Welcome to Day Three of the North American Promotion Tournament for the League of Legends Championship Series. As usual, I’ll be bringing you play-by-play of the tournament’s matches. The live blog should auto refresh right before your eyes, but feel free to refresh the page yourself for the latest updates.
The tournament, held at LCS Studios in Los Angeles, California, consists of the 3 lowest placed LCS teams and the 2 highest placed Challenger teams throughout the Spring Split. The 5 teams will battle it out to gain entry to the LCS Summer Split.
PLAYOFF BRACKET
-Bracket determined by seeding
SCHEDULE
| Day 1 | April 6 | Match A (Team Dignitas vs. Team Dragon Knights) | TDK WIN | |
| Day 2 | April 7 | Match B (Renegades vs Team Dragon Knights) | REN WIN | |
| Day 2 | April 7 | Match C (Team Impulse vs. Apex) | TIP WIN | |
| Day 3 | April 8 | Match D (Match 2 loser vs. Match 3 loser) | TBD |
Day Three – TDK v Apex
Apex and Team Dragon Knights will battle it out to see who takes the last remaining spot in the LCS Summer Split. TDK are coming off a 3-0 whitewash by a resurgent Renegades and Apex lost 3-1 to Team Impulse yesterday. Apex, who are the #1 Challenger seed team coming into this promotion tournament, are pre-match favourites at 1/2 – TDK are valued at 6/4.
LIVE BLOG:
TDK vs Apex
Game 1
Here we go then, picks and bans underway. The last time these two faced each other, a couple of weeks ago at the Challenger Spring Split finals, Apex came out 3-1 winners. Mental advantage?
Game 1 – Picks and Bans
Here we go then, game one has started!
Game 1 – Pause
Game one is yet to get underway due to Cris accidentaly picking the wrong masteries. He isn’t allowed to change them though, and the game gets back underway.
3MIN
Early dragon for TDK.
6MIN
A good early game start by TDK sees them match Apex’s tower kills whilst also being able to secure both Rift herald and Dragon. Early gold gained.
10MIN
Here’s your 10 minute update. Both teams posture around dragon.
11min
12MIN
Both teams push 2nd tier towers. Apex keep on pushing though and the rift herald buff helps them take down TDK’s inhib tower down to half health at just 12 minutes!
14MIN
14mins in and TDK still have a gold lead, mainly down to OHQ’s Kalista out-farming Police by nearly 40 CS.
17MIN
TDK secure their 2nd dragon.
20MIN
Here’s your 20 minute update – still not kills just yet…I promise it’ll pick up very soon.
22MIN
See! Would i ever lie to you? Cris catches OHQ in Apex’s red side jungle – but he doesn’t have enough damage to delete him. The rest of TDK turns on Cris and deletes him for first blood. TDK pick up another before retreating to prepare for the Dragon that’s up in 20 seconds.
23MIN
This game is hitting its stride now! The two teams eye each up around dragon and TDK makes the first move. Flaresz teleports behind Apex and TDK reacts quick to pick up a kill – they get low though, and Keane is able to ult Bischu to balance out the kills in this fight.
28MIN
A huge fight in top lane sees Apex pick up 3 kills, only losing their Ryze! Kez and Ohq get really low too and are unable to stop Apex securing Baron. Huge.
31MIN
Keane is huge right now on Graves. TDK looked to have succesful defended their 2nd bottom tier turret after Kalista ults Braum into the Apex team – but Keane does tons of damage and is deceptively tanky too! Apex turn the fight around, take the tower, and will regroup for another push.
34MIN
Wait a minute, are TDK back in this? TDK catch out Shrimp wandering about in their red side jungle, and then push on to pick up another 2 kills! Keane does take their top inhib turret in the process though. Baron coming up in 1minute time!
37MIN
Fight! Apex pick up 2 kills in the mid lane – Keanes Graves yet again proving to be too much to deal with – they need to shut him down to stand a chance! Apex grab dragon.
39MIN
Both teams dance around the baron pit – but look at the bottom left hand corner, minions are taking TDK’s inhib! TDK get too low from taking baron and recall to just about save their inhib.
41MIN
Apex’s Police grabs 2 huge kills on TDK – they go back, kill baron, and Keane kills OHQ! Apex push up mid and destroy TDK’s inhib. Is this game over?
