North American Gauntlet Reflections: Cloud9 Back?

For the third straight year, Cloud9 advanced to the League of Legends World Championships via the North American Regional Gauntlet, defeating Counter Logic Gaming 3-1 to secure a Pool 1 seed into the Play-In Stage. C9’s long road to international glory will start with a double round robin in Group B, facing CBLoL’s Team oNe eSports and OPL’s LG Dire Wolves in Wuhan, China.

Cloud9’s qualification for Worlds was built largely on their success in Spring Split, where they finished one fight short of defeating Team SoloMid for the crown. An inconsistent Summer Split capped by a middling showing against Team Dignitas in the Summer Playoffs all but solidified C9’s spot as the final boss of the NA Gauntlet. It was the third straight time Cloud9 secured a berth at Worlds via the Gauntlet, making them the only team in North America to have ever won it.

Despite the now inevitable-seeming result, this year’s Gauntlet had its share of surprises. FlyQuest eSports shocked Dignitas 3-0 in the first leg before coming up short to CLG in the semifinals. With their recent playoff success and strong bot lane performance against FlyQuest, most predicted a CLG win over C9 in the final, but once again conventional logic (appropriately) failed.

With Worlds a fortnight away, let’s pause and reflect on the twisting 2017 Gauntlet and the AD Carries that dictated results, for better and worse.

Quarterfinals: FlyQuest eSports def. Team Dignitas 3-0

FlyQuest’s Execution was Amazing, Both in Draft and Gameplay

Before the Gauntlet began last Friday, FlyQuest hadn’t played on stage since their clutch sweep of Phoenix 1 over a month ago. This layoff was a blessing in disguise for one of the most cerebral teams in North America, allowing them to heavily prepare for their opening opponent once Counter Logic Gaming guaranteed their spot by beating Team EnVyUs.

That prep time paid off against Team Dignitas, evident from the first draft onwards. Drafting is the game before the game; a solid composition can secure wins before champions take the Rift, while mistakes can reverberate and bury teams from the start. FlyQuest did the little things right in the draft, hiding laning assignments until late to nullify the Red Side counterpick advantage. Game 1 was an excellent example, first picking Galio and Jarvan IV, then leaving the second phase for their mid and top lane picks to keep Dignitas guessing. By Game 3, when Dignitas deduced that Galio was the key to FlyQuest’s draft, it was too late.  

Drafting unique yet appropriate compositions has been FlyQuest’s calling card all year, but their poor record belies another League truism: Drafting a great composition means nothing if you can’t execute/play to your win conditions. For months, FlyQuest had failed this second test, underperforming in the mid game and accruing losses with every macro mistake. But practice a set strategy long enough and it can become bulletproof, and that’s exactly what happened against Dignitas.  

FlyQuest were astonishing in the early game, demolishing Dignitas’ bot lane with inspired play from WildTurtle and LemonNation, whose Rakan in particular shone during two one-sided wins. Turtle has rarely looked better, turning in his best series of the year with a 19-1-17 (36 KDA, 86% KP, 9.3 CSM) scoreline that deserves all the praise it implies. He routinely racked up double-digit CS leads over Altec in the bot lane, and was a menace in teamfights, outputting a series-high 682 DPM (+333 over Altec). His solo kill of Altec in Game 2 while being flanked by four Dignitas members (including a teleport from Ssumday) before dying himself was breathtaking.

FlyQuest’s bot lane dominance was part outplay, part a function of their overall strategy. They’d clearly done their homework on Dignitas, understanding that without a reliable bot lane, Ssumday couldn’t split push and Dignitas couldn’t win. Games 2 and 3 saw FlyQuest completely abandon Balls in the top lane in favor of pressuring bot, leaving him vulnerable to repeated dives by Ssumday and Shrimp. With Turtle and Lemon ahead, FlyQuest could win team fights in the mid game, control objectives, and split push with whatever formation they desired. Their decisiveness in taking fights and attempting Baron (completely denying that objective from Dig all series) was outstanding, better embodying the high-tempo style that favored by Dignitas these last few weeks.

The regional quarterfinals played to no one’s expectations but FlyQuest’s, and for their teamplay, strategy and preparation, nothing short of advancement was deserved.

Dignitas Didn’t Look Interested and Bot Lane Faltered

As well-earned as FlyQuest’s sweep was, some attention must be paid to the disintegration and seeming disinterest of Team Dignitas. We may never know what happened behind the scenes, but their staggering drop off in play must have come from somewhere.

Since their semifinal loss to Team SoloMid in the Summer Playoffs, Dignitas has looked a shadow of the team that stormed their way back into relevance late in Summer Split, or even the dominant force that expelled Gauntlet-winning Cloud9 from playoffs just weeks ago. After beating C9 3-1, Dignitas ended 2017 1-9 and on a seven-game losing streak.

Their problems stemmed from the unlikeliest of places: Bot lane, which had been their greatest strength. A crucial component of Dignitas’ rebirth was the acquisition and play of Altec and Adrian, who at times looked like the best bot duo in North America. They helped defeat the likes of TSM, Immortals, CLG and eventually C9 by significant margins, creating space for Ssumday to pressure the map without having to appear in every skirmish. Dignitas could rely on their bot duo to win lane, then use the advantages gained with First Turret and First Blood to begin controlling the map. Altec reliably out-farmed his counterpart, able to dictate team fights with his damage. Win enough of those team fights and Ssumday can push a sideline, allowing his team to control vision around Baron, opening an early take and victory on the ensuing power play.

