Team Liquid's Impact discusses beating TSM with glacial comp

Olivia Richman Published 05/08/2019

Team Liquid has a guaranteed spot in the LCS Summer Split semifinals thanks to their first place finish in the regular season. So they decided to have a little fun against Team SoloMid.

Team Liquid played the off-meta glacial comp based on a commonly used composition from Teamfight Tactics. The crowd erupted when Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong locked in Volibear. The analysts also had fun with it, calling Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng and Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in the “coolest” bot lane duo in the LCS.

“I liked playing Ashe. It was a big meme. I used to never land her arrow. But after practicing her for 1,000 games, I just had fun. I didn’t expect to win. We were really trolling. But the best is when you troll and also win,” Doublelift said after the victory.

The LCS Arena couldn’t help but laugh when CoreJJ said they “practiced a whole lot of TFT” for this match. Although Doublelift noted that he personally doesn’t play TFT.

“That game sucks,” he said. “My team’s addicted though.”

Unfortunately for the rest of the North American teams, Doublelift added, the team will be “trying a little harder” now that it’s playoffs time.

WIN.gg spoke with Impact about Team Liquid’s most hilarious and entertaining match of the entire split.

How are you feeling about beating TSM with a “troll” comp?

Impact: I didn’t get nervous. It wasn’t an important match, so we could do whatever we want. We wanted to play well, but pick whatever we wanted. I think we showed that we can play really good with our macro.

What made you guys decide to play the glacial comp?

Some of my teammates chose it at random. It didn’t seem too bad. Some of the champions weren’t bad, or the comp. It had tank, had damage, and had a carry.

It looked like you were getting a little frustrated at one point as CoreJJ switched between champions. What was going on there?

I never played Volibear. I felt pressure. But afterwards I thought, “I can solo carry.” They don’t know Volibear, they don’t know the match up. I don’t know either. But I had the advantage.

Doublelift said you guys were addicted to TFT. How often have you been playing it?

I’m not too good. I’m only Gold 1. I’m playing one or two games a day with my teammates during break. But Xmithie, he’s insane. He’s Diamond already. He plays a lot.

How does it feel to have a guaranteed spot in the semifinals?

It’s the same as always. We always get number one or two. But I’m happy that we showed that our teamplay is good. In scrims, we are often trolling. I am feeling pretty confident.

Who do you think it will be in the finals?

I still don’t know. I think anyone can win.

Were there any teams that you have been surprised by this split?

CLG. I thought they were doing bad. But later on, they’ve started playing pretty good.

Cloud9 said that you guys are a whole different animal in the playoffs, when it’s best-of-five. Why is that?

I don’t know. In playoffs, we get a bit more nervous. In the regular season, one loss is fine. We can improve. But in the playffs, if you lose it’s over. There’s no more chances. We are more focused.

Is there anything you feel your team could improve on going into the playoffs?

I think just keep doing good in solo queues. And focus on mechanics.

Do you feel a lot of pressure as the best team in the NA?

Nope! My goal is to get number one in NA. I just want to keep making that happen. Getting number one always. I want to make all the banners Team Liquid. Who wants to lose?

How do you think NA stacks up against the other regions right now?

It could be hard. We have a chance against China. They’re messy, but they’re good with macro.

I have confidence in my team. But we just don’t know.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile