KT sacrifices Nagne to defeat Team SoloMid

Riot·Oct 2, 2015·1 votes·12,218 views

Team SoloMid became the first North American team to suffer the agony of defeat at the 2015 World Championship after losing to KT Rolster on Friday.

After Day 1's surprises, the opening game of Day 2 went about as you'd expect between these two teams -- low kill counts, good vision control, and the sure-fire strategy for international tournaments: Camp Marcus "Dyrus" Hill.

Dong-bin "Score" Go and KT support player Jong-beom "Piccaboo" Lee have been the keys to KT's success because of their ganks, jungle invades, and vision control, and Friday's match against TSM was no different. "We didn't plan on camping Dyrus, but it just kind of happened that way," Score said. "After our scrims the past few days, we realized we wanted to prioritize the early game. We saw TSM going for an invade on Blue side, so we invaded their Blue side."

It just so happened that KT managed to get a free kill on Dyrus in the process. "Dyrus was kind of wandering around and didn't really know where to go or what to do. That was the main factor to flip the game for us."

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Throughout the mid game, TSM found themselves getting caught out and lacking a lot of direction, apart from Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg. TSM's mid laner presented a problem that KT didn't try to mitigate, and instead decided to focus on getting their side lanes ahead. "Bjergsen is a really good player, but because we focused more on the side lanes, mid was relatively open," Score said. He then laughed and added, "To win the game, we had to sacrifice Nagne."

Good thing it worked.

Despite Sang-moon "Nagne" Kim's noble sacrifice to the the demigod from Denmark, KT capitalized on TSM's mistakes to take key objectives -- like when they caught Lucas "Santorin" Tao Kilmer Larsen in the mid game and turned it into two tower kills. And TSM's ill-advised Baron attempt that lead to a Baron of their own.

Score credits their strong play down the stretch to their improved mindset. "I think as a team, we've grown a lot," Score said. "Our mental capacity to focus after mistakes has improved. I think if we had a bad early game like this [earlier in the season], we wouldn't have done so well. But now we're able to overcome those mistakes."

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KT will need their mental fortitude to overcome their extremely challenging Group D opponents. "LGD's main strength is the bottom lane with Imp and Pyl. Our main tactic is to not let him grow to much and get ahead."

And Origen?

"Since we're in Europe [Origen's home ground], that aspect is in Origen's favor. But otherwise, we have experience beating them in the past [in scrims] and aren't scared of them."

After Origen's upset win over LGD Gaming, maybe they should be.

You can find out if KT can bring down LGD Gaming Saturday at 16:00 Central European Summer Time.

Frank Fields is a Senior Editor for Riot Games Esports Web Content team. Talk to him on Twitter about ordered lists, where your comments will be assimilated into the Matrix. You can also find him in Solo Queue in the Diamond 5 retirement home.

15 Comments

Legacy of RaOct 2, 20154 votes

Even while TSM is still praised as one of the "best" teams from North America, I stick by my opinion that they didn't play well enough -- or really deserve -- to attend Worlds this year. All throughout the split, we've seen a devolving team that, unfortunately, appears racked with complacency and an inability to adapt. We saw a glimmer of change a few weeks ago, where they broke away from their telegraphed strategy of depending solely on Bjerg to deliver them from poor play, but now that they're Worlds... it seems they've fallen back into that horrible habit once again.

It's shameful that "camping Dyrus" is still a viable strategy, and a borderline must-do against, TSM at this point. These international teams are going to continue expose how single-minded TSM is as a team, both in their play and understanding of the game, and punish them for relying on their "demigod" midlaner that, over the course of this season, has proven to be entirely fallible and nowhere near as good as the fanbase hypes him up to be. Is Bjerg talented? Yes, but he isn't going to be able to carry the mediocrity of TSM like he used to. Almost every team around them is growing, evolving, and sadly, it's becoming quite clear that Solo Mid is being left behind.

CJ Entus DragonOct 3, 20151 votes

How the times are changing... remember when SK attended worlds last year? Now they're relegated to CS. Most of the big names we're used to are dying at this point, supplanted by new blood. The future of LCS is gonna be intriguing.

