LEC Winter Season: Groups Week 2 Results and Roundup – League of Legends

It’s week five, the penultimate week of the LEC’s Winter Split already, and with it begins the best-of-five series. There were a few upsets, some unusual picks and, as always, lots of action this week, so let’s review.

Day 1:

SK v. TH

Game 1 (SK win)
SK: Knoes; Sejuani; Sylas; Zeri; Lulu
TH: Jax; Graves; Azir; Lucian; Nami

A very quiet early laning phase in favor of TH, TH bot lane overextends, gets caught and SK gets Baron. SK blew the match open in a midteam battle for the win.

Game 2 (SK win)
TH: K’Sante; Kindred; Azir; Lucian; Nami
SK: Knoes; Vi; Taliyah; Zeri; Lulu

Jankos forces SK’s bot into a predicament with an early gank, but Irrelevant neutralizes TH’s lead at the top. SK consistently finds good choices to claw itself back into the game, get Baron and take advantage of the extra pressure.

AST against BDS

Game 1 (BDS win)
BDS: Olaf; Elise; Kassadin; Ezreal; Karma
AST: Sion; Sejuani; Sylas; Caitlyn; Lux

A pretty bloody early game in favor of BDS, accelerating now. AST struggled to contain Olaf and Kassadin in team fights and was worn out.

Game 2 (AST win)
AST: Knoes; Maokai; Marleen; Varus; Ashe
BDS: Renekton; Wukong; Kassadin; Ezreal; Karma

Another bloody laning phase, BDS winning top, AST winning bot. AST played the middle game much better and BDS was stabbed to death before the fighting even started.

Game 3 (AST win)
BDS: Olaf; Wukong; Azir; Ezreal; Karma
AST: Kled; Sejuani; Akali; Varus; Nautilus

113 is everywhere early and AST rolls BDS into every lane but mid. BDS can’t keep up and it’s a clean finish for AST.

Day 2:

SK v. VIT

Game 1 (SK win)
VIT: Gangplank; Elise; Sylas; Varus; Alistair
SK: Jax; Maokai; Cassiopeiea; Zeri; Lulu

VIT found some good early picks, but scaling was the name of the game, and in later teamfights SK was able to take down VIT despite each fight being close.

Game 2
VIT: K’Sante; Karthus; Tristana; Zeri; Leona
SK: Jax; Vi; Ahri; Draven; Rakan

A slow and controlled early phase put SK’s laners ahead. VIT needed more than 20 minutes to find a single kill and conceded goals to SK, who deftly shut the game down.

MAD v. AST

Game 1 (MAD win)
MAD: Knoes; Maokai; Jayce; Varus; Nautilus
AST: Gangway; Vi; Ahri; Lucian; Nami

MAD had so much CC, and despite an even landing phase, team fights are hard work for AST. MAD play better for goals and push their pressure relentlessly.

Game 2 (MAD win)
AST: Gwen; Trundle; Sylas; Lucian; Nami
MAD: Fiora; Vi; Zoe; Varus; Nautilus

A level one 5v5 leads to two kills for MAD. MAD wins in aggressive exchanges, though sometimes overplayed. MAD plays teamfights better and closes out the series.

Day 3:

G2 versus KOI

Game 1 (G2 win)
G2: Gragas; Maokai; Jaye; Miss Fortune; Nautilus
KOI: Knoes; Sejuani; Marleen; Lucian; Nami

KOI found good early picks, but G2 stabilized toward the end of the laning phase. Hans Sama and Yike accelerated and got away with the game.

Game 2 (G2 win)
KOI: K’Sante; Elise; Jayce; Lucian; Nami
G2: Olaf; Bel’Veth; Sejuani; Varus; Heimerdinger

A very chaotic early skirmish put KOI ahead, but they failed to capitalize. G2 hit back hard and found advantages everywhere. Yike is monstrous and G2 presses well for the win.

Game 3 (KOI win)
KOI: Knoes; Sejuani; Azir; Sivir; Heimerdinger
G2: Olaf; Lillia; Tristana; Kalista; Nautilus

KOI became the aggressors, with Malrang doing a lot of work around the map. G2 struggled to really get a grip and KOI took the match convincingly, with a pentakill for Comp as icing on the cake.

Game 4 (G2 win)
G2: Olaf; Maokai; Tristana; Sivir; Karma
KOI: Knoes; Vi; Ahri; Varus; Kalista

An extremely even and bloody landing phase, with topside in favor of G2 and flounder for KOI. G2 played better for goals and BrokenBlade was unstoppable on Olaf, allowing G2 to run KOI down.

This leaves only four teams vying for the title of Winter Season champion. We will know who took this title next weekend, when the final three games of the split take place and see MAD Lions versus SK Gaming, before the winner of this game has to go through KOI for a chance in the finals against the dominant G2 Esports.