Only two teams from LPL remain, BLG have to win this series to confirm they're the strongest team in the region. Even though they've dominated all year this won't be a clear cut series, all the lower seeds have been surprising everyone throughout the tournament.
Game 1
Weibo start the series with an incredible draft. They covered all bases with strong laning, good scaling and lots of tools to take down BLG. Their opponents however have time as their ally; as late game gets closer their composition will become stronger. Not due to their individual champions scaling better necessarily, it's moreso Bin's Jax becoming near unstoppable inside of side lanes. Not to mention their poke getting stronger over time, a very useful tool to turn the tides.
Lanes were unsurprisingly swapped, Weibo is in control of the game at these early stages. Bin is taking a beating toplane in the 1v2, struggling to get at least some XP, even burning his Flash to not end up too far behind. BLG look to dive Breathe in botlane with a gank from Xun. This play almost backfires, Poppy barely escapes with one HP as the tower does most of the work almost killing multiple members from BLG. So far they have burned almost every single Flash and gotten nothing from it.
The clear tempo lead is now converted into 2 stacks of Voidgrubs, thanks to Tarzan being able to have first move anywhere on the map. BLG rotated the entire team to the objective, not satisfied they're looking to kill at least one player. It seemed like a fight was going to break out, but WBG made the correct decision of disengaging since Breathe was able to farm and get resources completely uncontested this entire time.
BLG now look for a dive botlane. This was unsuccessful, and this map control is instead used to claim the Dragon. After Weibo decides to recall, First Turret is also taken. All three of the next Voidgrubs did go to them in return however. It seems objectives will keep being traded for the time being.
Even though they were a bit slow on these plays, Weibo trade top for botlane tower. Not committing to a single play BLG also loses their inner bot turret. Tons of gold going towards WBG. As they recall, a tempo lead is created. Arriving toplane first meant a few plates and the ability to setup Herald, effortlessly claiming the objective. Hoping to counteract Bin's push bot, the charge is used toplane. Unfortunately for them, their inner turret falls while they were unable to get more than just an outer tower. This would've been a lot more effective if used midlane.
It took 20 minutes for First Blood to happen, and it was Crisp walking up mid alone getting oneshot by Elk.
Third Dragon may create the first teamfight this game. Both teams seem hesitant, taking their time around this objective. BLG are the ones who end up starting it, looking to start a fight. Breathe jumps into the fray, managing to knock Xun away. Weibo bursts down Dragon in this short window. Not much of a fight after as BLG is trying to run for their lives in this disadvantageous situation. Nevertheless, 4 kills are claimed. This is more than enough time for them to run and get Baron.
Sieging toplane proves impossible with how much poke BLG has. Xiaohu is soon after killed midlane. He did manage to burn multiple of their spells. Weibo is somehow in the backpedal, even with the lead.
Baron buff is gone, Xiaohu Teleports in hope of creating a teamfight via flanking. Unsuccessful, the team quickly takes Dragon. They're still trying very hard to start a kill or find a pick on someone, almost giving their lives for this. Right as it spawns, BLG is trying to take Baron. The second Bin is spotted nearby they pounce on him hoping to get a fight out of it. With help of Seeker's Armguard he goes into stasis, then proceeds to dash and Flash to safety. Baron has now reset and they must back off to avoid annihilation. Unable to escape, Crisp and Xiaohu are killed. Baron is now property of BLG.
While sieging midlane, Breathe leads a charge forwards, determined to find a fight. It is ON who ends up caught in a CC chain, giving away a kill. This time all of WBG is able to safely disengage. Dragon is spawning soon and it's in their best interest to not fight for it. They show up in hopes of wasting their time so their Baron buff runs out. A precise engage onto ON manages to split BLG apart. He goes down and Bin is all by himself now, getting them a second kill. Breathe does end up chased and killed, but this served a purpose. There's no one to defend midlane now.
One minute before Baron, a fight breaks out in Weibo's jungle. Tarzan dies instantly but his team was close enough to respond. It looks very close and ends up a 3 for 2 trade in favor of BLG. This was at the price of a lot of Flashes, which may prove critical during the Baron fight. With Bin pushing bot, WBG have to force the objective. They claim Baron and struggle to escape. BLG in turn gains a tower, inhibitor and 3 kills. Unfortunately this was more than enough to end the game before they could even respawn.
Game 2
To the surprise of everyone, WBG are the first in the whole tournament to pick Elise. They're dead set on early game skirmishes and forcing fights. BLG once again have much better scaling and really good poke; these are the tools necessary to slow down the game, which is their win condition.
Weibo take a gamble going top altogether. They're predicting a lane swap from BLG, as this would let them match it instantly. It seemed like it was going to pay off, but after all players invading raptors together Light ends up dying and tons of Summoner Spells were burned. With XUN being the one to claim the jungle camp, this early game seems lost for WBG.
Now seizing the chance to overload and dive Bin in botlane, Breathe dies as ON is killed since BLG looked to countergank this in time. Decent result, however WBG needs to do this constantly and successfully in order to win this game.
