This Week in League Week 8
Before we begin with our sacrifices to the LCS Gods, may we take the time to say goodbye to our soon to be lost comrade in Echo Fox in these next 2 weeks. Rick buddy, we will miss you despite being a former Laker. Come on guys, go out with a bang.
Day 1
TL vs OPT With Team Liquid’s playoff spot guaranteed, they have a chance to test new strategies against mid-tier competition. Liquid decided to have cajones of titanium and pick several boom or bust picks. It was a quiet game with early lane control by Liquid. This gave them an infernal drake as a reward. Crown’s elusiveness was key at being able to roam and get a double kill. Let the floodgates open Optic. Meteos ganked bot repeatedly and gave Arrow as much cash as a shotgun ace on Dust 2. However, Optic pressed their luck too far and let Liquid get some key shutdowns. It didn’t matter as they replied the only way they knew how, by ganking bot again. Whenever Liquid tried to dive or counter dive, Optic introduced them to the League of Stopwatch. Optic again got greedy and also got introduced to League of Stopwatch. Then with a dance for infernal, Optic punished a whiffed Impact Q and obliterated Liquid with their spears, hammers, axes, and afterburners. Then they take baron, destroy mid, take the infernal take the kids, and take the car before leaving. The only saving grace for Liquid was Impact who provided splitpush threat to delay Optic’s push. When he got low it seemed that Optic had their chance to break Liquid, welcome to League of Stopwatch Optic as Liquid killed Arrow, Meteos, and Big overextend and get killed. When Optic tried to engage on Liquid again, they encounter a brick wall, it’s name is Impact. Liquid then killed all the tanks, take baron, break the base, retake the kids, and burn down the house.
FLY vs C9 Flyquest are on the verge of elimination and need to essentially win all of their remaining games to have a reasonable chance at playoffs. C9 expiramented and decided to put in Deftly over Sneaky and did what any other top team does in this situation. Horendously play down to their competition. Right from the get-go, Flyquest ganked bot as they gave a warm rewelcoming to the LCS. C9 was camping V1per, but, he goes full Impact and absorbs pressure like a boss. What really broke the game, however, were the fights around Dragon. Deftly looked lost as he had a lack of presence in fights with lackluster ults. Pobelter and Wildturtle were unleashed as they cleaned up teamfight after teamfight. Licorice was carrying the Earth and Heavens, but, the workload was too much. At this rate, his wrists might break like KD’s calves. C9, please just focus on winning the rest of your games and not take any risks.
GGS vs 100T I cannot emphasize enough how important this game is for both of these teams. They both have a 6-8 record. If the Guardians win they get the tiebreaker advantage. Hauntzer decided to try to go Tristana top, don’t know what’s with the recent craze of solo lane Trist, guessing CAPS busted it out or something? Early on the fights were even trades, giving kills to both side’s carries. Thanks to the pick potential and range of they guardians comp they could snowball easier. This gave the golden squad a golden baron and broke the thieves' hideout. Then on a golden push, the guardians apprehended this band of thieves.
TSM vs FOX TSM has a chip on their shoulder and want to get revenge on the top 3 teams. First, they must deal with Echo Fox, who can still somehow make the playoffs. Echo Fox made agressive moves bot lane in the early game to gain a modest gold lead. Dragons were the calling card of teamfights with scrappy teamfights. A fight around mountain drake gave TSM much needed momuntum. The teams danced around towers and dragons. FOX had enough of the situation and decided to rush baron. Akaadian was not close enough to smite steal and Mike secured the baron and won the turn around fight afterward. They then got caught with their hand in the cookie jar as the went too aggressive for the inhib and got aced for it. Then the TSM crecendo healing pain train kept on winning teamfights and even broke the base and took baron. Apollo was doing everything in his power to keep his team’s season alive killing off carries in teamfights. Once again, Bjergsen’s TF constantly provided map pressure and the ever-looming threat of a backdoor. At this point in the game, a stun meant certain death, except for BB cuz Kled. TSM broke all three lanes. Apollo pulled off a base defense of the ages. Repeated picks gave FOX baron. Unfortunatly as they went for the winning push, they forgot to clear wards in their base and TSM backdoored them.
This also means that Echo Fox are eliminated from playoffs. The internal issues within the org loomed over the squad’s heads and their record was a reflection of what was going on within Echo Fox. Also MikeYeung, don’t let this split deter you. Can at least one team give Mike another shot and undo the damage that TSM did to him.
