November 2018 – CodexCaster's Contribution

LoL: Who is sOAZ?

Soaz_Fnatic

As of 19th November this year Paul “sOAZ” Boyer became a free agent. Many new fans coming into the LEC may not know just how much of a legendary player that sOAZ is, one of the most experienced and most successful Western players. His position of Top-Lane is not one that often has the most followers, most are drawn the “star” positions of ADC and Mid Lane. Much like in the NFL, many fans are watching the Quarterback, but not many are watching the Guard, the guy protecting the Quarterback’s back and facilitating their success. That analogy falls down somewhat when you consider that sOAZ has actually been a top-tier carry for his team on many occasions, once regarded as the best Elise player in the world. He is known for his huge talent pool, aggressive play style and adaptability, allowing his longevity. Paul was the first player to reach 200 EU LCS wins and the first top-laner to reach 1000 assists in the west.

It was YellOwStaR who introduced sOAZ to the game that would cement his name in history. Before that he was a CS 1.6 and DotA player. In Season 1 he was picked by Against All Authority (aAa), one of the oldest esports organisations in France. In 2011 they took part in Riot’s inaugural Season 1 World Championship where they placed second, having defeated TSM and falling to Fnatic. In 2012 sOAZ would go on to place 4th at IEM World Championships Season VI with aAa before they would disband in May of that year. Fortunately the strong top-laner and shown enough skill to be picked up by his Season 1 rivals; Fnatic.

Fnatic would not do well at their first tournament with this new-look roster placing 6th at 2012 MLG Pro Circuit Spring only being able to win two individual games in their three defeats. They secured a stronger 4th place finish, the following week, at Dreamhack Summer 2012. Unfortunately Fnatic would not qualify for the Season 2 World Championship. They needed to finish in the top three in the European Regional Finals but fell to Moscow 5 and Froggen’s CLG EU. They did however manage to take a convincing win over Moscow 5, with sOAZ having a huge game on Rumble. Fnatic would end 2012 in a stronger position winning Dreamhack Winter 2012 and placing second at IGN Proleague Season 5 featuring two huge wins over World Champions Taipei Assassins.

LCS Era

By being an overwhelming presence top lane, sOAZ helped Fnatic to a dominating 22-6 record in the first EU LCS Spring Split, and dominating Evil Geniuses and Gambit Gaming in the playoffs to finish 1st place. SOAZ and his team come second in the Summer league and defeat Lemondogs to finish 1st again, automatically qualifying for the Season 3 World Championship. At that tournament Fnatic would finish first in group B 7-1 over Gambit, Samsung Ozone, Team Vulcan and Mineski. In the game versus Ozone, sOAZ again showed his world class by securing a quadra-kill at the end of the game finishing 6/1/10 and 50 cs above his counterpart. The quarter final was versus NA LCS powerhouse Cloud 9, which Fnatic would go on to win 2-1. In that series sOAZ was a monster with a combined score of 14/3/40. Fnatic fell to Royal Club in the semi-final, ending the World Championship in 4th place.

Between the EU LCS and Worlds sOAZ competed for the Europe LCS All Star team. He beat Wickd with AP Nunu and also won a public vote to compete at All Star Shanghai 2013. Even though the European Team would lose to Korea and to North America, sOAZ won the top-lane 1v1 competition.

The first half of 2014 was great for sOAZ and Fnatic. They came second in IEM Season VII losing to the KT Bullets, came first in LCS spring and came second in the All-Star Paris event losing to SKT. The latter half of 2014 however was shaky. Fnatic came second in the LCS and would not progress beyond groups in the World Championship.

Origen

In mid-January 2015. sOAZ would follow Rekkles, xPeke and Cyanide in leaving Fnatic and joining xPeke’s new team Origen. Then would come one of the best zero to hero stories in European League of legends in my opinion. Origen qualified to the EUCS by winning the challenger ladder. They would dominate that league dropping only a single game, and qualify for the plauoffs. They defeated Copenhagen Wolves Academy to qualify for the EU LCS. With undefeated performances on Rumble and Lulu, Origen would fight all the way ip the LCS to the final of the summer split versus their old team Fnatic. This best of five was fantastic with Origen pushing the stalwart Fnatic the whole way, but ultimately coming up short. Origen went on to the World’s qualifier tournament and smashed UOL 3-0 to qualify for the 2015 World Championship. The organisation that in January was competing in the challenger ladder was now representing Europe on the grandest stage the sport has. At World’s Origen became the first western team to win a best-of-5 at World’s by defeating Flash Wolves. It was in this series that sOAZ unleashed a Darius Pentakill. Origen would be knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals by SKT. Let’s just go over that again, this team went from the challenger ladder, won that, to the EUCS, won that, to the EU LCS, very nearly won that, to the qualification tournament, won that and ended up a 2015 World Championship semi-finalist. Amazing.

