LOL – PCS VCS Mid Season eSports Showdown Winning Strategy for 5/27 4am ET

Notes for Tomorrow’s LOL eSports PCS/VCS Mid Season Showdown Slates

LOL is finally back! (kind of). This is a bit of a teaser for the main Mid Season Cup between the LPL and LCK that starts on the 28th, but it’s good to get back into the flow of things. There are 3 slates on DK tomorrow, and I will be writing about all three of them here in this post.

Before I continue, I want to state that both of these regions are not high quality regions. They are probably better than Brazil as a comparison but are still not particularly good. This means teams are volatile and especially since these games are bo1, upsets may be quite common. Also, that means you should probably play lighter volume than usual…or focus on tournaments where volatility pays off!

The real deal starts on the 28th with high quality teams and games, this is once again just the appetizer. An important thing to consider is that since these teams have not played for a long time now, watching how their form is on the day is very important. Since there are 3 slates one after the other, you can use the information you get from the results of the first slate to apply to the second, and so on.

This is especially important with lower level teams to watch for their current form, as they aren’t as reliable/consistent as top region teams. One thing to note is that I have not found any betting odds for these games at the time that I am writing this, so keep an eye out on popular betting sites, if they decide to put them up.  Or, ask our team at SportsbetArmy.com!

First some background on the leagues in question.

The PCS is comprised of the LMS league and other southeast Asian regions while the VCS is Vietnam’s regional league. Both of these regions have had teams that have participated in the World Championships in the past, and some have had decent results. Most of the time they are the underdogs however and Vietnam especially so. Either way these regions usually only have 1-2 decent quality teams each, and for this tournament the top 2 of each region are facing off.

In general, I would feel the PCS is the (slightly) stronger region of the two based on history and general skill of the teams. The VCS does have some skilled players and an aggressive play style that often catches teams off guard so they are not to be underestimated at all. One important difference between the two regions is pace of play. The PCS is more similar to a slower LCK style of play, where most teams average 10-14 kills a game, but the VCS has teams like GAM (Who are participating in this tournament) who average over 20(!) kills a game. Most of these teams have not played much recently, and the game has changed a lot since when they were playing so it is hard to get a clue on how strong these teams are in the current state of the game.

PCS/VCS Slate 1

TLN vs FL

Expected Starting Lineups:
TLN: Hanabi, River, Candy, Unified, Kaiwing
FL: Stark*, Yijin, Kati*, Slayder, Palette*

To start off we have the match-up of the two winners of their respective regions. Talon Esports (TLN) took down Machi Esports (MCX) 3-2 in the PCS Spring Playoffs and Team Flash (FL) upset Gigabyte Marines (GAM) in the VCS Spring playoffs.

Talon Esports has a pretty stacked roster with quite a few well known players on their roster. Hanabi is a well known top laner who was formerly on the LMS powerhouse Flash Wolves. He has experience on the international stage and has appeared at big tournaments like MSI and Worlds in 2018. River and Candy are two imported Korean players who both have professional experience as well, River has played in the LJL (Japanese League), and Candy has been in the LMS for a while with a worlds appearance during 2018 as well. Unified and Kaiwing make for a very good bot lane who both appeared at worlds last year with Hong Kong Attitude. They finished the regular season in the PCS 3rd with a record of 13-5 but ended up winning the playoffs after falling into the lower bracket. River has the highest Kill Participation % on his team at 77.6%, and he would be one of my main targets from this team along with Unified and Kaiwing. Candy will be crucial to this team’s success as well, when he is able to step up and be a carry threat as well this team can be hard to beat. No substitutes for team TLN so their main 5 should be good to go.

Team Flash were the clear 2nd best team in the VCS pretty much all split long but they managed to upset GAM in the finals 3-2. During the regular season Team Flash had a 10-4 record and finished second behind GAM. Team Flash do have multiple substitutes in the top lane, and new addition Profit may start but there is no confirmation as of now. Palette also recently joined the team to be their support, so I expect him to start as well. Naul is a substitute for mid, but its probably unlikely they use him. This team average the 3rd most kills per game (out of 8) in the VCS and are led by Slayder as the main carry of the team. He is not a flashy player, but he is consistently good at playing his role. With an upgrade in the support role I do think Team Flash got better, but not by a huge margin.

