Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention? Here with a preview, it’s me Hyper10sion. As the title would imply, I’m here to give you a little bit of a look into the upcoming Champions League split. I’ve seen several of these teams play through casting throughout the amateur community, and while I won’t write up any sort of projections or rankings of these phenomenal teams, I will be giving a summary of each team, along with what, to my knowledge, will be the starting roster.
D Rose
Play in Record: Auto Qualify
Starting 5: XO TOUR LLF3, Wabba1, Nilemars, Meister chief, Duelbrother
The crown of thorns sits atop the head of the D Rose after a 14-0 split with a 30-2 game record. They consistently thrashed opponents left and right last split, so looking at them is not as easy as one would think. Going by last season, Nilemars and XO Tour Lif3 are rocks in the solo lanes with Wabba1 being the linchpin of the team and a top bot lane. D Rose remain confident to the roots, but can they repeat with the massive target on their back?
Player to watch: Wabba1
Kraken eSports
Play in Record: Auto Qualify
Starting 5: Userre, Aeriya, HighKeySavage, GIGAF4STAPMXD (EloDaddy 400 IQ), Hachimitsu
Formerly Henlo in name only, this Kraken squad has a new player at every position. Looking to not play second fiddle to D Rose, this roster doesn’t have any true utility player. The lanes to watch though are mid and bot, with a top tier mid in HighKeySavage replacing D0XA, and a bot lane made up of two ADC mains. The newness of the roster might create some issues early, but if this roster gets clicking they might apply a vice grip on the Champions League.
Player to watch: HighKeySavage
Raiders
Play in Record: 3-0 (aMped, Big Brain Club, Fear Us)
Starting 5: ozkai47461, Ahotem, C69 Mike Litoris, Lord Zxyc, Rourke
Raiders were a stunning roster assembled seemingly out of nowhere and showed up huge in Play ins, sweeping their group. While it wasn’t the most dominating showing, Raiders showed up where it mattered, notably against aMped in a 26 minute stomp. Ozkai is most likely the best top laner in the league, and the duo of Zyxc and Rourke are terrifyingly consistent. If the meta leans toward a top lane carry, don’t be surprised if Raiders rampage through the league.
Player to Watch: ozkai47461
Karaoke Machine Broke
Play in Record: 3-0 (TSUES, ORION, MSUA -Forfeit-)
Starting 5: 056 ZeroFiveSix, Jim Cantore, D0XA, 2013 weves, boo busters
Well this was surprising. Lynch me if you like Risen, I did not see this coming. Karaoke Machine broke emerged from play ins with an unbeaten record, topping favorites Michigan State and Orion on their way to the Champions league. They swapped out a couple players, the most notable being the mid lane spot going to the former Henlo mid D0XA. He had a monstrous play in stage, and seems to be gunning for the title of best mid in the league once again while breaking the competition in two.
Player to watch: D0XA
DE Regarded Schnikelords
Play in Record: 3-0 (Krelanine, Team Ethiopia, Super Nova)
Starting 5: BigBoobie (pirate retard 69), Finesse (ScarIet Roses), TengoAutismo, LokiDosi, ThePerkisizer
Another name I did not think I’d say. The biggest surprise of the play ins and the crowd favorite by the end of the day, the Schnikelords enter with momentum on their side after upsetting Krelanine and Super Nova. The bot lane of this team particularly shined, with The Perkisizer and LokiDosi tearing any and all comers to shreds. The real MVP between the two is up for debate, but my vote goes to ThePerkisizer due to his playmaking ability and clutch support play. The definition of dark horse, this could be the the wild west for the DE squad to tame.
Player to watch: ThePerkisizer
Dawn eSports
Play in Record: 3-0 (Dramatik, Siren, Big Time Rush)
Starting 5: Stendhal, Me Llamo Big D, AllAero, Score, TheBuckNasty
Dawn eSports had the most dominant path through the play ins, only being tested by Dramatik. A mainstay in the amateur scene, this new roster started as if shot out a cannon, only dying 30 times in 3 games. AllAero in particular finished with a 9.2 KDA, dominating in every single game he played that Sunday. Dawn sits as one of the favorites to contend, with a lot of upward potential that could eclipse other teams.
