LEC Summer 2019: Week Four Day Two Recap

SK Gaming vs Excel Esports

Excel Esports (“XL”) finally found their first win of the split with a fairly convincing win over SK Gaming (“SK”). SK Gaming started off the game by taking a Mountain Dragon at eight minutes, but XL responded by sending all their members to the pit to fight. This fight went very well, resulting in two kills and a third kill from a tower dive on the tail end of the play. The XL squad used this advantage very well, leveraging it to take multiple objectives including the Rift Herald and Towers.

At 21 minutes, XL saw they were ahead enough and rushed Baron Nashor. They secured the buff while only losing one member, and it helped them take a couple of towers but not enough to crack the base. Thus, the game stalled out with they waited for the next one to spawn. When it did all hell broke loose. Mickey split pushed the bottom lane, which ended up forcing SK to rush the Baron themselves. Mickey pushed forward, taking the Inhibitor and attacking the Nexus towers. SK secured the Baron, but XL engaged to stop their backs. SK couldn't get to base in time and Mickey blasted their first Nexus of the split.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 29:35
• Kills: 6-6
• Turrets: 3-8
• Gold: 50.2k-52.1k
• Dragons: 2-2
• Barons: 1-0

Misfits Gaming vs Vitality

Vitality (“VIT”) took a much-needed win over Misfits Gaming (“MSF”) in this second match of the day. MSF won a five-minute skirmish in the bottom lane, where Soaz's Aatrox got three kills, but Mowgli and Jiizuke turned it around. Mowgli made repeat ganks to Soaz's lane and killed him multiple times, while Jiizuke's Ekko popped off in a Rift Herald skirmish where his team went three-for-two. Because of these plays, VIT gained a significant lead which they furthered with multiple tower destructions.

VIT went into the mid-game with a massive gold lead and MSF looked scared. At 20 minutes Gorilla was caught out and killed to force MSF even farther back. It worked so well that at 23 minutes VIT snuck the Baron and secured it without contest. This Baron allowed VIT to push two lanes, and though Jiizuke was killed, they did serious damage. After resetting, VIT resumed their siege, where Attila found a solo kill on Febiven. Emboldened by this, VIT engaged onto MSF and Ace'd them before claiming their Nexus.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 28:08
• Kills: 14-7
• Turrets: 9-1
• Gold: 58.3k-45.2k
• Dragons: 3-1
• Barons: 1-0

Origen vs Rogue

In a surprisingly clean fashion, Rogue (“RGE”) pulled off a major upset over Origen (“OG”). Inspired was a huge factor in their win, as he got First Blood for Profit in the top lane and snowballed his lead all over the map. RGE constantly attacked Nukeduck in the mid lane, where they killed him multiple times. Next, RGE used the Herald to take the First Tower bonus and after that continued to find picks on other OG members. OG was being dismantled by RGE and seemed to have no response.

As Baron spawned, RGE shifted their focus onto Kold. They picked him off multiple times, and though it took them a couple of tries to take it, eventually secured Baron Nashor. OG managed to take trade a middle Inhibitor and Infernal Dragon for it, but RGE didn't mind at all. They easily smashed through the top lane to take the Inhibitor and break open the OG base. After that, RGE waited a few minutes to strike, but when they did it was devastating. A beautiful combination of RGE ultimates eviscerated OG, and RGE pushed straight through top to take their opponent's Nexus.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 36:35
• Kills: 16-3
• Turrets: 9-5
• Gold: 67.2k-58.4k
• Dragons: 2-4
• Barons: 1-0

Schalke 04 vs G2 Esports

G2 Esports (“G2”) continue their dominance of the LEC with a win over Schalke 04 (“S04”). It ended up being a stomp, but S04 looked decent in the early game. Trick, in particular, made multiple successful ganks, getting First Blood for Odoamne in the top lane before getting a kill on the bot lane. But G2 soon clapped back. They constantly skirmished S04, killing multiple members while losing less of their own. They didn't hesitate to pull the trigger on or dive their opponents, and it resulted in them accumulating a sizeable lead.

G2 kept up this strategy in the mid-game. Of course, the gap widened even farther and this became apparent. At 22 minutes, G2 had total vision control and used it to secure a free Baron. This buff helped them take down two Inhibitors, even though they had to give some kills over for them. G2 maintained this immense pressure on the base after the buff wore off. Eventually, S04 couldn't handle the chaotic skirmishes G2 threw at them, lost too many members, and ultimately their Nexus.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 31:24
• Kills: 13-22
• Turrets: 2-11
• Gold: 54.6k-64.8k
• Dragons: 0-3
• Barons: 0-1

Fnatic vs Splyce

The final game of the day featured Splyce (“SPY”) handing Fnatic (“FNC”) their first loss of the split. The early game was quite bloody, with FNC diving Humanoid for First Blood but trading a kill back. But SPY constantly caught out Hylissang and they killed him multiple times early on. Humanoid amassed a bunch of kills and became a menace too, which he used to solo kill different FNC members multiple times. But while that happened, FNC's main unit found a successful skirmish and looked to be in the driver's seat.

At 27 minutes, a team fight in the middle lane finally went back towards the way of SPY. They killed three from Fnatic before taking their first Baron. It didn't give them too much but definitely helped them establish map control. The game stalled until the second Baron, and after SPY caught out Bwipo, they took this one too. With this and a team fight win, they destroyed two Inhibitors. It only took SPY one more team fight win around the Dragon pit, where they Ace'd FNC, to get the opportunity to demolish FNC's Nexus.

QUICK STATS:

• Time: 41:54
• Kills: 13-25
• Turrets: 4-10
• Gold: 74.5k-82.8k
• Dragons: 2-3
• Barons: 0-2

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