The Final Fight: Season 4 with Samsung White's imp

The Final Fight is a series where we catch up with World Champions from Seasons 1-4 and have them recount the special moments before and after they took down the Nexus to win Worlds. When did they know they had won? And how did it feel to become a League of Legends World Champion?

SKTelecom T1 K admits to having an easy time winning the 2013 World Championship, and their performance was followed by an even more impressive Korean team at Worlds 2014. Samsung White has been hailed as the best team to have ever played League of Legends, and that team's famously outspoken AD carry Seung-bin "imp" Gu would agree.

[[{"fid":"20628","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/15427015735_005cd1eeb5_k_2.jpg%3Fitok%3DsadfhbaT","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered"}}]]

"I knew we were going to win because we were such a freaking strong team," he says of the 2014 World Championship. "Very early on in the Group Stage, we knew we were going to win."

Samsung White indeed rolled through the Group Stage without much trouble. When they later took out their sister team Samsung Blue 3-0 in the Semifinals -- a team they had lost to multiple times that season -- it became clear that Samsung White was the absolute frontrunner. Throughout the entire tournament, they only dropped two games total: one to North America's Team SoloMid in the Quarterfinals and another in the Finals to Star Horn Royal Club.

[[{"fid":"20629","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/15503206232_f8a023737f_k_1.jpg%3Fitok%3DwqHIP5cg","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered"}}]]

"I was so sure we were going to win because I felt like I was the worst player on the team," imp admits. "And even though I thought I was the worst player on my team, all of the other opponents that I faced were even worse than me. So as long as I was doing my part, we were going to win no matter what, because my teammates were so damn good."

His teammates included Looper in the top lane, team captain DanDy in the jungle, PawN in the mid lane, and imp's bottom lane partner and Worlds' MVP support, Mata. He says that in addition to the individual playmaking ability of every team member, Samsung White had a much better strategic understanding of the game than their competitors.

[[{"fid":"20630","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/15316280588_51677547e9_k_1.jpg%3Fitok%3D56KD961u","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered"}}]]

"What was important was having vision of the map. And we were really good at that. We knew where everything was, where all the wards were, and our warding was impeccable," imp explains. "Another thing that was important was for each player to be good in their own lane and stand their ground, and also be good in team fights."

The Final Fight of the Season 4 World Championship happened only 23 minutes into the last game, in front of 40,000 fans in Seoul’s World Cup Stadium. After Star Horn Royal Club took Samsung White down in Game 3, the Koreans came back with a vengeance in Game 4. They only lost one tower, and DanDy on Rengar was an absolute menace. PawN's Orianna flung her ball around the map, locking down kills, while the rest of the team split-pushed and managed minion waves.

By the end of the game, Star Horn Royal Club was stuck in their base with their middle Inhibitor down and Samsung White wasn't offering any breathing room. DanDy snuck into SHRC's base and his team went for the final push at top. As Looper's Kassadin initiated the fight, PawN sucked in Zero and Cola with a commanding Shockwave, while DanDy shredded everyone in his path and imp's Corki pelted them down from a safe range. Mata kept his team alive on Janna and pushed Uzi's Tristana away with a Monsoon just long enough for SSW to isolate and kill his teammates.

Without a front line to protect him, Looper simply Rift Walked on top of Uzi and finished the fight. From there, Samsung White knocked down Star Horn Royal Club's Nexus turrets and won the game, becoming the Season 4 World Champions.

"I knew we were going to win, for sure," says imp again. "When we actually did, I was even more ecstatic than what I was expecting!" After such a profound victory, what does imp hope people remember about Samsung White's win?

"I want the fans to remember me as a player."

[[{"fid":"20632","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/2014-champions-samsung-trophy_2.jpg%3Fitok%3DinsEpatI","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered"}}]]

Looking back, imp also mentions one key strategy that SSW was particularly great at pulling off as a team, and that helped them on their way to earning the Championship. "It was really important to pick Tristana and do split-pushes and gain that extra one or two levels and kill everybody," he says.

"And while I did that, the other four players had to stand ground, even if it was a 4v5 team fight. That was the main strategy we were really good at, and that was one of the main reasons we were able to win."

[[{"fid":"20634","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/15526889838_11cefa5930_k_1.jpg%3Fitok%3Dc_pF8Ir2","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered"}}]]

But it wasn't Tristana that imp became known for. At Worlds, imp became famous for his devastating Twitch play, using the sewer rat 10 times (with a 9-1 record) throughout the tournament, even earning a pentakill against TSM -- which he described as "amazing." And while imp wants people to remember him and his legacy, he's made sure that he'll never forget the events at the 2014 World Championship by getting a tattoo of Twitch on his arm.

"I wanted to leave a mark, something like a legacy in its own, something memorable. And for me, the Season 4 Championship was the most memorable moment in my life," he says. "In the Championship, I played Twitch a lot. And also, they had a Twitch skin made after me as well. So there is a lot of meaning to Twitch, and that's why I put him on my arm."

[[{"fid":"20636","view_mode":"centered","fields":{"format":"centered","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/centered/public/imptat.jpg%3Fitok%3Dea4DQl4d","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-centered"}}]]

"I wanted this, and it happened," imp says of winning Worlds. "So many people think I'm one of the greatest players. I've made this legacy. How I feel about it is I just want even more. I want to make another legacy. It drives me," he said, pausing in reflection before adding, "But I'm really sad and disappointed and frustrated that I can't do it this year..."

With his new team LGD Gaming underperforming and not making it out of the Group Stage at Worlds 2015, imp will have to wait until next year to secure his legacy.

Let us know about your favorite memories from the 2014 World Championship in the comments, and for more thoughts on past World Championships, hear what Fnatic's xPeke, Taipei Assassins' MiSTakE, and SKTelecom T1 K's Faker had to say about Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

Stay tuned to Lolesports for past and present Worlds moments throughout Worlds 2015.