Yet another team exploited Echo Fox’s inability to play around the gold funnel strategy, though this time it was G2 Esports of the European LCS.
G2 mid laner Luka “Perkz” Perković got his hands on his vaunted Kai’Sa, and jungler Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski picked up Braum to allow Perkz to be the center of a gold funneling strategy. As a counter, Echo Fox drafted Pantheon—a pick that hasn’t seen the light of the LCS stage in years—for jungler Joshua “Dardoch” Hartnett. The North American team’s strategy was predicated on keeping Dardoch in the lane with Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon’s Rumble to try and two-vs-two Perkz and Jankos.
For the first few minutes of the game, it looked as if Echo Fox’s gamble had paid off. Perkz was essentially even in gold and experience with Huni, and he was unable to grow a giant lead. Then G2’s top laner Martin “Wunder” Hansen decided to take matters into his own hands. He stomped Kim “Fenix” Jae-hun as Aatrox, and he snowballed a massive lead. He eventually became almost unkillable, and his pressure allowed Perkz to roam the map and pick up free kills.
It was once again a show of Echo Fox’s ineptitude to play around the funnel composition. Even at home in the NA LCS, they failed to pull off funnel comps of their own. Against G2, they picked two losing side lanes, and instead of sending Dardoch to reinforce the side lanes they ceded control of most of the map. Echo Fox stars Huni, Dardoch, and Fenix all continued to struggle, with Huni and Fenix looking uncomfortable outside of their traditional lanes. Dardoch had almost no presence with Pantheon, a champion with intense early pressure, and gave up a kill almost every time he left the mid lane in the early game.
G2, on the other hand, looked dominant in their signature strategy. While North America and Europe are tied in the standings at Rift Rivals, it seems almost like a matter of time before the European side takes home the trophy, barring massive improvement from Echo Fox and fellow NA team 100 Thieves.
G2 will look to go undefeated in the Group Stage against Team Liquid at 5:30pm CT, while Echo Fox will need to prepare for the relay-style finals tomorrow.
