GPL Summer 2014 Recap: Week 4
Riot·7/8/2014, 1:35:24 AM·0 votes·612 views
Playoffs are just around the corner, and the GPL squads have entered survival mode. Though it's too late for either Imperium Pro Team or Insidious Gaming Rebirth to claim a quarterfinals berth, the fourth and fifth place teams are all within a hair of each other. Meanwhile, the Assassins threaten to repeat history with yet another unblemished group stage – a situation that their rivals on the Saigon Jokers and AHQ Fighter are loathe to allow.
Cheng "Bebe" Bo-Wei
Perhaps it isn't too terribly surprising for the team captain to be carrying his team on his shoulders, but Bebe's top tier Tristana performance is consistent week after week. Even as they were often on the other side of the map, he and Achie performed together like clockwork to spread SAJ fatally thin. Even as the Jokers came to fend him off, he landed a triple kill goomba stomp to seal the game.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Day 1: Taipei Assassins vs Saigon Jokers The hotly anticipated TPA vs SAJ game kicked off strong with early top lane pressure from the Jokers, led by Safety's aggressive Lee Sin. But despite their early momentum, the Jokers made a crucial strategic blunder: top laner Achie was left alone for too long, and Bebe's Tristana seemed to have been dismissed out of hand after Safety's early strikes against him. Left to farm, the two Assassins split-pushed and tore apart the Saigon Jokers’ defenses while Morning and Winds kept everyone busy. Day 2: Bangkok Titans vs Saigon Jokers The Bangkok Titans have put up surprising performances in recent weeks, showing off decisiveness and strength that had eluded them in prior seasons. Against the Jokers, however, that same newfound strength was a weakness; the Jokers team correctly identified that the Titans were heavily reliant on AD carry Lloyd doing well, and planned their game accordingly. Safety's repeat focus on bot lane stifled the Titans' star player, leaving them floundering for direction. Day 3: Saigon Jokers vs AHQ Fighter Ezreal mid, Morgana top. AHQ Fighter didn’t exactly take the most traditional champions for their respective roles, and it certainly succeeded in confusing the Jokers. Though they responded intelligently by sending Archie’s Lucian mid against Ezreal, the pressure from Albis and Lantyr was far in excess of his capabilities. Albis, in particular, successfully revived the "Blue Ezreal" build, demonstrating a frightful synergy with RD's Jinx by slowing targets down and bolstering her already impressive attack speed. The combination proved too much for the Jokers to handle, giving them second loss of Week 4.Players OF THE WEEK
Kang "Albis" Chia-Wei The original AHQ mid laner had a reputation as a more utilitarian role-player. Though his champion pool strongly complemented his teammates, it wasn't one that would often decide the game on its own. He showed off some of that utility with Blue Ezreal against the Saigon Jokers, but an 8-0 performance tells no lies: he is just as deadly as any Taiwanese mid.
Cheng "Bebe" Bo-Wei
Perhaps it isn't too terribly surprising for the team captain to be carrying his team on his shoulders, but Bebe's top tier Tristana performance is consistent week after week. Even as they were often on the other side of the map, he and Achie performed together like clockwork to spread SAJ fatally thin. Even as the Jokers came to fend him off, he landed a triple kill goomba stomp to seal the game.
