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
No comments:
Post a Comment