After benching himself at week one, star ADC player Martin “Rekkles” Larsson is finally returning to Fnatic’s starting lineup.
Guess who's back.
Full interview with @RekklesLoL 📺 https://t.co/LedgtChweI pic.twitter.com/oHhkSE5jwo
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) August 9, 2018
Rekkles’ self-benching was one of the most interesting storylines of the season. As many people know now, this has been one of the most turbulent metas that League of Legends has had. You could feel its effect across every lane, none more so than the bottom side of the map. The meta would introduce mages and bruisers into the bottom lane. It would also make current marksmen champions almost completely unviable in competitive play.
Why Was Rekkles Benched?
After the first week in the EU LCS, Rekkles would place himself on the bench. In an interview with Travis Gafford, he would state that the meta was more suited for top laner Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau due to the champions being played in the lane. Therefore, Bwipo would start in the bottom lane with Hylissang for the rest of the season. Rekkles would share his worries with Gafford, stating:
It’s a bit stressful, because I feel like, even though I am part of the team, I’m not really. I’m there, you know, but I’m not really there, and I don’t feel like I’m valuable anymore. I can jump in on discussions and give my take on the macro, but there isn’t much macro involved. I can [do the same on] matchups, but the matchups aren’t the same that I play.
It was a sad reality, as the state of the League‘s meta was affecting players across the world. For example, star Korean ADC player Kim “PraY” Jong-in says in an Inven Global interview that “for bottom lane users, it’s like hell”. Andy “Smoothie” Ta, who is Echo Fox’s current support, says Cloud9 sat him at the beginning of the season partly because of the meta. The big changes to the meta made Smoothie less decisive in shotcalling, and so the team would bench him.
What This Means For Fnatic
In the time that Rekkles was on the sidelines, Fnatic was able to fight their way to a top two position in the EU LCS. Their ability to adapt to the meta showed through their success up to this point of the season. Bwipo, who took Rekkles’ spot in the bottom lane, actually has the most kills of all bottom lane carries in the league. Also, he is in the top five in assists for the role as well. He has been playing quite decently with the team.
However, with marksmen slowly entering viability again, it may be time for Rekkles to shine once more. In an interview with lolesports, Bwipo states that he is excited for Rekkles’ return because it means that he can fight for his spot in the top lane. He says that he feels more secure when playing with Rekkles than playing without him. This is because with the addition of Rekkles on the active roster, there is now a third man who the team can rely on, rather than just him or Caps.
The New Lineup
Now, the starting lineup for Fnatic in week eight will be as follows:
- Top Lane – Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau
- Jungle – Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pedersen
- Mid Lane – Rasmus “Caps” Winther
- AD Carry – Martin “Rekkles” Larsson
- Support – Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov
It seems like top laner Paul “soaZ” Boyer will be sitting the match out for the time being. We will need to see if Rekkles can return back to form after such a long hiatus. Also, we need to see if Bwipo’s transition back to his traditional role will bring more success for the Belgian top laner. We wish the best for Rekkles’ return to the Rift!
What do you think of Rekkles’ return to the EU LCS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you want more League of Legends content, check us out here!
