SSG put a stop to Blank's winning streak and left him a losing streak

On July 13, 'SKT T1' and 'Samsung Galaxy' had their epic clash on the 2nd series of the day. Utilizing the same exact team composition for both games, SSG dominated SKT in a brutal fashion. With a score of 2:0, SSG had the honor of taking down the 'World Champions'. And with this win, SSG is once again the 1st place team in the LCK leaderboards. The two players who had the biggest impact during the series was Ruler for set 1, and Ambition for set 2. For their nothing short of spectacular performance, the two players were titled as the MVP of the series.


How do you feel after that one-sided victory?

Ruler: We weren't proud of our recent performances, but it feels good beating SKT in such a clean fashion.

Ambition: It feels unreal... I also feel very proud that we are the only team that has beaten SKT this split.


Ambition, we saw you smiling quite frequently during the series

Ambition: I couldn't help it. Even in situations where we thought we were going to lose, we pulled through. On the 2nd set, I think we were able to secure the win due to the confidence snowballing from the 1st set into the 2nd. 


During the 1st set, it seemed SSG had many disadvantageous moments

Ambition: Because none of our lanes were completely crushed, we made it into the lategame. We also relied on Taliyah's minion clear and our superior teamfighting composition to win the game. 


Kalista is starting to gain popularity, yet, you guys took Varus. What is the reason behind it?

Ruler: Varus is actually a good pick against Kalista, but due to Bang's amazing mechanics, it was still hard fought. But Varus is better than Kalista in the late-game, so we were able to take advantage of that.


Where did you get the idea of picking Sejuani and Braum?

Ambition: When the cost of 'Cinderhulk' decreased, Sejuani's winrate went up to a considerable amount in Solo Queue. When I realized her potential, I started picking her up to practice. And to be honest, she was not easy to master at all; as I am still analyzing her to bring out her full potential. And when facing SKT, it is not always a good idea to pick standard compositions against them. I thought it would be a good idea to bring out a surprise pick. As Sejuani has never been featured during this split, I predicted that SKT had a low amount of practice against her. It paid off. 


(To Ruler) You were constantly focused during teamfights. Weren't you nervous?

Ruler: In moments when I thought I was going to die, Sejuani and Braum protected me with stuns. I also maintained a good amount of health at all times with lifesteal. 


You were also constantly moving your champion to overlap with your allies'. Was that a strategy to avoid being targeted?

Ruler: I was actually in a very poor playing condition as I constantly woke up during the night. So I told my teammates that we should bundle up. Well, it worked out.


(To Ambition) What kind of shotcalls did you make during teamfights?

Ambition: Our entire strategy revolved around protecting our carries. It is due to the lack of damage from the rest of the team.


You guys used the exact same team composition for both sets

Ruler: As soon as Bang took Kalista, I picked Varus. It is due to the reason explained above, better late-game.

Ambition: When we picked the exact same team comp in set 2, SKT shifted theirs. I knew exactly what they were planning. As they took Leesin, they were planning to take early-game advantages. So we just simply played cautiously in the early-game.


The clash between the two toplaners was pretty intense. What was CuVee saying at the time?

Ambition: Sejuani is a champion that revolves around farming over ganking. And because Blank took aggressive early-game champs like Leesin, CuVee was already at a disadvantage against the Fiora. But he still held up his own and didn't completely fall off. That led us to victory.


(To Ruler) Do you sweat a lot when you're nervous?

Ruler: Ever since I was young, I was a sweaty guy. Playing in the booths with the AC turned off also doesn't help. 


How did the team rate 'Ruler' after such a great showing?

Ruler: After the game, CuVee said, "Ruler is carrying us!" 

Ambition: We don't usually talk about an individual's performances after games. But it was shown in an 'Off the Record' video a while back, so...(Laughs)


During a previous interview with coach Edgar, he mentioned that the team's overall atmosphere was very bad

Ruler: I agree with him. Everyone was in a bad condition. But with this win, I think we got our confidence back. I believe we will do much better from now on.


(To Ambition) Any final words for the fans?

Ambition: Thank you so much for cheering for us. Right now, the scene is much more competitive with teams constantly swapping positions on the leaderboard. So when we are falling, please cheer for us more passionately. That will bring us back to the top.