Strong Top Lane Play Key to Success for North America’s Best Teams
North America’s top teams have seen a significant number of roster and patch changes recently. While the established teams were expected to dominate, the newly formed teams, specifically Team EnVyUs and Apex Gaming, surprised everyone. The standout performance this week came from Apex’s Jeon “Ray” Ji-won, who played exceptionally well in the top lane with his tank Fizz, dominating Counter Logic Gaming in games one and three.
Comparing Fizz to other top lane tanks, tank Ekko stands out as the closest comparison due to their ability to stick to the backline. However, Fizz has the advantage with his ultimate ability Chum the Waters, which provides the longest crowd control in the game. Recent nerfs to Ekko have increased Fizz’s popularity, as he offers more damage compared to other tanks. Fizz also has the option to build a Zhonya’s in the late game, increasing his damage and pressure on the backline.
Despite his strengths, Fizz lacks built-in tank mechanics like other tanks in the game. This makes him less effective as a primary tank. In the games where Fizz was played against Ekko, there were lane swaps to avoid the unfavorable matchup or cover weaknesses in lane. While Fizz struggled in terms of farm, he was able to catch up through strategic freezes and well-timed teleport responses.
Where Fizz truly shines is in the mid-late game, particularly in teamfights. Ray’s ability to find good positions to target the enemy carries, alongside champions like Swain, creates a formidable front line. Fizz and Swain can both build Guardian’s Angel and Zhonya’s Hourglass, providing enough damage to eliminate the backline.
Conclusion
The rise of tanky mid lane picks such as Swain and Vladimir can benefit Fizz’s position on the tier list. However, Fizz cannot be relied upon as the primary tank, as demonstrated in game three where the lack of a secondary front liner hindered his engagement potential. Despite this, Apex’s exceptional performance in the NA LCS will undoubtedly earn them the respect of top teams as they fight for playoff places.
North America’s best teams, roster and patch changes, Team EnVyUs, Apex Gaming, strong top lane play, tank Fizz, dominant performance, Counter Logic Gaming, tank Ekko, Chum the Waters, advantages of Fizz, Fizz’s popularity, built-in tank mechanics, lane swaps, mid-late game impact, teamfight potential, Swain, playoff places