BOL Gold League Week Two Article

Demacia Division - Week One Game Summary

Conduit Esports Goblins versus Piltover Pokes: Conduit wins 2-1

Full credit to Piltover Pokes playing to their win condition in regards to Nikolai K’s Bel’Veth. A decisive victory and good mental rebound by Conduit Esports Goblins to secure the win. Although the result wasn't what Piltover Pokes expected, it shows they aren't pushovers and can easily take games off of a lot of good teams. Special shoutout to the botlane of Conduit Esports Goblins, as BaaMMM and beastieric123 were strong across the entire series.

Hyperion Gaming Heretics versus Team Shadowfrost: Hyperion Gaming Heretics wins 2-0

Hyperion was simply able to execute on their advantages either player-wise or composition-wise. Them forcing a common set of bans from Team Shadowfrost was surely beneficial. Team Shadowfrost held out as best as they probably could and full credit to THECOBER for minimizing mistakes while still being a force to be reckoned with. Special credit to TheFireOfTheFox1 as, when you’re one of the few players to reach double digit kills in multiple games while dying only twice, you’re clearly doing your job as a carry.

CB Shield versus CB Masquerade: CB Shield wins 2-0

In defense of CB Masquerade, each of them appeared to have a good game followed by one that was not so good. SG Vesuvius had a high Kill Participation throughout the series so, if anything was going good for Masquerade it was through this player. That being said, CB Shield was everything promised and more, wrapping up both games soon after the 25 minute mark. In both games, one side of the map got so far ahead that there was little Masquerade could do. Special Shoutout to INDUCED as he was only reduced to one death per match while laying down the law in botlane.

TE Genesis versus RCG Abyssal Nightmare: RCG Abyssal Nightmare wins 2-0

If there was one series that I felt would upset the balance of the division, it would have been this one and it turned out to be true. RCG Abyssal Nightmare was able to have the same botlane of Xayah and Seraphine both games and, though TE Genesis altered their botlane (As well as who was farming as they had a fasting Senna game), the adaptations were simply not enough. Both teams played a series with relatively low kills over two games that went beyond thirty minutes, so a few big plays were magnified over the course of the series. Special credit to RCG Abyssal Nightmare’s botlane for, as previously stated, Sunbird’s Xayah and Kitsune’s Seraphine were major factors in both of their victories. Teams may need to take notice of that.

Demacia Division Power Rankings

1. CB Shield - No surprise, no shock, just consistent and top-tier Gold gameplay.

2. Conduit Esports Goblins - Stays safely in number two as a singular game loss shouldn’t upset things too much.

3. Hyperion Gaming Heretics - Hyperion climbs up one spot due to their decisive win.

4. RCG Abyssal Nightmare - Consistent and strong game play in both games with no overt weaknesses. Excellent drafts by this team as well.

5. TE Genesis - TE Genesis doesn’t drop quite so much on paper but I do think there’s more questions that will have to be answered with possibly more after this week.

6. Piltover Pokes - Piltover Pokes climbs up a few spots for threatening and pushing Conduit Goblins to a third game. Nikolai K and Company could make some noise in the Division before all is said and done.

7. CB Masquerade - I’m not bumping Masquerade down any further than this when they faced one of the teams I feel could win it all. It’s not a fair assessment of them.

8. TSF Retribution - See above. I do not think that TSF had the weakest showing in Week One and they won’t be down here for long, in my eyes. Potential for a big bounceback week.

Demacia Division Week Two Predictions

CB Shield 2 - 0 TE Genesis

TSF Retribution 2-1 CB Masquerade

Conduit Esports Goblins 2-1 Hyperion Gaming Heretics

RCG Abyssal Nightmare 2-1 Piltover Pokes

Series to Watch:

Conduit Esports Goblins versus Hyperion Gaming Heretics: This series will undoubtedly affect the Power Rankings for multiple weeks to follow for two teams with genuine playoff ambitions. Hyperion Gaming Heretics comes in on a strong note whereas the Goblins struggled during one of their games. Both teams are filled with veterans and I fully expect the repercussions of this match to echo for a long time.

Ionia Division - Week One Game Summary

Mythical Esports Hydra versus Mystic Cats Gold - Mythical Esports Hydra wins 2-1.

