Kerrigann’s Corner

Welcome to Week 3 of BOL Masters! This may drop at the same time as last week and I think we can all come together on this one and blame Lesser. As an apology, you can expect a nice surprise in the coming weeks from him! Let’s get into the recaps.

Shurima Conference

Lane Zero Dorado Rejects vs MESPA White

LZDR is coming off of a nice win over Akuma and they intend to continue make a statement as they face off against MESPA White. MESPA White did not have a great showing last week against Hextech Hackers, so the odds are stacked up against them.

We get into Game 1 and see pretty standard comps across the board. Unsurprisingly(yes even the Hazem scoreline), there was a stomp. Scooter got his signature Thresh and Prao got the Panth he got last week that was so instrumental in the Game 1 comeback against Akuma. Add in strong laning champs in Ezreal and Viktor from Verticality and Noah respectively, and it's easy to see what happened here. Once again, One Punch Zac was not allowed to get his champs and try as he may, he could not save his drowning laners.

If you expected MESPA White to get their act together, it was not going to be this week. They might have hired DanDy from HLE to draft for them, but they did not hire the players. 6ft3 Eboy changed his height to 2’10 this time, One Punch Zac got One Kill, and Night was put on Ziggs duty. A scaling comp looked good on paper, but the skirmishing power of LZDR spearheaded by the duo of Prao and Scooter turned that wincon into a losecon. Not much to say about this one, LZDR will be tested next week against Vertigo’s MINT, and the jungle matchup will be a sight to see.

MVP: Chicken Jockey.

Ember Phoenix vs DDG

Moving on to another matchup which was supposed to be a clean win, we got a movie! Ember Phoenix is looking to recover after an episode on the Vertigo Show, and DDG is trying to clean up their somewhat messy week 1 to assert their place in the upper echelon of the league. We see new solo laners on Ember Phoenix, with Flaming and LostinEkkos being replaced(at least for this week) with rref and Fourgiveness. On DDG’s side Voidstar is playing in BrannyFan’s place(NOOO DDGS MONTHLY BENCHING).

Game 1 was setting up to be a stomp. Ill-advised invades and smart skirmishing by the topside gave DDG a 3k gold lead at 14. It only got worse with the gold lead becoming 7k at 20. Neversaw was astrofed and her fellow laners were not far behind in economy. If you were interested in the other series, you are now alt tabbing.

Unfortunately, you would not see DDG snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. At 21 minutes, an Atakhan dance ensues. Kiwi on Thresh tries to zone with the threat of Ahri/Ziggs follow up damage. Ember Phoenix remember that the team who usually starts Atakhan will lose and that was Mulpix, on Galio, to flash on Kiwi and Evil Lobster’s Vi and pray to higher forces. His prayers were answered as Thresh was almost oneshot. Vi was forced to flash and attempts to re engage with her and Troy’s Ambessa ultimates, but by then the wombo combo starts to take shape. A Stranglethorn and Chain of Corruption meant for just Kiwi ended up catching Troy and Lobster. Neversaw and Voidstar try to throw their wallet at Ember Phoenix, but they have 3 dead teammates and are staring at a fully alive enemy team, 3 of which are pretty much unharmed. They manage to pick off the Yasuo, but by then EP grab the Atakhan and the roses that spawn for it. Voidstar tries to bite off more than they can chew and fall as well. Just like that the gold lead is cut to 4k.

Obviously this is NOWHERE near enough to think this game is even, as Neversaw’s 1k shutdown is still unclaimed, with all 25 pages of her Mejai’s Soulstealer intact. DDG try to push their lead but Mulpix on this Galio is just everywhere and it is the perfect champion to neuter the impact of the dual AP carries on DDG. Their first definite way to put this game to bed appears as Baron spawns. They begin setup, but somehow continue to neglect mid prio with a Ziggs comp. DDG just decided to rip it with the intention to turn, believing in their wallets. Unsuccessful dancing leads DDG to go over to Mountain Drake, 2/4 drakes in their inventory… and lose their tier 1 and 2 mid turrets in the process. Losing mid prio, EP just decide DDG is lost and rip Baron themselves. They were right as the Vi Ambessa combo goes in pretty much 2v5 thanks to successful zoning from the beefcakes that are Cho’Gath and Galio. Thankfully DDG still has fed solo laners and they slap them with wallets, keeping the gold lead around 5k.

