Worlds 2015 – Group C Analysis and Predictions
Here’s a group that a lot of eyes will be on, and for more reasons than SK Telecom T1 having Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok being the best player in the history of the game.
Group C is a group defined by the two teams that headlined the Mid-Season Invitational: Edward Gaming and SK Telecom. Fans will be treated to the trope of the two tournament front runners staring each other down from across the arena at the home stretch, but right out the gate!
But there’s more at stake here than just this singular matchup. Who will prevail in the group of the big divide? Let’s look at the competing teams first.
SK Telecom T1
Fitting that the team to cement Korea as the undisputed #1 region in the world back in 2013 is once again one of the favorites to win it all. And why wouldn’t they be? SKT bounced back from a lackluster 2014 season to lead the Korean scene after the exodus of many pro players to China.
What did this amount to? Back to back LCK finals victories, both of them sweeps. A 14-series streak. You could make a case for teams like Fnatic or ahq being dominant in their own regions, but given the strength of Korea compared to Europe or Taiwan, many still believe SKT to be head and shoulders above the rest of the #1 seeds.
And SKT is more than just #ThingsFakerDoes now. Jang “Marin” Gyeong-Hwan is a god on Maokai, holding an undefeated streak of over 20 games on the tanky tree. Bae “bengi” Seong-ung has redeemed his lackluster 2014 season play to become worthy of his title as ‘The Jungle’. Even Bae “Bang” Jun-sik has become enough of a superstar carry in his own right with Lucian skills many top tier AD Carries can be jealous of. Can anyone stop such a complete package?
H2k-Gaming
H2k made a big splash this year, coming into the LCS and establishing itself as a top tier contender after the introduction of support, Raymond “kaSing” Tsang. The team has established itself as a methodical powerhouse able to purely play the map instead of hunting for fights for an advantage.
While their tight team play and variable 3 carry threat style has carried them through back to back 3rd place finishes in the LCS, the player to watch this tournament will be Ryu “Ryu” Sang-wook. He’ll be looking for redemption against Faker for the fated Zed duel that defined his career back in 2013.
H2k are methodical, versatile, and coached well by Neil “Pr0lly” Hammad, but their lack of Worlds experience is sure to hurt them. Should they be allowed to play their game, they could pull off some upsets, but with how stiff the competition in the group is, it’s going to be tough.
Edward Gaming
EDG has been the Chinese team to beat since 2014. Despite an almost a complete 2 year run at the top however, they did falter in the most recent playoffs, coincidentally to the other seeded teams from China. They did regain their form during the Regional Qualifier, but the slip up has caused them to lose some steam heading into Worlds.
But that’s not to say that EDG aren’t favorites. No one can deny their run of form in the spring, and who could forget that they actually bested SK Telecom at the Mid-Season Invitational. This also isn’t the same team that choked at last year’s Worlds. They have who many consider as the best ADC in the world in Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, as well as the man Faker can’t seem to beat: Heo “PawN” Won-seok. If Faker is Superman, PawN is his kryptonite.
The team will have to rely on that moving into this group if they want to make first. Though Ming “Clearlove” Kai can more than match Bengi’s pressure, containing Faker will be the key to victory.
Bangkok Titans
If we saw China shed its identity of the always fight no matter what region this year thanks to the influx of Korean player and coaching talent… then it was the GPL regions that stepped up to fill that void of aggression. One thing’s for certain when you’re up against the Titans: one way or another, the match will be bloody.
However, they’re more than the sum of their bloodthirsty members. The titans have also shown a deep enough knowledge of macro play in order to maneuver into favorable fights instead of just picking them at random. And the crux of this style is their mid laner, Nuttapong “G4” Menkasikan. He led the team to victory in the GPL, at various post-season tournaments and again in Turkey where they showed up the tournament favorites The Chiefs, to punch their ticket to Worlds.
G4 is an invaluable part of BKT’s pressure, and while his dueling and split pushing prowess are top notch, he is up against 3 serious Korean powerhouse mid laners in this group. Whether the Titans live or die rests on the shoulders of G4 and how he rises to the challenge.
PREDICTION: SKT make it as #1. EDG is 90% sure to make 2nd, but H2k may surprise and play spoiler. The Titans have a tough road to even win a single game given the competition, and will finish last.
BONUS – Matchup to watch
As an added treat, we get a triple threat matchup for the ages, and we don’t even have to wait until the Knockout round to see it. Faker VS PawN vs Ryu. One is the current god of all players. One is the enigmatic god killer. One is a fallen mid lane god looking for redemption.
Make no mistake, Faker will want revenge for the defeat at MSI. PawN will be looking to cement his status as the one man to consistently beat Faker over his career. Ryu has 2 shots at living down the Zed nightmare that haunts his dreams every night: either he beats Faker or gains the spiritual victory of beating the man who always beats Faker. Rock, Paper, Scissors, anyone?
tl;dr WATCH THE MID LANE
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