: Nyx* vs. ROOT

Draft
Root: Brewmaster, Earthshaker, Centaur, ES, AA
SNA: Tide, Skywrath, IO, Tiny, Clockwerk
Initial Thoughts: At first glance it appears that :{USA}: {Sneaky Nyx Assassins}have a superior draft. :{USA}:{Root’s} selection of a full melee lineup against tiny and Clockwerk could make it difficult to take fights as the game progresses. They do have good pickoff potential but with very little pushing power it will be difficult for them to take towers that would help in slowing down SNA.
Early Game:
SNA takes an early first blood as their offlane Tidehunter rotates south to aid IO and Tiny in securing the kill on ES. Wisp and IO show the potency of SNA’s champion selection as they grab another early kill midlane on Brewmaster allowing them to shut down his progression. An early orchid pickup by clockwork proves fruitful as it is instrumental in shutting down both the Ember Spirit and Brewmaster while simultaneously snowballing SNA’s early game advantage.
SNA assert their lead early by grabbing several kills with a potent Wisp, Tiny, and Clockwerk combination. The outcome of this game for Root looks dismal as they commit a five hero rotation bot only picking up a kill on wisp.
Mid Lane:
Despite Tidehunter being effectively shut down in the laning phase, SNA’s global pressure creates enough space for him to become relevant in the midgame. At this point the Root’s brewmaster has less net worth than SNA’s position 4 Skywrath Mage, illustrating the lead SNA has established for themselves. A solo kill onto centaur by Clockwerk creates enough space for a quick Roshan by the Tiny Io duo. The gold lead Tiny has accrued for SNA is immense, and at this stage of the game it seems to be too much for Root to handle. Following a 5 man wipe in their own jungle at the hands of a double ravage, Root taps out and calls gg.
Analysis:
This game illustrated a smooth and methodical SNA team despite the absence of their core player USH. At the center of their victory was a strong drafting phase that took advantage of their opponents all melee lineup. The Inability for Root to deal with the potency of the IO tiny combination in conjunction with the perfect clockwork pick, put SNA in the driver’s seat from the get go. While their draft alone may not have been enough to carry them to victory, the crisp execution of their laning phase coupled with great itemization by clockwork delivered SNA a nice early lead and was the reason they were able to snowball their way to a solid victory. This dominant showing could indicate a strong SNA team that will most likely place at the top of their group for the American Starladder XI region.