[OGN] Champions 2012-13 Winter Season Recap #2

As predicted, LG-IM dominated both games and achieved a flawless 2:0 Victory over MVP Blue. The win was very important for LG-IM to have still a chance to advance from their group. On the other hand this was the first nail in the coffin for MVP Blue.


This series should be known as where KT Wall missed all important Sona ultimates and allowed GSG to take one game of KT A. GSG played a perfect second game and used the misplays from KT to their advantage.


CJ Entus could not transfer their momentum into the matches against NaJin Shield. NaJin Shield controlled from the beginning the pace from the game because they shut CJ inSec down and did not allow him to snowball the lanes. NaJin Shield needed this win to stay competitive in their group.


The first game we watched how Ssong played a mid Jayce and won his lane convincingly and carried NaJin Sword to the victory in the first game. Second game was again a MakNooN show.


First game MVP White had an unusual composition with Darius and Sivir but they did not stand any chance against Azubu Blaze who won the first game easily. MVP White was able to keep their calm because of their recent wins and Dandy and imp carried MVP to win in game 2.


The long anticipated match between the two top teams in Korea the newcomer KT B against the winner of the Azubu Champions Summer and second in the World Championship Azubu Frost. First game we had a Vayne in the top lane for Azubu Frost and Mordekaiser for KT B. The game was always pretty close in gold even if KT B was way ahead in kills but Azubu Frost managed to grab Dragon and keep the gold difference small but in the end KT B managed to take the first game. Score went 16/1/11 and got his first MVP. The second game Azubu Frost played a more standard comp and just demolished KT B.

Coming into this first quarterfinal match of OGN Champions Winter, Frost were the heavy favourites. Winners of OGN Champions Summer, Frost relied on RapidStar and his flexible mid choices with Nocturne and Eve to give his team an early 2-0 series advantage. However, CJ Entus refused to go down without a fight. A combination of inSec's superb counter-jungling and ganking along with Woong persistently finding himself out of position, CJ took back sets 3 and 4. Set 5 blind pick, we saw two lore rivalries with Zed vs Shen in the Jungle and Rengar vs Kha'Zix in solo lanes. Ultimately, Frost won the war of attrition CJ, despite losing Woong on Ashe a number of times, by stacking 300+ armor on Shen and Rengar against CJ's four AD comp.

Since IEM Cologne last month, we have seen CJ Entus improve leaps and bounds. This 'B tier' team have started to rein in their reckless play since MLG and played though their team's strengths of inSec and dade. However, CJ's team comps and team fights must continue to improve if they want to break through the quarterfinals in OGN Spring.


The "lighter" of the two Azubu teams currently, Blaze has been going through an identity crisis since Reapered's departure. This was highly evident in the first two games where Blaze made some incredibly questionable choices. In set 1, Blaze picked an AP Assassin, LeBlanc, first, before even seeing who LG-IM would be running Mid. Not surprisingly, Ambition quickly fell off midgame after failing to secure any kills with LeBlanc. Conversely, MidKing completely wrecked Blaze from long distance as Jayce. What ended up most disappointing was the unbelievably horrendous Sona by LustBoy in the first two games. Plenty of Dora the Explorer moments as well as failed Flash/Crescendos, LustBoy contributed to a quick 0-2 for Azubu Blaze. But when faced with impending elimination from OGN Winter, Blaze buckled down and displayed some stalwart veterency. LustBoy's Lulu in sets 3, 4, 5 were the complete and utter opposite of his Sona. With numerous clutch Wild Growths to save allies and swift Whimsy to deny enemies from escaping, Blaze cruised their way to the semis, despite an incredibly shaky start.

LG-IM, much like CJ Entus, proved that they are no walkover by forcing Blaze to a full five set series. The biggest criticism of the series was simply during in the bans/picks stage. Blaze's weak start in the series was quickly alleviated with superior team comps in the form of Amumu/Miss Fortune/Lulu.


What should have been the closest and most exciting series of the quarterfinals, MVP White, the rising upstarts and second seed finishers from Group A, looked to face off against the veterans NaJin Sword in a close bout. But what resulted can simply be described as an onslaught from MakNooN and co. MVP White was marred with poor decisions from Support LeBlanc in set 1 to Clarity Ziggs and Karthus in sets 2 and 3. MVP White needs to regroup before OGN Spring and realize that the playoffs are where teams need to bring their A game, otherwise they're poised to become an utter disappointment to their fans next season. Another issue to consider is perhaps that MVP Blue is the weaker partner team compared to the likes of NaJin Shield. For MVP, it's likely that improvement will come not as a lone journey but a combined process.

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To be played 4th January:

Team kills are always a peculiar affair. In Brood War, it was not uncommon for two players in a team kill situations to employ very odd builds and strategies for unfathomable reasons that only they understood due to the hours spent as practise partners. The close nature between practise partners means the team kill nature is a great equaliser.

KT Rolster B that dominated Group B while the KT Rolster A went toe-to-toe with teams like Azubu`Frost (the first seed in Group A) but also splitting games with Team OP (the last seed in Group A). If both teams turn up in-form however, Summoner's Rift will probably turn into a bar fight rather than a classy duel.

The name SKT T1 is spoken in many ways on TeamLiquid. To some, it is a special name spoken only in revered terms in honour of the legends who once walked amongst them. To others, it is spat out in bitterness at the gold and honours that many feel should have been theirs. But no matter who you are, it is undeniable. SKT T1 is one of the titans in the Korean eSports scene.

Last month, SKT T1 acquired the roster of Eat Sleep Game consisting of the following people:

복한규(Reapered) TOP
조재환(H0R0) Jungle
김애준(UandMe) AD
안정욱(MighTiLy) AP
한진희(StarLast) Support
김정균(KkOma) Coach

The acquisition of Eat Sleep Game is important on multiple levels. While other established sponsors from the Brood War days such as CJ Entus and KT Rolster had made steps into LoL, the weight of the SKT T1 behind them all but cements LoL as part of the hallowed land of eSports that is Korea. However, it also confirms many other aspects of the mentality Korean teams have towards eSports. The new SKT T1 roster combines both established name such as Reapered with people who have never played professionally before along with a coach with professional eSports experience. The willingness to take in inexperienced and young players who how potential and groom them to become champions is one of the strengths of the Korean scene. While the first generation of champions innovated and created, the second generation of champions arose not as individuals but as protégés of theory and collaboration. It's hard to argue with the results.

So SKT T1, welcome to the world of League of Legends and more gold for the already bulging trophy case.