DragonX – The Inherent Psychological Weakness
If we had to evaluate which team has the highest championship odds in the playoffs, the answer would undoubtedly be DragonX. This team has nearly everything, from a roster filled with quality players, including last year’s Griffin “super rookies” like Chovy and Doran, to a top LCK marksman in Deft, and a uniquely strategic coach in cvMax. Yet, this team still grapples with a long-standing psychological issue that hinders their success.
Take Deft and DragonX from 2019, for example; they couldn’t overcome the tense Bo5 matches in the summer split and missed the opportunity for the third Worlds slot to Damwon Gaming. Moreover, Deft and Chovy have a baffling “choke” tradition when facing Faker. As everyone knows, to become king, you must dethrone the old king, and with T1 and Faker still around, it’s tough for Deft and his teammates to claim this Spring LCK title.
Damwon Gaming – When ‘Big Hands’ Aren’t Everything
In their group stage encounters, Damwon Gaming and T1 showcased very contrasting styles, resulting in a stalemate. However, it’s challenging for the young stars to overcome Faker and his teammates. DWG’s greatest strength lies in their exceptional champion mechanics; essentially, this young squad exemplifies a “big hands” team.
However, professional play isn’t just about mechanics; strategic movement also plays a crucial role. Damwon Gaming is programmed like a machine, playing repetitively and becoming easy to read. This was evident in the group stage when they finished in 5th place. Facing one of the most experienced players in the LCK, Faker, makes it tough for DWG to beat T1 in a Bo5. One game could be possible, but winning a full five-game series would be too difficult.
Gen.G – A Superteam but Struggling Against T1
Gen.G is perhaps the hottest name in the LCK before the Spring tournament began, having assembled what could be argued as the strongest and most balanced roster in the league at that time. Particularly noteworthy is their successful acquisition of Clid, the best jungler in the league, from T1, which led many to believe that Gen.G could dominate the LCK and potentially overthrow T1’s supremacy. However, the reality is only half true; they topped the group stage but lost to T1 in both their round-robin matches.
An interesting aspect of Gen.G is that they adopted a playstyle similar to T1, focusing on map control and team fighting. However, with players sourced from various teams, their synergy in team fights cannot match the seamless coordination of T1, whose core players were trained from the same “SKT T1” academy.
Overall, Gen.G and T1 are similar in terms of personnel, but the teamwork of Faker and his teammates is significantly better. If they do meet T1 in the finals, Gen.G’s odds of losing are quite high, despite being the team waiting in the finals.
Conclusion
T1 entered this Spring season having lost their jungler and top laner, yet their relatively unknown rookies have quickly integrated into the team’s overall playstyle. They execute team fights seamlessly and coordinate as if they have played together for years. Meanwhile, the other teams in the playoffs all have certain weaknesses, whether in strategy or mentality against T1, making it tough for the championship to slip away from Faker and his teammates.