This blueprint relied on Altec and Adrian to get ahead in the bot lane, which down the stretch they couldn’t accomplish. Altec was a no-show for six straight games, getting badly outplayed by Sitxxay in Boston and by WildTurtle in the Gauntlet. Against FlyQuest, Altec finished 2-11-5 (0.6 KDA, 33% KP, 8.2 CSM, 349 DPM), outputting about half of Turtle’s damage and becoming a non-factor in fights. His 11 deaths were tied with Shrimp for a series high.

Losing the bot lane was bad enough, but Shrimp’s slump continued as well, though on more of a macro than form level. Dignitas should have realized that repeatedly sending Shrimp top to dive Balls with no response from FlyQuest was a trap, pulling Shrimp’s attention away from a bot lane in dire need of jungle presence. Whatever slim advantage Ssumday and Shrimp generated top by killing Balls was instantly canceled by a pick on Altec or losing First Turret bot. Shrimp was reactive in fights, unable to protect his backline in three Gragas games where I can’t remember him landing a meaningful cask.

Apart from their lackluster play, Dignitas seemed worn out and disinterested as the series grew worse. Part of that was likely fatigue; unlike FlyQuest, Dignitas had been playing weekly since Summer Split ended, including a cross-country trip to Boston one week before the Gauntlet. The body language of the players, especially in their muted reactions after losing Game 3, suggested an eagerness to end the year. Ssumday increasingly seemed frustrated on the Rift, attempting a carry Jayce when that strategy hadn’t worked since June. His late recall towards the end of Game 3 as FlyQuest destroyed his mid inhibitor was telling.

With their outside investment and endemic presence, Dignitas will most likely return in some form to the NA LCS next year. They’ll have a long winter to find Ssumday consistent help, and rue what could have been.

Semifinals: Counter Logic Gaming def. FlyQuest eSports 3-1

Counter Logic Gaming Broke FlyQuest With One Ban

Counter Logic Gaming avoided what could have been a fatal quarterfinal matchup with FlyQuest by virtue of their 3rd Place finish in Boston. Instead of being caught unprepared by FlyQuest’s tactics and picks, CLG had three games of tape going into their semifinal meeting, and it made all the difference.

CLG could have easily sprung the top lane trap FlyQuest had caught Ssumday with. Like Dignitas, CLG play around their top laner’s split push, relying on Darshan to keep opponents spread out and make teleport plays. Despite knowing what was coming, CLG still lost Game 1 with a mad draft that included Dr. Mundo top and Fiora mid to counter Kennen and Galio. You could see the idea from CLG: Let’s make sure FlyQuest are even good enough to win with their preferred strategy before we ban it out. Still, sacrificing a game to do it was a risk they didn’t need to take. CLG picked a team full of direct lane counters, but forgot to account for synergistic team fighting. Facing a Rakambo into J4’s Cataclysm into Galio’s Heroic Entrance into Kennen’s Slicing Maelstrom (all while WildTurtle’s Spray and Pray is active), CLG lacked the tools to match FlyQuest and were soundly trumped every time a 5v5 broke out.

CLG never let Hai draft Galio again. Forced on to squishier AP mids (Kennen, Corki and Orianna), Hai was exposed to Huhi’s explosiveness, at one point facing the wrath of his trademark Aurelion Sol. Once FlyQuest lost their swiss army knife of frontline beef, mid lane stability and long-range combo engage, CLG made quick work of the series. Aphromoo stayed on Thresh the entire series to counter LemonNation’s Rakan with excellent hooks, highlighted in Game 4 where he caught WildTurtle and Lemon on Caitlyn traps to casually wipe the bot lane early.

Huhi was a monster (20-5-29, 9.8 KDA, 79% KP, 9.4 CSM, 611 DPM) with a series high 20 kills, many of them recorded at the expense of Hai. Pay no attention to the trolls who claim his Game 2 pause cost FlyQuest much-needed momentum. That game had been decided well beforehand.

In the jungle, OmarGod found a second home on Sejuani as teams routinely ban out his favored Gragas. Sejuani is a worthy alternative, with her fast jungle clears and great initiation a perfect fit for a rookie jungler who needs the game simplified at this level. Omar broke from his usual pathing to help bot more in the early game once it became clear that FlyQuest was focused there, matching Moon almost roam for roam. Not to say he completely abandoned Darshan top, but after some early pressure (usually a First Blood), Omar didn’t make the same mistake as Shrimp, letting Darshan outplay Balls alone and divert his own focus elsewhere.

Requiem for FlyQuest, A Respectable Run

One of the more comical moments of the entire Summer Split postseason came immediately after Counter Logic Gaming eliminated FlyQuest in Game 4. Instead of staying in their seats to receive the customary handshake by the victors, LemonNation and Moon quickly went over to CLG and started the handshakes themselves. FlyQuest then as a team walked the stage edge for congratulations from the crowd (again traditionally done only by the winners) before a bemused CLG got there.

It was indicative of how well FlyQuest had played, and how satisfied they seemed with their performance, that no one minded this breach of etiquette. FlyQuest deserve all the plaudits for erasing Team Dignitas and staying competitive with CLG, adding much needed excitement to an otherwise chalk Gauntlet. It helps that FlyQuest’s core is made up of established veterans; even though they no longer wear the Cloud9 colors, few fans of the league have forgotten the magic they once conjured. How thrilling it was to witness some of that magic again.

