LCS 10 – Top 5 | Best LCS Supports
Who made the cut?
As part of the LCS 10 celebration, our all-volunteer blue ribbon panel of experts voted on not only the Top 10 LCS players of all time, but also the Top 5 LCS players by position. We’ll be rolling them out over the next few weeks, so keep an eye on LCS social to get in on the debate.
To help us give context as to why these players made the cut out of hundreds who’ve played in the LCS over the last 10 seasons, we’ve enlisted the help of League of Legends esports giga-brain and esteemed broadcast analyst, Emily Rand.
(Note: All players were evaluated based on their play for LCS teams.)
Next up in the Top 5, the Best LCS Supports!
**5 – LemonNation**
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It sounds silly to think about now, but back in 2013-14 when Daerek "LemonNation" Hart was on the inaugural Cloud9 lineup, the idea of doing extensive draft preparation or, heaven forbid, having a notebook to keep track of anything from draft to team tendencies. LemonNation's opponents remember him for his stifling vision control at the time and strong macro understanding in tandem with teammate Hai's in-moment decisiveness. He was an integral part of what is arguably the most fondly-remembered LCS roster of all time in early C9, and forced other teams to adapt to his knowledge, lest they fall behind.
When considering LemonNation over the pantheon of LCS supports, what makes him stand out is this undeniable impact on the LCS and the way that other teams were forced to respond. Although he may not have the longevity of some other LCS supports, his mark on the LCS is significant.
**4 – Biofrost**
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Upon returning to the LCS after a year away, not much was expected of Vincent "Biofrost" Wang due to his time away from the scene and the 0-6 Worlds run of 2020 TSM. He was placed on a team for which there were similarly low expectations in Dignitas and immediately defied those odds. When interviewed about returning, he brought up that he felt like he was a better player now in 2022 than at the end of 2020, having been refreshed during his time away from professional play.
It's odd now to think that Biofrost was initially doubted just as much during his start as he was during his return. Despite being a fairly hyped prospect from his time on Team Frostbite through Dream Team in the NACS qualifiers, Biofrost came on to a TSM proto-superteam that had only just come together during 2016 Spring playoffs, replacing Yellowstar. Emerging as the standout from tryouts the team held in South Korea for their new support, Biofrost quickly rose through the ranks of LCS supports to become one of the best-performing in his position. He went on to have multiple successful splits with the team through the end of the 2017 season when he left the team for CLG.
**3 – Vulcan**
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Part of the great Scouting Grounds class of 2017 that also included Blaber, Spica, Palafox, and Ablazeolive, Philippe "Vulcan" Laflamme was a sought-after prospect who broke into the LCS public consciousness while on Clutch Gaming. After Clutch Gaming's unlikely run to the 2019 World Championship, Vulcan was picked up by Cloud9 in what was a highly-lucrative (and highly-discussed) contract. The other day while preparing to go live on the LCS broadcast, Cloud9 owner and CEO Jack Etienne smiled at a picture of Vulcan raising the LCS trophy with Evil Geniuses, jokingly saying that Vulcan was "the one that got away" and citing Vulcan as a standout player that he to this day respects and wants to see succeed.
Many young players have trouble transitioning from a position where they have been surrounded by a strong ecosystem and veterans to a leadership role, either directly with a rookie bot lane partner, or as a strong voice that the team is relying upon to lead them. Vulcan seemingly never had this issue and not only has been complimented as a strong voice on his teams, but through this current season with his new bot-lane partner Danny, has shown how he can lead in-game as well.
**2 – Aphromoo**
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My first introduction to Zaqueri "aphromoo" Black was as an AD carry duo partner for my favorite streamer at the time, Nhat Nguyen. Years and a roleswap later, I nervously interviewed him for the first time during Counter Logic Gaming's successful 2016 spring split. Since then, aphromoo has not just been a distant LCS guarantee, but his presence has been a warm reminder of just how much, and how little, has changed over the years. Where other players from the pre-LCS era have retired to fanfare or faded into obscurity, aphromoo has persevered.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to ask him about his latest team, FlyQuest, and what keeps him motivated to keep playing the game. "I just love competing," he said. "In any kind of game. Just being on a team is super fun and this is going to sound terrible, but I just enjoy shitting on people. If you can do it while you're competing and playing for a championship I'm all for it. I do actually enjoy the game, currently I love playing the game right now."
Given his extensive time as a League of Legends player, defying the idea that older players cannot play at a professional level, aphromoo has also had a demonstrably positive effect on his teams and, more specifically, his AD carry partners. One of the reasons he came to FlyQuest for this current season, for example, is because his bot laner, Johnsun, requested him from their time together on Dignitas.
Of all LCS players since 2014, aphromoo has the most assists at a whopping 4,409 to date. The next closest player — Impact, who was recently voted the greatest top laner of LCS history by the same panel — is still 1,136 assists behind him. His longevity and lasting impact on the LCS should be celebrated.
**1 – CoreJJ**
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One of the most interesting facets of Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in is how he has evolved as a support during his time in the LCS. When he first roleswapped from AD carry to the support position on Samsung Galaxy, CoreJJ was known as the stronger laning support as opposed to Wraith, the team's more roam-heavy support who helped facilitate roleswapped jungler Ambition as he further learned his new position. In swapping from AD carry specifically, CoreJJ brought a strong understanding of how the 2v2 in lane worked to Samsung's great benefit during their unexpected LCK Regional Finals run in 2016. He was their laning support.
Two years and a world championship win later, he returned to the LCS as a support (he had a small stint on Dignitas as an AD carry in 2015) for Team Liquid for the 2019 season. There he won two titles with the team and has been a staple of not only Team Liquid and the LCS, but North American League of Legends as a whole. While in the LCS, his play has evolved from being more strictly 2v2-focused to a roam-heavy style that has confounded his opponents even when they expect him to appear top or mid from studying Team Liquid's playstyle. His laning partners, teammates, and staff all speak highly of him, praising not only his mechanics but his in and out of game leadership.
Before demonstrable improvements to the North American League of Legends ecosystem — most-recently, the implementation of Champions Queue as a low-ping environment for high-elo players to compete with voice communication against each other — CoreJJ spent his offseasons organizing in-houses for practice. His prowess in these was so impressive at times that he effectively broke the matchmaking system due to his high win rates. More importantly, he showcased a commitment and drive to improve the LCS and North American League of Legends well beyond the vast majority of his LCS counterparts.
**ICYMI check out previously announced Top 5s by Position: [Top Lane][1], [Jungle][2]**
[1]: https://lolesports.com/article/lcs-10-%E2%80%93-top-5--best-lcs-top-laners/blt0322b5136c14a535
[2]: https://lolesports.com/article/lcs-10-%E2%80%93-top-5--best-lcs-junglers/blt8f8dc081e8d785ef
