MOBAFire EMEA Fantasy Tournament - Season...

[quote=Jovy][center][img=https://www.mobafire.com/images/news/emea-lec-23-finals-week-1.jpg][/center] [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Introduction[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] Greetings LEC fans, and fantasy coaches! In this week’s article, we’ll be going over the results of the opening weekend of the LEC Season Finals. On stage we saw the winners of the Winter and Spring Seasons take on some underdog teams. MAD Lions faced off against Excel, a team that had failed to make playoffs in the first two Splits of the season, but have drummed up some major hype over Summer. On Sunday, G2 Esports, winners of the Winter and Summer splits, faced Team BDS, who was a runner up in Spring. [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Fantasy Leaderboards[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [center][img=https://i.imgur.com/5YQtii3.png][/center] Zapmaz is currently our most successful fantasy coach. With two members of G2 and two members of MAD Lions, zapmaz may just be set for the long haul unless something very unexpected happens as the tournament progresses. [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Top Player In Each Role During The Past Weekend[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [center][columns] [table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #ebbc4e" border-radius=15px padding=5][tr] [td][center][img=https://i.imgur.com/w9EsS8G.png width=20][/center][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][size=4][b][color=#ffffff]TOP LANE[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=10][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][img=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolesports_gamepedia_en/images/e/ef/MAD_Chasy_2023_Split_1.png height=100][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=2][td bgcolor=#ebbc4e][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]Chasy[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#091120][center][table][tr][td][img=https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png height=15][/td][td width=5][/td][td][size=3][b][color=#00000]MAD Lions[/color][/b][/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]11.8 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [/table] [nextcol] [table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #e81f24" border-radius=15px padding=5][tr] [td][center][img=https://i.imgur.com/tSXz5QB.png width=20][/center][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][size=4][b][color=#ffffff]JUNGLE[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=10][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][img=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolesports_gamepedia_en/images/4/46/G2_Yike_2023_Split_1.png height=100][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=2][td bgcolor=#e81f24][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]Yike[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#091120][center][table][tr][td][img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png height=15][/td][td width=5][/td][td][size=3][b][color=#00000]G2 Esports[/color][/b][/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]10.3 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [/table] [nextcol] [table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #ebbc4e" border-radius=15px padding=5][tr] [td][center][img=https://i.imgur.com/aQyqQwd.png width=20][/center][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][size=4][b][color=#ffffff]MID LANE[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=10][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][img=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolesports_gamepedia_en/images/0/07/MAD_Nisqy_2023_Split_1.png height=100][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=2][td bgcolor=#ebbc4e][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]Nisqy[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#091120][center][table][tr][td][img=https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png height=15][/td][td width=5][/td][td][size=3][b][color=#00000]MAD Lions[/color][/b][/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]10.9 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [/table] [nextcol] [table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #ebbc4e" border-radius=15px padding=5][tr] [td][center][img=https://i.imgur.com/P5LdG0V.png width=20][/center][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][size=4][b][color=#ffffff]BOT LANE[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=10][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][img=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolesports_gamepedia_en/images/b/b1/MAD_Carzzy_2023_Split_1.png height=100][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=2][td bgcolor=#ebbc4e][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]Carzzy[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#091120][center][table][tr][td][img=https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png height=15][/td][td width=5][/td][td][size=3][b][color=#00000]MAD Lions[/color][/b][/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]12.5 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [/table] [nextcol] [table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #e81f24" border-radius=15px padding=5][tr] [td][center][img=https://i.imgur.com/XsdpYZL.png