Boards›Esports

My predictions for the C9/IMT and TSM/CLG series

Laughing Fish·8/15/2016, 9:20:19 PM·7 votes·2,086 views

Damn this weekend is going to be awesome. I expect both series will be close, but someone has to win. So without further ado, here are my predictions for the series, and for the individual lane match-ups:

#IMT 3-1 C9 While the battles may be hard fought, this match-up favors IMT. Cloud 9 is good at adjusting between matches, and will likely pull off one successful strategy, but IMT's raw talent and superior in-game adjustments will ensure their victory.

Top lane: Advantage IMT Impact is good, and will not go down easily. But unless IMT does something foolish like put Huni on Lucian, I expect IMT to win this due to Huni's synergy with Reignover. It is worth noting however that Huni can get tilted in high-stress games, which gives Impact a fighting chance of win this one.

Jungle: Advantage IMT Meteos is far from bad, but Reignover is an absolute beast. His synergy with Huni is phenomenal, and his ability to great pressure on the map is second to no one in NA. This match-up heavily favors IMT

Mid: Advantage C9 Pobelter is a reliable, safe mid lane. He always does well. But after last week's dominant performance, Jensen is a force to be reckoned with. Unless Reignover manages to starve Jensen early, this is a clear advantage for Cloud 9

ADC: Advantage C9 Sneaky is in my opinion a very underrated ADC. He has not been able to play with a reliable support for awhile now (with Hai retiring again, and C9 switching back and forth between Smoothie and Bunny Fufu for most the year), and yet despite their support troubles he has performed at a very admirable level. WildTurtle on the other hand, while he may appear better at first, has far more support from his jungler and support, and has performed poorly if he falls behind. This is a slight advantage for C9.

Support: Advantage IMT As previously stated, C9's support situation has been a mess. Smoothie is not exceptional, whereas Adrian is aurgubly the greatest support in NA. This match-up heavily favors IMT.

#TSM 3-2 CLG I expect this series to be a close one. TSM may be a clear favorite, but CLG dies hard. CLG is still the team that has won NA the last two splits and performed quite well at MSI. But they lack focus, and it shows. I expect CLG to step up their game against their long-time rivals TSM, but ultimately TSM is the best team in NA, and I expect them to overcome.

Top: Advantage TSM Darshan may have been the best top laner in NA not that long ago, but he is slipping. As the meta has changed, he has had trouble adapting. Hauntzer on the other hand has adapted quite well. He is able to play a wide variety of roles, and make them all work. Hauntzer has also proven himself to be a devastating team fighter as well as a dominant lane opponent.

Jungle: Tie This was a hard match-up to judge. Svenskeren is a top tier jungler, but the versatility and reliability of Xsmithie is hard to beat. Honestly, this one could go either way.

Mid: Advantage TSM Huni isn't bad, not by any standard. But the Bjerger King is on a whole other level. With a 7.1 KDA and 73% Kill participation, there are very few players that compete with Bjergsen. Huhi's only chance will be to create enough pressure that Bjergsen can't roam, and hope his team can carry him through.

ADC: Advantage TSM Stixxay is a very good ADC, but Doublelift is having the split of his career. He is breaking records, dismantling very skilled teams, and driving TSM to greater heights. Doublelift is quite probably the best player in NA currently, and has the clear advantage.

Support: Advantage CLG This was an easy one. While Biofrost may be very mechanically skilled, Aphromoo is one of NA's most experienced and successful players. Biofrost can make some extremely clutch plays, and should not be counted out, but Aphromoo's intelligence, macro play, and experience in the playoffs gives him the clear advantage.

30 Comments

WoonStruck8/15/2016, 9:31:59 PM3 votes

TBH, I think TSM is gunna crush CLG much harder than you expect. Unless they choke. They're prone to doing that at times.

Toa of Death8/21/2016, 2:21:49 AM3 votes

Well, your predictions so far have jinxed IMT.

TheSequelsRBad8/15/2016, 11:55:17 PM3 votes

I am a Cloud9 and CLG fan, I will never betray them (especially C9), no matter how dark the circumstances.

Let the downvoters shower their hate!

#Cloud9win

#CLGwin.

Xantak8/16/2016, 7:20:11 AM2 votes

I think the finals will be IMT vs TSM. Though TSM has a monopoly on real estate in IMT's head, and it could possibly be the %%%%% in IMT's armor during the semifinal match between IMT and C9. I also think that Darshan peaked at MSI, same with Aphromoo, whereas TSM has been devastating in every match series except the one against P1. Biofrost has been making his case for ripping the crown out of Aphromoo's grasp for NA's best support all split.

I see it as IMT 3-2 vs C9, and TSM 3-0 or 3-1 vs CLG. I believe that while TSM was on postseason break, that most likely they were hammering out the practice hard and improving further, just like the Korean bootcamp while MSI was going on. You also have TSM reaching every split finals going for them.

