RNG On Edge: LPL Week 10 First-Half Recap
We are halfway through the final week of the LPL Spring Split and we have a much clearer view of how the playoff bracket will unfold. Multiple teams qualified throughout the first few days including Top Esports, Oh My God, and ThunderTalk Gaming. Let’s dive into the two most impactful matches of the last few days.
Photo courtesy of @NIP电子竞技俱乐部 on Weibo
NINJAS IN PYJAMAS vs. ROYAL NEVER GIVE UP (2-0)
As you can see, I did not mention RNG in the opening paragraph. Because of this detrimental loss to NiP, they are still in a heated battle to qualify for the playoffs. Fighting against World Elite, Invictus Gaming, and Rare Atom for the final spot.
GAME 1:
NiP’s new jungler Shad0w had a firm grip on the early game, getting multiple ganks off as Vi and even stealing the second Rift Herald with a gorgeous smite. He really made RNG’s Wei look like the inferior jungler. After picking off NiP’s support Zhuo, RNG forced a Baron and successfully gated the Vi from being able to attempt another steal. The game came down to an Elder fight where NiP managed to pick off the enemy jungler, secure the objective, and end the game.
GAME 2:
Zhuo redeemed his mistakes from the prior game by locking in Soraka and placing some great silences onto the carries of RNG. The game slowly moved towards NiP’s favor and RNG made a desperate Baron attempt at 29:00 which offered Shad0w another opportunity to prove his worth. He out-smited Wei and NiP proceeded to destroy the nexus with their Baron buff.
Photo courtesy of @滔搏电子竞技俱乐部 on Weibo
OH MY GOD vs. TOP ESPORTS (2-1)
Both teams locked in their playoff spots during this match due to their individual game score being out of reach for the teams below them.
GAME 1:
The Jax versus K’Sante matchup has been a staple of this Spring Split, but TES’s top laner Qingtian didn’t seem to have a good grasp on it. OMG’s Shanji had a stellar performance on the K’Sante side of the matchup, finishing with a 7/2/9 scoreline while completely controlling the teamfights. Rookie didn’t have a lot of impact on his Galio pick and surely considered this heading into the second game.
GAME 2:
TES’s jungler Tian pulled out a post-nerf Maokai with a rather interesting build. A utility focused Moonstone Renewer build that had a massive impact early because of its cheap cost. Rookie took the game from there with his LeBlanc, punished the squishy OMG members, and ended the game with a 6/0/9 scoreline.
GAME 3:
TES broke open the game early. At 17:00 they were hitting OMG’s inhibitor turret alongside their Rift Herald and it seemed like the game was completely over. But TES made a strange decision to force an unnecessary Baron and OMG’s Shanji took advantage of this mistake. His Kennen evened up the game with a massive Slicing Maelstrom. Less than five minutes later, TES flipped Baron once again. This time bunching up inside the Baron pit, and giving Kennen an even easier engage. OMG went from a 4K gold deficit to a 7K gold lead in two teamfights. Ending the game at 30:00 after two puzzling macro decisions from TES.
Image Sources: Riot Games / LoL Esports