In this section I will be adding recaps of matches across all regions. I am not able to watch all matches so not every match will be up here, but I will be putting as many as possible and if you have requests for a match that you cannot watch contact me via email or twitter and I will see what I can do.

January 17th LCK ROX VS KT

With Season 7 beginning in Korea the first match of the year for LCK is a rematch from last splits championship. ROX who would go on to a top 4 Worlds finish and the new “Super Team” KT Rolster.

Both lineups look a lot differently than that their last meeting. ROX lost their whole roster during the offseason and now consists of Lindarang (TOP) SeongHwan (JG) Mickey (MID) Sangyoon (BOT) and Key (SUPP). KT made the biggest splash in the off season bringing in 4 of the biggest names in LOL to go along with their jungler Score and now consist of Smeb (TOP) Score (JG) Pawn (MID) Deft (BOT) and Mata (Supp).

GAME 1

In the first game of the season we saw a brand a new pick straight out of soloQ as we have seen the meta change, Malzahar support for Key and ROX. ROX drafted Poppy, Graves, Syndra, Ashe and Malzahar while their counterparts went with Maoki, Elise, Ryze, Ezreal and Miss Fortune.

ROX drew first blood of 2017 with a flash Malzahar ult by Key followed by a Crystalline Arrow from Sangyoon on Ashe to take down Mata in the bottom river brush just shy of the 14 minute mark. ROX would maintain a kill lead most of the game and end the game with a one kill advantage but would drop game one in just over 45 minutes where Deft would take the MVP with a 5/1/4 score on Ezreal including a triple kill in the mid lane.

KT set up a tp flank at 17 minutes leading to a triple kill for score on Elise in the ROX jungle taking down Syndra, Graves and Malzahar. ROX would regroup after coming back up and take mid T1 but traded it for Bot T1. With mid and bot open both teams moved towards the top lane where Key would look to set up for a flash engage.

Key flashed onto Pawn setting up the kill and also following up with a kill on Mata. 3v5 ROX moved towards baron, but Deft and Score were able to poke them off. ROX would rotate top and take T1. With more map pressure because of that downed tower they were able to catch Mata out in his red side jungle and move towards baron again. Deft once again was able to force ROX off baron with his Ezreal.

Doing the baron dance KT decided to make the first move and rush down the mid lane, out rotating ROX and beating them to their own mid T2 tower. KT forced them off mid tower and fell back to take the first baron of the season at 32:15 but would lose Smeb in a skirmish after baron was secured.

At 35 minutes KT held a 2.5k gold lead as they looked to knock down the top T2 with their baron buff. Score overreached and got CC’d to death by the Malzahar Ashe combo with the kill going over to Sangyoon. KT would regroup and take their second air dragon of the game, their third dragon overall.

KT out rotated ROX once again as they run towards the inhib. Key attempts to flash engage but gets taken down in the process.

ROX looked to make an aggressive move and TP behind KT in the mid lane and it looked good, but Deft turned the fight around singe handedly. Using Ezreal’s kiting ability and ability to reposition with E and flash Deft would secure himself a triple kill and make the trade a 4 for 3 in favor of KT. After winning the fight Smeb and Deft took the mid inhib and fell back to take a free baron.

With their second baron buff KT was able to take the two remaining inhibs before recalling and taking Elder dragon. With the base in shambles and Elder dragon buff KT was able to run straight towards the ROX nexus, win one last fight at take game one of the series.

GAME 2

Game 2 KT really shined in their macro play and had a gold lead for almost the entirety of the game, but did die unnecessarily a few times while executing a 1-3-1 split, but were able to easily pull out a win and take the series 2-0 winning game two in 43:57.

In game 2 KT decided to put Smeb on a carry champion to counter the Poppy from ROX. KT drafted Fiora, Rek’sai, Ryze, Varus and Tahm Kench. Rox went with a similar draft from game with the Poppy, Lee Sin, Cassiopeia, Ashe and Bard. The ROX comp could not reliable engage or CC targets with Mata on Tahm eating whoever was being targeted and turning team fights.

Similar to game one ROX struck first with first blood this time going over to Mickey on Score after Score and Pawn attempted to cut off SeongHwan in the top river. ROX was able to secure first blood before Smeb rotated and made it a 1 for 1 trade taking down SeongHwan.

Score respawned and immediately went towards the mid lane to gank a summonerless Mickey and handed the kill over to Pawn. KT continued to focus the Cass and executed a 3 man gank, pulling smeb down from top lane, and giving him the kill. Rox was able to get something of their own going on a lane gank through bot lane and take down mata, but Deft was able to make it an even one for one with a max range Q on his Varus to take down Key.

The return kill allowed KT to secure the first dragon of the game then rotate bot and take first tower of the game at 12:30.

