League of Legends: Worlds 2019 | Play-In Groups Day Four Recap

Damwon Gaming vs Royal Youth

The game started with the underdogs getting some aggressive plays both in Top lane and Bot lane getting flashes from Nuguri on Vladimir and Beryl on Nautilus. Royal Youth took advantage of the flashless Nautilus by getting first blood around 7 mins and 30 seconds into the game. The game started looking sloppy for the Korean representatives until they were able to get a three for one fight 10 minutes in, this allowed Damwon to start snowballing their lead and get their second dragon of the game, the first mountain drake of the three that they would be able to accumulate throughout the game.

Royal Youth was able to keep trying plays across the game and obtained a twelve-minute Rift Herald. At fifteen minutes, RYL was able to get a counter to engage on Damwon's aggressive play getting a two for one and able to utilize the herald in bot lane. Still, at 20 mins the gold lead was 3k gold in favor of Damwon even after getting two kills on Vladimir and Nautilus. The advantage showed itself at around 25 minutes when Damwon baited a Baron and was able to pick up four kills and the baron to accelerate the game. During the 29-minute mark, the ocean dragon was taken to give Damwon a total of five dragons. A few minutes later Royal Youth went for the hail mary and ended up giving another four kills and allowing the game to end at 30 minutes.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 30:32
• Kills: 15-8
• Turrets: 9-2
• Gold:60.2k-48.4k
• Dragons: 5-0
• Barons: 1- 0

Hong Kong Attitude vs MEGA

This game started as one of the slowest games throughout the play-in stage. MEGA, was able to get Gnar's flash at five minutes with a gank from Lloyd, this allowed HKA to get a cloud drake. The next important action was MEGA picking up an ocean drake eleven minutes in. A couple of minutes later, MEGA gave us the latest (and sloppiest) first blood in the tournament, so far, with Rockky getting 3z very low then missing a few crucial skill shots this caused HKA to respond with a kill on Rockky. Two minutes later, Ezreal is solo killed by Xayah, which leads to another kill and turret first blood. It started to feel like MEGA was running away with the game throughout the mid-game.

HKA is gifted an infernal drake due to poor back timings by MEGA. 23 minutes into the game MEGA gets a pick on Gnar and manages to get a second ocean dragon. Four minutes later, we see MEGA get a monumental lead when they pick up a four for one team fight. Still, four minutes later HKA gets an ace due to poor Baron set up by MEGA, this swings the game in the favor of HKA and they do not falter. MEGA is put in the back foot and is unable to get back into the game. 36 minutes we see another fight that results in a one for one and three minutes later HKA gets a clean ace and the win.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 39:25
• Kills: 13-10
• Turrets: 9-4
• Gold: 71.7k – 64.4k
• Dragons: 3-3
• Barons: 1-0

Flamengo eSports vs Damwon Gaming

Flamengo started with quick first blood against Nuguri on the Ryze. Shrimp has an impressive early game by going to bot lane a few minutes later, getting flash and a kill onto Nuclear. Luci roams top lane to get a pick against Nuguri again, followed by a kill onto Canyon one minute later. Flamengo decides to commit into an early lane swap, resulting in Damwon getting their first cloud drake and first turret, Flamengo responds with picking up rift herald. With the game looking to be going in the way of Flamengo, Damwon pulls back, getting three kills in the top lane. Flamengo attempt to keep their tempo going by getting a turret in the bot lane.  Two minutes later, we see a two for two trade followed by mid lane and top lane turrets traded as well.

From here on out, Damwon showed their absolute dominance and started getting constant picks. Seventeen minutes in, we see a pick followed by top lane falling. At twenty-two minutes, Damwon gets a kill onto Pyke, resulting in the mid lane second-tier tower falling. This quickly evolved into a team fight that was heavily won by Damwon picking four kills and baron. After, Damwon showed their systematic dominance taking each inhibitor one by one, getting an ace with another fancy fountain dive, and winning the game.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 28:08
• Kills:6 – 17
• Turrets: 2 – 11
• Gold: 45.3k – 57.5k
• Dragons: 0 – 3
• Barons: 0 – 1

Lowkey Esports vs MEGA

Our fourth game of the day we see Lowkey versus MEGA and the game started in typical VCS fashion with early first blood occurring in the first three minutes. A minute after we see MEGA punish bot lane getting a kill onto Thresh, but then they commit to a tower dive that results in another kill for DNK's Elise. Vietnamese teams are known for their constant aggression, but this does not work out during this early game as MEGA punishes Lowkey and can pick up a two for one trade, including a shutdown to Camile. MEGA gets caught out around the eleven-minute mark, but it is traded for the rift herald. Knowing that they had the numbers advantage, MEGA use the herald top lane, giving a huge lead to Camile. The game slows down for the following minutes resulting in towers traded, and one kill picked up by LowKey.