44MIN – APEX WIN
Apex use baron buff to push in and take game one. What a game that was after a slow slow start!
Game 1 – APEX WIN
The Graves and Sivir were huge for Apex – here’s a look at everyones stats during that game.
Game 2 up next
Game 2 – Substitute
Trance subbed in for Bischu at Support.
Game 2 – Pick and bans
TDK steal away the Graves that Keane used to great effect last game. Will this see them win Game 2?
Game 2 – Pick and bans
TDK steal away the Graves that Keane used to great effect last game. Will this see them win Game 2?
5MIN
First blood goes over to Cris and Apex. Flaresz a little too over-aggressive.
9MIN
TDK waste an age down bot, comical stuff! They fail to get anything from it as Xpecial snuffs them out.
12MIN
A chaotic fight in mid sees Xpecial finish off Alex ich. Apex push to take mid turret and dragon.
15MIN
Ohq misses an Ashe arrow down mid on Keane. Xpecial sees this as a chance to engage on 3 members of TDK in the mid lane – a massive misjudgement. TDK explode him and the teams back off. 1-0 for TDK that fight.
19MIN
A huge pillar by Xpecial stops Alex ich in his tracks! A team fight ensues and TDK start to retreat – trance gets caught and goes down. Apex then take dragon. Apex in control here.
21MIN
We saw this yesterday when Apex faced TiP – the Twisted fate is causing all sorts of problems for the opposition. Keane ults into top lane and Apex are able to pick up a kill onto Trance and Alex ich.
24MIN
An ace for TDK! That fight was everywhere! Alex ich catches off Shrimp off to the side – he goes down – but then Cris catches OHQ round the back of the team. Flaresz was doing work throughout the fight, taking down Police. Game on.
27MIN
Baron for Apex! A fight down near Dragon sees Apex secure 3 kills onto TDK. They secure Baron, the 3rd of the day. TDK throw away that comeback.
29MIN – APEX WIN
Apex and TDK fight again! Apex win the fight comfortably and push on to win. TDK now need to reverse sweep Apex to make it into the LCS Summer split.
Game 3 – Pick and bans
Here we go, game 3 is underway!
3MIN
A quick early gank by Kez catches Apex off-guard. Kez secures the kill onto Xpecial. Good start for TDK.
5MIN
Shrimp continues to play well for Apex. Him and Cris tower dive Flaresz’s Maokai under the turret. Ekko, who was already far ahead, now gets a kill to his name. Flaresz also misses out on tons of CS.
8MIN
Shrimp thinks he’s killed Alex ich after a gold card stun by Keane…but no! Kez ults and saves his team mate. Beautiful play.
9MIN
A tower dive top sees both OHQ and Trance going down. Apex now take the gold lead.
13MINS
Kez catches out Xpecial and is now 3/0 on Kindred.
16MIN
Police and Xpecial take down Alex ich. The rest of Apex push on to take down 2 mid towers. This is starting to look like an Apex victory…
17MIN
TDK are caught overextending top lane. Apex, on their way back from taking 2 towers mid, collapse in on the top lane and find Kez and Ohq. Getting out of hand now.
20MIN
Apex take Rift herald but are extremely low whilst doing so. Keane gets picked off, but Cris teleports to a ward, with homeguards, and is able to get a double kill! Apex will recall then focus on this mid inhib.
24MIN
A fight occurs as TDK try and push Apex’s mid tower. A flash gold card from Keane onto Kez causes TDK to retreat. Trance gets picked off first, then a teleport by Keane catches 4 members of TDK. Only a matter of time before this is over.
26MIN
Oh. My. Word. Cris. Cris has had a godlike game on Ekko. A 4 man stun allows his team mates to pick up Baron with ease. He then picks off Flaresz.
30MIN – APEX WIN
Cris teleports behind TDK, who were trying to catch Keane. It results in an ace and Apex are your winners! 3-0 series win sees them qualify for the NA LCS Summer split.
SERIES OVER – APEX 3 – 0 TDK (APEX SECURE AN LCS SUMMER SPLIT PLACE)
MVP
Shrimp and Cris were huge in that game – it’ll be hard to pick an MVP for this series – both played brilliantly.
And that’s it from me and the NA Promotion Tournament. Renegades, TiP and Apex will all be in the NA LCS Summer Split.
TDK vs Apex