Mar 106 min read

Jen's Journal - BOL Masters League Week 1

Welcome to the Week 1 Recap for the Blue Otter Masters League (and the first edition of Jen's Journal).

I’m Jen (ign: HestiaX), a washed player who can’t be bothered to climb out of Emerald this season. I used to be a fill player back in the day, but I've probably played top and bot lane (both roles) the most. When I’m not too tilted to queue up these days, I usually play ADC. Caitlyn’s my favorite champ!

I haven't played a lot on the amateur scene, but I wanted to get more involved. Since it’s my first time writing this type of content, feedback is welcome! This is meant for you guys, so feel free to let me know what you’d like to see in future write-ups.

Anyway, let's get into it!

Week 1 Recap

Here's what happened last week:

Demacia

Dorado Gaming Beta	1 - 2	DZG Styx
Khan Esports	0 - 2	Omega Akuma Pairing Knives
Goofy Goobers	2 - 0	The Fraud Team
ID Eclipse	-	BYE

Dorado Gaming Beta vs DZG Styx (1-2)

DZG Styz lost the first game before winning the next two. Each game in the series was shorter than the last, which makes me think DZG might be good at analyzing their opponents and figuring out exactly what they need to do to win. If so, they’ll be a true terror to watch out for.

From DZG, ragingalcoholic’s Karma put out crazy damage. On Dorado’s side, Noatak stayed relevant and outdamaged Rapidfire even in their team’s losses. Sadly, the strong bot lane looks held back by a weak jungler. If their jungler can step it up, DGB will be a solid contender.

Khan Esports vs Omega Akuma Pairing Knives (0-2)

Omega Akuma Pairing Knives did some trolling with their names, so I’ll refer to their players by role instead. Their bot lane really popped off in both games, with quite a bit of damage from the ADC on Smolder. Are they just that good or is Smolder OP? Both might be true! Looking forward to seeing more from this team.

The second match between the two teams lasted 41 minutes and looked very close. Khan Esports got two barons and Elder Dragon, and still wasn’t able to win. Adouphoof had relatively low damage even as a full build Jinx with an Ivern jungle to back them up. Could be a draft diff—Jinx probably needed more protection vs 3 assassins and Rakan.

Even though they lost both games this time, Khan’s objective securing prowess could be a threat down the line. I noticed that Khan’s jungle, mid, and bot lane have very similar KPs in both games, so their coordination looks good.

Goofy Goobers vs The Fraud Team (2-0)

Goofy Goobers stomped The Fraud Team hard. Based on these games, I’d say the mid laners are the standouts on both teams. rAndOmCaPitALs didn’t die a single time in either game. They were playing immobile control mages both times, which makes this more impressive. Meanwhile on the other side, That1guysBro farmed well and put out decent damage in spite of being stomped.

Noxus

Dorado Gaming Gamma	2 - 1	Bing Chillers TBD
Death Cards	2 - 0	USAE Academy
Lane Zero Maelstrom	2 - 0	Leash the Dog
Nameless Tritium	-	BYE

Dorado Gaming Gamma vs Bing Chillers TBD (2-1)

Dorado Gaming Gamma ran TF ADC and a high utility support in every game, letting them take more damage in the top lane and jungle. Especially game 3, where Dorado took full control, securing herald, 6 grubs, drag soul, and baron, and swiftly ending the game at 24 minutes.

I’m curious if Dorado will change up their draft if the TF pick isn’t available, but this current strategy seems quite strong. Hazem consistently put out high damage compared to their teammates (besides the doomed Udyr vs Gangplank matchup where they still avoided dying!), which I haven’t seen from the other teams. Most teams play around mid and bot lane only, so a top lane carry would be refreshing!

Game 2 was a solid win from Bing Chillers TBD. The main differences in terms of draft were that Joker was not on Maokai and Marcotte was on Nautilus instead of an enchanter. Food for thought...

Death Cards vs USAE Academy (2-0)

One game was a quick stomp and the other almost ran 40 minutes, but both look like decisive wins for Death Cards. Though it’s a bit hard to tell when games go too well, 2004 Lexus GX470 looks like a strong jungler with great presence.

