NA LCS Power Rankings Week 3

75 games into the NA LCS Summer Split, and we still don’t know anything.

Immortals, Counter Logic Gaming and Team Dignitas are in a three-way tie for first, TSM doesn’t seem to be trying yet, Jensen has rolled all of Cloud 9 into a small backpack and is sprinting around Dagobah as we speak, Echo Fox throws harder than Clayton Kershaw, Team Liquid unsurprisingly regressed and Phoenix 1 might not get completely crushed at Rift Rivals. It was a long weekend. 

Parity has struck NA LCS, but in a larger sense, Week 3 was about learning to play with advantage. Teams that played to their win conditions and knew how (and when) to take objectives flourished. Most did neither, and here we are, a league filled with would-be stompers that cannot close.

I’m experimenting with a shorter introduction this week to compete with international bloggers (limited intros are meta now). To the rankings!

1. Counter Logic Gaming (5-1, 11-6) (Even)

Which is the more impressive feat: Gaining an 11K gold lead or throwing it all away? The former requires superior decision-making and macro skill; the latter is born of inattention. We saw both from Counter Logic Gaming this week, and in the same game. Username checks out.

CLG were on track to cleanly sweep away FlyQuest in their first series of the weekend, convincingly winning Game 1 and sieging inhibitor turrets up double-digit gold 38 minutes into Game 2. A series of pickoffs by FlyQuest—mostly on Aphromoo, who was inexplicably drafted shield-spamming Karma after proving time and again he is the Patron Saint of Playmaking Supports—prevented CLG from successfully pushing their 1-3-1. One botched teamfight by CLG resulted in Baron for FlyQuest and eventually the win.

CLG would ultimately win the series 2-1 despite another near throw in Game 3 when Moon stole Baron, so reverse-sweep curse ended? The Phoenix 1 series was nearly an instant replay: CLG looked excellent in Game 1, got badly beaten in Game 2 and then won a close Game 3. For a team with this much talent and experience, I expect more, especially when both side lanes are among the best in the league.

Bottom line: If CLG think they can get away with throwing leads against an in-form Immortals and an Envy squad hungry for redemption, they haven’t been paying attention.

2. Team SoloMid (4-2, 9-5) (Even)

Were it not for Team SoloMid’s cupcake schedule this weekend, two clean sweeps would have leap-frogged them over a shaky CLG. Alas, TSM swept Teams Liquid and EnVyUs, so they remain second best.

But for how much longer? After three weeks, it’s clear that TSM isn’t focused on NA LCS in so much as they’re worried about winning it. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that TSM will be finalists come playoffs in Boston; they have been since the league’s inception. Their eyes are elsewhere, across the Pacific, where Galio—especially when he is played mid—is king.

TSM want to be a strong on an international level; they've got nothing else to prove domestically. But to be competitive on that level, they need to master meta drafts. A key weakness for TSM as MSI 2017 was their inability to execute shield compositions—the meta-de-jour—which limited drafting and lowered their ceiling. Now, the meta has shifted to Galio-comps, and TSM is going to try to run them. Forget that drafting strong, comfort-laden lineups results in auto-wins no matter the North American opponent. Winning is no longer the point; TSM has to win the right way.

TSM should have no problems with FlyQuest on Saturday and they know it, so expect to see Bjersen on Galio at some point during that series. Echo Fox, on the other hand, will punish TSM if they get too esoteric (assuming Akaadian starts). If TSM can secure another two series wins, and CLG stumbles, expect to see a new #1 here at the end of Week 4.

3. Immortals (5-1, 10-5) (+3)

Are Immortals for real? I kept asking myself this question last week, even as they demolished Team Liquid and won an excellent Game 3 against Cloud 9. Can this team play consistently enough to contend? Are Cody Sun and Olleh secretly the best bot lane in NA? Is Flame the best top laner? Is this team that much better with Xmithie over Dardoch? Is Pobelter an elite NA mid? Is he the only NA mid?

At some point, the evidence becomes undeniable, and the weirdness of seeing this underachieving Spring side among the best of Summer will fade away. Immortals already have quality wins over TSM and C9, they’ve got that AEG money, Xmithie and Pobelter have championship-caliber chemistry, when Flame’s on he’s a world-beater, and Cody Sun is one of the best ADCs in North America (unless you’re Phreak). Immortals/C9 felt like a playoff bout, and if it wasn’t for Jensen’s heroics, Immortals would have taken that series with far less nail-biting.

Immortals play Counter Logic Gaming to kickoff Week 4 today in the mostly narratively-hyped series of Summer Split. The mid-season Xmithie/Dardoch trade adds a pleasing bit of spice to the proceedings, but absent that, the meeting would still remain a battle for first place. It doesn’t get any easier for Immortals, with Team Dignitas waiting as a second-course, but as fans we should be relieved. Finally, answers.

