Excel Makes Interesting Roster Changes for the 2023 LEC Season
The 2023 LEC Winter Split is about to begin, and with the introduction of a new format, it’s time to take a closer look at the new teams joining the competition. One team that stands out is the revamped Excel lineup.
Excel
Odoamne
Xerxe
Vetheo
Patrik
Targamas
The Excel team has made some interesting changes to its roster, combining powerful carry players like Vetheo and Patrik with legendary weakside players like Odoamne.
Playstyle
Excel is expected to rely on their strong carry laners to dominate mid and late game teamfights. Odoamne will take on the role of a low-resource tank player, supporting and funneling resources into his carries.
While this team’s blueprint seems straightforward, there are doubts about how Xerxe and Targamas fit into the equation.
The Role of Targamas
Let’s focus on Targamas for a moment. He had a successful debut split on G2, demonstrating his versatility and ability to play various styles and champions. Targamas is known for his aggressive roaming and playmaking on champions like Pyke and Bard. However, pairing him with Patrik may not be the best choice. Patrik is a strong laner, and Targamas’s roaming style might hinder their potential as a carry threat in the bottom lane.
On the other hand, Targamas’s roaming style can benefit Vetheo, who had an outstanding 2022 Spring Split and will remain a key player for Excel. Targamas’s support can help Vetheo snowball and dominate the enemy mid laner.
The Biggest Weakness: Xerxe
Xerxe is not a bad player by any means. In fact, he and JeongHoon were the bright spots on Astralis in 2022. However, Xerxe’s strengths don’t align with what Excel needs to win games.
Traditionally, Xerxe is a farming, slower-paced jungler who doesn’t always sacrifice his own economy to help his laners. While this style may work on weaker teams, it’s different when he has two top-tier carries on his team. Xerxe’s playstyle needs to adapt to better support his superstar carries, but that hasn’t been seen throughout his career.
If Xerxe can adjust his playstyle and focus on enabling his carries, Excel has the potential to surprise everyone and become a contender. However, Xerxe may prove to be a weak point for Excel going forward if he fails to change his approach.
Conclusion
All in all, Excel’s new lineup is expected to be a middle-of-the-pack team with the potential to break into the top four. The combination of powerful carry players and Odoamne’s weakside playstyle gives them a chance to win the split. However, the success of their more supportive players will determine how far Excel can go.