Dignitas Rising

 By Helmight

            Earlier this year, Grab the Lantern covered the acquisition of ZionSpartan and Shiphtur by Dignitas, stating that there were two possible outcomes of such a move. One was that the former Coast players don’t integrate well with the team and keep Dig in a solidly middle-of-the-pack condition; the other was that the two star players would carry Dignitas higher in the standings.

After Week 2 of the NA LCS, I think it’s safe to say that the latter scenario has occurred. Zion and Shiphtur have proven in their first six games with the organization that they are threats to be feared and have led Dig to a 5-1 record. This includes victories over both Team SoloMid and Cloud 9, the two teams that absolutely dominated the Spring Split.

Early ganks by Crumbzz in the mid or top lane have rarely failed to give Zion or Shiphtur first blood and allow Dignitas’s solo laners to start snowballing their advantage. This allows Crumbzz to spend as much as he needs ganking for Kiwikid and Imaqtpie, helping the duo lane get rolling as well. By the time teamfights roll around, Dig’s already got enough of an advantage to stomp their opponents and take objectives.

And it’s Zion and Shiphtur always leading the charge for Dignitas. In four of their five wins, Dig’s new top and midlaner have had one or fewer deaths combined - quite an impressive feat – and typically have the majority of their team’s kills. Without a doubt, these two players have become the crux of Dig’s strategy.

So how does one defeat the new Dignitas then? The answer was revealed by Curse in their Super Week showing against Dig: beat them in the laning phase, and keep Zion from playing carry champions. While ZionSpartan shines on Shyvana and Jax, being forced onto Dr. Mundo prevented him from becoming the unstoppable splitpushing monster he’s used to. In addition, Crumbzz’s inability to pull off successful ganks kept Curse from falling too far behind and let them come back in the midgame.

Unless other teams find ways of stopping Dignitas’s new solo laners though, it’s very probable that Dig will stay on top of the NA LCS this split – and possibly find their way into the World Championships. Only time will tell if Dig can stay hot. 

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!

Dignitas grabs ZionSpartan and Shiphtur

By Helmight

According to LoLEsports.com,  Dignitas has just signed Shiphtur and ZionSpartan away from Team Coast in a surprising move. David Slan, the coach and general manager for Coast, has said "Rather than have these two guys miss the Summer LCS Split, we made the decision to allow ZionSpartan and Shiphtur to be acquired by Team Dignitas." This is something I don't think any of us saw coming. Shiphtur and ZionSpartan are not only regarded as the best players on Coast, but also some of the best players in the LCS. So, what does this mean for both rosters now?

For Dignitas, the acquisitions are huge. Scarra's retirement meant that they were down one of their best players and Goldenglue wasn't nearly strong enough to compete at a professional level, let alone fill Scarra's shoes. Meanwhile, Cruzerthebruzer has left a lot to be desired in the toplane, managing to not die too often but also accomplishing nothing substantial for his team either. Though Dignitas did quite well for themselves early in the season, they were unable to keep pace with Team SoloMid and Cloud 9 and eventually fell into a solid fourth place - decent, yes, but not where they wanted to be.

With the addition of Coast's stars, Dignitas now has the shot of talent they need to come back swinging for the Summer Split. If ZionSpartan and Shiphtur are able to synergize well with the rest of Dig's roster, I wouldn't be surprised to see them stealing third place away from Counter-Logic Gaming.

Meanwhile, Coast is in a bit of a strange spot now, having signed away their two best players. It's no secret that their solo laners were the key to Coast's success for much of this season, and with their departure Coast is left with a lackluster bottom lane and jungler. Even if they manage to acquire players that synergize well with the rest of the team, I'm doubtful of Coast's chances to make it back to the LCS. Shiphtur and ZionSpartan pretty much carried the team through the Spring Split, and unless Coast can somehow find players of their caliber again, I don't think we'll be seeing them in the promotion tourney.

At any rate, the deal is certain to shake things up for the Summer Split. It'll be interesting to see how Coast's solo laners perform with a solid team behind them, and how the rest of the LCS responds to the new Dignitas.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!