Game 1 was another superb example of executing a prepared strategy. Both solo laners overcame direct counters to dictate team fights and quickly end the game after securing Baron, correctly realizing they were slowly being out-scaled. FlyQuest looked sharp to begin Game 2 with a heavy punish of Aurelion Sol’s weak early game, but as CLG started to control the map, Hai’s lack of teleport on Kennen helped limit any cross-map release of pressure. Games 3 and 4 were the Darshan show, a matchup Balls wasn’t supposed to win anyway. WildTurtle and Lemon got bodied bot, and that was enough for their strategy to break down.

Looking forward for FlyQuest, they proved capable of recapturing the form that secured 4th Place in Spring. With most teams beginning Spring 2018 on similar footing due to the massive incoming changes to Runes and Masteries, there’s room for a highly intelligent group of well-loved veterans to succeed. 

Finals: Cloud9 def. Counter Logic Gaming 3-1

Cloud9 Proves They’re More Than a One-Man Team

Jensen was my MVP of Summer Split, and before all you TSM heads get after me in defense of Bjergsen, it wasn’t because I thought Jensen was the best player in the league. I credited him for having a better individual split, complete with an unmatched KDA and consistent CS leads no matter the opponent. Looking at the vote totals, I’m not alone.

Because of the supernova-like heat given off by Jensen in the mid lane, it’s easy to overlook the other moving parts of Cloud9. You’d be forgiven in thinking C9 a one-man team. You’d also be wrong.

In beating Counter Logic Gaming 3-1 and qualifying for Worlds, Cloud9 proved more than a delivery machine for Jensen’s brilliance. Yes, they do tend to play around their talented Danish mid (especially Contractz, who seems to know no jungle path that excludes a visit mid), but for most of this series Jensen was an afterthought. His 7-0-5 100% KP Game 1 was the high watermark; from then on, Huhi outplayed him.

For the reasons C9 outlasted CLG in a series that could have gone either way, widen your gaze beyond mid lane. Look top, where Impact was incredible on Shen and Galio in a lane CLG prioritize winning above all others. Remember the way he lived through repeated dives by Darshan and Omar on Shen, or how he created space on Galio for the rest of C9 to rush down Baron. Cloud 9’s macro play revolved around Impact, who hadn’t played this well all Summer.

Look to Sneaky, whose performance on Xayah in the Game 4 will go down as one of his best ever. There was no reason CLG should have lost Game 4 once they picked off Jensen late before a 5v4 team fight began in the mid lane, but Sneaky somehow turned it around while retreating to his own inner turret. In the climactic final fight, Sneaky killed Stixxay with a flash forward that would have booked C9’s plane tickets to Worlds by itself...had Jack not already bought them prior to the series.

Look to Smoothie, who drafted Janna for the first time all year and was instrumental in using her cyclone and Monsoon to push a diving frontline (Shen/Maokai/Alistar) away from his carries to turn around fights. Look to Contractz, whose risky choice to build assassin Rek’Sai compensated for Jensen’s lost damage when he was focused down early. His solo queue-inspired Censer/Athene's Nidalee build in Game 1 is something we can expect to see more of with her healing recently buffed in 7.18. It was Contractz's first on-stage Nidalee game ever.

It wasn’t the prettiest series from C9; they’ll have plenty to work on during their Korean bootcamp over the next few days. But on Sunday it was enough to advance, and, more importantly, it felt like the start of something. At the international level, teams need to have balance, to be more than just a one trick lane destabilized by the most basic countermeasures. I anticipate they’ll emerge from the Play-In Stage regardless of any significant improvement, but any further progress will need to come from someone besides Jensen. If this Gauntlet final is any indication, Cloud9 are spoiled for choice.

Counter Logic Gaming Couldn’t Get Their Split Push Online

Counter Logic Gaming will break their promise to fans, missing out on Worlds as the forth-best team in a three-bid region. Their failure to qualify is a blow considering the talent and form they’ve displayed this season, but it’s hard to argue their exclusion wasn’t self-made.

Much in the same way Summday couldn't split push effectively for Dignitas if his bot lane was losing, so did CLG fail execute their own top-centric strategy. The warning signs were there starting with Game 4 against FlyQuest, where Stixxay’s horrid positioning on Caitlyn was papered over by his dominant 2v2 victory in lane. There was no hiding from Sneaky and Smoothie, who punished Stixxay’s Caitlyn in Game 1 and never stopped, forcing Aphromoo to draft a more protective support in Alistar. It didn’t help. Neither did Stixxay’s retreat to the elusive Xayah and Tristana, as he repeatedly died across the series with both summoners at the start of fights. Sneaky’s brilliance in Game 4 was mostly C9's doing, but Stixxay’s poor showing certainly helped.

Still, Darshan didn’t do his struggling team any favors in Games 1 and 2. He routinely itemized for solo split push advantage, forsaking supportive items or armor in favor of dueling choices like Frozen Mallet. CLG looked their best when he drafted tanks like Maokai or Shen rather than Gnar or Jax, sharing frontline duties with an overmatched Omar instead of forcing the rookie to stand tall alone.

All that said, CLG nearly adjusted well enough to force a Game 5, with Game 4 theirs for the taking after 40 minutes had elapsed. An otherworldly effort from Sneaky plus a handful of macro and micro mistakes cost CLG a deserved rubber match. It wasn't to be this year, with their poor Spring and late jungle switch in Summer too deep of a self-inflicted wound. A long offseason awaits.

NA LCS Summer Finals Reflections

The 2017 North American LCS Summer Split is finally complete, with Team SoloMid defeating Immortals 3-1 in the finals to earn their third straight title out of ten consecutive tries.

