn't immediately come forward, blah, blah, blah. all of this comes right after his statement of "now i'm not condoning what he did...", no, dude, you are, just because you're not outright saying you think what he did wasn't wrong, you're rationalizing it, which might be worse. so he goes on about how the whole situation is giving him anxiety, for no good reason. he prattles on about how everyone on reddit has no clue what the real problem is, how XJ9 is being bullied, how he won't be able to get a job because of this. well, i think we need to step back and say, if he was thinking about his future, XJ9 shouldn't have done what he did in the first place, now, as a community, we're supposed to feel bad that there are consequences associated with his actions? perish the thought! he has to be held...accountable?!? this is where LS loses me, we have, XJ9, who may or may not have some sort of emotional disorder (i'm not a dr. so i can't diagnose it...), took it upon himself to potentially ruin a young girls life, whom he claimed to care for, by posting a naked picture of her on facebook, over some bullshit, is being bullied because the community at large thinks he's a scumbag and voices it on reddit, an open forum. so LS wants the community acted upon for not letting XJ9's actions go. mostly because we're spouting "facts" that aren't verified, we're slandering XJ9 (btw LS, slander is spoken, in print its libel.), and on top of that, it's NOT slander or libel, its rehashing what he did, and how it's wrong!
all in all, LS waffles throughout the whole stream, trying to make it about bullying, when it's really not. is it wrong that the community comes down on XJ9 like an avalanche? maybe, but what he did rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and if the WORST thing he is dealing with, is a bunch of angry gamers on reddit, then he got off easy. yea, his life is probably going to be difficult moving forward because he won't be able to escape the "demons of his past", but again, if you do dumb things, be prepared for their consequences. in the end, LS doesn't really understand what he's talking about, he's trying to diffuse the situation for someone he knows, and that's admirable, but it would be best if he kept himself out of it, as he has no part in any of this. personally, i'm glad XJ9 is still gone, he doesn't affect me or my game, but knowing that Riot has taken a stand against activities such as his, and is keeping to it, makes me feel better about the company i love and respect.
thanks for being a part of this post. remember, episode 2 of my podcast, Tower Dive, is up on our site, on itunes, soundcloud, sticher, and youtube. have a great day and i'll see you on the rift!
-HooksTower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
recently, on reddit, it was "confirmed" that XJ9 would be allowed to play League of Legends again. to those of you that don't know, and count yourselves lucky, XJ9 was a high level player, who, 2 years ago, was perma banned from League because he posted a naked picture of his underage girlfriend, on facebook. read that again, let it soak in. the reason he gave, because she played lee sin, and they had this...ridiculous pact, that if one of them played lee sin, then that meant they were over, or something incredibly childish like that. well, he saw her playing it and he acted...poorly. he attempted to ruin this girls life because she played a champion, in a game, that he didn't like...seems legit. well, the shitstorm that followed was pretty swift. he was banned for life from the game, Riot didn't press charges on him, i don't believe, he was a minor at the time anyways, but i don't believe they pressed charges and that was the end of it. over the years, his name has come up time and again, but his presence was no longer part of League. fast forward to this week, where he posted on reddit that he was "back", after successfully completing some class or something, Riot let him back in, provisionally, to play, stream and make money. XJ9's facebook post, proclaiming his return, was laden with passive aggressive jabs, canned "remorse" for his actions, and a promise he would change his ways, even though he didn't really believe he was those things that people said. if you managed to watch his stream, you see, he wasn't different, just older. still a troll, but now a bitter one, still passive aggressive, blaming everyone around him, not taking ANY responsibility for anything, yea...he's a new man. well, in the short time he was "back", RiotLyte, famed smiter and arbiter of justice in all things League, made short work of him. in short, XJ9 being allowed to play again was an oversight, it was an accident by someone, unfamiliar with the circumstances of his dismissal. quickly and with no pomp or circumstance, he was put back on the ban list, because what he did was heinous and Riot, as a company, did not want to be associate with activity such as he engaged in. justice served, everyone is happy, lets all move on, correct? wrong.
LS, currently a League coach for Gravity Gaming, decided to fire up his stream and comment about the situation, because he knows XJ9 in real life, and we're all just witch hunters. please, LS, enlighten us with your vast swaths of knowledge on XJ9, human nature, legal and moral issues and all things we should be thinking. as you can already tell, i'm not a particularly large fan of LS. so he starts his stream unable to figure out how to type in notepad, not a great start, but keep going. so he starts his stream breaking down what XJ9 did, essentially rationalizing it because the girls face wasn't shown in the picture, she didn't immediately come forward, blah, blah, blah. all of this comes right after his statement of "now i'm not condoning what he did...", no, dude, you are, just because you're not outright saying you think what he did wasn't wrong, you're rationalizing it, which might be worse. so he goes on about how the whole situation is giving him anxiety, for no good reason. he prattles on about how everyone on reddit has no clue what the real problem is, how XJ9 is being bullied, how he won't be able to get a job because of this. well, i think we need to step back and say, if he was thinking about his future, XJ9 shouldn't have done what he did in the first place, now, as a community, we're supposed to feel bad that there are consequences associated with his actions? perish the thought! he has to be held...accountable?!? this is where LS loses me, we have, XJ9, who may or may not have some sort of emotional disorder (i'm not a dr. so i can't diagnose it...), took it upon himself to potentially ruin a young girls life, whom he claimed to care for, by posting a naked picture of her on facebook, over some bullshit, is being bullied because the community at large thinks he's a scumbag and voices it on reddit, an open forum. so LS wants the community acted upon for not letting XJ9's actions go. mostly because we're spouting "facts" that aren't verified, we're slandering XJ9 (btw LS, slander is spoken, in print its libel.), and on top of that, it's NOT slander or libel, its rehashing what he did, and how it's wrong!
all in all, LS waffles throughout the whole stream, trying to make it about bullying, when it's really not. is it wrong that the community comes down on XJ9 like an avalanche? maybe, but what he did rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and if the WORST thing he is dealing with, is a bunch of angry gamers on reddit, then he got off easy. yea, his life is probably going to be difficult moving forward because he won't be able to escape the "demons of his past", but again, if you do dumb things, be prepared for their consequences. in the end, LS doesn't really understand what he's talking about, he's trying to diffuse the situation for someone he knows, and that's admirable, but it would be best if he kept himself out of it, as he has no part in any of this. personally, i'm glad XJ9 is still gone, he doesn't affect me or my game, but knowing that Riot has taken a stand against activities such as his, and is keeping to it, makes me feel better about the company i love and respect.
thanks for being a part of this post. remember, episode 2 of my podcast, Tower Dive, is up on our site, on itunes, soundcloud, sticher, and youtube. have a great day and i'll see you on the rift!
-HooksTower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Cptn's Log - it started out slow...
but wow, yesterday was a pretty busy day! i skipped posting a blog yesterday, mostly because it just didn't seem like much was happening. with week 1 of the LCS playoffs in the books, there was a bit of a lull, but then, reddit lit up a like a christmas tree. first, we'll start with the roster moves, and with that there is only one place to go, and that's Rekkles wants out of Elements in a bad way. he hasn't seemed happy all season, and now that has become obvious. he wants out and it looks like Tabzz will be in...again. i have to assume he's not going to be thrilled being second banana. jettisoned FOR Rekkles at the start of this season, he's now being brought back to the fold, it's like "hey, you suck, we have a better option, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out", to "hey, we really need you man, please come back." i'm sorry, but its comical, and this team is an absolute disaster, so i'm going to get my popcorn and enjoy the show, because it's far from over. sticking with Elements, as i mentioned Rekkles leaving and Tabzz rejoining, there is also the Incarnati0n rumors, which i touched on in my last blog, i think...if i didn't, the EL manager hinted that there might be a marriage between Incarnati0n and EL, which would move Froggen, and his farm heavy playstyle to top lane. in theory, not a terrible idea, but in practice, it could make a combustible team even worse.
now, with Rekkles leaving, he's going to need a new team, right? well the rumors around that are that he would like to return to Fnatic, which is hilarious, because they have no use for him. Steeelback's playstyle works perfectly with the way Fnatic play their game. also, Rekkles had the chance to build this team in his image, he chose to jump ship. YellowStar built the team that he wanted, with young, hungry, talent at each position. he had the chance to bring in vets like Tabzz, Kev1n, etc, but he didn't, he wanted new blood and it has paid dividends. so a return home for Rekkles is unlikely, but a new challenger emerges, first place finishers, SK Gaming seem to be past the honeymoon with star adc Forg1ven. his recent comments about how he doesn't care for nRated as a support, and how he's generally not thrilled with SK as an organization lead many to believe he will leave, allowing Rekkles to slide right in there, leaving Forg1ven without a team. it's all very salacious and when the dust settles, it will be interesting to see where everyone ends up. it's like a volatile game of musical chairs.
speaking of volatility, yesterday, a dota2 player came to the League subreddit to, essentially, call us "spineless". the reason being, because we don't boycott Riot when they don't give us what we want, because our client is outdated, because we pay for champs, because dominion is never updated, because Riot is "evil" and we let them get away with this. first of all, League is free. let me repeat that, League is FREE. yes, skins cost money, yes, boosts cost money, do you need those? no. there is no pay to win. yes, league is the most expensive free game ever created, but it's as expensive as you want it to be. personally, i love skins, i'll buy skins, i'm THAT guy, and i'm ok with that. in fact, there are a LOT of "that guy" that play League. these games that came out after League: Dota2, Smite, Infinite Crisis, they have a slightly different business model than League, why is that? oh, well, if they didn't their parent companies would be run by morons, because there would be no reason on earth to play their game if they offered the same game with the same model...that's just idiotic! fact is, League released a graphical overhaul of its map, it is giving visual updates to all of its outdated champs, yes, the client sucks, but they are working with internet providers to help streamline their ping and latency issues. riot, unlike valve (who was said to have one of the worst customer service departments in america as of a month + ago...food for thought) interacts with their community a lot, maybe too much. we are always part of a discussion of some sort. they don't have to do that, but they do. sure, maybe we're not helping them make decisions, but should we? if we did every champ would be both OP and Super Weak...how? who knows? the fact is, they know what they're doing, if they didn't 27 million of us wouldn't play DAILY. we're humans, we like to complain, but i'll be dammed if i'm going to let some dota2 douche call us spineless!
