The 2015 All-Star Event begins Thursday, December 10. To get ready for the event, we interviewed the on-air crew that’s bringing you live coverage about some of the fun aspects of the ASE.

What’s the dream Level 1 aggro team comp for Pick 10?

Devin “PiraTechnics” Younge: Blitzcrank, Graves, Annie, Elise, and Riven.

Trevor “Quickshot” Henry: Cho’Gath, Amumu, Braum, Jinx, and Lux. Hard CC, most of it AoE, great range, and the ability to goombastomp Level 1 easily. :D

Martin “Deficio” Lynge: Annie, Blitzcank, Cho’gath, Fiddlesticks, and Graves.

David “Phreak” Turley: Darius, Gragas, Annie, Graves, and Alistar. Basically, just get in there, stun the whole team, and deal tons of AoE damage. There’s no long-range pick, but Bodyslam-Flash or Flash-Incinerate can get you in.

Mitch “Krepo” Voorspoels: For the sole purpose of a Level 1 invade, a strong composition would consist out of. Anivia, Alistar, Graves, Darius, and Lee Sin. Heavy AoE damage with some catch and chase.

James “Dash” Patterson: Olaf, Lee Sin, Orianna, Miss Fortune, and Morgana.

​Rivington “Rivington” Bisland III: Riven, Kindred, Katarina, Vayne, and Soraka.

James “Stress” O’Leary: Annie, Alistar, Fiddlesticks, Brand, and Zyra. Not a great team comp in itself, but it has lots of damage and lots of AoE crowd control. 

​Richard “Pulse” Kam: 

• Olaf — Sustained damage with Q spam
• Graves — Q burst
• Annie — AoE stun
• Draven — Sustained high damage with axes
• Brand — AoE burst
• TL;DR if they didn’t die to your up front burst, Olaf and Draven will clean up.

Who are the trolliest champions in League?

PiraTechnics: Singed is the most troll champ in the game (no one else has a laugh built in to their abilities), though Tahm Kench can troll his own team by eating people inappropriately.

Quickshot: I think Tahm Kench could be super fun in Pick 10 Mode, no matter which lane, and has the option for giggles. And probably Shaco, also full of fun!

Deficio: Tahm Kench and Yorick.

Phreak: Fizz, Kindred, Ekko, Kalista, and Tahm Kench. They never die!

Krepo: Generally champions that see a low overall playrate are most trolly. Perhaps a full melee bruiser team comp that becomes incredibly hard to kill — think Garen, Darius, Irelia, Skarner, and Jarvan IV.

Dash: Malphite, Wukong, Yasuo, Trist, and Braum.

​Rivington: Illaoi.

​Stress: Tahm Kench or Bard. Anything you can affect your own team mates positioning with.

​Pulse:  Get comfortable, we’re gonna be here for a while.

• Cassiopeia — Smite top blue side, Skill E, and Smite Gromp as minions walk into top lane at Level 1. This grants Gift of the Toadstool. If your opponent basic attacks you, the Gromp buff applies poison and you can proceed to all in them with Twin Fang.
• Leona mid — It’s like any other AP mid assassin, but if you kill your opponent it tilts them harder. Lich Bane into Luden’s Echo is recommended.
• AP Rammus top with Tahm Kench jungle/support — Rammus goes glass cannon AP and Tahm goes full tank. In team fights Rammus activates Q and Ult then Tahm eats him. If Tahm walks into someone the Powerball applies and Tremors does a billion AoE damage.
• AP Renekton aka Wizard Lizard — With 0.1 AP scaling on Dominus, Wizard Lizard has the ability to do absolutely no damage.
• Yorick.

Who are the most fun champions to be killed by and to die as?

PiraTechnics: Draven is the most fun champ to die as, especially Primetime Draven. “HAAAH, WORTH!”

Quickshot: Dying as Karthus is the most fun as you can keep playing, and maybe Kog’Maw, as you have to run around and chase your targets. And then to be killed by, I don’t think any champion is actually fun. But the guys that have to do something flashy to kill you, like Ekko or Lee Sin, are always fun. I personally giggle when a Galio ultimate kills me.

Deficio: Killed by: Tahm Kench W and Veigar R. Die as: Zombie Brand.

Krepo: I will always enjoy a Zilean dropping bombs on kids and walking away from explosions.

