.jpeg)
Blaze, Frost, Sword and KT B - this was the quartet that orchestrated arguably the most exciting day of OGN Spring as they brought the first stage of the tournament to a close.
Check link for VODs, picks & bans, news and interviews
CJ Blaze vs NaJin Sword
Blaze versus Sword has always been a classic match-up in League of Legends and the audience in the OGN studio was visible ripe with excitement.
Both teams were sure to go into the playoffs but that did not hold them back one bit and a spectacle of highest quality was presented to LoL fans all over the world. Game one began as a reaping feast for SSONG's Karthus who opened with a double kill first blood and as time went by, he continued growing fatter and fatter.
By the 30th minute mark, the game had gone beyond the wildest expectations and had registered even more kills for Karthus, including a triple kill after a double ace after a fight at dragon at the 24th minute. The match was obviously strolling towards the late game and with such a fed reaper, CJ Blaze seemed to be in quite the predicament.
To their help came their superior team fighting presence and covered by Ambition's long-rage blasts, Blaze were able to always engage having more health than their opponents. Although champion and tower kills were mostly equal even during the late game, it really felt that Blaze were making a comeback after the horrible start of the game.
The most beneficial team fight for them happened around the 41st mark when Blaze clashed with Sword near the baron pit. Sword picked of Lulu quite early but Blaze reacted by eliminating Kenne, Hecarim and Karthus and live through what looked to be a clean-up requiem to give a quadra kill for Varus and initiate the snowball that would end the game in their favor shortly thereafter.
You think this is a good fight for Sword? It's not. It's a quadra kill for Varus.
Almost the exact same situation repeated in game two. While CJ's Flame stole the early spotlight by turning around every gank into a kill for him, the mid game was entirely Pray's dominion. By the 20th minute, his Miss Fortune had acquired a triple kill and was sitting at 5/0/0.
And then, as if it was again scheduled in advance, a turn around came at the 41st minute. A Maelstrom/Zhonya engage came from Blaze to catch four people of Sword, allowing Jayce and Vayne to clean up the left-over and push in for the 2-0 despite Sword's lead in gold and towers.
Pro tip for winning matches #1: Don't get your entire team caught by Slicing Maelstrom
CJ Frost vs KT Rolster B 
"Saving the best for last" was OGN's credo that night and so Frost and KT B stepped in the booths for the very final game of the group stage, the winner to conquer the number one spot in Group B.
A high-octane game ensued as the first match began. There was a kill for every minute of game time and dead towers were also not missing. KT Rolster B had the slight gold lead but overall the game was very much anybody's.
Score's Vayne was the absolute star of those early moments. KT's AD carry lived through unbelievable situation and survived 1v1 engagements, tower dives and team fights alike to sit atop a 3/0/3 KDA by the 17th minute mark.
While feeding Vayne early was certainly according to KT's plans they did forget about one very dangerous opponent - Shy and his Rumble. Among the ooh and aah directed at Score, Shy kept accumulating kills and around the same minute mark he was at 6/2/2.
As time went by, CJ pulled more and more ahead, displaying at every team fight why Twisted Fate and Rumble should always be banned in Korean meta. The Equalizers and Destinies came from unbelievable angles to make KT Rolster pay for their early game domination and at the 34th minute, Frost took an ace and an inhibitor, essentially determining the winner of the first match there and then.
Three players of KT are dead at the start of the fight. At the same time, Frost have barely suffered any damage
Words would not do the second game enough justice as KT and Frost went absolutely mental in a match that would make the term "high-kill" hide in the corner out of shame.
The two teams sparred for 46 minutes and directed the most convincing advertisement of why one should by an OGN ticket. Every fight was vicious and bloody and every time a different team came on top and the tug of war continued for ages before a hint of a winner finally presented itself.
Said hint was in the form of CloudTemplar's Nautilus, who stole the show away from RapidStar's Nasus and Shy's Zed. By the 25th minute, he was at 8/1/7 but he wouldn't stop there and five minutes later he had increased his KDA to 10/3/7, now with a BotRK to supplement his Wit's End.
The engine that was CloudTemplar was now officially overwhelming, his mere presence enough indication for a certain kill. Unable to escape the perfect hooks and the lethal chain of CCs, KT Rolster B finally saw their inhibitor fall and Frost rise to number one in Group B.
With that, the OGN playoffs are ready to begin on next week The matches are:
SKT 2 vs NaJin Shield (May 8th)
KT B vs MVP Ozone (May 10th)
CJ Blaze vs SKT 1 (May 15th)
CJ Frost vs NaJin Sword (May 17th)
