The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dot Esports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg?resize=768,512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Xing Li\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@xingtheli\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DotEsports\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Xing Li\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Xing Li\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525\"},\"headline\":\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\"},\"wordCount\":1561,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Biofrost\"],\"articleSection\":[\"League of Legends\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\",\"name\":\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1333,\"caption\":\"Photo via Riot Games\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"Dot Esports\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525\",\"name\":\"Xing Li\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/f7e1512211add78cf0d61320cc2717f8\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"caption\":\"Xing Li\"},\"description\":\"Xing has been covering League of Legends esports since 2015. He loves when teams successfully bait Baron, hates tank metas, and is always down for creative support picks\u2014AP Malphite, anybody?\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/xingtheli\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/xing-li\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","description":"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","og_description":"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.","og_url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","og_site_name":"Dot Esports","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","article_published_time":"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg?resize=768,512","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Xing Li","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@xingtheli","twitter_site":"@DotEsports","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Xing Li","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354"},"author":{"name":"Xing Li","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525"},"headline":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","datePublished":"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354"},"wordCount":1561,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","keywords":["Biofrost"],"articleSection":["League of Legends"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","name":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","datePublished":"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00","description":"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333,"caption":"Photo via Riot Games"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","name":"Dot Esports","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization","name":"Dot Esports","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"Dot Esports"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525","name":"Xing Li","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/f7e1512211add78cf0d61320cc2717f8","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","caption":"Xing Li"},"description":"Xing has been covering League of Legends esports since 2015. He loves when teams successfully bait Baron, hates tank metas, and is always down for creative support picks\u2014AP Malphite, anybody?","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/xingtheli"],"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/xing-li"}]}},"raw_content":"TSM had it all. A nearly flawless Summer Split. Dominant performances in the North American playoffs. A team wholly focused on the 2016\u00a0League of Legends\u00a0World Championships, sacrificing streaming and other pursuits to scrimmage harder than ever. But the team flamed out. They didn\u2019t make it past group stage at Worlds. Now they\u00a0head into IEM Oakland\u00a0with questions swirling. How can they replace Yiliang \u201cDoublelift\u201d Peng, an iconic ADC who\u2019s been part of the professional\u00a0League\u00a0scene since Season 1? Is rookie support Vincent \u201cBiofrost\u201d Wang the long-term answer? How do they find another consistent carry around star mid laner Soren \u201cBjergsen\u201d Bjerg? The team will be forced to answer some questions at IEM. The biggest one? What to do with their least important player. This year was going to be different It happens nearly every year: TSM\u2019s rabid fan base calls it the best team in the North America. But when Worlds finishes, the team finds itself far from the Summoner\u2019s Cup. Despite that history of underperforming expectations, many fans and professional analysts felt that this year\u2019s Worlds really would be different. All summer. the team exhibited a cohesive macro game around All-Star carries Bjergsen and Doublelift. Top laner Kevin \u201cHauntzer\u201d Yarnell brought a varied champion pool, jungler Dennis \u201cSvenskeren\u201d Johnsen became more consistent at playing around Bjergsen\u2019s pressure, and even Biofrost had standout performances. TSM made a name for being the hardest-working group in the region. But sometimes less is\u00a0more. They were unlucky to be placed into the \u201cGroup of Death,\u201d but a huge majority of fans picked TSM to exit their group stage, many in first place. Samsung Galaxy and Royal Never Give Up were strong contenders but both showed bouts of inconsistency. Instead, Samsung went on a playoff run for the ages while Royal showed unusual cohesion. Royal\u2019s veteran bottom lane duo of Uzi and Mata dominated Doublelift and Biofrost, enabling countless jungle invades. Doublelift in particular, looked completely out of sorts, taking bad trades and ceding control of wave after wave. He had some of the worst performances of his career, and Biofrost did not help his cause. Hauntzer was indecisive in teamfights, and the team couldn\u2019t exert enough pressure for him to properly manage top lane waves. Svenskeren had a few strong performances but fell flat on his face early in the deciding game against Royal and never recovered. Just like in years past, it fell on Bjergsen to hard carry. And just like in years past, the talented Dane came up short. Doubleilft on the LCS Stage | Photo via Riot\u00a0Games Change is necessary The team was devastated after the loss to Royal that eliminated them from Worlds. Doublelift was\u00a0apoplectic. Tactical coach Parth Naidu was\u00a0somber and pensive. Their thoughts revealed how much the team invested in this Worlds run and how little chance there was that they could go through the same grinder again without major changes. Worlds also exposed weaknesses previously unseen. TSM lacked vision control, especially against teams that cleared wards more actively. In North America, only Immortals really contested for vision; even then, TSM was more often the victor in those contests. Their macro play, so often the deciding factor in the LCS, was picked apart by teams that knew how to pull them around the map. The first major change came with Doublelift\u2019s\u00a0announcement\u00a0that he would take a break from competitive play. Losing a major carry and shot caller hurts. But its also a change that makes sense for the team. TSM needs to see what they have from Biofrost and the other positions if they are to become even better. Building around the\u00a0rookie It\u2019s strange to think that such a veteran team could be reliant on their least experienced player, especially one who plays support. But it\u2019s essential that SoloMid figures out what they have in Biofrost. Does his champion pool allow him to survive meta changes like the lane-centric, ranged support atmosphere of Worlds? Can he position himself correctly to control the map as well as team fights? And most importantly, does he have a voice that can lead the team in the absence of the more vocal Doublelift? Many teams rely on the jungler and support for shot calling because these positions are best equipped to see the map, roam for vision, and set up plays for the carries. TSM went another way by making Bjergsen and Doublelift responsible for shot calling, taking advantage of their knowledge base and game sense made sense in the short term. But for sustainable success, the team needs more from Biofrost and Svenskeren. TSM\u2019s original reaction to Doublelift\u2019s hiatus was to eschew IEM, bring in a rookie at ADC, and go all-in on the Biofrost experiment. Biofrost and Doublelift prepare for a game

