(Scroll down for live blog updates)
It’s time to decide who will earn the 3rd place spot in Europe’s League of Legends Spring Split. H2K faces Fnatic in a matchup that few would have predicted to take place on Saturday at the start of the season. The competition is going down at the Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands. The winner will secure valuable Championship points for a chance to get into the World Championships in September.
Semi Final Matches:
H2K v Fnatic
Stream: Riot Games
Fnatic has long been a finals fixture in the LCS scene, but the team was shocked by a calm and collected G2 Esports team last weekend, and they dropped the match 1-3. H2K had a closer match with Origen, but they couldn’t close it out for the win, falling 2-3 to end up in this 3rd place competition.
I’ll be with you throughout the match providing live updates. You can join in the discussion by tweeting with the hashtag #ESSLCS during the match. I’ll post some of the more insightful observations and the freshest memes here in the live blog.
LIVE BLOG (refreshes automatically)
The stadium in which the match will take place today.
We’re underway in Rotterdam!
How the playoff bracket has played out this Spring Split.
20 points is the difference between winning and losing this game. Those Championship points could be crucial at the end of the Summer Split in getting to the World Championship.
H2K will be blue side throughout this series, FNC will be red side.
The teams are lined up and ready, who will be the team to bounce back from their semi-final loss? Use the hashtag esslcs
Game 1 – Picks and Bans
Picks and Bans are underway! Rekkles sporting the Fnatic hand art.
Game 1 – Picks and Bans
Game 1 Picks and Bans are in! Sivir, who was 100% picked or banned during the playoffs, somehow escapes each teams grasps.
1MIN
Keen to note that H2K have double teleport – Fnatic’s Febiven has instead gone cleanse.
5MIN
Quick update, nothing has happened yet. Slight CS lead for H2K’s bot lane duo who have the more aggressive matchup.
7MIN
H2K’s duo really punishing FNC here, CS lead is going to just get bigger and bigger. Klaj going low.
9MIN
First blood for Fnatic! Febiven ults Ryu into Spirit and Klaj who are able to chunk out the Ryze.
12MIN
12-minute update as H2K grab the first Rift Herald of the game. 0.4K gold advantage for the side down 1 kill.
16MIN
H2K are dominating in the mid-game and apart from the early first-blood from Fnatic, they’ve been perfect in their macro play. Dominating in towers at the moment and Fnatic are playing reactionary.
19MIN
21MIN
21 minutes gone – Baron and Dragon are gonna be contested soon.
21MIN
Vander caught in no mans land. Jankos responds with a kill onto Rekkles in the top lane for H2K.
22MIN
H2K take Baron! They take it so quick with the power of Kindred and Kalista and Fnatic can’t respond.
24MIN
H2K get their 5th tower of the game.
27MIN
Objectives coming up soon, hopefully that’ll see the start of fights throughout the map!
29MIN
Fnatic take Baron, but H2K’s Ryze has teleport and is able to push out the top side lane to the inhib.
30MIN
H2K get Baron…
31MIN
…but Fnatic are able to take out 4 members for the price of 3! Rekkles goes untouched throughout that whole team fight and is able to deal tons of damage! They’re still down in gold, but that halts any H2K pressure and momentum.
34MIN
Despite being down 4K in gold, Fnatic want to team fight. H2K have immense map pressure with banner of command on a minion and the split push potential with double teleports. When grouped, Fnatic’s Azir and Ezreal are being able to poke H2K down, even the tank, Maokai.
36MIN – FNATIC WIN
H2K’s Maokai teleports behind Fnatic, but Fnatic stand strong! The teleport onto the backline is a good idea by H2K, but they’re fighting in a narrow corridor which is a huge advantage for Fnatic and Febiven on Azir! H2K collapse in team fighting, yet again and they lose the game off it! 1-0 Fnatic.
36MIN – FNATIC WIN
H2K’s Maokai teleports behind Fnatic, but Fnatic stand strong! The teleport onto the backline is a good idea by H2K, but they’re fighting in a narrow corridor which is a huge advantage for Fnatic and Febiven on Azir! H2K collapse in team fighting yet again and they lose the game off it! 1-0 Fnatic.
Game 1 – Review
Game 2 – UP NEXT
Game 2 – Pick and Bans
Pick and Bans underway. H2K pick up the Kindred again for Jankos. In fairness to H2K, apart from first blood, their early game was immaculate – and Jankos did play really well on Kindred. The problem was that their team fighting is, and was in the semi-final too, so lacklustre.