Not much happens until baron’s next spawn where a seemingly huge pick on Zyra turns into a pick onto Vi, and Ziggs attempts to TP amidst the confusion to look for a backdoor. Varus answers and the EP frontline just prove to be too tanky and Ahri begins to look like the mosquito champion she is. Emboldened by the last 20 minutes of gameplay, EP just started up the next Baron. They take it right in front of DDG’s face, and DDG does not respond kindly to this as they take the lives of 3 EP members. They subsequently take Mountain Soul, and the TDM continues.

I will not dignify this mess of a game with diligent retelling, so I will skip to the next Baron which EP also takes, paying a huge price that includes Elder Dragon. You would think DDG win with Elder Drake right? Nope, the Elder buff might have been doing more damage than the DDG champions themselves. The next Baron is finally one that DDG takes, but it is concurrent with an Elder Drake kill by EP. DDG try one more backdoor attempt with DDG taking the obvious losing fight at drake pit, but rref on this Cho’Gath is just unmoveable. He shrugs off the harass from Ahri and Ziggs, almost oneshotting Ziggs in the process. TPs come in from EP and they clean up the trespassers. With EIGHTY SECOND LONG DEATH TIMERS, EP finally walks down mid and end this game.

Moving on to Game 2, Neversaw says ‘Give me Akali or we lose’, and DDG get the message. This was just an all-around stomp, every lane won and the gold lead ballooned all the way to 13k. DDG woke up and any hubris(no not the item) EP had after Game 1 instantly vanished.

Game 3 is here, and Majnuu finally woke up and remembered I called him the carry of this roster. He was incredibly active on the J4 in the early game, putting Troy on the Jayce behind early and coming mid at a key time when Lobster’s Xin Zhao and Neversaw’s Azir wanted to put Fourgiveness on Hwei behind. Though the gold lead is only 2k, it is 13 kills to 3 at 20 and you can see comfortable 1k gold leads around the map. DDG keep the gold lead close for most of the game, but they needed to scale and the straightforward wombo combo comp EP are rocking with prove too much for them. A Baron take at 26 minutes puts this game and this series to bed.

A disappointing showing for DDG, but some credit does have to go to EP. After the solo lane swaps, they look revitalized and winning a Game 1 with Majnuu starting 0/6 is a great sign. Obviously DDG were in the one universe where they throw that Game 1, but we saw great plays being made by everyone on EP to keep the game alive. One can wonder where DDG stands in the scope of this tough Shurima group. Most would assume LZDR, MINT, AKFD and DDG would lock up these 4 playoff spots, despite decent teams in Hextech Hackers also being in the group. With a loss to Ember Phoenix, I can safely theorize that if this was truly a fluke week from EP, they would end up being one of the only Shurima favorites to lose to them and this would be pretty detrimental to tiebreaker scenarios.

MVP: Rexs

Akuma Moowy’s Frosted Donuts vs Galaxy Gaming Vortex

Despite my guess that Loanrie and Andy were subbed out until AML’s conclusion, they actually played for w2 against Galaxy Gaming Vortex. Both teams coming off of a loss, a win for AKFD would show that they are still one to be feared and losing to LZDR is honestly not a bad thing considering the strength of that roster. On GGV’s side, if they can steal a series here after taking DDG to 3 games, it would make this group of death in Shurima even more contentious.

Unfortunately the verdict is still out on that one, as Game 1 was not close. 29 kills to 9, a 13.5k gold lead, and only a single objective was taken from GGV, being a dragon. Andy is following suit with his fellow offroling teammate Loanrie as we see a Swain bot with a Sion mid. Tonzo cleaned up his act from W1, and the Ritty/Failz duo continue to prove they are veteran forces in the 600 scene.

Game 2 looks more like a classic Akuma win. The kills will be even, or even in the favor of their enemy, but when you look at objectives/CS/gold, you know that their ability to play cross-map macro, bait teams into seemingly favorable fights and prioritize economy over neutrals by way of grubs over Drake(GGV even got soul this game) is a frankly frustrating skill that they will use whenever they can to win a game.

MVP: Not sure, but Loanrie ran my pockets in soloq so he got it

MINT Superior vs Hextech Hackers

The Vertigo Show continues this week, and the next episode is tilted “Cyberchase” as MINT takes on the Hextech Hackers. If you count fortnite throwing a dart at a poster of LoL champs and locking in Naafiri mid, nothing is out of the ordinary comp-wise. Luukillers tried his best on Viktor but the rest of the map lost too hard and Akira Hou’s Gwen ran the show. Props to Luukillers, I doubted him at the start of this season but he has been changing my mind on his place in HXH.