“Dynasty” is a term not often used in the world of Esports. Teams flare up then fade out. Investment ebbs and flows with changing profit models, an updated financial prospectus, or simply disinterest in losing money. Organizations fold at alarming rates across the scene, with rosters and staff in a constant state of flux. There isn’t time to build a pedigree, or establish a tradition of excellence.

Trying to square the atmospheric realities of Esports with what TSM has accomplished in League of Legends is mind-boggling, to say the least. Their ten straight finals appearances are unprecedented and span the entire existence of NA LCS (Established 2013). TSM have survived wholesale roster changes, new competitive formats, and a changing game that only vaguely resembles the one they bested Good Game University at over four years ago.

I’ll address the excellence of TSM more below, but it bears repeating above the fold: TSM is the best Esports organization North America has ever produced, and their staggering domestic success goes against every prevailing truism in the ecosystem. Say what you will about their fans or lack of international glory; at this point, no one can deny their greatness.

In Boston, it was a weekend of the old guard triumphing over the new. Not only did TSM take advantage of Immortals’ unsteady debut at this stage, but a resurgent Counter Logic Gaming demolished trendy Team Dignitas 3-0 in the 3rd Place match. After weeks of mediocre play, CLG reminded everyone why they hovered around first place for much of Summer Split, perfectly executing their gameplan and earning a bye into the regional semifinals this weekend.

Before the North American Regionals commence Friday afternoon, let’s take a moment to salute a spectacular weekend of League in the TD Garden Arena.

Mission “Protect OmarGod” Accomplished

In the afterglow of their fantastic Boston showing, it’s easy to forget how horrible Counter Logic Gaming had looked for most of the playoffs. They barely squeaked by an overmatched Team EnVyUs before completely faltering against Immortals in the semifinals.

All questions for their success going forward were centered around their rookie jungler OmarGod, for whom the postseason seemed too big of a stage. He was routinely bullied by Lira and Xmithie, was shaky in team fights and couldn’t positively influence a lane. OmarGod couldn’t farm, couldn’t gank, and couldn’t successfully play a champion outside of Gragas. Without a strong jungler, CLG lacked the initiative to dictate fights and objective takes, a flaw that could be overcome with strong play from Darshan and Huhi only against weaker teams.

But to have any chance of beating Team Dignitas, one of the most balanced and aggressive squads in North America, CLG knew they had to shore up their glaring weakness in the jungle. If OmarGod didn’t have a good game, neither would CLG.

Fortunately, no one understood this weakness better than CLG themselves. They practiced accordingly, setting out on a mission to protect OmarGod that was evident minutes into Game 1 against Dignitas. While Shrimp started at his own Red, Omar was escorted to Shrimp’s Blue for an aggressive steal that Dignitas didn’t see coming. When Shrimp tried to invade Omar as he took his own Blue, there was Aphromoo with a timely Black Shield to protect Omar from the incoming Elise cocoon. Wherever Omar pathed, CLG were ready to assist him, ensuring an unencumbered early game despite Shrimp’s repeated efforts to the contrary. Cheeky Level 1 invades from Dignitas in Games 2 and 3 were instantly rebuffed with kills, putting Shrimp at an early disadvantage he (and Dignitas) never overcame.

With a solid early game ensured by careful protection from his teammates, Omar was able to stand tall in fights, enabling CLG to control the map and more securely take objectives. For their assistance with his early pathing, Omar returned the favor to his laners, counter-ganking the solo lanes and helping Stixxay and Aphromoo contain Altec and Adrian in the bot lane.

OmarGod finished 5-2-29 across three games, a remarkable playoff-high KDA of 17 and 67% kill participation. His Zac, a problem champion just weeks ago, went 2-0-8 in Game 2, paying off the first-pick investment and faith CLG entrusted him with. Only in Game 3 did CLG draft Omar his Gragas, correctly anticipating that Dignitas would have schemed against it. Now on his favored champion and brimming with confidence, Omar ended Game 3 2-1-10, providing the frontline beef needed for CLG to cleanly execute the 1-3-1 down the stretch. It was a standout series for the rookie, but even better team play from CLG to turn what was a weakness into strength.

CLG Learned from Immortals

Protecting OmarGod wasn’t the only thing Counter Logic Gaming practiced between the semifinals and Boston. Improved macro play, Kog’Maw priority and increased emphasis on Jungle-Support roams were all present in CLG’s sweep of Team Dignitas last Saturday, noticeable adaptations from a team that carefully studied how Immortals swept them.

I wrote last week how Immortals control the map utilizing roams from Xmithie and Olleh, two First Team All-Pros that make solo lane life hell for their opponents. Against those two, mid laners fail to ward river brush at their own peril. CLG clearly watched the VODs of their series against Immortals and thought, “Hey, we’ve got an amazing shotcalling support too. Why not snowball Omar, then have him roam with Aphromoo to get Huhi and Darshan ahead?”

What a great idea! Aphromoo was massively impactful on his roams, highlighted by a Game 3 lantern save of Omar mid into a Flash-Flay-Ignite combo that killed an overextending Shrimp, handing CLG momentum they never surrendered. Be it on Thresh, Rakan or Morgana, Aphromoo was incredible all series at sealing kills with Omar in the early game, finishing the series with 75% KP.

