MVP opened up the 2017 League of Legends Champions Korea Summer Split with a fairly convincing 2-1 win over Jin Air Green Wings on Tuesday in Seoul, South Korea.
MVP came into Game 1 with a clear goal of limiting the effectiveness of JAG jungler Um "UmTi" Sung-hyeon, using four of its five bans on junglers. This gave MVP jungler Kim "Beyond" Kyu-suk Graves, which is arguably one of the stronger junglers on the current patch. While Beyond managed to use the champion to get first blood, JAG relied on poke and copious shields from its team composition to hang on through the entire game. MVP succeeded in limiting UmTi from the draft phase, but JAG took the right fights to end up with two Barons over the course of the 40-minute game. In the end, it was JAG top laner Jeon "ikssu" Ik-soo's Jayce with late split-pushing that finally knocked down the MVP Nexus to give the first game win of the Summer Split to the Jin Air Green Wings.
While the casters ended up keying in on the top lane matchup of Sejuani against Jarvan IV, it was another pick altogether that ended up turning the tide of battle in Game 2. MVP support Jeong "Max" Jong-bin picked a pocket Blitzcrank to go along with his AD carry Oh "MaHa" Hyun-sik's Xayah in the bottom lane. Max was all over the map setting up picks for his teammates on his way to a 2/1/8 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) that not only earned him MVP honors in the game, but gave his team the wherewithal to dominate the game from start to finish. This, coupled with JAG's lack of coordination as a unit, allowed MVP to soar to a 29-minute win, forcing a decisive Game 3.
The final game of the series saw a departure from the first two, with neither team giving much ground in the pick-ban phase. While JAG had some power picks in Lee Sin and LeBlanc in its composition, both teams ended up with some shielding and poke damage. JAG took an early lead on the back of UmTi's Lee Sin dominating the map early on, but this didn't last long. MVP kept tight control of objectives, taking all five Elemental Drakes over the course of the game, before securing a 34-minute Baron that helped seal the deal. MVP AD carry Oh "MaHa" Hyun-sik's Varus was the X-factor, finishing with a 6/0/7 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) and giving MVP its edge in the 39-minute win that locked up the 2-1 series win.
MVP will have a few days off before taking on Ever8 Winners on Sunday at 4 a.m. ET, while JAG sees action against the ROX Tigers this Thursday at 7 a.m. ET.