width=20][/center][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][size=4][b][color=#ffffff]SUPPORT[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=10][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][center][img=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolesports_gamepedia_en/images/2/26/G2_Mikyx_2023_Split_1.png height=100][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=2][td bgcolor=#e81f24][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]Mikyx[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#091120][center][table][tr][td][img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png height=15][/td][td width=5][/td][td][size=3][b][color=#00000]G2 Esports[/color][/b][/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/td][/tr] [tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]9.3 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr] [/table] [/columns][/center] [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Current Tournament Bracket Overview[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [center][img=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3_gjP-WIAIkIsM?format=png&name=large][/center] [spoiler=read mode][columns][nextcol width=20][nextcol]MAD Lions and G2 Esports have won their best-of-five series and will be facing each other in the Upper Bracket semi finals in the first week of September. Though they took different paths to get here, on paper it's no surprise that they will be fighting one another for a spot in the finals soon. G2's road to this semifinals has been fairly clean. They won Winter and Summer, and, though they were bested by MAD Lions in Spring, they still had a terrific regular season in that split as well. MAD, on the other hand, has been on an up and down trajectory over the season which has garnered a lot of hate from fans. Their inconsistency is quite evident in the most recent season. After a rough time at MSI, they slayed in the opening weekend of the LEC, before nosediving so hard that there were doubts they'd make playoffs. They failed to secure their Summer title, but have shown insane skill and team play in the opening weekend of the Season Finals. Will they keep up the momentum, or fall off once again? Excel and Team BDS haven't had the opening weekend they wanted. Excel has had one of the most exciting journeys in the LEC in recent memory, going from not making playoffs two splits in a row (the only team to do so poorly) to making it to the finals in Summer. The only team that was able to beat them post week 1 of the LEC was G2, and now, the MAD Lions. Excel will need to beat Fnatic to have a chance to make finals and reach Worlds for the first time in the Org's history. It wouldn't be crazy, as Excel had managed to defeat Fnatic 3-1 just a short month ago. Of course, many fans were shocked that they had done so. Fnatic has been fantastic so far in Summer and there are many that expect this upcoming series to swing heavily in their favour. BDS was a relative unknown prior to the 2023 season, but had quickly become a fan favourite due to their performances in Winter and Spring. They reached their highest height in the latter split, where they had only narrowly been defeated by the MAD Lions in the finals. Everyone was expecting them to bounce back for Summer, and they were even voted the best team in the EUphoria podcast, but the season has in fact been quite the disappointment for the team and their fans alike. They made it to Season Finals by virtue of high championship points, having failed to qualify for the playoffs due to their defeat at the hands of G2 and Team Heretics in the group stage. Though fans are hopeful they will show more, the opening weekend hasn't been super inspiring. They need to beat SK Gaming, a team that mirrors them in many ways in terms of performance and expectations, for their journey to continue.[nextcol width=20][/columns][/spoiler] [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Saturday Recap: MAD Lions vs Excel[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [columns] [img=https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size][nextcol width=10][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/uTTwXWc.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center] [nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]🏁 Game One[/b][/size][/center] MAD Lions and Excel kicked off the Season Finals on Saturday. On paper, this was MAD's series, but, glancing closer at the most recent season, there was a good chance that Excel could bag the series too. They'd had a phenomenal season, perhaps their best ever, while MAD had been struggling. The Lions aimed to put all these doubts to rest. After a bit of a back and forth in the early game, Carzzy secured a killing spree that ended Sheo and Odoamne, and MAD was able to secure Baron 22 minutes in completely uncontested. The game, up until that point relatively close, collapsed suddenly and immediately, as the Lions pushed into XL's base not 5 minutes later and took their first win of the series.[/columns] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table] [spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmgiwbv47ng][/columns][/spoiler] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table] [columns] [img=https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size][nextcol width=10][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/uTTwXWc.