Eye in the Sky, Part 4: We Summon Sneaky

Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi is, and will always be, a staple player for Cloud9 League of Legends. His many years of dedication has allowed him to be the rock that C9 could always lean on. After weeks of starter shuffling and fan demand, C9 finally allowed their star AD Carry to take to the stage.

While many see Sneaky as a goofy streamer who spends his time laughing and making memes, there is a serious side that is almost never shown. Much like a brilliant tactician, Sneaky is one that never leaves all of his cards on the table. His enemies see him as the class clown, while his teammates see him as an unshakable leader. This critical leadership can be seen in just a week’s worth of matches. 

Sneaky Power

While C9 Academy was able to get another 2-0 week, the wins were not clean. The team seemed to stumble several times during the mid game, giving their opponents chances to stay alive. Robert “Blaber” Huang could not easily make himself the focal points of fights on Kindred, while the rest of the team seemed to struggle with their cohesion. This may certainly be due to Sneaky’s absence. When Sneaky was on the Academy roster, the team functioned like a well-oiled machine. Minus Sneaky, the Academy squad’s quality of play took a definite dip and experienced struggles similar to the LCS team. 

If you are still not convinced, look no further than C9’s Week 4 NA LCS performance. C9 was actually able to nab a win after what felt like an eternity. The team composition against FlyQuest, while questionable, allowed the team to lean on comfort picks that aligned with their skills. Even outside of his comfort zone on bot lane Morgana, Sneaky was able to give an enabling performance. His bindings and shields did just enough to allow Eric “Licorice” Ritchie and Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen to be the deciding factor.

Sneaky also seemed to improve the team’s play quality in losses. Even if the CLG match the following day landed an “L”, the team looked to have more polish and tenacity than weeks past. Sneaky, finally playing a marksman, tried with all his might to drag his team across the finish line.

Sneaking to Playoffs

Though the small mistakes C9 made eventually allowed CLG to win, their performance is a good sign for a potential comeback. With Sneaky, the C9 crew does not show the same fear that seemed to hold them back in weeks previous.

In an interview with Inven, coach Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu stated that there would most likely be no further roster swaps as playoffs inch closer. With Sneaky once again at the helm, C9 has potential for salvaging an otherwise doomed season.

It will not come without hard work, however. C9’s play during the mid game is still in limbo. Mistakes like Dennis “Svenskeren” Johnsen’s missed Elder Smite or the team’s misguided target priority still weigh them down. To unshackle themselves, C9 must look toward their mainstay ADC for guidance, as he is Cloud9’s only hope. 

Until next time, be sure to keep your eyes on the sky!

You can follow Mason on Twitter here: @masonjenkinstgh Also be sure to follow The Game Haus on Twitter and Facebook so you can get more and esports action. 

Featured Image courtesy of Riot Games. Images courtesy of LoL Esports Flickr