Revised League of Legends rankings: Yenex rises.

Yenex (HTS Tom Naudé) after winning the first Capricorn Regional Championships. (photo by Liam Botha)

MSSA's 1st Capricorn Regional Championships hosted by HTS Tom Naudé in Polokwane on 30 September 2017 saw team Yenex of HTS Tom Naudé rapidly rise in the rankings.

Team Yenex (HTS Tom Naudé) showed no mercy to any of their opponents and cut through any form of opposition presented as if it were tissue paper. Such was the standard of play exhibited by 'Yenex' that the team delivered a flawless victory to win MSSA's 1st Capricorn Regional Championships.

The previously unranked team, consisting of Ryno van der Merwe, Aubrey greyling, Chisjan Bekker, Anton Cronjé, and Janco van Rensburg, thus showed skill beyond their years and powered the previously unranked team up the rankings into fifth place in the country. 

Such ranking places the team as a top contender in SA gaming as the team is now yapping at the heels of the major teams like 'Goon Squad', and places such school team as the second highest ranked school team in the senior rankings.
The revised rankings for the esports title of League of Legends are thus:

Pos	Name of Player	year	Club	Points
1	Fuga Dracones	17	Hoërskool Wonderboom	240
2	Fuzz Logic	16	VexxedPhoenix	210
3	VxP Goon Squad	17	VexxedPhoenix	197.8
4	Eternal	17	VexxedPhoenix	193.5
5	Yenex	17	HTS Tom Naudé	191.5
6	Oathbreakers	17	Valhalla	187.8
7	Dark Phoenix	17	VexxedPhoenix	185.5
8	Limbros A	17	FRAGCON	175.8
9	Legion of Shadows	17	We are Legion	165
10	St Stithians	17	St Stithians	153.9
11	Liquad unknown	17	Non members	153.9
12	First team	17	Tuks Mind Sports Club	151.5
13	Team Vapor	16	Sasolburg High	145
14	Gryphons	16	Knights Mind Sports Club	145
15	Knights	15	Knights Mind Sports Club	145
16	White Rabbit Gaming	16	White Rabbit Gaming	145
17	St Conrads	16	Curro Klerksdorp	145
18	Gen Nightwalkers	17	Generation X	141.7
19	Valkyrie	17	Valhalla	134.6
20	Pride	17	Parktown Boys	128.5
21	Silver and Friends	16	WOERIES	124.5
22	WBHS/LoL	17	Westville Boys	120
23	Dota 4 Lyf	16	Northcliff High	113.4
24	PR0NHS	17	Northcliff High	111.6
25	Team Try Hard	17	Fragcon	106.3
26	STS 1	16	St Stithians	105
27	9th Phanax	17	HTS Tom Naudé	102
28	lofdal	16	Lofdal	100
29	Team Elusium	17	Hoërskool Wonderboom	100
30	Virtual Desire Gaming	17	Hoërskool Wonderboom	100
31	Empangeni lol	17	Empangeni High School	100
32	GWH LoL	17	Glenwood House	99.9
33	CCS Shadow Hunters	16	Crawford Sandton	97.5
34	Dark Phoenix	17	Generation X	89.5
35	Second team	15	Tuks Mind Sports Club	80
36	Death Squad	17	HTS Tom Naudé	76.5
37	Fairmont	15	Fairmont High School	75
38	BISH	16	BISH	75
39	K1IIJOYS	16	Hoërskool Generaal Hertzog	45

Other rankings are:

• Senior Ancients Wargames
• Senior CounterStrike: GO
• Senior DotA 2
• Senior FIFA '17
• Senior League of Legends
• Senior Mortal Kombat X
• Senior Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)
• Senior StarCraft II
• Senior Street Fighter V
• Senior Tekken 7
• Schools CounterStrike: GO
• Schools DotA 2
• Schools League of Legends

Quick Moriarty, it's Goon Squad.

Goon Squad at MSSA's recent National Team Trials.

Goon Squad (VexxedPhoenix Gaming Club) has enjoyed a number of successes in 2017, but who are the athletes in the team?

Brandon “Brafester” Fester 

Brandon Fester’s history in competitive eSports started four years ago where he captained a team of friends, with the goal to be the best. His determination and passion helped his teammates, and opponents, grow as players and people, but his leadership is what ultimately pushed him to the top.

He is currently captain of the Goon Squad, which is without doubt one of the strongest team in the country for League of Legends. He too promotes growth and development in his communities and organisation.

He is currently working on improving his individual skill and preparing his teams for various League of Legends tournaments.

