OGN Masters: Mid-Season Review
With the season half over, some teams are charging to the playoffs and others are still trying to find their footing in this first Masters season. Heading into the final games of the season to see which teams will rise and which will fall, we recap the most memorable moments and players at the halfway point.
Best Game: CJ Entus Blaze vs. SK Telecom T1 S
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Seventy minutes long, SK Telecom T1 S and CJ Entus Blaze revived their rivalry from the Champions Winter season – then the teams went 1-1 in the group stage. But CJ Blaze had the last laugh with a playoff position in the final tiebreaker between the teams. Starting out quickly, Blaze took the advantage early in what would become a marathon of a game. Letting Flame take the side lane farm and become an unstoppable force on Shyvanna, everything looked like it would end in a decisive, dominating victory for the Blaze squad. Holding on and stealing a key Baron from Horo, SK Telecom T1 S were able to pull themselves back into the game and prolong it into the late game. Off the back of Easyhoon's massive 9/1/10 game on his signature Ziggs, SKT T1 S turned their Baron advantage into a victory, securing a win in one of the longest professional League of Legends games in history.
Comeback Player: Dade (Samsung Blue)
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Traded from Ozone to their sister team Blue, no one really knew what to expect from Dade. Dade has had the highest of highs (winning MVP during Champions Spring 2013) and the lowest of lows (a disaster at the Season 3 World Championship). With PawN moving to Ozone, Dade could have looked at the move to Blue as a demotion, but has been the star player Blue has needed so far in Masters. 3-1 overall in their first four games, Dade has been the key to their victories -- 38/9/23 in the four games he has played in. Known for his love of AD champions in the mid lane -- Ezreal, Zed, Jayce -- he has unleashed his Yasuo this season, destroying the KT Bullets with a 12/1/5 scoreline on the champion in his most recent game.
Biggest Disappointment: KT Rolster
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Primed before the season to be one of the main contenders for the title, nothing has gone right for KT Rolster this season. Making the big change to move inSec back to the jungle and KaKAO back to the Arrows squad, there was an expectation that it might take a few games for the Bullets and Arrows to acclimate to their new teams, but no one expected an 0-3 start. While the Arrows have picked up a few victories for KT Rolster, coming up big in a few Masters Matches to pick up a few precious points for the struggling KT squad, the Bullets have gone 0-4 in their four games this season, failing to pick up a single victory so far this season. With games remaining against leading SK Telecom T1 and third place CJ Entus, KT Rolster's playoffs hopes are hanging by a thread.
Biggest Surprise: Incredible Miracle
The opposite of the KT Rolster teams, Incredible Miracle were pegged as one of the bottom two teams with Jin Air at the beginning of the season. Following a 0-3 loss to the favorites SK Telecom T1 to kick off their campaign, they've kept their playoffs hopes alive with a 2-1 victory against the KT Bullets in their second game, and pushing CJ Entus to the brink in a close 1-2 loss in their most recent match. Rounding back into form after being fodder for teams the last few Champions seasons, IM #1 have had a strong season, pulling off huge upsets against the Bullets and Blaze to the surprise of many. MidKing and Smeb, two players who were criticized heavily for their form in the past few seasons, have turned things around in a positive sense in this season of Masters, both players coming up huge when their team has needed them. While they still sit in fifth place, they're only two wins out of their last three from giving themselves a chance at making a stunning playoff run.
Most Valuable Player: Faker (SK Telecom T1 K)
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Dade and PawN have played amazingly well in bringing Samsung to a 3-0 record, but there is no question on who is MVP so far through the first half of the games in Masters. With 44 kills, only 9 deaths and 68 assists, Faker sits at a 12.4 KDA in his first seven games of the season, not dropping a single match so far. Playing in three of the four Masters Matches, Faker has led his SK Telecom T1 team to a perfect 4-0 start to the season and top of the tables. Having games where he went untouched on Lulu and Ziggs, Faker has continued his dominance in the mid lane, looking to add another title to his ongoing collection.
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