Why Xiaohu Ought to Be Thought-about the GOAT Runner-Up After 2022 MSI

After successful his third MSI title in opposition to Faker this previous month, RNG’s Xiaohu has formally entered the GOAT Runner-Up dialog.

With Xiaohu successful his third MSI title, I believe it’s excessive time that we begin speaking about his candidacy with reference to being the League of Legends GOAT Runner-up. It’s a title that isn’t fairly as attractive or extensively debated as its basketball counterpart, mainly due to the ridiculous dominance of the League of Legends GOAT.

Effectively Xiaohu beating stated GOAT to clinch his second MSI title positively has to imply one thing, and whereas he’s nowhere close to surpassing Faker as GOAT, we are able to have fairly a heated dialogue as to Xiaohu’s declare to be second best participant of all time.

The Tiger King of Spring

Recognized for his distinctive play through the first half of the season, Xiaohu is a long-time veteran of the Chinese language League of Legends scene. Beginning in Gamtee in December 2014, he made a splash as a popoff carry mid laner.

After being acquired by RNG within the following cut up, he discovered himself taking part in second fiddle to the workforce’s megastar franchise participant, bot laner Uzi, who was infamous for his high-resource playstyle. With the premature retirement of Uzi from RNG as a result of well being causes, Xiaohu finally turned the de facto chief of the franchise.

5 years into his tenure. the Chinese language veteran had grown and refined his playstyle over time, changing into an adept facilitator in addition to a really critical harm risk. RNG has seen rather more success beneath Xiaohu’s selfless management in comparison with Uzi’s, successful two LPL splits and two MSI Championships because the celebrity’s departure.

The Mad Canine

Up till this level, when you ask a devoted League viewer who the second best participant of all time is, two names will come up. One among them is definitely Xiaohu’s outdated teammate, Uzi.

Arguably the best bot laner to ever grace the sport, Uzi’s profession is marked by his signature “Feed The Pet” playstyle, the place groups would funnel each useful resource into the celebrity and have him carry along with his dazzling mechanics.

For an extremely lustrous and tenured profession, Uzi solely has three championships over nearly 20 tries, each home and worldwide. Curiously, all three of them got here throughout RNG’s 2018 run, the place they nearly accomplished the Golden Sweep of successful Spring, MSI and Summer season earlier than being upset by Perkz and G2 in Worlds Quarterfinals.

Whereas Uzi is unquestionably a worthy consideration for GOAT Runner-Up, his egocentric playstyle has not seen a lot success all through the years, as evidenced by his lack of championships. His unwillingness to mess around different members of his workforce reduces his candidacy significantly, particularly when contemplating simply how adept Xiaohu is at taking part in round his win situations – irrespective of who they may be.

What’s a King to a God?

Personally, I believe there’s a identify which may even surpass Uzi’s declare to being the second best participant of all time – and that may be Rookie.

Rookie has had an identical profession kind to Uzi, however seemingly with none of the downsides that Uzi groups normally expertise.

Radiant and cheerful, Rookie has been a dominant mid laner ever since his debut on KT Rolster in 2014, overpowering his opponents via sheer mechanical excellence.

Not like Uzi, he doesn’t require assets to have an effect, and has maintained that type nicely into Season 8 and past, destroying complete groups by his lonesome in an period the place League of Legends has gotten a lot more durable for one participant to hold. Ever since successful his first and solely World Championship in Season 8, Rookie has been on an absolute tear, clinching his first home title quickly after in Spring of Season 9.

Ceaselessly in comparison with Faker since his debut, Rookie began turning heads when he arguably overtook the GOAT in the previous couple of years, placing collectively seasons that far outclassed the Unkillable Demon King. As Faker continued to battle with roster points and slumping seasons, Rookie thrived, constantly being a high 2 mid laner within the talent-infested Chinese language league.

If Season 3-6 Faker was higher than Rookie, Rookie has been higher than Faker since Season 8-12. It’s even debatable that Rookie was the perfect mid laner on the earth headed into Season 7 World Championship, despite the fact that Faker positioned larger than him at that fateful match.

Although his variety of championships will most likely by no means even come near Faker’s (2 vs.15), it’s debatable that Rookie has had extra years the place he was clearly higher than Faker in comparison with vice versa, which is an unthinkable accomplishment that not even Xiaohu can take care of.

Alas the shortage of championships is Rookie’s Achilles Heel, because the celebrity will not be capable of carry over a successful common season into playoff success. Although he’s a King amongst mid laners, evidently Rookie is perpetually cursed to be within the shadow of God.

The GOAT Runner-Up

By comparability, Xiaohu is way much less flashier. He was excellent throughout his newest MSI run, but it surely was a variety of it was clever map actions and nice fundamentals versus celebrity, jaw-dropping moments which might be extra paying homage to Uzi and Rookie. That is what units him aside – his capacity to play the sport alongside his teammates and fulfill win situations, as a substitute of getting to solely carry the sport himself.

For gamers like Uzi and Rookie, they aren’t excellent at activating their teammates’ strengths, each on and off the Rift. They demand their teammates fold into their worldview, Uzi greater than Rookie, and attempt to win the sport that manner.

Whereas Xiaohu has demonstrated his mechanical competence all through his profession, he has develop into extra workforce centric all through the previous couple of years. His management skills assist new gamers equivalent to Wei and GALA discover their footing in huge video games and his huge recreation information enable him to even roleswap and nonetheless obtain success.

He’s a way more well-rounded participant, with a skillset that’s rather more conducive to successful in comparison with his counterparts.

And on the finish of the day, that’s an important factor these gamers are being judged on – not whether or not your skillset produces the flashiest montages or probably the most untouchable statistics, it’s relatively, how efficient you might be at successful championships. And so far as I’m involved, the one participant traditionally higher than Xiaohu at successful championships is Faker himself…