Photo credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
After an incredible first week of LEC Spring, our League of Legends team entered the second week in a split 3rd place. With a 2-1 record, the team entered week 2, eager to secure a spot in the group stage. In the first two matches of the week, we met a dominating MAD Lions team and were well on our way to victory against BDS, but we were defeated. Monday, March 20, we geared up to grab a win against 1st place team Vitality in the last game of the week - AND WIN WE DID!
The standings after week 2 are as follows:
Saturday, March 18, we went head-to-head with MAD Lions, by whom we were eliminated from LEC Winter Group Stage in February. Full of confidence from our week 1 success, we sought restitution. Despite drawing the first flood, we saw ourselves falling behind on gold in the early game. As MAD Lions slayed three consecutive drakes, a 5v5 team fight in the 24th minute left only Lider left alive as we were in both gold and health deficit. Subsequently, MAD slayed their fourth dragon after another team fight, and MAD Lions followed up with Baron Nashor. Thus, we saw ourselves defeated by the dominating MAD Lions.
Sunday, we met BDS for a very close and unpredictable match. We built up an 8-3 kill lead in the early game while the gold remained balanced between us and BDS. In the 23rd minute, a successful teamfight secured our 4th dragon, as the gold difference remained almost neutral. With the hextech buff, we successfully engaged in a teamfight in the river resulting 13-6 lead. While battling the Baron in the 27th minute, we were ambushed, and team BDS slayed the Baron as it was down to only 3000. With the Baron stolen, we were forced to retreat. BDS pushed up mid with Baron-empowered minions and destroyed both a turret and an inhibitor before pulling back. In the 31st minute, we had to concede the elder drake as our players were low on health. As the Baron appeared again, we eagerly attempted retaliation by stealing, but we did not get in that last deathly blow. BDS immediately pushed towards our base, where they aced and emerged victorious.
For the last match of the week, we played against Vitality. We secured the first turret, first blood, and +4.5k gold as we slayed the third dragon, largely uncontested throughout. As we killed the Baron, Vitality responded by slaying the fourth dragon. We used our baron buff to accelerate the game, moving towards their base and destroying both inner turrets and inhibitors in bot and top. In the 28th minute, we lost all five team members in an unfavorable fight in the top jungle. Quickly, we pushed mid all together, and while the super minions were approaching on bot and top, we engaged in another team fight. This time we turned the beat around, acing against Vitality and going on to win the game with great support from fans in the studio. Thereby, we have taken down the top two teams in the LEC; G2 first and Vitality second.
Next week will be the last three games in the spring split round-robin stage. The top 8 teams will progress to the group stage. We end week 2 with a 3-3 record, sitting comfortably in the scoreboard's middle.
Upcoming matches (Week 3)
- Astralis vs. Fnatic (March 25, 20:00 CET)
- Astralis vs. EXCEL (March 26, 18:00 CET)
- Astralis vs. Team Heretics (March 27, 19:00 CET)
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