With bot T1 down Deft rotated mid, but so did the ROX bot lane and they were able to pick off Deft with a CC chain from Ashe, Bard and Cass. They then look to rotate bot and dive between the T1 and T2 towers using Poppy’s TP. The dive does not result in any kills, but they are able to secure bot T1 as Smeb answers with top T1. Rox rotate to dragon and take their first of the game.

Pawn rotates to mid, as ROX secures dragon and recalls, to take the final standing T1 tower.

The next few minutes teams returned to lanes and farmed up while getting vision control. Smeb in the bot lane attempts to ward the enemy blue, but is caught out by Mickey who saw him walk over a ward. ROX rotate towards baron and try to take control of vision and sneak baron by going over the wall with Bard’s magical journey, but they missed a ward in the pit. KT collapses instantly and take a 3 for 0 trade and pick up the baron for themselves.

With baron buff and tower advantage KT would settle into their 1-3-1 split and dismantle the ROX Tigers. Smeb is able to take down bot T2 before falling to Ashe and Poppy, but his team instantly answers with top and mid T2. During their baron power play KT had a 3.9k gold lead increasing their gold lead to 9.1k at 32:30.

With baron worn off and ROX pushing out lanes they manage to catch score out of position in the mid lane. He flashes over to wraiths, but is stunned by bard ult into poppy charge. ROX managed to pop his GA and kill him, but it takes too long and allows KT to collapse. KT clean up three kills and instantly turn towards objectives. They take another dragon and rotate towards baron to take another free baron. With the baron buff back on they fall right back into their 1-3-1. Smeb is able to solo Kill Lindrang in the bot lane and push for the inhib. Pawn gets picked off in the top lane and ROX rotates to mid and picks off Score again with another bard ult.

With two dead and elder spawning ROX are waiting on it and secure it easily before falling back to push out waves. At 41 minutes the Kills are 11:10 in favor of KT but they hold a 9.4k gold lead.

KT wait for baron to respawn and play around it with Smeb continuing to split in the bot lane. Smeb dies but KT are able to kill Key and they turn away from baron. ROX goes for a last ditch effort engage in the mid lane with an Insec but it is denied by Mata as he eats Pawn. KT make the fight a 4 for 3 trade and with Smeb respawning he is able to TP into the ROX base and take down the nexus with Score and Pawn.

KT take the first series of LCK 2-0 over ROX Tigers.

LZ VS SSG

LongZhu: Expession, Crash, Fly, Pray and Gorilla

Samsung Galaxy: CuVee, Ambition, Crown, Ruler, CoreJJ

In the second match of the season Samsung has their entire roster back and are looking to make another run at the world stage. They looked rather bad in the first game but regained their footing and showed why they were the runner ups at worlds in 2016.

Game 1

LongZhu dismantled the World Runner Ups in their first game of the season. Pray and Gorilla showed why they wanted to stick together this off season with a dominate showing. Samsung made a mistake and left Rengar up allowing LZ to first pick it. LZ would also come in with a last pick surprise locking in the singed. LZ draft consisted of Singed, Rengar, Taliyah, Jhin and Miss Fortune. When Crown plays there is 1 certainty, if Viktor is up he is going to pick it. SSG draft went pretty standard and ended with Poppy, Lee sin, Viktor, Ezreal and Zyra.

The story of the game was Pray on Jhin landing his curtain call shots to snipe SSG.

Crash, a very aggressive jungler, looked to make his presence known early with a kill on Ambition, but made a mistake and did not go through with the last auto and let ambition walk away with a sliver of health. He would make up for it with a gank on bot lane with Fly. Pray and Gorilla forced Ruler and CoreJJ low and back to tower allowing Fly to roam with the weavers wall and pick up first blood on Ruler while Crash tower dove and traded his life for CoreJJ under bot T1.

Crash revisits bot and kills Ruler with the help of Prays curtain call. The kill leads to first brick for LZ at 10:42.

After seeing Crown and CoreJJ recall in their own jungle LZ takes the first dragon of the game for free.

Pray and Gorilla instantly rotate top and force Cuvee away from tower and take another T1 tower. With bot and top down the LZ bot rotates mid.

Pray lands poke on SSG and drops the curtain call. Pray lands a shot around two members of SSG to kill CoreJJ, allowing his team to knock down the mid tower.

With Singed doing his job of splitting in the top lane his teammates take a free infernal drag.

LZ uses the weaver wall in the mid lane to catch out Ezreal, Zyra, and Lee and instantly deleting two members. A nice TP from Cuvee and a flank by Crown allows SSG to salvage something from the fight and make it a 4 for 3 in favor of LZ.

SSG continues to get picked off. Expession catches Poppy in her blue jungle and Gorilla gets the kill with help from Pray.

CoreJJ gets taken down once again by Pray and LZ takes Mid T2.

Crown gets caught out again in the bot lane and dies letting LZ take the Bot T2 as well.

With towers down and lanes shoved LZ turns its attention towards baron. Fly spots Ambition out of position and cuts him off with his ult leading to the kill. LZ falls back and takes the baron for free.

