The Breakdown - LMQ vs Cloud 9 Tempest

Since LMQ moved to California four months ago, the team has been a titan in the challenger circuit. Finishing No. 1 in both NA Spring Challenger Series, the team has also placed first in a number of smaller tournaments, including the NA Challenger Cup and the North American Challenger League. With their sights set on qualifying for summer, LMQ is poised to make a big splash into the NA LCS pool. Renowned for their early game aggression, do not mistake them as a one trick pony. In Game 2 of the NA Challenger Playoffs against Cloud 9 Tempest, LMQ demonstrated that they don't necessarily need to be the aggressors in the early game yet they are still capable of controlling the game through meticulous teamwork and successfully close out the match.

Assembling the team

Bans & Picks

• C9T bans: Caitlyn, Twitch, Kha'Zix
• LMQ bans: Shyvana, Ziggs, Evelynn
• C9T picks: Soraka, Karma Lucian, Ryze Xin Zhao
• LMQ picks: Morgana Elise, Orianna Graves, Renekton

Using their first two bans to take away Caitlyn and Twitch, C9T removed two comfort champions from Vasilii's hands. LMQ opted to eliminate three different champions they thought problematic if the champions got off to a good start. After using Soraka effectively in the first game, C9T found Soraka as a reliable first pick. LMQ found two champions with long range binds, giving them multiple tools to set up picks throughout the game. Although LMQ surprised many with their later picks, the team was undoubtedly confident picking Graves into Lucian and Renekton into Ryze. Taking a page out of their sister team's playbook, C9T used a strategy very similar to what Cloud 9 used against Team SoloMid during the last Super Week. Soraka and Ryze in this game acted as lane bullies with great synergy together in teamfights. Ryze's machine gun spell casting would benefit immensely from Soraka's magic resist shred from Starcall. While in bot lane, Lucian would deal tons of damage from a comfortable distance with Karma providing additional utility in tandem with Soraka. LMQ's team composition on the other hand was highly reliant on eliminating one or two champions off before a full-on team-fight began. Unless LMQ found a way to disrupt C9T's progression into mid and late game, the situation could turn rather dire for LMQ.

Breaking the early game

It came as no surprise that C9T was stronger in the first few levels; Yazuki and Altec took an early CS lead against their respective counterparts. Although all three lanes were pushed by C9T players, XiaoWeiXiao was last hitting exceptionally under his turret and was the only LMQ lane that stayed ahead in farm. NoName recognized the difficulty of ganking for XiaoWeiXiao with Bischu armed with not only Astral Blessing but also Flash/Heal for summoner spells. Instead, jungle attention was placed in top lane early and often. Not even a missed Cocoon could keep Yazuki alive With Yazuki pushed deep in his lane and his trinket ward expired, NoName advanced into top lane and waited on ackerman's initiation. Even though Yazuki evaded a Cocoon, NoName's early game burst from Elise was enough to take out Yazuki for First Blood. Expending his own Flash in the process, Yazuki fell from one last auto attack from NoName. If it works... try, try again Once he revived, Yazuki bought Tear of the Goddess and Boots and Teleported back into lane in order to not miss any creeps now pushing into his turret. However, this is exactly what LMQ expected. With both summoner spells expended and no innate mobility spell, ackerman and NoName dove for Yazuki once more and netted a second kill. Even with Kez in position this time to revenge kill ackerman after Yazuki's death, the damage had been done. Yazuki's CS lead over ackerman had been greatly diminished and NoName provided ackerman enough assist gold to return to lane with a Negatron Cloak. An unrelenting LMQ in top lane No avenging Yazuki this time Recognizing the late game potential of Ryze, LMQ kept their foot on the gas and continued to attack the top lane. Although C9T returned the favor mere minutes before with a jungle and mid rotation to top that resulted in a kill for Bischu, NoName returned once more to double team Yazuki under his turret and slew Ryze for a third time. Unfortunately for C9T, Kez and Bischu were not in position to pick up a kill on ackerman, who Sliced through the trees and ran back into the safety of his base. With all the havoc in top lane caused by NoName, XiaoWeiXiao took a dominating CS lead over Bischu while Vasilii edged out Altec ever so slightly.