4. Team Dignitas (5-1, 11-5) (Even)

If not for an unfortunate loss to Team Liquid in Week 2, Dignitas would sit alone atop the NA LCS. Deservedly so? Well...yes and no.

Yes, Dignitas are 5-1, with Ssumday arguably the MVP of the split so far. With Fiora now perma-banned against him, we saw Ssumday on tanks this week and guess what? He’s pretty good on those too, splitpushing with Shen like no one can stop him (Spoiler: They can’t). Dignitas is at their best when Ssumday can carry, but in absence of a dueling monster, Shrimp filled in nicely. Among junglers with more than 10 games played in Summer Split, Shrimp is top three in KDA, Average Kills, Average Assists, GPM, and %DMG.

No, Dignitas have had a soft schedule, and apart from a series win over TSM they’ve consistently played down to their opposition. Echo Fox—as is their want—badly threw their Week 3 series against Dignitas, one of five three-game series Dignitas has faced in Summer so far. While their bot lane has shown promise with the addition of BIG, Dig can’t count on it to win games for them, nor can they expect much from Keane, whose vanilla performances in the mid lane have gotten the job done and little else. Don’t be surprised if we see Altec and Adrian sooner rather than later if Dignitas hits a rough week or two.

As the schedule would have it, a rough set of matchups is on the docket. Dignitas play Immortals and Cloud 9 next and honestly? I don’t favor them in either series. Dig fans, make offerings at your Ssumday altars extra extravagant this weekend.

5. Cloud 9 (3-3, 8-6) (-2)

Two stat lines from Summer 2017:

Mid Laner A: 14 GP, 6.8 KDA, 78.1% KP, 9.4 CSM, +15 CSD@15, 439 GPM, +313 GD@15, 535.8 DPM

Mid Laner B: 18 GP, 5.1 KDA, 71.5% KP, 9.4 CSM, +6.5 CSD@15, 430 GPM, +46 GD@15, 537 DPM

Mid Laner A is Jensen, the beating heart of a Cloud 9 squad that has so far utterly let him down. He has played well in wins, losses, throws, stomps, you name it. Everyone wants to say Bjergsen is the best mid in NA LCS full stop, but guys? I’d encourage you to look again, because this sky-blue Dane DeHaan lookalike is absolutely tearing it up right now and we need to give him his due, if for no other reason than Mid Laner B is Faker.

Cloud 9 can out-farm and out-macro their opponents all they want. If the team fighting isn’t there, they can’t expect to beat top teams. The Immortals series last week was a romp until it wasn’t. With that lost, C9 have suffered defeats to three of the top four teams this split, with Dignitas on deck. If it were not for two truly unfathomable throws by Echo Fox last weekend, they would have lost to them too.

Cloud 9 should at minimum split the weekend since Liquid is their first match, but we’re nearly to the midpoint of the split. Getting results matters, and if you can’t beat top teams, what does that make you?

6. Echo Fox (3-3, 8-6) (+1)

Echo Fox is the best-bad team in North America by a mile. They lead the league in Average Gold Differential @15 with a whopping +1146, and regularly compound that advantage well into the mid game. Then the wheels come off.

The 10-man Rick Foxes have lost so far to Team Dignitas, Cloud 9 and CLG, and have enjoyed substantial gold leads in nearly every single game played in those series. This team simply does not know how to win with a lead, whether it’s a complete absence of mid priority or an inability to cleanly execute a 1-3-1. They take bad fights and can’t capitalize off the fights they win.

Froggen continues to impress in the mid lane, but Echo Fox has shown improvement in every role. KEITH and Gate have quietly formed a decent bot duo, Akaadian had not lost a Summer game until this week (too much time driving along PCH if you ask me), and Looper gave Ssumday a run for his money throughout the Dignitas series. But excellent players aren’t enough; you need the macro to snowball advantages gained from superior players into late game control, and Echo Fox hasn’t learned how to do that yet.

The main event this weekend is Immortals vs. Counter Logic Gaming, but I’m equally as hyped for TSM vs. Echo Fox, a real measuring test for both teams. Can TSM wrest control of the early game from Echo Fox? With Hauntzer a known Kennen expert, are we going to see Pantheon again from Looper? If you only watch two series this weekend, make sure this is one of them. Okay, maybe make room for C9 vs. Dig too, but my overall point stands!

7. Team EnVyUs (3-3, 7-8) (-2)

I wrote before Week 3 that Team EnVyUs had yet to sell me on their contender status, and after a week where they got smashed by TSM and Echo Fox without winning a game, I remain uncertain.