Dash: Killed by: Soraka. Die as: Karthus.

​Stress: Sion. But only if it’s with his ultimate.

Who is the best One for All champ?

PiraTechnics: Kalista — Infinite slingshot action!

Quickshot: I think the most OP would be Cho’Gath who has hard CC, wave clear, and burst. But for fun, I would think Ezreal, just because you can see a billion Trueshot Barrages. :D

Deficio: Tahm Kench. EAT EVERYTHING AND UNBENCH THE KENCH!

Phreak: Sona. Stack shields and buffs forever! She’s basically an unstoppable pushing machine.

Aidan “Zirene” Moon: Tahm Kench. The best part of it is when you eat someone as a joke and then realize you just gave everyone else on your team a deadly idea. The moment of realization from your teammates as they stop trying to win and start trying to create the trolliest Nesting Doll known to man. I have never experienced such side splitting laughter in league than I have when I played Tahm Kench One for All.

Krepo: Under the assumption that Syndra W works on allied spheres, Syndra. Or Bard for Magical Journeys and bindings EVERYWHERE.

Dash: Tahm Kench.

Rivington: Lux. 

Stress: Illaoi. I played this match up as a mirror in a normal game, and it was already crazy with the number of tentacles that spawned.

Pulse: Either Syndra or Teemo. Syndra because the balls stack up for each Unleashed Power and Teemo because I want to watch the world burn.

Pick your five marksmen for Marksmen Mode

PiraTechnics: Jinx, Quinn, Graves, Miss Fortune, and Sivir.

Quickshot:

• Ezreal — Multiple build paths for AP and AD means more versatility, and Ez can jungle with some help. 
• Kindred — Would definitely be able to jungle, survives early with great sustain and zone control, and then ultimates will be uber troll in team fights.
• Quinn — The map pushing power and ability to control your side of the map, plus the ability to jungle makes Quinn really effective in the current patch. 
• Tristana — Resets, jumps, and tower pushes with the ability to control team fights with ultimates.
• Sivir — Wave clear and AoE gives a major bonus in team fights.

Deficio: Draven, Draven, Draven, Draven, and Draaaaven (or… Quinn, Kindred, Corki, Ezreal, and Varus support).

Phreak: Quinn, Kindred, Jayce, Kog’Maw, and Ashe.

Zirene: Quinn top, Kindred jungle, Ezreal mid, Lucian ADC, and Ashe support.

Krepo: Quinn top, great split-pushing assassin. Kindred jungle, Corki mid (over Ezreal), since it spikes earlier and does a healthy amount of magic damage. Tristana lanes well into a lot of match-ups and has self-peel, and Teemo. Blind is underrated and ‘shrooms allow for map control. They also make for easy baits.

Dash: Quinn, Kindred, Kog’Maw, Draven, and Ashe.

Rivington: Jinx, Kog’Maw, Twitch, Vayne, and Miss Fortune.

Stress: Snipers only mode. Ashe, Jinx, Ezreal, Draven, and Caitlyn. 

Pulse: Teemo, Quinn, Graves, Miss Fortune, and Kog’Maw​.

Pick your five assassins for Assassin Mode

PiraTechnics: Zed, Akali, Katarina, Diana, and Shaco.

Quickshot:

• Diana — Probably my favourite for her ability to control team fights, plus she has massive burst and wave clear to help out in early to mid game.
• Elise — When built AP, she could also probably work. She’s versatile in a One For All Mode thanks to the option of her going in multiple places and having multiple build paths.
• Brand — MEGA LOL on current patch and masteries.
• Katarina — Resets for days. :D Press R and hope for the best, someone will clean up.
• Karthus — Press R to win. :P 

Deficio: Zed, Diana, Talon, Kha’zix, and Shaco.

Krepo: Irelia, Master Yi, Katarina, Yasuo, Poppy — This team comp has two goals in mind: absolute destruction and resets. Shotgun style, if the first blast doesn’t kill anyone, you’re in trouble. It has a good mix of damage sources and CC.

Dash: Fizz, Master Yi, Diana, LeBlanc, and Rengar.

Rivington: Zed, Riven, Diana, Rengar, and Katarina.

Stress: LeBlanc, Talon, Shaco, Akali, and Rengar. For a stealth only game mode.