Game 2 – Pick and Bans
Remake! Game 2’s Pick and Bans are the exact same as Game 1. H2K will be looking to transition their early game dominance into a win this time around.
2MIN
Keystone Masteries for each team. Key to note that in this game FNC manage to lane swap their duo that was getting overrun last game.
5MIN
H2K take the tower quicker and are able to rotate down towards Rift Herald. Another good start by H2K, Gamsu down on CS to the Maokai now on Ekko.
6MIN
Same picks, same bans, same scenario for first blood! Febiven is able to ult Ryu into his bot lane duo. Rekkles is able to pick up the first blood.
10MIN
10-minute update. H2K down 1.1K Gold. They need to start making use of their double TP before it’s too late – the early game pressure has not been as good as it was last game by H2K – mainly because of Fnatic managing to get a lane swap.
14MIN
H2K are able to pick up their second dragon of the game uncontested.
15MIN
Vander is able to catch out Rekkles in Fnatics blue side jungle. The rest of the team collapses around Vander and he’s able to pick up the kill. Gamsu is able to push top in the mean time and H2K have to react, backing and rotating to defend their turret.
17MIN
Jankos is able to grab rift Herald, but H2K lose 2 members in the process! Scrappy.
20MIN
H2K look to have timed dragon perfectly, but Spirit steals it! They rotate to mid and are able to pick out Forgiven as they bait Baron.
22MIN
H2K are desperate, they are on tilt here! They try to rush down Baron but Fnatic collapses and are able to pick off members of H2K and steal the Baron for themselves! Huge. H2K’s team fighting is terrible.
24MIN
H2K have to do something. They engage onto Spirit, but it ends up in them being aced and Fnatic winning Game 2! What a convincing victory. They are now just ONE game away from winning the series and taking 3rd place.
Game 3 – UP NEXT
Game 3 is coming up shortly and H2K really have to find a way to sort out their team fighting problems. Fnatic are one win away from taking 3rd place.
H2TILT
Everytime H2K make a mistake, they seem to tilt. In that last game, they gave away Dragon and went on to lose Baron and the game in less than 10 minutes. They need to keep their composure and play to their wind conditions.
Game 3 – Pick and Bans
We will have different picks this time! H2K decide to ban out the Ekko and Azir that has been troubling them the last 2 games. Complete Pick and Ban phase to come shortly.
Game 3 – Pick and Bans
Here we go, the final chance for H2K. They have a good team fighting comp with the likes of Maokai and Lissandra and have much better wave clear than Fnatic, I favour them here.
2MIN
Keystone Masteries for both team.
3MIN
4MIN
H2K secure first blood for the first time in this series!
6MIN
H2K have started really strong here in Game 3! They execute a clean tower dive onto Spirit in the mid lane to give themselves a 2K gold advantage.
9MIN
H2K take a turret and take dragon. At 9-minutes, they are now 4k+ gold up. Beautiful start by the team that is showing no signs of fear in this game.
13MIN
H2K are showing up big time here. H2K manage to pick off Klaj at the start of that fight and then a beautiful ult by Ryu under turret secures the kill onto Spirit. They push on to grab the inhib turret at 14-minutes!
16MIN
H2K take their second dragon of the game. Nearly 6K gold advantage for H2K.
20MIN
20 minute update as Baron spawns. Can H2K bait it out and keep their nerves in a team fight?
22MIN
Spirit is caught out and deleted by Jankos and Ryu. H2K take the inhibitor and go on to take Baron. This game is looking beyond reach now for Fnatic, especially with this little to no wave clear.
24MIN
H2K trade 1 for 1 but are able to take down the second inhibitor.
27MIN
H2K are using their baron buff to try and end, but they’re all low! They manage to get the towers but Fnatic ACE H2K! What!? Could this be one of the greatest comebacks ever?
28MIN – H2K WIN (H2K 1 – 2 FNC)
Sorry to big it up, but this won’t be the greatest comeback ever. H2K come straight back from that ace by Fnatic and get 3 kills of their own to end the game.
Game 4 – COMING UP
Game 4 – Pick and Bans
Febiven with the Cass pick in the mid lane to counter Ryu and the Ryze. H2K have a full engage team comp, it’s a team that needs to catch someone. This’ll be a good game. H2K need to win to avoid elimination and a 4th place finish.
