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LPL Spring Semi-Finals Recap

After finishing first in their respective groups, RNG and QG were waiting for their opponents, WE and EDG, in the semifinals. Who would fall, with the finish in sight, and who would come out on top to meet in the LPL Spring Final?  

Royal Never Give Up vs. Team WE

Game 1

After a fairly quiet first ten minutes, RNG took a kill lead in the early game with a teleport from Li "xiaohu" Yuan-Hao into the top lane to gain First Blood before Jang "Looper" Hyeong-seok teleported into the bot lane for another kill. Zero was caught in the river trying to secure vision and gave up another kill, and although a fight at the dragon pit would lead to WE getting a kill RNG would dive the bot tower and get it right back.

Despite being down a dragon and a couple of kills, WE remained even in gold due to CS differentials in lane. However, the gold began to build in the favor of RNG, as Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong’s superior vision control allowed them to start racking up dragons. RNG extended their turret lead through smart rotations and some inaction from WE. The double teleport of RNG was also a factor as they were able to pressure the map early, gaining control and catching members of WE overextending.

Ke "957" Chang-Yu getting caught twice in the bot lane allowed RNG to get an inner turret and continue to control the map. With RNG securing the first three dragons, WE were ready for the fourth respawn and would take their first dragon kill, but WE allowed RNG to get the next dragon, trading it for the mid outer turret. A fight broke out in the top side river as both teams tried to get vision superiority over the baron. A hook onto Zero would start a fight that led to Su "xiye" Han-Wei getting picked off, allowing RNG to start the baron. WE stuck around and tried to contest but RNG would peel off the objective and clean up a team fight, acing WE and pushing up the mid lane to claim the victory.

Game 2

RNG took an early advantage again as WE fell behind in the lane swap and RNG were able to tower dive the inner bot turret to give First Blood over to Looper. Xiang "Condi" Ren-Jie also fell behind in the jungle with Liu "Mlxg" Shi-yu heavily out-farming him, nearly doubling his creep score. On LeBlanc, xiaohu was able to constantly pressure xiye’s Azir and nearly solo kill him, as xiye would escape an all-in with 4 health.

With RNG taking control of WE’s bot side jungle, they would rotate between mid and bot to apply pressure and allowing xiaohu to solo kill xiye under turret in mid and transition to take the first dragon. An overextension by RNG into WE’s top side jungle would lead to WE getting two kills for one. However, Jin "Mystic" Seong-jun would gave a kill right back by overextending for farm in the top lane, while xiaohu continued his domination of xiye in the mid lane as he took the mid the turret and proceeded to solo kill him again.

RNG went into the next dragon fight with a gold lead and crushed their opponents, getting four kills and the dragon with only one death. Shortly after, RNG another fight went their way in the top side river, letting them secure another turret. After taking a couple more objectives, a teleport flank from Looper in the mid lane gave RNG the ace and secured them the baron and a mid inhibitor turret. After regrouping, RNG used the baron buff to get two inhibitors and another teleport from Looper won them a fight in WE’s base. They closed the game out on the back of that team fight win.

Game 3

The early game was far more hectic, with both teams trading kills back and forth all over the map. With inverse lanes and the 2v2 happening in the top lane, Mystic and Yoon "Zero" Kyung-sup took an early advantage with a kill on Zhu "NaMei" Jia-Wen. Mystic built up a large CS lead and was quite strong early on, while Mlxg also found some form as he picked up many of the kills for RNG.

The game was very close with RNG holding a slight lead being a single turret up, but WE began to split push with their Trundle and Twisted Fate, allowing them to even up the gold and turret score. A skirmish in the bot lane led to both teams collapsing and a 5v5 breaking out, which saw WE come out on top, trading four for one in kills.

WE began sieging turrets with the baron buff in a 1-3-1 split push. RNG tried to engage with WE to defend their inner mid turret, but WE kited back all the dragon pit. This allowed WE to use their double teleport to flank and start a team fight. WE won the fight, leaving only Mlxg alive on RNG, and pushed in with their remaining members and claim their first game, keeping the series alive.

Game 4

The teams would enter the lane swap, and it looked like xiaohu was going to have another big game on LeBlanc. A gank from Mlxg in mid gave xiaohu first blood, and Mlxg killed 957 who was under-leveled in the top lane. A long skirmish that began at the Rift Hearld would end with both teams losing three members, but xiaohu picking up a double kill. Both junglers visited the bot lane and started a 3v3 with both duos, while the mid laners roamed down and joined with xiaohu dying after picking up a triple kill, but xiye getting the shutdown gold as the teams once again traded evenly.

RNG sieged the inner bot turret, adding to their gold lead, but were forced off of the next dragon by WE. After securing the dragon, WE pressured mid and some miscommunication from RNG allowed WE to push through and take two mid turrets. RNG had control of the dragon pit for the next dragon respawn but Condi would jump in and steal it on Nidalee, despite RNG having a Kalista to burst it down.

RNG answered with a siege on the mid turret and then a teleport gank onto xiye in the top lane, getting them a kill and baron control. RNG started baron, but peeled off and killed Zero. With two down on WE, RNG started baron again, only to have it stolen away by Condi. With the respawn on xiye and a teleport in, WE won the fight at baron and used it to push up through mid and close out the game, taking the series to a game five.

Game 5

After a couple of shaky games, NaMei was subbed out and Wang "wuxx" Cheng was inserted for the final game of the series. Mlxg was very proactive in the early game with multiple successful ganks netting RNG the first four kills. RNG would catch xiye overextending in the bot lane with a teleport from xiaohu and get another kill, but WE got one back though as xiaohu was caught out himself with a brush gank from Condi in the top lane.

RNG dominated the neutral objectives taking two dragons and a Rift Herald in addition to the top turret, extending their lead. The teams traded kills on opposite sides of the map, but RNG came out ahead securing another turret and dragon. They continued to pressure, securing the mid turret and winning a fight at the next dragon contest, allowing them to take the objective as well. With RNG on four dragons, WE were forced into a fight at the fifth dragon.

RNG would take the dragon and get the buff, but only trade even in the resulting team fight as 957 was able to remove wuxx with his Poppy ultimate, removing a lot of the damage on RNG. RNG set up for the baron and picked off two members of WE in their own jungle, allowing them to take the baron uncontested. They cleaned up all remaining outer turrets with the baron buff and put themselves in a good position for another dragon take. Again, forced to fight, WE tried to contest the dragon but RNG would take it and proceed to clean ace WE, allowing them to end the game and the series.

SERIES WINNERS: ROYAL NEVER GIVE UP (3-2)

 

Qiao Gu Reapers vs. EDward Gaming   

The second semifinal was destined to never take place as the Qiao Gu Reapers forfeited their match against EDward Gaming due to not being able to field a complete roster. It was reported that QG were not able to field any of their four mid laners. There had been some controversy around the relationship of QG’s former starting mid, Kim "Doinb" Taesang, and starting jungler, Baek "Swift" Dae-Hoon.

Bae "dade" Eojin had rejoined the team for the LPL playoffs but his roster status was under deliberation so he was ineligible to play. QG’s substitute mid, Huang "Mortred" Zikun, had suffered a hand injury and could not play, and the second sub, Kim "BoriSal" Yeonghoon, could not arrive to the arena on time to start. With no mid laners eligible, QG was forced to forfeit the match, putting EDG through to finals.

SERIES WINNERS: EDWARD GAMING (FF)

 

-Reported by Kelsey Moser at thescoreesports.com   

-images from LoL Esports and LoLeventVoDs 

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