Pulse: Kha’Zix, Akali, Katarina, Master Yi, and Nidalee. Reset city!

Which events at ASE are you most excited for?

PiraTechnics: I think Tandem Mode has the potential to be a super crazy event, with two players controlling one champ, depending on who they pick.

Quickshot: I found the 1 vs. 1 at IWCA really compelling, and I want to see how the rest of the players at ASE perform.

Deficio: 10 vs. 10 mode (Tandem Mode) and the 1 vs. 1 tournament.

Krepo: I enjoy good old 1 vs. 1 since it is incredibly easy to relate to, very skill dependent (almost no variance), and just a fun and quick format.

Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere: I’m super excited about the 10 vs. 10 mode (Tandem Mode). I think it will be a crazy experience both seeing the players struggle to make it work and having our casters trying to make sense of the madness! There’s a lot of things to take into account: how will they communicate? How will they decide who does what? What champions are more fit for this crazy game mode?!

Dash: One for All, and the Finals of the 1 vs. 1 tournament.

Stress: I’m looking forward to Tandem Mode quite a bit; I have a feeling the game is going to take about two hours to finish and there are going to be some ruined friendships at the end of it all.

Pulse: Definitely the 1 vs. 1 tournament, I love all the intricate mechanics that go into a 1 vs. 1 format that often don’t apply in Summoner’s Rift.

Who do you think wins the 1 vs. 1 tournament?

PiraTechnics: Faker, Faker, Playmaker!

Quickshot: I would love to see Bjergsen run the bracket from the top half and face Froggen or Faker in the Finals. Any of those three winning would be awesome! :D

Deficio: Froggen (Denmark fook yeah!).

Krepo: MaRin’s gonna take home the crown.

Sjokz: Faker!

Dash: Faker.

Stress: After IWCA, I’d love to see Kira from the CIS region do well. But sadly, he’s likely to face Bjergsen if he makes it to the second round. Overall, Faker is pretty much the favourite to take the entire bracket.

Pulse: Step aside Faker, I’m all in on Kira.

Who’s better, Fire or Ice?

PiraTechnics: Ice.

Quickshot: Based on worlds results I think Team Fire has the ability to outperform Ice. If, however, the LPL players show up and carry with EU, then we could have a very serious competition on our hands.

Deficio: Ice. EU + Rookie and Uzi for 1 vs 1s.

Phreak: Whichever team has NA in it (Team Fire). Time for an EUlogy!

Krepo: I rate the LMS over IWC, EU is obviously greater than NA, and LCK over LPL. Therefore, Fire are the favorites, but the important battle will be won by Europe.

Sjokz: I have to go with team Ice. EU LCS All-Stars, of course! Together with our IWC All-Stars who put on a great show in Melbourne, and the LPL All-Stars?! I’m confident they can take anything Fire throws at them!

Dash: Team Fire.

Stress: My gut feeling is that Team Fire is likely to win the standard matchups, but knowing a lot of the guys on Team Ice, I think they can secure enough points elsewhere to take the victory.

If you had to start a team in your region with only ASE players on it, who are your 5 players?

Quickshot: If I had to build a team from the entire pool, and hope they could learn to work together over their language barriers I would choose MaRin, Karsa, Faker, Uzi, and Madlife.

Deficio: MaRin, Karsa, Faker, Pray, and Pyl.

Krepo: Disregarding any region locks: MaRin, Clearlove, Faker, Uzi, and Pyl. I picked Clearlove for communication with the support, Pyl and Uzi speak the same language and communicate in pings with the solo lanes. Making sure jungler and support speak the same language for map control.

Sjokz: I would go MaRin in the top lane, what better move than to go from SKT to the EU LCS, right?! :) Clearlove in the jungle for obvious reasons, Froggen in the mid lane to see how much he could do on a perfect team, Niels at ADC, and Pyl as support.

Dash: MaRin, Score, Faker, Rekkles, and Pyl.

Rivington:  Marin, Clearlove, Faker, Pray, and Madlife.

Which is your favorite ASE team?

PiraTechnics: I think the LPL team is stacked with talent, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they perform with one another (Uzi and PYL on the same team!).

Quickshot: I really want to believe in the EU team. Seeing a smorgus board of teams competing together will prove to be interesting, especially watching Froggen back on the international stage after a year. I also think the LPL team could be really explosive if they show up.