Player to Watch: AllAero
North Carolina State University
Play in Record: 3-0 (VT, Stratosphere, TM06)
Starting 5: Whoppers, Pluckin Penguins, ShadowVisions, IlllIIIllIIIlIIl, Haanii
NCSU was a big name coming into the tournament, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that they topped their group. Even with the less than ideal state of the win against Virginia Tech, NCSU is a mainstay in the amateur scene for a reason. With solid solo lanes and a top notch duo lane, topped off with a jungler that draws multiple bans in Pluckin Penguins, this team looks to prove they are still the powerhouse they have been for the past few years.
Player to Watch: Pluckin Penguins
aMped eSports
Play in Record: 2-1 (Big Brain Club, Fear Us, Raiders Black (L))
Starting 5: ChodeBoy5000, Danwel, Camille Bot, Perquods, Kullen
A newer face to the amateur scene, aMped emerged out of group A in second place behind Raiders. The main player to watch was the jungler Danwel, who dominated in both of their wins despite a lackluster start against Raiders. The team either stomped or was stomped in the play ins, but being a new roster this is likely to happen at some point. If this team cranks it to eleven, they are one to watch out for.
Player to Watch: Danwel
ORION
Play in Record: 1-2 (TSUES, MSU (L), KMB (L))
Starting 5: Dinka, Anchor, Shangdi, Bring Back Josh, MeowingCat
This is a team who made it in on tiebreakers alone, struggling mightily in the play ins, and are the only team to make it in with less than two wins in play ins. These struggles, however, could be attributed to an absent mid, as Shangdi was not present during the play ins. Even in defeat Bring Back Josh stood out as a player of note, staying close even in the losses. ORION comes in with a chip on their shoulder and determination in their eyes, looking to break the accidental participant label that has been dropped on them. If Sunday was a really bad day, this team can shoot for the stars.
Player to Watch: Bring Back Josh
Super Nova
Play in Record: 2-1 (Krelanine, Ethiopia -forfeit- , DE RS (L))
Starting 5: iamwater, résiliencem, Hopefulqt, Sasukeˉ , Narutoˉ
Super Nova came into the play ins as one of the most well known organizations in the amateur scene. They earned their spot in the league as expected, but the loss on stream to the Regarded Schnikelords stands out as a blemish on their play in performance. In the massive upset, only Hopefulqt was able to keep pace with his lane opponent, showing there is a weakness in the armor. With another week of development into the newer roster and the best of three format, Super Nova could use organizational experience to their advantage in this league.
Player to Watch: Hopefulqt
Team Siren
Play in Record: 2-1 (Dramatik, Big Time Rush, Dawn (L))
Starting 5: WSU Noxus, A Ganker, Nàww, Trigger Slinger, kizeme
Yet another new face making a big splash, Team Siren managed to fight their way out of what many considered the strongest group in the tournament. The player who caught my eye most was ADC Trigger Slinger, the only player not present in the initial loss to Dawn eSports, and racked up a 6.75 KDA in his two games against Dramatik and BTR. With a few veterans on their roster and a bit of time, Siren could be singing songs of victory if overlooked by their opponents.
Player to Watch: Trigger Slinger
Virginia Tech
Play in Record: 2-1 (Stratosphere, TM06, NCSU (L))
Starting 5: Yade or Yade, GodGavin, Smite Infinity, phongfrancis, JoeJacko
Virginia Tech arrived in Risen with a big reputation and an internet issue. Despite the lack of starting support JoeJacko after an unfortunate disconnect during the streamed game against NCSU, Tech stomped their way through the rest of their group with ease. With the NCSU vs VT game cut short so soon, it remains unclear who is the better team of the ACC rivalry. With probably the deepest roster and one of the best reputations, Virginia Tech looks to climb the mountain that is the Champions League.
Player to Watch: JoeJacko
These are the teams for the Champions League Season 4! Who will win? Who will surprise? Honestly I’m not crazy enough to rank or make any predictions for this league but damn am I ready to see it go down!
Tune in Sunday, May 13th, at 7 Easter Time for the kick off match between play in rivals Karaoke Machine Broke and ORION!