The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dot Esports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg?resize=768,512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Xing Li\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@xingtheli\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DotEsports\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Xing Li\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Xing Li\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525\"},\"headline\":\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\"},\"wordCount\":1561,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Biofrost\"],\"articleSection\":[\"League of Legends\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\",\"name\":\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1333,\"caption\":\"Photo via Riot Games\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"Dot Esports\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525\",\"name\":\"Xing Li\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/f7e1512211add78cf0d61320cc2717f8\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"caption\":\"Xing Li\"},\"description\":\"Xing has been covering League of Legends esports since 2015. He loves when teams successfully bait Baron, hates tank metas, and is always down for creative support picks\u2014AP Malphite, anybody?\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/xingtheli\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/xing-li\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","description":"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","og_description":"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.","og_url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","og_site_name":"Dot Esports","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","article_published_time":"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg?resize=768,512","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Xing Li","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@xingtheli","twitter_site":"@DotEsports","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Xing Li","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354"},"author":{"name":"Xing Li","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525"},"headline":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","datePublished":"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354"},"wordCount":1561,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","keywords":["Biofrost"],"articleSection":["League of Legends"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","name":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","datePublished":"2016-11-10T18:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2018-08-13T04:35:53+00:00","description":"After a disappointing Worlds, Team SoloMid heads into IEM Oakland with an uncertain roster and future.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12042828\/1ed700b7-bdec-4719-ba30-60e09bfe869d.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333,"caption":"Photo via Riot Games"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","name":"Dot Esports","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization","name":"Dot Esports","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"Dot Esports"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3bd9c476b1c769ca7bd86d13b31fb525","name":"Xing Li","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/f7e1512211add78cf0d61320cc2717f8","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/cropped-xing-li-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","caption":"Xing Li"},"description":"Xing has been covering League of Legends esports since 2015. He loves when teams successfully bait Baron, hates tank metas, and is always down for creative support picks\u2014AP Malphite, anybody?","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/xingtheli"],"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/xing-li"}]}},"raw_content":"TSM had it all. A nearly flawless Summer Split. Dominant performances in the North American playoffs. A team wholly focused on the 2016\u00a0League of Legends\u00a0World Championships, sacrificing streaming and other pursuits to scrimmage harder than ever. But the team flamed out. They didn\u2019t make it past group stage at Worlds. Now they\u00a0head into IEM Oakland\u00a0with questions swirling. How can they replace Yiliang \u201cDoublelift\u201d Peng, an iconic ADC who\u2019s been part of the professional\u00a0League\u00a0scene since Season 1? Is rookie support Vincent \u201cBiofrost\u201d Wang the long-term answer? How do they find another consistent carry around star mid laner Soren \u201cBjergsen\u201d Bjerg? The team will be forced to answer some questions at IEM. The biggest one? What to do with their least important player. This year was going to be different It happens nearly every year: TSM\u2019s rabid fan base calls it the best team in the North America. But when Worlds finishes, the team finds itself far from the Summoner\u2019s Cup. Despite that history of underperforming expectations, many fans and professional analysts felt that this year\u2019s Worlds really would be different. All summer. the team exhibited a cohesive macro game around All-Star carries Bjergsen and Doublelift. Top laner Kevin \u201cHauntzer\u201d Yarnell brought a varied champion pool, jungler Dennis \u201cSvenskeren\u201d Johnsen became more consistent at playing around Bjergsen\u2019s pressure, and even Biofrost had standout performances. TSM made a name for being the hardest-working group in the region. But sometimes less is\u00a0more. They were unlucky to be placed into the \u201cGroup of Death,\u201d but a huge majority of fans picked TSM to exit their group stage, many in first place. Samsung Galaxy and Royal Never Give Up were strong contenders but both showed bouts of inconsistency. Instead, Samsung went on a playoff run for the ages while Royal showed unusual cohesion. Royal\u2019s veteran bottom lane duo of Uzi and Mata dominated Doublelift and Biofrost, enabling countless jungle invades. Doublelift in particular, looked completely out of sorts, taking bad trades and ceding control of wave after wave. He had some of the worst performances of his career, and Biofrost did not help his cause. Hauntzer was indecisive in teamfights, and the team couldn\u2019t exert enough pressure for him to properly manage top lane waves. Svenskeren had a few strong performances but fell flat on his face early in the deciding game against Royal and never recovered. Just like in years past, it fell on Bjergsen to hard carry. And just like in years past, the talented Dane came up short. Doubleilft on the LCS Stage | Photo via Riot\u00a0Games Change is necessary The team was devastated after the loss to Royal that eliminated them from Worlds. Doublelift was\u00a0apoplectic. Tactical coach Parth Naidu was\u00a0somber and pensive. Their thoughts revealed how much the team invested in this Worlds run and how little chance there was that they could go through the same grinder again without major changes. Worlds also exposed weaknesses previously unseen. TSM lacked vision control, especially against teams that cleared wards more actively. In North America, only Immortals really contested for vision; even then, TSM was more often the victor in those contests. Their macro play, so often the deciding factor in the LCS, was picked apart by teams that knew how to pull them around the map. The first major change came with Doublelift\u2019s\u00a0announcement\u00a0that he would take a break from competitive play. Losing a major carry and shot caller hurts. But its also a change that makes sense for the team. TSM needs to see what they have from Biofrost and the other positions if they are to become even better. Building around the\u00a0rookie It\u2019s strange to think that such a veteran team could be reliant on their least experienced player, especially one who plays support. But it\u2019s essential that SoloMid figures out what they have in Biofrost. Does his champion pool allow him to survive meta changes like the lane-centric, ranged support atmosphere of Worlds? Can he position himself correctly to control the map as well as team fights? And most importantly, does he have a voice that can lead the team in the absence of the more vocal Doublelift? Many teams rely on the jungler and support for shot calling because these positions are best equipped to see the map, roam for vision, and set up plays for the carries. TSM went another way by making Bjergsen and Doublelift responsible for shot calling, taking advantage of their knowledge base and game sense made sense in the short term. But for sustainable success, the team needs more from Biofrost and Svenskeren. TSM\u2019s original reaction to Doublelift\u2019s hiatus was to eschew IEM, bring in a rookie at ADC, and go all-in on the Biofrost experiment. Biofrost and Doublelift prepare for a game

