Challenger Titans Duke it Out on the Rift

With the conclusion of the NA CS drawing ever closer and the LCS Promotion Tournament looming on the horizon, the final four teams have been locked in for the semi-final match coming up next week. The challenger scene is ever evolving, and the teams have been getting strides better each week, so be sure to stay caught up on all the action you might have missed over the IEM break! Note: Complexity Black had to forfeit their entire set due to technical difficulties. Players weren’t able to connect to the lobby in order to fulfill the roster requirements and they were disqualified. More information about disqualifications can be found within the Challenger Series Rules.

Games/Plays of the Week

Zekent’s Surprise Tibbers Though not the most impactful play of the game, the sheer amount of control he exerted over the wards which allowed this play to happen is incredibly impressive. By the end of the game, CA had three sweepers compared to CLR’s one and the total ward count was significantly weighted in CA’s favor. With total ward control, Zekent was able to casually skip into the backline of CLR and decimate them with a huge Tibbers Stun which set up for a couple of kills and an objective push.

Overachiever of the Week

Curse Academy’s Pat - Hyper aggression combined with expert roaming defined Pat’s play over the course of their semifinal set. Not only did he prevent Jezie, col.Red’s top laner, from gaining any ground in the matches, he also kept NK Inc from being able to effectively gank. The pressure he applied single handedly controlled the flow of the game and led directly to Curse Academy’s win in the set.

Surprise of the Week

Curse Academy’s Ward Control - Though the ward game is usually overlooked, one of the key factors in Curse Academy’s win revolved around controlling and maintaining the vision across the map. They kept control so well that Zekent’s Annie could effectively sneak up behind Col.Red and drop a Tibbers on their entire team.

Disappointment of the Week

compLexity Red’s Teamwork Col.Red has always had a reliance on Goldenglue and NK Inc to carry, but this week it was pretty ridiculous. They seemed to be all over the place and never in sync with each other after both of their main carries fell behind. Unfortunately, it also cost them the set. They’ll need other members of the team to step up their game in the next few matches or they risk losing out on their LCS dreams. Be sure to check out the semi-finals of the NA NCS coming at you on Saturday, March 22nd and 23rd. For a full detailed schedule and statistics be sure to check out the Lolesports Challenger Page.

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