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Clg vs Imt

woodvsmurph·8/27/2017, 2:29:19 PM·1 votes·597 views

Wow - who would have predicted a 3-0 win by IMT? Who would have predicted that without even a shred of doubt? Definitely not me. I know clg looked shaky in their quarter finals, but then you also have the potential for all of imt's early playoff exits hanging over their heads too. Clg looked really good in a few moments within the series, but overall, imt just had a new level of confidence and kept their heads level and focused on the bigger objective.

So, I think my favorite thing in this series which I try to copy in solo queue (gold mechanics and gold teammates who scoff at making "pro decisions and shotcalling at this elo? lol") is the macro play. Multiple fights you would see Oleh or Xmithie or Flame go back in with next to no health after their team had already won the fight. But unlike many solo queue games, they had good reason. They weren't merely overextending to chase one more kill; they were going for THE kill. The one that would ensure their team aced clg at the cost of only Oleh's life. The one that would give them a 3v1 advantage to push down a tower or do a baron after the fight and do so uncontested. Even at the pro level so often teams either don't commit to chasing and securing that extra advantage (at the cost of 1 teammate's life) that let's them push the extra objective. Or they overcommit for that last kill... trading 2 back or failing to get an objective off the back of a won teamfight. Imt didn't fall into that trap this seriese. And they looked so good because of it.

And did you guys notice the casters talk about Xmithie? How he taught/explained the logic behind WHY each step was done to Oleh for various plays? So often people in solo queue do this or that play, buy this or that item, and never truly understand the purpose for what they are doing. Or they see someone deviate from "THE BUILD"... as if there's only one optimal build for a champion in every scenario. And then someone who's never played said champion roasts a player who mains that champ because their build isn't "THE BUILD" - never considering the different build might actually be better for the given scenario or that the champ is being played for a different role. Anyways, I just thought it was really cool to learn just how much detail Xmithie looks at the game with.

I know many people want Oleh to win mvp or Bjerg or Jensen, but I truly think Xmithie deserves it. He made so much impact on Imt when he joined the team and much of it isn't visible in stats, his kda, or the traditional sense. He gave POB confidence and got him to play much more calculatedly aggressive. Instead of playing uncalculatedly agro or overly passive/scared to punish enemy mistakes. It seems like Flame stepped up his game even though Xmithie helps him out less than most of the others, and you still do get a game every so often where they just duo smash toplane and carry the game from there. Botlane - Xmithie clearly helped Oleh understand the thought process behind making plays and all the setup that goes into them better than he already understood. And they have also shown growth from spring to summer. And Xmithie himself has played better - probably in part due to a largely tank jungle meta, but also because his team is playing around him. They have his back and don't force him to suicide to save them from overextending in a 1v1 or 2v2. They don't let the enemy go unpunished and unannounced 3v1 invade his jungle repeatedly. If you look at what the team would be without one player on the roster to decide mvp, Xmithie competes with or beats any of them. And yet this team is entirely a TEAM. It's not one person doing it all. It's 5 players working as one. Isn't that Clg's calling card by the way? So as of semi-finals summer 2017, we can say Imt out-Clg'd Clg?...

Here's wishing the best to IMT in the finals and hopefully at worlds too. And Clg too. Too much respect for Huhi and his solid play and odd but much larger effective champion pool to not want them going to worlds as well.

Also, maybe a solo queue player or two will truly grasp the meaning of this series and take it to heart. Leveling up your game and winning doesn't always mean better team comp or better mechanics than your opponent. You can win by out-thinking them too. Smart engages, smart re-engages/chasing to secure extra kill(s), smart decisions not to chase or overreach, etc. Just because you aren't lcs doesn't mean you can't do these decisions too. If it's a good decision, it doesn't matter if you are bronze, gold, or plat or anywhere in between; good decision-making and shotcalling can make the difference in the game and is nothing to make fun of.

10 Comments

GeminiRune8/27/2017, 4:08:15 PM1 votes

I'll commend you for the well thought analysis on the series. I was personally trying to pick apart the match myself. Honestly, a 3-0 was possible given the momentum CLG had going into the match along with the regular season standings between the two teams. But I really did see it more in the light of IMT was just outright better in their team cohesion; understandable given CLG's recent changes. Most fans will see the loss as a finger pointing, "who's not pulling weight" situation. The common target being Omargod and his limited stage time for a rookie in playoffs compared to like playoff rookie in Cody Sun. Time and adaptation are two heavily impacting situations that resulted in CLG's struggle. But it's not necessarily the worst thing among summer playoffs. Teams like UOL, J-Team, SSG, WE and OMG; each of them had swinging momentum lingering into playoffs and tripped at the stretch that mattered the most. In fact, JT is out of Worlds contention already with their loss to Hong Kong Attitude! Teams do struggle but I do think while CLG is in a diamond rough's chance of reaching Worlds, they should not let the series or criticism burden them.

Flip the coin to IMT. I am in a mode where I can honestly expect them winning the split if they keep this form up. From IEM Gyeonggi to now, this is a completely different team. I remember saying back then that the team had promise but just not in the Spring Split. Gave them more time and a player trade and all of a sudden they rise to the occasion. Flame's steadiness, Xmithie's choice of itemization, Pob's potential to carry, Cody's opt in to fight, and Olleh just being that damn annoying roaming support you would never expect somewhere else that isn't bot lane. Solo Q games cannot imitate half of that kind of stuff and actually understand how it serves as beneficial.

Tunneling in on Xmithie though, who definitely caught my attention with a Stoneborn Ardent combo from the jungle. I like when players adapt in a different way that satisfy the rest of their team. It's something I tend to practice in ARAM games frequently; my team is consisting of 4 efficient carries - let me add some utility and be a body block so we're not 5 glass cannons. One of my most prominent examples is running Tank Eve with Stoneborn combined with Rylais and other shielding tools. When it comes to SR, I will change my strategy when it matters as JG, Bot, and Support. It's like I never lock my Runes and Masteries and with it my choice of itemization. It always changes on how the direction of the game goes. And that's what I feel Xmithie did loosely; he had an idea before the game and it just felt capable of pulling off. In regular play that can be a tilter, but why are you focusing on others so sharply if it's not something like 5 tears and mobis?

Just my thoughts on the series. Here's to a good closeout to playoffs cause this Summer's already been exciting around the world so far.

ChompyWulf8/27/2017, 5:59:47 PM1 votes

Credit to Omargod, in Game 3 he stepped up and set his team up with great plays to secure kills for them. Likewise, Aphromoo was pretty solid in playmaking, but nearly every time Olleh was waiting to counter it and prevent easy plays. The way I see it, Darshan, Huhi, and Stixxay were never up to the task of beating their IMT counterpart and the carries were shackles on the CLG play makers.