Staring down the ball and barrel

With the biggest threat of the game in top lane systemically harassed and stunted, LMQ entered midgame on "equal" footing. The teamfight utility for C9T in the form of Soraka and Karma was frightening but LMQ remained unfazed. No ball delivery system required Right where Vasilii wanted them The major difference between Orianna and Soraka is how damage is dealt. Soraka focuses more on damage over time with her Starcall. The longer team-fights last, the more magic damage she can do herself and also allow her team to dish out. Orianna is the opposite in that she looks for that one optimal moment to unleash her Command: Shockwave and Dissonance. The heavily front loaded damage by Orianna meant LMQ needed to quickly eliminate targets the moment teamfights begin, otherwise risk getting out-attritioned by Soraka heals and Karma shields. XiaoWeiXiao did exactly what his team needed. During a teamfight near their own blue buff, XiaoWeiXiao landed a very successful Shockwave against C9T. Although it didn't catch every player of the opposing team, XiaoWeiXiao chunked Kez to below half health. With Xin Zhao so low, C9T's initiation became questionable. While Mor carefully used Soul Shackles to keep Altec and Gleebglarbu at bay, Kez and Bischu tunneled hard for XiaoWeiXiao and NoName. In fact, C9T's mid and jungle lost focus and ran straight into a full health Vasilii with all his abilities ready and waiting. LMQ eventually cleaned up this teamfight with ease and finished three kills for one. XiaoWeiXiao shone once again when both teams went back to contest Dragon. Kez was out of position, got locked down and killed after getting hit by Dark Binding. This caused Bischu and Yazuki to trickle into the fight allowing XiaoWeiXiao to land yet another stellar Command: Shockwave and pick up additional kills for LMQ and Dragon thereafter. Dark Binding = 100 to 0 death Although the kills were even and gold relatively close, LMQ began to flex their collective muscles. Their confidence was demonstrated when Mor landed a Dark Binding on Gleebglarbu under his turret and neither XiaoWeiXiao nor Vasilii hesitated to fire off both their ultimates to ensure the kill. The quick removal of an enemy champion gave way for LMQ to begin applying turret pressure in bot lane. Close but no cigar In the final fight of the game, LMQ displayed their team-fight prowess when all five players are on the same page. After C9T razed the mid outer turret, LMQ chased with Mor charging ahead, sped up by XiaoWeiXiao's Command: Dissonance. Tethering a Soul Shackle on just Bischu, C9T was forced into a less than optimal team-fight on LMQ's terms. With Kez picked off early, Altec went for a low health Vasilii but was quickly repressed by Vasilii with XiaoWeiXiao's help. As C9T finally decided to break off and retreat, Yazuki was caught by NoName's Cocoon for a third and final kill for LMQ. With all five players up, LMQ took Baron before eventually ending the match.

Wrapping up the match

Key moments for each team LMQ Late game threat elimination Objectively a weaker team composition both early and late game, LMQ's progression into mid game was exactly what they needed. Ryze was made into a nonfactor early and initiating team-fights allowed LMQ to pick and choose when and where engagements would occur. Dead man walkin' While Game 2 was a strong performance overall by LMQ, Vasilii took reins of the game after being handed an uncontested lane. Not only did he match or keep ahead of Altec in farm but Vasilii's decision making and mechanic execution was immaculate. Cloud 9 Tempest Team-fight positioning The number of team-fights where LMQ finished with no deaths and multiple players blinking red health is an indication of poor positioning. Too often LMQ got the upper hand when C9T were far spread out and thus easy pickings for LMQ. Play to your strengths For a team with Ryze, Soraka and Lucian that would eventually outscale Graves, C9T played their team comp rather poorly. Even with Yazuki behind due to ganks, they needed to force the match into late game by playing safe and waiting until their end game carries had four or five items under their belt. Jack is a freelance writer for Riot Games and he expects plenty of new blood in the LCS coming soon. Which challenger team(s) do you think can qualify for the summer split? You can tweet him your thoughts @NeoIllusions.

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