The Azubu Taipei Assassins seemed dominant from Game One, but strange picks and misplays gave AHQ two wins. TPA's bebe ultimately rallied to allow his team to take an explosive series.
The heat was on in GPL finals to prove which Taiwanese powerhouse deserved the title of Spring Champion. The pressure was greatest in the bottom lane. Both GarnetDevil and bebe have been turning heads all season with high KDAs and crisp play, and both strove to take out the other.
The bottom lane rivalry was at its peak in the first game. Both marksmen mains grabbed hyper carries, but DinTer's superior early game pressure got bebe's Twitch rolling. Then Achie's top lane Kha'Zix sought to search and destroy GarnetDevil at any available opportunity after getting himself well fed off Prydz's Shen. With so much damage coming out from the Azubu Taipei Assassins, the result of this match seemed like a foregone conclusion.
TPA raised eyebrows in Game Two with Achie playing Renekton mid and Morning playing Zac in the top lane. Despite questions, TPA took an early lead off a failed red invade by AHQ, and TPA's Twitch was given alone time with the bottom lane structures. AHQ managed to turn the game, however, off a poor decision by TPA to attempt Baron, resulting in a buff pickup and ace by AHQ. AHQ then failed to relinquish their lead until they took TPA's nexus.
GarnetDevil had his time to shine on an AD hyper carry by snatching bebe's Twitch from him. He found two early kills on a failed red buff invade, this time by TPA. This put him in good stead to farm in the lane swap during the initial phases of the game where Naz's deadly Pantheon snowballed his team further. Despite TPA's attempt at innovation with top lane Cho'gath, AHQ's snowballing jungler and devastating late game carries gave them superior control.
The fourth game was as packed with action as the first three. This time, TPA and AHQ broke even in early trades, but TPA took dragons, and AHQ took towers, forcing TPA into their base. Even two inhibitors behind, however, TPA once again had a late game scaling AD carry in their back pocket, and bebe's Kog'Maw shredded the opposition and their nexus to tie up the series in a sixty two minute game.
The last blind pick match posed the ultimate question of GPL—which Gragas is better: top or mid? Though Achie doesn't favor the Vietnamese bruiser Gragas, his AP top lane Gragas proved a worthy opponent, keeping up in farm against Prydz's Renekton and forcing him to rush Hexdrinker. Ultimately, however, both Gragas' remained fairly even, and it was bebe's Sivir that allowed the team to rally and rotate for objectives. TPA was On the Hunt to end the series.
The Azubu Taipei Assassins were crowned Champions of 2014 GPL Spring, and they'll represent Garena at the All-Stars Invitational.
