Week 8: NA LCS Overview

With a week off for some teams, and IEM Katowice for others, everyone in the League of Legends NA LCS is back at, and many have shifted their strategies. Gangplank and Kog’maw were nerfed in the tournament patch, and the top lane is still being dominated by the ZZ’Rot Portal tanks. I had a feeling we’ll see a few upsets, which we did, but a certain team kept up their spirits and its top spot.

NA LCS Day 1

Game 1:

Renegades vs [Cloud9]

Bans: Jhin, Lulu, Twisted Fate, Kalista, Lee Sin, Nidalee

REN:
Seraph: Graves
Crumbz: Elise
Ninja: Zilean
Freeze: Kog’Maw
Hakuho: Braum

C9:
Balls: Trundle
Rush: Gragas
Jensen: Varus
Sneaky: Corki
Hai: Morgana

With a better team composition and better teamwork all around, C9 had this one in the bag. AlexIch is no longer with REN and Ninja was traded in. Even though they had a newbie, REN did fairly well at the start getting first blood and a few early dragons. At 32 minutes in, REN is still in the lead by 5,000 gold and a few dragon buffs. By 45 minutes, REN gets an inhibitor, a baron and a few more turrets. C9 finally take out Ninja and Freeze, and they secure a Baron at 48:41. C9 pushes their advantage and get two inhibitors by 53:35. C9 take their third baron and win at 56:56.

 

Game 2:

[Immortals] vs NRG Esports

Bans: Nautilus, Nidalee, Graves, Kalista, Kindred, Quinn

IMT:
Huni: Gankplank
Reignover: Rek’Sai
Pobelter: Corki
WildTurtle: Lucian
Adrian: Soraka

NRG:
Impact: Poppy
Moon: Elise
GBM: Twisted Fate
Altec: Sivir
Konkwon: Braum

Soraka/Lucian was given to Adrian and Wildturtle, respectively, making it really hard for IMT to lose this one. NRG messes up from the start when instead of helping with middle tower, Impact tower dives 1vs5 and gives first blood. GBM is amazing on Twisted Fate, but it doesn’t help them in the long run. NRG gets dragon at 21:00, but lose two members in the process. Then they call for Baron, but lose the trade three for one. After that, it’s just down hill. WildTurtle dives super hard for a Quadrakill, but dies because he’s between two inhibitor turrets. This doesn’t phase IMT in the least bit, and they grab Baron at 35:40 and push to end the game. Two towers and an ace allows them to drop the nexus at 37:20.

Game 3:

Counter Logic Gaming vs [Liquid]

Bans: Jhin, Fiora, Poppy, Udyr, Nidalee, Graves

CLG:
Darshan: Yasuo
Xmithie: Gragas
Huhi: LeBlanc
Stixxay: Kalista
Aphromoo: Bard

TL:
Lourlo: Nautilus
Dardoch: Lee Sin
Fenix: Corki
Piglet: Lucian
Matt: Braum

What an upset! TL gets a much deserved win out of this game. An early close call for both top laners leaves them both without flash, but first blood goes to Huhi who comes up and gets a kill on Lourlo when he goes top. It starts off great for CLG, but then Dardoch kills Huhi and Darshan top lane. The game was full of action as both teams would use teleports to 5-man jump a lane. TL gets two kills off of one teleport and get the first dragon at 15:50. TL then takes Baron at 22:30 when Xmithie tries to steal it but dies. This results in another dragon for TL and two turrets. Lourlo on Nautilus is showing us the real power of the high base damage and tankiness that the champion has by completely destroying Darshan’s Yasuo. TL get a second Baron and two turrets before they catch CLG in a rotation and end the game at 37:00.

 

 

Game 4:

[Team SoloMid] vs Team Impulse

Bans: Corki, Kalista, Gangplank, Nidalee, Varus, Poppy

TSM:
Hauntzer: Trundle
Svenskeren: Kindred
Bjergsen: Lulu
Doublelift: Kog’Maw
Yellowstar: Alistar

TIP:
Feng: Graves
Procxin: Gragas
Pirean: Twisted Fate
Mash: Sivir
Gate: Braum

A sub-30 minute win for TSM against TIP. TSM had a great protect the Kog team thanks to a Lulu, Trundle and Alistar. It turns into a very textbook win for TSM and there wasn’t much else to say about this game. Kog/Lulu shouldn’t be allowed to be picked together and TSM showed the world why. The game ended at 29:15.

