Jovy
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<Admin>
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Playoffs Day 1 Recap |
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Team BDS versus Team Vitality |
Our first best-of-five series of the Spring Split happened on Monday between Team Vitality and Team BDS. Both teams had stellar 4-0 records in the group stage, but one team would have to lose their first post-regular season game this week.
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🏁 Game One
In the first game, BDS was able to give Adam his favourite, Darius, and Vitality answered back with Akshan, hoping this counterpick would be enough to keep Darius on a tight leash. Labrov was able to cleanly secure First Blood in the mid lane for Sheo by ganking Perkz from behind. Then, the action moved to the top lane, as Bo snuck into the lane through the brush then engaged on Adam. However, their tower dive was a little overeager, and it was Adam who scored a kill thanks to his turret. A major team fight erupted 16 minutes in as all five members of each time found themselves in the top side of the river. Bo was rooted by Maokai's ultimate, and was eventually taken out by Crownie before the two teams disengaged. 25 minutes in, BDS was only 1k gold ahead but had 4 kills to none, and had just secured their third Dragon of the game, with Infernal Soul on the horizon. After catching out Perkz, BDS was able to snag Baron Nashor 29 minutes in before securing the Infernal Soul and effectively sealing Vitality's fate. BDS ended the game 36 minutes in, with Vitality failing to get a single kill all game. |
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🏁 Game Two
In Game 2, Vitality was able to draft the very strong Annie mid lane, with some more team fight champs like Xayah, Kennen, and Nautilus, while BDS gave Tahm Kench to Labrov to protect the immobile Aphelios from the VIT lineup. The Kench couldn't save himself though as Kaiser hooked him in at level three and grabbed First Blood, as well as the first kill of the series for Vitality. BDS kept up with their Dragon domination, securing the first Infernal Drake of the game, but losing Sheo and nuc to Bo as he came in to punish. Top side, Labrov and Sheo helped nuc secure two kills in the mid lane while Bo was doing Rift Herald, which was eventually secured by Sheo instead.Bo got his revenge as he stole the second Drake of the game, in addition to a couple of kills in the fight that followed. Though Vitality had way more fire in them in this second game, BDS' mid laner had managed to amass a huge advantage, being 5-1 twenty minutes in with a 2.4k gold advantage over Perkz. In spite of Bo's early dominance, Sheo was in the lead over him as well, and as such BDS went for Baron as soon as it spawned. Bo failed to Smite steal it, and BDS found themselves 8k gold ahead as the Baron buff expired. Vitality had a few good kills left in them, but the power of the godlike Cassiopeia and the rampaging Aphelios was too much to take, and BDS found themselves at match point. |
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🏁 Game Three
In what could possibly be the final game of this best-of-five series, Vitality drafted loads of CC to protect and enable Upset's Zeri, while BDS was allowed to draft Darius once again. First Blood was taken early on as Sheo was found in VIT's top side jungle. Perkz, Bo, and Photon all used their Flashes to secure this kill. Sheo took revenge a minute later as Bo attempted to kill nuc in the mid lane. The pair chased nuc towards the river as Sheo came out of his jungle, rooting Perkz then securing a Double Kill for himself. This was just the start, and at least three more skirmishes would happen around mid lane before the fifteenth minute mark. At that point, VIT was 2k gold ahead, with 1k gold advantages on both Photon and Perkz, though BDS, as ever, had the Dragon advantage. The first big team fight happened 27 minutes in as BDS had taken their third Dragon of the game. Vitality was chasing BDS as they entered the bot lane from the river but the team was super split and Zeri got caught by Labrov's aptly-named Death Sentence. BDS was able to take down Bo as well, and so they immediately went for Baron. Vitality had a few more kills in them, and a very fed Sylas, but BDS had a fed carry in every lane and the Infernal Soul to boot. After taking Baron down once again, Crownie was able to melt through Team Vitality, and BDS tore through their base and ended the series 3-0. |
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Final Weekend Preview |
| Lower Bracket - Match 1 |
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MAD Lions
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G2 Esports
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Jovy's Thoughts:
This Friday, MAD Lions face off against G2 Esports in the second best-of-five series of the Spring playoffs. Yes, the MAD Lions that just barely squeezed into the group stage by defeating Team Heretics in the tiebreakers just a couple of weeks ago - that MAD Lions has, against all odds, managed to get top four and there is a universe in which they could win the Spring Split. It's hard to ignore how abysmal their Spring Split was after getting second place in Winter, but it'd be foolish to ignore the fact that they've clawed their way here, too!
