It’s always hard to predict what you’re going to get when you sign an import. Sometimes communication problems can weigh down even the best players, while in other cases something clicks and seemingly unknown rookies take entire regions by storm. A recent Game Haus article did an import evaluation for North America, but we at RealSport thought it’d be unfair to not do the same for the European region.
So without further ado, here’s our rating of the newest EU LCS imports.
H2K’s Nuclear and Chei
After the departure of FORG1VEN and Vander from H2K, there was no doubt that any newcomers would have a lot to prove before fans accepted them. Luckily, Nuclear and Chei were up for the task.
With a 6.0 KDA, 8.5 CS per minute, and 508 DPM, Nuclear has already made it to the upper echelon of Europe’s AD carries. Chei is right behind him with a 3.8 KDA and a string of solid performances on a wide range of champions. Granted, they’re not as lane dominant as H2K’s previous bot lanes, but they can still have strong showings, such as their series against G2. But their real forte is team fighting where they pull through for H2K with solid positioning and pinpoint skill shot accuracy.
Even so, there are times when the Korean duo isn’t on the same page with their teammates, and you can see Nuclear flashing to his death or Chei overstaying his welcome under a turret.
Grade: B+
Misfits’ KaKAO
When Misfits announced that KaKAO would be joining their lineup, many were excited for the return of the superstar jungler, and boy did KaKAO deliver! With his first series against Giants, KaKAO has already shown that he’s still got what it takes to compete on the big stage.
At first, KaKAO often made rash decisions and relied on his superior mechanics to stay alive. Now, holding a 6.4 KDA, a 73% kill participation and 4.8 CS per minute, KaKAO is a great example of a carry that knows how to work together with his team.
Grade: A
Misfits’ IgNar
Few supports provide as much impact as IgNar. He’s at his best on playmaking champions like Thresh, Bard, or Malzahar, and you can always count on him to land those clutch hooks and ultimates. But that’s not to say that IgNar is one-dimensional. After all, he’s more than capable of becoming Misfits’ backbone on picks like Tahm Kench or Taric.
Sporting a monstrous 5.2 KDA and a 71.8% kill participation, IgNar has already arguably become the best support in the EU LCS. And with Misfits gaining more synergy with every game they play, he’ll only keep getting better.
Grade: A+
Origen’s NaeHyun
Ah, NaeHyun. The funny thing is that he’s not as bad as his 2-41 record would lead you to believe. For the first 10-15 minutes of the game, he’s actually serviceable and can keep up with most of his opponents. It’s the events that happen afterward that make him—and the entire Origen lineup—look so bad.
But while NaeHyun isn’t losing his team games, he’s definitely not doing much to help them win. With a 1.5 KDA, 8.2 CS per minute and an abysmal 410 DPM, he’s the very definition of the bottom-tier mid laner. And that’s just not something you’d want from a player taking up an import slot.
Grade: D
ROCCAT’s Wadid
When ROCCAT announced Wadid as their main support, most people replied with a confused, “Who?” The former SBENU support wasn’t exactly a superstar in his home region. And for the longest time, it was hard to tell what were his defining features—after all, he wasn’t the one to go for crazy moves or flashy plays. But even if he didn’t set up many kills, Wadid made up for it by assisting his teammates and doing everything in his power to cover for their mistakes.
His 2.9 KDA and 65.2% kill participation place him right in the middle of the EU LCS support rankings. But one has to wonder, whether getting a middle of the pack support is really a worthwhile use of an import slot.
Grade: C+
Vitality’s Hachani
Some players just don’t mesh with their teams. And that was the case of Hachani and Vitality. The unfortunate reality was that Hachani didn’t provide his team with anything other than his trademark facechecking. He would often look like he’s playing a different game from his teammates, which ultimately resulted in him getting benched from the team.
When you combine that fact with his 1.6 KDA and 57.7% kill participation, Hachani looked like the primary candidate for the lowest mark on our list. But things didn’t end here. The Korean support came back to the team and had a pretty good showing against Origen. Even his recent games against Splyce weren’t that bad. It still remains to be seen whether Hachani can make a comeback, but he’s definitely got another chance to show his worth on the EU LCS stage.
Grade: D
What do you think of our rating? Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments!
Related Articles
Meta Report - Top 6 Changes from Patch 7.6
LPL 2017 Spring Split Week 6 Review
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
League Of Legends