Welcome back fellow LEC fans! The first week of Summer is behind us, with two more to go, and the opening weekend was full of surprises, upsets, and some of the usual.
In this article we'll be going over last week's games, taking a look at the Fantasy leaderboards, and briefly chatting about what we can expect from the games coming up this weekend.
ββ β Fantasy Leaderboards
Currently #1 on the leaderboards we have hotmailhot, who's sitting at 183 points right now, nearly 50 points above the average. While many probably didn't believe in Team Heretics and their new carries, hotmailhot definitely did! Drafting and designating Flakked as Captain has proven to be an incredible boon for our weekly winner!
ββ β Top Player In Each Role During Week 1
TOP LANE
BrokenBlade
G2 Esports
34.7 PTS
JUNGLE
Yike
G2 Esports
30.7 PTS
MID LANE
Vetheo
Team Heretics
34.7 PTS
BOT LANE
Flakked
Team Heretics
41.9 PTS
SUPPORT
Mikyx
G2 Esports
32.7 PTS
ββ β Current LEC Standings
1
Team Heretics 3-0
1
MAD Lions 3-0
3
Fnatic 2-1
4
G2 Esports 2-1
5
SK Gaming 1-2
5
Astralis 1-2
5
KOI 1-2
5
Team BDS 1-2
5
Team Vitality 1-2
10
EXCEL 0-3
The MAD Lions were not going to repeat the shaky start they had in Spring. Even though they played against the likes of G2 Esports and Team Vitality, they were able to persevere in Week 1 and end 3-0. A statement opening week from our defending champions. Joining them on the throne, unexpectedly, we have Team Heretics. A lot of fans were speculating whether Vetheo and Flakked would be enough to breathe life into this lineup, and, for the time being, let all doubts be dispelled. While tougher opponents are ahead, Flakked in particular has shown that he has what it takes to take this team far.
Two rivals share a 2-1 score - G2 Esports and Fnatic. G2 Esports had a fantastic opening week, losing only to the MAD Lions - some say because they were happy gaming a little bit too much with Neeko mid lane. Even in that game, they played very well (until they didn't) and, as ever, G2 looks like they're headed straight for the top. Fnatic's Noah's debut in the bot lane has impressed many, though he wasn't enough to defeat G2 Esports in their final game of the weekend. Trymbi styled on his opponents with Thresh on the opening day, and Razork and Humanoid looked better than ever as a duo.
SK Gaming, Astralis, KOI, Team BDS, and Team Vitality all share the next spot, with a win-loss of 1-2. Perhaps of note in this list are Team BDS and Team Vitality. While the competition is indeed fierce in this Split in the LEC, I'm sure most people expected that these two teams would be somewhere in the top four. Vitality arguably had a more difficult match-up, having to face the Spring champions as well as the 3-0 Team Heretics (whom they nearly beat), but fans are still not happy with this superteam's showing so far.
In last place we have, once again, EXCEL. Unfortunately, their roster changes didn't pan out as nicely as they did for Fnatic or Team Heretics, and EXCEL seem as lost as ever. Hopefully they'll be able to put up a better fight in the coming weekend, though so far EXCEL hasn't shown anything to indicate that they won't be missing the group stage for a third Split in a row.
ββ β Day 1 Recap
^
VS
^
π Game One
The opening game of the LEC Summer Season was sure to be a banger - Team Vitality faced off against the Spring champions, MAD Lions. We've talked about this to death but MAD had a rough time in Spring (and at MSI) and on Saturday they showed fans that Summer was going to be very different. It was a close and action-packed first game, but MAD Lions were able to stay on top of the objectives and eventually secure the Infernal Soul. Between Baron Nashor, Infernal Drake, and a fed K'Sante, Azir, and Aphelios, there was little Vitality could do but watch as MAD kept coming for more and more turrets, ending the game 30 minutes in.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Two
Heretics started the Split off with a statement 2v2 First Blood 2:24 minutes in onto Yuumi in the bot lane. This quick (and satisfying) kill was followed by another as Jankos ganked a few short minutes later, and so started Flakked's snowball. His debut would've been spotless if not for a certain maybe fumble moment in SK's base 35 minutes in when Flakked decided to try to kill Sertuss instead of hitting the enemy's exposed Nexus. That aside, Flakked was invaluable all game and in the follow fate, and after acing SK one more time, Heretics took their first win of the Split!
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Three
EXCEL was looking to get their first win and hopefully break their 2023 curse, so they decided to draft a bot-focused team comp with Draven and Rakan. Unfortunately, XL couldn't find any significant early game leads for Draven, and by the time he could get his first kill, it was already mid game and he was still behind Comp. Aside from not being able to necessarily count on their ADC, XL also had to contend with KOI's superior Dragon control, and a very fed Ahri in the mid lane.
28 minutes in, KOI was able to steal Baron away from XL, but, in the ensuing fight, Patrik was able to secure a Triple Kill and EXCEL equalised the kill score and gold. For a while, things were tense and it was looking like either team could come up on top. Unfortunately for XL, all it took was one bad fight to undo all of that good. Peach was a little overeager in denying the Cloud Soul to KOI, and in the fight after Dragon, XL, now a member down, couldn't deal with Comp's damage and the number disadvantage, ultimately losing the game.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Four
Game 4 was sure to be a competitive match, a game between G2 Esports and the second place team of Spring, BDS. G2 drafted a nearly full AD comp while BDS drafted some nasty team fighting, putting them in favour if the game dragged along. The game was fairly even for the longest time, though BrokenBlade held a significant advantage all game long and was able to decimate the top lane. Bot side, BDS was able to secure the first two Dragons and were looking for number three. It was here that things turned around. The already strong Renekton from G2's side made his way bot side and was able to slice and dice through the whole of BDS, acing the team 21 minutes in. After this devastating fight it was only a matter of time for BDS. G2 secured the next two Infernal Drakes, Baron, and pushed their base for the win.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Five
Saturday was closed by a match-up between Fnatic and Astralis. Astralis was coming off of an unexpectedly great Spring, while Fnatic had just started to find their footing before having to revamp their bot lane for Summer. As it turned out, Trymbi was an amazing addition to this Fnatic roster and his Thresh this game was a sight to behold. First Blood was secured by a Death Sentence, and it was only the first of many for Trymbi on that day. While Humanoid, Razork, and Noah were all getting some great leads, they would still have to contend with an extremely fed Finn in the top lane, and an increasingly stronger LIDER on Annie. Disaster struck for Astralis as Kobbe was hooked into his death 20 minutes in, in the middle of a Dragon fight. Fnatic was able to capitalise after that one team fight, grabbing Baron shortly, and nearly acing Astralis before taking the Nexus.
