One of the biggest stories heading into week nine of the European League of Legends Championship Series is the rise of ROCCAT. After a disappointing 1-7 opening to their season, the team looked completely out of sorts. But they got to work rebuilding their record, and are now tied in fifth place with a 10-10 record—and a five game winning streak. With a third place finish from last season fresh in everyone’s minds, ROCCAT are now poised to repeat their cinderalla season and reclaim their mantle.
ROCCAT’s toughest match this week is against fellow first-years, the Supa Hot Crew. The Crew are on the rise as well, and after barely scraping by in the spring, have come into their own and currently sit tied for third place. Some roster fine tunings over the last few months see them performing better than ever before. Now, they just need a few more wins to secure their place among the best teams in Europe. Can they put a stop to ROCCAT?
Despite the lower winning rate, ROCCAT actually seem to have better stats when they play on the red side. They get almost every map objective more often, and coupled with their momentum heading into the match, that could spell major trouble for the Supa Hot Crew. However, the Crew do have a higher KDA and gold income rates. If they can find stability as the match progresses, they may just end up with another win.
The Crew’s biggest weapon is without a doubt Marcin “SELFIE” Wolski, their middle laner. As the year progresses, this newcomer to the LCS has been consistently heating up, and his CS and kill participation are starting to really make a difference. Teammates Mimer Ahlström and Rasmus “MrRalleZ” Skinneholm have also been doing well, and it’s clear why the Crew are playing so well. However, ROCCAT’s resurgence will be a tough one to stop.
The team’s stats have been on the rise, but none are performing better against their counterparts than jungler Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski. He’s the lynchpin to the team, and if he can put in a solid performance, almost nothing can stop the team. If the Crew want to come out ahead, they’ll have to set their sights on the jungle—because if they can’t shut down Jankowski, then ROCCAT are almost guaranteed victory.
Screengrab via Riot Games/YouTube
