The second phase of the LPL Demacia Cup has ended. On the previous match day, IG and NIP in Group A fought fiercely over three games, with IG securing the victory. LGD also shut out WE 2-0. The last two qualifying spots were claimed by IG and LGD. In Group B, despite early elimination, the clash between WBG and BLG was highly anticipated, going the distance in three games, with WBG rallying from behind to win 2-1.

Watching the entire match, both teams had opportunities, but BLG’s players were broken through more often in their lanes. The duo lane in this BO3 was completely dominated by the opponents. ON liked to show off regardless of advantage or disadvantage, positioning very aggressively, which often led to sudden deaths, relying heavily on teammates to cover for him. Viper’s performance was surprisingly poor; he lost lane to ELK and was outclassed in team fights. The one game they won was largely due to skirmishes around mid and top lanes.

On WBG’s side, Zika was crushed by Bin in all but the second game where he played Kha’Zix. Yahang was repeatedly solo killed, while the wolf mother returned to basics with her pick. Bobo’s skillshots missed badly; if not for strong teammates, the top lane would have been a huge problem. The most interesting part was the jungle duel: in the deciding game’s blind pick, both Jiejie and Xun locked in Jayce, but their performances were worlds apart, with Xun being completely outplayed.

Jiejie’s Jayce played like an opponent in Hextech Mayhem, not only precise but with a very high Q skill hit rate. Xun’s Jayce was more like a teammate, starting with Collector and focusing on kills but neglecting economy and damage output; his Q couldn’t hit anyone in team fights. Clearly, Xun’s mastery of Jayce is much lower than Jiejie’s, likely because jungle Jayce is a new pick after the recent patch and he hasn’t fully adapted yet.

Although ELK has left the team, his tradition of dominating the fountain remains. Before destroying the base in the second game, he camped the fountain entrance and only pushed the crystal after killing Viper. However, ELK was just teasing his former team in-game. In a post-match interview, showing great sportsmanship, he said that since both teams were eliminated, everyone was just playing casually in the final match after he outperformed Viper in all three games.

After thrashing his old team, ELK even defended his new AD, showing how much he’s grown during the transfer period. Although the match outcome didn’t matter much, the players honestly did try. Bin performed more steadily than expected, but BLG’s overall discipline and teamwork were problematic. Daeny really needs to review the game carefully and at least improve team discipline first.

Once the quarterfinalists were confirmed, the organizers held a knockout draw resulting in these groups: upper bracket with AL, EDG, JDG, LGD; lower bracket with TES, LNG, IG, OMG. Neither group promises much excitement. AL reported mostly their second team with first team substitutes; the initial Demacia Cup lineups will likely be second team players. Top Esports’ main roster is absent, and mid-lane players didn’t register for this Demacia Cup.

The few decent matches might be EDG vs JDG or IG vs LNG, but these matchups are not very appealing. The quarterfinal hype might not even surpass the second stage group matches. If either WBG or BLG had advanced, the knockout stage would be more exciting. Instead, these are mostly half-hearted teams or second-string players, leading to very low-quality games. Unless AL’s main roster returns later to face JDG, the competition won’t be very compelling.

In conclusion:

Judging solely from the Demacia Cup, Viper doesn’t seem to fit well with BLG. He’s the type of AD carry who needs protection early and takes over mid to late game. When he was with HLE, teammates shielded him, allowing him to play comfortably. Now, with ON giving up early in lane, it’s hard for the bottom lane to safely farm into mid game. BLG’s tactics likely need some adjustments.

So, what do you think? Does Viper fit well with BLG?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and join the discussion!