VOD
ββ β Day 2 Recap
^
VS
^
π Game One
Vitality had the pleasure of opening up the Sunday games as well, this time playing against SK Gaming. First Blood was achieved bot lane by Bo, who ganked early on and secured not only Exakick's life but also Flash and Heal too. Before they could capitalise on this, however, SK got a huge advantage when Kaiser was baited into starting a fight in the bot side river. In this very early 4v4 skirmish, SK came out on top, snagging two kills for Sertuss' Annie, and by minute 13:30 Sertuss was 4-0. Sadly, the rest of SK weren't doing so hot. 23 minutes in, Vitality had a fed top laner, mid laner, and ADC - plenty of carries to choose from. While the kills were still tied 30 minutes in, Vitality had a near 10k gold advantage, and SK's desperate Baron kill was not enough to tip the scales. In the ensuing fight, SK was aced, and the game was over.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Two
Next up, two teams that sat out the group stage in the Winter split just a few short months ago. Fnatic was now looking revitalised, but EXCEL seemed to still be struggling. Razork snagged a rather unorthodox pick in Kindred, but made it work beautifully as he ganked mid lane at minute 4:30 snagging first blood. Bot lane, Peach was able to take one back, and then there was peace. The game didn't heat up until the 17th minute mark as the Infernal Drake spawned. Every member of each team was suddenly bot lane, and a fight was brewing. Oscarinin and Trymbi were instrumental in the battle, the former dying but getting XL's bot lane extremely low, while Trymbi was able to keep Razork alive by the skin of his teeth. In the end, Fnatic secured 4 kills, and two went to Noah, who would go on to end the game 11-0. XL never recovered after that fight, while Fnatic was able to continue to stack advantage after advantage and eventually end the game 33 minutes in.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Three
The Match of the Week was up next, as the Winter champions, G2 Esports, faced off against the Spring's winners, the MAD Lions. While MAD kept things classic, G2 drafted the newly reworked Neeko and a Nocturne in the jungle. Claps came in hot in this game, ganking bot lane before minions spawned under the guise of Lucian. Carzzy was taken down and Hans secured his first kill thanks to the mid lanerβs help. Fifteen minutes in, both Caps and Hans had bounties on their heads and things were looking great for G2.
But all of this changed about 26 minutes after G2 had secured Baron Nashor and were besieging the bot lane inhibitor turret. They were 5k gold ahead, had three Dragons, and were overall looking very strong. However, instead of backing off when their minion wave died, Neeko turned into a Control Ward and tried to make some magic happen. Unfortunately, this was a terrible call, and the MAD Lions were not only able to defend their base, but also secure four kills, giving Elyoya and Chasy an even bigger advantage than they already had. Suddenly, MAD had taken full control of the game, and 10 minutes after that disaster team fight, MAD were 3k gold ahead, Baron-empowered, and not slowing down. Eventually, G2 couldn't do anything about MAD's carries, and they took their first L of the split.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Four
After a fairly disappointing first game on Saturday, BDS were ready to get their first win now against KOI. Taking a page out of G2's book, nuc grabbed Neeko, and BDS' bot lane was also able to nab two highly contested picks in Zeri and Lulu. They then proceeded to go through the game rather cleanly and clinically, focusing on objectives and stacking gold on Crownie. The game was done in just under 30 minutes, with BDS holding a 10k gold advantage and Infernal Soul.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Five
The final match on Sunday was between Astralis and Team Heretics. After a fantastic showing from TH yesterday, fans were eager to see if the Heretics would keep up momentum or flounder as they did in previous splits. Flakked took Draven, promising an exciting match indeed. In fact though, this time round, bot lane did not start off so well for TH, as Kobbe and JeongHoon were able to grab a 2v2 double kill just as they hit level six. Evi saved the day minutes later, while the Ast bot lane still had no summoners, and secured a Double Kill for Draven. After that, Draven did Draven things, and continued to snowball hard, so that at the 17th minute mark, Flakked was 6-1. Astralis had some comeback potential with Neeko and Lucian, but in the end they had no answer to this incredibly powerful Draven, nor to TH's superior objective control; and Team Heretics nabbed their second win in Summer.
VOD
ββ β Day 3 Recap
^
VS
^
π Game One
The final day of the opening weekend of Summer began with XL facing off against SK Gaming, both teams 0-2 at the time. SK Gaming started off hot, grabbing First Blood around the 10th minute mark as Markoon Cycloned into the bot lane. He was able to shortly make his way mid lane alongside his bot lane and top and collapse on three members of XL, securing two more kills and a 2k gold lead for SK. Moreover, SK was also able to cleanly secure the Ocean Soul at the 24th minute mark, and by then it really seemed like it was over for XL.
Abbedagge was able to change that with a game changing Annie ult, stunning two and eventually killing four, including Markoon. With SK's jungler dead, XL was able to secure Baron Nashor and blow the game wide open. Ten minutes later, XL had nearly equalised the kill score and were 6k gold ahead, but SK still had one avenue of success - the Elder Dragon. In order to stop SK from attempting the Dragon, Odoamne engaged onto Exakick in the mid lane, but wasn't tanky enough to withstand the entirety of the SK lineup. With one member down, SK was able to ace XL in turn, and take the win after all.
After two disappointing games, Astralis was really hungry for a win, and decided to go for comfort - picking Yasuo for LIDER in the mid lane, and a Blitzcrank for JeongHoon. 113 placed some emphasis on the top lane to shut down Adam, securing first blood for his top laner, and another kill shortly after. LIDER was also able to solo kill nuc, and overall everything was coming up Astralis. Perhaps most crucially, Astralis as a team was able to take dragon prio away from BDS, something the French team is somewhat reliant on. Twenty minutes in, Astralis had a bounty on nearly every member, an 8k gold advantage, and were able to secure Baron Nashor. Finally, LIDER snagged the Ocean Soul and joined his team as they bulldozed BDS' base, ending the game in 25 minutes!
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Three
The cats faced off against the fish next, and we all know how that's going to go. MAD Lions were hungry for a 3-0 and secured First Blood before minions spawned, Nisqy flashing on an unsuspecting Comp as he was guarding the entrance to the Blue Buff. In spite of the strong start, it was KOI that took charge of the early game, and Szygenda in particular with a stellar performance on K'Sante. Twenty minutes in, KOI's mid and bot both had significant advantages, and KOI as a whole was 4k gold ahead.
This gap grew up until the 24th minute mark as the two teams converged in the river. MAD, though junglerless, started the Infernal Dragon and Malrang was able to simply walk in and Smite steal it. Malrang then cast Paranoia and, aided by Larssen, thought to engage onto MAD, but the rest of KOI was a bit too far to assist. In spite of the initial numbers disadvantage, MAD were able to miraculously turn this fight. It was Carzzy and Hylissang against five members of KOI, and Carzzy was able to secure a triple kill and get off scot-free. From then on KOI floundered, while Carzzy only got stronger and stronger. After a gruelling 40 minute game, MAD were able to win one more crucial team fight, storm KOI's base, and end the week 3-0.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Four
In the pentultimate game of the opening weekend, G2 Esports and Fnatic faced off. Fnatic was 2-0, and feeling confidnet, while G2 was coming off a game they threw against MAD Lions. The game started off slow, but first blood was eventually secured by the G2 bot lane in a straight 2v2 battle as Hans Sama hit 6 ahead of everyone else. Later, also bot lane, Fnatic started the Hextech Dragon, but Yike and Mikyx shimmied on in the Maokai was able to zone Razork away with Twisted Advance, securing the Dragon for G2. More members joined the fray, and BrokenBlade's Teleport sealed FNC fate, as the K'sante nabbed a quick and easy Triple Kill, acing Fnatic just 13 minutes in. While Fnatic was still able to secure a few small advantages, G2 were not about to throw a second game in one weekend. 31 minutes in, G2 stormed Fnatic's base after securing three kills, ending the first week on a win, and tying 2-1 with their rivals.
