Semifinal Series
GSS starts off the series 1-0 because they did not drop a set in Day 1 or Day 2.
GAME 1
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Phase,GSS,TSM
Ban,Fortress,Adagio
1,Vox,
2,,Ardan
3,,Ringo
4,Blackfeather,
5,Catherine,
6,,Reim
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As soon as the game started, TSM pressured GSS heavily, with CullTheMeek rotating down from lane on Ringo to join a three-man invade into GSS’s jungle. At 4:00, TSM had a 1k gold lead; at 6:00, 2k; and at 11:00, it was 6k. At 7:30, TSM picked up the Gold Mine, and GSS came in for a very questionable fight, getting aced and giving up a turret. Although GSS was able to push off two pushes by TSM, at 15:30, TSM brought out their signature move of infusing, capturing Kraken, and pushing to the win. One of the biggest factors in the match was MICSHE’s Reim being able to starve FooJee’s Blackfeather out of farm. Up in lane, CullTheMeek’s Ringo was also able to outfarm IraqiZorro’s Vox quite heavily, allowing TSM to further open up the gold lead and maintain heavy pressure against GSS.
Result: GSS: 1 TSM: 1
GAME 2
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Phase,TSM,GSS
Ban,Blackfeather,Ardan
1,Adagio,
2,,Vox
3,,Krul
4,Ringo,
5,Fortress,
6,,Koshka
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TSM ran a comfort team comp with CullTheMeek on Ringo being buffed by MICSHE on Adagio. However, GSS came out with a counter comp of gabevizzle on roam Krul, FooJee on jungle Koshka, and IraqiZorro on Vox. Although GSS was suffering a bit early-game, FooJee stayed relevant by securing his back doubles in jungle, and GSS came back massively in mid-game teamfights. gabevizzle on Krul jumped onto CullTheMeek to shut down his damage output, and IraqiZorro led with a silence from his ultimate, which was chained into a stun by FooJee onto MICSHE. However, in the late-game, GSS got overconfident and had massive misplays, with IraqiZorro overextending in the second to last fight and FooJee stunning FlashX instead of a carry in the last fight. Though it looked shaky for TSM in the mid-game, they ultimately took the game home by keeping cool heads.
Result: GSS: 1 TSM: 2
GAME 3
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Phase,GSS,TSM
Ban,Ringo,Adagio
1,Vox,
2,,Ardan
3,,Blackfeather
4,Fortress,
5,Skye,
6,,Skaarf
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GSS start off with fantastic early-game control, establishing an early gold lead and securing a clean ace at just 8:20 for a gold mine and turret. However, at 10:00, they overstay and are punished by TSM. After that, the teamfights were slightly in favor of GSS, but were very back and forth – neither team really established definitive control over the game. At 21:40, however, GSS catch out FlashX, who is forced to use his Gauntlet defensively. At 22:00, GSS makes moves on kraken, TSM, predicting this perfectly, rush to GSS’s base to push. However, GSS recall and catch out TSM, acing them and capturing Kraken at 23:00 as well as taking down a turret. They were able to take down two turrets, but overstayed and FooJee and gabevizzle were killed, preventing GSS from closing out the game. At the final fight of the game, TSM had a perfect Gauntlet, splitting up GSS’s team and preventing them from committing to the fight to take out an important target. TSM pulled off a clean ace and pushed to the win.
Result: GSS: 1 TSM: 3
Despite starting out with a one point advantage in the series, GSS was swept by TSM. All the games were fairly close, but TSM capitalized on crucial mistakes by GSS in late-game teamfights to pull ahead. TSM ultimately showed that they were the better team, with superior macro play and mechanics.
GSS player FooJee shakes hands with TSM player CullTheMeek.