- After a drop in performance, Schalke 04 is finally back on track
- The team qualified for the last playoff spot after a victory against Excel
- Clever tactics and skillful use of a mid-Nocturne by Abbedage left opponents in shambles
After a performance decline, Schalke 04 painstakingly managed to turn the tables and secure a spot at the playoffs by outplaying Excel with the smart use of Nocturne.
Schalke 04 Surprised Excel with a Cunning Nocturne Play
German team Schalke 04 dove headfirst into the League of Legends European Championship Spring Season 2021. In the beginning, the players quickly piled up some victories, finishing the third week with a 5-2 result. However, the team wore down, and their performance began to drop until they found themselves among the bottom teams. There were even talks about selling the team's LEC slot.
At that point, S04 began a desperate push to force themselves into the playoffs. And their hard work finally paid off as they just greatly overpowered Excel in a battle for the very last spot in the LEC playoffs.
In the battle, Schalke 04 made a surprising mid-lane choice by setting Abbedagge to play as Nocturne. This move was inspired by Doinb from the Pro League, and not only did it quickly paid off, but it also won Abbedage the most valuable player vote. The German player wreaked havoc among the enemy ranks with clever use of the Paranoia skill.
The match began rather passively with both teams playing safe, which server S04 well as they needed time to set up. Then S04 started adopting a more aggressive approach by combining Nocturne'sNocturne's skills with Gangplank and Karthus'Karthus' ultimates. Excel found themselves utterly outplayed – as they were taking the Baron in hopes of turning the tides, S04 undertook a split-push and quickly won the game.
This hard-earned victory is fourth in a row for S04, who, in their push for the last spot in the playoffs, couldn't permit themselves to make any losses. Now the team can take a breather – at least until the playoffs start on March 26.