I think both teams made some bold statements in this series which may have been the best series in this Division in Week One. Mollywhops was a player who had a strong and consistent series and was pivotal in the ultimate result in the series and, on the other side, Coach Eggboi did quite spectacularly as well. Both midlaners ensured they were threats this series and that's a sign of excellent competition.. Special shoutout to iEnders, who utterly devastated Mystic Cats Gold in the games they won, going deathless in both. It’s clear opposing teams must account for them or suffer the consequences.

TE Eternity versus TE Phantasm - TE Phantasm wins 2-0.

Part of me is glad to see TE Phantasm show how strong they were and help sort out the power rankings in this division. This was a team I had felt I did not give enough credit to and they proved me wrong in my earlier assessment. Weakside Ornn had a fantastic series toplane and used their carry champions of Gwen and Gangplank to take control of the topside of the map. I do not want to punish TE Eternity as they lost two rather long games, one clocking in beyond forty minutes. Thus, while I say I predicted them to win, they merely just have to shake off the loss to their sister team and move on. Special shoutout to Grim Dafyre for two games on Ezreal where they did precisely what they needed to, given what was occurring on the other side of the map.

Literal Monkeys versus Degenerate Esports Eternal - Literal Monkeys wins 2-0.

First and foremost, multiple eSubs on the side of Degenerate Esports Eternal makes it difficult to assess this series on their end. DEG Bixus and Amorpheous both had good games during the series, showing that this team will be better in coming weeks and has win conditions in those two roles. They were merely overwhelmed due to a variety of factors by Literal Monkeys, who took advantage and executed their gameplan coming in. It’s just exceptionally difficult when so many of your bans are gone. The combination of Xayah and Rakan in the botlane for Literal Monkeys allowed Antion to roam wild with 19nakedcowboys, which surely was a pivotal factor in the series. Special shoutout to MIT Zoomer who was the straw that stirred the drink with two strong Amumu games.

Going Ghost versus Conduit Esports Spark - Going Ghost wins 2-0.

In a week where many teams made declarations in the division, Going Ghost surely made one of the loudest in a decimation of Conduit Esports Spark. While Old Man Genetics and JJH tried admirably to hold the fort down in one of the games, to not stress the advantages that Going Ghost had elsewhere would be selling them short. The top/jungle duo of Minibeast and Z0RK were able to have their way along the top side of the map. Respect must be paid to Going Ghost, including their botlane, who was able to secure Xayah and Rakan in both games of the series as well. Just a strong all around performance.

Ionia Division Power Rankings

1. Going Ghost - Came in firing on all cylinders in Week One and made sure that anyone who wants to challenge for top spot in the Division should have to go through them.

2. TE Phantasm - The fuse is lit and they look like a team fully poised to make noise and grab one of those coveted playoff spots in this division.

3. Conduit Esports Spark - Again, I do not feel it fair to punish a team early when they are facing an exceptional team coming in.

4. Literal Monkeys - Though they have, in my eyes, the furthest to potentially drop with a stumble in Week Two, they took care of business in Week One and did not leave themselves open to mistakes.

5. Mythical Esports Hydra - Strong showing, can they keep it up beyond this week? They could fly up the standings.

6. TE Eternity - A precipitous fall but such is the case when you’re one of the few teams to not secure one win in Week One. They’ll bounce back.

7. Mystic Cats Gold - A slight drop but not from lack of competition. They could have easily won this series and pushed Mythical Esports Hydra to the brink.

8. Degenerate Esports Eternal - Likely punished harshly for multiple eSubs here, they are better than what they showed in Week One and stability will take them far.

Ionia Division Week Two Predictions

Conduit Esports Spark 2 - 1 Degenerate Esports Eternal

Going Ghost 2-1 TE Phantasm

TE Eternity 2-1 Mystic Cats Gold

Mythical Esports Hydra 2-1 Literal Monkeys

Series to Watch:

Can I say all of them? Fine, I’ll pick one.

Literal Monkeys versus Mythical Esports Hydra: This matchup, in my eyes, will give one team a decisive inside track to the playoffs in this harsh division. Literal Monkeys looked really good in Week One but how much of that can be attributed to getting the exact picks they wanted as Degenerates had lost so many bans due to eSubs. Additionally, in the case of Mythical Esports Hydra, both teams were relatively unknown to me prior to the start of the season and so their power level was hard to analyze. One of these teams starting the season two and zero will put most of the division looking up at them as the undefeated teams face one another this week in Ionia.

Noxus Division - Week One Game Summary

Clown Gaming It versus Slurp Squad - Clown Gaming It wins 2-0: Will not discuss Slurp Squad versus Clown Gaming It series.

