To play under the Team SoloMid banner is to have reached the summit of western League of Legends, and with a vacancy advertised for the AD Carry role, hopefuls are climbing over one another to put their name in the hat. As an organisation that can flex some financial muscle, TSM even have the luxury of an import slot to utilise should they see fit. With nearly every player on the planet as a viable option, which select group will make team owner, Andy “Reginald” Dinh’s final shortlist?
Following Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng’s decision to step down as starting AD Carry for the North American champions, Team SoloMid initially advertised the AD Carry role to Challenger players from across the globe.
For all CHALLENGER players interested in the TSM ADC position, please contact tryouts@solomid.net
As hundreds of hopefuls leapt to their computers, simultaneously completing their application forms whilst cementing their slots in Challenger ahead of the season’s end, their hopes of grabbing a TSM jersey were quickly diminishing. Reginald and the TSM backroom staff had expected a lengthy application process, but were quickly overwhelmed with interest from a number of veterans – as outlined by the organisation’s official statement:
“Originally, we expected that a lengthy tryout process would be required to find a player who would fit with Biofrost and the team.
“What changed within the last week was that an unexpected number of high profile veterans have reached out to the organisation to indicate their desire to play with us.
“As a result of this, we were able to bypass a good deal of the tryout process we originally foresaw.”
Team SoloMid Official Announcement
Source: Riot Games Flickr
The announcement came in tandem with Team SoloMid’s reversed decision to attend IEM Oakland, where their fans will be treated to their first glimpse of the new AD Carry in action. With all the signposts pointing towards a veteran of the scene, who will make Regi’s final shortlist. Here are five of the more likely candidates:
Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu
After ditching the underperforming Chinese squad, Edward Gaming, Deft is on the hunt for his next roster. With a reputation that positions him as one of the best AD Carrys in the world, Reginald will certainly have weighed up the prospect of bringing the Korean on board. Deft has stated a desire to play in NA for the experience and TSM can certainly support him with the best roster the region can offer.
Michael “Imaqtpie” Santana
The leader of the Big Dick Club can vouch for his own mechanical prowess by proudly presenting his three Challenger tier jackets. As one of the scene's most popular figures, Imaqtpie has proven his ability to play on the NA LCS stage with Team Dignitas and has reiterated his ambitions to become an LCS champion.
Konstantinos “FORG1VEN” Tzortziou
A team with Bjergsen and Forg1ven is a wet dream for every western fan - combining the best midlaner of the west and the best western ADC into a dynamic carrying duo makes a frightening prospect. FORG1VEN announced his departure from H2K-Gaming just a day after TSM went public with their vacancy.... coincidence?
Importantly FORG1VEN and Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen do not have the best relationship, due to their previous SK Gaming conflicts.
Martin “Rekkles” Larsson
With rumours circulating that Fnatic are planning a complete makeover for their roster, partnered with Bjergsen's resource focussed play style - Rekkles may well be a perfect fit. Rekkles his renowned for his effectiveness with limited attention, having meshed seamlessly into a Fnatic line-up, continually focussed on snowballing Mid and Top.
Fnatic have built a large portion of their brand around the Swede however - with his face all over FNC merchandise it seems unlikely they'd allow him to leave.
Jason “Wildturtle” Tran
As former TSM player, who seems in disharmony with an unstable Immortals squad, perhaps Wildturtle is ready to fight for the baylife once again. Turtle has maintained a good relationship with TSM and their owner, who apparently "carried them" through their shopping time. While WildTurtle's plays may not be the safest, Doublelift's positioning has hardly showered him in glory - why not replace Doublelift with another Doublelift... just with a bigger smile.
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