Let’s kick off protection of the 2023 LEC season with an Excel workforce that has made some reasonably fascinating adjustments to their roster!
The 2023 LEC Winter Cut up goes to kick off and so I figured… why not take a great have a look at the brand new groups which can be going to be competing on this thrilling new format!
Out of all the brand new groups and roster configurations that we’re seeing this time round, I used to be notably intrigued by the brand new Excel workforce.
Excel
This workforce has managed to stability out its highly effective carry gamers in Vetheo and Patrik with some legendary weakside gamers in Odoamne.
Playstyle
I think Excel to be a really basic tackle workforce id, utilizing their workforce’s sturdy carry laners to win out in essential mid and late sport teamfights while Odoamne might be the low useful resource tank participant that may assist funnel sources into his carries.
Whereas the blueprint for this workforce is simple and simply higher echelon, I’m quizzical of how Xerxe and Targamas match into this equation.
How Will Targamas Match
Let’s take Targamas for instance. He had a great debut cut up on G2 the place he confirmed off his prowess on a mess of various types and picks. His aggressive roaming type, mixed along with his playmaking capacity on Pyke and Bard, made him a fabulously entertaining participant at occasions, who was additionally able to tuning it again for a extra supportive playstyle.
Berlin, Germany – April 10: — throughout the 2022 League of Legends European Championship Collection Spring Finals on the LEC Studio (Photograph by Michal Konkol/Riot Video games)
His pairing with Patrik, though sturdy, may not be one of the best factor for the each of them. Patrik is a succesful laner who has remained among the finest gamers in his place for fairly a while now. I don’t consider Targamas’s roaming capacity enhances his laning prowess and it would shun their potential as a carry menace from the underside lane.
Nonetheless, Targamas’s roaming type does assist Vetheo in his endeavors to snowball on the enemy mid laner’s head. The 2022 Spring Cut up MVP’s shares are by means of the roof after his breakout season final yr and he’ll stay the focus of this new Excel roster as they vie for a prime 4 end.
The Greatest Weakpoint: Xerxe
Now, I don’t assume Xerxe is a foul participant in any respect!
If something, JeongHoon and him had been the shining mild of the dumpster fireplace that was Astralis in 2022.
Nonetheless competent he could also be, along with his strong jungling fundamentals to distinctive jungle picks that make him a drafting terror, Xerxe’s strengths are usually not congruent with what Excel must win video games.
He has historically been a farming, slower-paced jungler, who doesn’t at all times sacrifice his financial system in an effort to assist his laners get forward. Whereas this will make him look good on dangerous groups like Astralis and Immortals, it’s a completely different story when he has two carries that may simply contend for prime 3 at their place.
I’ve adopted him for the whole thing of his profession and I’ve not but seen him undertake a extra selfless type in his play. Which is doubly worrying since he has by no means been one of the best carry jungler at any time limit both, even along with his reasonably egocentric type of play.
Ought to Xerxe purchase into his celebrity carries and play for them, Excel can undoubtedly grow to be a darkish horse to take all of it this yr. However you may’t train an outdated canine new methods, and I think Xerxe will grow to be a lowkey weakpoint for Excel going ahead.
Berlin, Germany – June 24 — throughout the 2021 League of Legends European Championship Collection Week 2 on the LEC Studio on June 24 2022 in Berlin Germany (Photograph by Michal Konkol/Riot Video games)
Conclusion
Total, I believe this Excel lineup is well a middle-of-the-pack workforce, with greater than a puncher’s probability to interrupt into prime 4. Their highly effective carry gamers, in addition to Odoamne’s legendary weakside playstyle, is already able to successful the cut up, however it’s going to come right down to their extra supportive gamers to see how probabilistic that ceiling is.
