So I know Immortals were unbeaten heading into the match w/ NRG,
so they obviously won this game. But I’m still keen to see how it played out
and where Team SoloMid stand as they try to integrate the new team around Bjergsen. Also, I'm introducing player grades at the end - I want to see how the teams are playing around their players and how they evolve over the year.
Pick/Ban thoughts – Hauntzer instantly first-picked Poppy; as the casters indicated, she may be OP in
some way that isn’t obvious to me (I play bot lane carry/support). She's become a priority pick all over the world. TSM tried to
target top and mid lane with their bans but IMT got power picks
anyway – I’m really interested to see if Hauntzer can stop Huni's Fiora. Fiora
is already OP in my opinion though Popy does bring some tools to the
matchup. Svenskeren and Bjergsen will have to be very aggressive with their
roams to shut Huni down or he could become a monster in the late game and IMT’s
teamfighting with Lissandra and Corki, and good
lord is Adrian good on Janna. I may be biased from knowing the outcome, but it
feels like through 3 games, TSM are still trying to find the right team comp
that works for them – they got stomped in their first game and their win
against Team Liquid came via a Liquid mistake in the late game. They do have an
opportunity if they can get to lategame – IMT are squishy and TSM have good
tankiness from Yellowstar and Hauntzer.
15:15 - IMT started everyone in the blue side jungle of TSM, mucking the game up. Hauntzer and Yellowstar get baited
by Huni, who is impossible to kill. Reignover and WildTurtle (who got
experience from free farm) dive and pick up first blood. TSM should have never
walked away from their turret knowing that IMT were there. I like the unconventional start from IMT – NA teams are
playing very standard lane swaps without an ridiculous invades, but they’ll
have to have this in their repertoire for international play.
19:00 - Fiora is building a huge lead with the early assist and a
frozen lane. This is bad. Both Sven and Reignover want to dive but haven't been coordinted. Sven runs up but is spotted by a ward. IMT are smart to
support on Fiora and leave WildTurtle and Adrian alone – they are down in CS but
are unlikely to be dove and will still be fine by mid-game.
24:20 - ok, Huni is killable. Huni had this lane pushing
toward him but now it is pushed very far toward Hauntzer and Sven arrives just
as Huni initiates. Huni unwisely took several tower shots then Hauntzer kicks
him back into the turret, dying earlier than expected, which gets Reignover
killed as well.
26:35 - ok, Huni might be very killable. Hauntzer and Sven
did a great job mechanically to win this fight at the turret. I think TSM
predicted that Reignover would be taking his blue giving Svenskeren the
opportunity to gank top.
30:20 - with the duos in mid lane, Bjergsen and Pobelter are
missing. This is a bigger problem for Pobelter because of Ahri’s assassin potential. Bjergsen stays in
the bush for a long time, waiting for Pobelter to burn a spell before charming
him. Huni TPs in which forces Pobelter to stay around at 1/4 life. He tombs
himself but Sven and Hauntzer arrive and TSM outplays IMT again on
mechanics to get a 2 for 1. As much as TSM have to fear Fiora, Ahri and Poppy
becoming a problem for IMT. IMT get a kill back on Yellowstar and importantly
get a tower, but their kill participation is not as good as TSM’s. Sven and
Hauntzer are both sitting at 100%.
33:10 - Huni is in trouble again but Adrian saves the day.
He pops ult at the perfect moment, saves Huni, zones TSM out of the fight and
heals the team. They proc Huni’s ult for more heal and 2 kills.
35:00 - TSM grab dragon and IMT try to take 2 mid turrets
before they get back, but they burned a lot of cooldowns in the earlier fight.
TSM basically wait out the hollowing gale then follow the shield from
Yellowstar into the lane. Wildturtle gets caught by an aggressive engage from
Hauntzer which ends in a death on Pobelter. I can’t blame TSM for this call, it
was basically a 50/50 but the outplay from TSM allows them to take the two mid
turrents of IMT.
37:50 - just craziness. Bjergsen is playing very
aggressively, lands a charm on Pobelter, then Sven dives in – I though the dive
was too far to be honest and that TSM would lose this fight, especially since
he landed on Reignover who ulted out of the CC. But he buys time for Bjergsen
to get a second charm on Pobelter. IMT have to go back in b/c they called the
TP from Huni, and they do burst down Sven. As IMT chase, Hauntzer lands the
perfect hammer onto both Adrian and Reignover, right as TSM turn back onto
Huni. Great coordination from a team that looked a bit lost in week 1. The
fight eventually ends in a 4 for 3 for TSM with Hauntzer still at 100% kill
participation. As the casters noticed, I was impressed with how decisive TSM
were in the engage, disengage, and re-engage. IMT played well just to get the
three kills.
41:00 - Hauntzer is a monster. All questions of Poppy into
Fiora have been solved. He blocked everything Huni was trying to do. At this
point I’m wondering – how did TSM lose? It must be a massive lost teamfight
right?
42:00 - Yup a massive lost teamfight. The sad thing is when
they ran in for Baron, I thought for sure it was a bait to force IMT into a bad
fight down one carry. I was honestly shocked when they kept going. Reignover
sole Baron (TSM were a bit low going into it), and I agree with the casters:
TSM did not need to go for Baron. They should have run IMT around the map with
their split push and siege pressure, continued getting picks, and have Hauntzer
push the bottom inhibitor. A that point, IMT is forced to give up Baron.
Yellowstar was a bit shaky on the calls last week but was really good in this
game until now. IMT now have the lead and TP advantage.
49:18 – IMT caught Doublelift and that was basically the
game (Janna tornado into Lissandra ultimate). Casters brought up a good point –
Doublelift had no QSS and IMT punished him. Doublelift’s Caitlin was
pretty passive (some awesome trap-setting though), but it’s just not the
Doublelift I’m used to seeing.
Grades:
IMT
Huni: B-
Reignover: B+
Pobelter: B+
WildTurtle: B-
Adrian: A
TSM
Hauntzer: A-
Svenskeren: B-
Bjergsen: B
Doublelift: B
Yellowstar: B
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