Copenhagen Wolves vs. Elements Match: Breakdown and Analysis
Last night, Copenhagen Wolves and Elements faced off in an exciting match, with CW emerging as the victors. The game was filled with intense team fights and solo plays, but both teams also made questionable decisions.
Ban/Pick Phase
Elements’ ban/pick phase was subpar for a number of reasons. The decision to ban Draven, specifically targeting Freeze, was unnecessary considering other champions like Kalista, Corki, and Graves could provide similar or even better damage, mobility, and team composition synergy. Elements could have baited Freeze into picking Draven or left it open. Instead, they were forced to ban Zed due to CW picking it, which in turn forced Froggen onto Orianna.
To improve their ban/pick phase, Elements should have predicted CW’s bans against Wickd and Froggen and adjusted accordingly. If they had banned Zed instead of Draven, they could have let CW have Rek’Sai and secured Ezreal and Morgana in the first rotation. This would have pressured CW to pick Corki to prevent Elements from having a strong siege with Ezreal and Corki. Elements could have then freely picked Nidalee for more poke and chosen Gnar, Maokai, or Mundo as Wickd’s tank.
Early Game
Both teams opted for a defensive level 1 strategy, but Elements decided to lane swap. By doing so, they aimed to catch CW off guard and deny Youngbuck. However, this strategy could have backfired if Unlimited, aware of EL’s lane swap and with vision from Kalista’s scout, had intercepted Shook at the blue buff. This would have caused significant problems for Shook and delayed him even further, possibly giving Airwaks a three-buff start.
In the early game, Krepo’s lack of attention to CW’s bot lane positioning resulted in First Blood. Additionally, Wickd made a poor decision by returning to a 3v1 situation, allowing CW to take advantage and kill him.
Dragon Control
Throughout the game, Elements struggled with dragon control due to poor warding and lack of information on CW’s movements. Their decision to recall 10 seconds before Dragon respawn gave CW the opportunity to secure it freely. Elements had fewer wards compared to CW and lacked vision in critical areas, leading to CW out-rotating them.
Game-Deciding Mistake
Elements lost the game due to a critical error. Despite having a massive minion wave pushing toward CW’s inhibitor turret, Elements made the ill-advised decision to go for Dragon instead of destroying the inhibitor. This missed opportunity allowed CW to defend against three lanes of Super Minions with Baron buff and the 5th buff from Dragon.
Issues to Address
Elements must work on their overall game strategy, decision making, knowing when to engage and retreat, itemization (especially for Wickd), and positioning during enemy engages. Additionally, Krepo’s emotional shotcalling during stressful situations could be a problem, as clear-headedness is crucial for making the right decisions.
Copenhagen Wolves vs. Elements, esports match, analysis, ban/pick phase, early game, dragon control, game-deciding mistake, issues to address