4MIN
Another first blood for Jankos! Gamsu is over-extending in the bottom lane and Jankos punishes him with an early gank.
6MIN
Gamsu 1v1’s Odoamne in the bottom lane!
8MIN
Gamsu and Spirit try to catch out Odamne in the bottom lane, but the Maokai is too strong! He catches out Gamsu under turret and manages to secure a kill.
10MIN
A lot of resources thrown into taking down Ryu, but it’s worth it as Fnatic take mid turret afterwards.
11MIN
H2K grab the first dragon of the game. They’ve grabbed the first dragon every game in this series.
13MIN
H2K secure Rift Herald.
15MIN
A failed engage by Klaj sees him blow his flash and Rekkles blow his heal.
16MIN
18MIN
Fnatic get Dragon and a kill onto Jankos.
22MIN
Jankos and Odoamne take down Gamsu in the bot lane. Fnatic try and respond with baron but they get forced off it as they don’t have a tank to tank the damage baron deals.
25MIN
Fnatic get dragon but H2K take out 3 members!
26MIN
H2K grab Baron for the second game running! Fnatic take out 2 members afterwards, but there is still 3 members of H2K with the baron buff on them!
29MIN
H2K 3K gold up on Fnatic.
31MIN (H2K 2 v 2 FNATIC)
H2K grab dragon and then kill 4 of Fnatic, only losing their support in the process! They push top and kill Spirit to grab the ace and push in to win. H2K TAKE IT TO GAME 5!
Game 4 – H2K WIN
Game 5 – UP NEXT
You’ve gotta love Game 5’s. Winner takes all. The drama. The tension. Oh, and Silver Scrapes.
Game 5 – Picks and Bans
This is how the picks and bans look going into the final game of the EU LCS. Who will gain those valuable Championship Points?
2MIN
Spirit steals Jankos’ red – huge early game move.
5MIN
A farming frenzy across the map here, no sides really making moves. Forgiven up in CS over Rekkles.
6MIN
First blood to Odoamne and H2K after a successful tower dive onto Rekkles!
7MIN
9MIN
H2K even up the tower kills. H2K have a slender 0.2k gold lead.
11MIN
H2K grab Rift Herald. Rekkles is now 30 CS down to Forgiven.
13MIN
13 minutes gone and it is a nervy game. Neither team wants to be the one that makes a mistake and you can tell that by the lack of action. Fnatic take the first dragon uncontested, the first time they’ve took the first dragon this series.
16MIN
Forgivens pressure top means that H2K can get a tower for free. The CS lead is now nearly 50! Corki already has his triforce.
18MIN
H2K are playing the split-push game brilliantly. FNC take a turret top, but H2K’s Forgiven pushes bot and manages to get 2 turrets. They’ve now got a 2K gold advantage. 4 towers to 2.
20MIN
Spirit steals Dragon from H2k! But the fight that ensues after goes in favour of the team that was 2-0 down. FNC’s front line gets shredded and Febiven drops far too quick. H2K grab 2 kills and grab mid tower. H2K 3K gold up right now.
23MIN
Both teams are just fighting over ward coverage at the moment, H2K looking to take or bait the baron.
26MIN
H2K trying to squeeze ever last advantage they can get until dragon comes up in 20 seconds time.
27MIN
H2K take their first dragon of the game.
30MIN – FNATIC WIN THE SERIES 3-2 AND GRAB THIRD PLACE
H2K no! What!? What are they doing! H2K have been in control the whole game, they have FNC on the end of their string, moving them around the map – Fnatic were so reactionary! But H2K force an engage, they chase and chase Fnatic under the mid turret, even when low, and Fnatic are able to take advantage of it. Fnatic turn and they demolish H2K. It’s an ACE and Fnatic push on to win! Unbelievable.
FNATIC TAKE THIRD PLACE – H2K FINISH FOURTH (FAILING TO FINISH THIRD FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER)
Series Review
The fight that gave Fnatic 3rd place. Look how scattered H2K are, with Jankos off to the side. Poppy and Vander were also half health when Fnatic decided to engage. H2K had a 4K gold lead at the time.
MVP of the series?
Febiven – especially for those first 2 games. Fnatics mid laner came up big in his hometown.
A table of how the Spring Split standings look before the final tomorrow between Origen and G2.
JOIN ME TOMORROW FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE EULCS SPRING FINAL
Hello and welcome to live text coverage of the 3rd place match between H2K and Fnatic!