Why is T1 so strong in the S13 Finals, but still cant beat GEN?
T1’s Record and Understanding of Gameplay Against GENG
The idea that T1 cannot beat GENG has somewhat been ingrained in people’s minds.
The reason why we now have the “assumption” that T1 cannot beat GENG is that on one hand, GENG has indeed won the two Swiss round matches against T1 in S13. On the other hand, GENG won both of their LCK championships this year by beating T1.
But if you carefully examine the record of their matches, you will find that these two teams are actually evenly matched, with wins and losses on both sides.
T1 and GENG have played a total of five BO5 matches this year, with GENG winning three times and T1 winning twice. The two victories for T1 were in the Spring playoffs winner’s bracket finals and the MSI winner’s bracket semifinals.
If these two teams were to play a BO5 match in the quarterfinals, based on their performances in the quarterfinals, GENG might not necessarily be able to beat T1. Why do we have this assumption? Because in the quarterfinals, GENG stayed stagnant or even weakened, while T1 became stronger.
Starting with the analysis of the drafting phase in their matches during the Swiss rounds, we can see why T1 lost. Both teams did not fully understand the priority of Renekton, and focused excessively on the priority of Kai’Sa and Thresh.
So, T1 actually did not showcase their concept of “line priority radiating into the jungle” in their drafting phase. On one hand, they did not secure both Renekton and Thresh simultaneously on the red side, failing to recognize the importance of Renekton. On the other hand, picking Alistar was truly a blunder when GENG had Kai’Sa and Varus.
On the red side, T1 ended up with a composition lacking lane priority in all three lanes, allowing GENG to control jungle resources in the early and mid game. This is completely different from their understanding of drafting in the quarterfinals against LNG on the red side.
Perhaps it was precisely because of the defeat in that match that they realized the importance of lane priority in controlling jungle resources. After that match, their choice of bot lane champions completely changed.
Furthermore, both T1 and WBG’s performance in this World Championship is not consistent throughout. They have been continuously evolving through the process of playing matches, learning from others' strengths and filling their own weaknesses.
Since their overall team fight performance is not on par with GENG and JDG, T1’s strategy became more focused on individual laning strength and less on team fights. This ability to quickly adjust after failure and continually improve oneself is actually the most terrifying.
Because this means that the party challenging them in a BO5 series will have to constantly showcase new content in order to completely defeat them.
The Strength of T1 Team is Beyond Doubt
There is no doubt that GENG cannot consistently defeat T1. This spring, T1 won in the winner’s bracket finals, and they also won at MSI.
Each of the five players on the T1 team is exceptionally skilled and talented. Except for Zeus, the other four have been playing together for three years and their only opponents have always been themselves.
If it weren’t for last year’s MSI loss to RNG, which shattered their morale and caused ongoing issues, these past two years would have been T1’s stage. A team that consistently secures second place can only mean that they have not overcome the challenge of defeating themselves, and their strength is undoubtedly formidable.
Why does T1 always get defeated by GEN.G?
First, let’s talk about T1 in the early stages of the season. T1’s own strategies haven’t reached their peak yet, and that needs to be pointed out.
To expand on this, why is GEN.G always able to catch T1?
Simply put, T1 only knows how to use two strategies: dragon control in the mid game and vanguard in the mid game. T1 doesn’t like to play in the late game, and the reason for that is because T1’s AD carry is average, the mid lane is experienced, and the top laner is strong. Playing in the late game becomes a weakness in itself, unless the top lane Zeus can carry in the late game.
If you look at T1’s roster, the only one who can truly give them an advantage in the late game is Zeus. Faker is getting older, and only Fizz can achieve the same effect. Other champions often die easily in the late game, and the bottom lane is susceptible as well.
Therefore, many analysis videos say that T1’s tactics always revolve around Zeus, and that’s the reason.
The reason T1 is playing this way in the World Championship is because Zeus is strong.
It just happens that during the World Championship, the top, mid, and jungle roles are emphasized, so T1 always has better results in the World Championship but slightly worse results in MSI.
T1 has been playing this lineup since the formation of the team, and if the top laner can’t carry, they will lose in various ways.
Although GEN.G’s top laner Doran is not that great, they can always hold their ground against Zeus, and then Peanut can always catch the enemy’s mid laner in the jungle. In this situation, the weaknesses in other lanes can’t hold up. The game where JDG beat T1 is also an example, with Kanavi making successful jungle invades and 369 not giving any opportunities in the top lane.
WB was able to reach the finals because they specifically focus on the top and jungle, and you could say they are a version of T1. This also signifies that the current meta in the season is greater than everything else.
“Various Teams Exposed”
Gen.G dominated T1 in terms of individual skills, suppressing each member of T1 one-on-one.
One of the main reasons for Li Ning and JD’s losses is that they were constantly being exposed. Li Ning was suppressed in the mid and top lanes, the jungler was overwhelmed, and the bottom lane was forced to play passively in the late game. JD was suppressed in the mid lane and defeated in the top lane.
When a certain lane is exposed, it means that the team can focus on operating around that lane and gain resource advantages. T1, as an experienced team, is very familiar with this strategy.
However, Samsung is different. They suppress the opponents in every lane. Even if T1 chooses a late game composition, they dare not engage in early skirmishes, and they are forced to play for the late game, which is where Samsung excels.