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center] [nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]🏁 Game Two[/b][/size][/center] The Lions were looking to roll it back, drafting Nisqy's signature LeBlanc in the mid lane and a hypercarry in the bot lane. However this was decidedly XL's game. 11 minutes in, Patrik had just secured a double kill in the top lane and XL was 4k gold ahead, with 7 kills to MAD's single one from First Blood early on. XL continued to build their lead, while MAD was able to somehow finagle two Drakes and somehow stay in the game thanks to that. 21 minutes in, XL made for Baron, and were able to secure it, further cementing their lead. XL was gearing to take down the second Nashor when a fight erupted and, ultimately, XL was edged away from the pit and Elyoya secured the beast. Even now, XL was in a good position and they managed to take two of the Lions down before they could escape the pit unscathed. However, in the following fight, it was clear that XL did not understand just how strong Carzzy had gotten. Though precariously low on health, he was able to secure a Quadra Kill and completely turn the game around for his team. Though it'd still be another ten minutes of back and forth gameplay, XL ultimately had no answer for the 12-kill Sivir, and MAD Lions snatched up match point.[/columns] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table] [spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_c1S0BrW5s][/columns][/spoiler] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table] [columns] [img=https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size][nextcol width=10][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/uTTwXWc.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center] [nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]🏁 Game Three[/b][/size][/center] Game 3 was just as exciting as the first two games and the action started in the top lane. Chasy and Elyoya dove a level three Odoamne while Peach ran to assist. Chasy secured First Blood but the turret finished him off, while Peach was able to get there just in time to kill Elyoya as well. Although it was technically a net win for XL, Chasy was able to snowball off that First Blood insanely well, and was 4-1 by the 10th minute mark, while Odo was 1-4. 20 minutes in, though XL had been able to secure two Dragons, they were 3k gold behind and, worse, MAD's other carries had started to grab some kills too. MAD made their play for Baron 23 minutes in and were able to easily secure it, then in the ensuing fight, Nisqy secured his rampage and Chasy got his 5th kill. Short of a miracle, this spelled the end for XL, at least for this weekend. No miracle conjured itself up, and MAD Lions finished off the series just a few moments later, ending with a clean 3-0.[/columns] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table] [spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK83Wdqfx-4][/columns][/spoiler] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table] [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Sunday Recap: G2 Esports vs Team BDS[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [columns] [img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size][nextcol width=10][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center] [nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]🏁 Game One[/b][/size][/center] Team BDS and G2 Esports faced off in our Sunday series. Aside from a few diehard BDS fans, everyone expected a clean series here from G2, and game 1 was nothing if not that. G2 coordinated a 4-man gank bot lane to secure First Blood for BrokenBlade and more action followed in that quadrant of the map throughout the rest of the early game. 15 minutes in, G2 was 5k gold ahead, Yike and BB doing especially well, and BDS didn't seem to have any avenues to focus on. Though they eventually did manage to get a few kills onto nuc, G2 was able to close the game out 33 minutes in, having 10 turrets to 2 and a 14k gold lead in game 1.[/columns] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table] [spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-_bnoRJ6TU][/columns][/spoiler] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table] [columns] [img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size][nextcol width=10][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center] [nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]🏁 Game Two[/b][/size][/center] Game 2 started off in BDS' favour, as the team was able to cleanly secure the first Dragon and then take down Yike in his own jungle shortly after. The bullying of Yike, who had opted for an exotic Evelynn pick, would continue, and he'd die to Adam just as fast as he respawned, this time in top side jungle. 10 minutes in, it was BDS who held a 3k gold advantage, and Crownie had managed to accumulate a huge lead over Hans. 20 minutes in, the gold gap grew to 6k, and BDS was on Soul Point with Baron in their pockets, and things were looking very dire for G2. After securing Mountain Soul, BDS was able to push out G2's base and, with a Double Kill from nuc, secure their first win in the series.