LEC Spring Finals: Roundup – League of Legends

The remaining four teams in the LEC clashed heads last weekend in best-of-five series to determine who would be crowned champion of the Spring Split. Much action, back and forth series and some pentakills later, MAD Lions lifted the Spring Shield after a hard-fought run through the bracket, and will advance to MSI as the first seed of the LEC.

Day 1 – Quarterfinals

G2 v MAD G1 (G2 win)

G2: Kennen; Viego; Aurelion Sol; Jinx; Dorsen
MAD: Gragas; Lee Sin; Lissandra; Xayah; Rakan

In the laning phase, MAD consistently targeted Caps, but BrokenBlade and Yike pulled G2’s top forwards in exchange to keep the game even. Skirmishes and control of goals were fairly even for both teams in the mid-game, but in the late game, the extreme AOE damage output from G2’s comp and Hans Sama’s scaling on Jinx allowed G2 to take the win.

G2 v MAD G2 (MAD win)

MAD: Kennen; Lee Sin; Gragas; Xayah; Rakan
G2: Akshan; Maokai; Cassiopeia; Jinx; Tahm Kench

A very bloody early game for MAD with Elyoya regularly finding successful ganks. Hans Sama finds three early kills in response to pull G2 back into the game, but is killed solo by Carzzy towards the end of the laning phase, allowing MAD to recover their lead with a Rift Herald play. MAD are able to snowball through the middle game and beyond for a reasonably clean game.

G2 v MAD G3 (MAD win)

G2: Darius; Bel’Veth; Annie; Zeri; Lulu
MAD: Jayce; Sejuani; Gragas; Jinx; Blitzcrank

Yike takes the early game by storm, pairing primarily with BrokenBlade, but roaming the map and creating a bloody laning phase. MAD groups up early in the middle of the game and is able to claw the game back like a death ball, setting up vision and objectives extremely well, using this pressure to close out the game dominantly and quickly.

G2 v MAD G4 (G2 win)

G2: Knowing; Maokai; Nocturne; Lucian; Nami
MAD: Graga’s; Wukong; Ahri; Jinx; Rell

A calmer early game than others in the series, with G2 playing more methodically as a unit and pushing goals rather than chasing picks. Hans Sama looks great on Lucian despite the nerfs to the lane duo, and Yike is everywhere he needs to be, building a huge lead. Any goal MAD find in the mid-late game is traded back by G2 due to good macro play. MAD are punished for consistently bad solo roams and G2 close nicely.

G2 v MAD G5 (MAD win)

MAD: Kennen; Wukong; Graga’s; Ezreal; Pyke
G2: Jayce; Jarvan IV; Cassiopeia; Jinx; Nautilus

Both teams 5v5 in the bot lane at level one and G2 run away with first blood, but MAD quickly answers back with a gank to BrokenBlade. G2 funnels resources to Hans Sama, while Hylissang is unlocked around the map for MAD in the middle of the game. In teamfights, Pyke seems to be an impactful choice. However, Carzzy manages to find leads and stay ahead of hans Sama. Entering the late game, MAD looks stronger than G2, with small leads everywhere but mid. MAD forces a fight around Baron, baits G2 and closes out the series.

Day 2 – Semifinals

VIT v MAD G1 (MAD win)

VIT: K’Sante; Maokai; Cassiopeia; Lucian; Nami
MAD: Gwen; Vi; Ahri; Xayah; Nautilus

Nisqy gets accelerated in the laning phase as MAD plays around the middle with their diving-heavy comp. MAD ace VIT in a battle around herald, gets a lot of push pressure and leads everywhere in the mid-late game. MAD stacks dragons, plays well around goals and secures the Hextech soul, giving them the pressure needed to put VIT under. A very quick and clean finish for MAD.

VIT v MAD G2 (VIT win)

VIT: Rumble; Maokai; Tristana; Aphelios; Nautilus
MAD: Jayce; Sejuani; Sylas; Jinx; Renata Glasc

A counter gank top ends in a 1-for-1 trade in the early laning phase, but otherwise things are slow. In the middle game, VIT is the stronger side, with Perkz getting a big lead. VIT takes a great fight around Dragon and Perkz’s lead continues to grow. Elyoya is an outlier for MAD in a tough game, but VIT has big leads everywhere else in the late game with an extremely tough comp. VIT avenges their loss dominantly and quickly.

