Baron Smasher - LPL's Baron Focus
Riot·4/16/2014, 9:33:53 PM·0 votes·1,253 views
With the dominating record OMG has had this Spring (dropping only 2 of 24 of their games in LPL), one might expect their matches to be crisp, 20 to 30 minute smashes with little or no concern wasted on acquiring a late game objective like Baron Nashor. But in reality, 33 Barons have been taken in games involving OMG, which means OMG has dealt with the buff either through wearing it or facing opponents who grab it more than any other LPL team this split.
Many LPL teams have caught up to the fast-paced play-making that nets early dragons and towers, but few have mastered vision control and coordination in teamfights—a deadly combination that makes Baron an easy way to get ahead.
EDG fell behind more than 10k gold in this game, and still only narrowly lost in a base race at 54 minutes.
A key part of this strategy seems to center around Baron. The top four ranked teams, OMG, EDG, Team WE, and LGD Gaming, are the only teams that acquire more than 50% of the Barons in their games, with OMG in particular acquiring 73% of the 33 Barons taken in their games. Of the six games where more than two Barons were taken, at least one of these four teams was involved, with half of them being games between two of these teams. This could be a coincidence, since winning teams often get more Baron buffs, but combining it with the game length and Baron per game statistics makes Baron seem more like a cause than a byproduct.
Baron can also be something of a detriment. LPL's tendency to constantly engage fights has made them somewhat dependent on the buff. As a result, even when teams have massive gold leads, they will hesitate to close games without Baron and will hover around the pit, waiting for an opportunity to take it.
Even with a 15k gold lead and no vision on Energy Pacemaker, WE goes for Baron.
This combination of factors leads to long, back and forth games where teams wait for Baron to spawn multiple times before making the final push. This style of play is predictable, so the best teams have established strategies for controlling the pit and mitigating the damage done by steals.
In this game between LGD and OMG, most of the wards on the map were gathered around Baron after 25 minutes.
As the understanding of warding in the 2014 season develops in LPL, many teams have taken to sprinkling wards across the map in less than optimal locations, but the best teams focus wards mostly on where they intend to make plays, and warding Baron is likely the most effective use of vision. Vision is an area where Chinese teams can hope to grow, so any wards will grant a massive advantage—like a free Baron, for example.
One thing to take a closer look at would be the relative gold leads when Baron comes into play. In many games, it seems EDG in particular will be behind in gold when Baron is taken. Yet one fight in the pit will allow them to find kills, Baron gold, and an all-important team-fighting buff that puts them back in the game. Given EDG's style, Baron is the most important objective in the game—so much so that they've surrendered in at least two games after it has been taken by the enemy team.
As OMG can adapt to a variety of styles and can play the early game well, Baron might not be the end-all, be-all for them. But because of the way EDG plays, one has to wonder just how much of their success can be attributed to the master of the pit. Baron Nashor could very well be the gatekeeper of LPL's playoffs.
THE LONGEST GAME
It's clear after Positive Energy crushed through the early games in their series against Edward Gaming that almost any team in LPL is capable of finding small advantages to snowball into the mid and late games. What separates the top four ranked teams from the bottom is the ability to command the late game. OMG and EDG, the top two teams of LPL in terms of wins and losses, have the longest average game times at 37 minutes and 38 minutes, 40 seconds respectively. Even when these teams fall behind early, they're able to stall, win smart fights, and turn games.
EDG fell behind more than 10k gold in this game, and still only narrowly lost in a base race at 54 minutes.
A key part of this strategy seems to center around Baron. The top four ranked teams, OMG, EDG, Team WE, and LGD Gaming, are the only teams that acquire more than 50% of the Barons in their games, with OMG in particular acquiring 73% of the 33 Barons taken in their games. Of the six games where more than two Barons were taken, at least one of these four teams was involved, with half of them being games between two of these teams. This could be a coincidence, since winning teams often get more Baron buffs, but combining it with the game length and Baron per game statistics makes Baron seem more like a cause than a byproduct.
Baron can also be something of a detriment. LPL's tendency to constantly engage fights has made them somewhat dependent on the buff. As a result, even when teams have massive gold leads, they will hesitate to close games without Baron and will hover around the pit, waiting for an opportunity to take it.
Even with a 15k gold lead and no vision on Energy Pacemaker, WE goes for Baron.
This combination of factors leads to long, back and forth games where teams wait for Baron to spawn multiple times before making the final push. This style of play is predictable, so the best teams have established strategies for controlling the pit and mitigating the damage done by steals.
NOW YOU SEE IT
Baron's vast quantity of eyes is a hint. Teams need vision of Baron if they hope to find success. The top teams don't just have vision of Baron when they take it, but they have vision when their opponents grab it as well. All four top ranked teams have vision of more than 90% of Barons taken in their games. Now, this can be a bad thing—it can mean they're starting Barons only to have them stolen, which does happen—but in general having vision of an objective when it's in play puts OMG, EDG, WE, and LGD above the rest. PE, in particular, has only had vision of 65% of Barons taken in their games, and they're currently in last place in the LPL standings.
In this game between LGD and OMG, most of the wards on the map were gathered around Baron after 25 minutes.KEY TO SUCCESS
OMG and EDG are praised for their late game coordination. EDG's Koro1 can consistently zone out three or more carries on the enemy team, and OMG's Gogoing has an understanding of map pressure that's nearly unrivaled. San and NaMei have been called the best AD carries in China. This both makes Baron buff desirable and more easily obtained by these teams. With more vision and better coordination, any altercation that takes place in the Baron area is likely to go in OMG or EDG's favor.
One thing to take a closer look at would be the relative gold leads when Baron comes into play. In many games, it seems EDG in particular will be behind in gold when Baron is taken. Yet one fight in the pit will allow them to find kills, Baron gold, and an all-important team-fighting buff that puts them back in the game. Given EDG's style, Baron is the most important objective in the game—so much so that they've surrendered in at least two games after it has been taken by the enemy team.
As OMG can adapt to a variety of styles and can play the early game well, Baron might not be the end-all, be-all for them. But because of the way EDG plays, one has to wonder just how much of their success can be attributed to the master of the pit. Baron Nashor could very well be the gatekeeper of LPL's playoffs.
