Opponent Points Out Issues Faced by SofM and His Students
If at the beginning of the season, SofM’s MVKE seemed to be the most dominant among the three representatives of VCS, since their defeat against TALON and early elimination from the playoffs of the LCP Season Kickoff Qualifying Series, MVKE has been on a downward spiral. Although they are still at the top of their group, competing with CFO, TALON, or even GAM is proving to be quite difficult. The reason was clearly pointed out by MVKE’s rival CFO: SofM is “powerless”.
According to CFO’s coach Chawy, SofM’s MVKE is the team with the most unpredictable drafting style, leaving him quite perplexed. However, from this very factor, viewers have come to realize the biggest issue facing SofM and MVKE: SofM has an extensive understanding of League of Legends and possesses creativity, willing to “outdraft” opponents. Yet, his students lack the caliber of their “teacher” to execute the playstyle SofM desires.
In fact, MVKE’s drafts under SofM’s leadership not only “outclass” opponents but also astonish VCS viewers with their unpredictability or rarely seen combos. For instance, SofM once let Kati use Lee Sin, combined with Shogun’s Nilah, and attacked the enemy base right from the early game. This not only helped Lee Sin – Nilah level up quickly but also created a proxy wave situation that made MVKE’s opponent at that time, Team Whales, struggle.
SofM May Not Have Many Options Left
Everyone must admit that SofM has vast knowledge of League of Legends, and his drafts are genuinely world-class, much like his playstyle when he was a player. However, currently, it seems that not only MVKE but also other teams in VCS have no one who can truly play according to what SofM’s drafted team compositions can bring. These are strong and effective compositions, but VCS has yet to maximize their potential.
And the problem of MVKE may also be a common issue for VCS. The region can still create surprises and devise drafts that make international opponents wary, but once the drafts are completed, they often struggle to play well enough to secure victories.