Top Lane
1ST: Dyrus
With his old pal Reginald back in the middle-lane, Dyrus looked like a man on a mission. It was like the TSM of old had never changed, and Dyrus was out to prove he could be just as good with Regi by his side as with Bjergsen. He dominated every matchup he played, utterly controlling the top-side of the map from the word go and pulling off perfect roams and dives with TheOddOne and Reginald.
His Renekton against Coast was a force, invading the jungle relentlessly and providing the uber-tank TSM needed in fights, never dying but always being there. The story was much the same against CLG, as he handily bested Nien in lane and went without a death once again, giving him a combined 10-0-20 on the croc over two games.
Matching up against Benny’s Trundle on Shyvana led to a bit more of an even matchup, but Dyrus still came out ahead in terms of tower pressure and map presence. Finally, his Mundo kept Innox’s top lane Gragas in control in the game versus EG.
Overall, Dyrus and Balls have been fighting it out each and every week for top spot on this list – in Week 8, Reginald’s last hurrah seems to have propelled Dyrus to his full potential, especially on Renkton.
Stats
Total Score: 16-2-32 KDA: 24 Average Cs: 242 Best Champion: Renekton
2nd: Balls
His Shyvana continues to be one of the most fearsome in NA and his always solid play on Renekton makes him a threat no matter what. He struggled a bit more than usual but still had the impact he needed.
3rd: Cruzer
By far the best player on his team this week despite the 1-3 record. Of note was his Jayce play – it proves Cruzer isn’t exclusively a tanky player and can pull out niche picks and make them work.
Jungle
1ST: Meteos
While he lost his KDA crown this week, Meteos continues to show why he is considered the best jungler 
in North America. Cloud 9 should be feeling good with four wins on the back of Meteos’ solid play.
On Pantheon, he got his lanes going early despite his unusually high five deaths. He also showed his Kha’Zix is fearsome, picking on Voyboy early and often and turning Hai into an assassin who was not to be trifled with.
It was on Elise however that Meteos really shone. He was everywhere against EG, going 0-0-12 while picking up kills all over the map. Against CLG he shut down Doublelift hard, never allowing him to do anything in fights with excellent Flash-Cocoons.
He may have lost his KDA throne, but he’s still king of the jungle in North America.
Stats
Total Score: 14-11-38 KDA: 4.7 Average Cs: 151 Best Champion: Elise
2nd: Dexter
His catch onto Nintendude was crucial in giving CLG the upper hand against Coast, and his Evelyn was strong all week. There was really only one low note – his Jarvan, considered to be one of his best, was a bit of a letdown with 5 deaths to his name.
3rd: TheOddOne
Four different champions, four solid performances. His Pantheon was a standout but his Evelyn was also noteworthy.
Middle Lane
1ST: Reginald
Welcome back Regi – you haven’t missed a thing. Based on his (and TSM’s) play during Week 8, it would have been possible to believe Reginald had never left his team. His return not only met expectations, but surpassed them.
Sticking with the classics, Regi played three very solid games on Gragas and only one on Lulu – like I’ve said before if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Putting Regi on a comfort champion was clearly key to TSM’s success and it paid off with a perfect 4-0 Super Week.
Against Coast the tag-team of Reginald and Dyrus absolutely dominated, both going 6-0-14, stealing away buffs and objectives and generally controlling the game from the word go. The story was much the same against EG despite Reginald playing his only match on Lulu.
While he may have struggled a bit more against CLG, Reginald more than made up for it against XDG, going so far as to buy a Mejai’s.
Stepping back into the middle lane hot-seat was a big task for Reginald considering he’s been out of the game, but he took on the responsibility with confidence and TSM made it work.
If there’s one thing that makes me sad about Regi’s return, it means that his last competitive match is no longer on Teemo.
Stats
Total Score: 14-7-44 KDA: 8.2 Average Cs: 218 Best Champion: Gragas
2nd: Hai
His Gragas slammed the door on CLG, his Leblanc popped Voyboy instantly and his Kha’Zix ripped EG to shreds. He even showed his Kassadin isn’t too rusty when Dignitas let him have it.
3rd: Link
His Nidalee and Lulu were very strong all throughout Week 8, landing long-range skillshots to poke the opponents into submission. He had a rough time as Ziggs against Cloud 9 and couldn’t get away from the relentless dive.