that's all i have to say today, but keep an eye out, Tower Dive episode 2 - What Would Lustboy Do? as it will be going up this week. thanks for reading, and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
now, with Rekkles leaving, he's going to need a new team, right? well the rumors around that are that he would like to return to Fnatic, which is hilarious, because they have no use for him. Steeelback's playstyle works perfectly with the way Fnatic play their game. also, Rekkles had the chance to build this team in his image, he chose to jump ship. YellowStar built the team that he wanted, with young, hungry, talent at each position. he had the chance to bring in vets like Tabzz, Kev1n, etc, but he didn't, he wanted new blood and it has paid dividends. so a return home for Rekkles is unlikely, but a new challenger emerges, first place finishers, SK Gaming seem to be past the honeymoon with star adc Forg1ven. his recent comments about how he doesn't care for nRated as a support, and how he's generally not thrilled with SK as an organization lead many to believe he will leave, allowing Rekkles to slide right in there, leaving Forg1ven without a team. it's all very salacious and when the dust settles, it will be interesting to see where everyone ends up. it's like a volatile game of musical chairs.
speaking of volatility, yesterday, a dota2 player came to the League subreddit to, essentially, call us "spineless". the reason being, because we don't boycott Riot when they don't give us what we want, because our client is outdated, because we pay for champs, because dominion is never updated, because Riot is "evil" and we let them get away with this. first of all, League is free. let me repeat that, League is FREE. yes, skins cost money, yes, boosts cost money, do you need those? no. there is no pay to win. yes, league is the most expensive free game ever created, but it's as expensive as you want it to be. personally, i love skins, i'll buy skins, i'm THAT guy, and i'm ok with that. in fact, there are a LOT of "that guy" that play League. these games that came out after League: Dota2, Smite, Infinite Crisis, they have a slightly different business model than League, why is that? oh, well, if they didn't their parent companies would be run by morons, because there would be no reason on earth to play their game if they offered the same game with the same model...that's just idiotic! fact is, League released a graphical overhaul of its map, it is giving visual updates to all of its outdated champs, yes, the client sucks, but they are working with internet providers to help streamline their ping and latency issues. riot, unlike valve (who was said to have one of the worst customer service departments in america as of a month + ago...food for thought) interacts with their community a lot, maybe too much. we are always part of a discussion of some sort. they don't have to do that, but they do. sure, maybe we're not helping them make decisions, but should we? if we did every champ would be both OP and Super Weak...how? who knows? the fact is, they know what they're doing, if they didn't 27 million of us wouldn't play DAILY. we're humans, we like to complain, but i'll be dammed if i'm going to let some dota2 douche call us spineless!
that's all i have to say today, but keep an eye out, Tower Dive episode 2 - What Would Lustboy Do? as it will be going up this week. thanks for reading, and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Cptn's Log - i just can't believe it...
really, a 3-0 sweep of CLG? we all know of my love affair with Team Liquid, and their "shot caller" IWDominate. but CLG was supposed to knock them off and i was going to laugh about it. but nooo, they had to go and lose every game in picks and bans. Link, who looks lost and uninterested, needs to be replaced. this should have happened a while ago, but he managed to stave off execution, well, that was a mistake. they lost out on the Incarnati0n sweepstakes, there's really no other great choices, unless there is some crazy good challenger mid that's not on a team or is on a bad team, i don't see CLG fixing their issues.
speaking of incarnati0n, EL Incarnati0n? the rumor birds are flocking on a tweet from Elements manager that COULD mean the talented troll could find himself on the "super team", which would move Froggen to top lane, where his "farm first" style of play would be suited nicely.
staying in EU, my sleeper darlings, CW, couldn't get out of their own way and find themselves out of the playoffs, following the drubbing they took from H2K. a drubbing so bad, that talented but inconsistent jungler, Airwaks, may find himself out of a job. onto Gambit, after dumpstering UOL in the first game, they proceeded to shit the bed in the next 3 games, for a tidy, 3-1 loss.
back on the homefront, Gravity managed to steal one from Team Impulse, in a game where XWX forgot to set up his masteries, but they ended up winning the series, 3-1, with some really standout play from Rush, but ultimately, the whole team stepped up when called upon. they still remain my sleeper pick as they go up against the top seed, TSM in what should be an interesting match up.
thats all from me, look for our 2nd episode of Tower Dive this week, and as always, i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
speaking of incarnati0n, EL Incarnati0n? the rumor birds are flocking on a tweet from Elements manager that COULD mean the talented troll could find himself on the "super team", which would move Froggen to top lane, where his "farm first" style of play would be suited nicely.
staying in EU, my sleeper darlings, CW, couldn't get out of their own way and find themselves out of the playoffs, following the drubbing they took from H2K. a drubbing so bad, that talented but inconsistent jungler, Airwaks, may find himself out of a job. onto Gambit, after dumpstering UOL in the first game, they proceeded to shit the bed in the next 3 games, for a tidy, 3-1 loss.
back on the homefront, Gravity managed to steal one from Team Impulse, in a game where XWX forgot to set up his masteries, but they ended up winning the series, 3-1, with some really standout play from Rush, but ultimately, the whole team stepped up when called upon. they still remain my sleeper pick as they go up against the top seed, TSM in what should be an interesting match up.
thats all from me, look for our 2nd episode of Tower Dive this week, and as always, i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
6aee4e130CCL
Friday, April 3, 2015
Cptn's Log - not much happening, but the show must go on
so once again, this will be a quick one. so i'll briefly mention some of the stories of the day. in an unsurprising move, YamotoCannon, formerly coach of MYM, has left the team to coach Glacial Phoenix. i have no idea who that is, but apparently they're from Belarus, and i don't recognize any names on that team. in much larger news, outstanding danish midlaner and gigantic douche-troll, Incarnati0n, had his "perma-ban" lifted and is now available to join a team...as a player. immediately, the rumor birds began to fly and he is RUMORED (i put it in caps because nothing is confirmed as of yet) to be joining C9. there, he would replace the oft injured Hai, who would most likely slide back into more of a team management roll, as Cloud9 is his company. while none of this is confirmed, it makes the most sense, since C9 hasn't looked like the team of old, Hai has had a slew of health issues over the last year + (wrist issues, collapsed lung, etc.), this move could, theoretically, make C9 a much stronger team, but adding such a toxic player could hurt them if he is reformed like Nukeduck is.
tomorrow, the EU and NA LCS playoffs begin with H2K v. CW at 11am EST and CLG v. Team Liquid at 3pm EST. these games represent a lot for these teams, it's validation for Liquid, CLG and CLG, and it's proof that H2K isn't an anomaly, they are legit contenders. my hopes, as most of you know, are for Liquid and H2K to end as losers, not because i have anything against H2K, i'm just more of a fan of CW, and i DO have something against Team Liquid, which is, i don't like passive-aggressive Xpecial and trolly IWDominate, so here's to their loss!
during tomorrows round of games, i'll be going over the games slated for sunday, and i'll briefly touch on the CS championship games remaining, and how CW purchased a potential championship team, in the LowLandLions, which they will, no doubt, have to sell, if they are to become part of the LCS.
i hope all of you got to check out Tower Dive, if not, here is your chance to hear myself and Pan the Man, yammer on about all things league. give us a listen and hopefully, you like what you hear and you'll tell your friends. that's it from me, i'll see you on the rift.
Cheers.
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
tomorrow, the EU and NA LCS playoffs begin with H2K v. CW at 11am EST and CLG v. Team Liquid at 3pm EST. these games represent a lot for these teams, it's validation for Liquid, CLG and CLG, and it's proof that H2K isn't an anomaly, they are legit contenders. my hopes, as most of you know, are for Liquid and H2K to end as losers, not because i have anything against H2K, i'm just more of a fan of CW, and i DO have something against Team Liquid, which is, i don't like passive-aggressive Xpecial and trolly IWDominate, so here's to their loss!
during tomorrows round of games, i'll be going over the games slated for sunday, and i'll briefly touch on the CS championship games remaining, and how CW purchased a potential championship team, in the LowLandLions, which they will, no doubt, have to sell, if they are to become part of the LCS.
i hope all of you got to check out Tower Dive, if not, here is your chance to hear myself and Pan the Man, yammer on about all things league. give us a listen and hopefully, you like what you hear and you'll tell your friends. that's it from me, i'll see you on the rift.
Cheers.