[/columns] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ff0075][/td][/tr][/table] [spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw3kWGDdsfY][/columns][/spoiler] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ff0075][/td][/tr][/table] [columns] [img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size][nextcol width=10][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center] [nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]🏁 Game Three[/b][/size][/center] Game 3 swung back into G2's favour, and First Blood went to Yike, back on Rell duty, who was looking for some revenge after the last game. BrokenBlade and Caps were the MVPs of this match, however, BB being 4-0 and Caps 6-1 just 12 minutes in. In addition to having kills on all the right people, G2 was able to stay on top of objectives, and 20 minutes in, it seemed like there was nothing BDS could really do but slow the game down enough and hope for a good team fight down the line. Unfortunately, after G2 secured Baron 22 minutes in, there was no stopping them, and G2 was now one game away from securing semifinals.[/columns] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table] [spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQocHVFzNHg][/columns][/spoiler] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table] [columns] [img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size][nextcol width=10][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.png height=75] [center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center] [nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]🏁 Game Four[/b][/size][/center] Things started off great for BDS in game 4. Sheo rotated down for an early bot lane gank and, just as Mikyx engaged, G2 found themselves in a bad position, ultimately giving Crownie a Double Kill for First Blood. The two teams clashed soon after in the bot side jungle in a fight for Infernal Drake. Yike was able to steal the drake away from BDS, but they were still firmly in the lead. 10 minutes in, BDS was 2k gold ahead, and nuc was on a killing spree, while Crownie was on a rampage. Here is where BDS was expected to snowball their lead and expand the gold gap over the rest of the game, but, instead, G2 was able to keep the gold gap small. After a few kills, a good catch on Adam top lane, and a great skirmish under BDS' mid lane turret, G2 found themselves equal in gold, and ahead in kills, 22 minutes in. Though BDS still had a few good fights in them, and though they were able to secure the second Nashor of the game, it was too little too late. G2 had caught up to them, and Hans was too fed to deal with. G2 ended the series 3-1, and secured semifinals against MAD Lions![/columns] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table] [spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO6b1noTLv8][/columns][/spoiler] [table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table] [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Week 2 Preview[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [table][tr][td padding=10px width=900 bgcolor=#152034][b][size=5]Team BDS versus SK Gaming[/size][/b][/td][/tr][/table] [columns][nextcol width=75][center][img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.png width=240] [size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size] [img=https://i.imgur.com/1whtSNS.png width=240][/center][nextcol width=30][nextcol]As previously mentioned, Team BDS and SK Gaming mirror each other in a couple of interesting ways. Both teams enjoyed a sudden boom in popularity and performance in the 2023 season after having been somewhere in the mid-to-bottom tier in every other LEC season. In particular, SK Gaming had a great Winter split, finishing third in the regular season and defeating behemoths like Fnatic, Team Vitality, and G2 Esports. In Spring and in Summer they languished a bit but made group stage both times, and fell short of playoffs both times as well. However, their consistency as a top/middle team has earned them enough championship points to get to Season Finals. After a disappointing Summer split, SK Gaming wants to let the fans know that they deserve to be here. After their loss at the hands of G2, it's do or die for BDS, and they need to return to form for any chance at making Worlds.[/columns] [table][tr][td padding=10px width=900 bgcolor=#152034][b][size=5]Fnatic versus Excel Esports[/size][/b][/td][/tr][/table] [columns][nextcol width=75][center][img=https://i.imgur.com/7fnXiXJ.png width=240] [size=5][color=white][b]VS[/b][/color][/size] [img=https://i.imgur.com/uTTwXWc.png width=240][/center][nextcol width=30][nextcol]Oddly enough, these two teams have had a similar journey as well. In Winter, neither Fnatic nor Excel made it to the group stage, and here they are now competing to make it Worlds this year after all. While Excel couldn't find a solution to their issues for Spring, they certainly came online in Summer, just as Fnatic did after some serious rehashing of their lineup. Both teams have had truly great Summer splits, though for Excel this was more a surprise than for Fnatic, a prestigious team that has won the LEC several times over. The last time these two teams faced one another, XL was able to triumph and kick Fnatic out of playoffs, ending the best-of-five with a 3-1. This was just a short few weeks ago, so will the results be the same?[/columns] [table] [tr] [td width=900 bgcolor=162645] [size=6][b]‎‎ ‎ Conclusion[/b][/size] [/td] [/tr] [/table] That’s it from us as far as the past weekend is concerned. Next, head on over to EGO and make any adjustments you deem necessary before the games continue tomorrow at 17:30 CET! We wish you the best of luck! Credits go to [color=#61acf2][url=https://lol.fandom.com/wiki/League_of_Legends_Esports_Wiki]LoL.fandom Wiki[/url][/color] for their collection of player portraits, up-to-date statistics, overviews and all-around fantastic work documenting LoL esports.[/quote]