The First Day of the 2018 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Play-In Stage: A Recap
The first day of the 2018 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational play-in stage is now over, and to be honest, it was a bit difficult to watch.
Out of the four teams in the first group of play-ins, Gambit Esports was the only team that truly impressed. While other teams, such as Rainbow7 and Kaos Latin Gamers, managed to win a few rounds, their performances were not convincing. Even if either of these teams manages to upset Gambit on the second day of games, it’s hard to have much confidence in their ability to perform well throughout the tournament.
Gambit, on the other hand, had an outstanding performance. They were able to outmaneuver their opponents and gain an advantage through superior vision control. Even when they fell behind, they were able to turn the game around and secure victory. This is a stark contrast to their previous international appearance at the 2017 Worlds, where they didn’t win a single game.
Gambit’s Impressive Pregame Strategy
One of the key aspects of Gambit’s success was their ability to excel in the pregame phase. They worked together to create effective picks and bans, setting themselves up for success right from the start. The play-ins are played on a new patch, Patch 8.8, and establishing strong precedents for the tournament’s meta is crucial.
This strong pregame strategy is especially important during the play-ins, as these teams don’t have previous games to reflect on and determine the most effective compositions for this patch, unlike teams in the group stage.
Gambit even surprised everyone with their unique compositions, incorporating champions like Karthus, Nocturne, Jhin, and Ornn. These compositions may have seemed odd in previous patches, but Gambit demonstrated their effectiveness by dismantling Rainbow7.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow, the second group of play-ins will begin their battles at 6am CT (1pm CEST). Stay tuned for more intense action!
League of Legends, Mid-Season Invitational, play-in stage, Gambit Esports, Rainbow7, Kaos Latin Gamers, picks and bans, Patch 8.8, pregame strategy, unique compositions, tournament meta