2022 LEC Spring Playoffs: Rogue reverse sweep Fnatic as Malrang reigns supreme.

European teams still have no counter to Malrang’s gank pressure as him and Larssen’s Sylas carry Rogue to reverse sweep Fnatic and clinch a finals berth.

Game 1: Corki Package Flashbacks for Larssen

Game 1 was a back and forth affair between the European titans as Fnatic got off to an early lead off the back of Hylissang’s Pyke, snowballing through the botside of the map while getting Upset’s Xayah ahead. They would have ended the game with their poke comp if it wasn’t for Malrang’s genius flanks from Lee Sin, picking off Hylissang and stalling out the game with some clutch baron steals and more gorgeous flanks to keep Rogue in the game.

Rogue made a mistake of playing too safe after they had acquired the baron in a 4v4 scenario, choosing to base instead of using the mid lane wave to force the issue further, and the game dragged on until the next set of epic objective camps respawned. Wunder’s Jayce poke almost killed off Larssen as both teams traded objectives, but Larssen teleported too aggressively after regenerating, getting killed off by Humanoid’s Corki and wasting Malrang’s heroic efforts with yet another featherbrained late game play.

BlogOfLegends 2022 Spring Playoffs MVP : FNC Wunder (1)

Game 2: The Razorkcake that is Rogue

Razork takes over Game 2 with a sublime Volibear performance, being omnipresent on the map and making Larssen’s life a living hell fresh off of his game losing play last game. Razork got so fed on the Volibear that he started solokilling Comp’s Aphelios in a lot of these teamfights and Malrang’s beautiful flanks were once again rendered useless since the carries of Rogue were too far behind and weak to capitalize off of them. Wunder has also been having quite a great series so far and has thoroughly been gapping Odoamne, who I had as the best top laner in the regular season, on carry picks like Jayce and Gangplank.

BlogOfLegends 2022 Spring Playoffs MVP:  FNC Razork (1)

Game 3: HIT THE NEXUS FFS

Rogue bounce back and beat Fnatic in the playoffs for the first time in organizational history. They got off to a roaring start thanks to Malrang’s early game dominance; he was able to capitalize off of some fiestas in the early to mid game transitions and become the playmaker for Rogue’s success, securing baron. Rogue fumble the teamfight however, leading to Upset’s Jinx just annihilating Rogue not once but twice in an ill-advised, premature fountain dive. However, Larssen bounces back from his horrible series thus far with his Sylas, a champion I had my doubts about in champ select, and had clutch plays to seal the deal and keep his team alive in the series.

BlogOfLegends 2022 Spring Playoffs MVP: RGE Larssen (1)

Game 4: The First Place Team

In what is the most dominant, one-sided game I have seen since 2019 MSI Group Stage IG vs SKT where JackeyLove picked Draven into the Sona/Taric strategy, Rogue completely vanquish Fnatic and force a Game 5 and a potential reverse sweep, after being reverse swept in the finals three splits ago. Malrang and Larssen combined up demonstrate their formidable jg/mid duo, as the two of them simply ran over Fnatic members in extended skirmishes with beautiful mechanics and great reaction times to bait out abilities. While Larssen continues to shock me with his Sylas counterpick into Humanoid’s legendary Twisted Fate, Malrang continues to impress me like no other LEC player this split. The man is an absolute machine, very much looking like the best player in the LEC currently, and he made Fnatic regret leaving up Hecarim again by outplaying three Fnatic members in a bot dive and taking over the game from there.

BlogOfLegends 2022 Spring Playoffs MVP: RGE Malrang (2)

Game 5: Feels Good to Reverse Sweep Don’t It?

Rogue complete the reverse sweep with yet another dominant performance from Malrang in the early game as Comp mows them down in the teamfights. Humanoid’s coveted Twisted Fate pick went largely missing over the last three games, as Fnatic were unable to use it to create picks and win side lanes. The rest of the team, without Humanoid being able to get off the ground, simply crumbled before Malrang and Larssen’s Sylas counterpick, as Rogue advance to another finals.

BlogOfLegends 2022 Spring Playoffs MVP: RGE Comp (2)

FNC vs RGE Series MVP: Malrang

I think this series just shows that Malrang is simply the best player in the LEC right now. Even when he was losing the first two games, his early game initiative as well as his mind-blowing flanks nearly turned the tide for Rogue. In the wins, he was simply instrumental, setting up his teammates with his patented, “gimmick” ganks that seem to work over and over again, even though they weren’t supposed to in the playoffs. Unlike North America, Europe almost never imports any Koreans, preferring to use their extensive ERL systems instead, but the ex-Damwon jungler has simply been head and shoulders above every other player in the LEC, and his impact throughout these games have simply been transcendent. Just like every good Korean import, he reminds me of a predator that is artificially introduced into an ecosystem and he has simply been merciless in his dominance over the LEC.