After Group A when almost exactly as most people predicted - with the possible exception of SK finishing last - it was up to Group B to surprise us. It wasn't to be, though, as Najin Sword topped the group with a perfect record. CLG EU picked up second place, while Saigon Jokers managed to avoid finishing last thanks to a win over a Dignitas team who looked out of their depth.
The opening game saw CLG cruise past Dignitas after a fairly close and rather weird opening. Taric (Patoy) went roaming with Shyvana (Dominate) early on, but it largely backfired, putting Dignitas behind in experience and farm. Once CLG pulled ahead they snowballed the game perfectly, never letting Dignitas back into the game. Next up, NaJin Sword destroyed Saigon Jokers, forcing a pre-25 minute surrender. Maknoon on Jayce didn't die all game until he went into the nexus turrets by himself - probably trolling. It was one of the most one-sided games of the group stage - a statement of intent from Sword.
Sword weren't done there, though. They went on to face CLG and utterly obliterated them. The game lasted a bit longer, but a gold gap of 20,000 showed the Korean team's dominance. That trend of one-sided games continued into the next one, with Saigon Jokers easily toppling Dignitas. After a good start for the Vietnamese team they kept their advantage, ending the game with a 15k advantage.
With Sword looking unstoppable, CLG vs Jokers became the most important game of the group. It showed: the first 20 minutes were very tentative, which played perfectly into the European team's hands. Froggen on Karthus managed to beat Scarra's pro-level farm record, picking up 300 CS in under 24 minutes. Meanwhile, Wickd's Irelia dominated Jayce in the top lane and CLG started to grind out a huge advantage. They rode that advantage to victory, putting themselves into the quarter-finals with a dominant performance.
The final game of the entire group stage turned out to be the least important, but it was Dignitas' best performance. Unfortunately, despite being able to hang with Sword for a long time, they were unable to salvage any pride as the Korean team eventually overpowered them. The win for Sword meant that these two teams ended the group as mirror opposite: a 3-0 record for the Koreans, an 0-3 record for the Americans.