This heady gank combo underscored CLG’s improved macro play, a return to form more than it was a unexpected boon. This time it was CLG choking the life out of Dignitas with late 1-3-1 pushes, the end of Game 3 in particular a textbook example. While OmarGod, Stixxay and Aphromoo took an uncontested Baron, Huhi and Darshan were pushing in the side lanes, forcing Dignitas into the no-win situation of being forced to group in one lane and kill a pusher. They chose to stop Darshan’s fed Jax in the bot lane, allowing CLG to break top and mid lane inhibitors with zero resistance. In the semifinals, it was CLG who were always a step slower to Immortal’s decisive play; now the tables were turned and it was Dignitas who suffered.

Credit Coach Zikz and CLG’s slew of experienced veterans for so thoroughly adjusting during the hectic travel week between playoff series. CLG earned that third-place finish by learning from their mistakes, and now sit two best-of-fives away from attending the World Championships in China.

Dignitas Couldn’t Adapt

In contrast to Counter Logic Gaming’s clear playoff adjustments, Team Dignitas made none in a surprisingly limp performance at the TD Garden Arena. Dig’s failure re-evaluate their early game ideas once they proved catastrophic was a crucial component of their defeat.

Granted, it’s hard to institute changes on the fly, especially when coaches have no access to their players while in-game. Still, Dignitas’ strategy of bullying OmarGod’s pathing in the early game should have been abandoned once it proved fruitless and expected in Game 1. Instead, Dignitas doubled-down on the idea in Games 2 and 3, twice costing Shrimp his life before two minutes had elapsed. Game 3 was particularly painful to watch for Dig fans, as the First Blood gold enabled Darshan to buy a Long Sword at the start of laning, ensuring an early game advantage over Ssumday in a lane crucial to CLG's scaling comp.

Shrimp had a series to forget, a 3-14-8 scoreline that included a series-high in deaths. When you get behind on Elise against a tanky team, it’s pretty much curtains no matter how hard Ssumday tries to carry alone. It was as if Dignitas watched Omar struggle on film and decided to turn the screws on him harder than any team had previously. Team EnVyUs and Immortals found success in out-rotating Omar into mistakes; Dignitas refused to patiently wait for the rookie to slip up and repeatedly forced the issue to their own misfortune. Dignitas tried to manufacture an early game advantage to suit their high-tempo affinity, but never succeeded.

Once it became clear CLG were hyper-aware of Dignitas’ gameplan, the call should have been made to play steadier in the early game and have Shrimp pressure lanes instead of pressuring Omar across the map. Shrimp is the fulcrum on which Dignitas turns to win their lanes, and they desperately needed help bot this series. Why not have Shrimp focus on bot pathing, stopping Aphro’s roams by pinning him to lane?

The adaptations never came, and now Dignitas faces a full gauntlet run in order to attend Worlds. A semifinal matchup against CLG is on the cards; that is, if they can first overcome what will be a very prepared FlyQuest first. 

An Incredible Series from Finals MVP Biofrost

With all eyes glued to the positioning and damage of Bjergsen and Doublelift, it was young Biofrost who paced Team SoloMid to their championship victory over Immortals.

The deserved series MVP—who has now won a title in each domestic split he’s participated in as a professional—wowed the crowd with inspired play on Rakan. Dignitas banned out Rakan in the first phase of each of their semifinal games against TSM; clearly Immortals should have followed suit. Rakan’s game-breaking initiations with follow up crowd control (ex. Gragas cask, Orianna’s Shockwave, Gnar boulder) destroyed Immortal’s carries in fight after fight.

Consider Game 4, a contest TSM had no business winning down seven kills, 10k gold and an inhibitor 22 minutes in. In a fight to protect their naked mid inhibitor Bio and Svenskeren perfectly executed the Rakambo (Grand Entrance>The Quickness) into Gragas cask that brought a cc’d Cody Sun into the range of Doublelift and Bjergsen’s damage. With that quick kill on Immortal’s most dangerous player, TSM took a 3-0 fight and began clawing their way back into the game. A fight minutes later in defense of the top inhibitor caught Pobelter out the same way. Soon TSM were rolling, ending the game with an Ace around their own bot inhibitor that began with the same devastating Rakan opening.

Few people expected the quietest member of TSM to outplay Immortal’s First Team All-Pro Support Olleh, but that’s exactly what Biofrost did. When Olleh was too slow on the Black Shield in Game 1, there was Biofrost exploiting an opening for First Blood. When Olleh momentarily stood a step too close to Cody during an Elder Drake fight in Game 3, there was Biofrost knocking up the Tahm Kench long enough for Bjerg to sneak Orianna’s Ball under Cody for the one-shot.

Biofrost rose to the challenge demanded by the matchup, finishing 4-10-45 (4.9 KDA, 83% KP, playoff-high assist total) to Olleh’s 2-16-26 (1.8 KDA, 65% KP, series-high deaths). Without this performance from Biofrost, we might have crowned a different Summer Split champion.

TSM are the Best Team Fighters in North America

Memo to the rest of North America: Expecting to beat Team SoloMid in late game team fights is a pipe dream and a losing strategy.

Bjergsen and Doublelift are too good at the essential team fighting skill: outputting maximum damage while never stepping out of position. Hauntzer, Svenskeren and Biofrost are incredible at creating the space necessary for their superstars to work, and adept at bringing the opponent’s squishies within their range. As long and Bjergsen and Doublelift are able to stay alive and healthy during a teamfight, winning it is only a matter of time.

It wasn’t an accident that the lone game Immortals won in the finals was also the shortest. TSM tend to draft hard-scaling compositions because of their confidence team fighting in the late game, and if this series in any indication, that confidence is well-founded. 5v5s all seemed to start the same way: Some combination of Hauntzer/Sven/Biofrost initiates on a carry during a microscopic positioning error, Doublelift immediately focuses the target, and Bjergsen either bursts another target or helps with damage/zoning (sometimes both). This repeatedly clean fight execution is a major element to TSM’s success; you need only to look at the NA LCS rafters to recognize how important it is. 