Of course, we do have to highlight that it was G2 that took the trophy away from them in Winter, and they sure are hungry to do it again. After getting unexpectedly pushed into the lower bracket by KOI on the first day of Group Stage, G2 has dropped only one game, and are looking like they're back in top form for the final weekend of Spring.
Silver's Thoughts:
The main matchup to highlight in this series is obviously Elyoya vs Yike in the jungle. MAD's main star did not have the easiest Spring himself, but with his experience and raw talent you can never count him out. Yike on the other hand is the new kid on the block, but oh how quickly he has established himself as a top tier jungler in LEC. His quick rise is somewhat reminiscent of... Elyoya entering the league back in 2021.
This series is a reissue of the Winter finals, and G2 are probably even more heavily favoured this time around. Can MAD put up a fight with all odds stacked against them? Or will G2 advance with another 3-0?
| Lower Bracket - Match 2 |
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Team Vitality
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TBD
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Jovy's Thoughts:
Team Vitality has a far more impressive track record behind them than MAD and G2, but they were absolutely schooled by BDS on Monday, even going entirely kill-less in Game 1. They will need to defeat either G2 Esports or the MAD Lions to even get a chance of reaching the finals and having a rematch against BDS. Less than two weeks ago, Vitality defeated MAD Lions 2-0, kicking them down into the lower bracket, and it seems like they should be able to do it again. As for G2, the two teams haven't faced off in about a month, but G2 defeated them when they did. The real question is, would VIT even win a rematch against BDS, when they were just 0-3'd by the team less than a week ago?
Silver's Thoughts:
A lot of Vitality's potential succes relies on Bo. The Chinese jungler had some insane performances during the group stage, but against BDS he was tidy kept in check by Sheo. If Vitality can figure things out (and draft well, no more
Akshan toplane), they are still a threat to be reckoned with. There is carry potential through every lane. Upset, Perkz and Photon have all shown they can step up when it matters. Saturday they'll have to do it as a team. No more room for inconsistencies, neither MAD nor G2 are easy opponents and then BDS awaits if they make it past one of the former. Either way, there is no doubt about the high ceiling of this roster.| LEC Winter Split Grand Finals |
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Team BDS
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TBD
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Jovy's Thoughts:
Team BDS has won their last ten games, and it doesn't look like they're hitting the breaks anytime soon. From top to bottom, the team is looking clean, and it's hard to pick just two players to highlight in terms of performance. Whomever they face, BDS has a good chance of winning. And what a treat it would be, considering this will be the team's first ever LEC finals!
Silver's Thoughts:
What makes this even more of a beautiful underdog story is that BDS does not have any big names on their roster. But this team has shown to be way more than the sum of their parts. Crownie and Adam are the most flashy, but nuc, Sheo and Labrov have also been doing their job perfectly. BDS plays in a steady way with a clear gameplan. Control the botlane, stack Drakes as quickly as possible and secure an early Soul. While this sounds easy in theory and hard in reality, BDS is insanely good at playing this way. And against Vitality they showed strong play no mattzr the odds. From ahead, while even or when behind... BDS can always find a way to victory and it might net them their first ever LEC trophy alongside a ticket to MSI.
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Conclusion |
This is it for this week! We're nearing the conclusion of LEC Spring 2023, by the end of the weekend our champion will have been crowned and we'll know which team will represent EMEA alongside G2 at MSI. Who are you rooting for? Feel free to drop your predictions in the comments!
Remember that there's still a full day to update your Captain or use up your sell tokens if you think that a player you have is going to be putting your fantasy team at risk. If one of the top point earners is in your team, consider making them your captain this week! Also keep in mind that while you can switch your Captains between each game day, you only have one single sell token!
Credits go to LoL.fandom Wiki for their collection of player portraits, up-to-date statistics, overviews and all-around fantastic work documenting LoL esports.