Finally, we saw Envy against tough opponents, and while they had their moments against TSM, there was no ignoring the gulf in class between the teams. Lira continued his Week 2 slump through Week 3, highlighted by Game 2 against Echo Fox in which he itemized MR against an AD-heavy draft. Finishing the week 7-15-17 didn’t help either.

It’s not an accident that Lira’s teammates came back to earth just as he’s slumping. More than any other team in NA LCS (except maybe Phoenix 1 MIKEYEUNG HYPE), Envy is entirely reliant on Lira’s stellar play to win games. They can beat bad teams without him (see: win vs. Team Liquid), but cannot compete at a higher level without him. Seraph's poor Week 3 showing compounded matters, forcing Lira to constantly pressure top, leaving Pirean and Apollo to fend for themselves. As good as those two have looked, Week 3 proved they still need Lira’s snowball to get ahead.

Envy play CLG and FlyQuest this weekend, and if Lira doesn’t find his form fast, we could easily see another winless week from what was NA’s hottest team.

8. FlyQuest eSports (1-5, 4-10) (Even)

Whatever magic FlyQuest conjures against CLG is absent when they play anyone else. FlyQuest had a real shot to reverse-sweep CLG again during their Week 3 meeting, but one misplayed team fight toward the end of Game 3 was their undoing.

Truthfully, FlyQuest looked better in that series than they have all split, a small consolation for their frustrated fanbase. The Civil War with Cloud 9 was unfortunately timed; C9 had just come off a loss to Immortals, were thirsty for a stomp and got it. Each game was over long before the Nexus fell; Hai was no match for Jensen, but to be fair, few players in the world are right now.

Of FlyQuests roster, only WildTurtle has impressed so far, but it hasn’t been nearly enough. Perhaps the way forward for FlyQuest is playing through bot lane, but something more needs to change if this team is to make another late-season run at the playoffs. Turtle will face his old TSM teammates this week, but as much as I’m anticipating the Doublelift/Turtle duel, its result won’t impact the likely TSM sweep. A series with slumping Envy, on the other hand, could be just the victory FlyQuest needs to begin turning things around.

9. Phoenix 1 (0-6, 4-12) (+1)

Still in search of their first series win, Phoenix 1 actually moves up one spot in these rankings thanks to the electric play of rookie MikeYeung. MICHAEL YEUNG, MICHAEL YEUNG SKDEDEDEDEDEDE

A Challenger since he was 13, MikeYeung passed on attending his own high school graduation in order to get more practice time in with his teammates and it paid off. Phoenix 1 isn’t good enough to beat CLG or Dignitas right now, but for long stretches of those Week 3 series, they played like it because MikeYeung exploded for two masterful Game 2s. Oh, and because Ryu got the first Pentakill of Summer Split—with Taliyah of all champions—but that’s beside the point. MikeYeung’s pathing and mechanics might win him Rookie of the Split even if he wasn’t the split’s only rookie, and with the further addition of Xspecial in the bot lane, P1 are on a clear upswing after hitting rock-bottom during Week 2.

The recovery could begin as early as this week. A series with Team Liquid is a likely candidate for P1’s first series win of the split, and if they can put together two games like their Game 2s from Week 3, Echo Fox had better watch their back. It’s far too soon to declare P1 alive, but their self-made coffin is splintering...

10. Team Liquid (1-5, 3-11) (-1)

Another 0-4 week and it’s back to the cellar for Steve’s squad. At least they’re paid well.

NA LCS Power Rankings Week 2

This rudderless edition of the NA LCS Summer Split was supposed to find its bearings entering Week 2, but I feel more lost now than before it began. Four teams sit atop the league with 3-1 records, and none of them finished in the Top 4 last split. Three teams started substitute junglers, with varied results. The longest and shortest games of the young split took place in the same series, one after the other. Bjersen tried playing Galio mid again, and I bet you can guess how that went.

There’s a sense that the meta is solidifying. Kennen and Fiora have stripped top lane from the tanks. Playmaking support picks are being saved until the end of drafting. Blitzcrank has made his way from Korea to Los Angeles to the bot lane. Teams are finalizing their tier lists just in time for 7.12 to shake things up again.

Doran’s Shield will soon be nerfed, and supports will gain more build options than Sightstone>Redemption>Locket, but until that happy day let’s look back at the week that was. Here’s my updated Totally Unscientific Yet Completely Defensible and Correct NA LCS Power Rankings: Week 2.

Apologies on the lateness, I was traveling all weekend and missed most of the games. Now that I’m all caught up, we can continue. And oh, if you’re on Red Side…could you ban Zac for me? Thanks!