Lag JunkieOct 2, 20151 votes

Wow...Fuck

MrBartonOct 2, 20151 votes

I agree completely with Young BLK. However I feel that the biggest crutch on TSM has to be dyrus. Throughout the season he has constantly been out of position, staying in lane way to long allowing himself to be ganked multiple times and does not really contribute to the overall team in any significant way in most games (other than cannon fodder). And this seems to be the case in almost every game I watch of TSM. I feel if they replaced Dyrus with a top laner who was more rounded with champions other than just bruisers and had a better sense of map awareness the team overall would play much better. I'm not saying that Dyrus is a bad player; I think that he is excellent in his own right but I don't feel that he is ready for worlds.

trogdorrrrrrOct 2, 20151 votes

Agreed. Dyrus had a good run but its time to put the mouse down. item 3245

woodvsmurphOct 2, 20154 votes

I'd actually beg to differ. Dyrus is not as bad as everyone makes him out to be. The problem is his team leaving him out to dry without gaining a bigger advantage for it. When he gets absolutely no help most games, gets dove 3v1 or 2v1 repeatedly, even if he survives by playing well he will slowly fall too far behind in xp, gold, etc. to compete with his opponent top. If TSM is too lazy to give him the help Bjergsen would get in the same situation or even half that amount of help, then they need to be punishing their opponents in mid and bot for it. TSM doesn't though. The honest truth is that aside from a 3 game stretch where Dyrus was allowed to be a carry this summer, TSM seems incapable of playing anything other than a mid carry comp. Is that the fault of side lanes or is it that Bjergsen only knows how to play when he can delete a squishy from the enemy team? If you watch games where Bjerg gets behind, he gets a ton of ganks, tp's and roams to get him back to relevance. When Dyrus gets half that help -- he does just fine. Honestly I think the biggest issue is Bjerg is trying to do too much and plays (be it his choice or other's) like he needs to be ahead mid and carry the game. If you look at Godv from China and how he used to play vs how he plays now, I thing Bjerg is playing like the Godv of old -- everything centers around him to defecit of team. If bot or mid is 1v3 or 2v4 all game, you look at the other 2 lanes and wonder why they are not applying pressure and punishing for camping mid or bot. So why is it top's fault if they get camped by 2-3 members and their team does nothing to punish their opponents for that?

Supernova91Oct 3, 20152 votes

Ssumday was as focused as Dyrus in the early game, but Dyrus fed and Ssumday didn't. Dyrus just isn't very good anymore. Santorin wasn't much help though.

Legacy of RaOct 3, 20151 votes

I agree with you. While I don't feel that Dyrus is an incredible top laner, I do feel that he's blamed for a lot of TSM's problems when, in all honesty, it isn't his fault. Everyone who knows anything about TSM knows their strategy has always revolved around leaving Dyrus stranded in gank-city, while focusing almost all of their efforts on getting Bjerg ahead. In the long run, Santorin was probably the worst pick-up they could have had. Not only does he lack presence and impact -- Bjerg is a very talented player and doesn't need too much help getting started -- but he's utterly incapable of providing Dyrus with the assistance that he needs. He's more content to farm Krugs while his top laner is getting farmed than to actually step into lane and give him some reinforcement.

You need the proper tools in order to succeed in anything that you do, and unfortunately, Dyrus just isn't being given any of them. The fact of the matter is that no matter who fills the role, if you're being offered as a sacrifice to the wolves, you're going to die.

JonnOct 2, 20151 votes

InphernalOct 2, 20151 votes

This season has been much more difficult for me to adapt to as well, not nearly as smoothly as the other seasons. A lot of polishing and game balance has made a lot more champs and items viable

FR0GMANOct 3, 20151 votes

now just to be clear...I dont think it is all dyrus fault. I will be honest I m a big TSM hater, however I feel like TSM stragey as a team has fallen off the way side. you look at every other team at worlds and the focus is 90% not in the mid lane ...and TSM constanly focus the mid and get nothing for it. the LB pick is dumb in my opinion even the casters were saying LB is only good in a team that has damage in another lane which was not the case today. TSM have just fell behind the train this year and need new people to refresh the team especailly 911 in the Jung top is up in the air however santorin is cleary just made for NA and that it his international play is just bismal item 3073 RIP 2015 TSM

Legacy of RaOct 3, 20151 votes

That's exactly my point. I wasn't trying to single out Dyrus as a player, but rather, the fact that Solo Mid knows that he needs more support but knowingly denies him it. Rather than balance their resources and alternate their strategy to better assist their overly-neglected top laner, they simply leave him alone to fed for himself (which almost always backfires) and try to coddle Bjerg the entire game.

Daffodi1Oct 3, 20151 votes

I think TSM is better than they play both as individuals and as a team. I'd like to see Dyrus back onto Sion, not olaf. Santorion on Sejuani. Bjerg on Xerath. WildTurtle on Graves or Kalista. And Lustboy on Lulu.

Lol.