GAME 1
[easytable width=”260px”]
Phase,GSS,VGB
Ban,Krul,Ringo
1,Adagio,
2,,Catherine
3,,Blackfeather
4,Vox,
5,Ozo,
6,,Skye
[/easytable]
GSS showed their control over both the game and themselves in this match, pressuring VGB slowly but steadily in both lane and jungle and building up a large gold advantage over time. Gold was roughly even for both teams at 6:00, but at 6:50, GSS shopped and picked up the Gold Mine payout. In a questionable move, VGB engaged right after, despite being at a disadvantage because they hadn’t shopped. From there, the gold differential slowly widened; at 10:00, it was 3k, and at 15:00, it was 9k. There was impressive play out of every GSS player, with IraqiZorros’s excellent Sonic Zooms, FooJee’s fantastic engagements on Ozo, and gabevizzle’s well-timed crucibles to block silences.
Result: GSS: 1 VGB: 0
GAME 2
[easytable width=”260px”]
Phase,VGB,GSS
Ban,Vox,Catherine
1,Adagio,
2,,Blackfeather
3,,Ardan
4,Fortress,
5,Ringo,
6,,Petal
[/easytable]
GankStars fans were definitely on the edge of their seats for the first few minutes of this game, after IraqiZorro was ganked and killed twice in lane in the first two minutes. Another kill onto FooJee at 3:50 seemed to bode badly for GSS. Despite this three kill advantage, VGB failed to really take advantage of these kills, and the teams were almost exactly even on gold at the 5-minute mark. At 9:00, GSS completely took over the game with a single ace, taking a turret and a Gold Mine payout, giving them a 3.5k gold lead at 10:00. As in the first game, GSS pressured VGB slowly but steadily with controlled aggression, expanding the gold lead to 5k at 12:00, then 7k at 13:00. They closed out the series with a strong finish after chasing VGB down and executing them at the 15:30 mark.
Result: GSS: 2 VGB: 0
A team formerly known for their intensely aggressive play, GankStars Sirius has shown that they also know when to hold back instead of making overly greedy plays. FooJee’s growing pains from being the newest addition in GSS seem to have melted away after two more weeks of practice with his team, culminating in impressively in-sync plays.
Vertigo Black returns for the Winter 2016 Championship.