r_gg Profile Joined August 2015 141 Posts Last Edited: 2017-02-01 15:29:06 #1 Power Rankings 2017 HGC KR Preseason r_gg





We are now only days away from the launch of HGC Korea, and much has changed since the end of



The HGC news revived competition in the mid and lower tiers, and many former players came out of retirement to form fresh new teams with existing players. Most of these teams have yet to see any serious action, and many of them are still in the process of figuring out their team synergy or developing their style.



With the help of familiar experts, Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 09:00 GMT (+00:00) and follow our coverage to see how each of these teams evolve in 2017. + Show Spoiler [HGC Schedule] +



Power Rank: L5

MVP Miracle

MVP Black

Tempest

Mighty

GG

Raven

Supreme Mixtape ROLE ABBREVIATIONS: [W] - Warrior, [R] - Ranged DPS, [M] - Melee Assassin, [F] - Flex, [S] - Support



Titans 1. L5

Noblesse [W]

sCsC [R]

JeongHa [M]

NaCHoJin [F]

Swoy [S] The defending world champions L5 had an impressive run at the end of 2016. They started from scratch in Fall 2016 season as a new team of five “lost” players with nowhere else to go and rose to prominence by the end of the Super League final. From there, they secured the world title at BlizzCon 2016 and further solidified their dominance at Gold Club World Championship in China. Their exceptional understanding of the post-Auriel meta, unique approach to the macro game, and the high level of trust within the team has put them a step above their competition.



As the defending champion and the only roster to stay the same from last season, there is little doubt that L5 belongs at the top of the list. However, like all champions, this season will be L5’s ultimate test. Members of L5 consistently stated that their success came from the lack of tension and their mindset to “have fun together” as a team. Now with crowns on their heads, we will have to see whether or not they can maintain such care-free atmosphere as they learn to cope with the new pressure on their shoulders.





Strengths Strong synergy within the team, as they are the only Korean roster that remains the same since last season



Excellent, world-class macro play and drafting



Willingness to experiment with unorthodox heroes and compositions

Liabilities Pressure of the world title; every world champion so far has failed to stay consistent for more than a season, whether it was due to internal strife, competitive fatigue, or adapting to a new meta



NaCHoJin’s ability to perform consistently under pressure is something that has been scrutinized in the past



sCsC’s proficiency on mages such as Gul’dan and Jaina has yet to be tested, and it’s unclear whether he will have the same impact as he had with heroes like Valla and Tracer



2. MVP Miracle

HongCoNo [W]

(Tempest)

CMoving [R]

dami [M]

(Tempest)

Sniper [F]

Darvish [S] One of the most exciting rosters to surface in the scene, MVP Miracle’s new lineup shows a lot of promise. Since their start as Team MRR in 2015, the HongCoNo-Dami duo has been known for their animal-like aggression and remarkable teamfighting prowess. However, they always had a difficult time overcoming their weak macro and poor drafting. At their new home, the duo might have found the solution to their problems. In MVP Miracle’s performance at GCWC, CMoving made a strong case for himself as a top class drafter and strategist, something that can work very well to resolve HongCoNo and Dami’s biggest weakness.



On paper, Miracle’s new roster has the potential to morph into a super team with clever drafting, sound macro, and exceptional teamfights. How long it will take for the team to get to that level, if at all, is a mystery.





Strengths Explosive playmaking capabilities all around



Aggressive teamfighting style of MRR/Tempest (dami-HongCoNo) combined with strategic drafting and sound macro (CMoving)

Liabilities Sniper’s tendency to be an “anti-flex”; although he has playmaking capabilities on his comfort heroes, his low hero pool is something that the team will have to constantly work around and could end up hurting them heavily depending on the meta



The passive back line of Sniper/CMoving may have a difficult time properly supporting the hyper-aggressive nature of the dami and HongCoNo

3. MVP Black

ttsst [W]

(MVP.M, Snake)

Sake [R]

KyoCha [M/F]

Reset [M/F]

(MVP.M, Snake)

merryday [S] The MVP Black of 2017 is likely to be very different from the MVP Black of 2016. Sign and Rich were the bread and butter of MVP Black’s dominance in early 2016; Sign was the their main shotcaller and initiator that set up their team fights, while Rich was the critical playmaker and solo laner that imposed an incredible amount of pressure onto their opponents. With the two gone, Black lacks a mechanically dominant melee assassin and is unlikely to stick to their 2016 playstyle.