-Hooks
Tower Dive Podcast
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Cptn's Log - what would Lustboy do?
in one of the most ridiculously amazing scenes i have seen in league history, Team YOLO v. Team SWAG in URF was amazing. mind you, it wasn't amazing because of ad malz, or because of scarra, but because of Dash. RiotDash on the table, with the only good english accent out of all of the casters/personalities, carried the entire urf april fool's event. his "what would lustboy do" after a tirade about how the "show must go on" made me laugh out loud at work. but really, everyone was amazing, from sjokz' bizarre belgian/english, making it sound like australian, accent, to deficio saying "the hackers" must be american, after putting ham in the servers. with some time before the playoffs, this was a much nicer way to pass the time, so to speak.
the game itself, while insane, had its great moments. hotshotgg's full ad malz and army of voidlings, oddone being yellow carded and kicked out of the game and then replaced by oddbro (maplestreet), coach phreak, slapping zirene in the face with a glove. all in all, the game was a nice break from the intense playoff action that will soon be upon us. i'm keeping this short, because i want to save my words for the upcoming playoff matches...well that and i'm trying to figure out how to get our podcast stream up on our blog. so in this shortened version of the Cptn's Log, i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
the game itself, while insane, had its great moments. hotshotgg's full ad malz and army of voidlings, oddone being yellow carded and kicked out of the game and then replaced by oddbro (maplestreet), coach phreak, slapping zirene in the face with a glove. all in all, the game was a nice break from the intense playoff action that will soon be upon us. i'm keeping this short, because i want to save my words for the upcoming playoff matches...well that and i'm trying to figure out how to get our podcast stream up on our blog. so in this shortened version of the Cptn's Log, i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Cptn's Log - so it has been written, so it has been done...
the first podcast for Tower Dive has been recorded! i'm going to let that one soak in for a minute...ok, minute up, that's right people, in a few short hours, we'll have a link up, a site and some additional goodies for you all to check out. get excited, i know we are.
also, i'm not sure how many of you noticed, but my good friend, Pan the Man dropped his 2 cents into my blog. this may be a regular thing, so i hope you're ready for "opinions du jour", because myself and that boy love to disagree, that's what lane partners do. so make sure you have a dry pair of shorts next to your computer because the Never Never Lane will be doing battle, with each other, and the sarcasm will be plentiful!
on to actual business, the eu challenger playoffs have started today, and we're elbow deep in some lowlandlions v. G2, and i'm not going to pretend that i'm up on my challenger scene, but what i do know, is that neither of those teams are xpeke's Origen, who play tomorrow, who, in my mind, are going to be part of EU LCS next split. as for the NA CS, well, let me hit you with some heavy, not a single team impresses me all that much. as i see it, we're going to have the same teams in the LCS, save for the one that will take Coast's spot. alas, i can't disparage on the CS, it's playoffs, and i love me a good playoff.
spoiler alert, lowlandlions took out G2.
tonight, we get the first part of the NA CS, so tomorrow, we'll know at least one team that will be a step closer to the summer split.
today's blog is a short one, most of what i would talk about today was mentioned on my podcast, so keep a weathered eye on facebook and/or twitter, because that's where the information will drop first. thanks for reading, and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
also, i'm not sure how many of you noticed, but my good friend, Pan the Man dropped his 2 cents into my blog. this may be a regular thing, so i hope you're ready for "opinions du jour", because myself and that boy love to disagree, that's what lane partners do. so make sure you have a dry pair of shorts next to your computer because the Never Never Lane will be doing battle, with each other, and the sarcasm will be plentiful!
on to actual business, the eu challenger playoffs have started today, and we're elbow deep in some lowlandlions v. G2, and i'm not going to pretend that i'm up on my challenger scene, but what i do know, is that neither of those teams are xpeke's Origen, who play tomorrow, who, in my mind, are going to be part of EU LCS next split. as for the NA CS, well, let me hit you with some heavy, not a single team impresses me all that much. as i see it, we're going to have the same teams in the LCS, save for the one that will take Coast's spot. alas, i can't disparage on the CS, it's playoffs, and i love me a good playoff.
spoiler alert, lowlandlions took out G2.
tonight, we get the first part of the NA CS, so tomorrow, we'll know at least one team that will be a step closer to the summer split.
today's blog is a short one, most of what i would talk about today was mentioned on my podcast, so keep a weathered eye on facebook and/or twitter, because that's where the information will drop first. thanks for reading, and i'll see you on the rift!
Cheers!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Monday, March 30, 2015
Pan's Perspective - a challenger approaches
…or gold level. Whatever, who’s
counting. Regardless, I’m here to offer a response to my good
friend’s, the cptn, blog posts. He says things that I disagree with
and if nobody is around to talk louder than Hooks, he tends to think
he’s right. So, consider this a public service and said service
comes to you in 3 parts.
Part 1: “Potential”
The fan favorite for the NA LCS
playoffs is TSM. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan and I would really
appreciate it if clg lived up to their “potential”. They finally
have a team that is more than just a doublelift. They just need to
find a way to make it work consistently. As much as I want to see CLG
with a split championship under their belt, I really think C9 has a
strong chance to take it to the bank. Especially since they’ll be
against CLG or TL in their playoff match. They have a little bit of
time to prep, and hopefully Hai can get his ergonomics and champion
pool sorted out.
If I’m going to pick a dark horse, I
gotta go with gravity. If we ignore Saint’s missed smites, they’re
looking like a really solid team. The always consistent Cop is
looking more confident, Hauntzer is always a threat to be reckoned
with and Keane seems to be comfortable with playing whatever Faker
played the previous week. If you’re not sure what to do, then just
do what the best player in the world does and try to figure out why
it’s good. I think FDR said that… maybe it was Day9. Same
difference.
I really hope there aren’t any roster
swaps between now and the summer split. Some of these teams just need
time to cohere. Except Coast. Sorry guys, you can’t play with the
big boys until you can figure out how to not throw your late game
away.
Part 2: The Real Housewives Team Liquid
I actually agree with Hooks’
interpretation of Liquid’s Problems, except that I kinda blame
piglet as well. Don’t get me wrong. The dude is a world class ADC,
but he also has a world class ego. Sure, he can 1v1 any North
American player, but that doesn’t help when 4 people show up to
your lane ready to toss your salad. Just look at liquid’s tie
breaker with T8. Liquid sets up a perfect juggermaw comp. They get
lulu for the top lane support. Dom locks in Sejuani for jungle and
Fenix gets Zed so they can split push. Piglet locks in Janna
according to plan and guess want he does next. He asks for Lucien. A
champ with a mid game power spike and enough speed to play keep away
from his own support. Just look what Fenix does when Piglet calls for
Lucien. He slumps as if to sigh “fuuuuuuuuck”. Check Xspecial’s
face when he locks it in. A grimace and eye roll. They build a comp
to protect a back line hyper carry and Piglet takes his ball and goes
home.
They have 3 really big head heads on
their team and they’re having trouble fitting them all on the rift.
Part 3: All is Forg1ven
Except that it’s not. I love watching
forgiven play, but I hate reading about the shit he says about his
team mates. Dude, you are one of the best AD carries in the world and
all you can say is you hope your support will “retire soon.” Come
on. I didn’t draft him my fantasy league and got last place because
of him. Worth.
/rant
I’m not sure who I want to win the EU
LCS Spring Playoffs. I have always liked Fnatic and would for love
Team huni, read yellowstar, to take home the gold. At the same time.
I would love to see UOL in the finals and win it all with top lane
Poppy. RIP solo que if that happens though. The smart money is on SK.
They’ve looked strong all spilt except for that 2 week period when
they all had the flu. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Forg1ven
begrudgingly accept a giant check. At least he cut his greasy hair
and starting washing his face.
Lost boys out,
-Pan
Cptn's Log - the dust has settled
and the playoffs are now set. yea, i took another day off, mostly to collect my thoughts for the playoff brackets...and to watch wrestlemania, but we're back and ready to break it down. in the na, its CLG v. Team Liquid and Team Impulse v. Gravity in the first round. the winners of those games go on to play C9 and TSM respectively and so on and so forth. Team 8 got the short end of the stick, missing relegations but also missing the playoffs. i feel bad, Team 8 really started to come alive in the last few weeks of the split, but at least they have a spot secured for next split, so they can continue to improve their game. Dignitas and Winterfox will be playing for their lives in relegation. Dig never really got it all together this season. they had times where it looked like the roster would come together and start to gel, but it was never consistent enough to get out of their own way. i like their chances to stay in lcs, but anything can happen. i think they have a lot of talent, they just need to all get on the same page. Winterfox took all split to get going, but when they looked good, they looked unbeatable. i firmly believe they will win their relegation games and stay in the lcs for next split. i think they have a lot to prove and have a chip on their shoulder. they know what they're capable of and without paragon screwing with their chemistry, they should continue to play better and could scare a few teams in the summer split.
Team Liquid is a team that simply does not deserve to be where they are. this team blamed all their problems on Piglet, who, yea, didn't play amazing this split, but also didn't have any support. TL assumed that Piglet would carry their heavy asses to worlds, well, i hate to be the bearer of bad news...but its a team game. after watching a few games, Piglet wasn't the problem, sure, he needed to work the kinks out of his game and learn a whole new team style, but his supporting cast, specifically Xpecial and IWDominate are about as useful as a poopy-flavored lollipop. these 2 were at the front of the "lets all blame Piglet" train, and their play this season, as a whole, has been so bad, that Liquid should consider replacing them. Xpecial, who is so passive aggressive, at times, looked like he had never played support. his would muddle around lane doing almost nothing, it was like watching low bronze. and IWDominate, don't get me started on him. i haven't been a fan of his in general, and this thought that he's this world class jungler, blows my mind. he's made some nice plays, but simply put, he's not a good enough player to make those around him better.
ultimately, i believe TSM will end up taking the split. i haven't been in love with the way they have played recently, but i do think they are the strongest team. C9 got it together late enough to manage 2nd place over CLG, which isn't surprising, since CLG's big problem is the fact they can't finish a season. i don't believe either of those teams are playing at a high enough level to win. my darkhorse is Team Impulse. while they looked pretty bad against Dig, which is almost unforgivable, i think they have the talent to put it all together and make a run, while i don't think they will, i think they can, which is why they're my darkhorse. Gravity made some nice strides this season, but i don't see them going far in the playoffs.
in eu, Copenhagen Wolves managed to sneak into the final playoff spot, while Elements, deserving so, sit at home, not relegated, but not out of next split, which is a shame, because if any team deserves to go home, its them. in the brackets, Gambit plays Unicorns of Love in a match that will definitely be interesting, with Gambit really coming on, as of late, and UoL playing some inspiring matches as well. CW plays H2K and this game has a lot of intrigue around it. both of these teams suffer from multiple personality disorder. there are times when both seem like they could be top 3, and other times when they could easily be bottom 3. i will be watching this game, curious to see which of them shows up in summoners rift, because these games could be bronze promos or instant classics. the winners of both of those games will go on to play SK and Fnatic, respectively. while SK is the favorite to come out of the playoffs as winners, i have to throw my support to Fnatic. i think the way that they play, they could completely blitz their way to a playoff win. my darkhorse here is CW. if they play like i know they can play, they are capable of beating any of these teams. Freeze and Soren are 2 very strong carries, and if Airwaks can get going, and YoungBuck doesn't feed, they can make a real run at this.
well, thats all for me. the games start on april 4th, so we have a bit of downtime till then. hopefully there will some juicy bits to talk about between here and there, otherwise, my blog will be very interesting! also, the first Tower Dive Podcast will be recorded tonight, look for its release this week! take care, my readers, and always take your gank tax. see you on the rift!
