Arguably the best part about having a double-elimination series is that teams that performed well during the regular season get a chance to redeem themselves. Another great part is that sometimes, teams get a chance to go at each other a second time. This will be the case for TSM and Golden Guardians.
Last time GG stomped TSM 3-0 in what was the most surprising match of the LCS Playoffs so far. TSM will be looking for revenge after taking out their frustrations on Dignitas in a less convincing but equally quick 3-0. With that, here are the three keys to victory for TSM as they hope to move on to face Cloud9 for a chance at making Worlds.
There are a lot of people who are rightfully claiming that FBI and Huhi are currently the better bot lane duo and arguably one of the best in the LCS. To make things even less favored for TSM, it is unclear who will be Doublelift’s duo partner. During the middle of the week, TSM announced that Biofrost was practicing with the main team again but Treatz could still see the stage Sunday.
Because of all of these factors, Doublelift has to reassert himself. This is possibly the biggest series of his career as he went back to TSM after an awful fallout with Team Liquid and while he hasn’t been bad, he hasn’t been the Doublelift everyone remembers. In this series, DL has to step up in a massive way no matter who is playing support.
The best way to do this is for TSM to pick a winning matchup in lane. They can not be bodied by Morgana. Expect to even see her banned and Doublelift picking something like Xayah to pair with Rakan, Aphelios or his world-famous Lucian that is very prominent in the meta currently. If TSM can get Doublelift a good matchup and give him the chance to shine, they are one step closer to exacting their revenge.
There are plenty of times that TSM are caught in the middle of nowhere or are generally unaware of what is happening around them. This was evident in their last series when someone would get picked off and there was rarely an answer. Often times, the best teams in the world are the ones that are able to find the trades for their mistakes or another team’s great play.
For TSM this means that if GG gank bot then they need to respond with a top gank or at a minimum, a clearing of GG’s top jungle. This sort of macro mindset keeps them from falling too far behind and it is especially crucial during the mid-game, a part of the game that TSM have struggled in.
Picking champions with global abilities would normally help with this as well. Unfortunately, outside of Twisted Fate, picks like the Gangplank and Senna are not ones that TSM thrive on. Even Tahm Kench is a worrisome pick for TSM if Biofrost ends up playing. Hopefully, TSM have figured out how they want to fix their macro and make it a priority or they may be watching the rest of playoffs and worlds from their couches.
Last time Damonte’s Ziggs was very effective at keeping Bjerg from taking risks in the side lanes. This was due to Ziggs’ ability to knock down towers like a battering ram. It seems likely that Ziggs may get a priority ban as it is a pick that keeps Bjergsen from effectively moving around the map.
Also, TSM can not pick Sett or anything tanky during this series for Bjergsen unless it is going to be something like a Galio. This is because TSM need to activate their best player and the only way to do so is by giving him something he can carry on. If GG prioritizes banning Syndra, LeBlanc and Zilean or Azir then good for TSM. There are still plenty of mid picks that Bjergsen can carry on.
Look for the Lucian to come into play as he is one of Doublelift’s best champions and while Bjerg has only played it once, there is no doubt he can bring it out this series. Even if GG focus every ban on Bjerg, he has over 60 different champions he has played on stage in his career. Have him play Orianna, Cassiopeia, Corki, Zoe, Akali or even the Irelia. There is just no excuse to not give Bjergsen an advantage in lane and put him on something that he can affect each game.
Watch the series live on 8/23/2020 at 4 pm EST/1 pm PST on lolesports.com.
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