Fnatic has secured their seventh EU LCS title after a convincing 3-1 series win over Schalke 04. They now look forward to the World Championships as the first European seed.
#FNCWIN: 3-1!@FNATIC ARE THE 2018 #EULCS SUMMER CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/wMXV5Aa06a
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) September 9, 2018
Fnatic was coming from a pretty dominant 3-1 series against Misfits, where they would exercise their will against Hans Sama and co. The MVP of the EU LCS Summer Split, Rasmus “Caps” Winther, would come up huge throughout the four games. Also, his efforts would even claim the Player of the Series. The perennial EU LCS champs were now looking to defend the crown against the rising Schalke 04.
The German-based team was also looking very strong off their win against Vitality. Their newest addition, Maurice “Amazing” Stückenschneider, was the Player of the Series for his great play on Skarner, Poppy, and Trundle. He has been one of the bigger reasons why Schalke 04 has found so much success this season. Now, in their first season together, they look to win the ultimate prize in the EU LCS Summer championship.
Schalke 04 Jumps Ahead
https://clips.twitch.tv/HungryLivelyAppleOpieOP
The first game would be all Schalke 04, with some help from their veteran jungler Amazing. Schalke would actually allow the power pick Akali for Caps. As a result, they would put Erlend “Nukeduck” Våtevik Holm on Lissandra as a counter. As Skarner, Amazing would appear in every single lane and put his team ahead. Additionally, he would gift a great lead for his ADC Elias “Upset” Lipp on Varus. Later on in the match, Upset would begin shredding through the Fnatic players. They would take game one with ease in 29 minutes.
Fnatic Brings In sOAZ
Fnatic would mix things up for game two by bringing in veteran Paul “sOAZ” Boyer for rookie Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau. His presence would pay off in spades, as the beefy front line of Fnatic would provide enough protection for their carries. It would stay pretty close for a while, but Fnatic’s All-Star ADC Martin “Rekkles” Larsson would pop off. He would not die for the whole game while racking up six kills in a 28-minute victory.
… And the Kings Reign Supreme
Game three was a wash for Schalke 04, as they would be run over by their opponents. Nukeduck’s LeBlanc would be neutralized very early in the match, not letting him roam and affect the rest of the map. Meanwhile, Fnatic’s support Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov would pick his classic Pyke pick, and it would work wonders. Fnatic takes down Schalke in a 14-6 stomp, with Rekkles again leading the kills with Kai’sa.
Finally, game four would be the closest game of the series. Schalke 04 would actually take an early lead, with Nukeduck picking up a few early kills on Irelia. However, after several fights across the map, the mid-game composition of Fnatic would take the stage, and the crowd control of the team would win them the match. Rekkles would top the victory with a quadra kill, and Fnatic would take the European crown once again.
What’s Next
For Fnatic, they now are the first seed for the EU LCS at the World Championships. Also, with a victory here, they have secured a spot for Vitality at Worlds as well. Schalke 04 now heads to the Regional Gauntlet, where they await their opponent in the Finals. They would be one of the best options for Europe to send to Worlds, but they will have to fight off one of their own brethren as well.
What do you think of Fnatic’s finals win over Schalke 04? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you want more EU LCS Playoff coverage, check us out here!