Deficio: GO EUROPE!

Krepo: I’m excited for the LCK squad, these guys usually take their matches very seriously so i’m eager to see how they respond once the gloves come off and some more fun League of Legends is allowed. I also can’t wait for more Madlife predicts.

Stress: Unashamedly, the European team is my favourite team at ASE. Gotta rep that EU pride.

Favorite player at ASE?

PiraTechnics: Dyrus — one of the first players I can remember watching, it will be nice to see a last hurrah for him.

Quickshot: I have my eyes on Uzi. I missed him at the World Championships and I want to see how he plays in a less stressful tournament. I also want to keep my eye on Kira in the 1 vs. 1 after single handedly bringing CIS to the event thanks to winning the IWCA 1 vs. 1 bracket.

Deficio: Karsa, Rookie, and Memeos.

Krepo: While he may not be performing as well anymore, Madlife is a legend, and along with Mata, the most respected support in League history.

Rivington: Froggen!

Stress: KaSing. Hopefully the KaSing effect will be there to help the European team secure victory!

Zirene: I know the All-Star Event is a lot about the well known old guard players, but I’m always really excited for the newer talent who are currently building their era in front of our eyes today. That’s why I’m most excited to watch MaRin.

Although I always give bonus points to shotcallers on teams that can execute a sound macro game, my admiration for MaRin extends past that, but I’ll start there.

His ability to perform in a lane while simultaneously managing his team’s objectives is a feat that not many can do, let alone at a world class level. On top of that, he is a carry threat in the top lane, so he isn’t just getting by and then commanding the troops. He is using resources effectively and allocating them correctly as well. Not to mention he had to shotcall with stylistically different mid laners in different games.

Having been a shotcaller in the past, I can say it isn’t as easy as you would think to plug and play good players into a strategic formula. Every player’s strength changes the process in which you use to get a victory on the Rift.

On top of that, MaRin wasn’t always the strategic multi-talented top laner he is today. MaRin was a Solo Queue hero known for spending time as No. 1 in Challenger. He was then picked up by the SKT organization in October 2013 for SKT T1 S, but since then has proven the time invested in him pays itself off tenfold. MaRin has shown immense growth in strategic depth that indicates a player who has outgrown his Solo Queue mentality and become a full blown professional.

MaRin has always been a mechanical monster, but through his two years as a professional player he has proven himself as an adaptive person as well as a flexible and intelligent in game leader. I will be watching his career closely as he shifts away from SKT T1 and on to a new team, but with hesitant excitement. Because we all know that a lot of World Champions, even if they earned MVP in the Finals, do not withstand the test of time as new metas, teammates, and organizations enter their careers.

Which player matchups are you looking forward to most, and why?

PiraTechnics: For the 1 vs. 1, Froggen vs. Faker. It’ll be fantastic! I’m also hoping Doublelift vs. Uzi comes to pass, as that would be a legendary ADC duel.

Quickshot: Almost all of the big names in the 1 vs.1 bracket, starting with Froggen vs. Faker, is going to be awesome. I also want to see the Huni vs. MaRin match up, something we didn’t get to see at Worlds because Fnatic crashed out at the Semifinals.

Deficio: Froggen vs. Faker and Huni vs. MaRin.

Krepo: Froggen vs. Faker HYPE!!!!

Froggen vs. Faker is the obvious fantastic first round in the 1 vs. 1 — but also in the first round is Marin vs. Clearlove! Can’t wait to see what those two bring to the Rift… As long as it’s not Caitlyn. ;)

​Stress: Froggen vs. Faker is going to be a pretty cool matchup, in both the 1 vs. 1 and the 5 vs. 5 portion of the tournament.

Who is the best marksman and/or your favorite marksman?

PiraTechnics: Jinx!

Quickshot: I really like Vayne in the current meta with itemization choices and I also really enjoy watching good Tristana players make use of her kit for towers and kiting, thanks to her ultimate.

Phreak: My favorite is easily Vayne, but the best right now is easily Quinn.

Deficio: Vayne, Tristana, and Lucian. Favorite: Lucian and ADC Swain.

