Heroic League - Week 5 Recap
Welcome to the Friend or Foe Heroic Recap. This is our first Heroic Recap segment and we want to thank you for sticking with us as we try out different content ideas.
Game 1: FEC vs BBZ
Week 5 kicked off with Falcons Esports [FEC] versus Blue Bayou Zoo [BBZ]. This game marked the second time Vladimir has been left open for FEC CamelBasil, a mistake no team should ever let happen again, paired with FEC WildWestWild’s patented Fiddlesticks.
We hadn’t seen much action in Friend or Foe lately with Break Week happening the week before for all the players, but right off the bat, FEC HAPHS takes the immediate Level 3 advantage and flash-roots BBZ Songo in the bot lane. A nice follow up with FEC BeshyWap and FEC WildWestWild forced first blood. It didn’t go completely for free though, since BBZ NieR got a fairly lucky return-kill onto FEC Paytim3.
A beautiful Fiddlesticks/Vladimir combo onto BBZ in the Dragon pit at 7 minutes put FEC in the most comfortable spot they could be in. Albeit a nice attempt at a sneak, and a decent threaded hook onto Caitlyn, BBZ let FEC take full advantage of their gamble, and paid the price for it.
FEC CamelBasil was dealt four extra kills total from these early-game plays. Consistently, this Vladimir would nearly delete two-to-three members of BBZ. This extreme boost in power and momentum can be huge for FEC as they push forward into the Playoffs.
Game 2: INT vs SWO
Our second game of the week was Team In the Trees [INT] versus Team Sword [SWO]. SWO had started to swing up in the past few weeks since they’ve added their new stars, SWO Jovie and SWO Cam. INT would be their true test to see if they could play with the big boys.
Right off the bat, it looked like SWO King G8r had planned to hard-push his lane into INT Brocklee900’s tower to open up the top half of the River. A few moments later we see SWO King G8r invade INT BoExplode87’s jungle along with SWO Cam, most likely to score an early kill on a Level 3 Udyr. However, Team Sword’s timing seemed a little off, as Udyr was able to hit level 4 right before SWO King G8r showed up. Since both Top and Mid were pushed up, INT sacrificed their waves to assist their jungler, resulting in the first two kills of the game.
This early game opening wasn’t something INT expected, but it’s something they immediately were able to put to use. With the help of INT’s bot lane, INT BoExplode87 was able to continuously invade SWO Cam’s jungle and shut him out of the game for good.
A few individual mistakes by INT allowed SWO some breathing room. The Joive/Cam partnership on Team Sword is a monstrous duo, and all teams should be wary of them. Who knows how good they could be after a few more weeks with the team?
Unluckily for SWO, INT BoExplode87 didn’t take the jungle-invade lightly. After stealing the final dragon for Infernal Soul, INT was able to close the game out by re-engaging on a blunder made by SWO. This game showed the immediate and effective response time from each of the INT members.
Game 3: SPE vs YUBI
Our third game of the week was Team Spear [SPE] vs Yuumiversal Basic Income [YUBI]. SPE Orphic and YUBI Utility Monster had a few remarks they spew at each other, but as Playoffs is around the corner, all eyes were on YUBI to see if they would drop their win-streak.
Level-2-Rush is common in League of Legends Solo Queue, but when it happens in our Ranked Games, it can be brushed off easily. However, in Friend or Foe, it can determine the outcome of any game. A beautiful engage by YUBI Brian Tsang and YUBI JeffGodGamer scored them first blood, but SPE fought back with a 2-for-1 gank by SPE BigBrain.
Most of the early game was close. Anytime YUBI would snatch a kill, SPE would do anything to snatch something back. However the first big showdown was a 3v3 fight bot lane with both junglers ganking at the same time. It was a nice counterplay attempt by SPE to have BigBrain hovering, but YUBI’s early-game tankiness won them the trade, and potentially won them the whole game.