With the baron buff on LZ uses a 1-1-3 split. LZ knocks down top T2 and bot inhib tower almost in sync followed by the bot inhib. Pray snipes CoreJJ once again to allow his team to take the mid inhib. With the team moving as a pack Pray snags another kill onto Poppy and LZ takes the last remaining inhib with 31:45 on the clock.

After a recall and two pauses LZ looks to destroy the SSG nexus. LZ marches into the SSG base, aces SSG and destroys their nexus for their first win of the 2017 season.

Game 2:

LZ: Jax, Elise, Ekko, Varus and Miss Fortune

SSG: Camille, Rek’sai, Orianna, Jhin and Zyra ---Subs in Haru for Ambition

First blood to crown on Ekko, with gank from Reksai and Elise.

LZ picks up their first kill on ruler, on Ruler in the bot with Varus MF Ult combo at 11:40.

Slow game with farming across the board.

Double kjill to Karu in the mid lane at 14:40. 1v1 between Ori and Ekko, both junglers show up, Crown lives becvause of dangerous game. And they take first brick tower in the mid.

Ekko TPs back and LZ secures first dragon of the game, ocean

Ori and Reksai rotate to try and take bot t1, but Crown gets acught by varus ult and goes down to Elise.

Cuvee takes top tower on his own and is up nearly 50 farm against jax.

Camille 1v1 jax in the top lane after walking back to lane from getting tower.

Crash goes down in a bot lane fight 4v3.

Camille takes t2 tower after the kill, goes mid and 1v1 Fly in the mid lane, walks back top and gets solod by expression and he takes top tower.

At the same time SSG takes infernal drake and lead is nearly 5k.

Leaving Jax and Camille on an island bot while teams fight over baron vision.

Crash goes down to Ruler after Ori chunks. Cam TP in and solos Varus and MF, turn to baron and take it without losing a member at 26:30

Crash pick soff core jj in the LZ blue jungle, but dies in return.

Camille and Jax both die after teams rotate bot, but SSG pick up mid t2 then turn to take ocean drake then return to bot and take t2.

Cam kills jax 1v1 in top while team sieges bot and mid. SSG takes mid tower and inhib after forcing LZ off with curtain call.

Cam and Rek pick off Gorilla near his blue buff and rotate to take bot tower and inhib.

Crown gets a double in the base and they take down both towers then the inhib at 44 mintes 16:5 in kills.

Game 3

SSG continued their strong showing from game two and carried the momentum over to the final game of the match. Haru once again playing in place of Ambition got in the face of Crash and snowballed the game with his Kha’zix. LZ in game three went with Nautilas, Lee sin, Ekko, Ashe and Karma while SSG went with Maoki, Kha’zix, Corki, Ezreal and Zyra.

LZ goes for a cheese strat with 4 people in the bot lane brush to try and catch CoreJJ. He blows his flash, but survives. Seeing four on the bottom side Haru and CuVee sneak into the blue side of LZ jungle and wait for Lee Sin. Haru uses the blast cone to jump the wall and steal the buff and uses his flash to secure first blood on Crash.

After the cheese the game slows down and both junglers try to pressure each other without either getting much out of it.

Crash goes for a lane gank in the top lane and paired with Nautilas ult they get the kill and flash from Maoki. Crash rotates bot and Gorilla has cleared the vision around dragon allowing Crash to sneak in and take the first dragon of the game.

After taking the dragon Crash waits for Haru in the river brush and 100-0 kills him using his ult and flash.

LZ looks to set up a gank in the bot lane with Ashe ult and a Nautilas teleport. The ganks goes horribly wrong and LZ overreaches resulting in a 3 for 0 in favor of SSG and a 1k gold lead.

Kha catches Pray pushing out bot lane and gets the kill and both summoners. The kills leads to bot lane T1 and an infernal dragon.

Crash tries to set up a kill on CoreJJ in his red jungle, but goes too far and dies himself.

Both teams look to play around baron, but SSG is able to push LZ away from it and start it up for themselves. LZ comes back to try and stop the baron, but SSG secures the baron and chases down LZ for three kills.

SSG rotates to dragon and instantly goes towards the bot lane. They muscle down the bot lane t2 and inhib tower before taking the inhib.

With a wave in the top lane they rotate top and take the top lane tower. Cuvee gives his life for the top lane inhib. SSG sets its eyes on the mid lane, but they overstay and lose two members. LZ runs straight to baron and secures it for themselves.

SSG manages to knock down the third inhib and pressure LZ but they are unable to crack the nexus towers. LZ holds off multiple pushes and allows their inhibs to respawn only to lose them again.

LZ manages to rush to baron with 2 inhibs down and secure the baron, but they lose both nexus towers and the top lane inhib for it.

SSG regroups and and secure the elder dragon while LZ clears their base. With one final push SSG manages to destroy the nexus and take game 3 and the match 2-1.