Misfits’ Disappointing Run in LEC Spring Split: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It
The LEC Spring Split recently came to an end, with six teams making it to the playoffs. This number is significant because it means that more than half of the teams in the league qualify for the postseason, which is a low bar compared to other sports.
However, one team that surprisingly failed to qualify for the playoffs was Misfits. This team, which had previously made it to Worlds two years ago and rebuilt its roster with top players, was expected to perform well in their own region.
Unfortunately, Misfits fell short and their performance was extremely poor. While they were technically only one game away from securing the last playoff spot, their gameplay had deteriorated to the point where even if they had made it to playoffs, they would have likely been easily defeated. So, what led to their spectacular failure and how can they address these issues before the Summer Split?
Not the Newcomers
Misfits made changes to their roster during the offseason by signing three highly skilled players to complement their existing lineup. There were concerns about how well these new players, particularly mid laner Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten, would fit into the team. Febiven had a tough year in North America in 2018, so it was interesting to see his performance in the LEC.
So far, Febiven has been performing remarkably well. He excels in the laning phase and has shown versatility in playing different champions, which was previously a concern. Overall, the mid lane has not been a problem for Misfits.
The same can be said for the top lane. Paul “sOAZ” Boyer has performed well when given resources, although he is typically a low-resource player. He may not have as strong of a laning phase as Febiven, but Misfits often neglects him. However, he rarely makes mistakes and has managed to outplay opponents in some gank situations.
Jungler Nightmare
In the past, jungler Nubar “Maxlore” Sarafian was considered one of the top junglers in the league. The team’s strong start in the 2018 Summer Split, winning their first nine games, was largely credited to Maxlore’s supportive pathing.
While Maxlore still occasionally demonstrates his pathing prowess, it has become less frequent this year. The team often loses momentum during the laning phase, especially after the first jungle recalls. Although they initially made up for it with well-executed set plays, opponents eventually caught on. Even when Misfits managed to acquire leads with scaling champions like Karthus, Maxlore found a way to lose them.
Furthermore, Misfits struggles around the Baron objective. They either fail to secure it with an advantage or lose it in some games. This contributes to their poor Baron control, which is one of the worst in the league. Maxlore is responsible for organizing how the team approaches Baron and ensuring their execution is on point, but their failures in this aspect highlight his underperformance.
It often feels like Misfits enter Baron encounters at a disadvantage, making it difficult for them to come out on top.
Bot Lane Pool
The team seems to lack damage in the bot lane, particularly from their AD Carry, Hans Sama. While his laning stats are impressive, ranking first in experience differential at 10 minutes, his overall damage numbers are only average at best. If we exclude the damage he deals to opponents in the laning phase, the situation appears worse.
It is evident that Hans Sama performs best on early game powerhouses like Lucian and Draven, who do not contribute much in terms of the Baron objective. Although he has had several games on Kai’Sa and Kalista, he has not been successful on these champions. For example, in a crucial week eight matchup against Fnatic, where Misfits needed a win to secure a playoff spot, Hans Sama performed well on Cassiopeia, but uncharacteristic mistakes from other lanes led to their defeat.
The Voice
Misfits was hoping that support player Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyeon would provide a Korean mindset and macro direction to the team. However, this has not been the case, and even his synergy with his lane partner has been shaky. GorillA has died the second most among LEC supports this split, indicating that he has not become the primary shot caller that the team needs.
Misfits desperately requires someone to take on the role of a leader, someone who can organize their macro gameplay. Their ability to play the map and handle lanes is even worse than their Baron play. Currently, they control the second-lowest amount of lane farm in the league, despite their strong early-game advantages.
The good news is that Misfits has experienced players like Febiven and sOAZ on their roster, who have been through playoffs and Worlds trips before. Maxlore and GorillA have not provided the desired solutions. Misfits urgently needs to find a unifying voice if they want to salvage their super team. There is still time to turn things around.
All photos via Riot Games.
Misfits, LEC Spring Split, playoffs, roster, performance, failure, fix, newcomers, mid laner, Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten, top laner, Paul “sOAZ” Boyer, jungler, Nubar “Maxlore” Sarafian, bot lane, AD Carry, Hans Sama, support, Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyeon, leader, macro gameplay.