Stixxay and Aphromoo are a great American pair © Riot esports

Counter Logic Gaming came into MSI with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Despite winning the NA LCS finals against Team Solomid, their games came down to the wire, and many weren't convinced of their ability through their performance. Heading to the Mid-Season Invitational, CLG wasn't considered much of a threat initially. Up against strong international competition, they were expected to fall flat and likely fail to make the knockout stage. Among other things, Stixxay was seen as a weak point while Aphromoo was generally seen as their pillar of strength.

A lot has changed since then.

The group stages have concluded and much to everyone’s surprise, North America’s CLG is standing tall at second place with a 7-3 record, having become the first NA team to defeat SK Telecom T1 and may very well be the first NA team to make a Riot Games international final.

Countering all logic

While most of CLG has performed admirably on their way to the knockout stage, the bot lane of CLG has come out as a surprising strength for the team, as Aphro and Stixxay have been right at the center of Counter Logic Gaming’s victories. Aphromoo and Stixxay definitely came together when it came to the LCS regular season and playoffs, but playoffs are an entirely different beast, with varying playstyles and foreign players changing the whole equation. CLG are notably the perennial underdogs, and the bot lane was no exception under that umbrella.

Aphromoo has been a longtime fan favorite in NA © Riot esports

There is no denying that Aphromoo is a skilled support player and the very center of CLG after Doublelift’s recent departure, but there is always reason to be cautious of overrating a North American player going into international play. At this point, Aphromoo looks to be over any big stage jitters and has really shown himself to be a reputable player in his own right. His play has been stellar on the likes of Thresh, Bard and Soraka, drawing bans on the latter two, against even SKT.

Aphromoo, along with Xmithie, is known for orchestrating the vision game and most mid-game based moves, as most supports at this tournament do. Whether it be making plays on Alistar and Thresh, as he sets up kills for his team, or being an absolute nuisance on Soraka or Janna, keeping his carries alive — Aphromoo has matched up with the best of them. His Bard and Soraka have drawn bans from opposing teams, showing that tank supports aren’t the only way to go in the current meta. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that Aphromoo has gotten the absolute most out of his bot lane partner, Stixxay, as he has risen to be CLG’s main damage source.

Stixxay has been doing tons of damage at MSI © Riot esports

Stixxay is solid

Stixxay came into this MSI as the more questionable half of the bot lane. He carried games in the NA LCS, but also had lackluster games to match. There are always questions of a rookie’s performance when it comes to the international stage as well and with some shaky performances against TSM in the LCS finals, Stixxay’s stock wasn’t exactly at its peak. He came in with much to prove as yet another North American underdog, hoping to show that NA has bite to match its bark.

None of it moved Stixxay, as he has turned in very solid performances on the international stage. His synergy with Aphromoo has shown in both the laning phase and teamfights, as they’ve turned fights on their heads on multiple occasions. CLG plays around Stixxay in fights and he reciprocates, turning in the highest percent of damage done for his team at a modest 30.3 percent It’s arguable that Stixxay is doing so against a weaker table of AD carries and with a great amount of CLG’s focus, but the product is still impressive. The new kid has risen to the challenge, along with CLG in their goal to make North America the home of champions.

The bot lane’s performance has been a true boon for CLG, leading them to victory on multiple fronts, whether it was from Aphromoo’s shotcalling or Stixxay’s damage from the backlines. They’ve had no fear when it comes to the 2v2 laning phase and have been equally effective in lane swap situations. More than anything, they’ve provided CLG with a place to work from in the late game, as they can always fall back on Aphromoo protecting Stixxay, as he blasts opponents away with Caitlyn or Lucian.

Their strength has already shone through against some of the best the world has to offer and specifically has burned their semifinal opponents, Flash Wolves, as Stixxay has proven to be clearly superior to NL. Stixxay and Aphromoo, having played a huge part in CLG’s success thus far, look to continue to the trend into the knockout stage, where their mental durability and individual flexibility will be tested. Not only that, the bot lane looks to be the anchor for their team as they make their way to their grand goal: giving longtime CLG fans an international victory and winning a title for North America.