The Intel Extreme Masters Gyeonggi 2016 League of Legends grand finals in Gyeonggi, South Korea, featured two South Korean teams: recent World Championship finalist Samsung Galaxy and recent League Champions Korea promotee Kongdoo Monster. At stake were a $50,000 grand prize and a ticket to the IEM League of Legends championship in Katowice, Poland, in March. In the end, the experienced Samsung dispatched Kongdoo Monster 3-1 in dominating fashion behind Lee "Crown" Min-ho and Kang "Ambition" Chan-yong's efforts.
Things started on a negative note for Samsung Galaxy in the first game as Son "Punch" Min-hyuk's Elise counter-ganked Ambition's Rek'sai in the middle lane at the 8:55 mark, yielding a 2-0 advantage for Kongdoo Monster. Samsung bode their time through roaming forays from Crown (on Orianna) and took a commanding lead, but nearly squandered it at the 25-minute mark as KDM ambushed three of their players.
However, the team capitalized on KDM's overextension following a Baron Nashor takedown shortly after, controlled the map, claimed Baron's head at 33:30 and swiftly destroyed the enemy nexus after 35 minutes, 58 seconds of play.
Samsung wasted no time to assert dominance in the second game of the series, as Ambition selected Kha'Zix in the jungle and preyed upon KDM's players across the map. The Ambition show started at the seven-minute mark as he (on Kha'Zix) invaded and slew Rek'sai at KDM's red buff.
The jungler secured the victory through ganks in the mid lane (12:10), a 2-for-0 trade in the bottom lane that also yielded a turret (16:25) and a foray up top that also resulted in a tower takedown (18:27). KDM prolonged the game until SSG's Baron Nashor takedown at the 27-minute mark, and as Ambition's Kha'Zix hit critical mass, ending the game at the 29-minute mark with a 5/3/12 Kill/Death/Assist score (for a 70.88 percent kill participation ratio). The score was 2-0 for Samsung.
Noting the events of the previous game, Kongdoo Monster secured Kha'Zix for themselves and unleashed Zyra, a previously banned champion, onto the rift. KDM's chances at avoiding a sweep seemed dire early on, as Samsung's Lee "CuVee" Seong-jin's Kennen secured two solo kills in the top lane, but the team secured advantages at the 14-minute mark with plays across the map resulting in a 4-for-2 trade.
Samsung traded blows with KDM until they let Kongdoo Monster slay Baron Nashor uncontested (26:14) then committed a critical mistake at the 30-minute mark, sending Crown's Orianna on a split-pushing spree in the top lane -- a matter that left them vulnerable in the bottom lane and resulted in a 5-for-1 for their opponents. KDM slowly ground down Samsung's structures, destroying the bottom lane and mid lane inhibitors, then claiming SSG's nexus at the 41:22 mark. KDM had put one on the board to counter Samsung's two wins.
The commentators had started discussing the potential of a reverse-sweep for Kongdoo Monster before the fourth game's pick/ban phase had started, but Lee Sin's availability (and subsequent first pick by Samsung's Ambition) ended such talks abruptly. All hell broke loose for KDM starting at the 11th minute when they conceded three kills to one in the bottom lane, and it only worsened from there.
Samsung hurriedly secured a 5,000 gold lead at the 13:40 mark, as they annihilated KDM's bottom lane, then asserted presence in their opponent's blue-buff side. The team secured the game for good on the 23-minute mark, when their pressure in the mid lane and the top lane helped them secure four kills and the Baron, using its buff to siege KDM's base and end the game 3-1 in 26 minutes.
Performance Highlights
Samsung vs. Kongdoo Monster featured a duel of two junglers: Rek'sai and Kha'Zix. Kha'Zix's mobility, dueling power and high damage output helped the junglers who summoned him reach an overall 6.6 KDA ratio against Rek'sai (to her 1.0 KDAR).
Samsung's tunnel vision on Kongdoo Monster's bottom lane in game three was such that they performed five ganks in 15 minutes in the vicinity. SSG's bottom lane held a 3/4/17 collective KDA, to KDM's 1/9/4.
In the semifinals match on Saturday, Kongdoo Monster had Kim "GuGer" Do-yeop capitalize on Immortals' tunnel vision. However, they were unable to replicate the feat against the swifter Samsung Galaxy in three of the four games played. GuGer ended with a 0/15/19 KDA over four games.