LoL Analysis: 2016 NALCS, CLG vs TIP (Week 6, Day 1)

CLG were playing very strong and then ran into a TSM buzzsaw. TIP have been very uneven, though uneven is a pretty good from where they started the season. I don’t expect TIP to do much as CLG are fine with different styles, but I would say that a long drawn-out game with scaling damage dealers may work for the underdogs. I’m not holding my breath though.

Picks and Bans – Fun draft from both sides! CLG will want to speed up the game with first-pick Nidalee into Braum, Corki, LeBlanc, and Poppy. Lots of ways to keep the three carries safe. TIP went with that late-game scaling comp with GP/Alistar and a very fun Nocturne pickup. Lucian and Lissandra will give them additional teamfight splash damage – if they can scale.

16:30 - Standard lane swap into 2 tier turret trades; CLG try to threaten the inhib while delaying TIP but Darshan is caught. This isn’t a disaster for CLG, but Darshan has to be safer knowing that the rest of TIP are rotating down. But at 17:30, CLG rotate faster to the fight despite the TP from Pirean and their early-game power gives them the fight and control of TIP’s blue side. TIP should never have gone for this fight, especially fater burning the Nocturne ult already.

23:00 – For the last 5 minutes, CLG have found all the right engages on their power spike and picked up kill after kill. Here, TIP finally catch Stixxay with the team around and get him and Aphromoo both. But TIP have burned their cooldowns, CLG don’t panic against the Nocturne ult, and funnel TIP into a small corridor with Feng on the outside (he flat walked the wrong way). A good call by TIP, a bit of an outplay by CLG, and too much of a gold lead. CLG have CS leads almost across the board and Nidalee is dominating Nocturne. It’s a shame because comps like the one TIP rolled out are going to be important for teams like CLG to use in internationals, but the NA game is a bit too fast-paced and chaotic.