OG Mithy: Return of the king

Image Credit: Riot Games

With the addition of Alfonso "Mithy" Aguirre Rodríguez, Origen are in a great spot to reclaim their status as a European powerhouse. Not only is this move an homage to their 2015 roster that went all the way from the Challenger Series to a top-4 Worlds finish in a single season, but Mithy is a perfect fit for their current lineup. And whether Origen win or lose in 2019 will largely come down to their veteran support.

The main thing that stands out about Mithy is his leadership. Throughout his career, many analysts, players, and commentators spoke volumes about Mithy’s ability to guide his teammates in and out of the game. In fact, he is widely regarded as a player-coach, and it’s common to see his teams adopting the same calm, cool, and objective-oriented approach on the Rift.

But what about TSM? 

Wasn’t their overly passive playstyle a complete mess and shouldn’t Mithy take some responsibility for that? It’s certainly true that the Spaniard didn’t shine during his time in North America. However, there were also a lot of strong, vocal personalities on the 2018 TSM roster, and when everyone’s trying to be a shot caller, it’s easy for a single voice to get drowned out. 

Origen present a stark contrast to this setup. While the talent is there, none of the other four players are proven leaders or high-profile shot callers, so personality clashes should be reduced to the minimum. Their roster is like clay, and can be molded into whatever Mithy desires. With that, we’re likely to see Mithy standing at the helm of Origen’s ship, and that’s exactly the environment he thrives in. 

Shot calling isn’t the only thing Mithy brings to the table. He’s built his entire career by cultivating greatness, and one of the best examples of this is the AD carry position. Mithy has a proven record of turning promising rookies into top-tier marksmen, and players like Tabzz, Freeze, and Zven have all made a name for themselves under his guidance. Now, he is about to share the bot lane with another up-and-coming AD carry in Sheriff. Considering Sheriff has already shown glimpses of brilliance on the bottom-tier H2K roster in 2018, there’s no telling how far he can go with a world-class support at his side.

The only thing that can stop Mithy’s triumphant comeback is individual play. It’s hard to deny that his mechanical skill and split-second decision-making left a lot to be desired in the NA LCS. To make matters worse, the support position is stacked with talent, and Mithy will have to stand up to the likes of Mikyx, Hylissang, and GorillA in the upcoming LEC split. But if he stands up to the challenge or—at the very least—holds off the onslaught in the early game, Mithy has all the tools needed to return Origen to their former glory.