TL;DR
- Golden Guardians replaces Goldenglue with Damonte as starting mid laner for Summer Split
- Team struggled with mid lane carry potential despite Closer’s exceptional jungle performance
- Damonte brings proven leadership and carry capabilities from Clutch Gaming success
- Goldenglue’s demotion to Academy was unexpected and poorly communicated
- Roster changes aim to address playoff deficiencies and improve team coordination
Golden Guardians has revealed their competitive lineup for the upcoming 2020 LCS Summer Split, featuring a significant mid lane adjustment that caught many observers by surprise.
The organization officially confirmed Tanner “Damonte” Damonte will assume the starting mid lane position, while former starter Greyson “Goldenglue” Gilmer moves down to the Academy roster where he’ll split playing time with Nicholas “Ablazeolive” Abbott.
Golden Guardians’ complete LCS starting lineup now consists of:
- Top lane, Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell
- Jungle, Can “Closer” Çelik
- Mid lane, Tanner “Damonte” Damonte
- ADC, Victor “FBI” Huang
- Support, Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun
Huhi transitions from the academy squad, taking over for Yuri “Keith” Jew who expressed preference to return to ADC duties after one split playing support.
Is Damonte the Reinforcement Golden Guardians Needs?
Golden Guardians secured the last available playoff position during spring following a decisive tiebreaker victory against Immortals. The team demonstrated reliable performance throughout the regular season, though they lacked the firepower to seriously compete with elite LCS squads while maintaining sufficient strength to contend for postseason participation. Much of their stability originated from jungler Closer’s exceptional play. In his inaugural North American campaign, league officials recognized him as the second-highest rated jungler. Offseason speculation indicated Team SoloMid attempted to recruit Closer but failed to secure his services.
The team’s playoff run ended prematurely in the opening round. Golden Guardians possessed potential for deeper postseason advancement if not for noticeable shortcomings in both mid lane and bottom lane effectiveness. The organization made a mid-season support substitution when Keith’s discomfort in the support role became apparent. Meanwhile, Goldenglue delivered merely adequate mid lane performances compared to LCS peers, even during peak form. Goldenglue failed to distinguish himself and couldn’t provide the carry performances necessary for team success.
Damonte represents precisely what Golden Guardians requires – a mid laner capable of generating carry performances when needed. His 2019 campaign proved instrumental to Clutch Gaming’s achievements. Beyond demonstrating high-level individual performance, Damonte exhibited substantial leadership capabilities behind the scenes. His positive mentality and professional approach consistently elevated team performance, providing the leadership dynamic Golden Guardians needs this season to effectively collaborate with Closer.
Successful mid lane-jungle coordination represents one of professional League of Legends’ most critical partnerships. Effective communication between these roles enables superior map control, objective securing, and coordinated gank execution. Damonte’s experience with high-pressure situations and proven ability to work alongside aggressive junglers makes him an ideal candidate to maximize Closer’s impact.
Not Everything Is Golden in the LCS
While this development represents positive news for Damonte’s career progression, it simultaneously signifies Goldenglue’s relegation to the Academy division. Reports indicate Goldenglue received minimal consultation regarding this transition and lacked adequate preparation time.
I’m experiencing difficulty articulating my reaction to this completely unexpected and surprising roster modification. I maintain confidence in my LCS-level mid lane capabilities and will continue pursuing competitive opportunities. Additional details will follow shortly.
https://t.co/oppCjoKGBe— Greyson Gilmer (@Goldenglue)
June 6, 2020
Uncertainty surrounds whether Goldenglue will seek opportunities with alternative LCS organizations. Currently, no other LCS teams exhibit mid lane vacancies, potentially necessitating his acceptance of the Golden Guardians Academy position.
Action Checklist
- Evaluate mid lane carry potential metrics from previous splits
- Analyze jungle-mid synergy indicators through vision control and gank coordination
- Monitor early Summer Split performance for improved team coordination
- Assess communication improvements in shotcalling and objective planning
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Golden Guardians adds Damonte to mid lane, promotes huhi Analyzing Golden Guardians' strategic roster changes and Damonte's potential impact on LCS performance