TL;DR
- Cloud9 executed superior zone control strategy with Veigar and Aphelios compositions
- Early teleport advantage created permanent top lane pressure and objective control
- Mid-game Baron secure turned 5,000 gold lead into unstoppable snowball
- Team Liquid’s substitute jungler Shernfire struggled with engagement timing
- Cloud9’s new roster proved effective with coordinated team fighting
The 2020 LCS Spring Split commenced with an explosive showdown between North America’s top contenders from the previous season. Team Liquid and Cloud9 faced off in what would become a masterclass in strategic League of Legends execution, with Cloud9 securing a convincing victory that set the tone for their championship aspirations.
This rematch of the 2019 Summer Finals provided immediate pressure for both organizations. Cloud9’s three new roster additions needed to demonstrate their competitive worth under pressure. Meanwhile, Liquid operated at a disadvantage with substitute jungler Shern “Shernfire” Tai filling in for Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pedersen, who was resolving visa complications that prevented his participation.
Both teams strategically selected League of Legends’ most recent champion releases for their opening game compositions. Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen’s decision to leverage Aphelios’ powerful but controversial kit generated divided audience responses. Cloud9’s remaining draft choices emphasized extensive area denial capabilities, designed to intimidate Liquid away from crucial map objectives through superior positioning and control.
Robert “Blaber” Huang initiated aggressive early pressure with a top lane gank that forced Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong to recall, simultaneously eliminating his flash and teleport summoner spells. This created a decisive teleport discrepancy in the top lane, enabling Cloud9 to secure the initial Ocean Dragon uncontested at seven minutes before transitioning to Rift Herald for additional lane dominance.
The strategic sequencing of these early objectives demonstrated Cloud9’s understanding of priority windows. By establishing top side control first, they systematically expanded their influence across the map, methodically accumulating advantages that would compound throughout the match duration.
Approaching the twelve-minute mark, the scoreboard remained deadlocked at 0-0 despite Cloud9’s apparent lane control. The turning moment arrived when Liquid successfully ambushed Cloud9 in mid lane brush terrain, triggering a team engagement where Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in secured the season’s inaugural elimination. Liquid capitalized on this momentum to collect additional takedowns while simultaneously claiming a Fire Dragon.
During the mid-game phase, Cloud9 consistently expanded their strategic advantage over Liquid. A second Rift Herald deployment secured their third turret demolition while Liquid remained without structural advantages. The team’s draft emphasis on territorial control through Veigar’s containment field guaranteed Cloud9 additional Drake acquisitions alongside the match’s first Baron Nashor secure.
Liquid encountered significant difficulties establishing clean engagement opportunities, finding themselves disadvantaged by a substantial 5,000 gold deficit. This resource gap created compounding challenges that became increasingly difficult to overcome as the game progressed toward its conclusion.
Professional teams often struggle with engagement timing when facing zone control compositions. The key counter-strategy involves creating picks through vision control rather than direct team fighting, a tactic Liquid failed to execute effectively against Cloud9’s disciplined positioning.
From this pivotal moment forward, Cloud9’s momentum became increasingly unstoppable. Liquid’s roster repeatedly attempted to penetrate Cloud9’s composition defenses without success. The match developed into a one-sided affair as Cloud9 efficiently leveraged their Baron empowerment, advancing with calculated confidence toward victory conditions.
Even when Liquid attempted engagements beneath inhibitor turret protection, Cloud9 achieved a flawless team wipe with minimal resistance, exacting revenge for previous encounters.
This dominant performance established Cloud9 as early season favorites, demonstrating their ability to execute complex strategies under pressure. Their next challenge awaits against the Golden Guardians, where they’ll aim to continue their winning momentum.
Action Checklist
- Establish early lane priority through calculated gank pressure to create summoner spell advantages
- Sequence objective takes strategically using teleport discrepancies to secure dragons and Herald
- Execute zone control compositions with precise ability timing for area denial
- Convert Baron secure into structural advantages through coordinated pushing
- Close games efficiently using gold leads to snowball into unstoppable victory conditions
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Cloud9 gets revenge on Team Liquid to open 2020 LCS Spring Split Strategic analysis of Cloud9's dominant victory over Team Liquid in the 2020 LCS Spring Split opener