1. Counter Logic Gaming (3-1, 7-4) (Even)

Tough call for the top spot this week with both Counter Logic Gaming and Team SoloMid arguably worthy. CLG has had the better performances (and record) than TSM, but TSM closed out Week 2 by beating CLG in three games. The revival of North America’s bitterest rivalry was the best series of Summer Split so far, with strong showings from both teams decided by a climactic Game 3 nexus push by CLG that came up seconds short.

Dardoch flexed his skills this week—his use of Rengar to counter Ivern was spectacular—but the real strength of CLG lies in the bot lane. Stixxay and Aphromoo have impressed as one of the best bottom duos of Summer Split, and the numbers back it up. Stixxay has the highest KDA (7.4) of all players by a significant margin (Ssumday is second with 5.9), and Aphromoo is second in the league among supports averaging 9.3 assists per game. That CLG ranks first in the league in securing First Blood (73%) is in no small part the result of this duo’s excellence in the early game.

If CLG can find as much success with their solo lanes as they do bottom, I don’t see them surrendering pole position soon. With stumbling FlyQuest and Phoenix 1 on the schedule, Week 3 should be a cakewalk.

2. Team SoloMid (2-2, 5-5) (+1)

Mercurial TSM split their Week 2 series, losing to a resurgent Team Dignitas but then besting rivals CLG. Problems in the jungle still hinder this team, but when Svenskeren is on, as he was in Game 2 versus CLG, TSM look like world-beaters. Doublelift and Biofrost have clearly rekindled their old fire, smashing bot lane every time they enter the Rift.

There’s a fan debate swirling about the efficacy of putting Bjergsen, arguably NA’s best player, on supportive mids like Galio or Karma rather than more playmaking champs (Taliyah, Syndra, Ahri, Orianna, etc.). I don’t think there’s much of question here: TSM is 0-4 with Bjergsen on Galio/Karma and 4-1 when he plays Taliyah (they won his lone game on Syndra too). His lone Taliyah loss came in Game 1 versus Dignitas this week, and that was more a case of Shrimp playing out of his mind than Bjergsen’s mistakes. Memo to Regi: Let Bjersen Eat.

I have no doubt that TSM will be contending for a title come September. What we’re seeing right now is a team adapting to new strategies and figuring out how best to exploit their lane advantages. Look to Sunday’s series with Team EnVyUs to see how close they are.

3. Cloud 9 (2-2, 5-4) (+1)

No one should be surprised that Cloud 9 rebounded with a 2-0 week after losing both of their Week 1 series. What is surprising is the way they went about it.

Both of C9’s results this week were 2-0 sweeps, but they couldn’t have been more different. Phoenix 1 is begging to be stomped at this point, and C9 happily obliged them, turning in the first mostly-perfect game of the split (P1 did get the Rift Herald). Game 2 was a little dicey at points, but a smooth outplay from Ray on the split-pushing Zig opened up Baron for C9 and the eventual deathball push. C9 did not lose a lane in either game, and mostly looked like themselves again.

That all changed against Echo Fox and probably the most misleading result of the split. Cloud 9 won this series 2-0 thanks to macro throws big and small by their opponents, who led by at least 3K gold in both games (7K in Game 1). Hell, Echo Fox was up 9-1 in Game 2 before a catastrophic Baron call cost them everything. Give C9 some credit, Game 1’s epic comeback wouldn’t have been possible if C9 hadn’t farmed well or been able to exploit Echo Fox’s weak 1-3-1. Jensen outplayed Froggen in nearly every notable category (KDA, CSM, Damage) which is something you can rarely say about Echo Fox’s carry mid.

Cloud 9 shouldn’t feel as confident as most teams would coming out of a 4-0 week, but the elements that make them great—superior laners and shotcalling—are still there. Immortals and Flyquest will be decent Week 3 tests, but I fully expect another 2-0 week from a team on the upswing.

4. Team Dignitas (3-1, 7-4) (+2)

One of these days, I’m going to buy a ticket to see some NA LCS games in person, and when I do, you can bet I’ll bring a homemade sign that reads, “DON’T GIVE SSUMDAY FIORA” with me because My. God. The kid can DUEL.

Ssumday is 3-0 and 15-2-10 on Fiora this split, with numbers that far outstrip any other player on the champion worldwide. Once he gets three items, the game is essentially over. And yet knowing this, teams have banned Fiora against Dig only four times out of 11 games. That has to change, and if it takes a sign in the stands, I will bear that cross.

Dignitas looks their most explosive with Ssumday on carry top laners like Fiora or even Lucian, but teams will be increasingly unlikely to allow that composition. Shrimp was excellent against TSM, stealing every objective he could get his hands on. Is there a competition for starting jungler now?

The series loss to Team Liquid was a worrying way to end what has been an exciting start to the split, but I’d still give Dignitas the edge in a replay. Subbing in Chaser for the deciding Game 3 of that series was a bit head-scratching, but considering Dignitas had been undefeated with him up to that point, you couldn’t fault the choice in the moment.

This team has the look of a playoff contender, and should be 4-0 if it weren’t for their lackluster Liquid series. Week 3 matchups with Phoenix 1 and Echo Fox will help them retain their spot atop the NA LCS.

5. Team EnVyUs (3-1, 7-4) (+2)

The most surprising team of Summer Split continues to impress the doubters that watched them flounder throughout Spring. Team EnVyUs spent most of last split losing three-game series; they’re 2-1 in Game 3s so far.

Credit mid laner Pirean for the spike in Envy’s success. The former Phoenix 1 bench warmer turned placeholder for Nisqy might not give up his starting role, averaging the highest KDA (5.6) among mid laners this split. On the flip side, he has the highest First Blood victim percentage (36.4%) of all starters, which needs to be addressed.

Lira was his high-mechanical self, but played poorly against Team Liquid, accounting for 40% of the team’s deaths. That Envy ultimately beat Liquid speaks to how far this team has come from last split, when they were completely reliant on Lira to succeed. Apollo and Hakuho have formed a formidable bot duo, with Hakuho averaging 1.7 deaths per game, first among supports. You can see the team’s macro improving, especially in the objective trades they made against Immortals.

Still, Envy hasn’t played anyone yet. They’ve beaten Liquid and Phoenix 1, swept Immortals who were perhaps overrated after Week 1 (more on that below), and lost to Dignitas. We’ll know more about this team when they play TSM on Sunday.

6. Immortals (3-1, 6-4) (-4)

Falling furthest in the Power Rankings are Immortals, a team that looked like champions one week and challengers the next. Everyone got justifiably excited after a Week 1 sweep of TSM, but since then Immortals have struggled versus lesser competition.

Against FlyQuest, Immortals found themselves down 7K gold in the mid game before a series of picks and a questionable nexus TP play cost FlyQuest their momentum and later the match. FlyQuest won Game 2 and again led by 4K in Game 3 before Xmithie’s Zac started punishing overextensions and turning fights. This series could have easily been a 2-0 sweep for FlyQuest if not for their own mistakes.

Team EnVyUs made few mistakes against Immortals and justifiably swept them, with Flame unable to keep anyone off his back line. After a week in which they looked best in role, Flame and Pobelter noticeably regressed, a bad sign for Immortals' playoff chances. Still, it’s early in the season, Immortals are tied for the best series record in North America, and if they can rebound against Liquid and Cloud 9 this week, maybe Week 2 was an aberration?

7. Echo Fox (2-2, 5-4) (-2)

To prove Echo Fox is a “10-man team,” Grig was subbed in as jungler for Akaadian this week, and the results speak for themselves. Echo Fox went 4-0 in Week 1 and went 1-4 in Week 2. Here are some stats:

Akaadian (4 Games): 4.1 KDA, 355 GPM, 13.1% DMG, +397 GD@15

Grig (5 Games): 1.6 KDA, 334 GPM, 11.1% DMG, +195 GD@15

I’m not suggesting that Grig was the reason Echo Fox lost four out of five games this week, the blame for that lies across the team. And it’s true that Echo Fox played a much tougher schedule this week (CLG/C9) than last week (FlyQuest/Liquid). But this decision to bench Akaadian—mutual though it seems—during a week Echo Fox could measure themselves against top-flight opposition is is bizarre.

It’ll be an ongoing question this season where Echo Fox’s priorities lie, winning or securing a place in LCS next year. Their Meme Stream Dream Team is winless and looks terrible, but Delta Fox’s series against Big Gods Jackals drew nearly 70,000 viewers on Twitch yesterday. Will the growth of the brand, coupled with establishing a deep, marketable first team roster trump winning? I still have no idea how good Echo Fox is, and it doesn’t seem like they care to find out.

8. FlyQuest eSports (1-3, 3-6) (+1)

Week 2 was a step forward for FlyQuest, securing their first series win Sunday over a slumping Phoenix 1 and playing above expectations in a hard-fought loss to Immortals. LemonNation and WildTurtle are growing into their bot lane partnership, but the rest of the team finds itself too often behind after the early game to win consistently.

Despite his experienced shotcalling, Hai is tied for last among mid laners with 8 CSM and finds himself on average -6 CSD@15. Flyquest have tried him out on six different champions over nine games, and only Orianna has had repeated success. Balls and Moon are average at best in their positions, requiring Turtle and Lemon to stomp lane for the team to have a chance.

We’ll see if Flyquest can build off Week 2 when they face CLG and Cloud 9, two of NA’s top teams rounding into form. A split this weekend—or even two competitive three-game series—would be a victory in my book.