Cheers,
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Team Liquid is a team that simply does not deserve to be where they are. this team blamed all their problems on Piglet, who, yea, didn't play amazing this split, but also didn't have any support. TL assumed that Piglet would carry their heavy asses to worlds, well, i hate to be the bearer of bad news...but its a team game. after watching a few games, Piglet wasn't the problem, sure, he needed to work the kinks out of his game and learn a whole new team style, but his supporting cast, specifically Xpecial and IWDominate are about as useful as a poopy-flavored lollipop. these 2 were at the front of the "lets all blame Piglet" train, and their play this season, as a whole, has been so bad, that Liquid should consider replacing them. Xpecial, who is so passive aggressive, at times, looked like he had never played support. his would muddle around lane doing almost nothing, it was like watching low bronze. and IWDominate, don't get me started on him. i haven't been a fan of his in general, and this thought that he's this world class jungler, blows my mind. he's made some nice plays, but simply put, he's not a good enough player to make those around him better.
ultimately, i believe TSM will end up taking the split. i haven't been in love with the way they have played recently, but i do think they are the strongest team. C9 got it together late enough to manage 2nd place over CLG, which isn't surprising, since CLG's big problem is the fact they can't finish a season. i don't believe either of those teams are playing at a high enough level to win. my darkhorse is Team Impulse. while they looked pretty bad against Dig, which is almost unforgivable, i think they have the talent to put it all together and make a run, while i don't think they will, i think they can, which is why they're my darkhorse. Gravity made some nice strides this season, but i don't see them going far in the playoffs.
in eu, Copenhagen Wolves managed to sneak into the final playoff spot, while Elements, deserving so, sit at home, not relegated, but not out of next split, which is a shame, because if any team deserves to go home, its them. in the brackets, Gambit plays Unicorns of Love in a match that will definitely be interesting, with Gambit really coming on, as of late, and UoL playing some inspiring matches as well. CW plays H2K and this game has a lot of intrigue around it. both of these teams suffer from multiple personality disorder. there are times when both seem like they could be top 3, and other times when they could easily be bottom 3. i will be watching this game, curious to see which of them shows up in summoners rift, because these games could be bronze promos or instant classics. the winners of both of those games will go on to play SK and Fnatic, respectively. while SK is the favorite to come out of the playoffs as winners, i have to throw my support to Fnatic. i think the way that they play, they could completely blitz their way to a playoff win. my darkhorse here is CW. if they play like i know they can play, they are capable of beating any of these teams. Freeze and Soren are 2 very strong carries, and if Airwaks can get going, and YoungBuck doesn't feed, they can make a real run at this.
well, thats all for me. the games start on april 4th, so we have a bit of downtime till then. hopefully there will some juicy bits to talk about between here and there, otherwise, my blog will be very interesting! also, the first Tower Dive Podcast will be recorded tonight, look for its release this week! take care, my readers, and always take your gank tax. see you on the rift!
Cheers,
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Cptn's Log - I took a day off
because, it was week 9 for eu. the playoff picture was coming together and i needed to give it my full attention. it turns out, all the way back to my first blog post, MYM was going to be relegated, but not for a lack of trying. they were just a team in a bad place after a really rough start, and Giants were able to capitalize in the tie breaker. Elements, now there is a team that deserves to be relegated. the least inspiring play i have ever seen in a team. these super teams, they just don't work. in order for them to exist and succeed, their superstar talent needs to be able to put aside their egos for the betterment of the team, these guys can't do it. Rekkles seems completely disinterested in this team, and his play shows it. they staved off having to play for their spot next season, but they don't deserve not to. CW turned it up a notch this week, and then turned it way down the next day. this team has a bad case of jeckyll and hyde disorder. they can look downright dominant, and then look completely lost, it has to be frustrating for them, because i can barely watch it, and i'm not on their team. Fnatic assured they were not finishing 1st or 3rd, decided to have a little fun it seems, Huni, on cho'gath was certainly interesting to see. this team, i gush about them week to week, but they really play the way you're supposed to, aggressive, hungry but still seeming to have fun, i love watching it.
we now turn our attention to the na scene, where things are a lot less black and white (unless you're talking about Coast being out of next split, which is assured). if Impulse sweeps the days, they have a shot at 2nd, provided C9 loses a game. CLG has a chance at 1st if they manage a sweep and TSM drops 2. we can have a 3 way tie for first, its absolute craziness in na. the bottom end of the spectrum is all but figured out, with Coast out, and Winterfox and Dignitas going to relegation. other than that, the final 2 spots are up for grabs. on a personal note, i have a chance to win my fantasy lcs league, but need a lot of things to break my way in order to do so, so lets go Impulse!
well, i'm going to keep this one quick, and not cheapen the day with heavy handed words. if you found this blog from a reddit post, welcome! i hope it's to your liking. i'm pumped to watch some lcs and play some ranked. if you see me online, shoot me a message, lets play a game.
Cheers!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
we now turn our attention to the na scene, where things are a lot less black and white (unless you're talking about Coast being out of next split, which is assured). if Impulse sweeps the days, they have a shot at 2nd, provided C9 loses a game. CLG has a chance at 1st if they manage a sweep and TSM drops 2. we can have a 3 way tie for first, its absolute craziness in na. the bottom end of the spectrum is all but figured out, with Coast out, and Winterfox and Dignitas going to relegation. other than that, the final 2 spots are up for grabs. on a personal note, i have a chance to win my fantasy lcs league, but need a lot of things to break my way in order to do so, so lets go Impulse!
well, i'm going to keep this one quick, and not cheapen the day with heavy handed words. if you found this blog from a reddit post, welcome! i hope it's to your liking. i'm pumped to watch some lcs and play some ranked. if you see me online, shoot me a message, lets play a game.
Cheers!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Cptn's Log - Huni is a monster...
allow me to take a minute to comment on one of the most amazing players this season. this gentleman, who NO ONE knew when he was named the top laner for the new Fnatic squad. he was just some no name korean who may or may not be pretty good. well, aren't we all stupid. i'm obviously talking about the man, the myth, huni. a quick look at some stats, and you see, this kid is legit. he is one of the top scoring players in both eu and na regions, out of top lane. a lane that, historically, is populated by tanks and meat shields, huni has made the boring, single-player mode of top lane, totally sexy again. his ability to carry, makes players like dyrus, wickd, and those of that ilk look like the dinosaurs they are. playing an old mans game. teams try to ban him out, they take away his rumble, they take away his lissandra, so what does he do? he picks hecarim and with teleport and homeguard, dominates his lane, makes crazy ganks, and excites all that watch.
i love that he's injected life into, what was a stale division last season, that being eu. the games were slow and uninteresting. everyone picked the same champions all the time, the bans were identical, it was monotonous. now, i know huni is the only one responsible for the shift, obviously, but he has given a breath of fresh air to a place that was thought to be a black hole. i mean, i'm definitely biased, being a fnatic fan, and all, but its the balls out by players like huni, that make the viewing experience fun and interesting. so for this blog post, i chose to salute you, huni, for making top lane sexy again, cheers to you!
well, that'll do it for me. with the last few blogs being long and brimming with witty repartee, i chose to strip this one down like a slutty cheerleader, lol. thanks for reading, check me out on twitter, and be ready for the first podcast next week, more info as it gets closer.
see you on the rift!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
i love that he's injected life into, what was a stale division last season, that being eu. the games were slow and uninteresting. everyone picked the same champions all the time, the bans were identical, it was monotonous. now, i know huni is the only one responsible for the shift, obviously, but he has given a breath of fresh air to a place that was thought to be a black hole. i mean, i'm definitely biased, being a fnatic fan, and all, but its the balls out by players like huni, that make the viewing experience fun and interesting. so for this blog post, i chose to salute you, huni, for making top lane sexy again, cheers to you!
well, that'll do it for me. with the last few blogs being long and brimming with witty repartee, i chose to strip this one down like a slutty cheerleader, lol. thanks for reading, check me out on twitter, and be ready for the first podcast next week, more info as it gets closer.
see you on the rift!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Cptn's Log - the word of the day is "toxicity"
for some reason, all over the interwebs today, has been league posts about toxicity...like, all of the sudden, NOW, its a problem. the days, months, weeks, and years prior to this, it was totally not a thing, NOW, people want to talk about it. clearly, i'm not talking about reddit, who sings of toxic players on a daily basis. anyone who's played a ranked game in the last few years, for more than 10 minutes, and not carried hard, has been called a noob, a scrub, a filthy casual (one of my personal favorites...), bad-at-life, and, of course, a faggot. my mother has been fucked thousands of times by thousands of summoners, and the hopes for my painful death are plentiful in post game chat, but all of this isn't news.
