Jonathan Yee
2018-03-25 07:46:16
There had been growing signs that Vietnamese teams were far ahead of their Southeast Asian contemporaries, reflected in their domination of both Garena Premier League events last year. Rift Rivals, while not on the same level of prestige, further showcased the wide gap in ability between Vietnam’s Gigabyte Marines and Thailand’s Ascension Gaming, as well as the Philippines’ Mineski. The latter two representatives toiled against their LoL Japan League and Oceania Pro League peers and looked outclassed, despite historical precedent showing SEA to be stronger than Japan and Oceania.
Perhaps the strength of Vietnam had masked the inadequacy of the other GPL teams, but there would be no more shielding this time: SEA has to step up this time on their own. Vietnam leaving the GPL bloc will, in the short term, worsen the quality of GPL representatives.
However, lest one forgets, Vietnam were merely the #1 region in Southeast Asia; following hot on their heels is none but Thailand.
Thailand's incumbent #1 League of Legends organization Ascension Gaming very nearly won the right to be the SEA representatives at the Worlds 2017 play-in stage - if not for the fact that Young Generation had been included in the GPL as the 2nd Vietnamese seed by virtue of GAM’s performance at MSI. Korean top laner Jisu, recruited at the last minute right before their play-offs, had practically single-handedly carried them to the TPL championship, but the dream run to Worlds was not to be. Regardless, they put up a fight in a bloody, messy series which eventually saw them fall 3-2.
Over the off-season, ASC recovered quickly from their disappointment, regrouped and took full advantage of the dissolution of the SEA Serpents to acquire two of the top Thai talents available on the market - Rockky, an up-and-coming prodigy who held #1 on the Thai solo queue ladder, and InTreso, a veteran thoroughly familiar with his new teammates, having teamed with them back on Bangkok Titans. With the long-time core of G4 and Lloyd intact, ASC left nothing to chance in the Thai Pro League and decimated their closest rivals MEGA in the final.
The idea here is not to figure out which team can win the GPL - it’s almost certainly going to be Ascension - but to see which of the other teams can measure up to Thailand’s best.
G4 and Lloyd hardly require any introduction. The stalwarts of the Thai scene and Worlds 2015 attendees are back in their respective seats after numerous roster and role swaps, and the return to an all-Thai lineup has only benefited their communication. G4 is known most for his selfless and game-changing initiates, while Lloyd is the marksman any team could wish for - rarely dies and dishes out tons of damage. The meta has particularly favoured Lloyd, too, as he can go off on long-range AD carries, playing to his strengths.
Rockky might have barely a year of pro play under his belt, but he is already regarded as the best top laner in Thailand. In the TPL, ASC frequently picked winning matchups for Rockky to dominate. Like his namesake, however, he is largely a stabilizer in the top lane despite his potential to carry with a good matchup.
IntTeso’s transition to the jungle role is rather unsurprising as he has always been a jack-of-all-trades, being asked to step into various off-roles without breaking a sweat. One has to consider that the jungle pool in Thailand is not the strongest, however, and even last year the top teams were having problems with their junglers. Intreso might be an all-rounder, but the fact that he’s not a jungler by trade might be exploitable.
In a similar vein, ASC has looked to internal solutions to fill the seemingly-permanent void in the support role. Essentially, throughout ASC's existence, the support's job has always been to ensure that Lloyd is well taken care of. Still one of the most spectacular players in his role as far as SEA is concerned, the problem has been in getting someone who can take the bot lane to the next level; someone like that hasn't been seen since Moss in 2015, back when G4 and Lloyd were still on the Bangkok Titans.
Rich (formerly known as Nuni) finds himself in the same position as Warl0ck before him; the need to fill a gap in the role has plagued ASC since their formation, and Rich does not appear an optimal choice, being as he was a jungler before this split. Regardless, Rich is tasked to be Lloyd's bodyguard, and drafts accordingly; the likes of Janna, Braum and Tahm Kench are largely defense-first supports. Lloyd has been placed as the top priority in both farm priority and in teamfights; the #1 job of Rich is to keep Lloyd alive, while G4 and InTreso (sometimes Rockky) initiates. Given the limitations of Rich as a support player, this is the best that ASC can hope for.
The likes of Mineski (Philippines), Sovereign (Singapore) and Kuala Lumpur Hunters (Malaysia) have the unenviable task of attempting to disrupt the status quo. While there have been noticeable upgrades, notably from Mineski's new Korean imports, ASC have little to fear in terms of head-to-head skill matchups, and the best hope is for these teams to play to their best win conditions - all three challengers prefer scaling compositions and late-game teamfights. Sovereign are notable for their objective control and calm play; this could be something they could use against the more hyphy ASC.
The minor leagues are very often decided by how many players can turn the game around when required, and in InTreso, G4, and Lloyd, Ascension Gaming have three - quite psosibly more than enough for them to lift the GPL title and head to the Mid-Season Invitational for a reunion with their former brothers and rivals: the Vietnamese.
Cover image taken from Ascension Gaming
If you enjoyed this article, follow the author on Twitter at @dzhonyee.