From here, YUBI successfully played the mid game effectively and pushed their gold lead to about 8k by the 20-minute mark. Since the top-side of SPE’s map was put so behind, SPE had no choice but to desperately force vision around Baron - a move that YUBI was immediately prepared for. The moment SPE walked one step too far, YUBI was able to snatch them from their own jungle and close off the game.
Game 4: TAS vs PTP
Game 4 of our 5th week featured Team Asorth [TAS] versus Pentakill Teemo Please [PTP]. These two teams have been struggling in their season, but a win here means a slight push forward. Despite the stakes, both these teams seemed to be playing at their happiest, according to their referees. Maybe it’s the joy of the game, or maybe it’s seeing familiar usernames above enemy champions.
Timing is everything. TAS K1zZ was able to score first blood on PTP Lets do Vaynal while PTP Graviel was just moments away from saving him. However, PTP Graviel was able to score the return kill by chasing him down, but TAS Shadows21 was pathing the same exact way, resulting in a quick kill for TAS to take back.
A nice four-man play by PTP in the bot lane catches TAS off-guard. A forced TP brings TAS Hismee into the fray, but the engage tools from PTP were too strong. The score was 5-to-5 at 15 minutes, with the gold lead just barely in favor of TAS. Needless to say, this match was very close. Despite struggling in the laning phase, TAS Hismee was able to score a few solo kills while splitting the bot lane. However PTP’s immediate response to TAS’s splitpush was to consistently catch him out. Unfortunately a few members of TAS would attempt to join the fray too, resulting in more casualties.
The score was nearly dead even for 30 minutes (18-to-18). In the end, Dragon Soul was on the line for TAS, and a beautiful dive onto the backline destroyed PTP’s chances of using their engage tools properly and winning the game. This had to have been one of the most chaotic and most enjoyable games to watch this season.
Game 5: SPE vs INT
Despite SPE’s loss against YUBI, Team Spear held their heads high as they pushed their recent momentum against INT, a team that’s looking to prove a lot in the final weeks of the season. Even though their roster couldn’t be finalized until nearly the half-way point, INT is still a team everyone respects and pays a lot of attention to.
A forced dive by INT scored them first blood onto SPE Cheeky Pingu, but nice response time from SPE BigBrain kept the game from spiraling into INT’s hands. Despite INT taking a few individual kills early, an invade into the top side of SPE’s jungle goes wrong and SPE Orphic and SPE Didle were able to fight back with three kills for one.
The first big turning point in the game was at 17 minutes when INT attempted a dragon steal. INT BoExplode87 was able to snatch the dragon steal, but the game quickly flipped when SPE Didle was able to zone off two INT damage threats, opening SPE Hi im Leshy to open fire onto the rest of the enemy team.
INT was able to contest each objective and steal away kills away from SPE, bringing the game into their favor for a little bit, but SPE was able to keep the gold lead even with any advantage they could look for. Desperate for an opening, INT decided to engage and attempt to burst someone before SPE Orphic could respond. Alas, beautiful peel by SPE Cheeky Pingu allowed SPE to fight back with enough response time and close out the game.
Game 6: FEC vs PTP
With FEC taking down BBZ the day prior, Falcons Esports would have the opportunity to take 2nd place, and potentially the 2nd Seed Bye with Playoffs around the corner. Meanwhile, the loss against TAS may have still been lingering on PTP’s minds going into this game. Additionally, an emergency substitution for PTP Rat Autocrat brought in PTP Sizzzle onto the Friend or Foe stage.
First blood was scored by FEC WildWestWild onto PTP’s bot lane, which also featured FEC BeshyWap on Draven - the first Draven pick in the Heroic League (formerly “GU League”). Maokai engages are honestly so frustrating to play against, I would have lost my cool. However, minutes later, a forced engage by FEC allowed PTP to slowly poke them down and re-engage a fight that would even up the score and neutralize the game for PTP.