CLG vs CG CG is also in the three-way tie for 6th and need to beat a CLG hungry for that 2nd bye week berth. Clutch Gaming started off with crucial midgame teamfight wins to start a snowball. In the top lane, Wiggly got a taste of his own medicine and was locked down for all eternity. Damonte then got over-aggressive in CLG’s botside jungle and got picked off. This gave CLG a free baron bait to pick another CG member off to then secure baron. Damonte then gets picked off again and CLG continued wrecking havoc with the same baron. When dancing around the 2nd baron, time was on CLG’s side as they destroyed bot inhib with the first baron. Unlike Rig in Saw, they were patient enough to get CG to make a desperation engage which CLG saw coming from a mile away. CLG killed off three members to push for control of 2nd place. Their now the 2nd team to lock in playoffs. It seemed that removing Darshan was needed to make room for a better top laner to get them out of mediocrity.
C9 please get your shiit together.
Day 2
OPT vs GGS Both teams are 1 game apart from each other in contention for the 5th and 6th playoff spot. At level 1 FBI was forced to flash after a pseudo invade by Optic’s bot lane. Teams seem to have a thing for camping bot as Contractz pulled the trigger first and ganked bot to spoonfeed FBI first blood. Optic responded by camping mid to shut down Froggen. Dragons were traded with Optic getting more Oceans while the Guardians got that sexy infernal. As the Guardians were forcing baron, the green wall collapsed in on them and got a gold swinging teamfight win. A baron was most likely to be taken when Froggen does his bullshiit and he, Contractz, and Hauntzer pick off Meteos to avert baron. Both teams went full aram with poke wars. Optic then engaged on Froggen with precision lockdown. They forgot that FBI existed with a fed Kai’sa who shreaded the tanks including Poppy like they were nothing. The Guardians then got a free baron with a mountain dragon to boot. The green wall was then broken utterly and entirely with one swift push.
100T vs TSM TSM need any win they can get to stay in contention for a bye round while the thieves are trying to steal the last playoff spot. While the the Thieves were aggressive early, but, it seemed that TSM had a counter for everything 100T had early. When doing the Ocean drake, the thieves were so generous as to donate the drake to TSM. That was until all of the top side map brawled. FakeGod flashed in and culled TSM giving him the healing needed to survive while Ryu cleaned up the rest. Not so long after, BrokenBlade broke Rule # 1 of fighting Renekton; Don’t fight Renekton. The LCS Gods punish FakeGod’s arrogance by giving him the Dyrus treatment. It even got to the point where TSM threw all of their members and the kitchen sink at him. Fortunately, his team actually have brains and got objectives in response to the repeated dives top. When FakeGod was split pushing bot, TSM broke rule #2 of fighting Renekton; STOP FIGHTING RENEKTON! Bjergsen couldn’t get any splitpush pressure going as he had to constantly group with his team. In addition, Bang was 2016 vintage as even his build reflected he went for botrk, probably because Bjergsen built Wits End. The thieves then did a baron bait to have a tasty salad for TSM to toss themselves into as they threw themselves in one by one into the loving clutching arms of the thieves. The Thieves then realized that they have a game to win and took baron. Unlike Echo Fox, the thieves had FakeGod set up the wave so that they could create pressure when TSM would engage on them. As a C9 fan, I relish in TSM’s struggles; Oh, and Crumbz dressed up as a clown.
C9 vs TL C9 are trying to get their shiit together while Liquid are just playing for dominance and experimentation as they have the top spot almost locked up. Also Sneaky’s back so hopefully things go better. Nisqy decided to be bold and pick Quiana. This pays off as he gets first blood on Jensen. C9 then dives top, giving Nisqy more kills. TL get a mountain drake to punish that dive. However, this is a fed assassin and gets to kill whoever is immobile. TL then forced the issue and put Shelly bot to bait Nisqy to his death while Impact went top die on Licorice thanks to his on-hit build. This also helps him punish C9 when they engage by applying tower pressure. TL then forced an infernal. However, while C9 has a knack for playing down to lower competition, they stand up against the best of the best, this can be frustrating but also exciting as a C9 fan. The Boys in Blue grouped as a 5 man unit where Liquid and Sneaky got to unleash their frustration out on TL. They then rushed baron where CoreJJ tried to cheese smite. Svenskaren and C9 saw this coming and executed an immaculate smite setup. All CoreJJ’s ult die was transport him to his death. C9 weren't going to dilly dally with the baron they were going straight for the kill mid. Svenskaren then caught out Impact forcing Liquid to go for a desperation engage. C9 then dismantled any defenses Liquid had remaining and got a crucial win to stay ahead of TSM and put pressure on CLG. Also Happy Birthday Nisqy a win is your birthday present. This leaves C9 playoff bound. You’re inconsistent as hell, but, you guys are clutch when it matters.