VOD
^
VS
^
π Game Five
In the final game of the first week of Summer, Team Vitality and Team Heretics took to the stage. Photon was able to grab his signature Gwen, while Perkz took the highly contested LeBlanc. In answer, Vetheo picked Kai'Sa, and Flakked was able to secure Zeri. Initially, and for a long time, the game was in Heretics' favour. Vitality turned things around the 21st minute mark. Jankos and Evi engaged, a bit overeagerly, and Evi was whittled down by Vitality, while Flakked ate a chunk of damage from Perkz in the backline. While Heretics backed off initially, Kaiser was able to land a terrific Flash Hook onto Mersa, and secure two more kills, before turning to Baron.
While TH was still able to secure their third Dragon, they had still found themselves now 5k gold behind Vitality, who had taken control of the game. Things took another turn, a turn back that is, in the bot lane 28 minutes in as Photon had hoped to assassinate Flakked. Instead, Flakked popped the Lightning Crash, secured two kills and narrowly survived. Vitality still held the lead, but Flakked showed them that Zeri is not something they can afford to ignore or underestimate. As Vitality secured another Baron, they began to siege bot lane. Evi and Jankos belted out both of their ults once more, securing three members of Vitality in place, and lining them up perfectly for Flakked, who secured another Double Kill, and then joined his team mid and ended the game, and the weekend 3-0!
VOD
ββ β Week 2 Preview
πΊ Saturday - Games To Watch
ExcelvsTeam Heretics
Tune into the LEC at 19:00 GMT+1 to catch Excel and Team Heretics. While this match-up will be difficult indeed for XL, considering the rest of their weekend schedule it might be their best shot at getting a win and avoiding another missed group stage.
KOIvsFnatic
Fnatic was bested by G2 in Week 1 rather harshly, will they let that setback knock them down or will they shrug it off and continue to perform as fans hope?
Team VitalityvsG2 Esports
While Vitality hasnβt had the best debut, theyβre still a force to be reckoned with. And itβs always exciting when former teammates have to face off.
πΊ Sunday - Games To Watch
AstralisvsTeam Vitality
While normally this match-up would be heavily skewed towards Vitality, Astralis was able to secure a clutch victory over one of Springβs top teams, BDS. Can they clutch it out against the other French team?
Team HereticsvsKOI
These two Spanish orgs joined the LEC this year together, and face off for the first time in Summer in the third game on Sunday.
MAD LionsvsFnatic
While Fnatic fumbled against the Winter champions, they still have a chance to show that they deserve to be at the top by defeating the Spring ones in the final game of Sunday.
πΊ Monday - Games To Watch
Team BDSvsTeam Heretics
This time last split BDS was at the top and TH was at the bottom. Things have changed quite a bit, so tune in to see how this match-up will go this time around!
KOIvsSK Gaming
Two lower-middle of the pack teams that may be dangerously close to the bottom by Monday. This game could very well be one of the deciding factors for which team sits out the group stage in Summer.
FnaticvsTeam Vitality
Another exciting match-up for Fnatic awaits in the final game on Monday, as the new Fnatic faces off Team Vitality. While VIT did suffer a 1-2 first week, they are still not to be underestimated, as their regular Season stats in 2023 would show.
ββ β Conclusion
That concludes our week 1 recap and our week 2 preview. We hope you'll enjoy this coming weekend of games as much as we will!
Remember that there's still a few more hours 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.
[quote=Jovy][center][img=https://www.mobafire.com/images/news/emea-summer-23-week-1.jpg][/center]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Introduction[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
Welcome back fellow LEC fans! The first week of Summer is behind us, with two more to go, and the opening weekend was full of surprises, upsets, and some of the usual.
In this article we'll be going over last week's games, taking a look at the Fantasy leaderboards, and briefly chatting about what we can expect from the games coming up this weekend.
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Fantasy Leaderboards[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[center][img=https://i.imgur.com/xnClIVX.png][/center]
Currently #1 on the leaderboards we have hotmailhot, who's sitting at 183 points right now, nearly 50 points above the average. While many probably didn't believe in Team Heretics and their new carries, hotmailhot definitely did! Drafting and designating Flakked as Captain has proven to be an incredible boon for our weekly winner!
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Top Player In Each Role During Week 1[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[center][columns]
[table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #e81f24" 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/5/54/G2_BrokenBlade_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]BrokenBlade[/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]34.7 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]30.7 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr]
[/table]
[nextcol]
[table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #dba612" 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/1/10/XL_Vetheo_2023_Split_1.png height=100][/center][/td][/tr]
[tr height=2][td bgcolor=#dba612][/td][/tr]
[tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]Vetheo[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr]
[tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#091120][center][table][tr][td][img=https://i.imgur.com/U7bjp0u.png height=15][/td][td width=5][/td][td][size=3][b][color=#00000]Team Heretics[/color][/b][/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/td][/tr]
[tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]34.7 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr]
[/table]
[nextcol]
[table width=160 bgcolor=#091120 border="2px solid #dba612" 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/c/c8/HRTS_Flakked_2023_Split_1.png height=100][/center][/td][/tr]
[tr height=2][td bgcolor=#dba612][/td][/tr]
[tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]Flakked[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr]
[tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#091120][center][table][tr][td][img=https://i.imgur.com/U7bjp0u.png height=15][/td][td width=5][/td][td][size=3][b][color=#00000]Team Heretics[/color][/b][/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/td][/tr]
[tr height=35][td padding=5 bgcolor=#152034][center][size=5][b][color=#00000]41.9 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]32.7 PTS[/color][/b][/size][/center][/td][/tr]
[/table]
[/columns][/center]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Current LEC Standings[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[columns][columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=white]1[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/U7bjp0u.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]Team Heretics[/size]
[size=4]3-0[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=transparent]1[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img= https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]MAD Lions[/size]
[size=4]3-0[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=white]3[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/7fnXiXJ.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]Fnatic[/size]
[size=4]2-1[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=transparent]4[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]G2 Esports[/size]
[size=4]2-1[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=white]5[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/1whtSNS.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]SK Gaming[/size]
[size=4]1-2[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=transparent]5[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/zd8hCAE.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]Astralis[/size]
[size=4]1-2[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=transparent]5[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/wQILEq6.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]KOI[/size]
[size=4]1-2[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=transparent]5[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]Team BDS[/size]
[size=4]1-2[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=transparent]5[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/RAEyIrM.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]Team Vitality[/size]
[size=4]1-2[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=35][size=6][b][color=white]10[/color][/size][/b][nextcol width=20][nextcol][img=https://i.imgur.com/udUvafW.png height=75][nextcol width=10][nextcol][size=5][b][color=white]EXCEL[/size]
[size=4]0-3[/color][/size][/b][/columns]
[nextcol width=50][nextcol width=500]
The MAD Lions were not going to repeat the shaky start they had in Spring. Even though they played against the likes of G2 Esports and Team Vitality, they were able to persevere in Week 1 and end 3-0. A statement opening week from our defending champions. Joining them on the throne, unexpectedly, we have Team Heretics. A lot of fans were speculating whether Vetheo and Flakked would be enough to breathe life into this lineup, and, for the time being, let all doubts be dispelled. While tougher opponents are ahead, Flakked in particular has shown that he has what it takes to take this team far.