It is tough to make a call on this game since FL did change their roster recently and we have not seen any gameplay from this version of the team yet, but based on the star power of TLN I will give them a slight edge if you need to pick a side. I always consider playing both sides on 2 game slates a smart choice, especially when these teams are so volatile, but if I had to pick one I would go for TLN.

Players to watch (TLN): River (JNG), Unified (ADC), Kaiwing (SUP), Candy (MID)
Players to watch (FL): Slayder (ADC), Palette (SUP), YiJin (JNG)

If unfamiliar, a lot of statistics for your research can be found in our LOL – Research Station.  And, as VIPs, you can always ask us questions in the appropriate eSports channels.  After all, that’s why you are a member….to take your game more seriously than your competition!!

MCX vs GAM

Expected Starting Lineups:
MCX: Pk, Gemini, Mission, Bruce, Koala
GAM: Kiaya, Levi, Dia1, Easylove*, Slay

Machi Esports (MCX) were the 2nd place finisher in the PCS this Spring split after finishing first in the regular season. They defeated Talon Esports in the Upper Bracket Semifinals 3-2, but then lost to Talon 2-3 in the Grand Finals when Talon made it back. MCX were extremely close to winning the PCS but ultimately tripped p at the final hurdle. Overall this team was dominant throughout the season and playoffs. Before losing their first game in that Semi-final to Talon, they had won 16 games in a row. They could very well be the best team in this entire tournament even though they lost their playoff series. The star player on this team is M1ssion. He had a Worlds 2019 appearance as well with the Hong Kong Attitude, but that was a disappointment as that team went 0-6 in group stage play. In the PCS M1ssion has been excellent. He is not the only threat on this team however, Bruce (ADC) is just as dangerous as M1ssion in his ability to carry the game, and he was a big reason for their success this last split. This is another well rounded team and they are very similar in level to Talon. No substitutes for Machi have been used, but they do have substitutes on the roster.

Gigabyte Marines (GAM) are the biggest wildcard at this event. They were the most dominant team in the VCS during the regular season with a record of 13-1 but then got upset in the finals 3-2. They are well known on the international stage mainly due to their impressive worlds performance during Worlds 2017. GAM does use the most subs out of these 4 teams, as they have substitutes for both their ADC and TOP positions. They recently had a mini for fun tournament where they started Kiaya and Easylove, so I have them listed as starters for now. As mentioned previously they lost their main support Palette and now are using Slay as their support. GAM is known for their hyper aggressive play-style and it shows with their average kills being above 20 a game. They make games into fiestas and this often benefits them when facing more conventional teams. This hyper aggression can often lead to high kill games for both sides and really it is the core identity of this team. Led by Levi and Dia1, GAM are a serious threat to pressure other teams and throw them off their game. The problem with GAM is if that hyper-aggression leads to an early deficit, it can often be insurmountable. Their style is also a bit predictable, so when good teams are prepared for GAM they can falter.

Once again I would give the slight edge to the PCS team MCX, but I think the upset potential in this game is very high. GAM will produce high scores in wins and sometimes even in losses so they are a very good target for GPP purposes. Dia1 was the best player in the VCS this last split so if he can take it to Mission, then GAM have a good shot to win. We will have to see how the PCS have prepared for GAM, and if that super aggressive style will work against these PCS teams. Keep the result of this game in your mind for the following slates.

Players to watch (MCX): Mission (MID), Bruce (ADC), Gemini (JNG), Koala (SUP)
Players to watch (GAM): Levi (JNG), Dia1 (MID), Slay (SUP), Kiaya (TOP)

PCS/VCS Slate 2

Once again it is important to keep the results of the previous slates when making lineups for this one, but I know since this slate is in the middle of the night/early morning that can be difficult.

FL vs GAM

So we have talked about all these teams individually already so we will just focus on the specific match-ups in the following write-ups. I will try to keep these ones a bit shorter since the majority of the players to target and descriptions of the teams have been gone over already.

FL and GAM are the two representatives from the VCS and during the split (including playoffs) they played 11 games. Overall the total record between these two teams was 6-5 in favour of FL, with Team Flash also getting the last laugh with a 3-2 victory in the finals of the split. During most of these games it comes down to the mid lane. If Kati can hold his own in the mid lane against Dia1 and maybe get ahead, it allows Slayder to take over the bottom lane which is a winning formula for FL. In games that GAM win, Dia1 is able to get ahead and carry the game with help from the top lane as well. Bot lane is usually in FL’s favour. Now that Palette (GAM’s former support) is on FL now, this may benefit FL even more. We will have to see how the first two games play out to get a better gauge on these teams, but as of now I give the slight edge to FL.

