The Spring split of the League of Legends Champions Korea is proving to be a gritty one.
At the top, Griffin remain undefeated with a perfect 8-0 mark. They and SANDBOX have set the pace and it would be a surprise if either faltered as we hit the halfway stage.
However, the intrigue this week looks set to be provided by some competitive battles further down the standings where there is an opportunity for several teams to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
Big test for kt
kt Rolster appear to be in a difficult spot, given they are coming off back-to-back losses against the top two. Now they must play SK Telecom, who sit in third, before a quick rematch against top-seeded Griffin.
With UmTi seeing some playing time in the Jungle, kt have faltered too many times already, leading to a 2-6 record, despite boasting a talented squad that every now and then shows glimpses of brilliance.
The Bottom lane continues to be a massive issue for this squad, with the team clearly struggling to replace the brilliance of Deft and Mata in that spot last year. Pressure is mounting on skilled veterans Smeb and Bdd to find a solution – and quickly – if they are to stay relevant this split.
Freecs mix and match
Afreeca Freecs are still continuing to shuffle their roster as they look to find consistency. While it appears unlikely they will continue to have Spirit in a variety of roles, his experience does bring value to this squad.
Afreeca have moved a bit away from what worked for them before; indexing on getting star Kiin the best situation possible for him to carry, even putting him on Vayne earlier in the year. This is the type of tactic Afreeca could look to fall back on, although this week throws up a rather tough schedule.
Up first are SANDBOX before an interesting bout with Hanwha Life Esports, one which should have a significant impact on the middle of the standings.
Jin Air still winless
After an abysmal start to the year, this week appears to be the best chance Jin Air Green Wings are going to have all split long to pick up a series victory.
Jin Air’s lone game win came against Gen.G, with the latter slated as their second opponent of the week after they duel a KING-ZONE DragonX side who have been up and down at times.
Jin Air at least do have a couple of possible paths to victory when it comes to matching up against Gen.G. Jin Air can either put everything into the top side of the map where the majority of their talent is, or they can do everything they can to shutdown Gen.G’s best player, Bottom-laner Ruler, who generally needs to have a large impact if his team are to find success.
This season has brought disappointment after disappointment, but Jin Air finally have a reasonable chance to break their losing streak.
Big week for DAMWON
Currently sat in the middle of the pack with a 4-4 record, DAMWON could make a massive move in Week 5 with both Hanwha Life Esports and SK Telecom T1 on their plate.
DAMWON currently sit tied in fifth place alongside KING-ZONE DragonX, being just one win back from Hanwha Life and two behind SKT.
DAMWON have had a rather polarising year, but the team enjoyed a solid showing last week with back-to-back 2-0 victories over Afreeca and Jin Air.
Interestingly the team just announced the addition of Flame, an incredibly versatile and experienced player who could either help develop Nuguri, who has been their primary star, or even surpass him depending on his form and what the team needs.
This is a potential turning point for DAMWON, who will look to invest in the top side and see whether or not the likes of Nuguri and ShowMaker can make some noise.