9. Team Liquid (1-3, 3-7) (+1)

There was nowhere to go but up for Team Liquid, winning their first series of the split and generally looking more put-together as an organization. The experimental Slooshi phase seems to have run its course with Goldenglue returning in standout Galio and Taliyah performances. Given comfort champions like Olaf or Rengar, Reignover makes a half-decent jungler, and Piglet more than backed up his talk after putting his teammates on front street the week before.

Teamfight coordination still looks slapdash, the macro need work and Lourlo is getting outlanned in nearly every game, but honestly after such a horrendous Week 1 any instance of positive play would be a marked step forward. There’s still a long road ahead of Liquid to escape the basement, and though we all know Steve has his checkbook ready, I don’t see Liquid being competitive this split even with reinforcements. Weekend dates with TSM and Immortals will likely not help their record, but we could be in for an upset if Immortals continue to underwhelm.

10. Phoenix 1 (0-4, 2-8) (-2)

Ladies and Gentlemen, your North American representative for Rift Rivals 2017! Well, one of them at least.

Phoenix 1 took a necessary step today by announcing the acquisition of Xspecial to replace Shady as support, which—while necessary—is incredibly damning at an organizational level. P1 management was so convinced they had the right bot lane pairing with Arrow and Shady that they let both Adrian and Stunt walk during the mid-season break. Now they’re benching their hand-picked support in favor of a veteran sub? Ditto the Inori/Meteos situation, where P1 had an entire split to pick their preferred jungler and now seemingly reversed that decision too.

Sure, it was fun to see Meteos try out the new Rek’Sai when Elise/Graves/Lee Sin/Kha’Zix were available, or to watch a triple-marksman draft—including a freaking Urgot for Zig—crash and burn, but this team was the third-place finisher in Spring. We expect more than memes.

Maybe the support switch is exactly what P1 needs, because God knows this team isn’t winning anything if Arrow—THE MVP OF SPRING 2017—continues to struggle. Maybe Meteos will start practicing League again instead of streaming hours of WoW. Maybe Ryu can rediscover the game-breaking form he had in playoffs. Maybe, maybe, maybe. P1 face Dignitas and CLG this weekend, and even with Xspecial (who won’t play in the Dignitas series, being their former sub) I think they’ll enter Week 4 still searching for their first series win.

NA LCS Week 1 Power Rankings

It was a topsy-turvy, shake things up start to the 2017 NA LCS Summer Split. Patch 7.10 shook the meta Etch A Sketch over the midseason break, leaving favorites and fodder on even footing (for now). Teams that underperformed in Spring beat squads projected to be the best of Summer, with the top four from spring finishing Week 1 a combined 1-7. Cloud 9 was tested with the league’s toughest Week 1 schedule and fell flat. Team Solo Mid looked dominant until they didn’t. Echo Fox continued patenting pocket strategies, Phoenix 1 lost a step, and Team Liquid existed. Some things don’t change, I guess.

It’s too early to tell where these teams will be by split’s end, but this content farm knows no fallow seasons and I must till the earth. Enjoy these fresh-to-market power rankings, with more in-depth takes on new champions, items and objectives—are we sure Rift Herald is good? —coming to this stall in the coming days.

Prep your raptor camp, pick up a Doran’s Shield and let’s get into the first Completely Subjective Power Rankings for NA LCS Summer Split 2017.

Note: The movement stats are sort of useless since I never posted my pre-season rankings, but you can reverse engineer the numbers to get a clear picture.

1. Counter Logic Gaming (2-0, 4-1) (+2)

CLG kicked off the Summer Split with a 2-1 win over Cloud 9 that was by turns masterful, excruciating, and masterfully excruciating. Clean initiations from Aphromoo were marred by tentative late game macro that unnecessarily extended matches. Game 3 could have been played on Howling Abyss and not much would have changed. I did enjoy the lane-sized stars from Huhi’s Aurelion Sol, though they rarely amounted to much. CLG tightened things up against Team Liquid the following day for a clinical 2-0, but Liquid—mostly furniture at this point—offered token resistance.

For all the press Dardoch’s addition got over the break, the former Immortals jungler wasn’t that influential. Look instead to Aphromoo, the steady support who, now that the meta has shifted, gets to summon more playmaking champions like Rakan, Nami, and Bard. With shields slowly being tuned back to earth, teams with explosive supports like Aphromoo should be able to turn enough fights in the mid game to set up victory late. What worked against Cloud 9 should work against everyone else.

If Stixxay and Aphro can continue to find success in the bot lane, and Dardoch can resist the tilt, CLG will contend for a title. Let’s see where this magical journey leads.