Krepo: The best thing about this patch is that the marksmen now all have their own identities. The new item builds also allow for some item diversity. No longer do we see IE + PD/Shiv rush every game, and that’s enjoyable. As for favorite, I still enjoy seeing a good Vayne being played. Graves seems strong in lane, and I wonder where Lucian will fall in the competitive landscape with the new Essence Reaver.

Dash: Jinx.

Rivington: Best marksman: Miss Fortune. Favorite marksman: Caitlyn.

Stress: Corki, especially after his adjustments with his Special Delivery.

Pulse: Probably Caitlyn right now. Her trap game is really interesting and her combos require a lot of skill to pull off.

What is your favorite Champion re-work?

PiraTechnics: The upcoming Poppy re-work looks like it’ll be a lot of fun. Apart from being much more adorable now, knocking enemies halfway back to base has the potential to be hilarious.

Quickshot: Graves ranks really highly for me because of just how unique he now is after the re-work. There are no other champions that can slot into the ADC AoE space that Graves now exists in.

Phreak: Poppy!!!! She’s not even out yet, but anything that gets rid of the old version works for me. We could delete the champion and it would be my favorite re-work.

Deficio: Fiora. I love skill matchups and the difference between a good and a great Fiora.

Zirene: Sion. He lacked identity, depth, and rewarding counter-play on a visceral level. You got to point and click stun, then walk up and have your shield explode as you build AP to dish out a burst of enraging damage, and that’s not a fulfilling game experience, for both the Sion player and the victim. After the re-work, Sion now offers an experience that is unique and fun for not only the Sion player, but for those that encounter and out play him, and those that realize the fault is their own when they die. When I look at the contrast in how frustrating his kit was to play against and how it is now, it is night and day for me. This has been the most successful re-work in my mind that then set the bar for what a fulfilling full tank experience should feel like in our game: A beefy character with mildly reliable CC that doesn’t overwhelm you with damage to the point you feel helpless.

Krepo: I really like the new Poppy design, the potential of that ulti is immense. Slightly goofy, but has predictable play patterns since the knock back is always oriented towards the Fountain.

Dash: Fiora.

​Rivington: Gangplank.

Stress: My favourite Champion re-work has been Gangplank. The new barrel mechanics and currency for his ultimate upgrades are pretty cool additions to his kit.

Pulse: Graves for sure, his auto attacks being a completely unique mechanic makes for some awesome plays, combined with his Q and ult burst.

What is the best way to build Illaoi?

PiraTechnics: Dead Man’s Plate, Black Cleaver, then Tons of Damage!

Phreak: Full bruiser. Every item slot better have attack damage on it!

Deficio: Black Cleaver into Sterak’s Gage and you win Worlds. Iceborn Gauntlet vs. full AD teams, then just full tank.

Dash: Tanky bruiser.

Rivington: Black Cleaver, Sterak’s Gage, Dead Man’s Plate, Spirit Visage, and Thorn Mail.

Stress: “Best” is such a subjective term when talking about builds… Especially in our office, since Pulse tends to build everything Full AP. But the generic answer is a bruiser build, mixing AD and Tank items.

Pulse: Full AP.

What lane (non-Jungle) is Kindred best in?

PiraTechnics: Definitely bot lane. They make a pretty decent ADC on their own, and they have a great way to trade effectively. Not to mention they’ve got a way to stay alive longer when they are about to die.

Quickshot: I really like seeing her in top lane. The ability to poke, sustain, and control zones is great vs. most match ups. She also has an escape in her Q and can reactively Teleport to save people being dove under turrets with her ultimate.

Phreak: Bottom lane. She’s quite a good laner because of the W sustain. And if you build her with conventional damage, she fares quite well, even late-game.

Deficio: ADC.

Krepo: Kindred has seen some play in both mid and ADC. If she goes mid, I’d heavily suggest camping her lane because she plays poorly from behind. Therefore, she’s likely better off as ADC. Jungle is the preferred role, however.

Dash: ADC.

Stress: Bottom, as an ADC. I’ve seen a few people trying it and it seems sort of legit.

Pulse: ADC seems good since if you get rolling you simply continue marking your opposing ADC and farm them for stacks.

And there you have it! Now that you’ve heard what the casters had to say, make your voice heard by voting for the All-Star Pick 10 Mode, the pros who will play in the All-Star All-Stars game, and which lucky champion will be getting a new skin!

The 2015 All-Star Event starts on Thursday, December 10 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time.