Two rivals share a 2-1 score - G2 Esports and Fnatic. G2 Esports had a fantastic opening week, losing only to the MAD Lions - some say because they were happy gaming a little bit too much with Neeko mid lane. Even in that game, they played very well (until they didn't) and, as ever, G2 looks like they're headed straight for the top. Fnatic's Noah's debut in the bot lane has impressed many, though he wasn't enough to defeat G2 Esports in their final game of the weekend. Trymbi styled on his opponents with Thresh on the opening day, and Razork and Humanoid looked better than ever as a duo.
SK Gaming, Astralis, KOI, Team BDS, and Team Vitality all share the next spot, with a win-loss of 1-2. Perhaps of note in this list are Team BDS and Team Vitality. While the competition is indeed fierce in this Split in the LEC, I'm sure most people expected that these two teams would be somewhere in the top four. Vitality arguably had a more difficult match-up, having to face the Spring champions as well as the 3-0 Team Heretics (whom they nearly beat), but fans are still not happy with this superteam's showing so far.
In last place we have, once again, EXCEL. Unfortunately, their roster changes didn't pan out as nicely as they did for Fnatic or Team Heretics, and EXCEL seem as lost as ever. Hopefully they'll be able to put up a better fight in the coming weekend, though so far EXCEL hasn't shown anything to indicate that they won't be missing the group stage for a third Split in a row.
[img=https://i.imgur.com/0ujmuPe.png height=400]
[/columns]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Day 1 Recap[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/RAEyIrM.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/drwKI9w.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game One[/b][/size][/center]
The opening game of the LEC Summer Season was sure to be a banger - Team Vitality faced off against the Spring champions, MAD Lions. We've talked about this to death but MAD had a rough time in Spring (and at MSI) and on Saturday they showed fans that Summer was going to be very different. It was a close and action-packed first game, but MAD Lions were able to stay on top of the objectives and eventually secure the Infernal Soul. Between Baron Nashor, Infernal Drake, and a fed K'Sante, Azir, and Aphelios, there was little Vitality could do but watch as MAD kept coming for more and more turrets, ending the game 30 minutes in.[/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=MJmsyb2LUco][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/1whtSNS.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/U7bjp0u.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Two[/b][/size][/center]
Heretics started the Split off with a statement 2v2 First Blood 2:24 minutes in onto Yuumi in the bot lane. This quick (and satisfying) kill was followed by another as Jankos ganked a few short minutes later, and so started Flakked's snowball. His debut would've been spotless if not for a certain maybe fumble moment in SK's base 35 minutes in when Flakked decided to try to kill Sertuss instead of hitting the enemy's exposed Nexus. That aside, Flakked was invaluable all game and in the follow fate, and after acing SK one more time, Heretics took their first win of the Split![/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=dba612][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMTnBCYZNoc][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=dba612][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/wQILEq6.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]π Game Three[/b][/size][/center]
EXCEL was looking to get their first win and hopefully break their 2023 curse, so they decided to draft a bot-focused team comp with Draven and Rakan. Unfortunately, XL couldn't find any significant early game leads for Draven, and by the time he could get his first kill, it was already mid game and he was still behind Comp. Aside from not being able to necessarily count on their ADC, XL also had to contend with KOI's superior Dragon control, and a very fed Ahri in the mid lane.
28 minutes in, KOI was able to steal Baron away from XL, but, in the ensuing fight, Patrik was able to secure a Triple Kill and EXCEL equalised the kill score and gold. For a while, things were tense and it was looking like either team could come up on top. Unfortunately for XL, all it took was one bad fight to undo all of that good. Peach was a little overeager in denying the Cloud Soul to KOI, and in the fight after Dragon, XL, now a member down, couldn't deal with Comp's damage and the number disadvantage, ultimately losing the game.[/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=7f4ecf][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHWbiTB9rM8&t=1s][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=7f4ecf][/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]π Game Four[/b][/size][/center]
Game 4 was sure to be a competitive match, a game between G2 Esports and the second place team of Spring, BDS. G2 drafted a nearly full AD comp while BDS drafted some nasty team fighting, putting them in favour if the game dragged along. The game was fairly even for the longest time, though BrokenBlade held a significant advantage all game long and was able to decimate the top lane. Bot side, BDS was able to secure the first two Dragons and were looking for number three. It was here that things turned around. The already strong Renekton from G2's side made his way bot side and was able to slice and dice through the whole of BDS, acing the team 21 minutes in. After this devastating fight it was only a matter of time for BDS. G2 secured the next two Infernal Drakes, Baron, and pushed their base for the win.[/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=F6U96gybVsM][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/7fnXiXJ.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/zd8hCAE.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Five[/b][/size][/center]
Saturday was closed by a match-up between Fnatic and Astralis. Astralis was coming off of an unexpectedly great Spring, while Fnatic had just started to find their footing before having to revamp their bot lane for Summer. As it turned out, Trymbi was an amazing addition to this Fnatic roster and his Thresh this game was a sight to behold. First Blood was secured by a Death Sentence, and it was only the first of many for Trymbi on that day. While Humanoid, Razork, and Noah were all getting some great leads, they would still have to contend with an extremely fed Finn in the top lane, and an increasingly stronger LIDER on Annie. Disaster struck for Astralis as Kobbe was hooked into his death 20 minutes in, in the middle of a Dragon fight. Fnatic was able to capitalise after that one team fight, grabbing Baron shortly, and nearly acing Astralis before taking the Nexus.[/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=fe5900][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWBE1uOj1as][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=fe5900][/td][/tr][/table]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Day 2 Recap[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/RAEyIrM.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/1whtSNS.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game One[/b][/size][/center]
Vitality had the pleasure of opening up the Sunday games as well, this time playing against SK Gaming. First Blood was achieved bot lane by Bo, who ganked early on and secured not only Exakick's life but also Flash and Heal too. Before they could capitalise on this, however, SK got a huge advantage when Kaiser was baited into starting a fight in the bot side river. In this very early 4v4 skirmish, SK came out on top, snagging two kills for Sertuss' Annie, and by minute 13:30 Sertuss was 4-0. Sadly, the rest of SK weren't doing so hot. 23 minutes in, Vitality had a fed top laner, mid laner, and ADC - plenty of carries to choose from. While the kills were still tied 30 minutes in, Vitality had a near 10k gold advantage, and SK's desperate Baron kill was not enough to tip the scales. In the ensuing fight, SK was aced, and the game was over.[/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ffff00][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-3YRasVM3A][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ffff00][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/7fnXiXJ.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]π Game Two[/b][/size][/center]
Next up, two teams that sat out the group stage in the Winter split just a few short months ago. Fnatic was now looking revitalised, but EXCEL seemed to still be struggling. Razork snagged a rather unorthodox pick in Kindred, but made it work beautifully as he ganked mid lane at minute 4:30 snagging first blood. Bot lane, Peach was able to take one back, and then there was peace. The game didn't heat up until the 17th minute mark as the Infernal Drake spawned. Every member of each team was suddenly bot lane, and a fight was brewing. Oscarinin and Trymbi were instrumental in the battle, the former dying but getting XL's bot lane extremely low, while Trymbi was able to keep Razork alive by the skin of his teeth. In the end, Fnatic secured 4 kills, and two went to Noah, who would go on to end the game 11-0. XL never recovered after that fight, while Fnatic was able to continue to stack advantage after advantage and eventually end the game 33 minutes in.[/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=fe5900][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKU-HWmerw0][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=fe5900][/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/TYPqpy2.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Three[/b][/size][/center]
The Match of the Week was up next, as the Winter champions, G2 Esports, faced off against the Spring's winners, the MAD Lions. While MAD kept things classic, G2 drafted the newly reworked Neeko and a Nocturne in the jungle. Claps came in hot in this game, ganking bot lane before minions spawned under the guise of Lucian. Carzzy was taken down and Hans secured his first kill thanks to the mid lanerβs help. Fifteen minutes in, both Caps and Hans had bounties on their heads and things were looking great for G2.