In the 2016 season Origen competed at IEM San Jose, winning the tournament without losing a single game to either TSM or CLG. The EU LCS Summer split was a disaster for the organisation and sOAZ left Origen to rejoin Fnatic. In his own words sOAZ described his desire to find an organisation that fit him, hinting at the infrastructure behind the team.

In 2017 sOAZ, back on Fnatic would struggle in the spring and summer split. They would qualify for both playoffs but finish in third place. At the World Championships they would make it to quarter-finals before losing to RNG.

This all takes us to 2018, where Fnatic would write their most impressive chapter in their League of Legends story. They won both spring and summer splits in the EU LCS. They would finish third in the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational and win 2018 Rift Rivals. They would then go on to reach the final of the 2018 World Championships, where they would fall to Invictus Gaming. For sOAZ individually however 2018 was a frustrating year. The veteran player, so used to competing and winning was resigned to the bench. At MSI sOAZ would say in an interview that he is happy his was winning but for him it was worthless. At Worlds sOAZ only played four games, with game three of what would be their 0-3 loss to IG being one of them. It must have been hard for sOAZ to watch his team lose, but it would probably have been harder to watch his team win without him. Lots of players would feel part of the team that wins, though sOAZ needs to play and needs to be a part of the winning team to really get that sense of achievement.

In 2019 sOAZ will be playing for Misfits. In him they have a player who has played since Season 1, the only western player to play in two World Championship finals, a fierce competitor in the top lane and one with a huge champion pool. His endurance and longevity in League of Legends is amazing considering the idea that esports is a “young man’s” game. I really hope Misfits does well in the rebranded LEC and sOAZ can maybe get a chance to get back to the international stage and perhaps add that elusive World’s title to his impressive list of accolades and achievements.

Rugby Union: Wales Autumn Campaign 2018: South Africa

Wales 20 – 11 South Africa

In winning this fascinating game, Wales have won all four of their autumn tests for the first time ever, winning 9 games in a row for the first time this century and recorded their fourth consecutive victory against South Africa.

Normally November is a time for Welsh fans to sift through the narrow losses and ‘what ifs’ to find the shiny nuggets of progress. In 2018 the positives are there for all. Wales is third in the world, their second-string side can beat tier two nations and at full strength we can beat Australia and South Africa.

Wales are playing a style based on a herculean defense limiting the points their opposition score. From that containment Wales can play how they want to play. They have also added a clinical edge to their game, South Africa probably created the same amount of opportunities as Wales but failed to come away with points. Wales were far more efficient with their possession. So many times in the past Wales have been blown away early and forced to play from behind, which they could, but would be undone by their poor start.

Huge praise must go to Man of the Match Ellis Jenkins. He put in a superb performance and eclipsed stalwart Alun Wyn Jones and resurgent Justin Tipuric to claim the accolade. Unfortunately he also ended the match on a stretcher suffering what, at time of writing, is feared to be a ACL injury.

I think it’s clear to all that being able to play Scotland in the opening test of the Autumn was a great way for the squad to prepare, having the strongest sides earlier on caught Wales off guard, especially the Southern Hemisphere teams coming straight off the Rugby Championship.

I can’t wait for the Six Nations. It is going to be epic to see how Wales and Ireland face off. Wales can clearly beat the teams below them but with only Ireland and New Zealand left above them that truly makes them a threat for the Six Nations and the 2019 World Cup, especially with the depth of talent Wales can now field. It wasn’t that long ago we were distraught at the idea of Rhys Webb left out and the early retirement of Sam Warburton, yet look how quickly new players have stepped up.

LoL: The EU LCS becomes the ten-team franchised LEC

Since 2013 European League of Legends fans have cheered for their favourite teams competing in the European League Championship Series (LCS). From now on, they will be watching the re-branded League European Championship (LEC).

I love the look of the new brand and it makes it visually distinct from the North American LCS. Following on from the NA LCS introducing franchising, the inaugural split of the LEC will be franchised also. The teams that will be competing are: Fnatic, Schalke 04, G2 Esports, Misfits Gaming, Origen, Excel Esports, Rogue, SK Gaming, Splyce and Team Vitality.

