As we draw near to the end of cross-conference play in the LPL, the matchups are getting better and better. Today, league-leading IG faced a stiff test against EDG, the finalists from the Spring Split and a team that’s always a threat in terms of Worlds qualification.
After a tense, three-map series, IG proved they have what it takes to come back from behind against the best of the other conference.
EDG got off to a hot start by punishing IG’s style to push the lanes. IG wanted lane control to give room for their Kindred to farm, but EDG fought back with kills in all lanes.
But IG came back by winning a disorganized teamfight around the Mountain Drake. EDG made the fatal mistake of trying to focus on the IG bot lane, which normally is a good idea. But when the bot lane is Swain and Shen, those are actually two of the tankiest people in the game. EDG left their Zoe out to dry, fought scattered instead of together, and IG turned the ace into a Baron.
Drake fights defined the rest of the match as both teams fought desperately to control Elder Dragon. The last one went for EDG and decided the game. EDG fought as a team and Tian “Meiko” Ye found the perfect initiation onto IG jungler Gao Zhen-ning.
IG went back to basics by drafting a marksman for star ADC Yu “JackeyLove” Wen-bo. EDG countered with Kai’Sa for their own star, Hu “iBoy” Xian-zhao, to go against JackeyLove’s Varus. JackeyLove seized lane control from the very beginning, but things almost became a disaster when EDG simply ganked him for being pushed up.
But the second time EDG tried that trick, IG were there and picked up a slew of kills on the counter gank. That gave midlaner Song “Rookie” Eui-jin some much needed gold.
EDG continued to get kills, but IG’s map pressure was superb. Even when it looked like EDG won a fight, IG seemed to always pick up the objectives and the farm. The result was a quick IG win in just over 26 minutes.
In game three, EDG once again got off to a hot start by ganking IG’s bot lane, this time at level two. But again, it just delayed IG’s lane control, and a few minutes later, all three lanes were pushed up again. The first bot lane recalls saw JackeyLove come back with a B.F. Sword to iBoy’s boot-dagger combination.
As LPL games are known to do, things devolved into a messy—and unnecessary—series of fights. But just like game two, IG came out ahead in objectives. IG got so far ahead that they just ran at EDG and won the series.
IG came out ahead in this duel of mid lane and ADC stars, but their work in cross-conference play isn’t finished yet. EDG are just second in the rankings in their conference, after all. IG still have to play Rogue Warriors next Saturday at 6am CT to determine who is truly on top of the LPL.