MVP Black is placed below MVP Miracle because Black is losing two players who were fundamental part of their playstyle, and unlike Miracle, it is more difficult to imagine how Black will adapt to the change moving forward.



This does not mean their new lineup should be taken lightly, though. Every member has experience competing at an international stage since 2015, and with KyoCha and Reset sharing the melee and flex positions, their biggest strength is likely to come from the flexibility of their large hero pool. In some ways, this reflects what we saw from MVP Black in 2015 when they first formed. The two MVP teams are likely to stack up evenly against each other, but either may pull ahead as the season continues.



Note: Sign moved to Tempest (see below), and Rich decided to take a 1-year break from the competitive scene.





Strengths Solid, highly consistent back line (Sake & merryday)



Large hero pool for melee/flex players KyoCha and Reset



A style closer to 2015 MVP Black, with more emphasis on draft diversity than purely mechanical power plays

Liabilities They need to cope with the loss of their shotcaller and playmakers, Sign and Rich, and will need time adjusting to the new roster and roles



Lack an obvious team-defining key player to make plays at critical moments







Contenders 4. Tempest

Sign [W]

(MVP Black)

Lockdown [R/M?]

duckdeok [M/F?]

ModernLife [F]

Hide [S] Tempest is likely to be the biggest mystery team going into this season. They have generally been quite reserved when it comes to revealing information about their team, but rumors suggest that they are doing something very unorthodox. Even their former coach OPrime remarked that “they could be #1, but they might also fall to 6-7th place.” In any case, we expect them to give the Titans a run for their money if all things go well. The raw star power and stellar accomplishments of its core members put Tempest at a comfortable position as #4.



The team is comprised of high-caliber talents; Sign has been uncontested as the best warrior in Korea for majority of 2016, and Lockdown has showcased some of the most remarkable individual plays as a ranged assassin.The team’s weakest link will be support player ModernLife, who only started playing Heroes in winter of 2016 but comes from LoL Challenger League. While fresh new recruits from League of Legends such as HongCoNo have performed surprisingly well, it’s going to take some time for the team to perform at their best.





Strengths One of the very best ranged carry in the world (Lockdown) combined with a solid front line and in-combat shotcalling of Sign



Huge flexibility and wide hero pool from four veteran players

Liabilities ModernLife is a fresh new recruit to the scene and the game, with little to no competitive experience



How the team is handling the lack of a dedicated melee player is a big question mark



Rumors say they are doing something very unorthodox, but we will have to see how this “secret” plan works out

5. Mighty

Joker [W]

(Rave, BooM)

SDE [R]

(ex-SC2 pro)

Sans [M?]

(White Water)

Magi [F]

(HERO, BooM)

NaSang [S]

(White Water) The "new" Mighty is the most promising rookie team to emerge in HGC Korea based on internal results. Joker and Magi are both well respected veterans in the scene and had their moments in Spring 2016 when they were able to stand toe-to-toe against world class teams such as TNL and MVP Black. NaSang and Sans had a rough debut last season as Team White Water, but they did put a good showing against the seasoned players of First Family.



The team’s success will depend on how well the rest of the team can capitalize on the opportunities set up by Joker, and how the newcomer, SDE, will perform in a competitive setting. It’s unlikely they’ll be in the running for top three this season, but they could take a or two game off one of the Titans.





Strengths Joker and Magi are one of the best mid-tier warrior and support players and have high potential to reach the next level



SDE is former sc2 pro ( GuineaPig) and a veteran HL player with close ties to members of L5



GuineaPig) and a veteran HL player with close ties to members of L5 Solid support from the Mighty coaching staff (Kong & Ezz)

Liabilities Relatively inexperienced back line (NaSang, Sans, SDE)







Underdogs 6. GG

Hooligan [W]

(RoMg, BooM)

BDG [R]

(Mighty, DsA)

Good [M?]

