With a 3-1, Ryu and the Bullets defeat Nofe and the rest of Shield in an exciting four-game series.
With a Gragas jungle by Nofe and a Malphite support by Mafa, this third place match already looked exciting right from the drafts. While the KT Bullets are famous for their rotations, they seemed to be lacking in this game. NaJin White Shield's fast and furious tower pushing seemed to work at first, especially since their siege-oriented team comp with Nidalee and Lucian is highly effective at taking down towers.
However, Mafa with the niche Malphite support gave KTB a strong engage tool, akin to Leona. Also, NJWS relied on getting towers down quickly and using the gold from that to gain an advantage. Unfortunately, KTB managed to hold off and simply became too tanky to handle, and with stronger teamfighting and an in-your-face method of doing so, KTB managed to get the first game their way.
Game 2 was all about Ryu and Mafa getting the spotlight. NJWS relied purely on snowballing this match, especially since Nofe picked Kha'Zix, a champion who needed an early lead to get started. NJWS also has strong engage potential with the Shyvana/Lulu combo. But KTB's pick comp was executed perfectly, giving Ryu on LeBlanc the gold he needed to just destroy the opposition.
Not only that, but Mafa on Alistar allowed KTB to pick the fights that they wanted, disengaging when it's not in their favor. Multi-man Pulverizes set the teamfight perfectly for Score, Leopard, and KaKAO to take out one target immediately, with Ryu doing cleanup work.
One game away, KTB looked confident and were set to end this series with a clean sweep. Maybe a little too confident. A fast push on top lane started KTB on the right foot, and they were intent on taking out bot. But NJWS created an amazing defense, holding off their opponents.
KTB got too stubborn and tried to push bot, while Save on Jax was able to farm freely and safely. Because of this, KTB acted like lost children, not knowing what to do, and NJWS got the game completely in their control. Score and Mafa looked terrible this game, as they got caught out again and again, giving away free kills to Shield, which allowed them to grow an even greater lead, and giving the fans a real match with a 2-1.
Unfortunately, Game 4 would be the last game of the series. KTB's wrecking ball of a team comp is something the team has always been comfortable with. KTB got back on form this game, after being humbled by the previous one. NJWS had a good team comp going, with strong early picks from Elise and good AoE power with Orianna, Sivir, and Sona. However, it wasn't meant to be, as Mafa on Alistar once more and KaKAO on Olaf were really good at making picks early on. By mid-late game, Ryu's Gragas could easily melt anyone, and the Explosive Cask made sure that NJWS was always out of position.
A 3-1 finish, the KT Bullets cemented third place for Champions Winter 2013-2014, and after falling to rival SKT T1 K, the team would have to wait next season to get their revenge.