But all of this changed about 26 minutes after G2 had secured Baron Nashor and were besieging the bot lane inhibitor turret. They were 5k gold ahead, had three Dragons, and were overall looking very strong. However, instead of backing off when their minion wave died, Neeko turned into a Control Ward and tried to make some magic happen. Unfortunately, this was a terrible call, and the MAD Lions were not only able to defend their base, but also secure four kills, giving Elyoya and Chasy an even bigger advantage than they already had. Suddenly, MAD had taken full control of the game, and 10 minutes after that disaster team fight, MAD were 3k gold ahead, Baron-empowered, and not slowing down. Eventually, G2 couldn't do anything about MAD's carries, and they took their first L of the split.[/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=GLoA3rE48Aw][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.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/wQILEq6.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Four[/b][/size][/center]
After a fairly disappointing first game on Saturday, BDS were ready to get their first win now against KOI. Taking a page out of G2's book, nuc grabbed Neeko, and BDS' bot lane was also able to nab two highly contested picks in Zeri and Lulu. They then proceeded to go through the game rather cleanly and clinically, focusing on objectives and stacking gold on Crownie. The game was done in just under 30 minutes, with BDS holding a 10k gold advantage and Infernal Soul.[/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=QKQK75DhOTY][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ff0075][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/zd8hCAE.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/U7bjp0u.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Five[/b][/size][/center]
The final match on Sunday was between Astralis and Team Heretics. After a fantastic showing from TH yesterday, fans were eager to see if the Heretics would keep up momentum or flounder as they did in previous splits. Flakked took Draven, promising an exciting match indeed. In fact though, this time round, bot lane did not start off so well for TH, as Kobbe and JeongHoon were able to grab a 2v2 double kill just as they hit level six. Evi saved the day minutes later, while the Ast bot lane still had no summoners, and secured a Double Kill for Draven. After that, Draven did Draven things, and continued to snowball hard, so that at the 17th minute mark, Flakked was 6-1. Astralis had some comeback potential with Neeko and Lucian, but in the end they had no answer to this incredibly powerful Draven, nor to TH's superior objective control; and Team Heretics nabbed their second win in Summer.[/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=dba612][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-LKqqXkuE][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=dba612][/td][/tr][/table]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Day 3 Recap[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/uTTwXWc.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/1whtSNS.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game One[/b][/size][/center]
The final day of the opening weekend of Summer began with XL facing off against SK Gaming, both teams 0-2 at the time. SK Gaming started off hot, grabbing First Blood around the 10th minute mark as Markoon Cycloned into the bot lane. He was able to shortly make his way mid lane alongside his bot lane and top and collapse on three members of XL, securing two more kills and a 2k gold lead for SK. Moreover, SK was also able to cleanly secure the Ocean Soul at the 24th minute mark, and by then it really seemed like it was over for XL.
Abbedagge was able to change that with a game changing Annie ult, stunning two and eventually killing four, including Markoon. With SK's jungler dead, XL was able to secure Baron Nashor and blow the game wide open. Ten minutes later, XL had nearly equalised the kill score and were 6k gold ahead, but SK still had one avenue of success - the Elder Dragon. In order to stop SK from attempting the Dragon, Odoamne engaged onto Exakick in the mid lane, but wasn't tanky enough to withstand the entirety of the SK lineup. With one member down, SK was able to ace XL in turn, and take the win after all.[/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ffffff][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L6fiO93aPQ[/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ffffff][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.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/zd8hCAE.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=#00ff00]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Two[/b][/size][/center]
After two disappointing games, Astralis was really hungry for a win, and decided to go for comfort - picking Yasuo for LIDER in the mid lane, and a Blitzcrank for JeongHoon. 113 placed some emphasis on the top lane to shut down Adam, securing first blood for his top laner, and another kill shortly after. LIDER was also able to solo kill nuc, and overall everything was coming up Astralis. Perhaps most crucially, Astralis as a team was able to take dragon prio away from BDS, something the French team is somewhat reliant on. Twenty minutes in, Astralis had a bounty on nearly every member, an 8k gold advantage, and were able to secure Baron Nashor. Finally, LIDER snagged the Ocean Soul and joined his team as they bulldozed BDS' base, ending the game in 25 minutes![/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ff0000][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2zpgMpbppk][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ff0000][/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/wQILEq6.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Three[/b][/size][/center]
The cats faced off against the fish next, and we all know how that's going to go. MAD Lions were hungry for a 3-0 and secured First Blood before minions spawned, Nisqy flashing on an unsuspecting Comp as he was guarding the entrance to the Blue Buff. In spite of the strong start, it was KOI that took charge of the early game, and Szygenda in particular with a stellar performance on K'Sante. Twenty minutes in, KOI's mid and bot both had significant advantages, and KOI as a whole was 4k gold ahead.