WatchDogs Legion8/16/2016, 12:49:19 AM2 votes

Your POV on both support about TSM vs CLG is much base on your opinion

Aphromoo? Advantage over Biofrost? Biofrost may not be as good with his micro/macro play because he's a rookie in LCS, but Mechanic wise he's way better than Aphromoo and that alone should not give him Advantage?????

Just because Aphromoo is a Vet. doesn't mean he's the shit with advantage. Look at fucking Kiwikid, fucking Vet. as well, don't want to be a hater but he fucking suck. It's time for him to leave the scene.

Biofrost is playing and syncing with DL way better than Aphromoo when he was DL support for 3-4 year. It only took Biofrost 1 split to do it. Biofrost don't really need to know his micro/macro play as he got that cover for him with his Team mates. Just like Staxxay got Aphromoo for that. (Basically don't just give advantage to a player base on micro/macro play) Sure it has some to do with the game, but from Mechanic, making plays, getting your team kill? Biofrost done that way better than Aphromoo

DREADN0UGHT8/15/2016, 9:23:38 PM2 votes

I don't think its going to be much of a surprise for Cloud9 and Immortals. IMT is clearly better, and I'm going to put my bet on it for sure.

For TSM and CLG, not sure really. I'm a big TSM fan and they've stomped so hard this split, but you have to respect CLG's strengths.

I'm not big for these kinds of predictions so I'll just see how it goes.

Smart Kitty8/16/2016, 4:28:57 AM1 votes

I think C9 will beat IMT, I want CLG to beat TSM, but the way TSM is playing right now makes it difficult to believe they'll pull it off, but I gotta root for em anyways.

FlashNeko8/16/2016, 11:26:09 PM1 votes

Honestly, at this point it's kind of hard to tell because these series will be the first time we see TSM and IMT in a post-Australia Lanes meta.

As we've seen in the past, such massive changes in how you start the game off can reek havoc on what would have been a sure thing in the older meta. CLG and C9 already having "live fire" experience with it while TSM and IMT have only had scrims could quite possibly make more of a difference than you'd think.

This is especially true in TSM's case given that traditionally, for whatever reason, they've always been slow to adapt to this level of change... except in the past such changes were at the start of a season while this is the playoffs. Now the team is different enough that might no longer be true but history does have a gloriously nasty tendency to repeat itself.

Basically I'm hoping C9 and/or CLG win so I'll have someone I actually WANT to root for in the Finals/At Worlds.

Yfrappefort8/17/2016, 1:31:10 AM1 votes

I pretty much think the same way you did, except I believe C9 will bring it to 5 games against Immortals. Their last week gave them huge momentum and it will surely show in the series, but in the end I doubt it will be enough to defeat Immortals.

TSM has no reason to lose VS CLG. I am not a fan of them, but they are clearly the best team in NA atm. Even if CLG is a tough nut to crac, unless TSM draft bad and don't adapt to certains matchups (like VS Phoenix1), they should win it.

I just hope there won't be too many stomp and hopefully no 3-0.

Veraska8/17/2016, 12:16:24 PM1 votes

I think both TSM and IMT will win their series 3-0 honestly they know how to win early, hard, and consistently

TBakes8/19/2016, 3:32:17 PM1 votes

I agree with almost everything you stated above. I think C9's win condition is if Impact can "absorb" the pressure of Reignover-Huni in the top lane and Meteos focuses bot and mid. This is something I am confident Impact can do, but it will more heavily rely on Meteos enabling Jensen and Sneaky to become the carry monsters they are while containing Huni's carry potential. Individually, the argument can be made that Immortals are better, but I think this new patch/meta will tilt the odds more in favor of C9 than the regular split. I expect it to be an even showdown with longer games.

TSM-CLG will be interesting to watch too. I expect it to be 3-0 because I think CLG have been tilted from the whole split, but they also have potential to win the whole thing. It is hard to tell. They have had time to practice, the patch/meta has changed, etc. There are some variables that could change TSM's dominance. I am looking forward to these games though.

Kal Vas Flam8/20/2016, 5:29:00 AM1 votes

As much as I love C9, I think they actually adjust rather poorly. They're a snowball team and kick ass when they get a lead, but falter hard when they're behind. The good news though is if they can beat IMT they got a shot at going all the way.

Communist Toast8/16/2016, 4:34:28 AM1 votes

IMT can easily beat C9, if they focus. IMT has what appears to be a bad streak of thinking they are god's gift to league. they make really dumb calls and dumb picks in the past cause they don't seem to take anyone serious. cause they think they are just naturally better.

TSM should beat CLG I think too, unless CLG plays some wild champs like P1 did and destroyed them