The North America League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) semifinals began with Cloud9 against Immortals. Just a few short weeks ago, Cloud9 was not a team that many thought could compete on even footing with Immortals. However, this matchup was essentially a pick 'em. The strength of Immortals came from the superior duo of Kim "Reignover" Yeu-jin and Heo "Huni" Seong Hoon, while Cloud9's core was the sublime play of Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen and Zachary "Sneaky" Scuderi. It would take the entire five game series to determine the victor, but ultimately Cloud9 closed it out 3-2, advancing to the NA LCS finals.
It was a back-and-forth affair and both lineups flashed brilliance, but Cloud9's tenacity carried the day. Whether it was a macro plan or a teamfight game plan, Cloud9 proved it could play whatever the opponent drafted. It's difficult to pinpoint a weakness for this upstart team and their versatility should be a real strength entering the finals.
Immortals relied heavily on the early play of both Reignover and Huni and it paid off often, but a lack of a consistent secondary source of damage and carry ability cost them. Unfortunately, they cracked under the pressure. Huni and Eugene "Pobelter" Park were notably picked off repeatedly in critical moments and Cloud9 took advantage of every mistake. On the other side, Jensen was incredible in defeat and better in victory; Sneaky was the perfect complement in teamfights and damage distribution and far outpaced his opposition. Jensen's play and form plant him firmly in contention for being the best mid laner in North America. He's certainly the Cloud9 roster's biggest strength.
