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{{Short description|Taiwanese professional League of Legends player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}{{family name hatnote|[[Huang (surname)|Huang]]|lang=Chinese}}{{Infobox video game player
| ID            = Maple
| name          = {{lang|zh-Hant-TW|黃熠棠}}
| name_trans    = Huang Yi-tang
| image         =
| caption       =
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1997|10|10}}
| birth_place   = [[Taoyuan, Taiwan]]
| nationality   = Taiwanese
| role          = Mid
| team          = [[Team SoloMid]]
| league        = [[League Championship Series (esports)|LCS]]
| game          = ''[[League of Legends]]''
| career_start  = 
| career_end    = 
| years1        = 2013
| team1         = Gamania Bears
| years2        = 2013–2018
| team2         = [[Flash Wolves]]
| years3        = 2018–2019
| team3         = [[Suning (esports)|Suning]]
| years4        = 2019–2020
| team4         = [[LNG Esports]]
| years5        = 2020–2021
| team5         = [[PSG Talon]]
| years6        = 2021–2022
| team6         = [[Anyone's Legend]]
| years7        = 2022–present
| team7         = Team SoloMid
}}
'''Huang Yi-tang''' ({{zh|t=黃熠棠|p=Huáng Yìtáng|poj=N̂g Ia̍h-tông}}), better known as '''Maple''', is a Taiwanese professional ''League of Legends'' player for Team SoloMid, of the League Championship Series (LCS).

Huang found success domestically and internationally during his time as a member of the Flash Wolves, winning several [[League of Legends Master Series|LMS]] titles and topping many international events.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Abbas |first1=Malcolm |title=Flash Wolves' Moojin, Maple, and SwordArt revealed to be negotiating with other teams |url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/flash-wolves-moojin-maple-and-swordart-revealed-to-be-negotiating-with-other-teams |accessdate=December 15, 2019 |work=Dot Esports |date=November 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Julia |title=SwordArt, Maple and MooJin leave Flash Wolves, MMD retires |url=https://www.riftherald.com/2018/11/12/18089000/swordart-maple-moojin-mmd-flash-wolves |accessdate=December 15, 2019 |work=The Rift Herald |date=November 12, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> He has long been considered by many analysts and other professional players as one of the most mechanically skillful players from Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/interview-with-fws-maple-karsa-igs-midjungle-synergy-is-the-strongest-were-afrai-6729#list-1|title=Interview with FW's Maple & Karsa IG's mid-jungle synergy is the strongest; we're afraid of meeting EDG.|date=October 10, 2015|publisher=dotesports}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5065618|title=台灣電競小子　殺進百億新產業|publisher=天下雜誌}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thescoreesports.com/lol/news/4677/|title=Report: Maple and SwordArt to stay with Flash Wolves|publisher=thescoreesports}}</ref> Huang also played for [[League of Legends Pro League|LPL]] teams Suning<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kolev |first1=Radoslav |title=What's going on with the LPL roster shuffle? Who's going where? |url=https://vpesports.com/leagueoflegends/news/whats-going-on-with-the-lpl-roster-shuffle-whos-going-where |accessdate=November 26, 2019 |work=VPEsports |date=November 18, 2019}}</ref> and LNG Esports.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Newell |first1=Adam |title=LNG signs Maple and Xx ahead of 2020 LPL season |url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/lng-signs-maple-and-xx-ahead-of-2020-lpl-season |accessdate=December 15, 2019 |work=Dot Esports |date=December 15, 2019}}</ref>
==Career==
Due to their first-place finish at IEM Taipei, yoe Flash Wolves were invited to compete at the IEM Season IX - World Championship. After a Round 1 loss against SK Gaming, Maple and the team went on to beat Cloud9 in Round 1 of the losers bracket. Round 2 of the losers bracket saw the team's second meeting of the tournament with SK Gaming. A win against the European team secured the yoe Flash Wolves a place in the bracket stage. They were eventually knocked out of the tournament in the semifinals after losing to Team SoloMid.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/flash-wolves-maple-i-really-want-to-play-against-lgds-mid-laner-6721|title=Flash Wolves // Maple: I really want to play against LGD's mid laner.|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=dotesports}}</ref>

With a second and third place LMS finish under their belt, the Flash Wolves had obtained a tie for the most LMS Championship Points behind AHQ, and were invited to the 2015 Taiwan Regional Finals. There, FW avenged their playoff loss by defeating Hong Kong Esports 3-2 and acquiring a spot in the 2015 Season World Championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://esports.yahoo.com/maple-flash-wolves-groups-hope-194500644.html|title=Maple on Flash Wolves in groups: 'We hope to get the number 2 spot'|date=May 6, 2016|publisher=Yahoo Esports}}</ref>

At the World Championship, the FW were expected by many analysts to have one of the weakest showings of any team in attendance. However, after a 4-2 group stage with wins over favorites KOO Tigers and Counter Logic Gaming, the Flash Wolves emerged first from groups, becoming the first team in two years to finish ahead of a Korean team in groups at Worlds. In the tournament quarterfinals, FW lost 1–3 to Origen, earning a top eight finish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worlds.lolesports.com/en_US/worlds/articles/flash-wolves-defeat-koo-win-group|title=Flash Wolves defeat KOO to win Group A|date=October 9, 2015|publisher=LoL Esports}}</ref>

Maple was one of the top players at the [[2016 Mid-Season Invitational]], in which Flash Wolves eventually finished third/fourth after losing to [[Counter Logic Gaming]] in the semi-finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/esports/story/_/id/15517951/north-america-vs-taiwan|title=Battle for Respect: North America vs. Taiwan|date=May 13, 2016|work=ESPN.com}}</ref>
==Tournament results==
===Flash Wolves===
*2015 [[Intel Extreme Masters]] Season 9 Taipei — 1st
*[[2015 League of Legends World Championship]] — 4th–8th
*2016 Spring LMS — 1st
*2016 Mid-Season Invitational — 3rd–4th
*2016 Summer LMS — 1st
*2017 Intel Extreme Masters Season11 World Championship Katowice — 1st
*2017 Spring LMS — 1st
*2017 Summer LMS — 1st
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
*{{Facebook|mapleage}}
{{Professional League of Legends competition}}
{{CCBYSASource|sourcepath=http://lol.esportspedia.com/wiki/Maple|sourcearticle=Maple}}