This gap grew up until the 24th minute mark as the two teams converged in the river. MAD, though junglerless, started the Infernal Dragon and Malrang was able to simply walk in and Smite steal it. Malrang then cast Paranoia and, aided by Larssen, thought to engage onto MAD, but the rest of KOI was a bit too far to assist. In spite of the initial numbers disadvantage, MAD were able to miraculously turn this fight. It was Carzzy and Hylissang against five members of KOI, and Carzzy was able to secure a triple kill and get off scot-free. From then on KOI floundered, while Carzzy only got stronger and stronger. After a gruelling 40 minute game, MAD were able to win one more crucial team fight, storm KOI's base, and end the week 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=EIgyeDo0m70][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=ebbc4e][/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/7fnXiXJ.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Four[/b][/size][/center]
In the pentultimate game of the opening weekend, G2 Esports and Fnatic faced off. Fnatic was 2-0, and feeling confidnet, while G2 was coming off a game they threw against MAD Lions. The game started off slow, but first blood was eventually secured by the G2 bot lane in a straight 2v2 battle as Hans Sama hit 6 ahead of everyone else. Later, also bot lane, Fnatic started the Hextech Dragon, but Yike and Mikyx shimmied on in the Maokai was able to zone Razork away with Twisted Advance, securing the Dragon for G2. More members joined the fray, and BrokenBlade's Teleport sealed FNC fate, as the K'sante nabbed a quick and easy Triple Kill, acing Fnatic just 13 minutes in. While Fnatic was still able to secure a few small advantages, G2 were not about to throw a second game in one weekend. 31 minutes in, G2 stormed Fnatic's base after securing three kills, ending the first week on a win, and tying 2-1 with their rivals.[/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=psydBmh7fIo][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=e81f24][/td][/tr][/table]
[columns]
[img=https://i.imgur.com/U7bjp0u.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/RAEyIrM.png height=75]
[center][size=5][b][color=transparent]^[/color][/b][/size][/center]
[nextcol width=20][nextcol width=600][center][size=5][b]π Game Five[/b][/size][/center]
In the final game of the first week of Summer, Team Vitality and Team Heretics took to the stage. Photon was able to grab his signature Gwen, while Perkz took the highly contested LeBlanc. In answer, Vetheo picked Kai'Sa, and Flakked was able to secure Zeri. Initially, and for a long time, the game was in Heretics' favour. Vitality turned things around the 21st minute mark. Jankos and Evi engaged, a bit overeagerly, and Evi was whittled down by Vitality, while Flakked ate a chunk of damage from Perkz in the backline. While Heretics backed off initially, Kaiser was able to land a terrific Flash Hook onto Mersa, and secure two more kills, before turning to Baron.
While TH was still able to secure their third Dragon, they had still found themselves now 5k gold behind Vitality, who had taken control of the game. Things took another turn, a turn back that is, in the bot lane 28 minutes in as Photon had hoped to assassinate Flakked. Instead, Flakked popped the Lightning Crash, secured two kills and narrowly survived. Vitality still held the lead, but Flakked showed them that Zeri is not something they can afford to ignore or underestimate. As Vitality secured another Baron, they began to siege bot lane. Evi and Jankos belted out both of their ults once more, securing three members of Vitality in place, and lining them up perfectly for Flakked, who secured another Double Kill, and then joined his team mid and ended the game, and the weekend 3-0![/columns]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=dba612][/td][/tr][/table]
[spoiler=VOD][columns][nextcol width=150][nextcol][embed=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1jPVVeuuwU][/columns][/spoiler]
[table][tr][td height=2 width=900 bgcolor=dba612][/td][/tr][/table]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Week 2 Preview[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=070e1c]
[size=6][columns][nextcol width=7][nextcol][size=5][b]πΊ Saturday - Games To Watch[/b][/size][/columns]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/uTTwXWc.png width=20]Excel[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/U7bjp0u.png width=20]Team Heretics[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]Tune into the LEC at 19:00 GMT+1 to catch Excel and Team Heretics. While this match-up will be difficult indeed for XL, considering the rest of their weekend schedule it might be their best shot at getting a win and avoiding another missed group stage.
[/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/wQILEq6.png width=20]KOI[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/7fnXiXJ.png width=20]Fnatic[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]Fnatic was bested by G2 in Week 1 rather harshly, will they let that setback knock them down or will they shrug it off and continue to perform as fans hope?
[/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/RAEyIrM.png width=20]Team Vitality[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/TYPqpy2.png width=20]G2 Esports[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]While Vitality hasnβt had the best debut, theyβre still a force to be reckoned with. And itβs always exciting when former teammates have to face off.[/columns]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=070e1c]
[size=6][columns][nextcol width=7][nextcol][size=5][b]πΊ Sunday - Games To Watch[/b][/size][/columns]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/zd8hCAE.png width=20]Astralis[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/RAEyIrM.png width=20]Team Vitality[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]While normally this match-up would be heavily skewed towards Vitality, Astralis was able to secure a clutch victory over one of Springβs top teams, BDS. Can they clutch it out against the other French team?
[/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/U7bjp0u.png width=20]Team Heretics[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/wQILEq6.png width=20]KOI[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]These two Spanish orgs joined the LEC this year together, and face off for the first time in Summer in the third game on Sunday.
[/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/drwKI9w.png width=20]MAD Lions[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/7fnXiXJ.png width=20]Fnatic[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]While Fnatic fumbled against the Winter champions, they still have a chance to show that they deserve to be at the top by defeating the Spring ones in the final game of Sunday.
[/columns]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=070e1c]
[size=6][columns][nextcol width=7][nextcol][size=5][b]πΊ Monday - Games To Watch[/b][/size][/columns]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/HGEgWOm.png width=20]Team BDS[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/U7bjp0u.png width=20]Team Heretics[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]This time last split BDS was at the top and TH was at the bottom. Things have changed quite a bit, so tune in to see how this match-up will go this time around!
[/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/wQILEq6.png width=20]KOI[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/1whtSNS.png width=20]SK Gaming[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]Two lower-middle of the pack teams that may be dangerously close to the bottom by Monday. This game could very well be one of the deciding factors for which team sits out the group stage in Summer.[/columns]
[columns][nextcol width=240][b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/7fnXiXJ.png width=20]Fnatic[/color][/b] [b][color=white]vs[/color][/b] [b][color=white][img=https://i.imgur.com/RAEyIrM.png width=20]Team Vitality[/color][/b]
[nextcol width=20]
[nextcol]Another exciting match-up for Fnatic awaits in the final game on Monday, as the new Fnatic faces off Team Vitality. While VIT did suffer a 1-2 first week, they are still not to be underestimated, as their regular Season stats in 2023 would show.[/columns]
[table]
[tr]
[td width=900 bgcolor=162645]
[size=6][b]ββ β Conclusion[/b][/size]
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
That concludes our week 1 recap and our week 2 preview. We hope you'll enjoy this coming weekend of games as much as we will!
Remember that there's still a few more hours 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 [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]
ββ β Introduction
Welcome back fellow LEC fans! The first week of Summer is behind us, with two more to go, and the opening weekend was full of surprises, upsets, and some of the usual.
In this article we'll be going over last week's games, taking a look at the Fantasy leaderboards, and briefly chatting about what we can expect from the games coming up this weekend.
ββ β Fantasy Leaderboards
Currently #1 on the leaderboards we have hotmailhot, who's sitting at 183 points right now, nearly 50 points above the average. While many probably didn't believe in Team Heretics and their new carries, hotmailhot definitely did! Drafting and designating Flakked as Captain has proven to be an incredible boon for our weekly winner!
