On February 4th (Vietnam time), the final matches of the first phase of the LCK Spring 2024 group stage officially concluded. Throughout the group stage, there were many surprising developments among the teams. The ups and downs of KT Rolster or Dplus KIA, the bright performance of the young stars from Kwangdong Freecs compared to the previous season… Of course, we cannot overlook the undefeated record of Gen.G and the continuous experimental champion picks from T1.
Besides building a highly dynamic playstyle based on the wide champion pool of the players, T1 also holds a perfect statistic. Throughout the group stage matches, T1 is the only team with an average of 1 Baron per game. In some matches, T1 didn’t secure Baron (e.g., game 2 against Gen.G), but in others, this team managed to take all available Baron buffs (e.g., game 3 against KT). Clearly, T1 is very focused on Baron buffs, with Faker and teammates prioritizing this objective over Dragon buffs.
The reason for this statistic is primarily due to Riot’s adjustments, where the Void Rift and subsequently the Rift Herald made Baron very powerful. T1 showed in game 2 against Gen.G that with just 6 Void Rift, the speed of pushing towers can be incredibly rapid. In a balanced game where Baron has not yet appeared, if the opponent goes to take Dragon buffs and the other team has 6 Void Rift, they can easily lose a lane. Furthermore, in the ensuing Baron fight, if Canyon couldn’t secure this buff, the overall victory might have gone to T1, as they had 3 members while Gen.G only had Chovy left.
Next, T1’s playstyle always favors winning lanes, and in many matches, this team primarily focuses on the top lane while allowing the bottom lane to play on their own. With the current version still keeping ADC quite weak, focusing on the bottom lane isn’t always effective. Moreover, Zeus is currently in top form with champion picks like Aatrox or Yone. If T1 can fully utilize this player’s good form, the top lane will be an extremely strong point. In the matches against Gen.G or KT, Zeus also didn’t fall too far behind seasoned opponents like Kiin or Doran. And the top lane is the fastest route to Baron.
Finally, another noteworthy statistic is that T1 is the only team in LCK Spring so far with an average game duration of under 30 minutes. In matches where T1 completely dominates their opponents, they tend to end the game immediately after securing their first Baron (e.g., game 2 against DRX ended after 24 minutes with T1 having Baron). If the game drags on and T1 is still in control, they will take both Barons (e.g., game 2 against OKBRO lasted 30 minutes and T1 secured both Baron buffs). In short: T1 only ends games when the gap is insurmountable or when they have secured Baron buffs.
After the shaky early season, T1 is showing that they have focused on the most crucial game-changing factors to secure victories. However, the LCK Spring 2024 journey is still only through the group stage, and it’s too early to say anything, especially after the break, as players will have to work hard to regain their original rhythm before the upcoming tough matches.