E-Sports: Cloud9 vs. 100 Thieves
Photo by The Esports Observer
Hello, ESports fans! It’s an exciting time to be following the League of Legends competitions, as the playoffs for the world championship are underway! Cloud9 competes once again versus 100 Thieves, their first matchup in two years in front of an actual audience. Things are looking exciting as champions are drafted.
In Cloud9’s corner, we have Renekton top lane, Diana Jungle, Ryze Mid, Zeri Bottom, and Renatta Glasc Support, meanwhile 100 Thieves is bringing in Ornn Top, Lee Sin Jungle, Viktor Mid, Xayah Bottom, and Nautilus Support. Though both sides have some pretty heavy contenders, their midlane choices have a lot to be desired. After all, Ryze has seen no less than five reworks and still continues to be one of the lowest win rate champions in the game. That said, these guys are the pros, so I’m sure they have something good up their sleeves. As the timer ticks down, the match begins.
Starting the game right off the bat with an invasion into the Cloud9’s jungle, 100 Thieves secures immediate first blood in under 30 seconds by killing Diana, giving him a huge boost of gold to start the game. A beautiful kill for them and a positively spectacular play to start the playoff series. Not letting up, Lee Sin closes the gap on Renekton, taking advantage of the knock-up from Ornn to make his target and rush forward, beating him down and securing a second kill, and then a third immediately after. That Renekton is getting punished hard, followed by Zeri getting utterly stomped bot lane. Renata Glasc tries to save her but no dice as the timer ticks down all too late. Ornn and Lee Sin are proving to be a positively devastating combination as they take another kill, with Diana showing up all too late to save Renekton. This first match is still very early, but it is off to a positively devastating start for 100 Thieves.
Taking advantage of the hard push from 100 Thieves in the top lane, Diana manages to secure Herald. Meanwhile, Zeri finally puts Cloud 9 on the map before sneaking up from behind on Ornn top lane but is quickly punished as 100 Thieves closes in and completely erases her and Renekton once more before securing first dragon. Trying to get some more pushing up in the top lane, Diana summons Herald top lane but to no avail as Ornn makes quick work of it. One push a bit too far from Renekton, and Lee Sin and Nautilus both come in to clean up shop. A hook and stun from Nautilus, a swift beating from Lee Sin, and Renekton are down once more leaving the tower open for Ornn to deal some heavy damage.
At the Rift Herald once more, Cloud 9 and 100 Thieves engage in a positively brutal 5v5 team match. There are several close calls with Renekton and Diana biting the bullet but zero losses for 100 Thieves as they take advantage of the chaos and snag Red Buff and Herald amidst the confusion and death, forcing the survivors of Cloud 9 to high tail it out of there. Things have slowed down a bit, but with Lee Sin dropping Herald in the mid lane, they secure tower and push forward. Cloud 9 tries to pull a kill off in Bot Lane, failing at that but securing a tower, giving them a slight gold advantage despite their severe kill deficit. 100 Thieves have gained almost total control of the map, making it nigh impossible for Cloud 9 to get any headway. An absolutely oppressive early game has rewarded them heavily, and now it’s just a matter of how long Cloud 9 can hold out before their defenses finally finish collapsing. A huge fight breaks out in the river near Herald, now turned Baron, and 100 Thieves butchers them and Baron with no issue whatsoever. With the Baron Buff active, it will take nothing short of a miracle to get Cloud 9 this win as 100 Thieves utterly demolish them.
As 100 Thieves converges on the middle lane, they obliterate the turret and inhibitor, deciding to end the game right here and right now, kill after kill as they keep smashing against the Nexus, and in an absolutely oppressive first match of the playoffs, 100 Thieves takes the win.