Jonathan Yee
2017-04-10 09:51:19
Vietnam is seemingly developing a reputation for producing carry junglers. Just about everyone knows who SofM is, but Levi is a name which people are starting to hear more and more often, since his break into the upper echelons in late 2016, when he was selected as the jungler representative for VCSA (Vietnamese Championship Series A) at the GPL All-Star event. Back then, Levi was on a team named Skyred and had role-swapped from the mid lane, but already had a growing reputation as a titan-killing jungler thanks to his play in solo queue, even besting SofM in the jungle.
When SofM left to join Snake in Summer 2016, there was only one choice for the Vietnamese fans when it came time to pick the VCSA All-Star team at the end of the year. This was despite the fact that Levi had not played in VCSA Summer 2016 at all. Now he is en-route to the Philippines, where he and the Gigabyte Adonis Maries will represent Vietnam in the Garena Premier League for a shot at the Mid-Seasonal Invitiational.
Who is Levi, and why is he being seen as Vietnam's best hope at GPL and beyond? Read on to find out.
Beginning his career on Skyred as a mid-laner in 2015, it was not until later that year when Levi made the switch to the jungle. A solo queue video from 2015 can be found on Youtube, where he faced SofM in the jungle and impressed heavily with his mechanics.
The decision did not lead to any initial success, as Skyred failed to qualify for VCSA Spring in 2016 while Levi was in the jungle. For reasons unknown, he was relegated to being a substitute under Shyn when Skyred re-qualified for VCSA in Summer.
Even though Levi did not play all summer in the VCSA, the decision to vote him in proved to be an astute one by fans, as the VCSA team blazed through both the GPL and IWC All-Star events and acquitted themselves well at the Barcelona All-Stars main event despite not winning a game in regional play.
Word of Levi's deadly Lee Sin had reached the other teams, leading to Lee Sin bans in every game, and he similarly impressed in the All-Star match alongside players like Smeb, Doublelift and Madlife, proving that on an individual level, he had enough ability to be playing amongst some of the most celebrated players in LoL history.
Levi’s stellar performances with the VCSA team partly led to him joining Marines Esports, by then Vietnam’s #1 team due to Saigon Jokers disbanding. Being on the best team with the best midlaner in Vietnam (Optimus), any possibility other than first seemed an implausibility. This proved true as in a post-Saigon Jokers world, there were no adversaries left to stand up to the Marines, as they went undefeated through VCSA Spring 2017, ending with a 3-0 sweep in the finals.
Previously active on the Korean Challenger ladder and becoming only the second Vietnamese player to reach Challenger there (his account has been inactive for two months and the writer is unsure if he has another one), endless comparsions can be drawn with jungler compatriot SofM and this extends to their champion pools and playstyles - Levi is clearly inspired by SofM and arguably has the skills to match. While champion pools these days become more homogeneous as dictated by meta shifts, Levi and SofM share a penchant for Lee Sin and Elise.
These days, Levi can be seen on stream primarily playing ranked on his home server, drawing questions of whether he wants to become the best in the world, or if he is content to win titles in Vietnam and going as far as he can in an environment he feels comfortable in, unlike SofM who made the switch to Snake and still plays on the Korean server.
Another question may be raised as to whether his game is at a level where he is able to carry his team against international competition, yet Marines Esports still enter GPL as favourites, and it will be up to Levi to show that he can be as good as his jungler compatriot. SofM himself never achieved any results domestically; Levi, with a VCSA championship already under his belt, has the opportunity to bring more glory to Vietnam after their disappointing collapse in 2016.
On the 3rd of March, vuhoang (writing for motgame.vn) suggested that GAM primarily play around the Levi-Optimus duo, 'a classic type of combination’, in order to win their matches.
Regardless of his early jungle pathing, it is clear that Levi is integral to the success of the team. His kill participation is the highest on the team; GAM’s plays seem to revolve around him, and he is also relied upon for initiations and clearing up enemy champions. One weakness he has is in getting caught out, much like SofM, by going over-aggressive when GAM is far ahead.
Levi has shown no indications that he is a one- or two-trick pony, being able to wield even champions which he had not practiced with ease. During the IWC All-Star event, he picked Kha’Zix in two games and still performed to a high level, despite claiming afterwards that Kha’Zix had not been part of his practiced champions for the event. This should be taken with a grain of salt given the event’s circumstances where the team make-ups were less than optimal, but it still displays Levi’s versatility in not being limited to Lee Sin and Elise.
Given the high skill ceiling of the Marines as well, GAM do not overly rely on cheese picks or unconventional strategies, preferring instead to refine their proficiency on current meta champions for pro play. As a result, Levi also plays champions like Rengar and Graves, the former being banned often against him, both due to its overwhelming strength and also due to Levi’s own proficiency on the Pridestalker.
It is of course important that we do not over-analyze a player’s decisions and believe that they are all carefully calculated or practiced. Levi is clearly mechanically gifted, and such players tend to allow instincts to drive them, as opposed to ‘smarter’ junglers who carefully plan their routes to make up for their relative lack of skill.
Similarly, we cannot overestimate GAM’s actual ability, or Levi’s play in the VCSA, due to their lack of competition, leading to less pressure overall than if GAM faced a tougher adversary. GAM's strongest opponent in the GPL will likely be Ascension Esports, made up of alumni from the Bangkok Titans team which made Worlds 2015. It would be a mistake to underestimate these veterans and assume that GAM will have a safe passage to MSI. However, due to Levi’s history on the Korean Challenger ladder, along with his encounters with other All-Stars from the top regions, it is safe to say that pressure will not be a factor should GAM falter in the GPL, or if they progress further, at MSI.
If you enjoyed this piece, follow the author on Twitter at @Uhhhmigraine.
Cover image courtesy of Lolesports Flickr.