The match was about to begin, and SKT was the first to enter the arena.
Perhaps it was because they were close to the championship trophy, but this time, the atmosphere in the stadium was exceptionally lively. Every member of SKT was cheering and applauding.
Li Xu felt the difference in the atmosphere as soon as he entered the arena. This was the first time he saw someone holding up a tablet with his name written on it. Of course, this time, it was not to tell him to get lost, but to say, "Good luck, Li Xu."
"No one is booing me this time? Hmm ~ Is there a mistake on the tablet? "Li Xu was surprised.
Clid, who was behind him, was stunned. 'Did this guy spill heat packs on his head?'
Park Ji-hwan said, "Looks like Li Xu is not used to this kind of situation."
Kim Ji-hyun said, "Li Xu is used to antagonizing some fans, but his performance has won him more recognition."
Li Xu sat in the player's seat and glanced at the positions of the GRF players. His first impression of this team was that they were young. Chovy was only 17 years old. According to Korea's nominal age of 19, three of the players in the starting lineup were underage.
On SKT's side, Li Ge and MATA were veterans, and even the youngest, Clid, was an adult.
In the S8 Spring Competition, GRF won all of their matches in the secondary league and entered the promotion and relegation playoffs.
In the promotion and relegation playoffs, GRF defeated perennial lifter team KDM and MVP. This was the first time this team, which had only been established for a year, appeared on the stage of LCK.
After GRF was promoted to LCK, it caused quite a stir. This was because this team was different from the previous teams in the secondary league. In the past, the teams that were promoted from the secondary league could not escape the fate of being nobodies. On the other hand, GRF continuously defeated the veteran powerhouses of LCK.
Moreover, GRF's playstyle was unlike LCK's. Their playstyle was extremely fierce, and they were very good at fighting. At one point, they were compared to SSB. However, they were not very good at operating. Their playstyle was closer to LPL's.
And the core of this team was jungler Tarzan. As a jungler, Tarzan not only had to set the pace, but he was also often able to deal more damage than the two Cs in a single match. This was very frightening.
Now that they had entered the semifinals, the format had changed from 'best of three' to 'best of five'. The team that won three rounds first would be the winner.
The first round of BP started. The blue team, GRF, started with a BAN, and the red team, SKT.
GRF took out Urgot with a first-hand BAN.
Kim Ji-hyun: "Griffin's first-hand BAN was given to Li Xu. Will Li Xu be banned three times like last round's DWG?"
Park Ji-hwan: "It shouldn't be. At the moment, it's hard to say what Li Xu's hero pool is lacking. Griffin should be targeting the strong BAN heroes. As long as Griffin isn't too suppressed in the top lane, he should be able to accept it."
SKT sent Lamia back into the little black room. This version of Lamia was very strong, but there was almost no chance for her to show her face.
GRF's second BAN was aimed at Li Ge, and it directly banned Akali. Although Li Ge did not use the Assassin hero much, the results were not bad every time he used it. After all, he was once the King of Assassins, the man who had the King of Assassins in Naruto's Tribulation.
Of course, the most recent match where Li Ge used Akali was the final match against GEN G in the bubble match.
In the end, he was stuck in the corner by the black and yellow pillar and was directly kicked out of the international tournament.
SKT's second BAN was Victor. This was one of the few heroes that GRF's top laner, Sword, was good at carrying.
On the blue side, GRF's third BAN was Dao Mei.
Hao Kai: "Griffin continued to target Li Ge and banned Dao Mei. This hero is good in both the mid and top lane, but Li Xu did not use it before. It should be to target Li Ge."
Hallucination: "Griffin is thinking too much. Do you still need to think of other strategies to target Li Ge? Just ban Ice Maiden and it'll be over. "
"Hahaha! Teacher Hallucination is so profound. Even GRF's coach can't see it. With Ice Maiden here, would Guapi use any other hero? "
"That's right. GRF takes off his pants to fart. Why can't he just ban Ice Maiden? After so many matches, can't you see it?"
"What the hell is GRF banning? Have you watched SKT's matches? I'm better at banning than you guys. "
SKT's third BAN in the first round was given to Sword Magician. It was also to target Sword, but it was to suppress GRF's weakness. The core jungler, Tarzan, had a bottomless pool of heroes, and there was no way to target him. Of course, targeting the top lane was the most cost-effective.
GRF's first choice was to ban Gário. This hero was the cornerstone of the team and could be paired with a variety of lineups.
SKT did not disappoint. Without hesitation, they pulled out Ice Maiden, Lissandro.
Hallucination: "Of course, do you even need to think? Just ban Ice Maiden against Li Ge. "
"Hahaha! Li Ge is already a jungler hero. Who wouldn't be satisfied with a jungler like Li Bingbing? "
"Brothers, do you want to curse or go through the process? Forget it, I'll curse you. Li Bingbing, I curse you for eating instant noodles without seasoning. "
SKT's second hero was Jess.
Hao Kai: "SKT's first pick of Jess is just like what Hallucination said. They're trying to gain an advantage in the top lane."
Hallucination: "That's right. Although Li Xu has not used Jess in the previous matches, the top laner will definitely use it. Let's see how familiar he is with it."
GRF's second pick was Sean and Mantis.
Hao Kai: "GRF's purpose for Mantis is clear. It's to coordinate with Gário. But isn't it a little too early to pick Sean? SKT's already taken out Jess. It's unlikely that they'll ban Sean. "
Hallucination: "Li Xu's already taken out Jess. With Sword's hero pool, it'll be difficult for him to take out most of the heroes. He only has a few good tanking heroes. If he's banned in the second round, Sword will be forced to take out Garen."
SKT's third pick was Teddy's best hero, EZ.
Hao Kai: "Now that the first three heroes are out, GRF's ability to start a team is very strong. They have control and frontline, while SKT's poke ability is excellent. Both sides lack a very important support."
Hallucination: "That's right. GRF lacks a support that can protect Mantis's advance. SKT would normally ban heroes like Tam and Morgana, but SKT doesn't have a frontline and a support that can protect them. Tam is the best choice. Let's see how both sides decide to ban each other in the second round. Since SKT has the first pick in the second round, it's possible that both sides will take one hero each. If SKT bans Morgana, GRF will definitely ban Tam. “
In the second round, both sides had a tacit understanding not to target each other's support. SKT gave Lucian and Eich the two BAN slots, while GRF gave Princes and King of Nightmares the two BAN slots.
Finally, both sides' lineups were finalized.
Blue GRF:
Top Laner: Sword (Undead God of War, Sean)
Jungler: Tarzan (Void Destroyer, Kazik)
Mid Laner: Chovy (Colossus of Justice, Gário)
ADC: Viper (Daughter of the Void, Kesha)
Support: Lehends (Fallen Angel, Morgana)
Red SKT:
Top Laner: KING (Future Guardian, Jess)
Jungler: Clid (Blind Monk, Li Qing)
Mid Laner: FAKER (Frost Witch, Lissandra)
ADC: Teddy (Explorer, Izrael)
Support: MATA (River King, Tam)
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