Meanwhile, USAE Academy has a lot to figure out. YUNOHANA had 94% KP and went 8/4/9 on Zac in the 40 min game. This is impressive, and they deserve props for that. But why was their team so useless? UMT ReplayDK and YSKPomPom need to die less. 6 deaths on Bard and 9 deaths on Lulu? Do better!

Lane Zero Maelstrom vs Leash the Dog (2-0)

Brash stands out, with only one death on Nautilus and zero on Leona. For the most part, Lane Zero Maelstrom was great at staying alive. Bondy’s damage on Smolder was absolutely insane, clocking in at 51,509 for game 1! Unlike Khan, Leash the Dog correctly banned that dragon for the next game, but it wasn’t the only problem they had.

TALLHANDSOMETOP performed decently considering how badly the rest of their team did. Honestly I’m surprised game 1 went for as long as 36 minutes, since the numbers really don’t look good for Leash the Dog. They have a lot of work to do, especially in the jungle and bot lane.

Power Rankings

I'm working with extremely limited data here, so I’m expecting to be very wrong. In fact, I hope you guys prove me wrong.

Even though I'm tempted to rank based on gut feelings, I'm going first by number of wins and losses, and then making judgment calls. To the people who stomped and got stomped last week, don't be surprised by relatively short explanations. I'll have more to say if you make the games spicier next time!

1. Goofy Goobers

What can I say? The whole team performed well, and they hardstomped both of their sub-30 minute games.

2. Lane Zero Maelstrom

Another 2-0 team, but they definitely struggled more than Goofy Goobers did, with a 36 min game 1. Still, they're looking quite strong so far.

3. Death Cards

Everyone seems to carry their weight, but they lost some points for struggling to close out game 2 against a Zac who was trying to solo carry their team on their back.

4. Omega Akuma Pairing Knives

The last 2-0 team for this week. They're in fourth place because they had the closest games out of the four 2-0 teams. Plus they might just actually be trash Smolder abusers*.

5. Dorado Gaming Gamma

Our first 2-1 team. Their apparent strategy (stronger top and utilize bot lane) is exciting, but it's not just that. Based on their draft and numbers, I get the sense that this team is really good at acting quickly and decisively, especially on picks.

6. DZG Styx

The other 2-1 team. They triumphed this week, but their wins don't look quite as decisive as the other victors. raging alcoholic looks very good, but can the rest of the team keep up?

7. Dorado Gaming Beta

Dorado Gaming Beta's at the top of the losers for the same reason DZG Styx is at the bottom of the winners! Their bot lane seems quite strong, so they have a lot of potential if they shore up the rest of their team (particularly jungle).

8. Bing Chillers TBD

Obligatory spot here since they won a game unlike the teams below. The one win couldn't have been just a fluke, right? I swear Joker needs to get off Maokai, but it was only two losses, so maybe don't listen to me ;) The team might need the early presence of an early jungler like Xin.

9. Khan Esports

The top of the 0 win teams! Honestly, it looks like they put up a good fight. I think they might have good teamwork and coordination, but unfortunately they were outclassed this week. Or maybe just Smolder'd.

10. USAE Academy

Oof. We're now in stomped territory. It's getting pretty hard for me to make judgments, but USAE Academy gets extra points for YUNOHANA's Zac. And maybe a few points for Ins1d10us, who didn't run it as hard as the rest of the team!

11. Leash the Dog

Leash the Dog gets to avoid the bottom spot since they dragged out game 1 to 36 minutes somehow. But it doesn't look good man.

12. The Fraud Team

Yeah... Unfortunately I really don't have anything good to say about this team this week. They were stomped both games. Here's hoping they pop off next week.

Sorry ID Eclipse and Nameless Tritium. I’ll add you guys next week once we see how you do in your games!

Week 2 Predictions

Okay it took wayyy too long to analyze the matches and write all this, so no explanations for these predictions this week. You can probably guess from everything I've said so far.

Demacia

The Fraud Team vs ID Eclipse: ID Eclipse 2-0 (normally I wouldn't guess here but...)

DZG Styx vs Goofy Goobers: Goofy Goobers 2-1

Omega Akuma Pairing Knives vs Dorado Gaming Beta: Omega Akuma Pairing Knives 2-0