With PTP having a 0-9 record, most audience members would expect this team to go down without a fight today. However, PTP scored 5 extra picks after the dragon fight prior, allowing PTP to stay in the driver’s seat for the rest of the game while Nasus scales.
For 40 minutes straight, FEC would just barely lose out on fights while PTP won out in 5v5s or even 4v5s while PTP Lets do Vaynal pressured the side lanes. However, a fight for the Mountain Soul gave FEC the tools they needed to finally win out in all-out brawls. Well-placed Rumble Ultimates by FEC Paytim3 reopened the game for them, and any possible move afterwards would net FEC positively.
Despite PTP’s scaling, FEC’s defense would not be shattered. A couple of fights around Dragon and Baron pit would shut down PTP’s late game. In the end, a Baron fight with an Elder-enhanced FEC shut down PTP and closed out one of the most exciting games we had seen in Friend or Foe.
Game 7: BBZ vs YUBI
Here’s a little insider scoop: For those who are unfamiliar, BBZ Songo, the support for BBZ, is also the show’s producer - the guy that leads the visual product of Friend or Foe. Despite being a player, he spends most of his time talking about production or business among us, and almost rarely talks about his experience as a participant. However, this specific morning, he came into our call and said, “I can’t lose to a guy that has better graphic design skills than me on MS Paint.”
A nice engage by YUBI Brian Tsang using a Level-6 advantage gave YUBI first blood, along with an extra bit of pressure on YUBI’s strong-side. Minutes later, BBZ responded with a return kill on their own strong-side, allowing BBZ NieR and BBZ Dakks to capture the first tower. This slow-paced early game is to be expected due to both teams’ drafts and acknowledgement of their win conditions. However, it’s gameplay like this that can slowly flip the map without anyone noticing.
A catch onto YUBI Utility Monster at 22 minutes opened up the bottom-river for BBZ, and moments later, a beautiful flash-hook reaction by BBZ Songo was able to catch out YUBI JeffGodGamer. Despite the advantage, BBZ’s CC was too slow to try to delete YUBI’s damage threat, and allowed YUBI to slowly clean up the fight front-to-back, marking the first big turning point of the game.
With such an advantage being given over to YUBI and with BBZ’s strong-side failing their individual missions, it was merely childsplay for YUBI to take control of any part of the map they wanted. A final fight for the Elder Dragon sealed the deal and gave YUBI a 10-0 record going into Week 6.
Game 8: TAS vs SWO
Our final game of Week 5 was TAS versus SWO, two teams that were 3-6 at the time. With both teams tied for 6th, a win here means a better chance at a playoff spot, while losing here could mean falling short right at the end of the season.
I think we can all understand that teams shouldn’t be expected to perform as well as they did in a previous season. Many factors are at play. But Team Asorth looked hungry and on fire in the early game, scoring first blood in the top lane with a nice gank by TAS Voltox, catching SWO King G8r off-guard. Additionally, a nice TP by TAS Hismee caught out SWO Cam mid-gank in the top lane, pushing TAS’s top-side pressure even more.
A turn in the game was forced by TAS when they decided to invade aggressively into SWO’s jungle to try to snatch a kill on SWO Kentucky Gent. However all five members of SWO opted to lose out on farm and experience to attempt to respond, and the attempt was worth it. SWO was able to re-engage with all their members being present and took down 3 TAS players to even up the score.
A beautiful three-man Yone Ultimate by SWO Jovie in the bot lane pushed the game even further in their direction as they push the kill and gold lead in their favor, along with a free dragon. A TP play by TAS opens up the map slightly, but in the end, SWO was so ahead from their early game re-engages that they were able to fight back easily in a moment’s notice. With such an advantage in the mid game, the macro plays feel trivial for teams with nearly a whole season under their belt. SWO was able to finish the game out cleanly in 26 minutes with a score of 28-to-11.