Originally posted at https://www.echofox.gg/news/na-lcs-2018-summer-split-week-4-recap
Teams are ready to get back into the grind of the Summer Split following Rift Rivals. It was a great learning experience for all participating teams to figure out the meta. Echo Fox, who surprised many teams, was the lone NA team to pick up a win in the final day of Rift Rivals against G2 Esports, masters of the funnel strategy. This week in the NA LCS, Echo Fox implemented knowledge from Rift Rivals to the LCS stage.
Counter Logic Gaming
The first match to get Echo Fox back in the top of the standings was against CLG. In this game, Echo Fox opted for an anti-funnel strategy they fought against in Rift Rivals with Heimerdinger. However, CLG went with a standard draft utilizing a traditional ADC, Varus. Analysts predicted for Echo Fox to win based on Heimerdinger’s strength in the current meta as well as Varus weakness in the early and mid game. CLG would need to carry the game out to the late game to make an impact. Since CLG wanted to extend the game late, Echo Fox now had a time limit to make a strong influence in the early and mid game with Yasuo and Heimerdinger. Unfortunately for Echo Fox, CLG was able to hang on to the game. Varus became a huge burden for Echo Fox and CLG won the game in thirty-six minutes.
Team SoloMid
Echo Fox played their second match against a team who’s ready to get back on the winning track. TSM is on a rollercoaster this season, especially in the Summer Split. TSM’s struggles continued during their match against Echo Fox. Both teams played a standard comp with traditional ADCs. Currently, Zven is the outlier on TSM, playing beyond expectations. Bjergsen, on the other hand, is starting to struggle in the current meta. In Echo Fox’s last match against CLG, Dardoch played a serviceable game in the team’s loss. He picked Graves again hoping to have a large impact against TSM. Dardoch controlled the map throughout the match, not letting Grig secure Rift Scuttler or his jungle camps. It allowed the top and bottom lanes to execute Echo Fox’s gameplan and win the game in thirty-two minutes.
Echo Fox currently sits tied for second place in the NA LCS with Counter Logic Gaming, Team Liquid, and 100 Thieves. This week, they will face 100 Thieves, for a chance to reclaim their spot atop the standings. Also, they will face a team who is on a growing trend lately in Golden Guardians. Echo Fox needs to continue their pace of utilizing surprising picks and varying strategies to keep their opponents guessing. Cheer on the team as they continue their run for Worlds at live.echofox.gg.
