Dirtnap Gaming vs Azure Gaming
---DNG bans: Twisted Fate, Malphite, Nunu---AZG bans: Jayce, Kha'Zix, Evelynn---
DNG: Shen, Cho'Gath, Ahri, Graves, Sona
AZG: Olaf, Nocturne, Ryze, Ezreal, Lulu
This game might be likened to a knock-down drag-out brawl. It's close, and no quarter is given in the narrowly-won fights. Eventually the scales tip in favor of DNG, via small things like 2-for-3 fights, and AZG not quite as in synch with Demonlul as DNG is with ecko.
Dirtnap Gaming vs Azure Gaming, Game 2
---DNG bans: Twisted Fate, Malphite, Nunu---AZG bans: Jayce, Shen, Kha'Zix---
DNG: Jax, Cho'Gath, Gragas, Graves, Sona
AZG: Olaf, Amumu, Evelynn, Ezreal, Lulu
AZG gets slightly ahead early in this one, and verrrrrrry slowly snowballs that advantage into a win. Commentators speculate that their trepidation may come from the game that they had won vs MRN on an earlier day that they eventually lost.
Dirtnap Gaming vs. Azure Gaming, Game 3
---DNG bans: Malphite, Nunu, Olaf---AZG bans: Jayce, Kha’Zix,
Evelynn---
DNG: Shen, Lee Sin, Karthus, Ezreal, Taric
AZG: Cho’gath, Amumu, Twisted Fate, Miss Fortune, Lulu
This is another dragged out blow-for-blow fight. It was dead even all the way to the end, the
winner could not be predicted even 40 minutes in, and how often can you say
that? DNG just… won the stare-down at
the end, I guess.
Meat Playground vs Team MRN, Game 1
---MP bans: Jarven, Riven, Anivia---MRN bans: Elise, Malphite,
Evelynn---
MP: Cho’gath, Amumu, Kha’Zix, Kog’Maw, Nunu
MRN: Irelia, Shen, Katarina, Ezreal, Sona
Really it came down to team picks - Katarina couldn't get off her damage combo against Cho'gath, and Kog'Maw didn't have to get anywhere near the fight to be effective. And, I believe I've said before, Meat Playground is a very end-game-heavy team.
Meat Playground vs Team MRN, Game 2
---MP bans: Jarven, Riven, Anivia---MRN bans: Kha'Zix, Malphite, Evelynn---
MP: Cho’gath, Amumu, Katarina, Kog’Maw, Nunu
MRN: Olaf, Shen, Ahri, Urgot, Taric
Maybe MRN realized that part about late game strategy for MP. They set up a mid-game team, and played lane farm with a compliant MP until nearly the twenty minute mark. Even though they were down 6-1 in kills, they simply started pushing towers and winning team fights.
Meat Playground vs Team MRN, Game 3
---MP bans: Jarven, Riven, Anivia---MRN bans: Kha'Zix, Malphite, Evelynn---
MP: Shen, Cho’gath, Vlad, Vayne, Nunu
MRN: Olaf, Nocturne, Ahri, Urgot, Taric
Whew, the Cho'gath gets caught out at 45 seconds! And things start landsliding in MRN's favor, but it's an elimination game, so despite being way behind in kills, MP gives them a seriously hard time of it in every fight. Team fights are almost constantly in effect, everyone is raring to fight at all times.
Dirtnap Gaming vs Team MRN, Game 1
---DNG bans: Jarven, Malphite, Anivia---MRN bans: Kha'Zix, Jayce, Evelynn---
DNG: Shen, Lee Sin, Karthus, Ezreal, Lulu
MRN: Olaf, Nocturne, Ahri, Urgot, Taric
DNG was ruthless early on, invading to MRN's wraiths and killing ClakeyDeeee before he realized they were there, then killing him twice more before he was even level 6. They abused Karthus/Shen to appear out of the jungle with tons of people and damage. MRN figured out how to turn it around, and the repeated their mid-game-crush-team comp.
Dirtnap Gaming vs Team MRN, Game 2
---DNG bans: Urgot, Malphite, Anivia---MRN bans: Kha'Zix, Jayce, Evelynn---
DNG: Riven, Cho'gath, Kassadin, Graves, Lulu
MRN: Olaf, Jarvan, Ahri, Ezreal, Sona
If DNG had reviewed their notes on the weekend tournament like I did, they'd have known that Kassadin had a 0% win rate for the entire tournament, and would not have put their eggs in that basket in their elimination game.
Results:
Team MRN is the only survivor from the online qualifiers to join the other newly salaried professional players that will play every week. The eight teams will be:
CLG, TSM, Dignitas, Curse, The Brunch Club, Team MRN, Good Game University, Team Fear
