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NA LCS Power Rankings Week 4

The big CLG vs TSM game is now behind us and the hype was well deserved, see how the teams pan out in this weeks edition of the power rankings.

 

In the all deciding game, TSM came out with the victory albeit not really in convincing fashion.  However, it would be ill advised to not have them top the NA power rankings after their win over CLG.  I suspect going forward we’ll see this coveted top ranking highly sought after and contested by CLG for the foreseeable future.  You can’t say enough about how on point Bjergsen has been and he looks to be a clear pick for MVP this split.  If they can continue their dominance week 5 against Coast and a revamped Liquid, they will remain at the top spot.

 

 

With the loss against TSM last week there’s a slim chance that CLG will be shaken coming into week 5.  They have a generally easier matchup against Team Dignitas and then look to defeat Cloud 9 again as they did in week 2.  Should they go undefeated in week 5, it will be very clear they are one of the top two teams in NA this split.

 

 

To advance in this league you need two things: avoiding winless weeks, and having 2 win weeks.  Cloud 9 has had one of each and generally that’s not good enough for them.  It will be a series of difficult weeks in the near future to find a weekend where two wins is going to be easy to achieve.  Their CLG matchup in week 5 will be the most important game of the season so far and may be considered a must win by fans and players.  But they first must set their sites on Impulse who they play in day one, another opponent not to be overlooked.

 

 

Student surpasses master last week as Gravity took down Liquid in convincing fashion.  Moving forward with some momentum now, Gravity needs to win against a struggling Team 8.  Following that game is their first rematch against Impulse after dropping a week 3 game to them in 48 minutes.  Gravity will need to be able to put more faith in Hauntzer and Saintvicious in order to continue their improvement, but they are on the right track.

 

 

Winterfox found their first 2-0 week in week 4, a much needed swing against difficult opponents that keeps them relevant in the LCS.  Taking out Impulse and Cloud 9, Winterfox has momentum going into week 5 where they face KiethMcBrief and Liquid and Dignitas.  It’s possible for Winterfox to really make a mark if they can continue their winstreak throughout week 5 and come out 6-4 on the other end.

 

 

KiethMcBrief returns!  Liquid makes a big roster move at the ADC slot to prep for week 5 and I’m cautiously optimistic on how it will work out for them.  KiethMcBrief was only on the team in week 1 and Liquid had their only 2-0 week where he went 6-1-11 and 9-1-12.  Assuming Liquid can pick up where they left off when he returns, they’ll be a formidable opponent and will climb the rankings yet again.

 

 

Impulse is yet to beat a great team but they have a chance against Cloud 9 in a winnable week 5 matchup.  A somewhat subpar showing in week 4 had them dropping a game to Winterfox and winning against Coast, a schedule that could have been a two win candidate.  Things won’t get much easier for Impulse who still needs to set themselves apart from the 4-4 pack.

 

 

A very weak showing in week 4 takes a major hit on Team 8 who dropped both games including one to Dignitas.  They will need to beat Coast in week 5 and have a quality win over Gravity or they fear remaining in the bottom half of the LCS for the next few weeks.  If they are able to though, they’ll rejoin the ranks of the even teams at 5-5 and would look to improve from there.

 

 

The rollercoaster of Dignitas continues as they somehow pull out 2 wins in the last 2 weeks.  I don’t expect that trend to continue against CLG and a heating up Winterfox for week 5.  It will however, give us a good look at how the team chemistry is changing and what things are clicking or falling apart.

 

 

Team Coast needed to do something to find a way to avoid the automatic relegation of tenth place.  They’re putting faith in Mancloud, the XDG/Vulcun mid laner of the past who was widely considered to be one of the best mid laners in NA at the time.  If he can bring that level of play back to LCS, Coast has a chance of avoiding automatic relegation.  Their first test is against TSM though so Mancloud will absolutely have his hands full with the seemingly unstoppable Bjergson.

 

All photos: LoL Esports

 

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