Few League of Legends teams have cemented their place in history quite like Samsung White in Season 4. White proved to be the superior Samsung squad with their semi-final series sweep of Samsung Blue at the Season 4 World Championship. Samsung Blue- White’s forgotten sister team- entered the tournament a top contender for the coveted Summoner’s Cup.

Samsung White dominated the 2014 World Championship - Riot Games

     Regardless of their underwhelming finish, Samsung Blue was among the strongest teams in the entire world throughout 2014. The Samsung brand fielded god-tier players at every position, and both teams executed high-caliber macro and micro level play. There are a number of factors that aided the Samsung’s rise to the top, but having two of the best teams in the world under one roof, working towards a common goal, undoubtedly contributed massively to “The Year of the Samsung." 

      Both the “Korean Exodus” and the 2015 LCK ruleset dismantled the dream of a Samsung dynasty lasting beyond 2014. Samsung- which was left to fight over scraps- spent 2015 a shell of its former self, wrestling in a pit of mediocrity.

     Realizing a key to Samsung’s success, Western teams are beginning to expand their rosters to include reserves that live, compete and scrim with the starting teams. Fnatic, Counter Logic Gaming and Team Liquid are among the names that will be using young talent to keep their main squads practiced and motivated.

     The loss of sister teams has been argued to be the largest casualty that followed Riot Games’ restructuring of the Korean League scene. Top players fled the country for the allures of Chinese paychecks, and teams were forced to pick and choose between players that could be retained. The notion that two teams could operate under the same organization- while still competing- has been forever wiped from the realm of possibility.

      The financial burden of fielding a roster of subs that would not compete for prize-money and sponsorship seemed to deter many international teams, yet Korean teams continued to alternate their rosters throughout the LCK spring and summer seasons.

     The idea that substitutions can have an effect on a player’s mindset is considered conventional wisdom throughout traditional sports. Joe Maddon, the manager of the Chicago Cubs, famously benched star player Starlin Castro last August. Castro responded by becoming the Cubs’ hottest hitter in the month of September, regaining his former stardom at second base.

      “Next Man Up” is a common mentality in sports that speaks to the depth professional teams must maintain in order to keep rosters competitive in the case of injury or a lack of productivity. This practice can has been applied to esports in various ways.

     SK Telecom T1 famously swept the LCK Spring Finals without using Faker in a single game. SKT lit a fire under the Mid-Lane prodigy that was capped of with his second World Championship title.

     Team Liquid also benched their former World Champion ADC, Piglet, with the unproven rookie talent, KEITHMCBRIEF. Piglet returned to TL more motivated, which translated into an upset over CLG and a 3rd place finish for Liquid in the Spring Split. KEITHMCBRIEF was also used as a potential substitute for TSM’s Wildturtle, but this move failed to noticeably improve the play of the struggling ADC.

KEITHMCBRIEF helped motivate Piglet during the 2015 Spring Split - Team Liquid  

     Although these Western teams turned to substitutes as a last resort, they failed to create a consistent competitive environment. It felt as if SKT was using its substitute squad as means to grow, whereas TSM and TL were merely searching for a short-term remedy to constantly evolving issues.

     Following the third consecutive Korean victory at Worlds, western teams are now scrambling for any means to improve their results. Life coaches, sports psychology experts and traditional sports coaches are a number of resources being tested by the top teams in both North America and Europe.

     Fnatic’s search for a reserve squad to scrim and grow with the team could prove to be hugely successful- if executed properly.

     If the team can afford to bring in young talent that is thirsty to enter the competitive League arena, then there is room for both teams to grow together.

      Imagine a situation where young talent is given proper coaching, while the starting roster has an easily accessible scrim partner that will be fighting for their future with the team. It’s this competitive environment that spawns a winning culture for sports teams.

      Fnatic isn’t the only team interested in a reserve squad- Counter Logic Gaming attempted to house 5 substitutes during the 2015 season. Sources close the team cited a lack of resources as largest obstacle. CLG did manage to house Huhi and Stixxay, who are now members of the team’s starting roster.

      CLG is once again trying to house a second squad on their campus, according to a news release on the team’s official website. The new CLG Black squad includes perennial substitute, KEITHMCBRIEF, and longtime CLG substitute jungler, Thinkcard.

      IWillDominate referenced a strong Team Liquid Challenger roster on Twitter, claiming the challenger squad has a 75% win rate versus the starting lineup of Team Liquid. If both teams continue to push each other, they should have no problem testing strategies and practicing various circumstances ingame.

     Western teams have seen an influx of revenue that could possibly contribute towards improved international competition. It is up to team owners to identify the best courses of action while surrounding the team with the best minds in the industry.

      According to a report by the Daily Dot, Riot Games has been looking into the possibility of restricting substitutes from competing in the Challenger Series. It’s still unclear how the rule would be implemented, but not allowing substitutes a proper structure to grow cannot be seen as a positive for Western growth.   

     Western teams will likely never achieve the level of success the Samsung teams maintained, but by emulating the rigorous practice methods and coaching philosophies implored in traditional sports and in Korea- Western teams are taking the necessary steps towards a more competitive international scene.

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Cover image - Lolesports Flickr