Fnatic has had a pretty shaky start to their 2019 LEC season. After another loss to FC Schalke 04, the 2018 World Finalists are looking relatively weak as a squad.
We are sorry.
We will be back.#ALWAYSFNATIC#LEC
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) January 26, 2019
It hasn’t been the start that Fnatic fans have been hoping for, especially with how their 2018 campaign ended. However, after losing Rasmus “Caps” Winther in the LEC offseason, it would force them to adjust accordingly. As a result, Fnatic would acquire Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek as Caps’ replacement. Unfortunately, these past two weeks have shown that Caps was undoubtedly the most important player of that 2018 roster. Without the superstar mid providing immense pressure from his lane, all of Fnatic’s shortcomings are being given light.
Strength and Struggle
Schalke 04 was coming into this matchup on a high note after taking down SK Gaming. Their bottom lane duo, Elias “Upset” Lipp and Lee “IgNar” Dong-geun, have been playing really well over the past three games and that would continue into their game against Fnatic. Additionally, jungler Jonas “Memento” Elmarghichi has been doing a good job at activating his side lanes and getting them ahead over their opponents.
Meanwhile, Fnatic has been looking lost ever since the start of the season. Without Caps’ presence, deficiencies in the side lanes and jungle are now being revealed. For example, their budding star jungler Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pedersen has been almost invisible for many of these games. Granted, because Caps was able to pull so much pressure into mid last year, Broxah was able to make much more proactive plays elsewhere on the map. Martin “Rekkles” Larsson is forcing himself to try carrying his team, which is throwing him into multiple undesirable situations. This fourth game was a great example of that.
Schalke 04 stomps Fnatic in 38 minutes
https://clips.twitch.tv/FineAdorableAlligatorDancingBanana
Right from the early game, Schalke 04 would take over the game. This was the Upset and Ignar Show, as the Schalke support would hit multiple hooks that would lead to kills on their ADC. By fifteen minutes, Upset had six kills to his name, while Rekkles had five deaths and no kills to show for it. In fact, Rekkles would end up dying eight times in the game, with only one kill. It was a slow and methodical win from Schalke, who ended up taking five dragons and two Barons throughout the match. There aren’t many silver linings for this team, who looks to be sliding further and further into a pit of despair.
Final Thoughts
Fnatic fans may have a reason to worry now, as their team hasn’t shown much improvement at all. Their bottom lane is the most surprising, as they were one of the best performing Western duos at Worlds last year. However, they look like a completely different combo now that Caps has left. We know that Caps is probably the best mid laner in the west. His ability to carry was shown yesterday for G2 Esports, and they probably don’t win without him. However, no one would have predicted that Fnatic needed him this much.
What are your thoughts on Fnatic’s slow start in the LEC? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more LEC coverage, check us out here!
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