In European sport we are less familiar with the franchise model, and it comes with its own range of pros and cons. Beginning with the pros; teams will be more willing to try out new players and new combinations of players. Without the fear of relegation forcing teams to try and put out the best each game, there is now space to develop. Teams may be more willing to pick up local players, instead of spend big for imports who may in the short team keep them out of relegation. We need look no further that Worlds 2018 Quarter finalists Cloud 9 for an example of how well this can work.

It also provides a safer investment for anyone looking to invest in esports. Sponsorship now comes with stable, guaranteed exposure without the threat of relegation. That environment could breed huge deals which would boost the money in the scene attracting more talented people, more exposure, more legitimacy as big brands get involved etc. Franchising and revenue sharing also helps the organisations to profit and boost player salaries and welfare.

However it is a different league structure and there are disadvantages that come with it too. It’s undeniable that there is less excitement and interest in the bottom half of the league. Relegation and promotion is exciting, it means teams getting kicked out and new teams earning their place. Every game is important, with teams needing to secure their destiny for the year ahead. Franchising removes that, these ten teams are here this year, and they’ll be here next year.

Apologies to Excel Esports for using them as an example, but if they are in last place in the league, I won’t be watching their games between 10th and 9th place. The previous model was book-ended nicely with the playoff race and the avoid relegation race, now we have half that excitement.

Riot have done well to invest in tournaments like EU Masters. Challenger Series tournaments are a bit pointless now without the prize of LCS Promotion. EU Masters gives European league of legends a “B” Tier competition that can generate it’s own excitement, and a breeding ground for new players to test themselves to maybe be picked up by LCS Orgs.

On a personal note I’m incredibly happy to see Origen back in the top-tier of European League of Legends. I watched them rise from Challenger Series to dominate LCS to dominate the play-ins and reach the Worlds Semi-Finals. I also attended EU Masters and got to cheer while they lifted the trophy. GLHF!

Rugby Union: Wales Autumn Campaign 2018: Tonga

Wales 74 – 24 Tonga

Warren Gatland made 14 changes to the team that beat Australia, and destroyed Tonga in a ten try demolition. Having secured the perfect start scoring three fast tries, Tonga fought back to take the score to 24-24 just after half time. Then came the onslaught of 50 unanswered points as the Wales 2nd stringers were ruthless in exploiting the tired Tongan defense. Wales will face South Africa in their last game, which if they win will be the first clean sweep in an Autumn series.

I can’t see Gatland making too many changes to the first XV. The players that beat Australia deserve another chance against South Africa. I can see Liam Williams possibly forcing himself onto the team as he is fantastic at putting himself into the action and looking for work. He scored his 10th try with a superb finish keeping his feet off the ground to touch the ball down, and was vital in Aled Davies scoring also. Williams got smashed in one tackle, giving an excellent offload, then getting back in play receiving a pass from Ellis Jenkins and delivering the final pass to Davies who raced away to score. That kind of effort, pace, and link play would surely have earned himself a spot on the bench. I’m a huge fan of George North, but Williams can create something out of nothing. If Leigh Halfpenny isn’t fit, then Williams would be an excellent threat from Full-Back to give Wales an extra attacking dimension.

Wales were smart in the way they dispatched Tonga. They knew full well that the big Tongan defenders were going to line them up for a huge hit, which they did. Wales however, changed the point of attack by giving late offloads, or inside passes to negate this tactic. It worked superbly. Dan Biggar proved his worth as the best tactical and strategic option at Fly-Half, guiding Wales around the field masterfully and putting in several kicks behind the aggressive, but narrow, defense.

I’m glad Tonga managed to even the score just after half-time. It gave a challenge to these young players and would have tested their character to come back out with a game to win. Through this they would have learned a lot more than winning 74-0. With the World Cup coming in 2019, Wales are building fantastic strength in depth in almost all positions. I can’t remember a time where a Wales “B Team” performed this well. On more than one occasion Gatland has conducted this experiment with disastrous results, epitomised by the 16-16 draw against Fiji in 2010.

South Africa will be the perfect test for this battle hardened Welsh side. They were unlucky to lose to England and secured narrow wins over Scotland and France. Having beaten New Zealand and Australia in September, they are finding their power after a period of transition and I imagine the game will be a close one. I must admit I haven’t watched much of South Africa so I’m not really sure how the two sides will match up. One thing I do know, is that a Welsh side high on confidence and scoring fantastic tries will be a threat to any side in the world. It’s going to be one hell of a test match.

