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The LCK Spring 2024 group stage is heating up. The battle for two slots at the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 continues after a short break.
One of the fights is a stunet clash between DPlus and FearX. Both teams are obviously in contention for a place at the first international tournament of the season MSI 2024, however, they need to qualify for the play-offs and that's a task with an asterisk.
Let's try to figure out which of the clubs will win the Bo3 series and earn important points in the run-up to the LCK Spring 2024 play-offs.
Let's go.
Dplus KIA uniforms
We start the match analysis with an analysis of Dplus KIA's match form. In this match they will play as series favourites with odds to win at around 1.13.
In the season before last, Dplus were still DAMWON, but it does not change the essence of the matter. Back then, Korea's top team finished top-3 at LCK Spring 2022 and top-4 at LCK Summer 2022.
Thanks to a win at LCK Regional Finals 2022, the team went to Worls 2022. The World Championships ended with a play-offs loss in a colourful match against Gen.G with a score of 2-3.
After rebranding, Dplus put together a new roster. There was an attempt to make some sort of "super" team, but that story doesn't work too well in LCK.
- Dplus roster: Kingen, Lucid, ShowMaker, Aiming, Kellin.
Reigning world champion Deft didn't help Dplus much at the first tournament after the rebranding. At LCK Spring 2023, Dplus finished in the top 5, which is not good.
At LCK Summer 2023, Dplus made it to the play-offs in 4th place, 11-7. That's better than T1.
However, LCK Summer 2023 Dplus KIA did not stay in the play-offs for long. In the first round of LCK Summer 2023 Playoffs Dplus Ledge and T1 with the score 1-3, leaving the main stage of the prestigious championship early.
The team made it to Worlds 2023 thanks to a second place finish at the South Korean regional finals. To do so, they first outplayed DRX (3-0) and then HLE (3-1).
Dplus opened up Worlds 2023 with a match against G2 Esports. The titular Koreans were weaker than the best team in Europe and went into the set 0-1.
There, Dplus played their fellow countrymen from KT Rolster. And again Worlds 2022 champion Deft and their distinguished colleagues lost: now Dplus had 0-2.
After falling into the relegation zone, Dplus finally got their act together and showed their game. They knocked BDS out of the tournament and now continue the arduous march to the play-offs. Later they outplayed GAM Esports and came out on top 2-2, but in the final match Ledge and KT Rolster, thus losing their chance at the play-offs.
Dplus KIA had a very poor first half of LCK Spring 2024. The team is 2-4 and has very questionable prospects for the future. Dplus will play against T1 in the Long Segment of the second half of the LCK Spring 2024 group stage and, to me, they have very little chance in that match.
T1's most popular champions
For the top line the team picks KSante (4 matches, 50% wins), Renekton (3 games, 33% wins), Gnar (3 matches, 66% wins).
In the forest all the same, more or less standard: VI (7 games, 57% wins), Maokai (3 games, 66% wins), Poppy and Sejuani 2 matches and 0 wins each.
On the centre line with no deviations. There are Azir (4 matches, 50% wins), Ryze (4 games, 50% wins), Syndra (2 games, 50% wins), Cassiopeia (2 matches, 50% wins).
The championship among shooters is held by Lucian. Champion appeared 5 times, but won only 2 matches. Tried to Zeri, but failed: 0-3 in three appearances.
Among the supporting champions, Nami was a success. She was picked up 5 times, and her winrate was 40%. Yummi (3 games, 0% wins) and Ashe (3 games, 66% wins) were also picked.
FearX Form
Let's open the match analysis with the analysis of FearX form. In this match, the team will play as an underdog, with odds to win at around 7.5.
FearX is a relatively new name on the LCK. The team shone on the competitive scene back in 2018, but got to LCK 2024 by merging Liiv Sandbox and SANDBOX Gaming, which is what we will rely on when analysing FearX.
Having been on the competitive scene since 2018, they started playing on LCK in 2019. First it was Top 5 at LCK Spring 2019, followed by Top 4 at LCK Summer 2019 and Top 3 at Regional Finals 2019, which wasn't enough to attend Worlds 2019.
What followed was a string of failed performances and playing at TIR tournaments. Things started to turn around in 2021 when FearX, while still Liiv Sandbox took Top 4 at Regional Finals.
It wasn't going badly in 2022 when SANDBOX were one step away from Worlds. First they finished top 3 at LCK Summer 2022 and then top 3 at Regional Finals, Ledgeiv DRX at 2-3, failing to make it to Worlds. By the way, DRX won Worlds that year, so there you go.
2023, on the other hand, was a flop, after a pretty good showing the previous season. LCK Spring 2023 was top 6, and LCK Summer 2023 was top 7.
- FearX lineup: Clear, Willer, Clozer, Hena, Execute.
FearX changed their roster significantly during the November 2023 transfer window. Clear, Clozer, Hena and Execute joined the team, while jungler Willer remained the only player from the previous roster.
The first part of LCK Spring 2024 went well for FearX. They played it to a 3-3 score, which is pretty bearable considering they are in the play-offs zone before the season continues.
FearX's Most Chosen Champions
The most popular character for the top line remains KSante (7 games, 42% wins). Gnar (6 games, 83% wins), Fiora (5 games, 60% wins) are also taken.
On foresters there is nothing fundamentally new: Sejuani (7 matches, 57% wins), Wukong (6 matches, 66% wins), Maokai (4 games, 100% wins).
In the centre, the favourite patch champion is Azir (7 matches, 85% wins). Beside him are Akali (4 games, 25% wins), Sylas (4 games, 75% wins).
The most favoured ADC is Varus (6 matches, 66% wins). Lucian (4 games, 100% wins) and Ashe with Caitlyn (3 games and 66% wins each) are also popular.
Among the supporting players Heimerdinger (5 games, 60% wins), Karma (4 matches, 50% wins), Ashe (3 games, 66% wins), Nami (3 matches, 100% wins) stand out.
History of head-to-head meetings
For the teams this will be nominally the first meeting in official matches.
Predicted result of the match FearX - DPlus
This match, as far as I am concerned, will not be as lopsided as all the others before it. FearX are not the whipping boys that they showed in their first LCK matches, and DPlus, for their part, do not inspire confidence, much less being below FearX in the overall standings. All in all, I'd expect a full-fledged bo3.
Bottom line: total +2.5.
