EU LCS 2017: G2 Esports vs Unicorns of Love

If you’ve been following the LCS for this long, you’re probably participating in the fantasy LCS, so I’m going give you my analysis for the teams I support and currently have in my draft, starting with week 5. Here is my favourite team, (unfortunately I had to sub them out since Rito decided to cut every European game short!) G2 Esports of Europe.

 

G2 Esports vs. Unicorns of Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nedQKP-dgAE

Two huge European teams head to head. These teams are undefeated thus far and only one will leave the rift still holding their streak. This is week 5 for League of Legends Esports.

 

Game 1

These two teams have massive hype surrounding them. UOL are known for their “Magic” backs against the wall, unpredictability. While G2 are a clean, focused efficiently communicative team, they know what they want and they get it, so I was pretty excited to see how G2 would fair against UOL.

UOL’s first mistake was unbenching the kench. Tahm Kench has been classed as a “God Tier” champion picks, this means any good support will do incredible with him.

We hit 6 minutes in the first game and UOL Jungler Xerxe has invaded G2, side-catching Trick (G2 Jungler) offguard and securing first blood, it’s important to note how strong Khazix is and any kills he gets usually snowballs him or at the very least gives him the edge to help his team in lanes.

G2, now aware of this, start to rush wards and get an amazing view of the map. No Unicorn will get anywhere near them, they’re topping up the fallen wards and grabbing the Scuttle Crabs in haste: Khazix cannot get close to them.

G2 do not make this mistake again and they start to pair up a lot more frequently. Trick secures a kill top lane, Mithy uses Tahm’s Ultimate to pair with Perkz (Mid Lane) and secures a kill Bottom Lane while taking the first tower and shooting ahead in Gold. They refuse to be targeted one by one, which Khazix needs to do unless he is absolutely ahead. He needs that level spike early or else he becomes quite literally a bug you can squish.

Around the 20 minute mark, UOL try to steal the Baron. G2 are fully aware of this so they bait them closer before turning on the Unicorns and Perkz melts through the team. They escape by Ryze’s Ultimate but Trick gets the kill on Hylissang. UOL left their man behind but now G2 avoid that at all costs with Perkz throwing his shield over Expect and still claiming two Unicorns.

These two teams have a massive clash of styles but in this game UOL play right into G2’s hands – G2 had a massive lead in Gold and had to force a fight to make any progress and UOL did just that. They took every bait offered and focused on the wrong team members and they went for the kills on the support over Perkz or Zven.

Another example, 39 minutes in, UOL use Ryze’s Ultimate to warp into the Baron fight to try and steal it. This is the final nail in the coffin for the game; G2 had full control the entire time. UOL’s famous unpredictability makes great streaming, but if you’re a fan, it’s probably not what you wanted to see and as the game ends 20-5 to G2. UOL just didn’t have the right attitude for this game- they tried to match G2 in the “clean executions” but it just didn’t work. We know UOL better than that, they need to be so out there, making those risky plays.

 

Game 2

UOL strike back, this time they aren’t underestimating G2. Straight away, UOL grab Tahm Kench and Gnar. Gnar is a Tier One pick and a lane bully, so you’re going to have a bad time in lane when facing a Gnar. Overall UOL have picked a great team composition, and a front line engage which G2 are somewhat lacking.

In this game the Unicorns stick together. G2 do have the better communication but the Unicorns aren’t going down without a fight. Every good play G2 make, the Unicorns take them down with them. They’re going toe to toe and using everything they’ve got to make sure they aren’t getting left behind in gold and CS.

G2 have really started off poorly this game and the tilt kept on tilting they try to catch up with their famous Baron bait, only to have the Unicorns teleport in, catching them off guard, which makes G2 flee the pit, while Exileh backdoors the stragglers trying to escape and the result; they take down 4 of the G2 members while Perkz slowly takes down the Mid turret only to retreat. That’s only part of the problem: G2 over extend in lanes, trying to chase the Unicorns only to earn a kill for a kill, they’re over pushing and being caught out: It’s very sloppy mechanics and it’s giving UOL the edge.

The game starts to get out of control. G2 are being picked off as they’re not sticking with the formula of pairing up while the Unicorns actually start to adopt that strategy. G2 haven’t made any clean kills at all. As I’ve mentioned, they’re overextending to get a kill but die in the process; nothing is being gained and the Unicorns even fight at the Baron pit again with G2 trying to steal it and end up costing themselves the Baron and their lives. I feel G2 underestimated UOL and didn’t respect their opponents- it has cost them greatly.

G2 go all or nothing after the 30 minute mark, they’re desperately struggling to keep up with the Unicorns so they try for a another Baron without thinking about any consequences; all they can see is objectives and gold. They blow up Baron taking it down to half health in a matter of seconds, which signals the Unicorns to appear and resulting in the loss of two G2 members. They retreat and scramble for the Drake and lose their Jungler and Support in the process. I understand they need to deny objectives and catch up but they need to take a step back. UOL aren’t going for the objectives and G2 are quite skilled at setting up fights and coming out the victors.

35 minutes in, they try for the Baron again with the same attitude as before. They need to get every objective or they’ve lost- it’s a make or break situation and this time UOL are becoming aware of the play G2 are making. The Unicorns burst over the wall and steal it from under G2’s nose, and take 4 of G2’s members in the process. G2 are putting all their eggs in the Baron pit and they’ve been incredibly lucky previously, but this time the Unicorns have had enough and stomp them out and hope to almost secure their victory.

UOL want to finish this quickly as they literally just wiped the four members of G2 out before heading straight to their opponent’s base hoping to end this game. We have Trick as the last man standing and defending as much as he can while facing the five Unicorns. Their power is dwindling at this point since they rushed straight over from their last fight, their Ultimates are down and they don’t have the summoner’s advantage anymore. The Unicorns have made a very risky decision in doing this, they should have returned to base, gathered themselves and made one final push. Instead they want to rush the enemy which is G2’s forte.

This cost them the game. UOL wasted so much of their health on the towers, getting pushed back and returning with just the thirst for the Nexus Crystal ignoring the G2 member which leads to Zven getting a quadra kill leaving the Nexus on one hit left and G2 rushing their base securing their victory. Even at the end, G2 throw themselves in the enemy’s fountain to stall them while the heavy hitters take the Nexus Crystal down, which ends the game 17 kills for G2 and 19 for UOL.

G2 did not deserve to win that game and there should have been a game 3. UOL did marvelous and outplayed G2, it’s so unfortunate they just wanted to end the game and it got the best of them.