richard lewis made a video about it...which is a tad amusing, since, in terms of the community, he's a somewhat toxic individual. i dislike how he seems to believe that the term, in gaming, originated in league and that it is "infecting and infiltrating" games like counter strike. news flash, the counter strike community is not without trolls. its full of the same scumbags and assholes that play smite, or halo, or hearthstone, or HoN, or WoW, or infinite crisis, or evolve, or EVERY COMPETITIVE GAME THAT HAS EVER EXISTED. i can assure you, the first time you were called a "faggot" in league, was not the first time you were called a "faggot" in online gaming. now, i don't love that word, i don't love how its thrown around, innocuously, but that's for another blog. the point i'm making is toxicity won't start and end with LoL.
trolls are going to be trolls, no amount of banning, cracking down, restricting, etc, is going to stop them. you see on reddit, all the time, "i got chat restricted and i don't know why...", it's because you're an asshole and are just too stupid to realize it. people like that, they're not going away. the more you complain and bitch and moan, the louder they get, and everyone is guilty of it at some point in time. i, myself, was a rager and a bit of a troll...it didn't make me any better at this game, in fact, it made me worse, because i was more concerned with getting under my opponents skin than i was at improving my game. i made a conscious decision one night, that it just wasn't worth it to be that way. i took a few days, did some introspection, took on a zen-like mentality, and learned that mute is your friend.
people are so focused on pointing out toxic players, but it goes all the way up from bronze 5 to the pro scene. nukeduck, mithy, these guys are assholes. ocelote, he was one of the most toxic players ever. that faux-thug team in australia, they got banned because they let life imitate art, or life imitate childish behavior. my point is, you're not going to stop it by crusading on the internet. let them troll. either way, they will destroy your game, don't let them destroy your sanity. i'm glad i got that off my chest. the podcast is coming...keep your eyes on the skies...or on the internet, specifically facebook and/or twitter...this is how the world will end, this is how the world will end, not with a bang, but with passive aggressive post-it notes...thank you cards against humanity.
see you on the rift
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
richard lewis made a video about it...which is a tad amusing, since, in terms of the community, he's a somewhat toxic individual. i dislike how he seems to believe that the term, in gaming, originated in league and that it is "infecting and infiltrating" games like counter strike. news flash, the counter strike community is not without trolls. its full of the same scumbags and assholes that play smite, or halo, or hearthstone, or HoN, or WoW, or infinite crisis, or evolve, or EVERY COMPETITIVE GAME THAT HAS EVER EXISTED. i can assure you, the first time you were called a "faggot" in league, was not the first time you were called a "faggot" in online gaming. now, i don't love that word, i don't love how its thrown around, innocuously, but that's for another blog. the point i'm making is toxicity won't start and end with LoL.
trolls are going to be trolls, no amount of banning, cracking down, restricting, etc, is going to stop them. you see on reddit, all the time, "i got chat restricted and i don't know why...", it's because you're an asshole and are just too stupid to realize it. people like that, they're not going away. the more you complain and bitch and moan, the louder they get, and everyone is guilty of it at some point in time. i, myself, was a rager and a bit of a troll...it didn't make me any better at this game, in fact, it made me worse, because i was more concerned with getting under my opponents skin than i was at improving my game. i made a conscious decision one night, that it just wasn't worth it to be that way. i took a few days, did some introspection, took on a zen-like mentality, and learned that mute is your friend.
people are so focused on pointing out toxic players, but it goes all the way up from bronze 5 to the pro scene. nukeduck, mithy, these guys are assholes. ocelote, he was one of the most toxic players ever. that faux-thug team in australia, they got banned because they let life imitate art, or life imitate childish behavior. my point is, you're not going to stop it by crusading on the internet. let them troll. either way, they will destroy your game, don't let them destroy your sanity. i'm glad i got that off my chest. the podcast is coming...keep your eyes on the skies...or on the internet, specifically facebook and/or twitter...this is how the world will end, this is how the world will end, not with a bang, but with passive aggressive post-it notes...thank you cards against humanity.
see you on the rift
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Cptn's Log - because i was informed i hadn't talked about this yet...
...and really, how could i have? i've only been in operation for less than a full week! i was playing some games last night, lamenting my lack of desire to play ranked, when it was brought to my attention, by my good friend Taylor (i won't use his summoner name, unless he lets me...some people can't handle the spotlight, lol), that i have not even mentioned the korean scene, and what my opinion of it and its stars are. so i thought to myself, "self...why not bring it up now?!?" and that's what we're doing. i present to you: Cptn Hooks' Korean Scene Rundown.
ok, so south korea is a region of the world that makes amazing rts-style gamers. these gamers are the perfect weapons in the battle to rule games like starcraft, warcraft, league of legends, dota2, etc. this though, this isn't a lesson on korea, you already know they kill it in league and starcraft, if you didn't, you probably wouldn't be reading a blog that focuses on league of legends, would you? we'll start with the GE Tigers. this team is mostly former najin players, like PraY, GorillA, Lee and kurO, with Smeb, from Incredible Miracle. looking at them before the season started, you were like, "ok, they're good on paper, but like most najin teams, they'll be unable to finish and ultimately be sent home, come worlds. well, with the recent exodus from korea (bye bye samsung...), this team has, thus far, grabbed the proverbial "brass ring" and ran with it. other than IEM (which sounds like it was more or a letdown than anything) GE has NOT LOST A SERIES. read that line again. needless to say, they're the team to beat in korea. Smeb and PraY look downright scary on occasion, and if you manage to shut one down, the other will simply carry harder.
up next on the docket is SK Telecom T1, or as i like to call them...Fakers team. there was the feeling around the league community, that the mass exodus of so many high profile korean players to china, that korea was going to be a region in decline. while many teams have suffered losses, SKT1 is still one of the best, and when you have the best player in the world on your team, it makes it a little easier. the loss of piglet and poohmandu was tough, but bang is incredible and at this point in their careers, potentially better than piglet (and probably less toxic in solo q...), MaRin is a solid top lane and Easyhoon might be the best midlaner in korea...if not for his teammate, Faker. sure, they're not rolling through teams like they did in season 3, but they've maintained a high level of play and are definitely a contender for worlds this season.
now we're into the mid tier teams. CJ Entus, once a name that was feared in korea. loaded with crazy talent at every position. well that talent got old, and they're lost their edge. madlife isn't the same madlife, and maybe that's because he's had to alter his game so much to cater to space. shy, especially after his recent post, is a broken man. he's doubting himself and his skills, and for a pro ANYTHING, that's a dark place to be. this team is a shell of itself. while it can still pull out a good game here and there, they're just not consistent enough to be considered a real threat.
the 2nd team in this mid tier group is the Jin Air Green Wings. now last year, both of the Jin Air teams were a bit of a mess. since the restructuring of how teams operate in korea, the unified squad is quite good. led by GBM, who seems to have found himself this season, Cpt Jack, while he may never be the Cpt Jack of old, is having a bit of a renaissance this season, and has looked very sharp at times. adding TrAce to top lane and Chaser in the jungle, the team has looked like a solid contender, maybe not in the same conversation as GE, or SKT1, but definitely something to be taken seriously. they definitely don't play like the 2 Jin Air teams from last season.
for brevity's sake, the rest of korea isn't really worth mentioning. a lot of mediocre teams vying to not be the worst. bringing up the caboose, is, none other than Samsung Galaxy. yes, last years world champs have gone first to worst, that being said, its obviously a completely different roster, comprised mostly of young, solo q heroes. they have a lot of potential, but they're so green that their great plays are usually preceded and followed by terrible plays. its just fun to mention that they have only won 1 series this season, and 4 individual games. how the mighty have fallen.
the long and short is korea is not the region it once was. losses at IEM (for whatever reason) show they CAN be beaten, and the other regions are beginning to bridge the gap. obviously china is the hot region currently because of the overflowing of not just chinese, but korean talent that is there, so come time for worlds, it will be interesting to see if GE and SKT1 can keep the pressure on teams like Edward Gaming, OMG, and the rest of the power teams in china. i very much look forward to those clashes.
that just about wraps up tonights late night blog session...this was a long one but a good one...in my opinion, because i wrote it. thanks for reading and remember to tell your friends!
see you on the rift!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
up next on the docket is SK Telecom T1, or as i like to call them...Fakers team. there was the feeling around the league community, that the mass exodus of so many high profile korean players to china, that korea was going to be a region in decline. while many teams have suffered losses, SKT1 is still one of the best, and when you have the best player in the world on your team, it makes it a little easier. the loss of piglet and poohmandu was tough, but bang is incredible and at this point in their careers, potentially better than piglet (and probably less toxic in solo q...), MaRin is a solid top lane and Easyhoon might be the best midlaner in korea...if not for his teammate, Faker. sure, they're not rolling through teams like they did in season 3, but they've maintained a high level of play and are definitely a contender for worlds this season.
now we're into the mid tier teams. CJ Entus, once a name that was feared in korea. loaded with crazy talent at every position. well that talent got old, and they're lost their edge. madlife isn't the same madlife, and maybe that's because he's had to alter his game so much to cater to space. shy, especially after his recent post, is a broken man. he's doubting himself and his skills, and for a pro ANYTHING, that's a dark place to be. this team is a shell of itself. while it can still pull out a good game here and there, they're just not consistent enough to be considered a real threat.
