The Recap: LPL Week 9
Riot·4/21/2014, 8:36:47 PM·0 votes·1,147 views
After extremely strong performances against Royal Club and LGD Gaming, Invictus Gaming and World Elite split a series rife with off-meta picks. WE locked in third place this week. OMG tested out Patch 4.5 strategies in a dominating series against LGD. In slightly more serious sets, Edward Gaming defeated RC, and Energy Pacemaker split even with Positive Energy as the two fought to avoid last place.
It may have taken an entire split for iG to find their groove, but it's safe to say that nearly every member has found a place to shine in 2014; Kitties is no exception. His Thresh play could not help but hook our attention as he managed to consistently lock down priority targets against both LGD and WE. His acquisition by iG has bolstered the prowess of their bottom lane, even the international stage, and it's about time he got some recognition from us.
Conan
This week featured strong performances in the support role on both iG and WE. Conan's exceptional play on support Vel'Koz and Thresh came as a breath of fresh air after weeks of wondering if Conan was simply out of his depth on WE's lineup. Conan proved himself both skilled and innovative this week, and we're excited to see more from him in the summer split.
xiyang
With rumors surfacing that Cool will return next week for OMG's final bout against iG, it seems like a good time to give LPL's top MVP point earner a proper send-off—and he certainly earned it. Not only did he find solo kills against LGD's Rena, but his performances on Twisted Fate made us question whether or not LPL really was still on Patch 4.4. If OMG has decided to replace xiyang with Cool so close to All-Stars, one has to wonder if it's a mistake—or if Cool is really just that good.
In the first game between iG and WE, WE won with something a little unconventional: specifically, Amumu jungle, Lulu top, Ziggs mid, Twitch ADC, and Vel'Koz support. That didn't prepare anyone for Gangplank top and Karthus jungle in the second game. WE put on their best effort to give fans a good show in one of China's oldest and now friendly rivalries before the serious grudge match next week against Edward Gaming.
The second game between OMG and LGD was nearly as light-hearted as the one between iG and WE; LGD was seriously out-matched. This didn't stop excitement from peaking when both Gogoing's Ryze and Star's Riven escaped the ban hammer. Both players were given a wide berth to duke it out man-on-man, but the 1v1 turned out just as one-sided as the rest of the game, despite expectations. Star's Riven fell drastically behind Gogoing's Ryze, setting the final stake in LGD's morale and leading to a 20 minute surrender vote.
For more updates on 2014 LPL Spring, check out lolesports.com.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Invictus Gaming vs Royal Club Game 2 - Get the VOD here The first game of this series featured a strong counter-strategy to the four-man siege, but this second game was less one-sided. Uzi took off in his lane on Vayne early, but coordination between Zzitai, Kitties, and Kid saw Uzi systematically eliminated in fights. Kitties predicted Uzi's flashes as a result of Zzitai's Shockwaves to catch him out. Though both Uzi and Kmi played well, the whole of iG had the perfect answer to RC's single damage threat to turn the game. OMG vs LGD Gaming Game 1 - Get the VOD here Not all of the best games are tense and back and forth; some are decisive and awe-inspiring. OMG's strategy and play this game were nearly impeccable as they previewed what they might have in store for the All-Stars Invitational. Bigpomelo's Nunu synergized well with both Gogoing's Jax and san's Jinx—the first Jinx we've seen in LPL—and xiyang's control in fights and 1v1 situations reminded viewers why xiyang is as synonymous with Syndra in China as Froggen is with Anivia in Europe. World Elite vs Invictus Gaming Game 2 - Get the VOD here As a reprieve from some of the tense games this week, World Elite and Invictus Gaming, the oldest Chinese LoL rivalry, decided to give fans a couple games that one might only call show matches. Comfortable in an ensured third place, World Elite came out with Karthus jungle and Gangplank top lane—no one expected the GP TP! IG was playing to secure fourth place over LGD, so they took the game a little more seriously, but both teams made an effort to give long-time fans a break and a bit of relief; after struggling for most of the split, iG and WE sit in the top four.BIG PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Kitties
It may have taken an entire split for iG to find their groove, but it's safe to say that nearly every member has found a place to shine in 2014; Kitties is no exception. His Thresh play could not help but hook our attention as he managed to consistently lock down priority targets against both LGD and WE. His acquisition by iG has bolstered the prowess of their bottom lane, even the international stage, and it's about time he got some recognition from us.
Conan
This week featured strong performances in the support role on both iG and WE. Conan's exceptional play on support Vel'Koz and Thresh came as a breath of fresh air after weeks of wondering if Conan was simply out of his depth on WE's lineup. Conan proved himself both skilled and innovative this week, and we're excited to see more from him in the summer split.
xiyang
With rumors surfacing that Cool will return next week for OMG's final bout against iG, it seems like a good time to give LPL's top MVP point earner a proper send-off—and he certainly earned it. Not only did he find solo kills against LGD's Rena, but his performances on Twisted Fate made us question whether or not LPL really was still on Patch 4.4. If OMG has decided to replace xiyang with Cool so close to All-Stars, one has to wonder if it's a mistake—or if Cool is really just that good.
SURPRISE OF THE WEEK
World Elite's pick/ban shakeup
In the first game between iG and WE, WE won with something a little unconventional: specifically, Amumu jungle, Lulu top, Ziggs mid, Twitch ADC, and Vel'Koz support. That didn't prepare anyone for Gangplank top and Karthus jungle in the second game. WE put on their best effort to give fans a good show in one of China's oldest and now friendly rivalries before the serious grudge match next week against Edward Gaming.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK
Star's Riven fails to deliver in the 1v1 against Gogoing's Ryze
The second game between OMG and LGD was nearly as light-hearted as the one between iG and WE; LGD was seriously out-matched. This didn't stop excitement from peaking when both Gogoing's Ryze and Star's Riven escaped the ban hammer. Both players were given a wide berth to duke it out man-on-man, but the 1v1 turned out just as one-sided as the rest of the game, despite expectations. Star's Riven fell drastically behind Gogoing's Ryze, setting the final stake in LGD's morale and leading to a 20 minute surrender vote.
For more updates on 2014 LPL Spring, check out lolesports.com.