After a bit of stalemate, we do see a fight break out lead to a two for one trade around the twenty-minute mark. We have another break in the action that resumes at twenty-five minutes by a dragon take, Camile does get a solo kill onto Kled, resulting in a mid lane take. This seemed to be the last time that MEGA had a positive impact considering that Lloyd got taken out before a baron bait that resulted in a team wipe by Lowkey. A few minutes later, Lowkey picked up a two for one and went straight for the baron, giving them enough resources to push through bot lane. Here they patiently pushed the lane picking up a couple of kills that resulted in them picking up the win.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 34:04
• Kills: 17-9
• Turrets: 7 – 4
• Gold: 63.1k – 58k
• Dragons: 2- 1
• Barons: 1-0

Flamengo eSports vs Royal Youth

Champion select started very interestingly with the Blitzcrank being picked up by Royal Youth. Sadly, even though we saw some aggressive plays in the mid and bot lane, we did not see much action in the early stages of the game. First, important action was the rift herald take at eleven minutes in. Around twelve minutes, we saw two close calls for first blood. Finally, at fifteen minutes, Royal Youth picked up two kills and the mountain dragon. Flamengo gets a kill against LeBlanc twice in two minutes. Royal Youth picks up a kill and first turret before nineteen minutes. Flamengo is finally able to get some kills at twenty minutes picking up the mountain dragon as well. Since then, Royal Youth seems to take full control of the game going for even trades, and slowly taking objectives after each pick.

At twenty-six minutes, RYL gets a one for one trade that allows them to pick up their second mountain dragon. Royal youth gets a three for one that started in favor of Flamengo and ends up in a baron take. From here on out, Royal Youth was able to take entire chunks of the base, slowly suffocating Flamengo. Thirty-seven minutes in Royal took all inhibs and then took their second Baron as well as Elder to then close out the game with a five to one ace.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 40:29
• Kills: 12 – 18
• Turrets: 3 – 11
• Gold: 70k – 79.5k
• Dragons: 2- 4
• Barons: 0 – 2

Lowkey Esports vs Hong Kong Attitude

Another slow starting game in terms of kills, but HKA has gotten small advantages throughout the early game. We do get the first blood around nine minutes, in favor of HKA, this leads to a cloud dragon. One minute later, HKA attacks the bot lane again, this time picking up to kills and cementing a strong early game for HKA. The game stabilizes a bit, until fourteen minutes, Lowkey takes rift herald, and HKA trades for infernal and 1st turret. Four minutes later, HKA and Lowkey trade for second-tier turrets. HKA having the gold lead, take the ocean drake. The teams seemed to enter a stalemate until HKA find two picks near mid letting them get the baron.

HKA starts taking a massive lead by getting two kills that lead to two turrets being taken. With the baron, HKA took their second infernal as well as an inhibitor in bot lane. Lowkey gets a shutdown against the GP, but that would be the last chance they would see. Two minutes later, Elise is taken down, which leads into a second baron. Around 30 minutes in HKA pick up the five for one ace that leads to the win and meaning that HKA will be the first seed of group C.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 30:18
• Kills: 2 – 13
• Turrets: 4 – 10
• Gold: 48.5k – 62.7k
• Dragons: 0 – 4
• Barons: 0 – 2

Royal Youth vs Flamengo eSports (Tiebreaker)

In the final game of day four, we see the tiebreaker between Royal Youth and Flamengo. The game starts much faster this time around with a quick flash trade in mid lane. Within the next couple minutes, Shrimp attempts an aggressive invade and nearly dies. Seven minutes in, Royal Youth picks up the first blood that leads to the ocean drake. Three minutes later, Royal Youth gets a two for one that allows them to get the Rift Harold, which leads to the first turret twelve minutes into this decisive game. In dire need of something to work out, forces Flamengo to go for a dive against Gankplank, the dive fails and it leads to a second dragon for Royal. Seventeen minutes in Royal Youth keep the pressure on and get two kills. Two minutes later, Flamengo kills GP, but Flamengo loses mid lane.

Royal Youth never seems to give up any leads, they go for a tower dive, successfully getting two more kills. Three minutes later, Royal then aced Flamengo, losing only one and able to pick up the baron. Flamengo does get one more kill but is unable to stop the onslaught losing two inhibitors. One minute later, RYL gets three kills and picks up the win to send them over to the knockout stage.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 27:49
• Kills: 15 – 5
• Turrets: 11 – 1
• Gold: 54.3k – 40.5k
• Dragons: 3- 0
• Barons: 1-0

Knockout Stage Draw

Monday, October 7th

Series 1: Hong Kong Attitude vs  Isurus Gaming

Series 2: Clutch Gaming vs Royal Youth

Tuesday, October 8th

Series 1: Damwon Gaming vs Lowkey Esports

Series 2: Splyce vs Unicorns of Love

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