Game 2’s star was fortnite’s Pantheon, sporting 12 kills. Vertigo averaged almost 75% KP this series, it's really great to see he has 3 reliable lanes he can enable to carry if he is ever on supportive picks such as Maokai. MINT take an unsurprising win over HXH, with LZDR on their schedule for Monday. HXH on the other hand will have an answer on where they stand in relation to the top 4 groups with the struggling DDG up next.

MVP: Vertigo

Mount Targon Conference

Ember Wolves vs MESPA Master A

After a 2-0 win over Team Dizzy, Ember Wolves try to continue their success and lead their sister team by example. They face MESPA Master A, who is looking to bounce back after taking a beatdown from GEB.

In Game 1, they draft their “I hate the adc” combo of Nocturne Orianna, this time adding in a Kai’Sa and Shen if it wasn’t bad enough. I would hate to be a champion without 5 dashes in this game. MESPA opt to take a more traditional front to back, topped off with a Seraphine. This mid jungle duo of Paradox and PVE wertion has been pretty strong this split so far, interested to see them against some of the stronger duos in the league. Unfortunately we probably won’t get that until playoffs as they are mostly locked behind the Shurima group. Just like what happened to Team Dizzy, atrocities were committed. Wertion dropped 14 kills with more than 1k damage per minute on Nocturne.

Game 2 has a similar comp, with the Wolves taking up Viego Ahri to combat the mid jungle duo of Galio Pantheon on MESPA’s side. It did work, with The Last Nap’s Galio solo killing Paradox within 4 minutes. MESPA were fighting back and the early game looked way more contested. Janna would prove to be an annoying champ that can disrupt the engage of Ember Wolves, and on-hit Varus would have the DPS(and tankiness) to mow down the Ember frontline. Clean cross-map play and tower focus would give Ember Wolves the economy to roll over MESPA in the midgame. A quick 2-0 puts Ember Wolves at the top of this conference, and MESPA are thanking the group draw that they still have time to clean up their act in Mount Targon.

MVP:PVE Wertion

Gang 7 Mirage vs Glacial Esports Black

After a thriller of a series against Lane Zero Hurricane, G7M look to get their first win against GEB, who are riding high after a NSFW series against MESPA Master A. My eyes were on GEB to see if they were just a average team beating on a below-average team, or their week 1 was a precursor to what they intend to do to this split. I can admit I was wrong.

Game 1 had a 14k gold differential, 30 kills to 10 with 3 members having above 75% KP, and GEB somehow only getting a single tower despite getting 6 grubs. It looks like G7M were fully in control this game and GEB only got what they were given.

Game 2 showed GEB fighting back a little, at least in the kill department, but it just looks like G7M wanted to have a little fun. The gold lead is 10k this time around, but at least G7M got a rift herald with 4 grubs! Well, they still managed to get only one tower for their troubles while G7M locked up a dragon soul. The G7M mid and jungle look very dynamic and I think they will be the heart of this team with SteelCityWarrior and Alune as their main carries.

MVP: OpTic WaFFleS

USAE Black vs Team Dizzy

After a defeat at the hands of an Ember Wolves roster who is proving to be a real contender, Team Dizzy is shaking off the dust as they play USAE Black, who is also looking for their first match win. Game 1 was the setter show. Turns out when he isnt plagued by internet issues, he is a force to be reckoned with. Not to say the rest of Dizzy didn’t play well, there was a 6k gold lead at 14. With Kodiak on Viktor and RyanPaix on K’Sante, having a basically guaranteed ticket to the late game can only be a good thing. USAE Black weren’t down for the count, as they still had Jinx Milio and a Malzahar that will always be a threat if you neglect the QSS tax. But after losing early game, you can only expect a Zeri and Viktor to continue getting stronger. As soon as Baron spawned, Dizzy took the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin for Game 1. In Game 2, Kodiak is finally following the offroled mid bible and locked in a top laner, Cho’Gath. Nerfs be damned, all it takes is one Q and the mage that it is likely facing is always in trouble. Ryan absolutely styled on the Malphite counterpick, even making Malphite whiff a point blank ulti(lol). ReplayDK on Panth and twinkerbelle/SettsBabyGirl on Lucian/Yuumi also had their own share of gold, USAE botlane even winning the 2v2 and when Malphite and Syndra are your laners that are behind, you are feeling good about your chances to mount a comeback. Unfortunately one Atakhan fight where Maokai and Irelia got to combo their ultimates left Lucian being oneshot and Setter subsequently getting a triple. They use the Rift Herald(give HolyCarrot a DUI) to break open mid inhibitor and begin the end of this game. Dizzy baits USAE back into bot side for yet another fight with Atakhan as the prize, however Dizzy opt to just use their existing mid prio and end the series. While this game was a bit scrappy, Dizzy get a much needed win while USAE Black are facing the effects of the Army Curse in amateur LoL.