TDS Knights versus The Epidemic - TDS Knights wins 2-0: This series helped to send shockwaves throughout the Division as, not only did TDS Knights win, they won decisively in both games. The botlane of NotSoDark and Cease An Assist ran roughshod in Game Two and Swedish Pancakes was dominant in both of their games. Whether this is a comment on TDS Knights (I think they should be praised and their spot on the Power Rankings reflects that) or on The Epidemic simply not being as ready is hard to say. Perhaps I cursed SingularBread by pumping his tires too much. One poor week doesn’t define a season. Special credit goes out to Wimbels for being a substantial win condition in the series and only dying a single time on the combination of Fiora and Nasus. Impressive work!

!rawr versus TD Embrace - !rawr wins 2-1: Hey, another prediction I didn’t get correct! I’ll allow myself a bit of leeway as trying to discern what !rawr will do on a weekly basis is folly most times. I do not think this is a massive stumble by TD Embrace by any stretch of the imagination. Rendelman did great in two out of the three games and attempted to be a carry threat. Many players had at least one good game in the series and it went the distance, which makes for good content and discussion. Special credit to Moowy who had an exceptional series in every single game and looks to be one of the best midlaners in the Division if not the League.

DZG Arcadia versus TPO Goats - DZG Arcadia wins 2-1: Silentelementz shows up, dominates two of the three games, and then retreats to the bench. TPO Goats should be commended for taking the series to the maximum and they did show their capabilities as a team. Once more, the combination of Xayah and Rakan ran roughshod on a team in Week One in the Gold League as DefiniteLesbian and jaken punished TPO Goats in Game One. That being said, a strong team comp on red side by TPO Goats shows that they cannot be counted out. Special shoutout to DefiniteLesbian - anyone who can pick Draven in a gold League and execute it effectively deserves to be given credit.

Ionia Division Power Rankings

1. TDS Knights - Why not flip the Power Rankings substantially? TDS Knights had a fantastic week in every role and knocked off the Epidemic. They put the rest of the division on notice.

2. !rawr - The rollercoaster that is !rawr is on a high note here. Doki is likely preparing the spot where his Championship trophy will go.

3. TD Embrace - Unlucky first week most likely, hard to hit them too hard in the Power Rankings for a three game series. They are a good team and I expect a major bounceback in Week Two.

4. DZG Arcadia - Very much a team that is subject heavily to what goes on around the Division, could bounce around the Power Rankings a lot. Always like to see the Week One win, roster stability hopefully is coming.

5. The Epidemic - This team will shake it off but things definitely did not go their way in Week One.

6. Slurp Squad - Hard to assess beyond one week and multiple roster swaps. Giving them a mulligan as best as one can.

7. TPO Goats - Took DZG Arcadia the distance. They are still a threat, but their Game One performance likely bumped them down a bit. Still plenty of time to climb.

Ionia Division Week Two Predictions

Will not predict Clown Gaming It versus TD Embrace, Rescheduled Anyways.

!rawr 2-1 DZG Arcadia

The Epidemic 2-1 TPO Goats

TDS Knights 2-1 Slurp Squad.

Series to Watch:

TDS Knights versus Slurp Squad: While I have predicted each and every series to go the distance, this one will be the most revealing one this week. TDS Knights threw down the Gauntlet in Week One and Slurp Squad was largely predicted to be a strong team who did not secure a Week One win. Given the sheer volatile nature of this division, TDS Knights can put a firm hold on a playoff spot with a victory here and also be named among the better teams in the entire League. Slurp Squad will bounce back but starting the season 0-2 will be difficult given the uncertainty that surrounds Noxus here.

Freljord Division - Week One Summary

Conduit Esports Ghost versus Conduit Esports Sussers - Conduit Esports Ghost wins 2-1. In a fierce matchup between two strong Conduit teams, Conduit Esports Ghost was able to win in the third and decisive match. Ypsi was his usual consistent self after a brief warmup game and Greatribman came to control a lot of the series due to their strong play. The Sussers proved that they can surely hang and compete with any team in the League, let alone the Division, as Game One showed the vast carry potential of olenoname on their Viego. The botlane of Sussers also had an excellent series but just couldn’t push the team over the hump in the final game. IN short, a great series by both teams that showed what they are capable of. Surely one of the best series of the week.

