Rise

Literally no one watching could have ever imagined that a single game in the solo queue could be this intense. Or nerve-wracking. But they all sat at the edge of their seats with spasms of unease following every heartbeat as they watched CN•HOOK2 try to bait out the Red Team from their base by rushing Baron. And when they saw the Red Team rushing out of their base, hooked on CN•HOOK2 gambit, the uneasy beating of their hearts turned into palpitations.

The tension was thick. For the viewers. For the players in the game. Everyone involved across geographic and digital boundaries, united by this one moment in this one game, held their breaths. Time itself slowed down, with every frame and every second dragging on for an eternity.

24 minutes and 30 seconds on the game timer, with 7 minutes and 30 seconds until the deadline for the Korean ladder. Blue Team’s relentless assault on Baron Nashor was starting to work. The monster’s health had fallen below 30%, and it looked as if they would succeed in taking it down. Meanwhile, the Red Team was rushing through the top half of their jungle in a desperate attempt to reach the Baron Pit before the monster fell.

24 minutes and 40 seconds on the game timer, with 7 minutes and 20 seconds until the deadline for the Korean ladder. Red Team’s Champions had made it all the way to the River, and they were closing in on the Baron Pit. Both Red and Blue Team were locked in a desperate race against each other and time. The Blue Team’s attacks continued to whittle away at what little remained of Baron Nashor’s health. But the real question was if Red Team would get to the Baron Pit in time to stop Blue Team from bringing the Baron down.

24 minutes and 45 seconds on the game timer, with 7 minutes and 15 seconds until the deadline for the Korean ladder. Red Team’s Gragas led the charge towards the Baron Pit. When he got close enough, he sent a barrel rolling forward to the Baron Pit. When it got close enough to Blue Team, he exploded it with another cast of Barrel Roll. Janna was right behind Gragas, and she followed up on the barrel with a Howling Gale! The rest of the Red Team was grouped up behind and around Janna.

When Gragas’ barrel rolled into their vision, all five members of Blue Team immediately ceased their assault on Baron Nashor. They managed to back away right before the barrel exploded, avoiding all damage from it. Then they split apart and Janna’s Howling Gale passed through the gaps in their ranks.

Sejuani charged out of the Baron Pit first with Arctic Assault and Flashed mid-charge. When she came out of the Flash, she was right in the middle of the Red Team! She collided with three of their Champions and knocked them up into the air!

Yasuo followed Sejuani out of the Baron Pit, and immediately dashed over to Gragas with Sweeping Blade. As he landed, his blade pierced into Gragas with a Steel Tempest! Winds coiled and roiled along the length of the blade as this second Steel Tempest landed on Gragas. The first stack of Steel Tempest was built up right before Red Team arrived at the Baron Pit, when Yasuo used the skill on Baron Nashor.

Gragas attempted to retaliate and hold Yasuo and Sejuani back. But before he could, he was hooked by a Death Sentence from Thresh. The Red Team was now completely exposed!