But as good as TSM are at winning team fights they take, what’s almost as impressive is the discipline TSM show in not taking fights, only choosing to initiate when they see an advantage. Think back to the Elder Drake fight in Game 3 that proved so integral to TSM’s fortunes. The fight was proceeded by minutes of TSM following Immortals around the map, looking for an opening, striking only when Immortals were caught between taking an objective and an incoming fight. Notice how expertly Bjergsen placed Orianna’s Ball under Cody’s Jinx, exactly the player he needed to find, and ending the fight before it started by killing Cody quickly. Contrast that discipline with the way Team Dignitas aggressively took any early fight in their series against CLG, or for that matter, the way CLG ignored good macro and heedlessly 5v5’d Immortals in the semifinals.

Understanding what to do in big fights matters, but knowing when to take a fight at all matter more. And in North America, no one does it better than TSM.

Immortals Were Close, but Poise and Positioning Let Them Down

Despite coming up short in the finals, Immortals have little reason to hang their heads. Qualifying for Worlds is an immense accomplishment and a long time coming for an organization that, apart from this Spring, has always been amongst the NA’s best. They outperformed Team SoloMid for much of the finals, uncharacteristically losing Game 3 with a gold lead at 25 minutes (they were previously 25-2 with such a lead) and utterly collapsing in a Game 4 they would have won 95 times out of 100 tries.

The separation between Immortals and TSM on display in Boston had little to do with individual skill or teamplay. Sure, only Xmithie arguably outperformed his counterpart, but the major difference between the sides was poise and experience to handle big moments. TSM knew how to calmly reset and close out games with emphasis on the late game, where their strengths would be magnified. By contrast, Immortals folded under the pressure, giving away two winnable games that would have earned them the title.

Positioning issues also plagued Immortals throughout the series. If the idea was to draft lineups in which Cody Sun was not only the primary damage dealer but the sole damage dealer (as they did in Game 1), he needed to be protected at all costs. Likewise, Cody can’t instantly lose his team the fight by dying early due to positioning poorly. Bursting down carries at the beginning of fights is a TSM specialty, but it was made far easier than it should have been in this series. Hopefully Immortals becomes a bit more balanced, both mentally and damage-wise, as they prepare for a stacked Worlds in China. I can’t wait.

NA LCS Semifinal Reflections

The matchups for Boston are set.

With their one-sided series wins last weekend, Immortals and Team SoloMid will meet in the finals to crown a champion for 2017 NA LCS Summer Split. For TSM, it will be a record-setting tenth straight finals appearance, dating back to the league’s inception in 2013. The favorites will meet Immortals, a finals first-timer despite two impeccable splits in 2016. Both teams have qualified for Worlds, the only question remaining being who will earn the #1 NA seed. Expect an absolute show at the TD Garden this Sunday afternoon filled with pocket picks and cheese comps waiting to be released.

All eyes will be drawn to the final between Immortals and TSM, but don’t forget about the Battle for 3rd Place on Saturday. While the old money v. new money finals has regional pride and a trophy on the line, its Worlds implications are largely set. Not so for the 3rd Place series, as Counter Logic Gaming and Team Dignitas will compete to receive a bye into the regional semifinals. The loser will face FlyQuest in the first leg of the gauntlet next week.

Before we settle into what should be an exciting weekend of League of Legends, let’s reflect on the semifinals that set the stage.

Immortals’ Immaculate Macro Play Decided the Series

What separated Immortals from Counter Logic Gaming last Saturday wasn’t individual play. Sure, Olleh always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, but the same could be said of Aphromoo in Game 1. Huhi averaged 1130 (!) damage per minute to Pobelter’s 691, Stixxay’s CS per minute and DPM (9.0 and 725) were nearly identical to Cody Sun’s (9.0 and 795), but none of it mattered. OmarGod struggled in the matchup against Xmithie, but it’s hard to claim that CLG’s failure to advance rests entirely on his underperforming shoulders. So why the clean sweep by Immortals?

There’s an argument to be made that the talent levels of CLG and Immortals are relatively even, but at a macro level, the two teams are headed in different directions. Immortal’s incredible teamplay allows them to control the map in ways most North American teams can’t, creating macro advantages that decide games independently from team fights. Immortals always seem to be trading up in objectives, or making plays on one side of the map that directly influence the other side.

Consider the way CLG lost their bot inhibitor to minions in Games 1 and 2. It was a conscious choice by Immortals to play around top side in the mid game, taking advantage of CLG’s eagerness to fight and thereby drawing attention away from their slow push bot. CLG could only watch as minions broke their inhibitor turret as they fruitlessly attempted to control Baron and/or recoup their lost early game with one massive fight.

The best professional teams force their opponents into lose-lose situations. Stop the fed split pusher or contest Baron? Take a bad fight around drake or surrender a third infernal? Repeatedly force a 5v5 to keep the game close or spend valuable time pushing back lanes? There are no good answers here; the aim is to avoid the question entirely. Immortals never gave CLG that chance, out-rotating and out-farming them at every juncture to create a lead that could survive mixed team fight results.

Superior macro from Immortals won them the series, and bodes well for Worlds, a competition that rewards teams over collections of individuals.