FOX vs CLG CLG are trying to stay ahead of C9 for that 2nd place berth with Echo Fox just playing for team pride knowing they can’t make the playoffs. Fenix went screw it and chose Lucian mid. While both teams seemed to be even in the early game, CLG put this delusion of hope to rest with brutal counterganks, collapses, and domination by Ruin. MikeYeung tried to catch out Ruin in Spyder form and couldn’t stun Ruin and over chased. That turned into a 3-0 blowout on the river. Enter the bot lane fiesta where Ruin got to skin several Fox furs before they go extinct in the LCS environment. CLG used their lead to force shelly and were too eager to kill people which let Mike steal said shelly. There might be an opportunity to comeback! Wait nvm Ruin just sees this as a free tower bot nevermind. He continued to decimate towers and carve up whoever was assigned to stop him. The LCS gods were in their favor as they were gifted infernals by them. FOX had enough of the situation and collapsed with 4 members on Ruin’s Camile. He treated Lourlo like an object for a 1000 degree knife challenge. Wiggly and Ruin would misstep every so often for some hope with shutdowns. CLG then got another infernal and collapsed on the top laner and jungler in mid where Fenix dodges the Cait ult letting Mike die. Well Played. Ruin would cut apart the bot tower where he bought time in a 2v1 so his team could secure baron following on a onesided teamfight win. With a baron and 3 infernals, there was no physical way CLG could throw their lead.
CG vs FLY Flyquest need to maintain their win streak to keep their playoff hopes alive along with Clutch Gaming. Lira was pivotal at providing early pressure as he forced early flashes, ganks, and counterkills for CG. What started as a flash force at level 1 on Wildturtle turned into an all in 4 minutes later. Top lane was the main focus as CG’s main priority was to get Huni’s Akali rolling. This investment would pay off as he would get a lead over V1per. CG tried to break the stalemate with a force on Shelly, and Santorin just casually smites it in the middle of a fight. But you still have good positioning CG you should be able to keep the eye away from FLY, wait nvm Flyquest just clump as a group of 4 and get the eye. Shelly was then used mid with Flyquest leaving behind their midlaner and CG ditching their support. We’re in for a stalemate everyone. The deadlock was merely an illusion as CG got to secure towers, drakes, and picks. This culminated into a teamfight win around the mountain drake punishing V1per for overextending. Little did we know, but, this was like a blow to an ACL as this crippled any momentum Flyquest could have built up. CG could just set up siege on the tier 2 towers. Pobelter chickened out and backed even though no CG members were in range to catch him. Time for baron dancing everyone! Tonight our duet are moving to a slow quiet beat that had the possibility to explode with any moment. Oh right, Clutch have an Azir and mountain drake. Out of desperation, Flyquest engaged in the bot lane with ghosts telling Pobelter to unleash his inner Kamikaze, this turns into a trade of midlaners, all while Flyquest’s topside got destroyed. Impeccable! Flyquest learning nothing from last time engaged CG in the bot lane again. Damonte and Vulcan’s lives were traded for Santorin and nearly the entire base of Flyquest. Worth am I right? Wadid was setting up for a big engage making his best 100T impression but his inner Flyquest gets him caught out giving CG a free baron. With one last siege, CG cornered Flyquest who were primed for slaughter.
This split’s playoff race is the tightest I’ve seen in seasons. Here’s the minimum each team needs to make the last playoff berth in this fight to the death.
It’s easier to create playoff scenarios when there is only one game left. I think the last 2 playoff spots will go to the Thieves as they have both momentum and the easiest remaining schedule. The other team I think has the best shot is the Golden Guardians as Optic will have to face both CLG and C9 whereas the Guardians only have to face C9.
Yes there is still a mathematical way Flyquest can somehow make the playoffs although it’s like less than 1% at this point.
And the # 1 rule in this brawl to the death
DON’T GET ELIMINATED!!!!
Now watch as this prediction blows up in my face.