CB Hydra versus CN Craw Daddies - CB Hydra wins 2-0: While CN Craw Daddies kept CB Hydra close in Game Two, CB Hydra was able to finish off the series relatively quickly. I would say they escaped unscathed and CN Craw Daddies showed they got some serious bite as well. Game One was the typical expected result with CB Hydra, showing their deep champion pool and talent. All in all, while an expected result, CN Craw Daddies did not lie down easily in the second game. Shoutout to 7 r u x for their typical strong supportive game play throughout the series that enabled the carries of CB Hydra to put in work.

TD Bootleg Ibiza versus now Titan Mnemosyne - TD Bootleg Ibiza wins 2-0 with a Game Two FF: You can say what you desire about the unfortunate situation with a Game Two forfeit but TD Bootleg Ibiza did what they needed to in order to secure a relatively comfortable Game One victory. All members did their part to create a situation that was unfavorable in all ways for Titan Mnemosyne. I expect them to bounce back in Week Two with a new name and a new way of doing stuff. We’ll see what they can do now.

Clinical versus Nameless Asylum - Clinical wins 2-0: There are two ways to look at this series in my eyes. Clinical undeniably did what they had to do and this is exactly how you want to start off your season. They kept their mistakes to a minimum and did not allow Nameless Asylum many chances to take advantage over the course of the series. If you are Nameless Asylum, unfortunately, the loss of I am Deo in Game One and the forced eSub plus roleswap made this a lost week for them. I don’t view this as any great mark against them as the circumstances are unfortunate and they will bounce back. Faulteh continues to be a CS monster in the botlane. Nameless Asylum should have a much better Week Two. Special shoutout to Fastbeyondlight who both survived and thrived against both midlaners sent against them this week, posting strong results on Ziggs and Swain.

Freljord Power Rankings

1. CB Hydra - Another typical 2-0 series result for CB Hydra as expected.

2. Conduit Esports Ghost - Taken to the edge by their sister team, finished them off.

3. TD Bootleg Ibiza - Only played one Game but took care of business. No change.

4. Conduit Esports Sussers - Impressive results with everything but the victory in Week One, loved their compete level.

5. Clinical - Bump them up! Hard to know how much different the series would have been with Nameless at full power, though.

6. CN Craw Daddies - Hard to get a good assessment on them when they faced CB Hydra in Week One. We’ll learn far more this week.

7. Nameless Asylum - Unfortunate circumstances in Week One, just gotta move past it. Hard to fault anyone on the team.

8. Titan Mnemosyne - Stability remains a question, they can’t climb too much until they prove that stability is the norm, not the exception. Not really their fault.

Ionia Division Week Two Predictions

CB Hydra 2-0 Clinical

Conduit Esports Sussers 2-0 Titan Mnemosyne

TD Bootleg Ibiza 2-1 CN Craw Daddies

Conduit Esports Ghost 2-0 Nameless Asylum

Series to Watch:

TD Bootleg Ibiza versus CN Craw Daddies: CN Craw Daddies gets out from behind the shadow of CB Hydra Week One to start proving what they are made of. While TD Bootleg Ibiza are no slouches themselves, this series could put the Craw Daddies behind the 8-ball with Conduit Esports Ghost and Sussers lurking. A win here would go a long way to toppling the emerging tiers in this Division. I expect a big week from this team, especially in the botlane matchup of Morpheus LDN versus Adishawn. TD Bootleg Ibiza also had only one game to prove themselves in Week One and will be eager to demonstrate that they handled most of the competition in this Division. Definitely one to circle on your calendars this coming week.

Overall Power Rankings

1. CB Shield - No change, likely most dominant Week One victory.

2. CB Hydra - Consistent top level play like always.

3. Going Ghost - This team deserves to have major focus on them in Ionia and League-wide.

4. Conduit Esports Ghost - Taken to the limit, answered the call. A powerhouse of a team.

5. TD Bootleg Ibiza - While they only played one game, they took care of business.

6. Conduit Esports Goblins - A little stumble, still strong team.

7. TDS Knights - Dismantling a team in Noxus so definitively deserves recognition.

8. Hyperion Gaming Heretics - A leap into the top ten, still looking to see whether they deserve to be higher.

9. TE Phantasm - Strong gameplay and beating another strong TE team means they deserve respect.

10. !rawr - They can’t be counted out and put a hurt on TD Embrace this week.

Honorable Mention: Conduit Esports Sussers - Lost Week One to a very good Conduit team.