A tale of two enemies part one: Evil Geniuses

The man who stole the show this week.

A tale of two enemies part two: Gambit Gaming

consistency

The "6th Summoner" is always there for the Russians. Now they must not disappoint them.

"When you're ahead, get more ahead!"

They have proved that the big stage is their second home. The way to there, however is bumpy.

"The hidden blade is always the deadliest."

Yin and Yang on bottom

It is "do or die" week for the team. Vamos SK!

LemonDogs: 14-9

2. fnatic: 13-10

3. Alternate: 13-10

4. Ninjas in Pyjamas: 12-11

5. Evil Geniuses: 11-12

6. Gambit Gaming: 11-12

7. SK Gaming: 10-13

8. MeetYourMakers: 8-15 1.LemonDogs: 14-92.fnatic: 13-103.Alternate: 13-104.Ninjas in Pyjamas: 12-115.Evil Geniuses: 11-126.Gambit Gaming: 11-127.SK Gaming: 10-138.MeetYourMakers: 8-15

Week 8 was a "do or die" scenario for every team in the EU LCS. Unlike their North American counter-parts, here no team is actually in a position to take unnecessary risks or try out new ideas regardless if they are in the strategy or champion department. Here, everyone is at the risk of being kicked out from the precious playoff spots and the teams quickly realised that starting from week 8, every single second will count more than ever before.Despite just winning or losing two games, we saw a major shift in the table asEG are now in middle of the pack rather than trailing the others while Russian overlordsGambit Gaming had a loud slap in the face and were sent to the bottom half of the table. Absolutely no one is safe and this brings not only more exciting games, but more viewer pleasure as we all know that once teams have their backs against the wall, no play is too risky, no strategy is too niche, no champion is too weak and no opponent is unbeatable.For the majority of this half-season, the team we all know had fallen out of momentum and grace. They were unconvincing, to say the least, and people began to question their ability to qualify for the Season 3 World Championship this Fall. The addition ofShacker, however did stir up the spirits within the EG line-up and the more aggressive form we saw last week was solidified in their game againstGambit Gaming who seem more and more lost after the decision to pick upVoidle.Despite Shacker being the catalyst, the face of this change was an aggressive, confident and mercilessYellowpete who played a major part in both victories for his team this week. Against bothfnatic andGambit Gaming, the German was seen as an aggressive player who took maximum advantage of the enemy laner's mistakes, capitalising and never over-extending, Pete was on top when given the chance. Truth be told, if it was not for his more passive approach most of the time his performance now would probably not have been noticed this much.Yellowpete is an excellent AD Carry (more recently Marksman, but really? Marksman?) and he has proved it time and time again by sticking to his strengths, regardless of what the community thinks or says. Seeing him in top form was definitely a sight for sore eyes and beating both giantsGambit Gaming andfnatic was vital for the Geniuses if they are to have a chance of qualifying to the playoff stage.The reason behind the cult status ofGambit Gaming is not only their domination of the majority of European and international tournaments during Season two. The bigger factor in that was their. The same ingredient which is now missing and is making them look helpless and in distress. The never ending troubles on bot lane seem to have affected the overall mood and attitude of the players toward their practise. Fortunately, the wake-up call is being taken seriously and via Facebook,Alex Ich stated that the team will be boot camping inKiev, Ukraine and will thoroughly prepare for the upcoming weeks in whichGambit Gaming's pride, winning record and most importantly, spot for the World Finals will be on the line.Week eight was the second time in which we saw a 0-3 record coming from the usual winners.EG,LemonDogs andNiP each took their turns in beating the Russians with two of the games being dominant wins. By no stretch of the imagination do I think that all three are not capable or worthy of being victorious against Alex's men, but it is the fact that they continue to stick to certain compositions and strategies when they have been not working for quite awhile now. All members of the team are exceptional players, but when the early game is the most valuable time for a team to get ahead or loose badly, you cannot afford mistakes, especially against two direct contenders for the top three spot. WhetherGambit will bounce back or face their first humiliating defeat by falling even further is yet to be seen. It is up to team dynamoAlex Ich and notorious strategistGenja to once again get the team on the right track.The top three place holders this week all scored 2-1 results in their matches. BesidesAlternate, the teams won comfortably against relatively tough opponents and lost games to teams they were not expected to lose against. Strangely enough,LemonDogs