LEC Spring Split 2020: LEC Playoffs Power Rankings
The LEC playoffs teams have been confirmed and the matchups have been set! Here’s a look at how the top six rosters stack up in our power rankings!
We said goodbye to Excel Esports, Schalke 04, SK Gaming, and Team Vitality last week and now we’re gearing up for the LEC playoffs with our power rankings! The top six teams from the regular season will do battle over the next three weeks to decide the 2020 LEC Spring Split champion!
This year it’s a double-elimination format giving the top four teams a second chance of advancing through the knockout stages and competing for the title in the grand final on April 19. The fifth and sixth seeds will start their playoffs journey in the loser’s bracket with a gauntlet-style run in their path.
G2 Esports take on MAD Lions in the first game of the playoffs, followed by Fnatic vs. Origen on Saturday and Misfits Gaming vs. Rogue on Sunday. Every team will have a very different run to the final with some potentially playing five best-of-fives over three weeks to reach the top two.
If you don’t know who the favorites to lift the LEC trophy are or are wondering who will come out on top of a certain matchup, look no further than our LEC playoffs power rankings:
1. G2 Esports
Unsurprisingly, G2 Esports top our power rankings. The defending LEC champions will be looking to retain their title in the Spring Split as they once again showcased their superiority over the rest of Europe throughout the regular season, ending the split with a very impressive 15-3 record.
Don’t be shocked if you see G2 fall into the loser’s bracket at any point though as they never really give 100% effort until the pressure is on. Even if they lose a match during the knockout stages, there’s no doubt that they’ll bounce back quickly with a chance to retain their Mid-Season Invitational trophy potentially on the line.
2. Origen
Origen and Fnatic are neck-and-neck in terms of playing quality and that has been on display throughout the regular season by how inseparable they’ve been in the LEC standings with an equal win-loss record that stretches all the way back to Week 5.
However, one must be ranked second in our power rankings, and it’s Origen. Despite their equal head-to-head record during the regular season, Origen’s playstyle and early game control should be enough to stop Fnatic in their tracks as they face off in the second game of playoffs on Saturday.
Nevertheless, either of the two sides could reach the playoff final and have the chance to shut down G2’s European dominance in three weeks’ time.
Origen only have the advantage as their refined early game playstyle is well-suited to best-of-five series and should be enough to see them over the line up until the final game of the playoffs.
3. Fnatic
What cannot be underestimated is Fnatic’s ability to win a game in the first fifteen minutes through intelligent roams, incessant ganking, and smart TP flanks throughout the laning phase.
In fact, over the last 18 games, Fnatic probably best G2 when it comes to winning games quickly and choking out the opposition with aggressive early plays, as illustrated by their average game time of 31:16, the lowest among LEC teams.
If Europe’s most illustrious organization can limit the number of “int plays” from the likes of Bwipo and Hylissang throughout the playoffs, then not only are they in with a good chance of defeating Origen, but they could also go toe-to-toe with G2 Esports in the grand final.
4. Rogue
The bottom three teams are heading into the LEC playoffs with no pressure as they’re not really expected to mount a challenge against the top three during the knockout stages. However, this adds to the pressure of becoming “best of the rest” and achieving a fourth-place finish in the playoffs over the next three weeks.
Rogue are the most likely team to do that as they have both the best head-to-head record of the three and the most refined playstyle amongst our 4th-6th seeded teams.
During the regular season, the LEC audience quickly became familiar with Rogue’s patient, Origen-esque approach to games which involved slowly building a gold lead through the early game with minimal risk.
The two worrying factors that could stand in Rogue’s way are their poor online performances of recent and the fact that they’re starting the playoffs in the loser’s bracket due to their sixth-place finish in the regular season.
Nevertheless, even with four consecutive losses behind them, Rogue have the advantage when it comes to previous playoffs experience which could prove invaluable when facing the rookies of MAD Lions and Misfits.
5. Misfits Gaming
From the laughing stock of Season 9 to playoff contenders just six months later, Misfits Gaming’s LEC turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable.
Judged by some to be one of the weakest rosters coming into the Spring Split, Misfits have proven their doubters wrong and put on a show during the regular season which they’ll be hoping to carry through to the playoffs.
Led by two-time EU LCS champion Febiven, Misfits have been one of the most consistent teams in Europe so far this season, showcasing a complete understanding of the fundamentals of League of Legends and rarely venturing too far out of their comfort zone for wins.
By far the most exciting prospect of Misfits Gaming in playoffs has to be Rookie of the Split candidate Razork who – despite a slow start to the season – has come on leaps and bounds in recent weeks and has started to control the early game against some of the LEC’s most experienced junglers.
If the Spaniard can continue this sort of form in the LEC playoffs, then Misfits could be in with a chance of upsetting the favorites.
6. MAD Lions
Despite finishing fourth in the regular season and starting the playoffs in the winner’s bracket, MAD Lions rank last in our LEC playoffs power rankings due to their playstyle not really lending itself to a best-of-five format.
However, that shouldn’t take away from how impressive this team filled with rookies has been so far in 2020.
MAD Lions have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in Europe in Season 10 due to the chaotic nature of their team fight-oriented playstyle which often led to multiple close fights per game and a ton of mechanical skill on show.
However, it could be argued that MAD rode their luck plenty during the regular season with many victories coming from marginal team fight wins and reliance on individual outplays rather than calculated team play.
Although G2 Esports shocked the world with their ability to win games purely through individual outplays and mechanics in 2019, the MAD Lions roster isn’t quite on the same level just yet.
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