Game 5:

[Echo Fox] vs Team Dignitas

Bans: Kindred, Twisted Fate, Sivir, Lulu, Trundle, Kayle

FOX:
Kfo: Nautilus
Hard: Nidalee
Froggen: Gangplank
Keith: Kalista
Big: Alistar

DIG:
Billyboss: Poppy
Kirei: Elise
Shiphtur: Corki
Apollo: Jhin
KiwiKid: Braum

So this game goes on for 67 minutes and 49 seconds. What a game to watch though. If you ever have an hour to kill, I would greatly say watch this one and see how Echo Fox comes back. Froggen and Keith both broke world records for minions killed in the shortest amount of time and FOX broke the record for the biggest comeback. That put aside, DIG did really well for nearly the entire game, but they couldn’t find a way to close the game. At the end, DIG had seven dragons and four barons against two dragons and zero barons for FOX. Everyone was maxed level and build except for Big and somehow FOX pulled it out and won. I don’t want to spoil it too much…. but here’s the link to the video.

Day 2

After an almost 70 minute game the day prior, anything else would seem short in comparison. A few more upsets came on the second day of Week 8.

Game 6:

[Cloud 9] vs Team Impulse

Bans: Lissandra, Kalista, Lulu, Nidalee, Corki, Gangplank

C9:
Balls: Trundle
Rush: Gragas
Jensen: Varus
Sneaky: Jhin
Hai: Morgana

TIP:
Feng: Graves
Procxin: Elise
Pirean: LeBlanc
Mash: Sivir
Gate: Janna

Interesting to see C9 run a poke composition against an engage team from TIP. Sivir was a bad choice as everyone has ways to get in and out without her ultimate, and I think Caitlyn would of been a better choice for TIP. First blood drops at 3:20, way earlier than usual, when Procxin ganks Jensen and gets the kill. Hai steals Scuttle Crab from Procxin, but then they get revenge on him shortly after. A very bloody back and forth kill game but a fight over the Scuttle Crab (again) results in C9 pulling ahead. C9 kill Baron at 28:00 and end the game at 29:15.

Game 7:

[NRG Esports] vs Liquid

Bans: Poppy, Fiora, Jhin,Graves, Nidalee,Graves

NRG:
Impact: Nautilus
Moon: Elise
GBM: Zed
Altec: Kalista
Konkwon: Trundle

TL:
Lourlo: Lulu
Dardoch: Lee Sin
Fenix: Corki
Piglet: Lucian
Matt: Braum

A wild Zed appears! A great pick against the squishy Liquid team this round. The best counter against a Zed is Zhonya’s Hourglass and with only Lulu being able to build one, he was going to wreck havoc. At least from the start TL seemed to be doing better. First blood went to Moon on Lulu before 3 minutes. TL counter it with a four man gank killing Altec, but Konkwon kills Lourlo in return. Four more kills later, NRG controls the flow of the game. Zed becomes a split pushing beast who can literally one combo anyone that comes to stop him, even the Zhonya’s Lulu. After multiple Barons, with one being a steal, TL’s base looks to be in shambles. The game ends at 34:20 after a Baron, and a four for one top lane trade for NRG.

 

 

Game 8:

Team SoloMid vs [Renegades]

Bans: Zed, Nidalee, Corki, Kalista, Kog’Maw, LeBlanc

TSM:
Hauntzer: Trundle
Svenskeren: Elise
Bjergsen: Lulu
Doublelift: Jhin
Yellowstar: Braum

REN:
Seraph: Graves
Crumbz: Gragas
Ninja: Lissandra
Freeze: Caitlyn
Hakuho: Bard

Very interesting team compositions on both sides. I think I liked TSM’s better, and totally thought their experience would bring them another win today after yesterday’s textbook victory, but REN showed us what they were made of. Easy tower trades thanks to Jhin’s reload mechanic allows REN to get ahead and able to get their first dragon by six minutes. Another horrible turret trade for TSM gives REN a free top lane inhibitor turret. Yellowstar is the firstblood in this game given to Hakuho around 12 minutes, and he seems to be REN’s punching bag as he dies the most. REN gets a double kill and Baron at 28:20 then kill Yellowstar and Hauntzer right after. They take the free inhibitor top lane while killing Doublelift and Bjergsen. REN get both nexus turrets and Svenskeren before they win at 29:49.