It's BLG the one who finds an easy kill, ganking Xiaohu as 3. When the fight for Voidgrubs starts it seems like WBG is misplaying. A short lived feeling as they get 2 kills and keep chasing deep into the jungle, taking complete control of this part of the map. Two stacks of grubs was the cherry on top.
Even though XUN was taking Dragon, Light and Crisp find a way to sneak behind Elk through the river. Very easy kill, but Xiaohu was also ganked and killed as this was taking place. Weibo's botlane is not done, now looking to dive ON. The tower aggro was beautifully juggled, followed by incredible kiting from Light as they get another kill. Elk tries to get some turret platings now that Light has recalled, unfortunately a deep lane ward leads to a Teleport flank from Breathe and he is killed once again.
BLG overload and dive Breathe in botlane, this kill will let them take tower. This was their response to WBG taking Voidgrubs and toplane turret. Given how lanes and rotations have been played out, it's Light who has benefited most now sitting at a 1.8k gold lead over his counterpart. In very similar fashion they again trade Dragon plus Tower (with platings) for a single turret in the opposite side of the map; this time they even got an inner tower.
Game will become more difficult moving forwards, BLG's ability to stall will become stronger and the amount of objectives to fight for will become less. A massive lull state took place right after Weibo took herald because of this. Even though they got another Drake and ON wasted his flash trying to engage, there's no way to siege midlane tower against 2 mages. They have easily reached Soul Point.
After spotting Knight Teleporting from toplane to his base, Weibo attempt to force Baron. They barely manage to take the objective and must now fight to escape with the buff. Three players must give their lives for this. However Xiaohu had different plans, Teleporting behind the remaining 3 BLG players looking to finish them off. He gets a single kill on the support before getting himself killed. This made Tarzan the only member keeping Baron buff.
A random fight breaks out in river, Light seems to have gotten caught. Unsurprisingly this goes terribly for WBG as they're once again giving their lead away.
Dragon is spawning soon, which could mean Soul for Weibo. Trying to catch Breathe in botlane they burn Zigg's ultimate and XUN almost gets killed. It's looking good for WBG initially, they are able to start the objective and control the entrances. They're taking their time which ends up getting them poked a lot by Ziggs. They're getting killed one by one, until an amazing play by Light keeps his team in the game. This was still not enough, Weibo is wiped and BLG quickly ends the game off this.
Game 3
For this third draft Weibo go in quite a different direction. They should have a much better time in the later stages of the game with such a composition as they now have access to poke, waveclear and even sidelaning. BLG keeps aiming for the same or very similar champions, they have played extremely similar compositions in every game.
Both teams went for a lane swap. BLG are the ones looking to dive early once again. This time it was just Bin and XUN going for it, a play Breathe was somewhat able to outplay by trading 1 for 1 and getting the First Blood gold. He was also able to save his Teleport, a potential advantage in the future.
Fast-forward to the spawn of Voidgrubs, BLG has arrived first while Weibo focused on crashing their waves before rotating. They're carefully taking the objective while all players rotate. As soon as they claim the last grub, WBG pulls the trigger and engages. Quite unsuccessfully given Crisp ends up dying and there isn't a way to get a kill in return.
After returning to lane and crashing a large wave, Bin fins himself able to roam midlane and kill Xiaohu with help from his jungle. Not stopping there he roams all the way to topside this time. With Light and Crisp being zoned from their lane, the Top Jungle duo kill them between towers; XUN does get killed eventually. Quite incredible how Bin was able to get away with these roams, completely avoiding laning.
With WBG taking herald, BLG starts moving botlane to force a dive against Breathe. This is obviously successful but we should be looking at how Weibo responded, or rather how they should've. Xiaohu recalled instead of pushing topside with, or even without, use of the Herald. It's quite confusing why he chose to base and buy his power spike instead of cross mapping the enemy play. After this sequence Breathe is off-tempo, meaning he gets dove when reaching toplane as it went down very quickly at this point.
Fight breaks out after Weibo take Dragon. What initially looked like a very impressive engage that combined an Alistar flank with a Skarner ultimate that pulled Crisp through a wall, turned into a miracle play for WBG. 3 kills in exchange for 1, with most of the gold going towards Light. Two towers are taken during this grace period.
Weibo is trying to burst Dragon before BLG rotates. Barely killing it the second they engage, a teamfight begins. No miracles this time, 4 players go down with no return kills. There's no one to stop Baron from being taken now. Towers are falling and WBG can't even walk into their jungle. For a second it looked like they were able to defend themselves but Knight's damage is too explosive, oneshotting the backline with the Akali burst.
Baron is gone and everyone has reset. Another teamfight breaks out in the same spot inside of Weibo's botside jungle. A valiant effort but they're cleanly aced again. BLG destroy the nexus and win in a decisive 3-0 series.
Slightly disappointing performance from Weibo but not much was expected considering this was the LPL's 4th seed against their 1st seed, who absolutely dominated the region the entire year. This last series made BLG's record 11-0 against this team.
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