ββ β Top Player In Each Role During Week 1
ββ β Current LEC Standings
3-0
3-0
2-1
2-1
1-2
1-2
1-2
1-2
1-2
0-3
Two rivals share a 2-1 score - G2 Esports and Fnatic. G2 Esports had a fantastic opening week, losing only to the MAD Lions - some say because they were happy gaming a little bit too much with Neeko mid lane. Even in that game, they played very well (until they didn't) and, as ever, G2 looks like they're headed straight for the top. Fnatic's Noah's debut in the bot lane has impressed many, though he wasn't enough to defeat G2 Esports in their final game of the weekend. Trymbi styled on his opponents with Thresh on the opening day, and Razork and Humanoid looked better than ever as a duo.
SK Gaming, Astralis, KOI, Team BDS, and Team Vitality all share the next spot, with a win-loss of 1-2. Perhaps of note in this list are Team BDS and Team Vitality. While the competition is indeed fierce in this Split in the LEC, I'm sure most people expected that these two teams would be somewhere in the top four. Vitality arguably had a more difficult match-up, having to face the Spring champions as well as the 3-0 Team Heretics (whom they nearly beat), but fans are still not happy with this superteam's showing so far.
In last place we have, once again, EXCEL. Unfortunately, their roster changes didn't pan out as nicely as they did for Fnatic or Team Heretics, and EXCEL seem as lost as ever. Hopefully they'll be able to put up a better fight in the coming weekend, though so far EXCEL hasn't shown anything to indicate that they won't be missing the group stage for a third Split in a row.
ββ β Day 1 Recap
The opening game of the LEC Summer Season was sure to be a banger - Team Vitality faced off against the Spring champions, MAD Lions. We've talked about this to death but MAD had a rough time in Spring (and at MSI) and on Saturday they showed fans that Summer was going to be very different. It was a close and action-packed first game, but MAD Lions were able to stay on top of the objectives and eventually secure the Infernal Soul. Between Baron Nashor, Infernal Drake, and a fed K'Sante, Azir, and Aphelios, there was little Vitality could do but watch as MAD kept coming for more and more turrets, ending the game 30 minutes in.
Heretics started the Split off with a statement 2v2 First Blood 2:24 minutes in onto Yuumi in the bot lane. This quick (and satisfying) kill was followed by another as Jankos ganked a few short minutes later, and so started Flakked's snowball. His debut would've been spotless if not for a certain maybe fumble moment in SK's base 35 minutes in when Flakked decided to try to kill Sertuss instead of hitting the enemy's exposed Nexus. That aside, Flakked was invaluable all game and in the follow fate, and after acing SK one more time, Heretics took their first win of the Split!
EXCEL was looking to get their first win and hopefully break their 2023 curse, so they decided to draft a bot-focused team comp with Draven and Rakan. Unfortunately, XL couldn't find any significant early game leads for Draven, and by the time he could get his first kill, it was already mid game and he was still behind Comp. Aside from not being able to necessarily count on their ADC, XL also had to contend with KOI's superior Dragon control, and a very fed Ahri in the mid lane.
28 minutes in, KOI was able to steal Baron away from XL, but, in the ensuing fight, Patrik was able to secure a Triple Kill and EXCEL equalised the kill score and gold. For a while, things were tense and it was looking like either team could come up on top. Unfortunately for XL, all it took was one bad fight to undo all of that good. Peach was a little overeager in denying the Cloud Soul to KOI, and in the fight after Dragon, XL, now a member down, couldn't deal with Comp's damage and the number disadvantage, ultimately losing the game.
Game 4 was sure to be a competitive match, a game between G2 Esports and the second place team of Spring, BDS. G2 drafted a nearly full AD comp while BDS drafted some nasty team fighting, putting them in favour if the game dragged along. The game was fairly even for the longest time, though BrokenBlade held a significant advantage all game long and was able to decimate the top lane. Bot side, BDS was able to secure the first two Dragons and were looking for number three. It was here that things turned around. The already strong Renekton from G2's side made his way bot side and was able to slice and dice through the whole of BDS, acing the team 21 minutes in. After this devastating fight it was only a matter of time for BDS. G2 secured the next two Infernal Drakes, Baron, and pushed their base for the win.
Saturday was closed by a match-up between Fnatic and Astralis. Astralis was coming off of an unexpectedly great Spring, while Fnatic had just started to find their footing before having to revamp their bot lane for Summer. As it turned out, Trymbi was an amazing addition to this Fnatic roster and his Thresh this game was a sight to behold. First Blood was secured by a Death Sentence, and it was only the first of many for Trymbi on that day. While Humanoid, Razork, and Noah were all getting some great leads, they would still have to contend with an extremely fed Finn in the top lane, and an increasingly stronger LIDER on Annie. Disaster struck for Astralis as Kobbe was hooked into his death 20 minutes in, in the middle of a Dragon fight. Fnatic was able to capitalise after that one team fight, grabbing Baron shortly, and nearly acing Astralis before taking the Nexus.
ββ β Day 2 Recap
Vitality had the pleasure of opening up the Sunday games as well, this time playing against SK Gaming. First Blood was achieved bot lane by Bo, who ganked early on and secured not only Exakick's life but also Flash and Heal too. Before they could capitalise on this, however, SK got a huge advantage when Kaiser was baited into starting a fight in the bot side river. In this very early 4v4 skirmish, SK came out on top, snagging two kills for Sertuss' Annie, and by minute 13:30 Sertuss was 4-0. Sadly, the rest of SK weren't doing so hot. 23 minutes in, Vitality had a fed top laner, mid laner, and ADC - plenty of carries to choose from. While the kills were still tied 30 minutes in, Vitality had a near 10k gold advantage, and SK's desperate Baron kill was not enough to tip the scales. In the ensuing fight, SK was aced, and the game was over.
Next up, two teams that sat out the group stage in the Winter split just a few short months ago. Fnatic was now looking revitalised, but EXCEL seemed to still be struggling. Razork snagged a rather unorthodox pick in Kindred, but made it work beautifully as he ganked mid lane at minute 4:30 snagging first blood. Bot lane, Peach was able to take one back, and then there was peace. The game didn't heat up until the 17th minute mark as the Infernal Drake spawned. Every member of each team was suddenly bot lane, and a fight was brewing. Oscarinin and Trymbi were instrumental in the battle, the former dying but getting XL's bot lane extremely low, while Trymbi was able to keep Razork alive by the skin of his teeth. In the end, Fnatic secured 4 kills, and two went to Noah, who would go on to end the game 11-0. XL never recovered after that fight, while Fnatic was able to continue to stack advantage after advantage and eventually end the game 33 minutes in.
The Match of the Week was up next, as the Winter champions, G2 Esports, faced off against the Spring's winners, the MAD Lions. While MAD kept things classic, G2 drafted the newly reworked Neeko and a Nocturne in the jungle. Claps came in hot in this game, ganking bot lane before minions spawned under the guise of Lucian. Carzzy was taken down and Hans secured his first kill thanks to the mid lanerβs help. Fifteen minutes in, both Caps and Hans had bounties on their heads and things were looking great for G2.
