Let me ask a few questions while we wait.
- Why do they still wear two headsets? If they're all in-studio, just attach a microphone to the noise-cancelling headphones? Build a noise-cancelling booth to separate the two teams?
- Can they have weeks where they play less-serious games? Dominion? ARAM? Hunt the Teemo? Ultimate Bravery? Off-role? Like, Ocelot has to play support? A Pro-Am? Where they have to stand behind an amateur player and talk them to victory? Pub play? Where they play against amateurs, but they can only play like... Teemo and Karma?
SK vs Fnatic (1:00:00)
---SK bans: Wukong, Malphite, Kassadin---Fnatic bans: Xin Zhao, Shen, Vi---
SK: Olaf, Cho'Gath, Anivia, Twitch, Nunu
Fnatic: Evelynn, Kayle, Caitlyn, Urgot, Taric
Interesting picks. Jungle Kayle, no Kha'Zix, two AD carry's? But as it turns out, Caitlyn is actually a good counter to Anivia! (No doubt ruining soloQ for a long time). When Anivia walled, Cait 90-caliber netted back through it or ult'd past it. When Anivia would want to push and then roam, Cait would push even harder back and pin her to the turret. It was remarkably successful. For a while, it also looked like Fnatic was also playing the players instead of the champs - remember once upon a time, when the only way to beat TSM was to anger Reginald, because there was no other way to win? It felt like Fnatic was playing that with Ocelot. Though they tell me that Ocelot's become a lot less ragey now that he's kind of the official leader of the team. Anyway, the game is low-kill, and extremely even until the very end, where one ace at 40+ minutes is always game. It certainly looks for a long time as if SK would win, with Fnatic being all squishies, and no one to stop Olaf and Cho'Gath from running through and eating lunches, but Fnatic pulls it out, as one almost expects them to.
Gambit Gaming vs Evil Geniuses (2:46:00)
---GG bans: Elise, Zed, Jayce---EG bans: Xin Zhao, Twisted Fate, Kha'Zix---
GG: Olaf, Udyr, Ryze, Ezreal, Nunu
EG: Shen, Maokai, Anivia, Caitlyn, Lulu
You don't recognize the team names, because I guess Riot made them change them, but you know all the players - Gambit Gaming is Moscow 5 (probably Riot doesn't want city names causing bias - wait, Copenhagen Wolves?), and Evil Geniuses is CLG.eu (which would conflict with the NA CLG, sort of). So that's Froggen on Anivia, Wickd on Shen, Snoopeh on Maokai, AlexIch on Ryze, DiamondProx on Udyr, etc etc. Unique champs and my favorite people? Heck yeah, this one's worth watching - DiamondProx gets dragon at level 3! I wonder if I can find this game recorded from Wickd's point of view (probably not), but that would be well worth it, because his Shen went 8/0/10! His ego was probably out of control at the end.
Fnatic vs Giants Gaming (4:14:00)
---Fnatic bans: Ryze, Nunu, Xin Zhao---Giants bans: Blitzcrank, Kassadin, Shen---
FN: Malphite, Olaf, Nidalee, Caitlyn, Lulu
Giants: Wukong, Elise, Zyra, Kennen, Sona
Oddly, I am familiar with more players in the EU, so I have more rooting interest. As for champs, I like Nidalee mid over Zyra, but AD Kennen is always cool. Ultimately, though, rooting against xPeke is kind of an exercise in frustration, even though Giants pulled out some interesting early game tactics to get ahead, Fnatic knows how to come back.
SK Gaming vs Copenhagen Wolves (5:38:00)
---SK bans: Zyra, Kayle,Olaf---Wolves bans: Xin Zhao, Elise, Kha'Zix---
SK: Shen, Vi, Orianna, Twitch, Sona
Wolves: Nidalee, Cho'Gath, Lux, Ezreal, Lulu
Now I realize why I know all the EU players - they're like the Yankees and the Red Sox. Even if you don't follow baseball, you know the characters. The others in the EU are the Indians and the Pirates - still professional players, but the average joe doesn't even know your team exists. Maybe even the Yankees don't even know you exist. Anyway, that's fully on display here, when the score reaches 8-0
Fnatic vs Gambit Gaming
---Fnatic bans: Xin Zhao, Ryze, Kha'Zix---GG bans: Elise, Nidalee, Shen---
Fnatic: Malphite, Olaf, Wukong, Kog'Maw, Lulu
Gambit: Renekton, Volibear, Twisted Fate, Miss Fortune, Sona
Hooray for fun champion picks! And yet it was a pretty standard face roll for GG. Team fights were good, but definitely one-sided.
Copenhagen Wolves vs Evil Geniuses
---Wolves bans: Anivia, Lux, Olaf---EG bans: Nidalee, Xin Zhao, Kha'Zix---
CW: Shen, Lee Sin, Zyra, Ezreal, Sona
EG: Akali, Kayle, Twisted Fate, Caitlyn, Lulu
Wickd Akali, woo.
Giants Gaming vs Gambit Gaming
---Giants bans: Xin Zhao, Kog'Maw, Shen---GG bans: Kassadin, Elise, Kha'Zix---
Giants: Olaf, Dr. Mundo, Ryze, Kennen, Zyra
GG: Renekton, Volibear, Twisted Fate, Ezreal, Sona
Commentators did a lot of discussing on various counters to plays that we have been seeing a lot of in the last few weeks. Olaf counter: Anivia wall, it's a cc that Olaf can't Ragnarok through. 2v1 top+early jungle gank: ward tri-bush and mid lane bring teleport, if the jungler is nearby, a 3v1 tower dive can turn around quickly to a 3v3 under your tower. Anyway, back to this game. Giants get out to a surprise early lead, and then do a great job of hanging on to it. Kennen becomes an awesome little monster with "shurikens of steel" so if you like Kennen or Dr. Mundo, or classic upsets, this is a good game for it. Also, the constant split push and small engage strategy of Giants makes Deman blue in the face trying to keep up with all the action.
SK Gaming vs. Evil Geniuses
---SK bans: Maokai, Lux, Anivia---EG bans: Vi, Twitch, Nidalee---
SK: Olaf, Shen, Kassadin, Ezreal, Sona
EG: Akalie, Xin Zhao, Jayce, Caitlyn, Lulu
Wickd vs Ocelot! Alas, the game is a super slow snowball in favor of SK, mostly due to their Olaf. That Olaf, OP in this patch, clearly. There are some really nice fights, though, if you can dig around for them in the 50 minute match.
Results:
Gambit Gaming 1-1 Fnatic 2-1
Copenhagen Wolves 0-2 Evil Geniuses 2-1
SK Gaming 2-1 Giants Gaming 1-1
Against All Authority 0-0 Dragonborns 0-0
