HLE Makes a Bold Move with “Unexpected Choices” Against T1
This weekend’s match, featuring HLE and T1, has garnered significant attention as a clash between top-tier teams. Currently, HLE appears to be under considerable pressure, yet many fans still believe in T1, especially after a recent high-stakes match against Gen.G. However, HLE’s strategies could be considered quite surprising, particularly with their unique ban against T1: not allowing any champions from the AD carry category in Game 2 of their match.
Historically, when facing top teams like T1, banning AD carries has been a standard approach. For instance, in the match between T1 and Gen.G, at least one AD carry was banned. Similarly, in the T1 versus DRX match, “Blue Rift” banned all four AD carries in Game 1 for extra caution. But HLE, in a significant departure from convention, did not ban any AD carries in Game 2.
Notably, HLE is the only team to have executed this strategy against T1 in their last two encounters. In the LCK Cup, Games 1 and 5 saw HLE also opt against banning any AD carry champions. Meanwhile, T1 had to ban four of Viper’s AD champions in Game 1. This time around, HLE was bold enough to let T1 have Kalista and Ashe, allowing Viper to utilize the “win lane – win game” strategy with Caitlyn.
Is HLE’s Confidence Enough to Overpower T1’s Strength?
HLE possesses a solid foundation for confidence, as T1’s roster can potentially falter in lane, causing Viper and Delight to be on edge with Gumayusi being at risk. However, this also highlights T1’s potential vulnerability. As such, T1 has resorted to using Kalista and Ashe, which could serve as a “disaster” for their opponents as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 World Championship. Moreover, T1 did not have any counterstrategy against HLE in Game 2.
Currently, T1 still has many strong competitors, making it difficult for them to secure a top position in the 2025 Regular Seasons. However, they will face significant challenges if T1 does not maintain their consistency. When teams continually rotate through different AD carries instead of having all five players practice together with different champions, the possibility of T1 losing more matches remains a significant concern.