Thanks to @ Jovy for the signature!
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Introduction
Hello everyone, and welcome, to our penultimate LEC recap article. This upcoming weekend is the final weekend of the Spring Split! It'll decide Europe's second seed for MSI, as well as of course the winners of our fantasy tournament!
We are now down to just four teams - Team BDS, Team Vitality, G2 Esports, and the MAD Lions. The very first best-of-five of Spring happened on Monday, with BDS besting Team Vitality 3-0, and advancing to the finals for the first time in the team's history. Will they face G2, the MAD Lions, or will there be a rematch with Vitality on Sunday? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Fantasy Leaderboards
Hagelregn is this past week’s weekly winner! In total, they have accrued 718.3 points, over 200 points above the average. They had managed to construct a team with two members from BDS, Vitality, and one G2 member; and all of these teams and players are still well in the running. Assuming the MAD Lions flame out this weekend, hagelregn has a good chance of winning the whole thing!
Top Player In Each Role During Group Stage Week 2
Overall Top Player In Each Role
Final Group Stage Standings
Vitality and BDS went through their respective groups flawlessly a week prior already, not dropping a single game. After the past week MAD and G2 rejoined them in playoffs after a lower-bracket battle.
Round 1 of group A ended with a thriller in which both teams went toe to toe. But despite an open nexus, MAD took down Fnatic and got to face Astralis next. And it appears that MAD is Astralis' cryptonite. Even though both teams faced each other several times already this year, Astralis could only win one game (in a 2-1 defeat). And while Astralis looked like the stronger team coming into the match, MAD beat them 2-0 just like in Winter to make it into the top 4.
G2 had somewhat surprisingly lost their first series against KOI, so now they had to start in the first round of lower bracket. A regressing SK could not stop them, and in the rematch G2 took revenge on KOI. The Winter champion secured top 4 once again and are looking to defend their title.
Current Playoffs Bracket Overview
Top 4 is locked, time for Bo5s to decide our Spring champions. BDS and Vitality faced off in the winners bracket, and even though both teams looked strong, no one had expected BDS to win 3-0. The Swiss organisation locks their first ever LEC finals, while Vitality is condemned to the lower bracket. They will face the winner of MAD vs G2, with both teams looking to make a 3-match run into the finals. BDS has the best position, but momentum from a lower bracket run can go a long way as well. And with the last MSI spot at stake, teams are extra motivated to win it all.
Day 1 Recap
MAD Lions versus Fnatic
The first best-of-three of the weekend was between the MAD Lions and Fnatic, both teams having been sent into the lower bracket by Team Vitality and Astralis respectively. While the Lions had a fantastic Winter Split, they had struggled greatly in Spring, only making it to the group stage by the skin of their teeth. On the other hand, Fnatic had a gruesome Winter Split, failing to make the group stage for the first time in the org's history, and have managed to redeem themselves somewhat in Spring. Though their situations aren't quite the same, both teams have had it rough in 2023 and were eager to prove that their struggles are in the past.
In game 1, both teams had similar drafts that work best in team fights. MAD drafted a Kennen top lane with Rell and Vi there to keep enemies in place for them. Fnatic drafted Sivir bot lane to help against all that CC from the MAD's lineup, and a lot of engage through Jarvan VI, Wukong, and Ahri. First Blood was taken by Razork as he ganked his level two bot lane, killing Hylissang, though without managing to burn any Flashes. However, the MAD Lions solo lanes started to rack up advantages. By the 10th minute, Nisqy had three kills on his signature Gragas, and Chasy was 1k gold ahead of Oscarinin as well. 22 minutes in, MAD secured the First Baron, and though Fnatic was keeping themselves in the game by having excellent dragon control, MAD was able to deny them the Chemtech Soul after grabbing Nashor. With no Soul, and 10k gold behind thanks to every carry on MAD Lions getting fed, Fnatic could do little but watch as their base was destroyed just before 30 minutes.
