Towards the end of the split TSM displayed strong execution, and strict self control over their decisions throughout their games, only to slip up when it mattered most. This doesn’t mean that those moments of success aren’t something other teams in the region can’t pull from including TSM themselves. Success was on their doorstep, so lets pull back and evaluate examples of great play coming from TSM.

OpTic Gaming vs TSM (Week 9 Day 1) -

Taking initiative off of your stronger side.

This was the first step in a series of proactive decisions that helps not only play to the strong scaling composition of TSM with their two hard scaling solo’s but utilizes their bottom in their given matchup. They keep their foothold deep into enemy territory pounding away on the tower and in doing so continue to bully and pull further ahead of their counterparts. This is made possible by zileans weak laning if you’re opting for utility usage and TSM make sure to take advantage of this by taking the infernal thanks to that priority.

Setting objective based traps with acquired lane priority.

In this example, Grig plays low into river after securing the scuttle. Baiting as if he’s peeled off drake to make the turn on Gragas before backing back off into river once again. With full control of river and forcing Gragas to check down ramp and past pixel he’s putting himself in harms way to potentially disrupt a critical second Infernal dragon. TSM spring the trap from fog of war and even have Tahm rotate up behind Gragas’s escape route via Abyssal Voyage. With this objective based trap TSM acquire their second infernal with some small creative vision play.

Conceding to trade objectives.

Not having your players in position to defend a siege isn’t always a pure loss. In this case TSM trade away top for Ocean dragon which add sustain to the split power of GP and Ryze. With their man advantage and no hesitation they use that time to secure the drake and move into position to respond to OpTics next move.

Anticipating resets

Now this is one of the more underappreciated aspects of the game. In LoL being on the map & having an all access pass to portions of the map at a given time via Teleport are extremely important. Towers provide security to help maintain vision control around certain areas by giving you safe zone to fall back to. The reason anticipating resets is so important is because it allows you to plan out your next set of decisions and be the team that forces their opponents answer. As you’re running with a lead, you want to be guiding the flow of the game, and anticipating backs and resets is crucial in accomplishing that. In this example TSM anticipate OpTics reset after they knock down top. TSM immediately after taking drake use that time to push out top to pull an answer (side lane control). Then secure river before moving into mid with herald while OpTic’s adc answers the now pushed in top wave. Although TSM do not initially gather the tower gold as it stays alive with low hp, it’s now in real threat of being taken. Losing mid tower is a heavy blow to your ability to safely contest control for river and it opens up safer access to your jungle for your opposition once its gone.

Holding 1–3–1

Gaining side lane advantages with minions pushing, forcing an answer and rotating into uncontested drakes/heralds/barons/ towers this approach is a slow withering away of the clock. It limits your ability to make mistakes, it provides you priority to push into the opposing jungle to control vision as a duo with your jungler if you’re a sidelane or support. Really the list goes on, but let me break down TSM’s proper usage of holding their 1–3–1 in this match. They immediately move into the continued formation as the herald in the previous mentioned example was dropped mid. This continues from the 20 minute mark, up until 24 minutes where its temporarily broken by a forced engage onto Zven by PoE. Bjerg continues to push top pressuring the tier two as Hauntzer helps disengage via GP ult, and the added assistance of Mithy’s Tahm and Grigs trundle. TSM pull Dhokla’s TP from bottom lane(which he completed) While Bjerg canceled his TP to continue pushing top. Both teams lost one TP from their solo lanes. TSM having successfully thwarted the all in attempt from PoE onto Zven can now take the top tier two thanks to Bjerg. TSM then proceed to pull him back to begin their push into the oppositions bottom half jungle in an effort to gain vision control for the fourth dragon of the game as well as contest red. Mid being down for OpTic means TSM can easily push up and continue to gain that priority through mid to river.

Whats important to note, is after rotating up through mid into the baron area after completing drake, TSM still want to full reset themselves, so rather than putting temporary vision into river they make sure to group clear their topside jungle. They do this by placing multiple pinks to secure their entrance to the baron area rather than baron itself and holding full vision of their topside to prevent any bushwhacks or picks leading up to this objective. This vision play also provides security in the realm of not losing your gold/vision, by placing vision along your jungle/ leading up to baron its less likely a team with a disadvantage makes the full commitment deep into your jungle to clear /threaten baron with the vision denial. This gives the security TSM need to re-apply the 1–3–1 granting minion + pressure advantage and require a side lane answer from OpTic.

Side lane assistance via Tahms assignment mid.

There are multiple points throughout this match where Tahm is able to provide single, or multi man assistance to his side laners. Whether they’re pushing in the lane or invading the opposing jungle from mid he has full access. Whats important to note that many times this game Tahm ult may not have provided a direct accumulation of gold for his team, but provided safety buffers and a threat of assistance OpTic always had to take into consideration. This made matching sidelanes and invades on their jungle much more dangerous. In the above ss, TSM pull OpTic to answer a potential siege onto their base thanks to the assistance of Tahms ulti from baron to top. This shift in pressure allows TSM to redirect OpTic’s approach to baron in the upcoming fight.

Corralling through ramps.

This fight takes place briefly after the Abyssal Voyage into topside after TSM back off and threaten baron. OpTic are then corralled (or forced to split like Gragas.)through the ramp/choke entrance to baron if they want to answer & this plays into TSM’s composition. Between GP ult, barrels, Trundle pillar and the safety of Ryze + Ezreal TSM can stall any attempt of an engage through this choke and poke/kite until the turn presents itself. TSM proceed to kill off Camille + Gragas as the rest of OpTic are forced to retreat.

Reestablishment of the 1–3–1 hold

After resetting TSM immediately move back into 1–3–1 formation, OpTic attempt yet another engage onto the 3 mid but thanks to the disengage of GP ult +Trundle pillar they can prevent such commitment. This reestablishment of their long term 1–3–1 throughout the game provided TSM with the safety and time they need to fully scale into their champions peaks as well as limit the chance of mistakes through great side lane control.

Final moments, 1–3–1 strangle.

These are the last moments before the game ends, as OpTic struggles to find a situation to make a proper engage in. TSM finish with a perfect game, much thanks to a beautifully executed game long 1–3–1. All throughout the game showing very important game mechanics that when played correctly can grant huge advantages. These are game mechanics & team mechanics that all teams should strive to replicate including TSM themselves. Above all it shows that even though TSM didn’t make it to the world stage this year, there were moments of greatness that one could argue if consistent could have brought them to that position. I don’t think TSM needs to undergo major changes going into 2019, but instead actually revisit this season and evaluate the highs and lows. Instead, just understand the direction they want to take going forward and drive that home.