Gregory “JewTron’ Wessels:

The dark horse of the team. Often easily written off by his opponents, but he delivers when his team needs him most. With a supportive jungling style, and a “team comes first” attitude, JewTron allows for the players around him to do what they do best. He is the ultimate team player.

Over the course of his playing career, JewTron has played many a different roles. However, it is the jungle he could call his home.

Connor “Kiddo” Cryans:

The League of Legends child prodigy. Kiddo will often use his strong mechanical abilities to win games on his own, but it’s his flexibility by being able to play every role at a proficient level that makes him one of the best players the country has to offer.

His drive to be the best, along with his compassion and loyalty towards his teammates, has also propelled his development in the field of leadership and, despite his young age, he has already reached a veteran status in the League of Legends South Africa community.

Brett “Clax” Whitehead:

One half of the most dominant botlane the country has ever had to offer. Clax began his career in the midlane, where many of the top teams noticed his mechanical skill on a variety of high skill ceiling champions.

However, it was not until his move to VnR, and subsequently the ADC role, that he truly made a mark on the South African scene. One of the best players, and currently the best ADC in the country, Clax’s aggressive playstyle and die-hard attitude makes for a fearsome player.

Kyle “youNique” Taylor

The other half of the most dominant botlane the country has ever had to offer. The best support in the country; youNique’s consistency at high level play, in-game leadership, and mechnical prowess often have him touted as the best player in general.

As an ex-captain, youNique possesses a variety of trait such as leadership, commitment, dedicated and drive. His passion for the game and being the best truly helps inspire those around him.

Selections of the SA Squad Captains: League of Legends.

Capetonian Brandon Fester.

In the past Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) would only select the actual esports team required for the event for which the team is required.
After due consideration and discussion, MSSA has decided to increase the number of Registered Players selected to form the national esports squad. Selecting a squad has a number of benefits as it allows MSSA to experiment with different combinations in order to ensure that South Africa can proudly field the best possible team from the Registered Players that had participated at MSSA's National Team Trials.

Without doubt the most important, and central figure, of the squad is the Team Captain.

Thus MSSA agonizes over who should be selected as the Team Captain. The Team Captain shall lead the official South African League of Legends Team to IeSF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

So much has to fall on the shoulders of the Team Captain, such as morale, discipline, roster, leadership, and so forth. 

However, MSSA has at last reached a  decision on the Team Captain who is to lead South Africa's Protea League of Legends team.

The team captain selected is none other than Brandon Fester of the VexxedPhoenix Gaming Club from Cape Town.

Brandon “Brafester” Fester’s history in competitive eSports started four years ago where he captained a team of friends, with the goal to be the best. His determination and passion helped his teammates, and opponents, grow as players and people, but his leadership is what ultimately pushed him to the top.

He is currently captain of the Goon Squad, the current DGC champions and strongest team in the country for League of Legends. He too promotes growth and development in his communities and organisation.

He is currently working on improving his individual skill and preparing his teams for various League of Legends tournaments. On being informed of his selection to the position of Team Captain, Brandon stated, " This has officially become the best and most important day of my life. I can think of nothing more prestigious than representing my country, let alone captaining the side!

Thank you for the strength and support! I too have high hopes for the team and future of South African esports on all fronts. I shall do my best to ensure we can not only meet expectations, but exceed them where possible!" MSSA is proud of its choice in Brandon and looks forward to his term as National Team Captain for League of Legends.

Carpe diem

MSSA's next three events.

If one thing is true in life, it is that no-one knows what tomorrow may bring.

While those special people may be able to have a good educated guess, there are those that generally say anything that just pops into their minds.

The reason why so few people can predict the future is largely due to plans being laid by those who have the power and influence to make real changes. Such plans are hardly ever revealed until they come into fruition. Such plans too often take years to be developed,and sometimes, they fail, and while all this is generally being done, the general community at large is totally unaware of any of it.

So what is to be done?

Easy, a person should take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way. The reason being that entrench themselves into unassailable positions.

Even 'GooN Squad' has seen the light, and  according to Sam Hawes of Telkomgaming (in her article dated 16 February 2017) implies that such team intends to compete in MSSA events this year.

Since IeSF has not yet announced where and when the 9th world Championships shall be played , and that IeSF has not yet revealed the game titles, and knowing that MSSA has strict procedure in selecting teams, gamers wishing to represent MSSA (which is growing day by day) and South Africa in international competition should affiliate as soon as possible in order to not be left behind.

Your future depends on the opportunities that you take, no-one else can take them for you.