Monday, June 23, 2014

Game of the Day: Alliance versus Copenhagen Wolves



By Helmight

            I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t watch this game. After all, when the first place team plays the last place team, it’s usually an absolute stomp and a way for the leaders to pad out their KDAs. However, if you didn’t happen to tune in to this matchup, you missed out on an amazing, 52-minute nailbiter in which Alliance barely managed to take a victory from the stubborn Copenhagen Wolves. Truly, it was the perfect way to close out the Wembley Arena roadshow.
            Alliance’s strategy was apparent from the very beginning of the game: pressure down objectives and ignore the Wolves as much as possible. An early 4v0 in the top lane by Alliance resulted in Copenhagen giving up the first tower at 3:30 – an insanely fast time reminiscent of the fast push strategies employed at the beginning of this year. This was just the start though, as Alliance would go on to destroy three more Copenhagen towers and take two dragons, all before the 15 minute mark. Copenhagen seemed completely unprepared to deal with the objective-focused comp of Alliance and it cost them dearly as they shed towers like the tears of their fans.
            Fortunately for the Wolves, they still had an ace in the hole: YoungBuck’s Irelia had been farming near-constantly in the toplane without interruption from Alliance, in addition to receiving both of Copenhagen’s early kills. With an early Trinity Force under his belt, YoungBuck proved to be an absolute terror for Alliance to deal with – no single member of Alliance could successfully duel him, while his damage and tankiness ensured that teamfights always gave CW at least one or two kills back. His presence alone stopped a pair of efforts by Alliance to take out Copenhagen’s middle inhibitor tower, stalling out Alliance’s push efforts and giving his team more time to farm.
            The stall game would pay off for the Wolves and they slowly caught back up on gold. A teamfight near the dragon pit was narrowly won by Copenhagen – a first for the game – and when Alliance pressured their top inhibitor tower, the Wolves were ready. Though the tower would fall, Alliance would pay for it dearly as they tried to pull out. A clutch teleport by YoungBuck placed him right behind the low-health Alliance members, letting Copenhagen take the ace and the first Baron of the game. The momentum from that small victory would lead the Wolves down the midlane to take a pair of towers off Alliance and, after a small fight, the middle inhibitor as well. Only a well-placed Nidalee trap from Froggen prevented Copenhagen from securing a second Baron as well and kept Alliance from falling out of the lead.
            In a somewhat risky play, Alliance rushed the Baron without their full team as soon as Copenhagen pulled out, securing it with only three members present. Afterwards, a push mid would yield a tower and two inhibitors for Alliance, placing them back in the lead after a grueling midgame. With the additional pressure created from two lanes of super minions and a fifty-minute game, Copenhagen finally cracked. A final teamfight in the midlane would see both their marksman and support killed for only one Alliance player. With super minions already hammering on the nexus turrets and a late-game Kayle staring them in the face, the Wolves would finally yield the Nexus after almost an hour of play. 

ALL bans: Ziggs, Evelynn, Lulu
CW bans: Kassadin, Yasuo, Jax

Player
Champion
K/D/A
CS
Alliance
Wickd
Kayle
6/6/15
316
Shook
Elise
1/6/15
131
Froggen
Nidalee
4/5/16
296
Tabzz
Lucian
15/4/8
390
Nyph
Morgana
0/4/21
30
Copenhagen Wolves
YoungBuck
Irelia
12/3/5
371
Airwaks
Lee Sin
2/7/14
127
cowTard
Fizz
6/7/10
315
Woolite
Twitch
4/5/13
396
Unlimited
Braum
1/4/12
45















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