The reason Samsung lost to BLG was because they were exposed in the top lane, and even though the mid lane was their advantage, they kept making mistakes. In fact, the consensus among the players after the match was that Samsung lost because they didn’t understand the meta in the first two games and gave them away for free. If not for the mistakes in the deciding game in the mid lane, this year would have seen another LCK final.
Since the plated version came out, laning advantage has become more important than anything else. Hero selection is now about choosing heroes with strong laning abilities, rather than the other way around. The disregard for support abilities in the bottom lane and the focus on lane suppression by long-range supports and even marksmen supports all illustrate this point.
This can also be extended to another aspect: before the plated version, teams with individually strong players would not necessarily be strong as a team, because there would be situations where these players would fight over resources. The most memorable example is S5 OMG and many teams like them.
But afterwards, most teams with individually strong players became formidable, because strong individuals also meant strong laning abilities, which equated to strength as a team.
Tactical Innovation in the World Championships
T1 is strong, but cannot defeat GEN; GEN is strong, but cannot defeat BLG; BLG is strong, but cannot defeat JDG. So why is JDG strong, but unable to beat T1?
You can’t simply judge this based on wins and losses.
The league, MSI, and even the Asian Games cannot be compared to the World Championships, because the previous few competitions were about understanding the patch, while the World Championships are about strong heroes in that particular patch.
Generally speaking, having strong heroes in the patch is enough to have a good position in the league, MSI, and similar competitions. In the league, the patches are constantly changing, so you need to adapt to the patch while playing. Therefore, if you can bring out strong heroes in that patch and use them effectively, you can have a good position in the league. MSI and similar competitions are similar, although the patches seem to last longer, they are still not long enough, usually not reaching the level of the World Championships where teams can specifically target the heroes in the patch.
The World Championships will experience the use of the same patch for over a month, even close to two months. During this time, teams that are not particularly skilled in using the strong heroes of the patch or teams that are not comfortable with those heroes (you can also say teams whose strength does not match those who can directly win with heroes of the patch) will try to “win with surprise.” This “surprise” refers to using lineups that counter the strong heroes of the patch.
After experiencing multiple World Championships, T1 has come to understand this. They no longer seek the best combinations of strong heroes in the patch, but instead focus on how to counter the strong heroes and strategies of the patch. This puts them ahead of others, just like when we bring out tactics that others haven’t thought of in a match, others have to figure out how to respond and learn. But when others have adapted to that playstyle, we have already found another countermeasure.
This may be the strength of T1 in the World Championships. They might not necessarily be the team with the strongest mechanical skills, but through their understanding and experience, they are ahead in terms of ideas, and opponents have to find ways to cope. This might be why they can defeat JDG, as JDG is exhausted from dealing with T1’s new tactics and has forgotten about their own strengths.
Perhaps the reason why GEN can defeat T1 is that they believe in their players' abilities, believing that if they perform well individually, they can win against T1.
SKT’s Game Strategy and Roster Selection
Due to different versions,
In season 7, you put SKT in, and choose Lulu or Karma for the mid lane.
In season 8, you put SKT in, and choose Ekko or Noc for the mid lane.
In season 9, send a Titan to the bot lane for TP, with four champions protecting the ADC.
You will find that SKT’s winning game strategy
has always been focused on the synergy between the mid and jungle.
The bot lane combination stabilizes the game in the mid-term and takes control.
Samsung does not excel in mechanics,
such as Doran, or the current Peanut.
They prioritize strategic operations and push steadily with advantages.
The current SKT,
is also different from the old SKT.
The old SKT indeed focused on map control and operations, while also excelling in mechanics.
That SKT was truly invincible, flawless.
The current SKT, however, relies on mage mid laners and a strong ADC, farming to support their teammates, not primarily focused on solo kills, but pressuring the lanes and having the jungle and mid make plays.
The top lane requires a fighter.
Zeus prefers mechanics, so putting a tank on the top lane doesn’t stand out.
As for the bot lane, even if you let Dr. K play a strong support, it wouldn’t work.
What truly suits him is research and development, all kinds of utility supports,
soft supports, ADCs, utility supports
In operation, you have a tank on the top lane and a strong support on the bot lane.
You have a tank jungle to control the map.
Or another option, a pure jungle and ADC version.
You will see SKT’s compatibility
he is the most fitting now
A top lane fighter, a jungle fighter specialized in team fights,
a mage mid laner (Faker’s classic Thresh Emperor Syndra),
a support that can control the lane or roam.
The reason they couldn’t beat Samsung before
every time you give them Sion, Ornn, or Miss Fortune
a hard support bot lane version
it restricts the support and top lane champions
the jungle focuses on Miss Fortune
even with mid lane synergy, it’s difficult to fight
they must give the ball to the ADC and let the ADC carry
Now, in terms of draft, you can look at Samsung, Lining, and SKT’s drafts, including Jingdong, Weibo, and Banlangen.
Their mid, top, and jungle are stronger and more proactive, they aggressively contest the bot lane’s control.
That’s the version
you must choose like this
if you choose a pure tank jungle and a semi-tank top,
and a bot lane with a weak support
they get pressured by double ADC, while protecting the top and jungle and creating a fast-paced game.
This is different from an operation-focused team.
Operation takes at least twenty minutes
but now, without lane control at 20 minutes, the enemy has taken four dragons' souls
they get pushed directly in one wave
this is where a more aggressive mid, top, and jungle suppression is needed
bot lane needs to have lane control
this is the key,
and this is also the reason SKT can win
let Zeus choose Ekko or Ornn, it’s more painful than killing him
let K support with Alistar, there isn’t too much strategic thinking