LPL + LCK Sunday

  • (-600) T1 v Liiv Sandbox (+375)
  • (+400) LGD Gaming v JD Gaming (-650)
  • (+200) Fredit BRION v Hanwha Life Esports (-275)
  • (+200) Bilibili Gaming v Suning Gaming (-275)
  • (+155) LNG Esports v Royal Never Give Up (-195)

Sunday’s LPL and LCK contains some extremely close matches across the pond: most notably, the LPL and MSI champions in RNG make their domestic summer debut against the unlikely first placed team in the LPL currently in LNG. T1 looks to cut down the inferior Sandbox, and likewise with JD Gaming to LGD, finally, HLE and Suning try to pull their split together by defeating mid table teams Fredit BRION and Bilibili respectively.

Captain

Chovy ($11,400)

Mid laner Chovy is a star on a destitute team. Deft can still be a good player, but he looks absolutely sapped of talent. However, when Chovy is facing off against dead-terrible teams like Fredit BRION, he has the opportunity to really shine. There’s noone else for HLE to carry the game: they must funnel through Chovy, and therefore, Chovy is going to accrue tonnes of points on the way to dragging HLE to victory. For a more steady option with a consistent team, pick up T1’s Teddy as he faces a mediocre team also against Sandbox.

Alternatives to consider: Teddy ($11,400)

Top Lane

Canna ($6,400)

T1’s Canna is an underrated top laner in my opinion; for his debut year in 2020 he made considerable progress, and while he had some hiccups in 2021 spring, it’s not as though he’s incapable of continuing his insane trajectory. He’s stood solid so far, as opposed to one bad game or so against Damwon KIA. Summit isn’t a tall task for Canna to conquer either, but if you want the best of the best, Xiaohu is right there- just be warned, the opponent he’s facing in LNG can be a strong team, as we’ve seen against teams like JDG.

Alternatives to consider: Xiaohu ($6,600)

Jungle

SofM ($6,600)

SN is a team of two great players: Huanfeng and SofM. On Sunday, they face BLG, who holds a strong bottom lane in Ppgod and Aiming, and honestly, not much else. Zeka can be good occasionally, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Their topside is lukewarm, and I think it’s a good time to count on SofM to make some messy games and wrap them up nicely alongside superstar ADC Huanfeng. For a different choice, I’d grab T1’s Cuzz- Sandbox’s junglers are very underwhelming.

Alternatives to consider: Cuzz ($7,200)

Mid Lane

Faker ($7,200)

T1’s Faker is a consistent hallmark of the LCK. He’s not a highlight carry star player, but he is strong enough with a deep champion pool and convincing gameplay. His opponent in FATE is extremely underwhelming, and one of the worst mids in the LCK in my opinion. He gains little from his jungler when facing capable enemy junglers (as opposed to Yohan, in their HLE match) so Faker should be able to smash him.

Alternatives to consider: Angel ($7,400)

ADC

Teddy ($7,600)

For the final part of T1, Teddy is the muscle to Faker’s brain. Line them up, knock them down. Faker’s versatility allows Teddy to utilize his wide champion pool. In particular, Teddy’s trademark Kalista coming back into meta is extremely exciting, and will allow him to pick up tons of points if he pulls it out. Otherwise, he’s an ace on Ezreal, Kai’sa, and other meta staples. Sandbox’s bottom lane is alright, but is little more than a speedbump to Teddy’s domination. For a different choice, I’d pick up the second part of the two-man SN army in Huanfeng.

Alternatives to consider: Huanfeng ($8,000)

Support

Vsta ($5,600)

Yeah, this is a sac pick. Any time an HLE member is picked that isn’t Chovy, or randomly Deft when he tries his best, it’s practically a sac. Vsta does have a few things going for him though: the slow pace of the LCK lets him avoid dying and losing the points he accrues; his weak opponent in BRION gives him a capable edge (especially since their bottom lane is weak) to have a pretty strong game, and keep his lead.

Alternatives to consider: Keria ($6,000)

Team

Hanwha Life Esports ($5,200)

Hanwha has entered summer with a whimper. Deft has looked mediocre and their topside is underwhelming as ever, which  is disappointing considering they looked like they were putting the pieces together by the end of spring. HLE’s one star in Chovy still appears decent, and I think they’ll take the win against BRION on Sunday due to the opponent’s extreme weakness. For a more solid choice, I’d select T1, but I’m fine with a bit of a team sac on this money-hungry day.

Alternatives to consider: T1 ($5,400)

Stacks

SofM & Huanfeng

The two carry core of SN is a good choice if you expect them to beat BLG, like I do. SofM and Huanfeng are both extremely aggressive players who are capable of playing to their limits; SofM likes to play to his lanes and grant them leads, and Huanfeng utilizes these leads to (at least hypothetically) grant SN the win.

Teddy & Faker

Two consistent players on T1? Good choice. Faker is a multi-season champion and the original GOAT of league. He isn’t as consistent as he once was, but he’s still a fantastic facilitator alongside his carry side laners, and he enables Teddy spectacularly. T1 is always a contender, and Faker’s enabling of Teddy makes it possible.

Xiaohu & Cryin

If you want to take down LNG, you need to target their solo laners; and while I tried my best to avoid this match-up due to its volatility, sometimes the dark arts are worth tampering with. Cryin is the best overall laner in the LPL, he’s extremely precise with his movement and grants jungler Wei amazing control of the jungle. Xiaohu is definitively the best top laner in the world, too. My only hesitation is, LNG has evaded expectations for this long, I have no clue how long their streak will last for.

Top Picks: Teddy, SofM, Canna

All of these players have solid match-ups: Canna versus Summit is easily Canna sided considering Summit’s recent form. SofM is a fantastic jungler but with some players on his team- particularly his middle laner and support, that aren’t up to snuff with himself and Huanfeng. Teddy is alongside Canna on a strong team facing off against Prince and Effort, a bottom lane that has shown promise but hasn’t delivered much.

Top Value: Chovy, Faker, Ming

The “bargain bin” of players has plenty of gems. Chovy is the lone carry on his team, and he’s likely to receive massive resources and, ergo, plenty of points. Faker and Ming are consistently solid players on their teams throughout ups and downs; Faker has a fantastic match-up against FATE, whereas Ming versus Iwandy is slightly more uncertain, although definitely RNG favored.