2. Immortals (2-0, 4-1) (+4)

CLG looked solid in their opening weekend, but it was Immortals who turned heads, beating Team SoloMid in a best-of series for the first time in the organization’s history. That they opened the weekend defeating the third-place team of Spring in Phoenix 1 before kneecapping the Spring champs should put the entire league on notice. I’m sure Noah’s still smiling somewhere.

How did Immortals do it? Start with the reunion with Xmithie and Pobelter, two old CLG hands whose stellar interplay single-handedly raise the ceiling for this team. With a snowball ensured by Xmithie, Pobelter popped off in multiple games, showing everyone—who wasn’t already convinced—that he deserves his top spot on the NA Challenger ladder. Couple that with Flame playing out of his mind in the top lane and Olleh doing his best Aphromoo impression, Immortals look truly dangerous going forward.

Counter Logic Gaming barely squeaks out ahead in the rankings because I favor them in a best-of series, but if Immortals can clean up some issues with Cody Sun getting caught out while farming, they won’t stay second-best for long. 

3. Team Solo Mid (1-1, 2-2) (-2)

A mixed-bag week from the Kings of North America. One moment you’re raising a championship banner, then suddenly you’re blinded by a sheet. Classic TSM, looking like world-beaters just until their scheduled pratfall. No other team better encapsulates the identity of NA, a team that constantly wins while never failing to disappoint their demanding fans.

TSM swept an out-of-form Cloud 9 but then got swept themselves by an in-form Immortals, so did we really learn anything? Of course TSM will need time to fully adjust to 7.10, but that doesn’t fully explain their lack of coordination in team fights or inability to execute strategies determined by the draft. If Bjergsen is going to play a supportive champion like Galio and leave the carrying duty to Doublelift, the team cannot allow Doublelift to get picked off before fights, nor engage in split fights while Bjergsen attacks a different target than the DPS. Immortals exploited this mistake several times during their sweep, denying TSM the comeback fight they needed.

I like the flexibility Doublelift brings to TSM’s drafting, and his ability to win the bot lane with minimal assistance, but TSM doesn’t know how to take advantage of him yet. For now, they remain great team with issues time and practice will solve. Expect to see them rebound next week and remain near the top of these rankings for the foreseeable future.

4. Cloud 9 (0-2, 1-4) (-2)

Don’t count out Cloud 9 yet. The Spring Runner’s Up faced TSM and CLG to kick off the Summer—two teams I projected to finish inside the top three—a managed to win only a single game. Their much-anticipated rematch with TSM failed to be competitive, and the series with CLG had a very “monkeys throwing feces” feel that could have gone either way. This is the same team that came within one 5v5 of representing North America at MSI this year. They’ve got arguably the best bot lane in the league and a talented jungler who is only going to get better. One rough week does not a season make.

C9 will come back, yet their midgame objective control needs serious work. The TSM series hinged on Barons C9 should have taken but didn’t, and against top flight opposition those mistakes will lose games by themselves. Impact’s return from holiday might be the missing ingredient, but Ray wasn’t the issue. He frequently getting the better of Hauntzer in the early game, but his team couldn’t capitalize off that advantage as the game wore on. After weeks of playing against them in solo queue, C9 shouldn’t be as unfamiliar with Xayah and Rakan as they were in Week 1. Not only did Aphromoo constantly catch C9 off-guard with his long-range initiations, but then Sneaky and Smoothie couldn’t in turn punish TSM’s lack of familiarity with the duo the following day.

The schedule doesn’t ease up for C9 this week; they face an undefeated Echo Fox side brimming with energy and pocket picks, and a wounded Phoenix 1 eager to rediscover their winning ways. The C9 of spring would be favored against both, but when will we see those guys again?

5. Echo Fox (2-0, 4-0) (+4)

The surprise of the first weekend, Echo Fox went 4-0 against Flyquest and Team Liquid, proving that sometimes an incredible mid-jungle duo can trump everything else. Froggen and Akaadian were unstoppable, with the European mid laner accounting for 43% of his team’s damage over all four games. Akaadian displayed versatility in the jungle, able to shift from playmaking fighters to roaming supports like Ivern to close out the Flyquest series.

Gate continues to throw a wrench into the ban phase by drafting top lane supports. He was famous last split for winning on Camille support; now he adds the revamped Sejuani to that list. The pick looked good after a rough laning phase, but more to the point it makes teams account for additional strategies when drafting against Echo Fox. That unpredictability combined with their intention to only scrim against Delta Fox this season give Echo Fox an unmatched ability to succeed with unorthodox drafts. Opponents literally will not know what’s coming, allowing Echo Fox to cheese out wins they otherwise couldn’t earn. Those wins could be the difference between sitting at home or flying to Boston in September.