Cody Sun Didn’t Wilt in His Playoff Debut

OmarGod and Nisqy weren’t the only playoff debutantes this postseason. Cody Sun, whose rookie split this spring was marred by a 7th place finish by Immortals, took the playoff stage for the first time Saturday. Across three games, Immortals’ ADC finished 16-6-23 (6.5 KDA, 65% KP), drafting Kog’Maw in each victory.

Immortals haven’t shown much emphasis on Kog’Maw before this series, drafting the Mouth of the Abyss only five times during Summer Split. Cody was 3-2 on the champion before Saturday’s games, playing it for the first time on stage since Week 6 vs. Cloud 9. Back then, Immortals used it as a direct counter to the same Xayah/Rakan bot lane they saw three times against CLG last weekend, preferring this long-range artillery champion as an answer to Xayah’s rising priority in North America.

Xayah and Rakan strike an imposing figure in the bot lane, two early game bullies that can initiate and trade from long distance. Immortals chose not to respond with Jhin, Cody’s most played champion this Summer. It’s a pick Immortals have so much confidence with that they once drafted a four-tank lineup to surround Cody with (against CLG, no less). But Jhin has fallen out of the meta due to Kog’Maw’s better late game scaling and relative mobility when compared to the Virtuoso. Plus, the Lethality buffs haven’t had the game-breaking impact many expected them to have (especially since Duskblade was de-powered), making Jhin an lessor late game team fighter to a 100% crit carry.

But regardless of counter pick status, Cody still had to perform on Kog’Maw. He didn’t disappoint, shaking off an uneven Game 1 with an excellent Game 2 (10-1-8, 72% KP). I liked the adaptation in Cody’s build between the first two games, favoring Wit’s End over Essence Reaver to better exploit the passive on Guinsoo’s Rageblade. Game 3 was a stomp, but all Cody needed to do was back up his playmaking veterans, riding with Olleh’s Tahm Kench directly into the backline after Flame and Pobelter smashed the front.

Cody will face a sterner test bot against Doublelift and Biofrost on Sunday, and with TSM drafting Kog’Maw three times during the second semifinal, expect it to be a very contested pick. Whose Maw will reign supreme?

What’s Next for Counter Logic Gaming?

Counter Logic Gaming had their moments against Immortals, but they were few and far between. Huhi was his usual steady-yet-unpredictable self in the mid lane, providing massive damage no matter what champion he was given (three different champions total: Viktor, Vel’Koz and Corki). His forceful hand in fights deserved a better result.

It was exciting to see Aphromoo back on Rakan again after introducing the champion to NA LCS in the early weeks of summer; he kept CLG within striking distance in Game 1 with timely Rakambo initiations. But as Immortals saw more of the strategy, the less impact Aphro had, and CLG’s chances soured with his diminished influence. Stixxay did what he could on Xayah—who he hadn’t played since Week 3 when everyone was experimenting with the Vastayan Duo—but it was interesting watching her ride up CLG’s ADC tier list when both Ashe and Caitlyn were available. I suppose if CLG’s priority was to put Aphro on Rakan, they might as well play Xayah too for the extra Battle Dance range.

But the bottom line was that CLG couldn’t match Immortal’s teamplay, and in no matchup was the discrepancy starker than OmarGod versus Xmithie. The rookie jungler was played off the map in Game 2, finishing 0-8-9 and was routinely caught out by Xmithie and Olleh during well-coordinated invades. He was unable to pressure lanes or secure objectives all series; CLG lost the drake battle 8-4 and did not take a single Baron to Immortal’s six.

But to lay the sweep solely at Omar’s door would be disingenuous, a knee-jerk reaction from fans looking for an easy scapegoat. Omar actually had an excellent start to Game 3, ganking each lane once in the first few minutes and getting kills in the solo lanes, including First Blood on Flame (credit went to Darshan). Sure, it was Omar who sat on a brush ward that tipped Immortals off to a gank mid that they eventually turned into three kills, but the pieces were there for CLG to put together. They just didn’t have enough time to integrate Omar seamlessly enough to contend for a title. CLG knew better than anyone the weaknesses of their young jungler and chose to start him anyway rather than keep Dardoch around through playoffs. Is OmarGod’s limited champion pool a problem? Absolutely, but it wasn’t news to CLG. If a carpenter builds a chair with only two legs, do you blame the chair for collapsing or the carpenter?

To beat Team Dignitas in the 3rd place match, CLG will need to step up across the board to compensate for OmarGod’s shortcomings. Xayah and Rakan didn’t look so bad as to not warrant more attention after a week of practice, but Dignitas banned Rakan against TSM in every semifinal game, so I’m not sure Aphro will be allowed a repeat performance. The best chance CLG have at securing a bye into the regional semifinals is to play around their solo lanes, especially Darshan, who had a mediocre series against Flame and now has Ssumday to deal with. CLG beat Dignitas the last time they met in Summer Split, but it will take a significant improvement from the way they played against Immortals to repeat the result.

TSM’s Preparation Showed

Team SoloMid’s plan for their semifinal with Team Dignitas was on full display as early as the Game 1 draft: Shut down Keane. They banned a total of three mid laners, including Keane’s Cassiopeia, forcing a Taliyah pick for which they had prepared a Kassadin counter. To his credit, Keane played Bjergsen even in the early game, until Bjergsen began to snowball off a triple kill during the game’s first 5v5. From there the counter was in full effect; Bjergsen finished 5-2-7 with 100% KP and split pushed his way to victory. TSM never let Keane have Cassiopeia, banning her outright or picking her themselves in every game.