are still holding their heads high. "Cementing" their first place with another good showing this week, the team is still not giving in to the pressure from chasersfnatic andAlternate. Their well-calculated, aggressive style, combined with a pinch of interesting picks is what gives one hell of a competitive edge to the current leaders. Practically anyone on their team is a threat and counter-picking or banning out has proved futile against them. Their only defeat came to a very organisedSK which caught many by surprise. Whether this defeat will mess with their momentum is not known, but the LemonDogs are leading and are on their way to Los Angeles at this point.The team led byxPeke had a rather successful week, beating direct opponents for the top three spotNiP andAlternate, but succumbing toEG. While this could be treated as a sign of inconsistency or a hint that they got the "new boy's" number, the important thing is the fnatic is back in the top three and is there to stay.Puszu seems more and more comfortable in his Carry pants and along withCyanide, who once again showed his excellent counter-jungling, relieve the pressure fromxPeke and if needed, give him the time to come back in the game. And when the Spaniard gets enough gold, fnatic usually takes the win. The community's favourite punching bag,Yellowstar, had a very good performance as his Thresh plays were key to many of his team's great engages or narrow escapes. However, consistency is key. With just two weeks left, the team must gather their strength and withhold one last stand in order to return to their most desired World Finals.The last member of the top three came into this week with excellent news - returning to active duty was probably the best AD Carry in Europe right nowCreaton. Albeit still with his casts, the Ezreal maestro had no problem beatingSK andMYM who could not find the means to stop him. Reuniting the original line-up did have a big impact on their game asAraneae brought to the spotlight a jungling Vi and his Lee Sin, both to great success. In addition,Kerp picked Karma top, complementing his team composition beautifully to give his team the much needed wins.Alternate did their best to keep their top three spot while being plagued by the unfortunate absences ofForellenlord andCreaton which is an admirable feat in its own right. The fact that they managed to keep teams likeGambit Gaming andNiP behind goes to show how they have matured as a line-up and have the chances, although small, to represent the European scene successfully in the World Finals.In the past weeks, the Ninjas seemed to have entered a state of inconsistency, rotating 1-2 and 2-1 results against different opponents. This turn of events looks to have gotten to them as they did fall out of the top three, despite trailing very close toTeam Alternate. This time, they once again lost only once tofnatic which showcased just how to "defuse" the Sensei -Bjergsen. On his Zed he always grabbed a kill or two once he visited the side lanes and in the meantime, managed to defeatxPeke's Ahri on mid. This should be the perfect case for most teams, but the incredible counter-ganking byCyanide and no immediate answer byMalunooo took away the clean sheet from the Nordic representatives. On the bright side,Mimer seemed way more accustomed to the LCS type of environment than last week and did pull his weight on the Summoner's rift, playing a key role in both their victories this week. Whether they will remain the "hidden blade" or blood will be drawn, it is up to theNinjas in Pyjamas to seal their own fate in the EU Summer LCS.Both representatives sitting on the bottom of the table,MeetYourMakers andSK Gaming seem to be switching roles. At the beginning of this split, the Poles had an amazing super week campaign, but as time went by their performances started ranging from inconsistent to 0-3 defeats in multiple weeks. On the other hand, SK had an unconvincing start in the beginning of the Summer season, but began to rack up wins against top table teams more and more often as time went by. Given the interesting situation in the overall standings, our boys have a definite chance to upset everyone as super week is just around the corner.Things do look grim forMYM. The team tries to stick to their strengths, but their one-dimensional style of play and visible reliance onCzaru did not seem to give them any advantage over their competitors. They were "figured" out and disposed of very quickly. Realistically, a disastrous performance by a bottom half team and a clean sheet by the Poles will get them to the playoff stage, but no one likes to be dependent on anyone else. They have proven their worth in the LCS, but unfortunately, relegation is the most likely outcome for the team. In the end, thorough preparation goes a long way and who knows, maybe miracles do happen.The table after week 8 is as follows:AsThe International 3 is this weekend, LCS matches have been postponed until next week where the super-sized portion of matches will be the grand decider of who stays and who goes!