The Recap: LPL Week 10
Riot·4/28/2014, 9:32:03 PM·1 votes·505 views
It seemed likely LGD Gaming would secure fourth with an easier week, but Positive Energy's Ycc pulled an upset with Twitch jungle. In addition, Invictus Gaming took advantage of OMG's struggles to reacclimate Cool and split the series, taking fourth and finding their way into the playoffs. Royal Club avoided dropping to the promotion by 2-0'ing Energy Pacemaker, who went in their stead. Then World Elite and Edward Gaming closed the week with a serious grudge match followed by something more light-hearted.
The day Positive Energy tied their series against LGD Gaming was the day Invictus Gaming was gifted fourth place by Twitch jungle. As an AD carry main, Ycc has lacked opportunities to shine, but in this second game he was able to fall back on a comfort bottom lane pick. His ganks were well-positioned and well-timed, proving that he has jungle blood in his veins; but his familiarity with Twitch made him truly deadly as he nearly single-handedly found the win for his team.
Zzitai
Zzitai is well known for his vast champion pool and ability to play a wide variety of pocket picks. His Zed play against OMG was no exception. We haven't seen much Zed in LPL this split, but when Zzitai brought it out, it was like he had never left. His play-making was polished, and his ability to rely on Zed's mobility bought his team time to find objectives, paving the way for Invictus Gaming to tie against OMG.
Uzi
Uzi's performances have seemed shy of his dominance at his peak during the Season 3 World Championships, but this week saw him and kmi play their way out of relegations. After a poor showing as Vayne against Energy Pacemaker the last time these two teams met, Uzi rectified the situation with a near twenty minute victory. He then pulled out Miss Fortune and proved that the pick is definitely worth playing after Patch 4.5.
During the off-season, everyone was betting on iG as a top contender for first place. It might seem like a disappointment that they instead barely found a seed into the playoffs. IG, however, started out the split near the bottom at around seventh place and couldn't find a 2-0 for nearly seven weeks when their climb began. Going into this week, the teams were practically tied and LGD needed only to 2-0 Positive Energy, the last place team, to secure the spot; meanwhile, iG would have to face OMG, the first place team. In a twist, both series went 1-1, and iG scooted into fourth place with the advantage of a single point in the standings.
Any follower of OMG knows that Cool had the most MVP points of 2013 LPL Summer, while xiyang topped the individual standings in 2014 LPL Spring. The decision between the two mid laners seemed extremely difficult when Cool returned from his time off, but when OMG chose to go with Cool, hopes were high. Misplays on both Yasuo and Nidalee, however, led to disappointment and potentially cost OMG the second game against iG. While it's possible Cool will return to his prime and prove himself a stronger contender for mid lane, those who grew accustomed to xiyang's exemplary Syndra play are now hoping OMG will change their minds if they find success with him at All-Stars.
For more updates on 2014 LPL Spring, check out lolesports.com.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
LGD vs Positive Energy Game 2 - Get the VOD here After losing handily to LGD Gaming in the previous set, Ycc decided to take matters in his own hands and showed off his AD carry stripes. With a jungle Twitch locked in, LGD couldn't quite tell what hit them. Ycc roamed the map, finding early kills and advantages for his laners, snowballing PE out of control. What PE then lacked in coordination, they made up in raw itemization, and closed the game against LGD in 21 minutes. OMG vs Invictus Gaming Game 2 - Get the VOD here OMG's Cool returned to the mid lane for this series with less than stellar results, but that doesn't mean that Zzitai didn't play his heart out. His great Zed escape called to mind Faker's Zed outplay against KT Rolster Bullets as the rest of iG took mid lane turrets. The other four iG players had a strong showing, and on OMG's side, Allen's Alistar joined the ranks of accomplished play-makers. OMG's experimental composition may raise eyebrows, but iG earned their fourth place seed. World Elite vs Edward Gaming Game 1 - Get the VOD here Despite the Annie top lane, this was one of LPL's more serious games this week. Both World Elite and Edward Gaming made a strong showing to rival the back-and-forth nature of their earlier set. WeiXiao was able to pick up a Quadrakill on Jinx; however, a lack of engage and sense of structure toward late game gave Edward Gaming the win. EDG's coordination shone through, but they also showed off the strides they've made to control early game vision by picking up all but one of the game's dragons.TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
Ycc
The day Positive Energy tied their series against LGD Gaming was the day Invictus Gaming was gifted fourth place by Twitch jungle. As an AD carry main, Ycc has lacked opportunities to shine, but in this second game he was able to fall back on a comfort bottom lane pick. His ganks were well-positioned and well-timed, proving that he has jungle blood in his veins; but his familiarity with Twitch made him truly deadly as he nearly single-handedly found the win for his team.
Zzitai
Zzitai is well known for his vast champion pool and ability to play a wide variety of pocket picks. His Zed play against OMG was no exception. We haven't seen much Zed in LPL this split, but when Zzitai brought it out, it was like he had never left. His play-making was polished, and his ability to rely on Zed's mobility bought his team time to find objectives, paving the way for Invictus Gaming to tie against OMG.
Uzi
Uzi's performances have seemed shy of his dominance at his peak during the Season 3 World Championships, but this week saw him and kmi play their way out of relegations. After a poor showing as Vayne against Energy Pacemaker the last time these two teams met, Uzi rectified the situation with a near twenty minute victory. He then pulled out Miss Fortune and proved that the pick is definitely worth playing after Patch 4.5.
SURPRISE OF THE WEEK
Invictus Gaming claims fourth place
During the off-season, everyone was betting on iG as a top contender for first place. It might seem like a disappointment that they instead barely found a seed into the playoffs. IG, however, started out the split near the bottom at around seventh place and couldn't find a 2-0 for nearly seven weeks when their climb began. Going into this week, the teams were practically tied and LGD needed only to 2-0 Positive Energy, the last place team, to secure the spot; meanwhile, iG would have to face OMG, the first place team. In a twist, both series went 1-1, and iG scooted into fourth place with the advantage of a single point in the standings.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK
Cool's return performance
Any follower of OMG knows that Cool had the most MVP points of 2013 LPL Summer, while xiyang topped the individual standings in 2014 LPL Spring. The decision between the two mid laners seemed extremely difficult when Cool returned from his time off, but when OMG chose to go with Cool, hopes were high. Misplays on both Yasuo and Nidalee, however, led to disappointment and potentially cost OMG the second game against iG. While it's possible Cool will return to his prime and prove himself a stronger contender for mid lane, those who grew accustomed to xiyang's exemplary Syndra play are now hoping OMG will change their minds if they find success with him at All-Stars.
For more updates on 2014 LPL Spring, check out lolesports.com.
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