As we kick off the second half of the LEC Spring Split, some underwhelming teams might have shown signs of life in week six. Teams like Fnatic and Misfits Gaming, who have been struggling through the first half of the season, have impressed critics with convincing 2-0 performances. Meanwhile, other top-tier teams have faltered just a bit, like Schalke 04 and Origen. These stumbles are the mistakes that some organizations might need in order to catch up with the rest of the pack. Let’s get into our LEC Power Rankings for Week Five.
1. G2 Esports (11-1) [↔️]
3. Team Vitality (8-4) [+1]
4. Schalke 04 (7-5) [+1]
2. Origen (6-6) [-2]
5. Splyce (7-5) [↔️]
7. Fnatic (5-7) [+1]
8. Misfits Gaming (6-6) [+1]
6. SK Gaming (6-6) [-2]
10. Rogue (2-10) [+1]
9. EXCEL Esports (2-10) [-1]
The Playoff race is heating up:
Here are the #LEC standings after Week 6! pic.twitter.com/Hq71mJ6MLT
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) February 23, 2019
Top Contender: G2 Esports
At this point, is there anyone who can challenge G2 Esports this LEC Spring Split? The European juggernaut has led our power rankings for six straight weeks, and they don’t look like they’ll be vacating the spot anytime soon. They flexed their muscles in week six, taking down Schalke 04 in less than 24 minutes and EXCEL Esports in less than 30. G2 Esports’ early stumbles in the EXCEL game came mostly from their mid-game power spike centered composition, which dominated once they came online. With five of the best players in the region on this team, it’s hard not to think they’ll be taking home the Spring Split crown in three weeks.
Possible LEC Challengers: Vitality, Schalke 04, Origen
I expect to see this tier of our power rankings change up soon. All three of these teams have shown weakness in the past three weeks and may give room for some of the teams below them in the standings. For example, this was Vitality’s third week in a row where they finished the weekend with a 1-1 record. Their fast-paced, aggressive style has plenty of holes that other teams can exploit, and should be a focus for Vitality to improve on heading into the postseason.
Schalke 04 hasn’t been performing too well either, losing to both G2 Esports and SK Gaming in week six. Felix “Abbedagge” Braun and Jonas “Memento” Elmarghichi’s recent performances haven’t helped, as they’ve been the weakest links of the team in this span. They desperately need to reel back the team and focus on what made them so deadly earlier in the season: clean, crisp macro play. Their mid- to late-game decision making has been messy, something we aren’t used to seeing from this squad.
As for Origen, it’s tough to go 0-2 after such a dominating past two weeks. Many people are quick to drop them down in their power rankings, but I want to see how they react to adversity after success. This will be their defining moment as a team. It is easy to stay confident while you’re winning, however, a roster’s ability to rise after falling indicates how good the lineup really is. Perseverance is key, and if Origen can bounce back against Splyce and Vitality, they should be right as rain for the playoffs.
Middle-of-the-Pack: Splyce, Fnatic, Misfits Gaming
Look for a few of these teams to break into the upper echelons of the LEC this coming week. Fnatic took down some impressive competition in Origen and Vitality, two of the better teams of the league. It took a while for them to get the ball rolling, but now that they’ve established a gameplan with Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek, they could be deadly. Martin “Rekkles” Larsson is still one of the best late-game ADCs in the league and has become the main carry for this squad once more.
Misfits Gaming have also shown signs of life after losing four games in a row. Their head coaching change from Jesse “Jesiz” Le to Hussain “Moose” Moosvi seems to have worked out, at least for now. Their late-game shotcalling looked a lot better compared to their previous weeks, although they still play relatively passive. They need to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes a bit harder, but overall, this past week brought good signs for Misfits fans.
Splyce stays consistent by taking down any teams that are lower than them in the LEC standings. They don’t seem to have that extra oomph that can place them in the top four of the league, but they are talented enough to make it into the top five. Their slow, methodical style of play has kept them from dropping in our power rankings, but we don’t think they’ll make much of an impact come playoffs.
Struggling with Silver Linings: SK Gaming
SK Gaming is young and learning. Their lineup has shown many flashes of greatness throughout the Spring Split, but their inexperience has been their downfall many times. However, don’t underestimate this fiery group of players. Led by their young star jungler, Oskar “Selfmade” Boderek, they are liable to upset a few top contenders. Speaking of Selfmade, he is making a great case for Rookie of the Split with his performances. He has the third-highest KDA of any LEC jungler, and also boasts an impressive 76.2% kill participation. I can see great things for this young jungler in the future.
The LEC Point of No Return: Rogue, EXCEL Esports
I guess it’s a fair assumption to say that both Rogue and EXCEL Esports aren’t making the playoffs this year. Both these teams need to start looking at a possible retooling for the upcoming offseason. For Rogue, it’s become clear their bottom lane is a huge weakness that needs addressing. Even their mid laner, Chres “Sencux” Laursen, hasn’t been doing too hot for a while now.
EXCEL’s Fabian “Exile” Schubert has also been playing poorly and is arguably the worst in the LEC next to Sencux. The top side of the map is not bad, but their bottom duo is lackluster. They’ll need to probably upgrade one of those three positions when the playoffs are finally done. All in all, it’s back to the drawing board for these two newcomers to the LEC. There are always losers and winners, and we know where these teams lie.
What are your thoughts on our LEC Power Rankings for Week Six? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more LEC coverage, check us out here!
Published: Feb 28, 2019 09:31 pm