In the latest match between T1 and LSB, support player Ryu “Keria” Min-seok chose Lee Sin and made a strong impression on the LCK community. In the 2021 season, Lee Sin had almost completely moved away from the jungle role, instead being utilized in all four lane positions.
In the previous day’s matches, KT Noah used Lee Sin in the bottom lane, but this time, The Blind Monk was utilized in a support role by Keria. T1’s support player delivered a strong performance with this Lee Sin pick for most of the game, but T1’s mistake of underestimating their opponents ultimately led them to a disappointing defeat.
According to the LCK organizers, this is the first time Lee Sin has appeared in the support position after 2718 days (more than 7 years). Previously, the last player to use Lee Sin in support was Cho “Mata” Se-hyeong, who employed Lee Sin support against NJWH GorillA’s Thresh in the LCK Spring 2014.
However, T1 made the error of allowing the game to drag on too long, at which point Lee Sin’s effectiveness diminished significantly. T1 lacked a stable tank to absorb damage, which was crucial for their damage dealers to unleash their potential. Notably, LSB secured the Water Dragon soul, preventing T1’s damage output from penetrating their opponent’s strong frontline.
In what should have been a scenario to push down the mid lane and take 2 turrets, T1, with their full roster, could have closed the game, but they chose to engage in a fight with their opponents and ended up suffering a disastrous defeat.
After this loss, T1 found themselves tied for 5th place alongside LSB. Although this year, the LCK has 4 spots available for the 2021 World Championship, if T1 doesn’t regain their form, it will be very difficult for them to secure a spot and achieve victory in the summer playoffs.