Rokurou

{"id":32181,"date":"2016-11-10T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-10T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.dotesports.com\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support\/"},"modified":"2018-08-13T04:35:53","modified_gmt":"2018-08-13T04:35:53","slug":"the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/league-of-legends\/news\/the-unlikely-key-to-tsms-next-step-forward-their-rookie-support-4354","title":{"rendered":"The unlikely key to TSM\u2019s next step forward: Their rookie support"},"content":{"rendered":"

TSM had it all. A nearly flawless Summer Split. Dominant performances in the North American playoffs. A team wholly focused on the 2016\u00a0League of Legends<\/em>\u00a0World Championships, sacrificing streaming and other pursuits to scrimmage harder than ever. But the team flamed out. They didn\u2019t make it past group stage at Worlds. Now they\u00a0head into IEM Oakland<\/a>\u00a0with questions swirling.<\/p>

How can they replace Yiliang \u201cDoublelift\u201d Peng, an iconic ADC who\u2019s been part of the professional\u00a0League<\/em>\u00a0scene since Season 1? Is rookie support Vincent \u201cBiofrost\u201d Wang the long-term answer? How do they find another consistent carry around star mid laner Soren \u201cBjergsen\u201d Bjerg?<\/p>

The team will be forced to answer some questions at IEM. The biggest one? What to do with their least important player.<\/p>