NA LCS Week 7 Recap

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

Coast and Counter Logic Gaming are on a rampage, sweeping Week 7. CLG is chomping at the heels of the top two, while Coast is breaking away from the middle of the pack. Let’s take a look at who dominated Week 7 of the NA LCS.

Upset of the Week: XDG takes down Cloud 9

Sitting at the bottom of the standings with a 3-11 record, another roster change was in store for XDG. Xmithie was added back to the jungle, Zuna back to AD and Sheep was brought in from Curse Academy to play support. Multiple roster changes and players in new roles made XDG fall to the bottom. Even with players in the roles they played last split, it seemed that the most recent roster change was too little too late. Turns out, it was quite the contrary. Sheep made a strong LCS debut, with the help of Xmithie he and Zuna got the bot lane rolling early. From there, Xmithie showed us why he was a top tier jungler last season, catching Cloud 9 off guard.

Champion of the Week: Morgana

The support trifecta of Thresh, Annie and Leona don’t seem to be the go to choices anymore. Morgana has made a splash in the EU LCS in recent weeks, it was time for her NA debut. While she did have mixed success this week, Morgana has added another dimension to support picks in coming weeks.

Top of the Week: CST Zionspartan (9/1/6 on Lee Sin, 1/1/14 on Shyvana)

Zionspartan is the catalyst to Coast’s recent success. His versatile champion pool combined with the ability to switch to the tank or carry meta on a whim makes him an invaluable asset. Zion will turn heads regardless of what champion he’s playing.

Jungle of the Week: XDG Xmithie (8/3/7 on Pantheon, 1/2/1 Evelynn)

Xmithie’s home. Widely regarded as a top two jungler last split, his first match back on the role reminded us why. His early game pressure allowed XDG’s new bot lane to get rolling against Cloud 9.

Mid of the Week: CLG Link (7/2/6 on Leblanc, 5/0/8 on Ziggs)

A couple of weeks ago, Link told onGamers: “... I’m working towards trying to smash lane and carry the game”. Since then, he’s done exactly that, earning MVP back to back. His most noticeable improvements have been roaming to the bot lane, displayed perfectly when he secured first blood versus XDG.

Bot lane of the Week: Aphromoo & Doublelift (Rush Hour - 7.6 KDA on Sivir Thresh, 19.0 KDA on Jinx Leona)

Each week there is a noticeable improvement in the synergy of the Rush Hour duo. Doublelift even managed to get perfect cs (100 @ 10 minutes) as Sivir versus Caitlyn. It’s safe to say that this botlane is the strongest in North America.

Team of the Week: Team Coast (2-0 in Week 7, 5-1 in past three weeks)

Coast has made leaps and bounds in the past three weeks. They’ve jumped from last place in week four, to fifth place currently. At the helm of the ship, Zionspartan and Shiphtur, both have made non meta picks work in their favor. Nintendudex has also stepped up to the plate, making his early game presence felt throughout the map.

Breakout: XDG Sheep

Most players are worried about not giving up first blood in their LCS debut. But, Sheep proved that his name was false advertising, making aggressive plays and catching experienced bot lanes off guard.

Image Credit: Riot Games