the 2nd team in this mid tier group is the Jin Air Green Wings. now last year, both of the Jin Air teams were a bit of a mess. since the restructuring of how teams operate in korea, the unified squad is quite good. led by GBM, who seems to have found himself this season, Cpt Jack, while he may never be the Cpt Jack of old, is having a bit of a renaissance this season, and has looked very sharp at times. adding TrAce to top lane and Chaser in the jungle, the team has looked like a solid contender, maybe not in the same conversation as GE, or SKT1, but definitely something to be taken seriously. they definitely don't play like the 2 Jin Air teams from last season.
for brevity's sake, the rest of korea isn't really worth mentioning. a lot of mediocre teams vying to not be the worst. bringing up the caboose, is, none other than Samsung Galaxy. yes, last years world champs have gone first to worst, that being said, its obviously a completely different roster, comprised mostly of young, solo q heroes. they have a lot of potential, but they're so green that their great plays are usually preceded and followed by terrible plays. its just fun to mention that they have only won 1 series this season, and 4 individual games. how the mighty have fallen.
the long and short is korea is not the region it once was. losses at IEM (for whatever reason) show they CAN be beaten, and the other regions are beginning to bridge the gap. obviously china is the hot region currently because of the overflowing of not just chinese, but korean talent that is there, so come time for worlds, it will be interesting to see if GE and SKT1 can keep the pressure on teams like Edward Gaming, OMG, and the rest of the power teams in china. i very much look forward to those clashes.
that just about wraps up tonights late night blog session...this was a long one but a good one...in my opinion, because i wrote it. thanks for reading and remember to tell your friends!
see you on the rift!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Monday, March 23, 2015
Cptn's Log - the calm before the storm
so, i made my post late last night and here i am, 11 am est, blogging...what more could i possibly have to say under such short notice? if you know me, you know i never have a shortage of things to say. so i played my promo's this weekend...that was a mistake. there is nothing i like better than someone playing bard, and being terrible with them in ranked. the good thing was, it didn't take up a great deal of my time because 5 minutes into the first game, our bard, who was terrible, got butthurt when one of his "attempted plays", went south and got us killed. naturally, it was my fault, just ask him. now, i've learned to accept my mistakes, and especially in solo q, but when someone sets up a bad engage, and i back him up, because he's my lane mate, and we die, dude...that't not all on me. i digress, i'm getting off what i wanted to talk about, which is the new skins on the pbe, for april fool's day!
let me start by saying, i'm not an urf fan. not the character, not the game mode, and really, not any of the skins, he doesn't do anything for me. that being said, i think the nami urf skin is fantastic. now, this could be because i am biased, as nami is one of my favorite champs, but, i think its pretty great, and can't wait to burn more holes in my wallet. beyond the nami skin, the definitely not udyr skin, another champ i'm not fond of, is also amazing and hilarious. it's good to see that riot hasn't completely lost their sense of humor when it comes to skins. other than those 2 i mentioned, i don't have much of a vested interest in any of the other skins.
i've pretty much said all i can say about the lcs this week. with next weeks docket of games still a few days off, i'm not going to preview them until its a little closer. what i can say is i'm pulling for Fnatic in the eu region and Team Impulse in the na region. i like a good underdog story, and both of these teams suffered major losses in personnel this off season. no one expected pretty much anything from either team, especially in the first split.
so it's a thin day of news and opinions, deal with it. consider this the soup portion of the meal. soon you'll be getting to the goods, but i'm going to make you wait, because...well that's the type of guy i am.
see you on the rift.
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
let me start by saying, i'm not an urf fan. not the character, not the game mode, and really, not any of the skins, he doesn't do anything for me. that being said, i think the nami urf skin is fantastic. now, this could be because i am biased, as nami is one of my favorite champs, but, i think its pretty great, and can't wait to burn more holes in my wallet. beyond the nami skin, the definitely not udyr skin, another champ i'm not fond of, is also amazing and hilarious. it's good to see that riot hasn't completely lost their sense of humor when it comes to skins. other than those 2 i mentioned, i don't have much of a vested interest in any of the other skins.
i've pretty much said all i can say about the lcs this week. with next weeks docket of games still a few days off, i'm not going to preview them until its a little closer. what i can say is i'm pulling for Fnatic in the eu region and Team Impulse in the na region. i like a good underdog story, and both of these teams suffered major losses in personnel this off season. no one expected pretty much anything from either team, especially in the first split.
so it's a thin day of news and opinions, deal with it. consider this the soup portion of the meal. soon you'll be getting to the goods, but i'm going to make you wait, because...well that's the type of guy i am.
see you on the rift.
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Cptn's Log - i can't say i didn't expect this...
ok, so i lied when i said i would have a more comprehensive review of where the na lcs teams currently sit. mostly, it's because i re-read what i wrote yesterday and, really, i summed up what i wanted to say, pretty well in that. hooray for brevity! tonight, i'll try to keep it quick, but i'm also going through 2 days worth of games. while a lot were what i assumed the outcome would be, it has definitely put the na playoff scene in perspective.
day 1 - TiP shit on Coast. i can't say i didn't see that coming. TiP has looked monstrous the last few weeks. they are firing on all cylinders and what was thought to be their weakness (bot lane) has turned out to be a major strength. Coast will be on the outside looking in when its all said and done in the spring split, despite whatever bizarre moves they make with teams they buy. Liquid continues their up/down play, with a loss to C9. from start to finish, they were victimized. 32 minutes later, they had 3 total kills. you can't keep blaming your inconsistency on Piglet, because at some point, he can't be expected to carry anchors like Xpecial and IWillDominate. while he's looked bad, they haven't looked better and aren't making his job any easier. i genuinely feel bad for him, in this situation. he was given very little to work with and sometimes it seems like its "the world v. piglet", and it shouldn't be. he's a polarizing character that hasn't made his transition any easier with under performing. as much as i hate to say it, TSM v. Gravity was the game of the day. i'll be the first to say, i'm NOT a TSM fanboy. i don't like how Regi runs his organization, i don't care for Dyrus, and think he's incredibly overrated. i think without Bjergsen and Lustboy, this team would be middle of the pack, at best. with all that said, they have looked quite strong since IEM and their momentum carried into this weeks game. now, i know they didn't win, but it was by far the best game of the day, Gravity has stepped up their game of late and and find themselves in the midst of a possible top 3 finish, if they can keep up their strong play. CLG v. Dignitas only showed that Dig still can't close the deal in a game they have a chance at, and that ZionSpartan (even his teacher calls him that!) can grow a "creepy uncle" mustache. Speaking of teams on the rise, Team 8, with their victory over WinterFox, is also making a late run and has assured themselves a spot in the next split. CaliTrlolz and Slooshi continue to do most of the heavy lifting as they roll on.
day 2 - a somewhat less exciting day of games, day 2 provided us simply with a more focused look at who is going to be playing in relegation, as well as some glimpses of the new na blood. Gravity played another strong, smart game, knocking off Dig, who couldn't get out of the gates it seemed. that brought us to the game of the day, el classico, TSM v. CLG. no na game is more hyped, than when these 2 teams lock horns in the battle of "which teams fans will vote harder for their team to win?" after 41 minutes of play, TSM came out with the victory on the shoulders of a well played game by WildTurtle and Lustboy, with Dyrus at least having a positive kda this time around. right now, he is their clear weakness. his inability to carry, or at times, to be a presence in lane will hurt them come worlds, unless he figures it out, or is benched. on the flip side, DoubleLift was never able to carry his team, despite playing rather well. CLG's deficiencies are being exposed in these games against top talent, but they still remain a top na team. this was C9's chance to break away from the upper/middle pack, but they ran into the buzzsaw that has been Team 8 the last few weeks. a team no one expected much from, that was thought to be relegation fodder, has turned into one of the great Cinderella stories of the spring split. them, along with Team Impulse and Gravity have shown that there is top talent in na that doesn't always reside in the same old dinosaur teams. TiP took down the consistently inconsistent WinterFox, and to round things out, Liquid dumpstered the lowly Team Coast, giving Piglet his first really strong game of the split, could this be a sign of things to come?
all in all, the potential for new blood to be injected into the top 3, by splits end, is rather high, and i'm looking forward to it. in previous years, the eu lcs had been unbearably boring to watch, with na dominating my focus. this season, it couldn't be any more the opposite, at least until last week and this week. na is much more entertaining and now its becoming much less predictable, which is exciting. with the playoffs looming like a low hanging moon, it will be interesting to see how hard some of these teams that are on the doorstep of the top 3, react to being so close. will we see some crazy new picks or a lot of the same? either way, it should be fun.
see you on the rift!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
day 1 - TiP shit on Coast. i can't say i didn't see that coming. TiP has looked monstrous the last few weeks. they are firing on all cylinders and what was thought to be their weakness (bot lane) has turned out to be a major strength. Coast will be on the outside looking in when its all said and done in the spring split, despite whatever bizarre moves they make with teams they buy. Liquid continues their up/down play, with a loss to C9. from start to finish, they were victimized. 32 minutes later, they had 3 total kills. you can't keep blaming your inconsistency on Piglet, because at some point, he can't be expected to carry anchors like Xpecial and IWillDominate. while he's looked bad, they haven't looked better and aren't making his job any easier. i genuinely feel bad for him, in this situation. he was given very little to work with and sometimes it seems like its "the world v. piglet", and it shouldn't be. he's a polarizing character that hasn't made his transition any easier with under performing. as much as i hate to say it, TSM v. Gravity was the game of the day. i'll be the first to say, i'm NOT a TSM fanboy. i don't like how Regi runs his organization, i don't care for Dyrus, and think he's incredibly overrated. i think without Bjergsen and Lustboy, this team would be middle of the pack, at best. with all that said, they have looked quite strong since IEM and their momentum carried into this weeks game. now, i know they didn't win, but it was by far the best game of the day, Gravity has stepped up their game of late and and find themselves in the midst of a possible top 3 finish, if they can keep up their strong play. CLG v. Dignitas only showed that Dig still can't close the deal in a game they have a chance at, and that ZionSpartan (even his teacher calls him that!) can grow a "creepy uncle" mustache. Speaking of teams on the rise, Team 8, with their victory over WinterFox, is also making a late run and has assured themselves a spot in the next split. CaliTrlolz and Slooshi continue to do most of the heavy lifting as they roll on.