Rugby Union: Wales Autumn Campaign 2018: Australia

Wales 9 – 6 Australia

For the first time since 2008, following a series of 14 consecutive losses, Wales beat Australia in Cardiff nine points to six. That scoreline is hardly one to suggest an exciting game, or it may suggest the weather was dire. The truth is the roof of the stadium was closed and believe it or not the game was exciting. The game was so close in score that every run, every pass, every ruck and every kick meant so much more. It would only take one single mistake to give away the penalty that would see Wales lose to a narrow margin to Australia…again. In the end it was the men in gold that gave away the penalty for Dan Biggar to convert at 76 minutes.

The game was one of strong defences overcoming the attack of the other. Open-side flankers of both sides, Justin Tipuric and Michael Hooper were outstanding over the ball, slowing down quick ball and winning turnovers on numerous occasions. By half time both sides had made 40 tackles and missed just two, what scarce opportunities, attackers did find were quickly snuffed out by desperate defences rallying to shut down breaks.

It was also a bit of a bizarre game, Leigh Halfpenny missed two penalty kicks that on any other day you would bet he would slot. Hooper also made a couple of bizarre decisions that could have actually cost his team the game. Twice in the second half, Australia opted to kick for the corner rather than take the shots at goal. Twice, the line-out was a mess and the Welsh defence managed to clear their lines. In a game of such narrow margins such as this, I don’t really understand what Hooper was thinking. This is the end of a long season for the southern hemisphere team against strong opposition, it doesn’t seem the time to try and score tries for fun with a game on the line. They took the gamble and came away with nothing, but the odds of coming away with six points were far friendlier.

Wales now go on to face Tonga having won their last seven games. They had a successful tour to Argentina and are in the midst of their best Autumn series too. They have already overcome two long streaks. Warren Gatland will hopefully have learned from previous tours to not make too many changes. Wales have made such a mistake before and suffered for it such as in 2010 with the 16-16 draw against Fiji. Wales would do well to field a strong team and hopefully take it as an opportunity to be clinical and score some good tries.

Rugby Union: Wales Autumn Campaign 2018: Scotland

Wales 21 – 10 Scotland

Wales versus Scotland was a strange game, it was clear that both sides had not played for a long time as discipline was an issue throughout. With the number of penalties that both sides were conceding, making it a very stop start affair.

Scotland, having been improving of late, and their coach promising to play the fastest rugby on the planet, faltered. Their attack was narrow and lacking creativity, and as such was very easy to defend.

The Welsh defence was strong but it was hard to truly gauge how strong as they weren’t really tested. The line speed was excellent meaning that Scotland were getting pushed further and further back whenever they had the ball. Eventually being forced to give possession back to the men in red, who looked far more threatening with ball in hand.

Wales took their tries well, with George North evading three tackles, including both centres, to power to the line. It was was also awesome to see Jonathan Davies touch down, after a year out of the game due to injury. He and man of the match Justin Tipuric are two of, in my opinion, the most talented players in Wales.

Wales are notorious for starting slow in their Autumn campaigns, with this being the first opening match win in over fifteen years. It wasn’t pretty, but as Sam Warburton said on the analyst desk, International sport is about winning.

Wales will go on to face Australia on the 11th Nov and that will surely be a far more serious test to see where Wales are. Their defence and discipline will need to be watertight. They will be challenged in ways that they weren’t against Scotland and that will be a fascinating game. Australia like playing in Cardiff and the scores are always close with the Wallabies dominating the “W” column.

I don’t predict Wales will win that game, but I’m always happy to be wrong.

LoL: Invictus Gaming win the 2018 League of Legends World Championship.

The last representative of China’s LPL, Invictus Gaming defeated Fnatic in a 3-0 clean sweep to claim the 2018 World Championship. In doing so they cement China’s place as the best region in League of Legends.

The hype promised such a competitive series, but MVP Ning set the pace of the game and gave IG early advantages that they seized with devastating effect.

It seemed within a blink of an eye Fnatic were staring down the barrel having lost the first two games. They swapped out Bwipo for Soaz and changed the side of the rift, but it wasn’t enough change to stop the machine of IG.

Game three started in a promising fashion with Soaz strong and Fnatic trading kills early on effectively. IG however, constantly in control of the pace of the game, secured two aces within the first 16 minutes. A heroic baron steal by Broxah, was just a solitary ember of EU hope amidst the tidal wave of LPL pressure.

The year of competitive LoL ends with China very much on top. Although Invictus Gaming lifts the Summoner’s cup we shouldn’t forget that it was Uzi’s RNG that dominated every other tournament of the year.