The top of the NA LCS is becoming a little bit clearer, with one team settling into their position at the apex. However, every other spot in the standings is still up for grabs. Playoff positions are in limbo and they are all still anyone’s game. This season’s power rankings have gone up and down all split.
Teams who were scraping the bottom of the ladder a few weeks ago are now battling for a possible playoff spot, while former contenders are now looking up at the competition above them.
The league is wide open. Which squad was able to get a foothold on the competition this week? Which teams slipped down the standings? Let’s look at the NA LCS Power Rankings for Week Six.
1. Team Liquid (8-4) [↔️]
Team Liquid is (thankfully) staying consistent through these few weeks, and have shown that they are, at least for now, the Kings of North America. This week, they stomped Clutch Gaming in 27 minutes, and they beat Golden Guardians in a pretty good comeback victory. Impact and Olleh were looking slightly better than before so that only improves Team Liquid’s chances at the number-one seed going into the Playoffs. Also, North America’s favorite mid-laner Pobelter got his 1,000th career regular season kill in his game versus Clutch. Congrats to the Notorious P.O.B!
Next week, they can solidify their place as the best team in the region by facing off against top teams 100 Thieves and FlyQuest.
2. 100 Thieves (8-4) [⬆ 1]
After beating Echo Fox last weekend and capturing a 2-0 this week, we can probably say that 100 Thieves is a top-three North American team. Even though they took down some weak competition in Clutch Gaming and Counter Logic Gaming, they were able to end those games pretty decisively.
Aphromoo’s leadership is key for 100 Thieves’ success, and Ssumday is forever reliable in the top lane. Cody Sun and AnDa have also been playing well as of late. The team seems to finally be clicking. Also, they’ll have a really good test next week when they challenge Team Liquid for the top spot in the league.
3. Echo Fox (7-5) [⬇ 1]
A 1-1 week is fine for Echo Fox, as they are still learning how to play with a completely new bottom lane. They will need a little bit of time to adjust now that Smoothie has joined their roster. His voice and decisiveness as a shotcaller will be something most players will need to adapt to. However, I do believe that it will make Echo Fox a better team in the long run.
Their rookie ADC, Lost, looks aggressive and decisive with his play. For example, he was great in their game against FlyQuest but he will need to understand when and where to apply his aggression in the future. Playing with a talented, experienced support like Smoothie will help his growth in the NA LCS.
Dardoch looks stronger than ever and I think he can focus more on the top lane with Huni now that he knows his bottom lane won’t be a liability. I expect Echo Fox to push for the number-one spot in the league and in our power rankings very soon.
4. FlyQuest (7-5) [⬆ 1]
Wildturtle is all smiles this week, and for good reason. FlyQuest has been looking very impressive. They’ve been able to take down Liquid, TSM, and 100 Thieves over the past three weeks. Yes, the standings have been unpredictable, but their improvement from the start of the season cannot be ignored. They still need to work a bit on their macro play and knowing when to cut their losses in team fights. However, I do believe they could surprise some teams if they make it to the NA LCS Playoffs.
They are facing off against OpTic Gaming and Team Liquid next week, two teams who are at opposite ends of the standings. They will need to stay consistent with their play going forward, and a win against the best team in the region would do wonders for not only their place in the standings but also their confidence.
5. Cloud9 (5-7) [⬆ 4]
The boys are back in town! After committing to using Zeyzal as their starting support, Cloud9 suddenly end this week on a 2-0. They have also beaten two of the best teams in the region in past two weeks, defeating both Team Liquid last week and Echo Fox this week.
I can see Cloud9 inching further and further up the standings and power rankings if they can stay consistent with their new jungler Blaber. Also, Licorice has become a very important part of the C9 offense and is in the discussion for Rookie of the Split.
Cloud9 face off against Clutch Gaming and CLG next week, who are two slumping teams. If everything goes well, their plan for a Worlds run could still be alive and kicking.
6. OpTic Gaming (6-6) [⬆ 4]
A few weeks ago, I was berating OpTic Gaming, and called their season done before we even hit the NA LCS Playoffs. Now, they’ve finished their second 2-0 week in a row, and look like a possible playoff team. Dhokla also had his best performances in the NA LCS this weekend, first on Fiora, and then on Yorick.
However, I’m still not a complete believer of this team. I need to see OpTic play against the teams at the top of the standings to give them more praise. Nevertheless, I will say that they seem much more confident in their team play, and it is reflecting in wins.
If they can take down FlyQuest next week, then they’re possibly the real deal. It’s still kind of crazy how so many teams are still in Playoff contention this far into the season.
7. Golden Guardians (5-7) [⬇ 3]
The combination of losing three games in a row, plus Cloud9 and OpTic having two really good weeks, pushes the Golden Guardians down our power rankings.
However, a 0-2 week will need to be taken seriously, especially if GGS wants to make a proper push for the NA LCS Playoffs this season. A bright spot for the Guardians is the play of Lourlo, who was amazing in their game against Team Liquid. He was able to hit some great ultimates as Gnar, but unfortunately, his team could not follow up.
Maybe they can make up some ground on the competition next week when they play against TSM and 100 Thieves.
8. Counter Logic Gaming (5-7) [⬇ 2]
Counter Logic Gaming hasn’t won a game in two weeks, and the slide continues for the faithful. They seem to have fallen back into old habits of losing leads and failing to capitalize when ahead.
For example, they threw a 3,000 gold lead after losing only ONE team fight against 100 Thieves. They seem to crumble under pressure, which I thought was a problem they had fixed a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, CLG just can’t seem to find much consistency in their play. They also chose the worst time to cool down, right before the Playoffs. Things aren’t looking too great for Biofrost and company this season.
9. Team Solo Mid (5-7) [⬇ 2]
Oh boy. What can I say about Team Solo Mid that hasn’t already been said? I’m going to call it now, this will be the year that TSM does not make Worlds. Actually, with the way they are playing, they may not even make it to the NA LCS Playoffs.
They just cannot find any synergy with each other, and at this point, they look lost and confused after every passing week. As we have said in previous power rankings, TSM’s reactive style just isn’t cutting it anymore. Playing passively in a meta that encourages a faster pace will not bring any results, and it shows. They refuse to change, and the results are punching them in the mouth.
What can TSM do? They’ve thrown everything against the wall, and nothing has stuck. Maybe hitting rock bottom will wake up the players and the organization to make some significant changes in the coming offseason.
10. Clutch Gaming (4-8) [⬇ 2]
Fun fact: Clutch has only won two games since week two.
Their big roster move adding Piglet, Moon, and Vulcan doesn’t seem to have panned out the way they want. Although Moon and Febiven are very faint bright spots, the rest of the team is just not coming together well.
Many people hailed Vulcan as the most NA LCS-ready player in the NA Academy. It sure doesn’t seem like it. His over-aggressiveness cost Clutch multiple kills, and his positioning just isn’t up to snuff with the rest of the league just yet.
It’s wild to think that before the season began, many people considered Clutch Gaming a dark horse candidate for a playoff spot this season. Oh, how they’ve proven everyone wrong.
What do you think of our week six Power Rankings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you missed last week’s power rankings, check them out here!