MAD Lions were able to secure some more Zeri gaming in Game 2, as well as a Sylas mid lane and a spicy Soraka bot, to try to keep that Zeri safe. Soraka would have her work cut out for her as Advienne grabbed Blitzcrank, which complemented the rest of Fnatic's bursty comp, with Jayce and Kennen drafted in the solo lanes. First Blood was once again taken by Fnatic as three members joined Oscarinin top lane to dive Chasy (though, sadly, Advienne got that kill in the end). Advienne continued to roam alongside Razork, which allowed Humanoid to grab a kill mid lane shortly after.
Things were relatively even until 15 minutes in, when the MAD Lions gravely overcommitted trying to dive Oscarinin at FNC's inner bot lane turret. While Carzzy did take the Kennen down, he, Hylissang, and Elyoya found themselves in hot water as the rest of Fnatic navigated down, giving Rekkles a double kill and putting him back in the game. Later, Fnatic was able to take Elyoya down once again as he was walking through an unwarded top side jungle, which allowed FNC to take down the Nashor and finally get a substantial gold lead. With the Baron-infused minions in tow, FNC was able to storm MAD Lions base and get us to match-point.
It was do or die now; the winner of the next game would advance further in the group stage, while the loser would have to say goodbye for the rest of the Split. MAD drafted Rell once again, to support Jinx, with Nisqy grabbing one of his pocket picks, Twisted Fate. FNC drafted a tanky front line with plenty of picks to pierce through MAD's and get to those immobile carries. In this game, MAD was able to secure First Blood by taking down Humanoid, and though Razork was quick to punish and take one back. Razork then made a quick trip top lane (securing a kill for Oscarinin) and then bot, taking a second kill for himself onto Hylissang. As good as Razork was doing, Elyoya was able to make waves of his own, and 15 minutes in, MAD was ahead in gold thanks to the 1k gold advantage that Chasy and Carzzy had over their opponents.
The first big team fight occurred not long after, just as MAD Lions secured the Rift Herald. Hylissang flashed into Rekkles and Humanoid, though he was burst to death, making the fight a 4v5 effectively. Carzzy and Chasy were able to take down two, and Elyoya snagged Advienne as he and Oscarinin overstayed their welcome in MAD's jungle. All said and done, MAD were about 3k gold in the lead, as another fight broke out mid lane and MAD were able to secure four more. The game was fully in the Lions' control from then on until 29 minutes in when FNC was spotted trying to sneak a Baron Nashor. MAD were quick to the scene, but Elyoya could not get in the pit in time to try to Smite steal. In the ensuing fight, Rekkles was able to secure a Quadra Kill, suddenly pushing Fnatic into a gold lead. The FNC members made it to MAD's base and took down the Nexus Turrets before the lions respawned and descended upon them. Carzzy was able to obliterate Oscarinin, Humanoid, and Rekkles, and, with 40 second death timers on everyone but Razork, MAD was able to storm down mid lane take Fnatic's Nexus.
G2 Esports versus SK Gaming
In Group B, G2 Esports and SK Gaming were facing off after getting kicked into the lower bracket by KOI and Team BDS. It was quite surprising to find G2 in this situation, as they had been performing up to standard in Spring, with admittedly a few wobbly games here and there. SK had had an amazing Winter Split, but have struggled somewhat in Spring, and couldn't stand up to the monster that BDS has turned out to be in 2023. With all that in mind, it was expected that G2 would likely take this series home, but they've lost series they were meant to win before!
Both teams managed to draft a famous, and fan-hated, bot lane combo, with G2 grabbing Lucian + Nami and SK taking Zeri and Lulu. In other lanes, G2 focused on magic damage and burst, with some nice wombo combo potential from the Nami, Kennen and Wukong. It was SK, however, that got the jump start and secured first blood on Yike in the bot side jungle, before also taking their second Dragon of the game. G2 managed to stay even and eventually get ahead, with Caps getting a kill mid lane and Hans and Miky taking Exakick down in a 2v2 bot lane.
G2 maintained and nurtured this small gold lead until 20 minutes in they were 4k gold ahead, with BrokenBlade holding the biggest advantage, being 3-0 at that time, and then 6-1 five minutes later. Although SK was trying to keep their head above water, the fed Kennen and Lucian were quickly becoming too much to handle. 29 minutes, G2 was able to dive the top lane inhibitor turret with a Cyclone from Yike , and ace SK before taking out their Nexus and securing their first win of the series.