day 2 - a somewhat less exciting day of games, day 2 provided us simply with a more focused look at who is going to be playing in relegation, as well as some glimpses of the new na blood. Gravity played another strong, smart game, knocking off Dig, who couldn't get out of the gates it seemed. that brought us to the game of the day, el classico, TSM v. CLG. no na game is more hyped, than when these 2 teams lock horns in the battle of "which teams fans will vote harder for their team to win?" after 41 minutes of play, TSM came out with the victory on the shoulders of a well played game by WildTurtle and Lustboy, with Dyrus at least having a positive kda this time around. right now, he is their clear weakness. his inability to carry, or at times, to be a presence in lane will hurt them come worlds, unless he figures it out, or is benched. on the flip side, DoubleLift was never able to carry his team, despite playing rather well. CLG's deficiencies are being exposed in these games against top talent, but they still remain a top na team. this was C9's chance to break away from the upper/middle pack, but they ran into the buzzsaw that has been Team 8 the last few weeks. a team no one expected much from, that was thought to be relegation fodder, has turned into one of the great Cinderella stories of the spring split. them, along with Team Impulse and Gravity have shown that there is top talent in na that doesn't always reside in the same old dinosaur teams. TiP took down the consistently inconsistent WinterFox, and to round things out, Liquid dumpstered the lowly Team Coast, giving Piglet his first really strong game of the split, could this be a sign of things to come?
all in all, the potential for new blood to be injected into the top 3, by splits end, is rather high, and i'm looking forward to it. in previous years, the eu lcs had been unbearably boring to watch, with na dominating my focus. this season, it couldn't be any more the opposite, at least until last week and this week. na is much more entertaining and now its becoming much less predictable, which is exciting. with the playoffs looming like a low hanging moon, it will be interesting to see how hard some of these teams that are on the doorstep of the top 3, react to being so close. will we see some crazy new picks or a lot of the same? either way, it should be fun.
see you on the rift!
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Cptn's Log - Sometimes bad means good...
EL CLASSICO!!! no. i'm not talking about TSM v. CLG. i'm talking about the Unicorns of Love v. Fnatic!! the best, bad game i've seen in quite some time. it was like a bronze promotion match. clearly, i am not remarking about the skills of the players involved. any one of them could run circles around me on my best day. what i'm talking about is the final 10 or so minutes, where it was ARAM. Fnatic, 1 hit away from victory, is killed in the opposing base! back and forth the game went, with Fnatic, eventually succumbed to the bizarre all mid strat, but holy god, what a match, if you didn't watch it, do yourself a favor and check the VOD.
the rest of the day was fairly pedestrian, although technical difficulties on riot's side were abound, so much so, that the Gambit v. Elements match was played with no stream feed, only to be replayed on twitch later, with the casters casting a replay. good on them. as for the game, Elements does not look good. they appear lost, and their high highs are matched by very low lows. the playoffs/relegation is going to look very interesting after next week.
today we start the na lcs. i will provide a preview like i did for the eu lcs...just not at this moment. the short, short version is: TSM and CLG will most likely retain the top 2 spots. C9 seems uninspired and plays with very little passion, they are clinging for dear life to the 3rd spot, with Team Impulse right on their heels. all things are clicking for Impulse, and an east 3 of 4 games the next 2 weeks, puts them in a unique position to capture a top 3 finish. Dignitas and Winterfox are 2 interesting cases. Dig is a shell of itself. the 5 wins they have scored are probably more than most thought they would have, with the sheer amount of roster changes they have made this season. Winterfox is WILDLY inconsistent. they have the talent to be top 4, but just can't put it together from week to week. Team Coast is playing how they always seem to play in lcs, poorly. they are the team that will always dominate the challenger scene and be weak in the pro scene. they will be relegated.
i will leave you with that brief appetizer on the na lcs top and bottom. enjoy the games, keep an eye out for my podcast always remember to upgrade your trinket.
see you on the rift.
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
the rest of the day was fairly pedestrian, although technical difficulties on riot's side were abound, so much so, that the Gambit v. Elements match was played with no stream feed, only to be replayed on twitch later, with the casters casting a replay. good on them. as for the game, Elements does not look good. they appear lost, and their high highs are matched by very low lows. the playoffs/relegation is going to look very interesting after next week.
today we start the na lcs. i will provide a preview like i did for the eu lcs...just not at this moment. the short, short version is: TSM and CLG will most likely retain the top 2 spots. C9 seems uninspired and plays with very little passion, they are clinging for dear life to the 3rd spot, with Team Impulse right on their heels. all things are clicking for Impulse, and an east 3 of 4 games the next 2 weeks, puts them in a unique position to capture a top 3 finish. Dignitas and Winterfox are 2 interesting cases. Dig is a shell of itself. the 5 wins they have scored are probably more than most thought they would have, with the sheer amount of roster changes they have made this season. Winterfox is WILDLY inconsistent. they have the talent to be top 4, but just can't put it together from week to week. Team Coast is playing how they always seem to play in lcs, poorly. they are the team that will always dominate the challenger scene and be weak in the pro scene. they will be relegated.
i will leave you with that brief appetizer on the na lcs top and bottom. enjoy the games, keep an eye out for my podcast always remember to upgrade your trinket.
see you on the rift.
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Friday, March 20, 2015
Cptn's Log - i can admit when i was wrong...
so, yea...i'm really glad that my first blog post, you know, the one where i said how MYM looked like a team that didn't want to be in LCS and they were definitely going to be dropped at splits end, made me look stupid. So MYM crushed Gambit yesterday...every facet of their game, that, in previous weeks, had completely sucked, looked totally amazing. they team fought, they pressed objectives, they didn't make silly dives, they were aggressive when they needed and backed off when the situation dictated. and their new support, noxiak, made MrRalleZ look like a completely different person. i didn't even realize he was their new support, but then again, i didn't really pay much attention to MYM and their activities because i considered them dead in the water. don't get me wrong, 4-11 is nothing to brag about, but they're now tied for last, and a game out of 8th place. this push may be too little too late, but we'll have to see. things in eu are getting interesting.
along with being wrong about MYM (thus far...), yesterday we saw elements actually show up to play. albeit, H2K let them play how they wanted to play, which is slow and plodding. Rekkles looked like the Rekkles of old (much to the surprise of fantasy LCS players.) and Froggen got to play his famed Karthus, and it payed dividends. in the end, the tanky front line of elements proved to be too much for H2K and they won in convincing fashion. proving once again, that when i say a team looks dead, i will be proven wrong. the real question is, can they keep it up?
the rest of the week was pretty predictable as far as i had it. fnatic obliterated roccat, UoL dumpstered the Copenhagen Wolves and SK eked out a win over Giants. today's games should prove interesting, while MYM is facing off against H2K, who looks to rebound, EL faces a scorned Gambit team who is in the middle of the pack at 8-7. Fnatic and UoL do battle as the Unicorns are looking to go into the playoffs with a strong finish. Giants play Roccat, both teams, coming off losses are looking to put some distance between themselves and MYM, in case a late run is made. and finally, SK plays CW as CW looks to turn their fortunes as the playoffs near.
after today's games, we'll have a much clearer picture (ideally...) of who's in and who's out, in terms of the eu playoffs. until then, remember to feed your carrys, and never facecheck a bush.
see you on the rift
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
along with being wrong about MYM (thus far...), yesterday we saw elements actually show up to play. albeit, H2K let them play how they wanted to play, which is slow and plodding. Rekkles looked like the Rekkles of old (much to the surprise of fantasy LCS players.) and Froggen got to play his famed Karthus, and it payed dividends. in the end, the tanky front line of elements proved to be too much for H2K and they won in convincing fashion. proving once again, that when i say a team looks dead, i will be proven wrong. the real question is, can they keep it up?
the rest of the week was pretty predictable as far as i had it. fnatic obliterated roccat, UoL dumpstered the Copenhagen Wolves and SK eked out a win over Giants. today's games should prove interesting, while MYM is facing off against H2K, who looks to rebound, EL faces a scorned Gambit team who is in the middle of the pack at 8-7. Fnatic and UoL do battle as the Unicorns are looking to go into the playoffs with a strong finish. Giants play Roccat, both teams, coming off losses are looking to put some distance between themselves and MYM, in case a late run is made. and finally, SK plays CW as CW looks to turn their fortunes as the playoffs near.
after today's games, we'll have a much clearer picture (ideally...) of who's in and who's out, in terms of the eu playoffs. until then, remember to feed your carrys, and never facecheck a bush.
see you on the rift
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Cptn's Log - League of LCS Opinions
well, this is my first post of my new blog, The Cptn's Log (yes, i get that i spelled captain wrong, its because that's how it coincides with my LoL account name.)
before i start, let me give you a quick background on me. i've been a league player since s2, started as a top laner, moved to support and then to adc. i'm roughly a silver level player, but mostly because i don't put in enough time to climb faster...having a child will do that. i like to think i'm knowledgeable and have well formed opinions on the game, the meta, the teams/players, but i'm also producer at a game company, so i can delve into the games guts as well. should you listen and take my opinion for more than just an opinion? i mean, if you want to, go ahead, but this is just me, saying what i think. ok, introductions out of the way, lets get to the meat.
