RheingoldRiver beings reports from Saturday's LCS action

With excellent overviews of each match and interviews with the expert summoners involved, RheingoldRiver brings insight into the events that enthrall millions as part of the League of Legends Championship Series.

RheingoldRiver is a valued member of the terrific LolKing community; the site for all of your League of Legends tools, guides and information. Rhein also streams regularly and you can get updates on her latest League of Legends content here.

Game 1: Team Coast v Team Solo Mid

ZionSpartan: Shen

NintendudeX: Jarvan IV

Shiphtur: Ahri

DontMashMe: Twitch

Daydreamin: Nami

 

Reginald: Ryze

TheOddOne: Elise

Dyrus: Rumble

WildTurtle: Vayne

Xpecial: Thresh

With invasions on both sides and 2v1 lanes, NintendudeX received two red buffs while TheOddOne took two blues.  It was TSM that was more successful in pushing the side lanes, and took its first turret in toplane by 5 minutes.  Coast got the first two kills of the game but, during a very extended Dragon dance, TSM not only evened up the kill count at 4 per team, but also took the first dragon.  Coast answered with a 3-1 teamfight in TSM's red jungle, but after recalling it was out of position for the 20-minute baron attempt by TSM, and the objective was finished before NintendudeX could quite make it into the pit to attempt a steal—and he went down as well.  Baron buff in hand, TSM pushed the botlane through the inhibitor and another few outer turrets.  A crucial fight between Reginald and Shiphtur at 27 minutes saw the midlaners exchange kills, but ZionSpartan was forced to use his Stand United, which meant that when Coast's bot inhibitor respawned TSM could take a free baron without the ability of Shen to join the fight to contest.  Instead, nearly the entirety of Team Coast fell and, at 30 minutes, TSM picked up the win.

TSM wins

 

Game 2: Cloud 9 v Team Curse

Balls: Karthus

Meteos: Nasus

Hai: Zed

Sneaky: Ashe

LemonNation: Zyra

 

Voyboy: Tryndamere

Saintvicious: Xin Zhao

Nyjacky: Ahri

Cop: Caitlyn

EDward: Thresh

For the second time this split, Curse pulled out a Tryndamere pick for Voyboy, but this time it was against the kiting potential of Ashe and Zyra.  The initial lane swap was won by Cloud 9 as towers were exchanged and it took the first dragon, but first blood was taken by Curse, off a Saintvicious gank in midlane, killing Sneaky and, at 7 minutes, only 100 gold separated the two teams.  Several exchanges of kills and objectives between the teams over the next several minutes led to Cloud 9 extending its gold lead by 4k, almost entirely through turrets, by 15 minutes.  At 21 minutes, Curse had its ideal teamfight engage: Zyra was split from Ashe and Voyboy was able to spin right on top of Sneaky.  But by this point Cloud 9 was so far ahead from turret and farm gold that it actually won the fight 4-3 before going on to trade away Hai's life for yet another turret.  The next major teamfight went 4-2 in Cloud 9's favor across the map, with a 1v1 between Hai and Voyboy in botlane alongside a 4v4 in mid; this victory led to an inhibitor.  The final win for Cloud 9 was a pickoff onto Voyboy in botlane at 27 minutes, and off that the team simply pushed its second inhibitor and then closed out the game, once again claiming a victory by the 30-minute mark.

Cloud 9 wins

Game 3: Dignitas v Counter Logic Gaming

KiWiKiD: Elise

Crumbz: Lee Sin

scarra: Kassadin

imaqtpie: Varus

Patoy: Sona

 

Nien: Vayne

bigfatlp: Nocturne

Link: Twisted Fate

Doublelift: Twitch

Chauster: Thresh

Despite its failure in the game against Velocity, CLG once again opted for a double-ADC composition, though this time it was Nien on Vayne instead of Link on Ezreal.  Dignitas also tried a somewhat different composition, with scarra on Kassadin.  The Kassadin pick proved fruitful almost immediately when, at 5 minutes, scarra teleported botlane to turn around a first blood onto Patoy into a 2-1 for Dignitas.  CLG first tried to focus its double global ults toplane at 10 minutes, but it was only a one-for-one exchange.  At 13 minutes, it tried for a dragon, but again was unsuccessful, as Crumbz stole it away from bigfatlp.  Dignitas secured pick-off after pick-off onto Nien and Doublelift, and Kassadin started to snowball harder than CLG could deal with.  CLG did win a massive teamfight near its bot inner turret at 23 minutes after a perfect engage with its globals but Dignitas answered with a baron before the crucial ults could come back for CLG.  Yet another pick-off onto Nien at 27 minutes led to Dignitas pushing its second inhibitor.  After another push to get its third inhibitor, Dignitas took its second baron at 23 minutes, won one last fight, and then took the nexus after an incredibly fast-paced game from the two teams.

Dignitas wins

Game 4: Velocity eSports v Vulcun Techbargains

Vileroze: Shen

Nk Inc: Lee Sin

ecco: Twisted Fate

maplestreet: Vayne

Evaniskus: Zyra

 

Sycho Sid: Yorick

Xmithie: Zac

mancloud: Ezreal

Zuna: Kog'maw

BloodWater: Thresh

In the last game of the day, Vulcun again tried its double-ADC composition of the day before, but this time with Yorick and Thresh replacing Nunu and Sona, and this time it proved less successful.  Xmithie was unable to create any kill opportunities early, and it was Velocity who secured the dragon when side-lane turrets were swapped.  Velocity also got the second dragon—and, in fact, would take 5 dragons in a row—when Sycho Sid was stuck toplane but Vileroze was able to ult down to join the now 5v4 fight.  Vulcun did retain the early tower lead, and it wasn't until 30 minutes that Velocity was able to turn that around, but Velocity getting every single dragon gave it too big a gold lead, and the armor stacking was too effective for Zuna and mancloud to deal with.  When maplestreet got a quadrakill at 34 minutes, the game was effectively decided, and Velocity took a baron and soon closed out the game.

Velocity wins

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