The Recap: GPL Summer Week 2
Riot·6/23/2014, 8:34:47 PM·0 votes·486 views
Only two weeks in, and storm clouds are already brewing for the Garena Premier League. The Taiwanese teams might still be on top, scoring an impressive collective 4-0 on Day 2, but it's already getting much harder to maintain their positions. New hotshots Machi were sidelined by an unexpected bout of end-of-week drama, while teams that the Assassins used to roll over are now fighting back with aggression and capability. Complacency kills empires, and the gatekeepers of Southeast Asia's top honors are no exception.
Day 2: Imperium Pro Team vs AHQ Fighter
Imperium Pro Team certainly aren't the 0-10 underdogs they were in spring, showing a level of team cohesion that could have possibly wrung out a few wins last time. That said, going up against AHQ Fighter was a poor way to prove it. though they'd managed to catch AD carry RD out multiple times, it was Lantyr's Zed that was the real threat, and one they simply didn't have an answer to.
Day 3: Bangkok Titans vs Taipei Assassins
The biggest game of the week came from the set that a regular GPL viewer might have written off. The Bangkok Titans have never taken a game off the Assassins in their entire organization's history – and hasn't had a game this close since 2012. At 15 minutes, Warl0ck’s Support Malphite was a plague upon the Taiwanese team - an Unstoppable Force straight through the bot lane, locking up both Bebe and Jay for Lloyd’s momentous Rat-a-Tat-Tat. Victory for the Taiwanese team was only ensured off the back of superior late-game strategies, as the Titans were nonetheless outflanked for turrets.
Zhang "Lantyr" Huai-Cang
Jungle Zed hasn’t been a popular pick for a while, but there's no doubting Lantyr's talent in assassinations. His tremendous mobility was a key factor in their game against Imperium Pro Team. To be frank, their back line simply didn't exist so long as he was on the same side of the map. Teams facing off against AHQ Fighter are going to have to take note, and will likely be eyeing the ban option for Lantyr’s ninja.
Machi e-Sports' sudden loss of two players to bans cut them adrift in the second half of Week 2. Putting organization founder Jeff "BigBrother" Huang in as their new support player wasn't the worst thing to have happened to them – but the loss of team cohesion and communication absolutely was. Their defeat by Wargods very likely would not have happened in any time prior, but it seems as if the team's been so heavily demoralized that anybody can push them over now.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Day 1: Machi e-Sports vs Saigon Fantastic Five Coming into Day 1, nobody knew that this would be the original Machi roster's last game. The bot lane duo of Dee and Dreamer was especially impacting – a combined KDA ratio of 14/2/36 proved just how badly they outmatched the Fantastic Five. Unfortunately, with VanillaV and Golem both caught and banned from professional play on charges of elo-boosting, this will be the last time that the Machi team’s looked so strong. Or, at least, until they cement a new roster
Day 2: Imperium Pro Team vs AHQ Fighter
Imperium Pro Team certainly aren't the 0-10 underdogs they were in spring, showing a level of team cohesion that could have possibly wrung out a few wins last time. That said, going up against AHQ Fighter was a poor way to prove it. though they'd managed to catch AD carry RD out multiple times, it was Lantyr's Zed that was the real threat, and one they simply didn't have an answer to.
Day 3: Bangkok Titans vs Taipei Assassins
The biggest game of the week came from the set that a regular GPL viewer might have written off. The Bangkok Titans have never taken a game off the Assassins in their entire organization's history – and hasn't had a game this close since 2012. At 15 minutes, Warl0ck’s Support Malphite was a plague upon the Taiwanese team - an Unstoppable Force straight through the bot lane, locking up both Bebe and Jay for Lloyd’s momentous Rat-a-Tat-Tat. Victory for the Taiwanese team was only ensured off the back of superior late-game strategies, as the Titans were nonetheless outflanked for turrets.
OVERACHIEVERS OF THE WEEK
Juckkrists "Lloyd" Kungubon The very definition of "overachieving" is taking a perpetual underdog team like the Bangkok Titans, and having them put fear into a champion team. Lloyd's been with the Titans for two splits now, and he's only looking stronger and more ambitious with every passing week.
Zhang "Lantyr" Huai-Cang
Jungle Zed hasn’t been a popular pick for a while, but there's no doubting Lantyr's talent in assassinations. His tremendous mobility was a key factor in their game against Imperium Pro Team. To be frank, their back line simply didn't exist so long as he was on the same side of the map. Teams facing off against AHQ Fighter are going to have to take note, and will likely be eyeing the ban option for Lantyr’s ninja.
SURPRISE OF THE WEEK
Clash of Titans Nobody, least of all TPA, expected that the Assassins would struggle hardest against the Bangkok Titans. Though the dual threat of G4 and Lloyd's caused problems for other teams, it was expected that the reigning champions should have few if any problems in the matchup. All that was tossed out the window just a few minutes into the match. Though the Assassins ultimately won with an overall better strategy and timing, they were the ones losing ground against the relentlessly aggressive BKT onslaught. The Titans might be down near the bottom with a 1-3 record, but given the difficulty of their matchups up until now, there's reasons to believe they might actually make it to playoffs this split.DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK
Empty Stage
Machi e-Sports' sudden loss of two players to bans cut them adrift in the second half of Week 2. Putting organization founder Jeff "BigBrother" Huang in as their new support player wasn't the worst thing to have happened to them – but the loss of team cohesion and communication absolutely was. Their defeat by Wargods very likely would not have happened in any time prior, but it seems as if the team's been so heavily demoralized that anybody can push them over now.