basically, today we get back into the lcs with 2 weeks remaining. sk, fnatic and h2k lead the way with elements/roccat, giants and mym carrying the bottom of the ladder. now that i've gotten all of the stuff you can find out on esportspedia out of the way, here's my actual opinion, which i will deliver in a breakdown of what i think of the teams mentioned.
sk gaming - i don't get this team. one week, they're badass, the next week, they're shit. as forg1vengre and svenskeren go, so does this team, shut them down, and fox is still too green to carry. i think they'll hold onto a top 3 finish, but i don't know if they'll be able to keep the top spot. fredy122 has been wildly inconsistent this season, to continue playing at a top team level, they will need him to be more of a force more often, mostly because teams will begin to target forg1vengre and his seemingly puddle of champions. i don't believe they are the best in EU, but i do believe they have some of the most experience and play well as a team.
fnatic - they have started to come back down to earth after quite the run early in the season. they came out of nowhere, from the ashes of one of the most popular teams in EU, led by the quiet, frenchman, YellOwSTaR. i like them, a lot. i like that they're aggressive, i like that they seem, at times, to play like a team with nothing to lose. i feel those are their finest moments. i think, for them to really show they're on that next level, Steeelback needs to be more of a force earlier in the game. he consistently loses laning phase, but picks it up in mid-late game, which is fine, but that has exposed the early game weakness of fnatic. i think Huni and ReignOver were outstanding additions, coming in as complete unknowns and really solidifying their place here. i think Febiven is very strong in mid, with a nice champion pool to pick from who can carry at any time and play's a smart, cerebral style in mid. if they can continue to improve and sure up their weak early game woes, then i think they can take and keep the top spot in eu.
H2k-Gaming - i'll be honest, i knew nothing of this team. even now, at 10-4, they're remain a bit of a mystery to me, and clearly to the rest of the eu lcs. early in the season, they looked like a joke, now it appears the joke is on us, because this team is for real. the bot lane, sured up, when they replaced voidle with kasing, has been outstanding. hjarnan has come from c9 Eclipse and has emerged as a top adc in eu. ryu, who looked lost the first few weeks, is finally showing why he was so highly thought of, he has turned a bad season around in a big way. top laner odoamne has gotten better each week, where now, he is considered among the best top laners in the region. part of their success can definitely be attributed to their coach, PR0LLY, who, as a player, was pretty good, but as a coach, has definitely found his calling. his knowledge and experience has done nothing but help H2K find themselves this split.
Now for the bottom of the barrel. I won't give them nearly as much face time as i gave the top teams.
Roccat - this is a team with no identity. they have some nice players in positions, but can't seem to put it all together on a consistent basis. nukeduck hasn't looked like the player from the lemondogs in quite sometime, and while woolite is a bright spot, something seems to be missing from this team. they'll be fighting to keep their lcs spot.
Elements - this is why super teams never work. you put 5 of the top eu players together, and they can't figure out how to win with a gun to their head. their problem isn't their personnel, its their approach. their entire strategy is too easy to counter and they're too stubborn to fix it. they get blitzed by more aggressive approaches and it throws off their entire game, to the point that they can't recover. rekkles seems out of sync, froggen seems disinterested, shook looks like he doesn't know which way he'd rather play and the revolving door at top and support offers very little in creating any kind of team atmosphere. on talent alone, they could win, they just need a real coach to tell them that their strategy is crap and here's how you're going to win. this team is the definition of disappointment. they don't deserve to be in lcs, but they will manage to keep their spot in relegation.
Giants Gaming - this team isn't bad, they're just overmatched. PePiiNeRo is a nice midlaner, who can make a few plays, Fr3deric is a decent jungler who seems to know what he's doing and again, makes a few nice plays here and there. Werlyb is solid in top, but too easily banned out since his first week Jax dominance. He has never approached that level of play since, and needs to deepen his pool if he is to remain relevant. all in all, they just lack the experience to get out of the cellar at this time.
Meet Your Makers - this organization is simply put, a disaster. i don't need to go on about how they handled the Kori situation, so lets keep it to their on the field play. they look like a team that just wants this season to end. Kori doesn't want to be there, H0R0 doesn't want to be there, Jwaow is a nice player, but not the answer, MrRalleZ looks lost, at times and Nisbeth isn't a good enough player to right the bot lane ship. this team will get dropped from the eu lcs and ultimately replaced with Peke's Origen team.
to close out this first post, i will say, not all my blogs will be this...verbose. i wanted to start out with a bang, give you all my broad opinion on the state of the eu lcs. later this week, i'll do this for na. i will also be starting my podcast soon enough, so look for that in the near future. other than that, i'll see you on the rift.
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
before i start, let me give you a quick background on me. i've been a league player since s2, started as a top laner, moved to support and then to adc. i'm roughly a silver level player, but mostly because i don't put in enough time to climb faster...having a child will do that. i like to think i'm knowledgeable and have well formed opinions on the game, the meta, the teams/players, but i'm also producer at a game company, so i can delve into the games guts as well. should you listen and take my opinion for more than just an opinion? i mean, if you want to, go ahead, but this is just me, saying what i think. ok, introductions out of the way, lets get to the meat.
basically, today we get back into the lcs with 2 weeks remaining. sk, fnatic and h2k lead the way with elements/roccat, giants and mym carrying the bottom of the ladder. now that i've gotten all of the stuff you can find out on esportspedia out of the way, here's my actual opinion, which i will deliver in a breakdown of what i think of the teams mentioned.
sk gaming - i don't get this team. one week, they're badass, the next week, they're shit. as forg1vengre and svenskeren go, so does this team, shut them down, and fox is still too green to carry. i think they'll hold onto a top 3 finish, but i don't know if they'll be able to keep the top spot. fredy122 has been wildly inconsistent this season, to continue playing at a top team level, they will need him to be more of a force more often, mostly because teams will begin to target forg1vengre and his seemingly puddle of champions. i don't believe they are the best in EU, but i do believe they have some of the most experience and play well as a team.
fnatic - they have started to come back down to earth after quite the run early in the season. they came out of nowhere, from the ashes of one of the most popular teams in EU, led by the quiet, frenchman, YellOwSTaR. i like them, a lot. i like that they're aggressive, i like that they seem, at times, to play like a team with nothing to lose. i feel those are their finest moments. i think, for them to really show they're on that next level, Steeelback needs to be more of a force earlier in the game. he consistently loses laning phase, but picks it up in mid-late game, which is fine, but that has exposed the early game weakness of fnatic. i think Huni and ReignOver were outstanding additions, coming in as complete unknowns and really solidifying their place here. i think Febiven is very strong in mid, with a nice champion pool to pick from who can carry at any time and play's a smart, cerebral style in mid. if they can continue to improve and sure up their weak early game woes, then i think they can take and keep the top spot in eu.
H2k-Gaming - i'll be honest, i knew nothing of this team. even now, at 10-4, they're remain a bit of a mystery to me, and clearly to the rest of the eu lcs. early in the season, they looked like a joke, now it appears the joke is on us, because this team is for real. the bot lane, sured up, when they replaced voidle with kasing, has been outstanding. hjarnan has come from c9 Eclipse and has emerged as a top adc in eu. ryu, who looked lost the first few weeks, is finally showing why he was so highly thought of, he has turned a bad season around in a big way. top laner odoamne has gotten better each week, where now, he is considered among the best top laners in the region. part of their success can definitely be attributed to their coach, PR0LLY, who, as a player, was pretty good, but as a coach, has definitely found his calling. his knowledge and experience has done nothing but help H2K find themselves this split.
Now for the bottom of the barrel. I won't give them nearly as much face time as i gave the top teams.
Roccat - this is a team with no identity. they have some nice players in positions, but can't seem to put it all together on a consistent basis. nukeduck hasn't looked like the player from the lemondogs in quite sometime, and while woolite is a bright spot, something seems to be missing from this team. they'll be fighting to keep their lcs spot.
Elements - this is why super teams never work. you put 5 of the top eu players together, and they can't figure out how to win with a gun to their head. their problem isn't their personnel, its their approach. their entire strategy is too easy to counter and they're too stubborn to fix it. they get blitzed by more aggressive approaches and it throws off their entire game, to the point that they can't recover. rekkles seems out of sync, froggen seems disinterested, shook looks like he doesn't know which way he'd rather play and the revolving door at top and support offers very little in creating any kind of team atmosphere. on talent alone, they could win, they just need a real coach to tell them that their strategy is crap and here's how you're going to win. this team is the definition of disappointment. they don't deserve to be in lcs, but they will manage to keep their spot in relegation.
Giants Gaming - this team isn't bad, they're just overmatched. PePiiNeRo is a nice midlaner, who can make a few plays, Fr3deric is a decent jungler who seems to know what he's doing and again, makes a few nice plays here and there. Werlyb is solid in top, but too easily banned out since his first week Jax dominance. He has never approached that level of play since, and needs to deepen his pool if he is to remain relevant. all in all, they just lack the experience to get out of the cellar at this time.
Meet Your Makers - this organization is simply put, a disaster. i don't need to go on about how they handled the Kori situation, so lets keep it to their on the field play. they look like a team that just wants this season to end. Kori doesn't want to be there, H0R0 doesn't want to be there, Jwaow is a nice player, but not the answer, MrRalleZ looks lost, at times and Nisbeth isn't a good enough player to right the bot lane ship. this team will get dropped from the eu lcs and ultimately replaced with Peke's Origen team.
to close out this first post, i will say, not all my blogs will be this...verbose. i wanted to start out with a bang, give you all my broad opinion on the state of the eu lcs. later this week, i'll do this for na. i will also be starting my podcast soon enough, so look for that in the near future. other than that, i'll see you on the rift.
-Hooks
@Cptn_Hooks
Cptn_Hooks on Twitch
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