It was a smart strategy for TSM, exploiting the inherent advantage between a decent mid laner and the best player in the league. Seems like a no-brainer, and it paid off. Keane finished 13-9-17 (3.3 KDA, 8.8 CSM, 645 DPM, 77% KP) to Bjergsen’s 18-8-30 (6.0 KDA, 9.1 CSM, 500 DPM, 79% KP), but the preparation TSM put into this series went beyond exploiting favorable matchups.

The bigger strategical adjustment TSM made was to force Dignitas out of their preferred high-tempo pace. Dignitas wanted to play fast, force fights, and get an early lead with which to control objectives. It’s unsurprising that Dignitas won the only game in which they secured a Baron (Game 3). Instead, TSM slowed the pace and relied on their excellent late game scaling/fighting to decide games. That Game 1’s First Blood took 19 minutes was a harbinger of things to come.

Dignitas should have seen the writing on the wall, and to their credit doubled-down on early game objective control with a Nunu pick in Game 2, but again TSM were ready. They’d seen Shrimp’s Nunu before (and for that matter, Contractz’s Nunu weeks ago in a frustratingloss) and punished it early and often. Shrimp was denied access to the TSM jungle, and his forays into the drake pit were well timed with TSM counter wards. With zero farm or lane pressure, Shrimp (like Keane) was boxed into predicable play and TSM punished it accordingly.

Game 4 was a masterstroke by TSM, who had planned for Ssumday’s Maokai as rigorously as they had everything else. Into a lane in which Ssumday routinely got out-CS’d, TSM slotted in the lumbering Cho’Gath, a borderline liability in the early game that easily gets shut down with a modicum of pressure. But TSM knew that Dignitas draw Ssumday out of lane for assistance bot in the early game, letting Hauntzer quietly farm into an unstoppable juggernaut as Feast stacked. By the time it was time for Dignitas to fight, they couldn’t find an opening against a Cho’Gath the size of a drake.

Superstars Matter

Preparedness and coordination played huge roles in TSM’s victory over Dignitas, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t compliment the exceptional play of Bjergsen and Doublelift. Two of the best laners in North America—and certainly the best in their position—these two superstars raise TSM’s ceiling with their reliability and experience.

Bjergsen is the best mid laner in the West, full stop. Yes, Jensen had the better statistical split and will likely win MVP because of it, but the best player in the league plays mid for TSM. Bjergsen drafted Kassadin once this split, a shaky closeout game against Echo Fox back in Week 4. Did that stop TSM from plotting a strategy around his ability to play the champion? No. A player you can essentially plug into lane and expect him to win no matter the matchup changes the complexion of your team and what strategies become viable. How many mid laners in the world can do that? How many mid laners could make a random Xerath draft look halfway decent? Bjergsen is a rare superstar across all sports, egoless and excellent, willing to sacrifice for the team yet dominant no matter the role.

In the bot lane, Doublelift is miles ahead of his fellow ADCs, a marksman so good that TSM dumped WildTurtle—who had just led them to a title and solid in his own right—at the first sign of a reunion. His positioning while maintaining high damage is incredible and something few other North American carries can replicate. The gulf between Doublelift and Altec, probably his closest competition at ADC in North America, was stunning. He and Biofrost stomped the bot lane, always finishing ahead in CS@15 and revealing a Kog’Maw he hadn’t played all split to great effect. Someone had been scrimmaging Immortals…

Teams, not individuals, win championships in League of Legends. Counter Logic Gaming is a great example of an unbalanced roster failing to succeed, unable to overcome its weakest link. But the assurance of having the superior player, a superstar, on your side makes the game easier. It makes you harder to plan against, to ban out, to surprise. Sometimes having more superstars than the other team makes the difference, whether it’s winning a lane you can’t afford to lose or single-handedly turning an even team fight into a victory. Superstars matter, and TSM have two.  

What’s Next for Team Dignitas?

Team Dignitas shouldn’t be too disappointed with their semifinal loss to TSM.

Sure, they could have advanced to the first TSM-less NA LCS finals in the history of the league, but ultimately Dignitas were the inferior team on the day. They got outmaneuvered in the draft, couldn’t pressure TSM into mistakes and didn’t execute their pocket Nunu strategy very well. For a team that relies on Baron control to win (an ironic 180 degree turn from their old reputation), Dignitas repeatedly made mistakes around the pit, never generating a large enough advantage to wrest vision control from TSM.

For example, in Game 1, Dignitas had a golden opportunity to secure first Baron after a kill on Bjergsen near the pit. Everyone was relatively healthy and Svenskeren was in full retreat. In games past—and against TSM in Week 7—this Bjergsen pickoff would have resulted in a decisive Baron call, successful secure and a push that would crack open TSM's base. Instead, Dignitas chased down Sven for no reward, started Baron but found themselves too low to take it, then had to abandon the objective once the rest of TSM came to contest it. By then Bjergsen had respawned and Dig had recalled, leaving TSM to take Baron and begin a snowball that never slowed.

Everything was a little off for Dignitas, but that can happen when you’re playing a team as composed as TSM. It was only when Dig tripled-down on the early game with an Elise/Thresh/Taliyah/Jarvan pick composition that they found any joy, finally creating the propulsive early game necessary for their kind of victory. For Dignitas to overcome Counter Logic Gaming in the 3rd Place match, they’ll need more of that early game explosiveness, as well as a return to form from Altec and Adrian. Oh, and Dig: If you’re going to end up picking Xayah, maybe don’t ban Rakan first phase? Thanks, and good luck.