NA Challenger Series Finals Recap

Introduction

This week marked the end of the NA Challenger Series, with Renegades facing Coast for a spot in the LCS. Although the pressure for automatic promotion was high, second place would still be able to compete against an established low-ranked LCS team for another chance at promotion.

Check out the VODs and a recap of the Finals below!

Renegades vs. Coast: Game 1

Renegades: Lulu, Nunu, Zed, Kog’Maw, Morgana

Team Coast: Gnar, Elise, Azir, Lucian, Braum

With a lane swap to begin the game, Coast pushes top inhibitor, but Renegades decide to divert resources into Alex Ich’s Zed in the mid lane instead. However, ganks mid fail and Coast ends up with a gold lead after taking top tower while Renegades only get Azir’s flash. At 5:40, Crumbz comes mid again to secure the kill on the flashless Azir, but Crumbz takes the kill instead of Alex.

Meanwhile, Coast’s other lanes are dominating with their gold lead, but Renegades try one more time at 11:40 to give Alex Ich’s Zed some kills in a hope to equip him with enough power to split push. However, Coast plays the team fight mid well, trading one for one and gaining more towers afterwards. By 14 minutes into the game, Coast has accumulated a 4k gold lead as well as map control, and they continue to push this lead even further by taking towers on rotations. A shed of light comes for Renegades at 23 minutes, when Crumbz steals Baron buff from Coast, but the gold advantage from the poor early game at this point becomes too high for Renegades to contest, and Coast ends up finishing the game at 38 minutes.

Renegades vs. Coast: Game 2

Renegades: Kennen, Lee Sin, Azir, Kalista, Thresh

Team Coast: Gnar, Gragas, Kog’Maw, Tristana, Braum

Although Game One went to Coast, Game Two was all about the LA Renegades. The early game went well for Renegades, with all lanes winning in CS and first blood being secured by Maplestreet to put them up 1k gold by 8 minutes. Seeing the bot lane thrive, Coast decided to plan a four-man dive on the Renegades duo, but superior play on Remilia’s Thresh turns the dive around, securing two kills for the Renegades instead. The mid game belonged to Remilia, as her Thresh roamed the map making plays, developing a 6k gold lead by 23 minutes coupled with incredible vision control over the map.

Renegades decided to push further by sneaking a Baron buff at 26:10 with Lee Sin, Azir, and Thresh sneaking over the Baron pit wall. With this buff, Renegades are able to break the inhibitor line, sieging mid inhibitor, then taking bot, and finally turning top. In the end, Renegades are pushed out of Coast’s base, but not before taking all three inhibitors. From there, Renegades group for a final push with all three inhibitors down, taking Game Two.

Renegades vs. Coast: Game 3

Renegades: Gangplank, Lee Sin, Azir, Urgot, Janna

Team Coast: Rumble, Rek’Sai, Varus, Corki, Braum

Game Three starts slowly, and at 10 minutes the gold is still equal with no kills or turrets on the board. It isn’t until 14:00 that Coast pulls ahead with a tower and three kills for one off of a dive in the bot lane, gaining a 2k gold lead. With the lead, Coast gains confidence on rotations, extending their lead to 3k by 22 minutes through towers and rotation kills. From here, Coast uses a 1-3-1 push strategy to keep pressure on the map and suffocate the Renegades team. By 31 minutes into the game, Coast has already secured its 4^th Dragon and has developed a 7k gold lead.

Coast’s next move at 33 minutes is to send Shrimp bot while the rest of the team pushes top. Renegades recognize the 4v5 in the top lane and engage, but Coast manages to disengage with a one for one trade and Shrimp takes bot inhibitor. Coast plays for 5^th Dragon, and at 37:25, Coast take it without contest after poking a contesting Renegades team too low to fight. Coast uses the buff to increase their gold lead to 8k and take further inhibitors to set up for a final push. This happens at 41:40, when Shrimp splits and duels RF Legendary in the bottom lane and the rest of the team pushes top. Coast wins both matchups, taking both inhibitors, picking a fight in the base, and ending the game shortly afterwards.

Renegades vs. Coast: Game 4

Renegades: Shen, Evelynn, Kassadin, Kalista, Morgana

Team Coast: Gnar, Elise, Azir, Vayne, Braum

With only one more win for LCS promotion, Coast’s composition looked do-or-die with Vayne in the duo lane. The game progressed with neither team gaining an advantage until 8:30, where a four man dive bot gives two kills and a tower to Renegades, resulting in a 2k gold lead. Renegades further their lead at 11:40, when it looks like Coast is going to secure an easy kill on an overextended Maplestreet, but a Shen ult and a Renegades collapse gives Renegades a three for one fight instead.

With this advantage, Renegades wins the next fights, increasing their lead to 10k gold by 28 minutes. They continue to dominate the map, taking an inhibitor after another won fight at 33:30 and securing Baron afterwards. With the buff, they take another inhibitor and secure 4^th Dragon. At 41:30, a fight breaks out where Renegades secure an Ace for one death, forcing a surrender to bring on a Game Five.

Renegades vs. Coast: Game 5

Renegades: Maokai, Gragas, Yasuo, Tristana, Thresh

Team Coast: Rumble, Rek’Sai, Varus, Corki, Alistar

With the winner of Game Five securing a spot in the LCS, both teams brought everything they had. The game started off with a double lane swap, resulting in Renegades taking both outer turrets while Coast was only able to take one. However, a nine-minute first blood for Coast evened up the gold to set the teams back on even ground. It wasn’t until 12 minutes when thinks started to pick up, where Renegades take bot tier two, get a kill mid, and then take a fight mid to go up 1.5k gold. At 17:10, Alex Ich’s Yasuo takes on Rumble and Rek’Sai 2v1, dying in the end but giving his team enough time to collapse and secure four kills for two, extending the lead to 3.5k gold.

With the gold lead, Alex’s Yasuo begins to split push, allowing Renegades to take top tier two turret and bot inhibitor turret at 25:30, putting renegades up 6.5k gold. Coast’s last hope came at 27:40, when Renegades take a Dragon but give Coast three kills in the fight afterwards. Coast turns all players to Baron, but unfortunately for them, three members of Renegades show up to take on Coast’s five, securing an Ace on a weakened team and then pushing mid to take an inhibitor. From there, Renegades win the next fight at 35:45 with an Ace for nothing, turning to push mid straight to the nexus and join the NA LCS.

Looking Forward

Renegades have been auto-promoted into the LCS, and the completed tournament bracket looks like:

This means that Coast and Imagine still have chances of making it into the LCS, playing either Team 8 or Enemy Esports in Bo5 matches for their spots!