If Froggen and Akaadian can continue playing at an elite level, Echo Fox are a legitimate playoff threat. If they can’t, the organization will own two Meme Teams instead of just one.

6. Team Dignitas (2-0, 4-1) (+1)

The Ssumday show continues for Team Dignitas, but the split didn’t begin that way. Dignitas eked out a 2-1 win over Team EnVyUs with Ssumday sidelined on tanky champions like Shen and Rumble. Things changed against Flyquest, when Dignitas asked their top laner to carry. Ssumday was utterly unplayable on Fiora and Lucian, going 13-2-11 over two games, accounting for 34% of the team’s damage dealt and recording 69% kill participation. Dignitas are a different side when they let Ssumday off the chain, so look for teams to start prioritizing him in the first ban phase going forward.

When Ssumday smashes lane, the rest of Dignitas need only hold on until the midgame. Chaser desperately wants Rengar to still be meta but I’m afraid that time has passed. Dignitas seems to be happy with BIG as starting support, and he looked confident on four different champions this weekend. Having a skilled Thresh player makes bot lane that much easier, opening up more aggressive drafts for Ssumday if he’s got a lantern to ride.

Dignitas hasn’t beaten anyone yet, and there’s a lot of room to improve, but they should be satisfied with a job done so far.

7. Team EnVyUs (1-1, 4-2) (+2)

Feisty and resilient, Team EnVyUs is the squad no one wants to play. They look completely revitalized after a split in which they came within one game of relegation, and you need only look to their midseason moves to find the reason why.

Lira continues to make his case for the best jungler in North America, but the real improvements have come in the mid lane. Pirean has replaced Ninja over the break, and the results have been instantaneous. His ability to hold mid without constantly being babysat by Lira allows Envy’s best player to roam and snowball other lanes. The bot duo of Apollo and Hakuho benefited tremendously from the help, outplaying Arrow and Shady in a 2-1 series win over Phoenix 1. And if the matchup calls for a snowball mid, Pirean can do that too. His Game 1 performance on Taliyah against Ryu’s Orianna was absolutely disgusting, ending 7-0-5 and up 85 CS.

Will this be the split Envy finally puts enough pieces around Lira to contend for playoffs? We’ll know more when they face Immortals on Friday.

8. Phoenix 1 (0-2, 2-4) (-4)

Expectations were high for Phoenix 1 coming into Summer Split. The third-place team of Spring were projected as legitimate threats to the TSM/C9 hegemony, and with solo laners like Ryu and Zig—plus the reigning NA LCS MVP in Arrow—who could argue otherwise?

The sky shouldn’t be falling after an 0-2 start to the split (see: Cloud 9), but the way P1 lost series to Immortals and Team EnVyUs is cause for concern. Arrow has been a non-factor so far, and the amount of blame you want to put on Shady varies between observer. P1 spent all of Spring trying to settle on a support; are we sure Shady is the right choice? (Sidebar: Was Inori?) Still, it wasn’t entirely Shady’s fault that Arrow was getting picked off before fights could even start. A support can only do so much.

Zig and Ryu haven’t covered themselves in glory either, but at this point the issues are at a team level. P1 ranks next to last in gold differential per minute (-197) and are on average down nearly 2k at the 15-minute mark. For having such talented solo laners, P1 aren’t winning lanes, something that needs to change if they intend to rebound. The organization put their faith in Inori over Meteos, and now Inori needs to make good on that belief. Circle Friday’s clash between P1 and C9 for a better idea where both teams stand.

9. FlyQuest (0-2, 0-4) (-4)

FlyQuest haven’t won game in the Summer Split, losing in straight sets to Dignitas and Echo Fox, two teams you would think the fourth-place team of Spring could at least play evenly. Instead, an experienced squad helmed by Hai came up well short, displaying little cohesion both in their macro decision-making and in team fights. Echo Fox’s game-winning juke around the mid lane should have never been allowed to happen, but with three inhibitors already down you could forgive FlyQuest for being distracted.

Picking up WildTurtle over the break was a fantastic move for a team in need of an experienced AD carry, but as Turtle proved during his stint at TSM, he cannot singlehandedly make a good team great. Hai and Balls looked second best in matchups against Froggen and Ssumday, creating a lower ceiling than last split’s performance would suggest.

It doesn’t get any easier for FlyQuest this week. Dates with Immortals and Phoenix 1 will likely leave them 0-4 to start the split and searching for answers.

10. Team Liquid (0-2, 0-4) (Even)

I might write a longer article about Team Liquid, but until then, there’s nothing much to say. If you’re going to run back the same roster that would have been relegated if not for Doublelift’s contribution, should anyone be surprised it isn’t working?

They might not win a series all year. Just…look at the flowers, Liquid. So pretty…