The third stage of the LPL Demacia Cup has officially started. On the last game day, IG, placed in the upper bracket, went up against TES, who remained in the quarterfinals. Both teams did not use their full main lineups; TES’s top and mid were absent, and IG’s mid laner did not play. Beforehand, the teams were seen as evenly matched, but IG’s highly aggressive strategy proved the skeptics wrong, winning 3-1 to move on to the semifinals.

In the first game, both teams traded blows, and IG even secured the Dragon Soul. However, during the crucial Elder Dragon team fight, IG was slow to position, allowing TES to turn the game around. The next three games showed a bigger gap: in game two, IG dominated all lanes, with Jwei’s Neeko initiating fights relentlessly, leaving TES with no chance to respond. Game three was similar; the early and mid phases were balanced, but TES was ruthlessly crushed by IG in team fights.

In the fourth game, TES had a strong early lead, with Caitlyn starting 2-0 at six minutes. Yet in team fights, IG overwhelmed them again. Despite TES having more kills, their economy lagged behind. During the team fight phase, TES kept making mistakes, and after only 27 minutes, their Nexus was destroyed. Overall, IG’s top, jungle, and support outperformed their counterparts. Wei’s Volibear and Pantheon stood out, earning him two MVPs in the three wins.

Jwei is truly fearless in initiating fights. In the fourth game, even when TES players just glanced at him in the river, he flashed aggressively to the front line. Starting 0-3 himself, he still couldn’t resist engaging. Jwei’s courage is impressive; his initiation lets Wei focus more on dealing damage. However, the biggest surprise was top laner Soboro, whose playstyle closely resembles TheShy’s, showing dominance in lane and confidently pressuring opponents.

In the early game, due to a lack of items, a forced duel led to Naru being solo killed. But in the mid to late game, he chased down two or three enemies alone, and TES didn’t dare to fight back. His aggressive and flashy style was entertaining to watch. However, Soboro’s tank play wasn’t perfect; he showed some weaknesses in lane pressure. Still, his Sion and Gragas in the first two games contributed well in team fights, which is quite rare.

IG’s laning phase is not yet very strong. Although Jwei is in the bot lane, except for the game with Ziggs, they didn’t gain much early advantage. Their wins mostly came from team fights where they crushed TES. So, their laning still needs improvement. However, considering this lineup, reaching the semifinals already exceeds expectations. In the second stage group, IG had some luck; if they had been in Group B, qualifying might have been much harder.

In the next match, IG will face the winner between JDG and EDG. Both teams are at full strength. EDG swept IG in the group stage, while JDG’s recent form has been average. It seems EDG has a good chance to reach the semifinals. If IG can beat the winner of these two, they will truly have something special. Personally, I think IG has a real shot at the finals because their team fighting, as shown against TES, was flawless.

With some refinement in the top lane, IG definitely has a player who can carry. With Jwei handling jungle initiation pressure, Wei can focus on damage-dealing champions. When Rookie, the veteran, returns, IG’s strength will likely increase further. Judging from now, if IG gels well next year, they should at least make the playoffs. However, Photic has been around for years and his skill ceiling is understood by many; IG’s ultimate potential probably won’t be exceptionally high.

Conclusion:

TES was missing 369 and Naru, so their strength was indeed lacking. Their laning was decent, but the players are too young and easily gave up opportunities when delayed in mid to late game. Their macro play is completely lacking. The gap between Naru and Kanavi is significant. It feels like TES next year, even at full strength, will be about the same or slightly weaker than IG.

So, what do you think about Soboro’s performance?

Feel free to leave your comments and join the discussion!