The stakes were higher and picks were spicier in game 2 of this best-of-three series. G2 drafted Bel'Veth jungle, a well-known pocket pick for Yike, and Hans picked up Nilah, the first we've seen in the LEC since the Summer of 2022. Markoon found Yike alone in the top side river at minute 2:48 and the top and mid laners quickly roamed to help. In the end, Markoon was able to snag First Blood, and Sertuss was able to take down BrokenBlade as well, though Caps got one back. Just two minutes later, Yike ganked bot lane for the first time and was able to secure a Double Kill, recovering from that unfortunate level three death.
Ten minutes in, Yike was 5-1 and both he and BB were 1k gold ahead of their opponents. As the game went along, only Sertuss was able to end the laning phase with any sort of advantage, sitting at 4-2 fifteen minutes in. 22 minutes in, G2 secured Baron Nashor, and a big team fight broke out as the beast fell. Markoon and Irrelevant singled Hans Sama out while G2 dealt with the rest of SK, but unfortunately the top-jungle duo was not able to take Nilah down, and the three members of SK couldn't do anything against the full might of G2. G2 was able to just walk on into SK's base after that and destroy the structures left, winning the series and advancing further into the lower bracket.
Day 2 Recap
Astralis versus MAD Lions
On Sunday, we got to watch Group A and Group B's lower bracket teams duke it out for a chance to advance to the playoffs. The first series was between Astralis and MAD Lions. Astralis had had a fantastic Spring Split, ending in second place with a win/loss of 6 and 3, but they couldn't defeat Vitality the week before in the first week of the group stage. After a lacklustre regular season, MAD Lions clutched out a win against Fnatic yesterday and were already looking a lot better than during the Regular Season; plus, they were coming into these Sunday games with confidence after a great 2-0 the day before.
Astralis drafted a pretty standard comp, with meta picks such as Xayah and Nautilus in the bot lane, K'Sante top and Maokai jungle. MAD were able to counter pick the Nautilus with a Braum bot lane, supporting another hypercarry, Jinx. In the jungle, the Lions drafted Trundle, to Vedius' delight, and they rounded out their comp with Gwen top lane and a highly contested Annie mid. First Blood went into MAD's favour as Hylissang roamed mid, killing LIDER, while everyone was still level 1. Elyoya was able to kill 113 in his own jungle at minute 3, setting Astralis' jungler red buff-less and quite behind. By the 11th minute mark, Nisqy had 3 kills and Carzzy had just scored his second, and MAD Lions' carries were starting to look very scary. However, Kobbe had 3 kills of his own, and MAD Lions were only 2k gold ahead at the time.
This game would hinge on whether or not the rest of Astralis can keep the Xayah safe from the overpowering forces of Gwen, Trundle, Annie, and Braum. At the 20th minute mark, Astralis managed to sneakily kill the Baron and gain more than 3k gold through the great macro play that followed. AST was looking for a repeat as the second Baron spawned, but this time MAD were ready to contest. Elyoya couldn't steal Nash from 113, but in the fight around the pit, MAD was able to take down Finn, then LIDER, and then the rest of Astralis once Jinx Got Excited. After a few more similar fights, it was clear that Astralis had no answer for the monster Carzzy had become, and by the 36th minute mark MAD Lions were able to end the game.
In Game 2, Astralis drafted a super spicy Talon mid lane, with more standard picks in other lanes, which MAD drafted a Rakan and Ahri to deal with him, as well as another Jinx bot lane. 113 nabbed First Blood early on by Flash ganking bot lane and taking down both Carzzy and Hylissang. MAD got their big break as a fight broke out at the Dragon; they were able to take down both 113 and JeongHoon, as well as secure the Ocean Drake. In the top lane, Chasy was able to 1v1 Finn and come out on top as well. Another skirmish broke out as MAD were finishing off the Cloud Drake. Hylissang charmed three members of AST, and Carzzy mowed them down, securing four kills and a 2k gold advantage for MAD Lions. The gold gap only grew as more and more little fights kept happening, and 20 minutes in, MAD were 8k gold ahead, with a sizable bounty on each member.
