The West’s Last Ray of Hope Goes to New York

In the pre-game interview, Likkrit mentions that they’ve been playing scrims against H2K. As a wildcard team, it is always a good thing to learn from one of the best teams but did ANX trade experience for their best weapon: surprise? Did H2K learn enough to stop ANX’ record-breaking run in the 2016 League of Legends World Championship?

Game 1 – H2K Wins

With H2K finishing Week 2 of the Group Stage with a perfect record of 4-0, it seems like they still have momentum on their side.

Just 12 minutes into the game, the score is 4-0 and a 2.5k gold advantage for H2K. With a score of 3/0/0, most of that gold is with Odoamne at the top lane giving him the firepower to bully Smurf. Around the 22-minute mark, Jankos further puts H2K ahead when he successfully steals an Infernal Dragon from ANX.

At 29-minute mark, H2K is looking to close the game by securing Baron. They traded 2-for-1 against ANX but Kira pulls off a miraculous Baron steal. Sadly, after that steal, they give 2 more kills to H2K, leaving only one ANX member with the Baron buff.

Kira’s Baron steal.

The Baron steal may have slowed down H2K but as soon as the buff wore off, Jankos comes in from behind ANX. Trading one member for 3 from ANX enabled H2K to clean up and take the first win of the series.

Game 2 – H2K Wins

Just like yesterday’s match between ROX and EDG, losing the first game in a best-of-5 match really does take a lot of toll on the player’s morale.

H2K finished this game 9 minutes faster than the previous one thanks to 4 early kills. H2K uses this chance to secure an early infernal dragon and to snowball out of ANX’ control.

20 minutes after the game has started, H2K is already 9-2 with a huge 9k gold lead. 3 minutes later, they ace ANX and close the game.

Game 3 – H2K Goes to the Semifinals

Just like Game 2, early kills given up by ANX spelled disaster for the team. With Ryu 2/0/0 just 6 minutes into the game, Jankos was free to help Odoamne up top. PvPStejos sees this opportunity to make plays in the bot lane. They do kill the bot lane duo but H2K traded those 2 deaths for an Infernal Dragon and another kill in the mid lane, putting Kira so far behind Ryu.

All throughout the game, although they are behind, ANX are still making plays and getting something from those plays. H2K seemed okay with these because, upon seeing ANX’ play, they make their own in another part of the map and they get something better. This is where H2K’s experience over ANX shows: while ANX is a good team, they’re still getting the shorter end of the stick because H2K is expecting what they’d do and already has a better answer prepared.

ANX, even after losing 0-3 to H2K, still gave some information to Samsung: H2K’s inability to finish a game.

With a gigantic 10k gold lead at 31-minute mark, H2K still failed to secure Baron, they got their bot inhibitor destroyed and, if not for ANX pulling the trigger and tunnel visioning to Ryu, the game would have dragged longer.

With the semifinal games locked in, will the last ray of hope from the West shine bright? Or will we see 2 Korean teams in the Finals of the 2016 League of Legends World Championship?

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