MVP: Alaskan Kodiak

Gravity Nebula vs Lane Zero Hurricane

In our streamed match of the week, we have GVN against LZH, two teams fresh off of W1 wins. LZH hope to continue LZ dominance in both conferences, while GVN are trying to change the narrative stemming from this last AML. Maybe it is time for me to stop thinking that LZH is not a clear top team in this conference, as I predicted a 2-1.

Game 1 had Krasia not only on a traditional ADC, but also winning lane??? This is classic LZH though, they are adverse to taking high-risk high-reward fights in the early game, while trusting in the scaling or the synergy of their comp. Once again, a Voracious Atakhan is just proof of how safe they play early. The first big fight is at 23 minutes where GVN take the drake after picking off Eclipse. GVN sensing blood in the water, starts with a catch on Bondy. Using both summs, Gandhi G on Naafiri and kittiemeowmeow on Swain get baited into a bad spot and die. LZH re-engage and grab the Atakhan. At this point the LZH comp is just too dynamic. There is too much damage for Swain and the lethality Naafiri to get stuff going, Sion and Rell is not helping in the damage department, and Xayah honestly doesn’t want to move forward with them. But in Xayah’s preferred scenarios, Gnar, Nocturne, Orianna and Rakan all can engage too quickly, and there is no amount of frontline that can protect you from that combo.

In Game 2, Lane Zero invoked the power of Hurricane Katrina and decided that maybe they don't need to go down so much in the early game to win. Arthur got his signature GP and absolutely rolled Eddie. Griffin and Bondy swapped champions last second and performed on Tristana and Ziggs respectively. Archer and Eclipse are maybe proving the Blizzard laners were the problem on the Skarner and Bard. The Hurricanes first big test will be against Team Dizzy, led by Setter with good internet. In a weaker Mount Targon conference, this is an important week to see where you could potentially stand in relation to the top 4 teams in Shurima that was outlined during pre-season. GVN don’t have to take this loss too hard, where as some teams can get hindered by the format, the format gives them extra time to scale and sneak into playoffs where as they would barely be a contender if the group draw went a different way.

Power Rankings

Shurima

LZDR

MINT

AKFD

HXH

EP

DDG

GGV

MESPAW

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Mount Targon

EW

LZH

DZY

G7M

GVN

GEB

USAE

MESPAA

Predictions

LZDR vs MINT - This will be an electric match and this should be streamed, but unfortunately LZDR got streamed w1. Prao and Vertigo look to be the top two junglers right now, Hazem/Noah vs Akira Hou/fortnite is also a fun matchup. Sorry Vert, I’m hoping Scooter runs around the map so fights will happen a LOT in the early game. 2-1 LZDR

AKFD vs MESPAW - As Lesser said, five Qastechs are looking pretty dangerous. Well Qastech did beat Akuma so technically my prediction is a hot take right? 2-0 AKFD\

DDG vs HXH - I am hoping DDG get their act together because we need a team to hate and honestly it's not fun when the villains are down on their luck. DDG 2-1

GGV vs EP - As a Majnuu glazer, I am now on the EP train and it will continue. Assuming the solo lane replacement was permanent I am predicting a 2-0 EP.

GEB vs GVN - GEB and GVN are both bottom tier teams that beat a similarly rated team and lost to a good team W2. Anything can happen but I trust GVN’s gameplan much more. 2-1 GVN

EW vs USAE - This team is looking like the top team in the Targonian conference and USAE still haven't found their footing. 2-0 EW

DZY vs LZH - As much as I keep underestimating LZH and look stupid as a result, Setter with good internet is a force and I think he will be the X-factor to take Dizzy past the Hurricane. 2-1 DZY

MESPAA vs G7M - 5 Qastechs vs 1 Qastech. 2-0 G7M