Evaluation of top laners at Worlds 2018: Convergence of talent

The play-in round of World Championship 2018 will start on 1/10 coming here in Seoul with 12 teams will compete for 4 official places in the group stage. With the tournament so close, ESPN has specifically researched the rosters of all the teams and selected the players, this article details the best top laners in each position. These stars are the ones who can make a difference and help the teams make their dream of winning in Korea come true.

1. Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho, KT Rolster

Smeb’s career is a story full of ups and downs. In his early days as a pro, he not only performed poorly – he was also considered one of the worst pro players in Korea. Smeb’s performances in the early days of competition were quite amusing. However, after switching to playing in the KOO Tiger shirt, everything changed. Just two years after being labeled as one of the worst players in history, he became the top top laner in Korea and became the right-hand man of the new defending Korean champion. Country.

In 2016, everything seemed to be very close to Smeb. His team, ROX Tigers, was the team that was expected to win the championship, but the confrontation that is considered to be the greatest in League of Legends history between ROX Tigers and SK Telecom T1 in the semifinals was over. forced for Smeb must pause before the dream is still unfinished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFRSPpSf1MQ

The 2017 and 2018 seasons were the next phase of his career. Now Smeb is the captain of the best team in Korea, the reigning LCK champion KT Rolster, and perhaps nothing can satisfy Smeb but the world championship. The most recent season can be considered as Smeb’s best season, even better than the season in which he won the MVP title.

Some players can use a lot of different champions but only master a few. However, Smeb is not one of them. He is a person who is able to master all the champions that he brings to use. And with the flexibility Smeb has in the top lane, if the Chinese want to get their hands on the world championship for the first time, they still have to overcome a giant obstacle called Smeb.

2. Kim “Kiin” Gi-in, Afreeca Freecs

The first time Kiin caught everyone’s attention was when he had a great performance in the Ever8 Winners shirt at the 2017 LCK Summer with champions Camille, Jax and Renekton. Although he was not as highly regarded as his teammates at the time, Kim “Malrang” Geun-seong and Park “Cepted” Wi-rim, he somehow left a mark for himself. After the 2017 KeSPA Cup, Kiin was targeted by Afreeca Freecs and then became the person to fill the void left by Jang “MaRin” Gyeong-hwan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94LDAflhTMw

Although not many people thought that Kiin would be underperforming, it was still a huge surprise when Kiin quickly surpassed all expectations and became one of the top top laners in Korea. . Kiin has proven himself to be a top laner who can fill his role brilliantly in any lineup that Afreeca Freecs offers. His excellent target selection in teamfights is what makes him a crucial factor in AFs initiating combat, especially when he’s using cards like Gnar or Ornn. Besides, his flexibility has also helped Afreeca Freecs many times to surprise the opponent with last-minute changes in the pick and ban phase. Not only that, Kiin is also someone who can completely carry the whole team when needed with carry champions like Quinn. All in all, Kiin is the type of player that you can build a squad around and make him the main carry of the team.

3. Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok, Invictus Gaming

Invictus Gaming’s top laner is one of the most interesting players in the top lane. Like Kiin, TheShy is a big fan of top lane carry, but he can also do a great job when playing tank champions. Lee “Duke” Ho-seong played more than TheShy this past summer, but it is clear that TheShy’s aggressive laning and early game teamfights are still the best. key to Invictus Gaming’s current style of play. Although TheShy is still inexperienced in the international arena, his outstanding individual skills, as proven in the LPL, have earned him a place in the list of top laners in the world. World Finals this time. If Invictus Gaming can create favorable conditions for TheShy to achieve success by setting up favorable matches or creating enough pressure in the jungle, then he will become a star. morning in Korea.

4. Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho, 100 Thieves

Ssumday is here to remind the world who he is. The former KT Rolster star has caught on to the NA region very well since he moved here in 2017. And like his former teammate Song “Rookie” Eui-jin, star of Invitus Gaming at the present time, Ssumday has quickly learned the main language where he is playing. Ssumday came to North America with a limited English, and now the 22-year-old can attend interviews in English without the need for a translator. It’s fairly easy to overlook Ssumday when making this list while he’s playing in the NA LCS, but don’t let that fool you: he’s still one of the best top laners in the world. best of the world. And if 100 Thieves know how to use their superstar properly, then this North American team that is not overrated will create many surprises in Korea this coming October.

5. Yan “Letme” Jun-Ze, Royal Never Give Up

Unfortunately, the limited lineup forced the Royal Never Give Up team to choose between sending Letme or a carry style and split pushing Liu “Zz1tai” Zhi-Hao to the Finals. World this year. Each of RNG’s top laners has a different playstyle, just like how their 2 junglers deliver. While still focusing on the competition around Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao, Letme’s ability to fight independently and especially the ability to create split push pressure is exactly what RNG needs at the tournament. now.

Chinese fans used to think that Letme wasn’t necessarily a top laner, but his play still made it difficult for opponents. While we clearly disagree with this, Letme proves otherwise as he consistently delivers incredibly consistent performances in the laning phase. His playstyle is not easy for opponents to punish, and if the opponent takes risks to play aggressive before him early in the game, he can make them look like idiots. Letme is known for his ability to use very well tanked champions, especially when coordinating with teammates in 5 vs 5 teamfights. Not only that, the generals that Letme can use are also a bit too much. RNG’s player may not be one to shine with heart-stopping performances, but he’s still an indispensable factor that makes the RNG team on their way to winning every title this year.

According to ESPN/Lienminh360