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After a set of high-quality matches, AHQ Korea and Incredible Miracle follow MVP Blue and KT A out of OGN Spring. Tomorrow marks the end of the group stage.
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MVP Ozone vs SK Telecom #2
GAME ONE
Already having secured their first place in Group A, this match was of no importance to SKT and so apparently they didn’t mind giving MVP Ozone to become the second team in the league to ever take a game off them after NaJin Sword.
For MVP, however, this match meant a bit more since placing higher than NaJin Sword was on the line and Homme and his crew gladly accepted this “present”. Three early kills were secured for Imp before the laning phase was over and as SKT continuously underestimated the power of teleport Ryze and Shen’s Stand United, even more kill went to MVP’s Varus.
By the 23rd minute, Imp was at the scary 5/1/1 with the rest of the kills residing with Dade’s Ryze. Though SKT were able to oppose MVP here and there, the Ozoners were in a comfortable lead. Baron was taken at the 28th minute without any resistance and three minutes later, MVP were able to find Impact by himself, pick him off, clear an inhibitor and another one shortly thereafter and kill SKT’s nexus for 1-0.
MVP find Impact and initiate a fight that would decide the final outcome
GAME TWO
Clearly not caring about their previous loss, SKT entered game two with the very same intention – to just have fun. Apparently, picking Syndra for Faker and putting ManDu on Ezreal was not enough of a roller coaster and SKT also had to lock in a double-jungle composition with Lee Sin and Elise. Against them stood a no less peculiar composition as MVP took Udyr for DanDy and support Anivia for Mata.
At that point, every person watching knew this would not be a regular game by any means and the end of the laning phase by the 5th minute was a strong indication. A huge top lane fight broke out around that time and MVP came ahead 3-1, securing a flying start into the match-up for themselves.
The first instances of action come shortly after game's start
The game turned ugly for SKT very fast. Before the 10th minute mark, DanDy’s Udyr was at 4/1/5 while Dade’s Diana had amassed an equally impressive KDA of 4/1/3. MVP’s bottom lane was also prospering now that Homme was left 1v1 against a very helpless Mandu. Over at the top lane, Imp was also unkillable and even during 2v1 ganks was he able to get out alive and with a kill on top of that, displaying a crisp and flawless Tristana play.
The show – and it was just that, a show, since both teams were obviously playing for everyone’s entertainment much more than for standings – continued for about ten more minutes. Fights kept happening, Mata kept peeling people off and MVP Ozone as a whole kept beating SKT so hard they had to answer audience’s cheer and surrender at 20
AHQ Korea vs Incredible Miracle
GAME ONE
Just like the MVP Blue/KT A match-up from yesterday, the one between AHQ and Incredible Miracle was fought at the very bottom of the table. A long series of draws in the group had put AHQ at 0-3-1 and IM at 0-2-2 where a win for either of one would mean making the playoffs while a draw would send them packing.
Knowing the high stakes, AHQ took control of game one right from the start. A clever ward by IM’s blue allowed Trace’s Rengar to get first blood and hamper Lilac’s early game jungle, giving a tasty early boost to AHQ. A minute later, Lilac died again upon encountering ActScene’s Jarvan on both and IM were officially in major trouble. A dive on top lane at the 5th minute mark started the black series for Smeb as well (and continued the one of Lilac) and AHQ sprinted marginally ahead of their enemies.
Over the next 15 minutes, AHQ showed the audience why TF is banned in Korea as Hoon was everywhere, getting involved in every gank and every objective kill and packed a 4/0/2 by the mid game. The merciless bashing onto IM continued and baron was secured by the 24th minute, giving even more gold and power to AHQ. Before half an hour had passed, Hoon’s team was so ahead that the only reason it took them so much time to finish the game was their decision to split push all lanes and kill the three inhibitors at the same time.
AHQ's desire to play it safe leads to three dead inhibitors
GAME TWO
Knowing they are just one game away from playoffs, AHQ switched around their playstyle and employed a low-kill, objective pushing strategy and by the 7th minute they had take three towers down, were always walking in a bundle and were pushing towards the second mid tower.
Being packed in one place had one distinct disadvantage, however - it gave IM the chance to engage team fights and utilize their "diving for the carry" composition of Irelia, Zac and Zed. A 5v5 broke out at the 11th minute just south of the purple mid tower and IM turned the game around completely, putting the score to 6-2 and securing a 2K gold advantage.
A few minutes later, IM stumbled upon an even better team fight at dragon pit. After the dust had settled, nine people were laying dead and amidst them the only survivor - Paragon's Kog`Maw enjoying an unofficial penta kill.
While AHQ still founded in them to fight back IM to some extent, Paragon's play was pretty much their nail in the coffin. In the team fights that followed, Kog`Maw's positioning was pristine and his only job - shoot down people with Living Artillery - was done immaculately. After an acing final engagement at the 24th minute, Incredible Miracle forced a surrender and put AHQ's chances of advancing to questioning.
THE OUTCOME
That tie put AHQ Korea and Shield dead even in terms of score, both at 0-4-2. According to OGN's rule, the better team was to be decided by calculating the KDA per minute coefficient and even than the numbers were brutally close.
Yet, math was on Shield's side that day. With 0.0168 for Shield to 0.0163 for AHQ, the former advance to OGN's playoffs.
Tomorrow is the last day of group stage matches and it's going to be a battle for seedings. In Group A, Blaze play Sword for the 2-4th spot while in Group B, KT B meet CJ Frost for the leadership position.
