TL (Bwipo, Corejj, and Armao) Pro Inhouse Tournament Finals Analysis
Hey yall. I wanted to do this analysis to give TL a couple things to work on before the season starts. The biggest takeaways for me from this series, and what I will discuss, are first rift herald setups, general objective setups, and being aware of enemy tempo.
Let’s start with first rift herald setups. TL did not set up for first rift herald on time in this series. This is important because all of the best teams in the world set up for first rift herald on time, and if you are not set up on time, you will either lose the first herald or lose a fight and then lose the first herald. Furthermore, getting first herald gives a team so much control over the game. If you properly use the first rift herald, you can potentially break the first turret of the game. This is not only important for the gold lead this gives you but also for control over tempo and map control.
So, how should TL set up for first rift herald? Let’s take a look at this example of DK setting up for first rift herald in the 2021 world finals.
The first step in setting up first herald is your base timing. If you need to base, you should do so around 7:25 game time. In this example, EDG roam bot and kill Rakan, but jokes on them because DK have already pushed the bot wave and EDG kill Rakan at 7:25 when he would want to base anyway. Step two is to get priority in at least one lane surrounding top river. Your jungler should path up and your support can go mid to help get priority; depending on xp, you can have your support get solo xp from the wave to hit level 6. As long as the other lane is in a neutral state, that laner can join the team, and since you have priority in one lane (forcing the enemy laner to respond to the wave), this gives you numbers advantage. In this example, Xin Zhao paths up, Yasuo cancels his base since it is too late to base and he doesn’t have TP, and LeBlanc TPs back to get mid priority on time. Rakan roams mid and gets level 6 off of the wave. Step three is to deny vision of river and the pit, and to get deep vision of the enemy jungle. Finally, step four is to start the herald and look to turn for the fight if you are successfully set up and the enemy team has sent less or even numbers. This fight is advantageous to take because with tempo and priority in one lane surrounding the herald, you can potentially have numbers advantage for the fight, and with vision control, you can decide the terms of the fight (support can get a good engage and assassins can sit on a flank to pick off a carry). In this example, DK have vision denial of river, one deep ward, mid priority, and tempo since their bot lane got first base. DK start the herald, and since they have vision denial, J4 blast cones over the pit and DK get to turn on him for the kill. With the fight won, DK secure the rift herald (Ziggs TPs since Jhin had roamed to the herald).
Next, let’s talk about general objective setups. In game 3, TL have a 4.5k gold lead and it is their poor objective setup that ends up throwing the game.
Since Singed isn’t grouped with his team, blue team engages when they see him on the top wave. Not only does this fight start off 4v5 with Singed having to TP in, but Rakan also gets picked with Camille ulti which eliminates a huge part of red team’s teamfight. If Singed was grouped with his team at this time, red team could have been taking this advantageous fight (with their gold lead and setup) on their terms.
So, how should TL set up for objectives? For the purpose of completeness, I will include timers for dragon setups. The steps are the same for baron setups but they don’t have to be executed at specific times. Step one in setting up for objectives, just like with first rift herald setup, is your base timing. You should aim to base about 1:20 before dragon spawns if you need to base. If you are close to an item, you can stay for additional waves, but this will mean either having to run straight mid or even TP mid depending on time. Your base timing is important because your condition (health and mana), spending your gold, and refreshing wards for your support are all important in setting up and contesting objectives. Step two is to push your side waves around 1:00 out from dragon spawn. You will need to determine what is safe to push, and you may need to just catch waves where it isn’t safe to push any further. While this is happening, your mid 3-man unit (usually bot, jungle, and support) can push the mid wave and start controlling vision around the objective as long as the enemy solo laners are accounted for (not around mid lane). It is important to push side waves so that the wave is in position for you to potentially take towers if you win a fight around the objective and not in position for the enemy to take towers if you lose a fight around the objective. You also want to make sure the wave isn’t slow pushing away from you, in which case you would be losing minions, and is slow pushing away from the enemy so that they lose minions. Since the enemy team also doesn’t want their side waves to be in a bad position, pushing side waves accomplishes a third goal of forcing the enemy to respond to them.
Step three in setting up for objectives is to group as 5 mid around 30 seconds out from dragon spawn to push the mid wave, get deep vision of the enemy jungle, and deny vision of river and the pit. Since you just pushed your side waves, and the enemy should respond to them, this should give you a numbers advantage to push the mid wave. It is important to actually be grouped as 5 mid instead of having someone with TP stay in side lane because you need the numbers to push the wave. Finally step four is to re-push the mid wave before starting the dragon and/or turning for the fight. You must re-push the mid wave, otherwise you risk the enemy team trading towers for the objective!
Let’s look at an example of a team properly setting up for an objective.
Just a little before 1:20 out from dragon spawn, G2’s jungle, bot, and support take a base timing. 1:00 out from dragon spawn, G2 see FPX push mid as 5. Once Ryze sees that FPX aren’t contesting the tower and move towards botside river, he realizes that it is safe for him to push top wave. It is not safe for G2 to push bot wave since FPX have just moved into botside river. Around 30 seconds out from dragon spawn, G2 group mid as 5 to push the mid wave (Ryze is hovering towards mid and Pyke is on a flank in case FPX contest this wave at a numbers disadvantage). G2 then control vision around the objective while Ryze goes for another top wave since he is close to an item. Then, Ryze TPs mid because G2 want to push the next mid wave before moving to the objective. Thresh ends up getting picked due to G2’s vision control around the objective.
Finally, let’s look at how TL should be more aware of enemy tempo.
In this example, red team’s bot lane have reset first, giving them tempo. This allows them to control river and TL have to walk into their setup to contest dragon. Also, because red team’s bot lane reset first, Tristana is closer than Jhin when the fight starts, so red team is able to stall until Trist moves up, and thus, win the fight.
Here, Galio has just pushed the top wave and is resetting, while Shen has just reset to fix the top wave. This means Galio can move first to this fight. Also, Kalista has just reset, so she will not make it to this fight at all, making it a 4v5 for TL best case. TL lose this fight because they are fighting on red team’s tempo.
Finally, TL are looking for a pick while Xin Zhao is in base, Galio has just pushed the top wave and can move while Viktor is catching the top wave, and Shen is fixing the bot wave while Camille has based and moved topside. TL again lose a fight because they are making a play on red team’s timing window due to tempo.
That’s all from me until the season starts! If TL get their first rift herald setup and objective setups under control, and start making plays on their tempo instead of enemy tempo, that’s going to be a great place to start in building a team that can compete internationally.
