FlyQuest vs Evil Geniuses

The 2020 LCS Summer Split playoffs certainly didn't start off as expected, with the perennial North American giants Team SoloMid getting clean swept by a challenger no one thought could pull off such a thing. And, frankly, it wasn't even close. TSM looked like a bunch of scrubs, as if they had no synergy or game plan whatsoever, and other than a couple of standout moments from Bjergsen, the team as a whole pretty much rolled over en route to one of the most decisive Best of 5 losses in recent history. The sights of Golden Guardians outclassing TSM is not something anyone expected -- ever, really.

So naturally, everyone's kind of fretting of what could happen going further. This outcome made no sense whatsoever and yet it happened regardless. TSM had all the right tools to not only get the win but also dominate GGS in the process, and yet they didn't look like it on the Summoner's Rift -- when it mattered the most.

This time around, we have FlyQuest vs. Evil Geniuses. If this kind of set-up sounds familiar, there's a very good reason why that's the case: both teams have fought against each other throughout the year on many different occasions. Once 2020 began, Evil Geniuses had a bit more synergy and were, therefore, noticeably more dangerous than FlyQuest. Heck, throughout the Spring Split, it looked like EG had FlyQuest's number -- until the playoffs came around, that is. Once that happened, the boys in white and green completely outclassed Evil Geniuses without breaking a sweat, and that has been the case ever since. FlyQuest have emerged victorious whenever it mattered and is currently on one of the best and most impressive win streaks in North America.

Make no mistake: they are a Top 3 team in the LCS, even though they might not look like it at first glance. There's just nothing to criticize them for and they also have a very distinct and fleshed-out identity that's allowing them to win more often than you'd expect. They're constantly on the offensive and have incredible talent and depth within their starting five-man line-up. Furthermore, they've only lost twice with WildTurtle as their starting marksman -- both times against Cloud9. Otherwise, they hold impressive and quite dominant wins over everyone else, including Team Liquid, Team SoloMid, and the Golden Guardians. How did they achieve such an impressive feat? For starters, they don't have any weak links. Solo is playing exceptionally well and is a fantastic low-econ top laner who can also hard carry without taking too many resources. Santorin is having one of his best splits in years with incredible performances on multiple meta picks (especially Trundle). He's always at the right place at the right time, creating leads for his team and getting his laners ahead. He's also fairly versatile -- he'll camp for Solo in one game and then flip the script in the next. He's also in tune with his equally talented European mid laner PowerOfEvil who quickly solidified himself as one of the best players in the West, especially when given priority in the draft.

Whenever PowerOfEvil is able to start off on the right foot (which is certainly more often than not), FlyQuest seem nigh unstoppable. His laning is exceptional and so is his team fighting. PoE is one of those mid laners that can seemingly bend the rules of the game -- he's more than capable of capitalizing once those hectic five-on-five team fights break out. From the moment FlyQuest picked him up, it's like they instantly became a much more dangerous and flexible team. PoE has dominated almost every single time and watching him flex over his opposition has been absolutely mesmerizing.

Finally, their bottom lane is every bit as dangerous and mind-blowing as the rest of the team. Both WildTurtle and IgNar are veterans in every sense of the word and are a perfect fit in terms of playstyle and aggression. They both want to flash forward, make the game winning play and catch someone off-guard. Their synergy is incredible and they have the mechanical prowess to back up any sort of engage. They might die in the process, but at least they'll capitalize and get their team ahead.

Evil Geniuses, on the other hand, haven't impressed us all that much over the last couple of weeks. They registered a couple of solid wins, but other than that, they've been inconsistent and sloppy more often than not. Bad individual play, mistakes in positioning, abysmal drafts and egregious in-game calls have defined their Summer Split, regardless if they've started with Jiizuke or Goldenglue. They just don't have a lot to work with, and with Huni and Svenskeren severely underperforming, EG simply cannot compete on equal footing. They always try their hardest, but it rarely pans out. Bang and Zeyzal are great more often than not, but there is only so much that the two of them can do when the rest of the team is either mediocre or is underperforming on a frequent basis. If anything, EG always come out the gates swinging. They know they're underdogs but they don't mind one bit -- they'll fight for every inch of the Summoner's Rift like their lives depend on it. This, in short, is why their games are always so entertaining, albeit still sloppy and littered with mistakes.

We're siding with FlyQuest on this one as it's the only logical choice. They've won against the who's who of the LCS and are entering the playoffs with a metric ton of hype and momentum. They also have a very real chance of reaching the finals and representing North America on the World Championship stage come October, so it's fair to expect the best and most pristine FlyQuest to date. That said, Evil Geniuses will not go down without a fight, so expect a very hectic, skirmish-heavy Best of 5 that's bound to entertain.