Game 9:

Team Dignitas vs [Immortals]

Bans: Gangplank, Kindred, Soraka, Nidalee, Kalista, Lulu

DIG:
Billyboss: Rammus
Kirei: Gragas
Shiphtur: Corki
Apollo: Jhin
KiwiKid: Braum

IMT:
Huni: Graves
Reignover: Rek’Sai
Pobelter: Twisted Fate
WildTurtle: Sivir
Adrian: Janna

Roam composition against Tank composition. I love DIG’s team for this current meta, but we are talking about IMT here. The game starts and, surprise, Reignover is first blood to Kirei. DIG get two more kills when Adrian and Huni die when they dive bottom lane. IMT tries to stop DIG during a dragon attempt, but Pobelter dies as he uses Fate’s Call. DIG seems to be doing well… again, but IMT finally get a kill on Kiwikid at 27:20 and two turrets for it. Another fight in the mid lane a bit later gets Reignover and Adrian killed and a Quadrakill for Shiphtur which results in an easy inhibitor. DIG slay Baron at 35:10 and destroy a second inhibitor, but Reignover sacrifices himself to allow Huni to shut down Apollo, Shiphtur and BillyBoss. IMT aces DIG at 42:30 just in time for both of their inhibitors to come back online and get Baron. BillyBoss gets caught again and IMT get bottom inhibitor and a nexus turret. DIG tries to fight, but Kiwikid drops and IMT gets a second inhibitor. Apollo and Kirei drop shortly after and IMT wins at 48:10.

 

Game 10:

Echo Fox vs [Counter Logic Gaming]

Bans: Udyr, Kayle, Fiora, Jhin, Kalista, Corki

FOX:
Kfo: Poppy
Hard: Nidalee
Froggen: Lulu
Keith: Lucian
Big: Morgana

CLG:
Darshan: Graves
Xmithie: Gragas
Huhi: Twisted Fate
Stixxay: Ezreal
Aphromoo: Braum

Not as long as their last game, FOX lose this one to CLG with a few mistakes of their own. Kfo dies early, in a lane swap scenario for first blood. Gold stays equal thanks to Keith and Froggen’s farming abilities, and they kill three members of CLG in their own jungle. This does give FOX a dragon, but CLG collapses nicely and kill Keith before the next dragon and get one of their own in return. After a few more catches with CLG getting kills on FOX, they turn it around and get 3 kills and Baron at 33:10. It was a close game for the most part through the mid game, but CLG gets a nice pick on Keith and Big, allowing CLG to get Dragon five and take out kfo shortly after. CLG win at 40:55 after top inhibitor and both nexus turrets drop.

Standings:

1. Immortals 15W-1L
2. Counter Logic Gaming 11W-5L
2. Cloud9 11W-5L
4. Team SoloMid 9W-7L
5. NRG Esports 8W-8L
5. Liquid 8W-8L
7. Echo Fox 6W-10L
8. Team Impulse 5W-11L
9. Team Dignitas 4W-12L
10. Renegades 3W-13L

 

 

Overview:

Upsets galore this week. Echo Fox and Renegades both got a win this week, and even Liquid secured a win against a team they usually do bad against. We saw Jhin a lot, and although he mostly lost, Sneaky seemed to know him the best. Practice does make you better, and he has the most time on the new marksman. I think Ninja is a great new addition to the Renegades roster, and he’s already proving himself with a win. It’s possible Echo Fox and Renegades will rise in the standings, looking at the final week’s schedule.

Renegades should do pretty well against Team Impulse, and Echo Fox is up against C9 and Renegades. Team Dignitas has the toughest schedule against Liquid and Counter Logic Gaming, which will probably result in them finishing 4-14. Renegades just needs to win their game against Team Impulse to at least tie and hope they have the better margin of victory. Next week will show us who goes back to relegation and who ends up in second/third place.