EU LCS 2018 Summer Split Finals & Third Place Recap
The final week of the playoffs delivered in every way, shape, and form. Not only did we have a very competitive EU LCS 2018 Summer Split finals match, but the third-place match provided a lot of fireworks as well. Regardless of the team, you cheered for, and you can’t be too disappointed with the way things unfolded in the end.
EU LCS 2018 Summer Split Finals Match
Fnatic is going into Worlds as the European number one seed – and with good reason. They’re the best and most layered team in the entire region, whereas Team Vitality showcased a lot of growth and willingness to change, and they deserve to go to Worlds as well seeing how they were able to maintain a pretty high level of play throughout the entire year (fourth in Spring, third in Summer). Who will be the last team representing Europe at Worlds remains to be seen, however, we won’t have to wait for long before we find out seeing how the regional qualifier begins this Friday and lasts for only three days.
However, that aside, let’s go over what exactly happened and how both matches developed.
The EU LCS 2018 Summer Split finals between Fnatic and Schalke was what everyone hoped it would be – a close series with both teams showcasing just how strong they are. While the result doesn’t scream “insanely competitive,” it was. Schalke 04 started the EU LCS 2018 Summer Split finals off on the right foot – getting Amazing on Skarner. Much like against Team Vitality in their semi-final clash, Amazing was able to dish out a ton of impact throughout the map and get his teammates ahead.
Paired with Lissandra for Nukeduck and Vizicsacsi’s Cho’Gath, Schalke had ample amounts of crowd control, and it paid off immediately. Amazing was able to shut down both Bwipo and Rekkles in a matter of minutes. After just ten minutes, it became obvious that Schalke came to play – it didn’t matter that they were playing in front of eleven thousand roaring Spanish fans – they were laser focused and had their eyes set on the League of Legends Championship Series trophy.
As the gold lead grew exponentially, Schalke made the right moves around the map to close things out in relatively clean fashion. They had a fantastic front line in Cho’Gath and Skarner, as well as a fantastic top-tier AD pick that was able to decimate Fnatic’s frontline – especially with a fully stacked Guinsoo’s Rageblade.
It was a fantastic showing of their potential in the EU LCS 2018 Summer Split finals match.
Or at least in theory.
After Fnatic banned Amazing’s Skarner, he couldn’t have a repeat performance. Even though Schalke still played better in the early game, they couldn’t create a big enough lead to snowball the game out of control. With Fnatic also subbing in sOAZ instead of Bwipo, they had a more rounded tank player which enabled Caps and Rekkles to come out and play on the razor’s edge – just how they like it.
That said, game two didn’t start off well for Fnatic – far from it. Schalke was willing to bring the fight to Fnatic. They were constantly baiting Fnatic to fight and as a result, had the upper hand whenever a skirmish broke out. It was as if Schalke knew what would make Fnatic tick, and they had a solid, well-rounded team comp as well – Nukeduck on Yasuo, Vander on Braum and Amazing on Sejuani.
They were careful and calculated which allowed them to execute their plans throughout the early game of the EU LCS 2018 Summer Split finals. However, once the mid-game came, Fnatic made the better calls and engaged which allowed them to snowball and get ahead in a key moment.
Coming into game three the score was 1-1, and it seemed like Schalke had no plans on slowing down. Game three started off the same as the second one – Schalke having an edge early on thanks to their confident, proactive play and decision making. However, once again, it was Fnatic that was able to clutch things out in the mid and late game.
After an insane team fight around the twenty-minute mark, Fnatic was able to demolish Schalke completely. They never gave Nukeduck’s LeBlanc a lead in the early game, so he was a complete non-factor when it mattered the most, and as the game developed Schalke didn’t have enough damage. They drafted an obvious 1-3-1 team comp and never managed to get it going.
When Fnatic stacked up on items and reached their power spike, closing things out was just a formality in the EU LCS 2018 Summer Split finals.
Game four was, once again, a strong showing from Schalke but when it mattered the most, Fnatic was able to outclass them in huge 5v5 team fights completely. Rekkles’ pristine positioning and team fighting eventually became the deciding factor – and one slick quadra kill later Fnatic was already getting showered in confetti. Fnatic was named champions of the EU LCS 2018 Summer Split Finals.
In the end, Fnatic was always just a bit better. They might not have had the better early game, but when it mattered the most, they made the correct in-game calls and outplayed Schalke. Even if Schalke had the lead throughout the game, individual members on Fnatic simply played so incredibly well that Schalke didn’t have an answer.
Coming into the regional qualifier, Schalke has nothing to be ashamed of. They went blow-for-blow with the absolute best team in the region – a team that is echoing the strength of 2015’s Fnatic – and even though they failed to emerge victoriously they’re entering the regional qualifier as the clear-cut favorites. In the end, they’re going to have the upper hand – they have just a single Best of 5 to win to secure that elusive third place ticket for Worlds, and they have the right players and coaching staff to make that a reality.
Fnatic, on the other hand, is ending their 2018 regular season in the best possible way – winning both splits, making Europe proud at this year’s Rift Rivals and performing exceptionally well at the Mid-Season Invitational. They’re coming into Worlds as the Western favorites and with good reason.
EU LCS 2018 Summer Split Third-Place Match
The third-place decider was, much like expected, filled with top-notch skirmishing and hectic play all-around. A lot was riding on it as well, especially for Team Vitality. They had a chance to go to Worlds thanks to the fact that they were able to accrue a respectable amount of championship points in the Spring Split.
Game one started off perfectly for Misfits with a 2v2 kill in the bottom lane. They went for a standard Misfits team comp – Sencux on a supportive utility mid laner (Lulu), Alphari on a tank and Hans Sama and Mikyx getting priority in the pick and ban phase.
Through some incredibly stellar individual play (an insane 3v5 in the bottom lane) and fantastic macro Misfits were able to take hold of the game completely. Vitality tried to claw back but to no avail – the leads Misfits accrued were far too big.
Game two was a different story though as Vitality got the early lead through a slick Kindred + Zilean jungle/mid duo. Vitality was far quicker on the map and gained a sizeable lead fairly early. It was a confusing set of affairs as Vitality needed less than twenty minutes to get both Nexus turrets down.
It was the quickest win of the Summer Split, and Vitality needed only twenty-three minutes to tie up the series.
Game three was a lot more competitive from the very get-go, and Misfits were able to get the lead early on. It was incredibly close, but when it mattered the most, Vitality had the better team fighting comp with Jiizuke on LeBlanc and Attila on Kai’Sa. Vitality completely out macroed Misfits when it came to taking down objectives and drakes, and as the game developed, they simply had too big of a lead for Misfits to take on.
Game four saw the return of Jiizuke’s staple Ryze pick – the same champion on which he gained notoriety on during the Spring Split.
Vitality was once again faster on the map, and thanks to some insane individual play from Jiizuke, they were able to squeak out small advantages that eventually piled up. Soon enough, they had a ten thousand gold lead and were hitting on the Misfits Nexus.
After their win, the majority of the Vitality roster started crying – you could see just how hard they fought to get to where they are and how much adversity they had to overcome.
It wasn’t exactly a spotless display of skill, nor clean execution, but they were the better team on the day, and they deserve to go to Worlds.
Conclusion
With the playoffs out of the way, there is just one more week left – the regional qualifier. Who’ll come out on top is completely up in the air, but right now, judging from Schalke’s power level, it’s fair to assume that they’re entering the gauntlet as the clear favorites.
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