Winter 2016 EU Championship: Rebirth of Empire vs. Team Secret

Semifinals Match

Rebirth of Empire begins this series 1-0 since they did not lose any matches during days one and two.

GAME 1

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Phase,RoE,TS

Ban,Skaarf,Ringo

1,Krul,

2,,Adagio

3,,Phinn

4,SAW,

5,Blackfeather,

6,,Kestrel

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TS play RoE at their own game, reading them so well in the draft phase. Threatened the SAW push comp, RoE feel forced to take the SAW themselves, but TS have the perfect counter – they put KValafar on Kestrel. MrKcool just doesn’t look comfortable on this unorthodox SAW pick and is regularly forced back in the lane by the superior range and poke that Kestrel provides. Once TS take the first turret early in the game, it already feels the game is over as RoE’s overthought draft starts to cripple them. nettetoilette flushed away all of the potential roam Blackfeather provided for them by walking into KValafar’s Active Camo time and time again. TS’s preparation pays out, and they even the scoreboard of this series to 1-1 and give themselves a fighting chance of advancing to the finals.

Result: RoE: 1    tS: 1

GAME 2

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Phase,TS,RoE

Ban,Ringo,Adagio

1,Krul,

2,,Skaarf

3,,Ardan

4,Catherine,

5,Vox,

6,,Skye

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RoE finally decide to let MrKcool onto his comfort pick of Skye, but already having a Skaarf means that this will be a WP Skye. A few all-out team fights in the lane see TS picking up the first couple of kills, but the first ace goes to RoE, who only lose GreatkhALI. They pick up the gold mine and begin pressuring the lane. Gauntlet and Death from Above combined are causing a lot of problems for TS as the game tips further into RoE’s favour. GreatkhALI is visibly frustrated as KValafar on Vox cleans up an ace on the verge of death; the game is starting to slip through the fingers of RoE. Another team fight breaks out as TS try to take the Kraken, but Palmatoro on Krul and KValafar on Vox emerge with an Ace with enough time to take the final turrets and Vain to take the lead in the series. TS just seem to be RoE’s kryptonite.

Result: RoE: 1    TS: 2

GAME 3

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Phase,RoE,TS

Ban,Adagio,Krul

1,Catherine,

2,,Ringo

3,,Ardan

4,Blacfeather,

5,Reim,

6,,Phinn

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The game starts out with some debatable drafting on both sides, and it’s a bit of a sloppy start to the game as the two teams are at 3-5 on kills at just five minutes. TS appear to rotate more successfully as a team, but it’s still early. GreatkhALI’s Reim sees a lot of success into the tanky double melee frontline of TS, as fortified health gets him through some tight situations. A 3-man Forced Accord forces RoE to fight under two turrets, but they still pull through to secure an ace. RoE are doing incredibly well at forcing everything through onto KValafar’s Ringo, but TS start positioning around this, isolating the members of RoE very well to take a couple of team fights and turn the game around. A 3-man Forced Accord through the wall puts KValafar, who is channeling is ult, into a horrible position and he is quickly erased. After TS respawns, nettetoilette is caught trying to teleport and takes a lot of damage before making it back to his team with TS hot on his heels. MrKcool seems to take the wrong message from this and dives into the middle of this ravenous chase and is immediately focused down, with Reim falling quickly after. There are two swift kills in favor of TS, and they rush the vain crystal to close out the series with three very convincing wins.

Result: RoE: 1    tS: 3


Team Secret are just a singular unit in these highly competitive matches. Rebirth of Empire seem to have suffered from the nerves of the occasion and fall prey to TS once again. The drafting and mind games were a large part of this series but in the end Team Secret make their way into the Finals to accept whoever advances to challenge their title as reigning champions of Europe.

kvalafar

Team Secret laner KValafar