The LCS has been fun to watch this season for the most part. Teams have played numerous champions in plenty of different roles, constantly adding to the already intense action. Some champions have seen more play than others, more specifically in the bot lane. Ezreal and Kai’Sa have been two of the most played ADCs in the LCS so far with 67 games between them. Both have decently high win rates and strong damage, so it’s surprising that they’ve only been banned 22 times this split. Either way, Ezreal and Kai’sa are two of the strongest champions in the game, and with the right player at the helm, they become lethal.
Kai’Sa: The Late-Game Hero
Kai’sa has been seen 23 times so far this split, the second most of any bot lane champion. Her high DPS, range, and dive capability make her an excellent pick. Shockingly, her win rate is fairly low this season at 43.5%. Scaling might have a factor in this, because of Kai’sa’s ability to perform well in the late-game.
Before Kai’sa reaches two or three items built, she is fairly weak compared to most other ADC’s. If put behind and focused in team fights, Kai’sa begins to fall off because most professional teams are aware of her power. Well-prepared teams will often try to shut her down in the early-game to reduce her scaling potential. However, professionals like Yiliang “Doubelift” Peng and Jason “WildTurtle” Tran have thrived on Kai’sa, keeping her at the top of the pack.
Doublelift’s Efficient Play
Doublelift has performed insanely well on Kai’sa this split, totaling the highest win rate with her at 100%. Doublelift has always been one to impress, and his K/D/A of 19 lives up to that quality. His ability to scale properly into the later stages of the game makes it much easier for him to do steady amounts of damage. Though Kai’sa struggles early on, Doublelift often receives help from his jungler to set him up better for the late-game. It’s also nice to have a support like Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in by your side protecting you no matter the cost.
Doublelift manages his gold well and averages 359 CS per match on Kai’Sa, ranking fourth among his peers. As one of the most polished players in all of League of Legends, it’s expected for Doublelift to perform at a high rate on every champion he plays, but his play on Kai’sa might be the most efficient out of the bunch.
WildTurtle Goes Wild
WildTurtle is another ‘big name’ who plays Kai’sa to her highest capability. With a win-rate of 75%, Turtle ranks second to only Doublelift in that regard. However, his CS averages top the rest at 423.8 per match. A lot of FlyQuest’s matches have gone past 30 minutes, making Kai’sa the perfect champion to build a team around. With WildTurtle on Kai’sa, FlyQuest can pick other heavy scaling champions to absorb and deal out loads of damage.
Since Turtle maintains a steady CS lead in most games, he is able to reach her peak of power much sooner than most other bot-laners. This translates well with his kill participation of 77.2% considering WildTurtle’s ability to effectively deal damage in fights with his team. Despite being .500 in a highly competitive league, WildTurtle has been a shining star for FlyQuest this split. If he’s able to pick Kai’sa more often in these next few matches, FlyQuest has a strong chance at stealing the third place spot from TSM.
Ezreal: Quick, Heavy, and Fast
After Ezreal’s rework in September of last year, he’s become quite a force on the rift. He’s been picked 44 times this split, the most in the LCS ranging across all roles. He also has the highest win percentage of any bot-lane champion (with over three total picks) at 61.4%.
Ezreal’s utility and damage output make him a great, overall pick for most team compositions. Since he is primarily focused on ranged or ‘poke’ damage from his Q and W abilities, Ezreal can be played effectively no matter what item path is taken. Iceborn Gauntlet and Manamune are more essential items, but after that the possibilities are endless. AP heavy Ezreal has seen plenty of play, as well as the high-crit builds. Even lethality Ezreal is viable depending on the situation. No matter how he’s played, Ezreal is a versatile champion with loads of potential if not focused down early.
Perfection at Its Finest
It’s no surprise that Doublelift has the best Ezreal skills in the LCS. Being one of the more notable players in League of Legends means that it’s mandatory to live up to the hype, and Doublelift makes sure to do so. He holds a 100% win rate on the champion, a task no other ADC has accomplished this split. Also, his K/D/A of 15 is the second highest in the LCS, as well as his CS averages of 367.4.
Doublelift is incredible at landing skillshots and other types of poke damages onto the opposition. Doublelift also builds well according to the situation, making him lethal no matter who he plays against. With this skill and Ezreal’s high-damage potential, the two are a perfect fit.
The Sneakiest Ezreal in the LCS
Sneaky has been a top force for Cloud9 this season, as they sit in second place behind Team Liquid. He has the third highest K/D/A on Ezreal at 10.4, showing why he’s worthy of being in such elite company. Though his CS totals aren’t as high as most of his peers, Sneaky is very team-oriented in his style of play. This means that he’s seen helping his team more often than he’s farming solo in a lane. By doing so, Cloud9 effectively dominates most team fights and objectives. Sneaky’s large impact on the game usually helps Cloud9 establish a steady lead throughout a lot of their games, and his Ezreal play is one of the core reasons.
His kill participation is rather average compared to the rest of the league at 67.5%, however the stats aren’t everything in regard to Sneaky’s play. He is very comfortable on Ezreal and it’s evident through the way he hits skillshots. Ezreal relies on hitting multiple ranged abilities in a row, and just one slip up could decide if a kill is to be had. This rarely applies to Sneaky considering how often he is able to land said abilities and secure gold for his team.
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