(RoMg)

woojae [F]

(HERO)

JaeHyun [S]

(TNL, First Family) GG is a ragtag team of veteran players from various teams. Despite most members being in the competitive scene for a long time, only JaeHyun and Woojae have managed to find any significant success. JaeHyun was part of the classic TNL roster and achieved multiple international top four finishes, and Woojae placed third in Super League Spring 2016 with Team Hero. BDG and Hooligan had their individual moments in the past but they were not able to translate that into success. As a team of dedicated players that have stuck around for a while, the HGC format might be the prime opportunity for them to prove themselves.



GG finds themselves in a three-way tie with Raven and Supreme Mixtape at the bottom of the ladder. While there’s still definitely room to overtake Mighty, the three will probably find themselves in a vicious battle for survival over the course of the season.





Strengths Composed of mostly veteran players from various teams



Woojae and JaeHyun had competitive success in their respective roles, while BDG and Hooligan have shown promising performances in the past

Liabilities Little to no past history playing together in a competitive setting for all the members, so they will have to build team synergy from scratch

7. Raven

ZZANGMAN [W]

(Mighty)

NMx31 [R]

(Rave)

H82 [M]

(White Water)

Hameline [F]

(Rave)

Joju [S]

(Mighty, RoMg) Raven is a mix of former players from RAVE and old Mighty. They had the toughest journey through the qualifier, first getting put in the same group as Tempest, then having to go through the wildcard round to finally secure their spot in the Premier League.



On paper, they have a promising roster with a solid track record. However, most of the members are coming back from a long hiatus, so they have lot to catch up on, and this is why Raven is placed here. They have potential to perform well once they regain their form and get the ball rolling, but we expect them to struggle at the start.





Strengths Good, solid back line that has performed at a high level in the past (Joju, NMx31 and Hamelin)



Hamelin and NMx31 have played together for a long time in Team RAVE and developed a powerful synergy with each other

Liabilities ZZANGMAN has shown difficulty performing properly under pressure



Hamelin and NMx31 have had significant downtime since they last played in a competitive setting

8. Supreme Mixtape

Judy [W]

(First Family)

DDuDDu [R]

(Mighty)

Wiz [M]

(Stellar Lotus)

N0CHAT [F]

Scarlet [S] At the bottom of our rankings is Supreme Mixtape, the revival of an old team originally started by Dami and HongCoNo during Power League Season 1. The team already showcased their skill at the first HGC KR Open Division Cup by finishing first in a convincing fashion against other amateur-level teams.



Wiz is finally making his official debut into the Korean scene after struggling to get into the NA scene for a long time and has shown high amount of confidence on the melee role. Unfortunately, Supreme Mixtape is placed at the bottom of our list due to the team’s lack of an accomplished veteran, they have yet to develop a clear playstyle to call their own. It’ll be interesting to observe how the team will mature as they gain more experience through the long league schedule.





Strengths Dominant performance against amateur teams in the Open Division



A couple sleeper players that have been out of the competitive radar but are well respected by the community (DDuDDu, Wiz, N0CHAT)

Liabilities Relatively inexperienced roster, and limited experience playing together as a team



How well the roster will perform under high pressure is unknown



Lack a clear, distinct style







KR Power Ranking Panel

RallyJaffa

OPrime

r_gg

Bracket and schedules on Liquipedia We are now only days away from the launch of HGC Korea, and much has changed since the end of Super League Fall season . The reigning BlizzCon champion L5 (Ballistix Gaming) is the only team in the scene with zero changes going into 2017. Powerhouse teams MVP Black, MVP Miracle and Tempest have all gone through heavy roster shuffles, plus a notable departure of MVP Black's Rich, who decided to take a year-long break from the competitive scene.The HGC news revived competition in the mid and lower tiers, and many former players came out of retirement to form fresh new teams with existing players. Most of these teams have yet to see any serious action, and many of them are still in the process of figuring out their team synergy or developing their style.With the help of familiar experts, RallyJaffa and OPrime , we established our Power Rank on how the eight teams are likely stack against each other at the beginning of HGC. Be sure to tune in for HGC Korea everyand follow our coverage to see how each of these teams evolve in 2017.







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