Bot-Lane Duo
1ST: Cop and BunnyFuFuu
Three supports later, it seems like Curse has finally found their man. Or more specifically, their Bunny. 
Cop has long been one of the most quietly underrated players in the LCS, with strong laning and brilliant positioning as his two main strengths – what he does seem to lack is playmaking ability. He’s a solid carry, but it’s as flashy as Doublelift is (for example). Finally though Curse has found a support who not only works well with Cop in lane, but has the play-making ability and initiation skill that the team has been desperate for. Bunny has come into the LCS in one of the more impressive (and certainly difficult given the expectation) styles, not only landing hook after hook on Thresh but playing a solid Leona as well.
Even in defeat at the hands of Cloud 9, Cop played perfectly, only dying in the final seconds on the match. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for him given how well he played positionally during the game.
Curse’s other game thought were much better showcases for the new Curse duo which worked so well. Against EG Cop went huge with Bunny giving him a great start in lane, building an early advantage over Krepo and YellowPete and quickly getting out of control. The game against XDG was much closer, but some good Solar Flares out of Bunny and a deathless performance out of Cop sealed it for Curse.
It must be said thought that the final match against Dignitas really was the moment where Bunny and Cop clinched MVP status: the Draven-Thresh combo worked wonders, and Bunny proved he is an LCS talent with a brilliant play onto KiWiKiD (and earned him a spot in the Top Plays).
Only time will tell if the new Curse duo can continue this level of play, but so far so good. Watch out for Bunny and Cop in the weeks to come.
Stats
Cop
Total Score: 24-5-35 KDA: 11.8 Average Cs: 364.75 Best Champion: Caitlyn
Bunny Fufuu
Total Score: 4-14-47 KDA: 3.6 Average Cs: 16.5 Best Champion: Thresh
2nd: Xpecial and WildTurtle
Their ability to pick up first bloods on opposing laners was brilliant – they totally outplayed all opposition over the course of Super Week. Xpecial’s Annie in particular stood out and Turtle was his usual smiling self.
3rd: Aphromoo and Doublelift
They were the strongest players in the losses to Cloud 9 and TSM with Doublelift’s play on Vayne being a high note. In victory, they dominated both Coast and Dignitas – Sivir is clearly a key to victory and CLG makes it work very well.
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Top Plays of the Week
Support Who?: Aphromoo’s Triple Kill
In a play which defines support turnaround, Aphromoo somehow managed to take a terrible situation and pull a triple kill out of the bag.
With Dexter ganking for CLG’s bot lane, things quickly went south as Meteos showed up to counter. Quickly Igniting LemonNation for the kill, Aphromoo did his best to protect his carry, landing a key stun under his tower to steal the double buffs from Meteos as Doublelift went down. Left in a 1v1 against Sneaky but with a health and buff advantage, Aphromoo used his red buff to chase down the fleeing Cloud 9 carry, eventually picking up the kill with a max range Zenith Blade for the unofficial triple kill.
(Click photo for VOD)
The Agony He Inflicts: Bunny’s Hook-Lantern
A small play but a brilliant one which shows off the potential and skill of Curse’s newest addition. With KiWiKiD walking down the river, Bunny Fufuu landed a brilliant hook, tossing out a max-range lantern as he went over the wall to allow Cop, who was farming minions the whole time, to come in for the kill onto a now totally exposed KiWiKiD.
While the play eventually ended up in an even 2 for 2 exchange, it certainly demonstrates the strong communication already developing between the Curse duo and was certainly a good display of skill by the LCS’s newest player.
(Click photo for VOD)
Like Boxing With Shadows: Doublelift Outplays TSM
Them mechanics.
With Reginald low after a skirmish in middle lane, Doublelift proved once again he knows how to play Vayne, pulling off a play which is as high-skill as it was impressive to watch. Landing a few auto-attacks onto Reginald, Doublelift sprung into action, Flash dodgeing TheOddOne’s Cocoon stun and simultaneously lining up and landing a Condemn. With Regi stunned, Doublelift Tumbled into position, landing the final auto-attack just as Reginald tried to Body Slam away for the kill.
It’s not too often you see such a ballsy play pay off, but all of Doublelift’s moves were perfectly timed and calculating, leading to a brilliant kill.
(Click photo for VOD)
Headline Image: Riot Flickr
