Following the trends of famous superstars is no longer a novelty in the League of Legends community, however, whether these trends are applied effectively is still a highly debated issue.
Top Lane Kalista is a champion pioneered by TheShy and is currently dominating high ranks in foreign servers. But sadly, while many are trying to follow this trend, very few can apply it effectively.
TheShy even used Kalista in both games against Vici Gaming, and as a result, the top lane of coach kkOma’s team was completely obliterated by the destructive power of the IG star.
Kalista’s brilliance in both the Challenger rank and professional scene has certainly not escaped the attention of the gaming community. Many players have begun using this champion in ranked matches, but life isn’t as rosy as it seems, resulting in nothing but indescribable pain for… their teammates.
It’s not hard to understand why the trend of “mimicking” TheShy has led to relatively negative effects in solo queue. Even when Kalista is used in the traditional ADC position, the champion requires extremely high skill, and considering ranks below Platinum, the number of players proficient with this champion is very few.
Top Lane Kalista began to rise when the Spellthief’s Edge received some adjustments. Combined with the mobility from her passive Martial Poise and strong poke potential from her Q and E, Kalista in TheShy’s hands has become a nightmare for tank champions in the top lane.
In theory, that’s the case, but not everyone can use this champion effectively. And that’s the root cause of Kalista standing on the edge between being a quirky pick or a disastrous choice, especially when she falls into the hands of under-skilled players.
Generally, the playstyle of Top Lane Kalista does not offer many unusual options regarding rune selection and itemization. The key lies in the approach to the game and the display of individual skill. Spellthief’s Edge allows Kalista to jump around more quickly with her passive, making it easier to kite against popular tank matchups in the meta like Garen, Sett, or Ornn.
Following TheShy climb the ranks, we can see that he primarily uses Kalista to dominate lanes, split push, not overly focusing on team fights. Kalista in solo queue already suffers greatly because her ultimate is rendered nearly useless during the laning phase, hence players must maintain a rhythm of skill exchanges and strong poke against their opponents from start to finish.
At the same time, the ability to jump around to dodge crowd control skills and engage from opponents is crucial, because with a fragile ADC like Kalista, if caught by top lane bruisers, it’s a one-way ticket to the death counter.
The difference between a “super master” like TheShy and other players is his ability to adjust his playstyle, and his kiting skills are simply unmatched. That’s why Kalista in TheShy’s hands feels like a final boss, while in the hands of other streamers, she sometimes ends up feeding uncontrollably, let alone when used by lower-skilled players.