3 Things to Watch For: TSM Week 5

TSM head into Week 5 of the LCS 2021 Summer Split tied for first but technically in first due to head-to-head record against 100T. They are also two games ahead of rivals C9 and TL. At the end of Week 4, TSM were able to crush TL and now their sights will be set on C9. As they prepare for their weekend against DIG, IMT and the aforementioned C9 here are three things TSM fans should be watching for in Week 5.

[Related: LCS 2021 Summer Split Week 5 Power Rankings]

1. What will TSM do about the Early Game?

If anyone has been watching the TSM games then it will come as no surprise that they are a terrible early game team. In fact, according to Oracles Elixir, TSM are the worst early game team in the LCS with a 38.1 rating. 100 Thieves are the best and their rating is a 66.2. The counter to that is that TSM have the best mid and late game rating of a 36.9 with 100 Thieves being in second at 17.2. Again, neither of these things is surprising.

That said, for TSM to truly be a top-tier team outside of the LCS, they are going to need to be better in their early game. This does not mean that they can’t focus on scaling carry champions but they also can’t be as passive as they have been. Teams will punish them for sitting back and waiting for their opponent to make a move.

It is incumbent upon Bjergsen and the staff to come up with in-game plans to help TSM achieve this. Whether it is having Spica be more active in the lanes, which he has been compared to the Spring, or having Huni, SwordArt or PoE getting out of lane more early on. Something needs to change.

An idea would be having Huni look for TP flanks when the bot lane is getting pushed in. This happens so often in their games and normally Huni will TP flank but it is later in the game. Allowing him to either get a kill or get bot lane ahead is important. This is especially true against bot lane dominant teams like 100 Thieves, Cloud9 and Team Liquid.

There are certainly plenty of ways to play the early game better. But it seems like TSM are still scared from their early-season failures to start making these changes. Understandably they are playing a style that works and should help them get to playoffs with the highest seed possible. The hope will be that while they continue their style, TSM will attempt to make the changes necessary starting in Week 5 to have even an average early game.

2. Lost’s Sophomore Slump

Last Split, Lost was actually one of the top five ADC’s in most categories. He was having an impact and even making a lot of highlight plays to help the team. During the Summer he has been noticeably less impactful. This is not saying that he has been bad, because he really hasn’t been. But, he has certainly not been the same player that showed all that promise during the Spring Split. Some would call this his “Sophomore Slump”.

Part of this is due to TSM’s focus as a team. They are more focused on getting Huni or PoE ahead while also outmacroing teams. This is why they are allowing for bot to get behind and are putting Lost on champions like Ezreal where he can safely sit under tower and farm until the mid/late game. Once the mid/late game hits though, his positioning in teamfights has been less than ideal.

This is part of the reason why he has one of the lowest kill participation percentages in the game along with just a lack of kills and assists in general. Luckily, Lost is also not dying all that much. Only 21 deaths in 12 games is easily one of the best in the league. Then when one considers how much weakside he has had to play, some of his lackluster results can be excused.

Along with individual issues though, Lost and SwordArt have been mostly MIA this summer. They are not always on the same page and if it were not for Huni, Spica and PoE carrying as hard as they have been, TSM could be in quite a bit of trouble.

For TSM to truly take it to the next level, Lost and SA have to do more with less. For Lost specifically, he needs to find ways to be more involved once the landing phase is over and also work on positioning in team fights to have a greater impact. Hopefully, with some of the changes to the meta, more impactful champions will allow for Lost to find himself near the top once again.

3. Huni’s Meta?

Patch 11.13 brings with it quite a few changes in Week 5 for TSM. One of them being the new split push item, Hullbreaker. This item not only gives the champion a solid amount of AD and Health but it also adds something a little extra. Champions get a major buff when no allies are around and large minions are buffed while dealing extra damage to the tower. Could there be a better item for someone like Huni?

This item along with the fact that Huni already loves to split push could be huge for TSM. They have been successful at 1-3-1’ing in the past and have won plenty of base races this year. This item would allow for Huni and PoE to go out into the side lanes in the mid/late game and absolutely wreak havoc on enemy teams.

With this potentially new meta coming in, Lost and SwordArt would also benefit. As was mentioned above, TSM have not been giving them resources and instead focusing on the solo lanes. Now, with Hullbreaker, TSM would be rewarded for focusing bot side.

Even Anathema’s Chains is a new item that could be great for Huni considering the champions he likes to play. With tenacity being lowered he can basically run straight through fights and make the game-changing plays that he has all season. There is little doubt that should these items and split pushing become meta that Huni and TSM will benefit greatly. Hopefully, Week 5 will be the beginning of a great last half of the Summer.

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