LEC Spring Split 2020: Week 5 Team Power Rankings
Four weeks left in the 2020 LEC Spring Split and the standings couldn’t be closer! Here’s a look at the LEC Power Rankings after Week 5!
European League of Legends has never been so competitive. The top seven LEC teams are currently separated by just two wins in the standings, with every squad impressing viewers with their refined playstyles so far in the regular season, but how does this translate to the LEC Power Rankings after Week 5?
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Ultimately, the top seven are as close as ever and therefore it is difficult to rank them accurately week on week. In terms of head-to-heads in first to sixth, every team either holds a 4-3 or 3-4 record (with the exception of G2, the only top seven team to have lost to the LEC’s bottom three) as every roster is capable of beating each other at the top of the table.
This is also true at the foot of the standings with Schalke 04, SK Gaming, and Team Vitality all performing as well (or as poorly) as each other in the first five weeks of the Spring Split.
As a result, the LEC Power Rankings are tightly knit and distinguishing between two sides with an equal record relies on expectations and experience on the roster, rather than results so far in the Spring Split.
1) G2 Esports
Record: 7 – 3 | Change: =
Chasing their third consecutive title, G2 Esports continue to make things interesting in the LEC by showcasing their unexpected nature that makes Europe’s top team so fun to watch.
After convincingly sweeping Excel Esports aside on W5D1, the defending LEC champions were incapable of beating the inexperienced MAD Lions and missed out on yet another opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the table.
At 17.4 kills per game on average (the highest in the LEC, 4.1 ahead of Fnatic in second) it’s clear that G2 haven’t adjusted their successful playstyle and continued on the path that led them to the 2019 World Championship final. That being said, failure to take down the likes of Schalke 04 and MAD Lions to secure sole possession of first place will be a concern for the G2 support staff.
Is it time to discuss Caps’ ability in his new role? Or are G2 simply suffering from high, unattainable expectations from the year previous?
2) Origen
Record: 7 – 3 | Change: =
3) Fnatic
Record: 7 – 3 | Change: =
Fnatic were the only team to go undefeated in Week 5, further proving how competitive the LEC is right now, and also illustrating Fnatic’s progress with Selfmade as they now sit in joint first with their new addition in the jungle.
It could be argued that EU’s most decorated organization is currently playing the most exciting League of Legends in the LEC. In a meta of drawn-out games and complaints that pro play has become “boring” to watch, Fnatic are flipping the script with a blistering 29:46 average game time, almost three minutes shorter than any other team in the league.
On top of that, in Week 5 they showcased their ability to draft intelligently and aggressively with one of the most obvious dive comps ever created in an attempt to shut down Origen’s obnoxious Soraka top.
Not only were Fnatic successful, but they may have also set a precedent on how to deal with enchanters in the top lane in pro play forever, information that could have been invaluable had they not been nerfed on Patch 10.4.
4) Rogue
Record: 6 – 4 | Change: =
5) Misfits Gaming
Record: 7 – 3 | Change: =
When Misfits confidently dispatched MAD Lions on W5D1, it seemed like they were unstoppable and destined to challenge G2 for the top spot in the regular season. That hype was short-lived, however, as they succumbed to Rogue just 24 hours later.
Nevertheless, Misfits Gaming will undoubtedly finish in the top six for the first time since EU LCS 2018 Summer. Their excellent grasp of League’s fundamentals and individual talent from the likes of Razork and Febiven combines to make one of the most feared rosters in the LEC.
It is somewhat surprising that a bunch of rookies can be so successful so soon after first setting foot in Europe’s top division, but yet another indicator of the ongoing conveyor belt of EU talent around both the LEC and regional leagues at the moment.
6) MAD Lions
Record: 6 – 4 | Change: =
Just when you think MAD Lions were on the decline after a devastating loss to Misfits Gaming on W5D1, they instantly bounce back with a surprise victory over G2 Esports.
MAD are very similar to Misfits in terms of LEC experience, individual talent, and game plan. However, the difference between the two lies in their primary win conditions.
While Misfits find victories through stronger early gameplay and objective control in the first twenty minutes, MAD Lions are the LEC’s best team fighting roster (other than G2) and are near unstoppable in 5v5s.
This was obvious in their win over G2 Esports as they outfought them at every corner to pick up Barons, Dragons, and close the game out against all odds, although it could be said that G2 did hand them many of those team fights wins.
7) Excel Esports
Record: 5 – 5 | Change: =
8) Schalke 04
Record: 2 – 8 | Change: +1
9) Team Vitality
Record: 1 – 9 | Change: +1
10) Schalke 04
Record: 2 – 8 | Change: -2
Schalke 04, Team Vitality, and SK Gaming currently hold a 1-19 record against the top seven teams. 1 win, 19 losses.
You could place these three teams in any order in the power rankings and it would still make sense. None of them have shown anything near the form required to push for playoffs in the Spring Split and all need major overhauls and regroups during the mid-season break.
In Week 5, Team Vitality took down SK Gaming for their first win of 2020 in one of the lowest quality games of the season so far.
Schalke 04 look the strongest of the three after dropping FORG1VEN from the starting roster, it seems like a weight has been lifted from the players’ shoulders and they are playing with the freedom of zero pressure being so low in the standings.
As for SK Gaming, the less said about them the better. If they want to win games, they need to exist in the early game and stop giving up objectives without making an attempt to trade. Maybe a new jungler is the solution as Trick is struggling to recapture his 2019 form on his new team.
Next. LEC Week 5 Recap. dark