VIT v MAD G3 (MAD win)

MAD: K’Sante; Lee Sin; Lissandra; Xayah; Nautilus
VIT: Know; Vi; Syndra; Aphelios; Tahm Kench

MAD play heavily around the mid lane and Elyoya manages to successfully find Perkz several times due to syndra’s low mobility. In the middle of the game, VIT begins to cluster to counter MAD’s small gold lead and find some success. In late game skirmishes, VIT looks stronger, but MAD are more proactive with vision control and objectives, and are eventually able to run VIT over the map.

VIT v MAD G4 (MAD win)

VIT: Rumble; Maokai; Tristana; Aphelios; Tahm Kench
MAD: Kench; Vi; Twisted Fate; Xayah; Threshing

A quieter early game in the laning phase, and initially Perkz and Upset look strong in team fights and VIT seems to be the more cohesive unit. Once Nisqy is unlocked around the map in skirmishes MAD come together and back into the game. A huge Chasy ult around Baron is disastrous for VIT and catapults MAD into the lead. VIT cannot withstand the Baron push and are eliminated.

Day 3 – Finals

BDS v MAD G1 (BDS win)

BDS: Sion; Vi; Cassiopeia; Zeri; Lulu
MAD: K’Sante; Wukong; Ahri; Xayah; Blitzcrank

Lots of jungle play in the early match from both teams. In a team fight around the second Dragon, BDS finds four kills for two and steals the Dragon. Crownie gets a double kill on Zeri and starts snowballing in the middle game. MAD proactively catches BDS in their own jungle and finds four kills. BDS finds two kills back in a 4v3 summit in response. BDS’ comp scales a lot better in late team fights in the game, and after taking Baron BDS siege, Crownie secures a pentakill to win the game.

BDS v MAD G2 (BDS win)

MAD: Jayce; Vi; Zoe; Ezreal; Annie
BDS: Malfiet; Maokai; Cassiopeia; Jinx; Renata Glasc

In the early laning phase, MAD are able to outpace their lane opponents with poke and quickly find a kill in both the bot and top lane. BDS secures the first Dragon but MAD takes on them, with BDS turning and securing four kills for two. Crownie and nuc look very strong in mid-game, and in full team fights BDS’chain CC is able to take out MAD when they group and don’t utilize their poke. In the late game, Crownie and nuc’s DPS melt MAD because of their lack of a good front line.

BDS v MAD G3 (MAD win)

MAD: K’Sante; Vi; Ahri; Jinx; Dorsen
BDS: Malfiet; Wukong; Syndra; Zeri; Lulu

BDS manages to pick up first blood for Crownie with a good gank. In the mid-late game, Nisqy is unlocked, wanders with Elyoya and finds picks on the map. In the mid-late game, Chasy has a huge advantage, and MAD are able to use this to consistently win team battles. As MAD pushes down the middle lane, Carzzy finds a pentakill in exchange to win the game.

BDS v MAD G4 (MAD win)

BDS: K’Sante; Vi; Cassiopeia; Aphelios; Threshing
MAD: Jayce; Sejuani; Gragas; Xayah; Pyke

MAD completely outplayed BDS in early skirmishes and quickly picked up four kills in the laning phase, including three for Chasy. In the early mid-game, MAD already has a significant lead in almost every role, with Chasy wandering around and killing most of the BDS members he encounters. MAD secure Baron and their push is too much for BDS because of the gold difference, making for an extremely fast game.

BDS v MAD G5 (MAD win)

BDS: K’Sante; Wukong; Syndra; Jinx; Dorsen
MAD: Gwen; Vi; Graga’s; Ezreal; Annie

Same game plan as game four of MAD, as they make a lot of early wandering and picks, with Chasy scaling and uncontrolled around the map. In the middle game, MAD has leads in every role, most significantly. MAD secure Baron uncontested because of their golden lead, pushing with the buff. They win the championship with absolute dominance, denying BDS even one kill the entire game.