MXM The River King’s Cup NA Semifinals & Finals Results - TSM Wins!

Aug 27, 2017

The NA Semifinals and Finals for MXM community tournament, The River King’s Cup, have finally come to an end on August 26th.

After the Semifinals and Loser’s Rounds, Counter Logic Gaming and Team Solomid played against each other in the Finals, and after BO3 matches, TSM won by 2-0. TSM became the winner of The River King’s Cup NA region.

The first match was the Semifinals between Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) and Team Solomid (TSM). While CLG banned Rytlock and Kat the Cat, TSM banned MBA-07, and Wertion from CLG picked Yuri for the first time in this tournament. Both teams engaged several times in the top lane starting from the early game, from which only players from TSM continued to be eliminated; CLG was able to summon the Titan Incarnates quicker than TSM and destroyed the opponent Guardian Tower in mid lane.

Later both teams fought in front of King Tanian, from which TSM was able to cause much damage to CLG and take King Tanian, causing the gap between two teams to grow. TSM gained advantage to the game from winning several skirmishes, and was able to take the first Rozark in 10 minutes from the start of the game with their Vonak, gaining lead in the game with more points.

CLG has only 2 Guardian Towers left; TSM summoned Titan Incarnates, pushing the lane, but CLG also countered with their own Titan Incarnates, succeeding in defending their base. CLG made an attempt to turn the game around by initiating a teamfight, which TSM did not fall for and made a run for it. Having no further chance to summon the Titan Incarnates, CLG fell to their knees to TSM and let their opponent team proceed to the Finals.

▲ The intense fight between the two teams for King Tanian. TSM was able tot he take the lead in the game once they took King Tanian.

▲ CLG did not have any choice but let their core be destroyed in the end, for they did not have enough Titan Shards to summon a Titan Incarnate.

Following was Loser’s Round between Team Tado and Last Minute Warriors (LMW). Team Tado banned Statesman and Taejin and took Moro, while LMW banned Nunurunerk and Vita and picked Mondo Jax. With an exception to Keywi, the whole LMW team chose to use Teleport, which surely was distinguished from the current meta, the Tower Shield spells.

In the early game, LMW played by the 4-Teleport strategy with Keywi breaking deep into Team Tado’s side of the map and placing a ward, to which rest of his teammates teleported to. However, Team Tado took a quick notice of this, and prevented LMW from gaining any distinct advantage.

Later, while LMW was engaged with their opponent team in front of King Tanian, Keywi tried to stealthily take Rozark; after LMW took King Tanian, they teleported to the ward Keywi placed in Rozark’s room and tried to take Rozark as well. However, junjiwoo from Team Tado managed to steal Rozark from LMW, turning the game around.

Team Tado took a full advantage of their lead in the point and continued to take down LMW’s Towers one by one. LMW had no choice but focus on defending their base when they hopelessly lost almost all of their Tower as they had no Tower Shield spells left. Meanwhile, Team Tado summoned Titan Incarnates to destroy LMW’s core.

▲ LMW used 4 Teleports as part of their strategy.

▲ However, everything they had planned turned to dust when they let their Rozark be stolen by Team Tado.

The third match was Loser’s Round between Team Tado and CLG. Whichever team won in this match would proceed to the Finals and play against TSM. Team Tado banned Eirna and MBA-07, and CLG banned Lorraine and Sizuka. Team Tado took the Altar in the top lane while CLG took the one in the bottom lane, and it seemed CLG was taking the lead in the early game at first.

Team Tado tried to take King Tanian first taking advantage of Moro’s fast jungling, although CLG’s Wertion managed to steal King Tanian, letting his team take the lead in the game. In order to make up for their loss, Team Tado actively initiated teamfights, but CLG manged to win in each and take all of the second Altar, turning the game in their favor.

By taking 7 towers to 1, CLG waited for the right moment as they played safe pushing the lanes and fighting in skirmishes. Eventually, Team Tado managed to take down several enemy Master in their last team fight, and went straight for enemy base. They summoned their Titan Incarnates to focus on destroying enemy core. In the end, CLG was placed 3rd in The River King’s Cup.

▲ Wertion succeeded in stealing King Tanian by himself.

▲ CLG managed to proceed to the Finals by keeping the lead in the points.

With CLG proceeding to the Finals, the last match took place between TSM and CLG. The match was best of 3, and TSM banned MBA-07 and Ghost Widow, and CLG banned Vonak and Ghost Widow in the 1st round. Both teams cause intense fights as they countered in opponent jungle and took their objects from the start of the game.

TSM used MBA-07 to take King Tanian, while CLG used Vonak to take Rozark. Even though CLG took Rozark, TSM took more victories from the team fights, letting TSM take the lead in the point by small difference. As the time passed by to the late game, it came to the point whichever team took the second Rozark will decide the winner of the game.

The last team fight took place in Rozark’s room, and TSM managed to finish off 4 of CLG’s Masters and take Rozark, putting even more gap between the team scores. With all of their lanes pushed to the very back and the huge gap between the scores and the Towers, CLG had no choice but surrender to TSM.

▲ While TSM took King Tanian, CLG took Rozark, catching up with their points.

▲ Yet, the last teamfight in the Rozark’s room decided the winner.

The same ban picks as the first round was made in the second. Again, each team set out to counter jungles and fought intensely for the Altars; CLG took all of the Altars on both top and bottom lanes, letting them take the lead in the points as they took two of their enemy Towers.

CLG had Vero push the bot lane alone while the rest of the team went to take advantage in some other ways; however, TSM did not lose the chance to go take Rozark when enemy Vero got killed 3 times in the bot lane. Some of CLG members went to put a stop to this, but they were eliminated and TSM took the first Rozark with ease.

With the game turned around upon taking Rozark, TSM went to destroy CLG’s base with 2 Titans in the mid lane. CLG tried to stop them and invade TSM in counter, but failed with TSM summoning their Titan Incarnates at the right moment. After winning the teamfights, TSM went to take Rozark with ease and taking lead in the score by 200 points.

CLG’s defeat became certain when TSM’s Titan destroyed their mid lane Tower and was about to destroy their core as well. TSM was about to hit 1000 score when they took all of the jungle objects and King Tanian as well. In the end, TSM scored over 1000 points and won the game when they managed to stop CLG’s last attempt to attack with only 1 minute left to the end of game. This made TSM the winner of The River King’s Cup NA region.