Misfits may have dispatched of Unicorns with ease, but G2 had a much harder time against Splyce this evening.
The first round of the EU LCS playoffs could hardly have featured two more different games. After a straightforward 3-0 for Misfits yesterday, G2 esports and Splyce battled to the bitter in a drawn-out, exhausting five game series.
The series may have been intense, but game one was far from pretty. Splyce took the lead early on, only to give it up, only to regain it again off the back off a six item Sivir. But it was Wunder’s Camille, helped by a Black Shield from Mikyx who shut down Zven’s Tristana over and over again, leading to a 1-0 lead for Splyce.
G2 begun game two on the front foot, going up three kills to one within five minutes. Perkz’ Leblanc was the main beneficiary, but Splyce kept things tight until a skirmish in the bottom lane opened up a 1300 gold lead 10 minutes in. G2 maintained a lead but conceded multiple kills while taking down the baron, keeping the game relatively even. Skirmish after skirmish went G2’s way from that point on, however. A second baron, this time uncontested, went their way and with a fed Caitlyn and Leblanc pushing into Splyce’s base, the series was soon tied.
It was Splyce that got the better of the opening exchanges in game three, but things slowed down after an early first blood. Splyce grew their gold lead by picking up three towers for zero, but the kills were few and far between. Things got messy a few minutes after the baron spawned. G2 grabbed a couple of kills, but traded them for another tower. Then Splyce caught G2 trying to start up the baron, forced them away, and took it for themselves, taking a definitive advantage. But G2 battled back as the next baron spawned, taking an ace as well as the buff itself. The three-time EU LCS champions held that aadvantage until the end of the game, putting them on match point.
After a slow start to the previous game, both sides were more active early in game four, grabbing a kill apiece in the opening 10 minutes.The kills kept on coming, but G2 were able to maintain until the first skirmish happened in the bottom lane. With an infernal drake in their back pocket, Splyce took the lead after a 3-0 fight. This time, Splyce were not willing to let G2 back in. Every fight went their way, and, though it took them 45 minutes, triple infernal drake made it even easier for them to force a deciding fifth game.
With everything on the line, you could forgive the teams for taking it slowly in game five. First blood took 19 minutes, with five towers already down. The odd tower kept Splyce ahead by the smallest of margins but the first team fight also went their way, opening up a 2k lead which soon grew to 3k after another skirmish. But G2 opened up onto the baron, baiting Splyce in and allowing Mithy’s Alistar to get the perfect flank. A huge team fight win and subsequent baron buff put G2 firmly in the driving seat. The see-saw battles continued, however, as Splyce won the next team fight and took a baron of their own, evening up the gold. There was yet another twist to come, of course, as G2 stole the elder drake from under their opponents noses and won themselves the following team fight. The third baron was the charm for G2, who, after 53 minutes, finally ended the gruelling encounter.