But all of this changed about 26 minutes after G2 had secured Baron Nashor and were besieging the bot lane inhibitor turret. They were 5k gold ahead, had three Dragons, and were overall looking very strong. However, instead of backing off when their minion wave died, Neeko turned into a Control Ward and tried to make some magic happen. Unfortunately, this was a terrible call, and the MAD Lions were not only able to defend their base, but also secure four kills, giving Elyoya and Chasy an even bigger advantage than they already had. Suddenly, MAD had taken full control of the game, and 10 minutes after that disaster team fight, MAD were 3k gold ahead, Baron-empowered, and not slowing down. Eventually, G2 couldn't do anything about MAD's carries, and they took their first L of the split.
After a fairly disappointing first game on Saturday, BDS were ready to get their first win now against KOI. Taking a page out of G2's book, nuc grabbed Neeko, and BDS' bot lane was also able to nab two highly contested picks in Zeri and Lulu. They then proceeded to go through the game rather cleanly and clinically, focusing on objectives and stacking gold on Crownie. The game was done in just under 30 minutes, with BDS holding a 10k gold advantage and Infernal Soul.
The final match on Sunday was between Astralis and Team Heretics. After a fantastic showing from TH yesterday, fans were eager to see if the Heretics would keep up momentum or flounder as they did in previous splits. Flakked took Draven, promising an exciting match indeed. In fact though, this time round, bot lane did not start off so well for TH, as Kobbe and JeongHoon were able to grab a 2v2 double kill just as they hit level six. Evi saved the day minutes later, while the Ast bot lane still had no summoners, and secured a Double Kill for Draven. After that, Draven did Draven things, and continued to snowball hard, so that at the 17th minute mark, Flakked was 6-1. Astralis had some comeback potential with Neeko and Lucian, but in the end they had no answer to this incredibly powerful Draven, nor to TH's superior objective control; and Team Heretics nabbed their second win in Summer.
ββ β Day 3 Recap
The final day of the opening weekend of Summer began with XL facing off against SK Gaming, both teams 0-2 at the time. SK Gaming started off hot, grabbing First Blood around the 10th minute mark as Markoon Cycloned into the bot lane. He was able to shortly make his way mid lane alongside his bot lane and top and collapse on three members of XL, securing two more kills and a 2k gold lead for SK. Moreover, SK was also able to cleanly secure the Ocean Soul at the 24th minute mark, and by then it really seemed like it was over for XL.
Abbedagge was able to change that with a game changing Annie ult, stunning two and eventually killing four, including Markoon. With SK's jungler dead, XL was able to secure Baron Nashor and blow the game wide open. Ten minutes later, XL had nearly equalised the kill score and were 6k gold ahead, but SK still had one avenue of success - the Elder Dragon. In order to stop SK from attempting the Dragon, Odoamne engaged onto Exakick in the mid lane, but wasn't tanky enough to withstand the entirety of the SK lineup. With one member down, SK was able to ace XL in turn, and take the win after all.
After two disappointing games, Astralis was really hungry for a win, and decided to go for comfort - picking Yasuo for LIDER in the mid lane, and a Blitzcrank for JeongHoon. 113 placed some emphasis on the top lane to shut down Adam, securing first blood for his top laner, and another kill shortly after. LIDER was also able to solo kill nuc, and overall everything was coming up Astralis. Perhaps most crucially, Astralis as a team was able to take dragon prio away from BDS, something the French team is somewhat reliant on. Twenty minutes in, Astralis had a bounty on nearly every member, an 8k gold advantage, and were able to secure Baron Nashor. Finally, LIDER snagged the Ocean Soul and joined his team as they bulldozed BDS' base, ending the game in 25 minutes!
The cats faced off against the fish next, and we all know how that's going to go. MAD Lions were hungry for a 3-0 and secured First Blood before minions spawned, Nisqy flashing on an unsuspecting Comp as he was guarding the entrance to the Blue Buff. In spite of the strong start, it was KOI that took charge of the early game, and Szygenda in particular with a stellar performance on K'Sante. Twenty minutes in, KOI's mid and bot both had significant advantages, and KOI as a whole was 4k gold ahead.
This gap grew up until the 24th minute mark as the two teams converged in the river. MAD, though junglerless, started the Infernal Dragon and Malrang was able to simply walk in and Smite steal it. Malrang then cast Paranoia and, aided by Larssen, thought to engage onto MAD, but the rest of KOI was a bit too far to assist. In spite of the initial numbers disadvantage, MAD were able to miraculously turn this fight. It was Carzzy and Hylissang against five members of KOI, and Carzzy was able to secure a triple kill and get off scot-free. From then on KOI floundered, while Carzzy only got stronger and stronger. After a gruelling 40 minute game, MAD were able to win one more crucial team fight, storm KOI's base, and end the week 3-0.
In the pentultimate game of the opening weekend, G2 Esports and Fnatic faced off. Fnatic was 2-0, and feeling confidnet, while G2 was coming off a game they threw against MAD Lions. The game started off slow, but first blood was eventually secured by the G2 bot lane in a straight 2v2 battle as Hans Sama hit 6 ahead of everyone else. Later, also bot lane, Fnatic started the Hextech Dragon, but Yike and Mikyx shimmied on in the Maokai was able to zone Razork away with Twisted Advance, securing the Dragon for G2. More members joined the fray, and BrokenBlade's Teleport sealed FNC fate, as the K'sante nabbed a quick and easy Triple Kill, acing Fnatic just 13 minutes in. While Fnatic was still able to secure a few small advantages, G2 were not about to throw a second game in one weekend. 31 minutes in, G2 stormed Fnatic's base after securing three kills, ending the first week on a win, and tying 2-1 with their rivals.
In the final game of the first week of Summer, Team Vitality and Team Heretics took to the stage. Photon was able to grab his signature Gwen, while Perkz took the highly contested LeBlanc. In answer, Vetheo picked Kai'Sa, and Flakked was able to secure Zeri. Initially, and for a long time, the game was in Heretics' favour. Vitality turned things around the 21st minute mark. Jankos and Evi engaged, a bit overeagerly, and Evi was whittled down by Vitality, while Flakked ate a chunk of damage from Perkz in the backline. While Heretics backed off initially, Kaiser was able to land a terrific Flash Hook onto Mersa, and secure two more kills, before turning to Baron.
While TH was still able to secure their third Dragon, they had still found themselves now 5k gold behind Vitality, who had taken control of the game. Things took another turn, a turn back that is, in the bot lane 28 minutes in as Photon had hoped to assassinate Flakked. Instead, Flakked popped the Lightning Crash, secured two kills and narrowly survived. Vitality still held the lead, but Flakked showed them that Zeri is not something they can afford to ignore or underestimate. As Vitality secured another Baron, they began to siege bot lane. Evi and Jankos belted out both of their ults once more, securing three members of Vitality in place, and lining them up perfectly for Flakked, who secured another Double Kill, and then joined his team mid and ended the game, and the weekend 3-0!
ββ β Week 2 Preview
ββ β Conclusion
That concludes our week 1 recap and our week 2 preview. We hope you'll enjoy this coming weekend of games as much as we will!
Remember that there's still a few more hours 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.