Fnatic Rising defeated Excel UK 3-1 in the UK League of Legends UKLC Summer Grand Final at Twickenham Stadium on the weekend.
In doing so, they have completed the dream year any academy team would envy: winning every major trophy in their circuit.
The undisputed kings of the UKLC now set sail towards the continent to challenge Europe’s finest in the EU Masters tournament, along with Excel UK who go to the Play-Ins stage. Megalodontus recaps the final and looks ahead to wait awaits the UK teams in the EU Masters.
Congratulations to Fnatic Rising for completing the treble of 2019 (UKLC Spring/Summer and Forge of Champions), they now set the standard for every team in the UK and Ireland to follow.
Even a split with shifting players and a last minute acquisition could not stop them from rising all the way to the top once again.
#FNATICRISING ARE YOUR BACK-TO-BACK #UKLC CHAMPIONS pic.twitter.com/GeMotenM6Q
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) September 1, 2019
Congrats to Fnatic Rising players Bando (top), Nji (jungle), MagiFelix (mid), xMatty (ADC) and Ronaldooo (support), and commiserations to Excel UK’s Send0o (top), Taxer (jungle), Exile (mid), Hjarnan (ADC) and KaSing (support).
As the merry band of Fnatic pop the champagne and scoff their victory caviar with deserved exuberance (if they actually did that I would love to see the footage! – Dom), let’s see how the match went down and what happens next.
A valiant effort by Excel UK, but Fnatic Rising ultimately had the last ‘Word’
Bad Microsoft Office puns aside, many came into this match wondering how Fnatic would show up due to their new roster having very little time to gel. As we mentioned in the previous preview of the UKLC Summer final, Fnatic’s greatest weapon was their ability to surprise – and surprise they did.
Game 1 played out exactly how you would expect an Excel/Fnatic match to go in the regular split.
Excel invaded, got first blood, exerted a lot of pressure from early to mid game and despite accruing a sizable lead, proceeded to throw it harder than The Mountain’s record breaking keg toss attempt.
Fnatic once again displayed their infamous resilience in the mid to late game and clawed a victory off of Excel’s multiple missteps, winning the all important first game with xMatty’s deadly Xayah going 10/3/4.
You think you can out-fiesta #FNATICRISING? 🤡
You think you can underestimate @xMattyyLoL's Xayah? 🦚
We take the first game of the #UKLC Final against @EXCEL UK. 1⃣-0⃣https://t.co/cyTLEkngHG pic.twitter.com/BVokRwu2ya
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) September 1, 2019
In game 2 you could switch the team tags and be absolutely convinced it to be true. It was Fnatic who would charge in all guns blazing and almost surrendered it multiple times to Excel in the mid game.
But unfortunately for the Twickenham troopers, Fnatic regained their form and the game became an absolute bloodbath thereafter, ending the game with 49 kills in total at 38 minutes, with Fnatic accounting for 36. This game however, revealed a very vital avenue for Excel to exploit.
https://twitter.com/LVPukLoL/status/1168194454316077056
For game 3, Excel refused to be cowed into submission in front of their home fans. The long, bloody game previously allowed Excel insight into Fnatic’s current weakness: their synergy.
Despite Fnatic’s two wins, they are still a team with a new toplaner and an adjusting support, and on more than one occasion they made it rather obvious. Capitalising on certain aspects on their teamplay, Excel’s unity and belief in their style eventually shone through and they broke Fnatic’s seemingly invulnerable shield, despite several attempts by the boys in orange and black to mount a comeback.
This was the Excel the audience were dying to see and game 3 was theirs. Hjarnan’s impressive 11/3/7 Kai’sa gave the hometown heroes and fans alike a glimmer of hope.
https://twitter.com/LVPukLoL/status/1168210023866142722
Memories of G2 Esports recently sweeping Fnatic’s main team in the LEC were beginning to surface. But Fnatic Rising demonstrated they had learnt well from their seniors.
Game 4 saw Fnatic adopting Excel’s strategy by playing a high tempo, aggressive early game with the a heavy focus on the bot lane and early turret diving. With 21 kills in 21 minutes they took the Baron and almost closed out the game if not for “Fnatic pulling an Excel and throwing away a lead!” in a fight in the top lane, as caster Aux described.
However, Fnatic Rising are still the kings of teamfighting and one decisive teamfight in the Baron pit saw Fnatic trounce Excel before they marched on to reclaim their spot as the Kings of the UK.
https://twitter.com/LVPukLoL/status/1168220781387616264
The MVP was awarded to xMatty for his tremendous performances.
https://twitter.com/LVPukLoL/status/1168226752574951424
‘We’re in a good position to win EU Masters’ – Reaction from Bando
“We expected it to be easier, we expected it to be 3-0 to be honest. The new roster is better than the old one obviously. The games were harder than we thought,” Bando said after the final.
“I think we’re really good individually, we have a lot of carry potential. All lanes we can carry, it’s a really good strength we have. Even though Ronaldooo is not a main support, he’s really good. He got into the role super fast. I think individually we are good and as a team as we good.
“Everyone can do a call or anything. Our main shotcaller is Nji, he’s really good at feeding people info. Otherwise, I don’t think we were that clean this series. A lot of things like our Baron takes for example, it could have been cleaner for sure.
“[On the EU Masters] I think we are in a good position to finish like… first. I think France is a really good region as well – Vitality or LDLC are really good teams and I think they will be our biggest opponents. I don’t think any other region are as good as France or us. So I would like to see LDLC against Fnatic in the finals.”
EU Masters preview: What awaits our brave warriors in the continent?
With Fnatic Rising’s victory, the UK representatives are now locked into their respective EU Masters Summer 2019 Stages.
Excel UK will be going into the Play-ins and are joined by 6 other teams who are also runner-ups in their respective major leagues: Vitality.Bee (France), Rogue Esports Club (Poland), Berlin International Gaming (Germany), ASUS ROG ELITE (Serbia), FALKN (Sweden) and Origen BCN (Spain).
The Play-ins start on September 9th and conclude on September 12th.
Meanwhile, Fnatic Rising are seeded directly into Pool 2 of the Main Event, which is the Group Stages.
They will await the three winners from Play-ins before the draw for Groups begins. After that, it will be an all out war to see who will be crowned the supreme overlord of the 13 regions in Playoffs where eight teams will be chosen.
Fnatic Rising are no strangers here, finishing an impressive 4th place in Spring 2019 and redeeming the UKLC’s flailing reputation within the continent.
Recap: Heartbreak for UK as Fnatic Rising lose EU Masters Semi Final to SK Gaming Prime
Indeed, they will no doubt be looking to equal or achieve a result greater than their last placing.
The Group stages start on September 16th and finish on September 19th.
With the conclusion of the UKLC Summer split, be sure to keep an eye out for Excel UK as they aim to battle it out of the Play-in stages to join compatriots Fnatic Rising in the EU Masters. The schedule will be available in the coming weeks.
Image source: Fnatic Twitter
Megalodontus is a miraculous survivor from the mass extinction and somehow learnt how to use his stubby fins to operate complicated mechanical equipment and drink tea. Worryingly for cryptozoologists, he’s been writing League of Legends articles too.
A self-taught writer who’s had the privilege to work with good editors who aren’t terrified of his pearly whites, Megalodontus is often seen writing either independently or for various websites such as this one. When not writing, he usually runs it down mid in real life and is fascinated with watching paint dry.
