Group D: Team MRN, Cloud 9, The Salad Bar, Azure Gaming
Team MRN vs Cloud 9
---MRN bans: Evelynn, Malphite, Katarina---C9 bans: Jarvan, Riven, Shen---
MRN: Irelia, Cho'Gath, Anivia, Ezreal, Sona
C9: Elise, Amumu, Lee Sin, Twitch, Nunu
This is the one. I won't spoil it for you. Watch it. It's only about 20-25 minutes. Heck, you can fast forward until almost 15 minutes into the game itself.
Cloud 9 vs The Salad Bar
---C9 bans: Ezreal, Twisted Fate, Syndra---TSB bans: Nunu, Evelynn, Kha'Zix---
C9: Katarina, Amumu, Vlad, Twitch, Zyra
TSB: Cho'Gath, Lee Sin, Jayce, Miss Fortune, Blitzcrank
I like that Katarina is back in vogue. And top Katarina with teleport is wonderfully deadly. It led to a slow snowball. WildTurtle also gets a pentakill right at the end with Twitch.
The Salad Bar vs Azure Gaming
---TSB bans: Kha'Zix, Kassadin, Evelynn---AZG bans: Syndra, Lee Sin, Shen---
TSB: Singed, Jarvan, Jayce, Miss Fortune, Blitzcrank
AZG: Cho'Gath, Amumu, Katarina, Ezreal, Nunu
I thought that the Syndra ban in the previous game was a troll, but I guess someone on TSB can legitimately play Syndra? No one can really listen to ALL of the analysis that runs through the champ select and pre-game, though they probably have mentioned it. During the game itself, the commentators really emphasize how AZG just picked up a free agent ADC, Demonlul, 'off his couch' just a few weeks ago, as they say in the regular sports business. He had taken some time away from LoL to 'focus on high school', and that's about as much as I was able to listen to - he got a pentakill on Ezreal at the end of that game. Just wrong.
Team MRN vs Azure Gaming
---MRN bans: Evelynn, Ryze, Malphite---AZG bans: Anivia, Kha'Zix, Shen---
MRN: Riven, Jarven, Ahri, Urgot, Taric
AZG: Cho'Gath, Nocturne, Kassadin, Graves, Nunu
Demonlul on Graves got fed early, and things looked really bad for MRN. They wrench the ship upright and pulled off a slow and methodical come-back victory, featuring MegaZero on Riven.
Azure Gaming vs Cloud 9
---AZG bans: Katarina, Kha'Zix, Elise---C9 bans: Twisted Fate, Ryze, Evelyn---
AZG: Olaf, Nocturne, Orianna, Miss Fortune, Nunu
C9: Riven, Amumu, Corki, Twitch, Lulu
Another strange mid from C9. Couldn't quite figure out what the plan was, but lane phase went on for quite some time, so I think they were trying to power level the Corki. When that doesn't work, the Twitch split pushes while the rest of the team dances around trying not to get engaged on. Olaf with teleport put a stop to that, though, and AZG finally lowered the hammer.
Results:
1. MRN (2-0)
2. AZG (2-1)
3. C9 (1-2)
4. TSB (0-2)