Although Astralis managed to hold MAD off a few times, there was nothing they could do against the fed Jinx and Ahri, and they couldn't find a way to keep Zeri safe against the Vi and Rakan. With that, Astralis' incredible Spring Split run had to come to an end, and MAD Lions joined the top four teams in the playoffs.
G2 Esports versus KOI
Vitality, Team BDS, and the MAD Lions had qualified for the playoffs. Next up, G2 Esports played KOI for the final spot! While KOI managed to defeat G2 one week back, KOI proceeded to lose to BDS 0-2 and got shunted off into the lower bracket, where they would now have to face G2 Esports once again. With only a week in between the two series, it seemed plausible that KOI could best G2 again, but G2 did just go 2-0 and KOI did lose rather one-sidedly against BDS.
In the first game of this series, G2 drafted Cho'Gath top lane for BrokenBlade, a pick that had seen great success for him so far, as well as the coveted Lucian Nami combo bot lane, and, most excitingly, a Tristana mid lane for Caps. KOI drafted a fairly conventional comp, with Zeri Lulu bot lane and a rather uncommon Viktor in the mid lane. First Blood went to Larssen at minute 2 when Caps overcommitted and dove KOI's mid laner, taking too much damage before he could finish the Viktor off. A few more kills went to KOI and one went to Caps, but all in all, KOI was only 2k gold ahead by twenty minutes thanks to G2's excellent Dragon control.
G2 was gearing to take the Chemtech Soul 23 minutes in, and KOI were there to contest. Malrang, in spite of being in the pit, was unable to steal the Dragon away, and a big fight ensued as Szygenda Blast Coned into the G2 lineup with his Slicing Maelstrom. Though they lost Soul, KOI got Yike and Hans, and were able to slay Baron virtually uncontested. KOI didn't slow down; they headed to the bot lane and grabbed the Inhibitor, fighting G2 members as they respawned one by one, and eventually they were able to take down the Nexus as well.
In Game 2, G2 drafted ol reliable Bel'Veth for Yike, and Caps was placed on Sejuani duty to hopefully perform some great wombo-combos with BB's Kennen. KOI was able to draft Lucian Nami this time, and grabbed heaps of CC with Lee Sin, Malphite, and a Varus mid lane. First Blood was swiftly taken by Yike as he ganked a level two Szygenda. The Malphite was able to Teleport back in, but Yike wasn't done yet - BB and Yike dove a still level two Szygenda to get a second kill, though Szygenda got a kill on Yike this time. In the bot lane, Malrang dove Mikyx alongside his bot lane, which resulted in one kill on both sides as Caps TP'd in to assist. Yike continued to have a huge impact on G2's early game, and twenty minutes in, Bel'veth had a KDA of 10 and 5k gold more than Lee Sin, and KOI could do little but watch as she swat-swat-swatted her way to victory.
It was the final game of this series, and either team could still win, with both of the previous games being fairly one-sided. This time, KOI paid the G2 tax, banning both Draven and Bel'Veth, and drafting a safe Sivir + Lulu bot lane, with CC and burst in other lanes. G2 drafted Jinx and Thresh bot lane, BrokenBlade on Gragas, and a very spicy Yone for Caps. This time, it was KOI that went for a minute 3 gank top lane, but BrokenBlade, seeing Malrang coming from behind, Flashed onto Szygenda and grabbed First Blood himself before going down. Meanwhile, Yike assisted Hans and Mikyx in getting the Jinx her first kill. KOI were able to strike back, and 15 minutes in, the two teams were about even in kills, gold, turrets, and Drakes alike. Little by little, G2 was able to score kills on just the right target so that Hans and Caps were well ahead of the enemy carries, and the team was able to secure all of the major objectives
At the 30th minute mark, G2 was ready to take the Chemtech Soul, while Caps was alone in KOI's base sieging the Nexus Turrets. G2 secured the Soul and started a mad dash towards KOI base but KOI managed to repel them and take some control of the game back by winning a few small skirmishes. However, G2 wasn't done with the strategy just yet. As the other members of G2 started Baron, Caps snuck into KOI's base through bot lane, taking down two inhibitors while G2 got three kills in the top side jungle. The G2 members reunited in KOI's base and finished the game off, securing their spot in the playoffs!