It is worth noting that in this recent mini tournament that was held, GAM did defeat FL 2-0 in the playoff bracket. This tournament did have some weird rules (regarding champion selection) and Palette had not joined FL yet, but it is something in GAM’s favour. GAM always has the potential to win due to their play style, but FL has seemingly been able to handle them to some degree for the majority of the split. Keep an eye on the first two games to see how FL play with Palette and GAM with their newest version of their roster. As shown by their H2H record, either team can win, so playing both sides is once again a good strategy.

Players to watch (FL): Slayder (ADC), Palette (SUP), YiJin (JNG), Kati (MID)
Players to watch (GAM): Levi (JNG), Dia1 (MID), Slay (SUP), Kiaya (TOP)

Also, if you haven’t see the LOL Domination Station Tutorial, you should.  See Ffootballgeek quickly run through the features and blast out competitive lineups in a flash.  From there, you simply talk with us, do some research, find your exploits, and set it up yourself for a unique shot to take down some huge contests!

MCX vs TLN

Just like the previous match up, these two teams from the same region are also neck and neck in H2H games. MCX and TLN played each other 12 times this split (including playoffs), and their H2H record was 6-6. They played two Bo5’s in the playoffs and each team won one 3-2, with TLN taking the grand final. These teams are extremely evenly matched and honestly their win conditions are very similar to the last game (FL vs GAM).

The Mid lane will be a big focus for MCX to win, because Mission is one of their main win conditions. When these teams have played in the past, if Mission was able to get ahead of Candy, then MCX would often win the game. On the other side TLN has a big focus on both solo lanes. When Hanabi has the lead against Pk, or Candy stays even/gets ahead of Mission, then TLN often wins. Both bot lanes are very good and very evenly matched. They both usually perform well and are consistent performers for their teams. It will come down to the solo lanes to determine who has the edge.

I find this game very hard to call, and I will probably be taking into account the results of the first two games when making lineups for the second slate. Initially I give a slight edge to Talon, but really this game can go either way as well and playing both sides is the smarter move.

Players to watch (MCX): Mission (MID), Bruce (ADC), Gemini (JNG), Koala (SUP)
Players to watch (TLN): River (JNG), Unified (ADC), Kaiwing (SUP), Candy (MID)

PCS/VCS Slate 3

For these games, most of my opinions on these teams will be formed as the day has gone on. By the time this slate comes around, each team will have played 2 games and that should be enough context hopefully to help aide decisions for this slate.

FL vs MCX

Same discussions as before. I think that MCX should be the better team in general, but FL come from a bloodier region with higher upside usually. My view on these teams is largely dependant on the previous games but since FL do not play as aggressively as GAM do, I think this favours MCX a little more. They are used to slower playing teams and while FL is not exactly a super slow team, it is definitely something they are more used to. Slight edge MCX.

Players to watch (MCX): Mission (MID), Bruce (ADC), Gemini (JNG), Koala (SUP)
Players to watch (FL): Slayder (ADC), Palette (SUP), YiJin (JNG), Kati (MID)

GAM vs TLN

Another game I feel depends on prior results to get a better grasp on these teams. If GAM show they can hang with MCX and FL, then I like their chances here. If TLN show that their star players can all come together and dominate, then I like TLN here. Without knowing that information as of now I do like TLN a little more. They have talented individuals and that may be enough to stall the aggressive play of GAM. I do personally believe the PCS teams are the better overall teams compared to the VCS teams, but form on the day will matter. Play both sides of these matches if you want to cover all bases because when lower level teams play, anything can happen. GAM will always bring the highest upside on the slate because of how they play, just depends on if they can pull it off or not.

Players to watch (GAM): Levi (JNG), Dia1 (MID), Slay (SUP), Kiaya (TOP)
Players to watch (TLN): River (JNG), Unified (ADC), Kaiwing (SUP), Candy (MID)

Just a small sample of our domination!  This is what our optimizer can do for you when you learn to use it on YOUR terms.