The Tale of two sisters concludes, TPA wins GPL Winter 2014

With GPL Winter Finals, we are seeing the Azubu Taipei Assassins and The Azubu Taipei Snipers facing off against each other for the first time in the grand finals; both teams having something to prove: TPA wants to prove that they are reformed after their disappointing performance after season 2 worlds and TPS wants to prove that they are the better team with their near miss into Season 3 worlds.

Game 1

Picks and bans came out shocking as we saw TPA having some unconventional picks for their marksman in the form of Lulu, additionally depriving TPS Winds of his jungle Elise and Lee Sin. Also shocking during the drafts was TPS deciding to ban out Teemo.

With Bebe running a marksman Lulu, TPA had the early game control, forcing OhReal in a 2v2 situation where Mistake had to babysit him and later have OhReal face off against a Gragas where he was two levels down. With a great Dragon Fight and some great turret dives, TPA came out on top with the gold and turret lead.

With TPS holding out and with many great Baron Baits during the mid game, they manage to mitigate the early game advantage that TPA had by itemizing against the opponent’s team composition. Two bad Baron Calls from TPA and a Baron steal by Winds caused the game to totally turn in TPS’s favor as Zonda became nearly unkillable on Dr. Mundo and managed to allow TPS to bulldoze their way to victory.

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Game 2

Picks and Bans saw TPA again depriving Winds on comfort jungle picks and TPS banning Teemo once again. With TPS leaving out Dr. Mundo, which brought them victory in game one in favor of Shyvana, TPA was quick to pick up the mad doctor, which surprisingly was allowed through the entire drafting phase and picked last.

The match was fairly even, but with TPA’s composition, they were able to get the early turret advantage. TPS managed to force a few solid team fights around their turret and also a strong baron dance, which seemingly allowed TPS to swing the advantage in their favor.



With OhReal being caught out of position during a Baron attempt by TPS, TPA was able to force the Baron fight in their Favor. having the advantage clearly on their side, TPA was able to take the game methodically by having great team fights with the protection of Bebe.

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Game 3

Picks and bans seemed rather normal with the usual targeted ban on Winds and a Teemo ban once again from TPA. TPS was able to snatch the Gragas away from Morning, forcing him into the Fizz pick and Zonda picking a Jax which he hoped to counter Archie’s Dr. Mundo.

Once again, the early game was evenly matched until a team fight broke down, allowing TPS to trade 4 for 3 with OhReal acquiring a triple kill.

The game seemingly snowballed in favor of TPS, but with TPS losing a few team fights with Jay’s excellent engages and ultimately losing the control of Baron, TPA was able to sneak that baron behind TPS’s back and force a siege at mid lane. This ended up easily turning the tide in their favor. A fatal mistake caused by

Mistake, where he flashed Tibbers and only caught one member of TPA, cemented TPA’s advantage. Using a very ADC-centric style of play, TPA was able to protect Bebe by body blocking every skill shot aimed at him allowing Bebe to carry the team to victory once again.

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Game 4

After losing two games in a row. TPS came into game 4 with two primary objectives in mind: shut down the duo lane and mid lane. With Jay’s Leona banned out and Morning still having no solution to OhReal’s Gragas, TPS was able to achieve this objective.



With Winds able to turn the duo lane around into TPS’s favor and the solo lanes winning, GodJJ found freedom in snowballing hard on his Sivir, giving TPS the chance to systematically take down turrets and catch bad rotations form TPA, pushing the series to a fifth game.

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Game 5

During picks and bans, Morning seemingly found his counter to OhReal’s Gragas in the form of Ziggs, oddly bypassing it prior in the series. Bebe finally pulled out one of his most prominent carries in the form of Ezreal, draped in the skin created precisely in his honor. TPS had GodJJ on Jinx and with Winds on Olaf.

The game was once again fairly even with TPA holding a 1 turret advantage until the 30 minute mark. After a fail Baron steal by all members of TPS (Gragas’ explosive cask; Shyvana’s Dragon’s Descent; Nami’s Tidal Wave and Olaf’s smite) Bebe was the one to secure baron for TPA in the end.



Team fights were still in TPS’s favor after Baron until a crucial Tibbers form Jay turned it completely around. TPS tried to draw out the game after losing their mid inhibitor turret but a misposition by Winds allowed TPA to secure their championship victory by taking down each member of their sister team.

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STANDINGS

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Write-up: Hong "Aluca" Weikang

Editor & Formatting: Michale "DreXxiN" ​Lalor

