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T1 is number one – their LCK Playoffs journey by the numbers
T1 had an unstoppable run during this year's LCK Spring Season, ultimately taking home the trophy. We take a look at the numbers that helped make it happen.
T1 came into the final rounds of the Spring Season with the confidence of an unblemished regular season behind them. The team smashed their previous 2015 record with a 100 percent win record throughout the season, winning every single game, regardless of their opponent.
Heading into the Playoffs as first seed after this historical performance, T1 continued to amaze. They went straight to the semi-finals, where they faced Kwangdong Freecs and added yet another win to their perfect run. Their finals match against Gen.G was still all to play for, as the opposing team had performed well and shown strength up until that moment. Gen.G put up a strong fight, but T1 pulled it back with three wins and took the Spring Season title home.
We've broken down the two games and examined the stats and numbers that made it all happen.
Champions
Across the two matches, T1 used 18 different champions, with some picking clear favourites from the start and other players experimenting a little more as the matches progressed. Lee 'Gumayusi' Min-hyeong favoured Jinx, but also used Caitlyn and Xayah one time each, while Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok stuck to Vex, Ryze and Ahri in equal numbers. Ryu 'Keria' Min-seok went with Nautilus in three rounds and used Lux, Thresh, and Tahm Kench. Moon 'Oner' Hyeon-joon favoured Viego, Lee Sin and Nocturne equally, but used a rogue Diana in their third match against Gen.G. Lastly, Choi 'Zeus' Woo-je gave fans a bit of variety, using Jayce, Kennen, Lucian and Camille across the two games.
Clearly, this approach worked and gave T1 enough familiarity with their champions that they were still relentlessly strong but varied them enough to throw the opponent off-guard. Lee Sin was the most used champion overall with five picks across the Playoffs.
Moon 'Oner' Hyeon-joon is handed the MVP award for outstanding performance
© League of Legends Champions Korea LCK Flickr/Riot Games
Damage
One of the most satisfying things in a League of Legends game is a high DPM (Damage Per Minute) score, watching the carnage unfold in a chaotic and speedy torrent as the players come together to rack up their individual stats. During the second game against Gen.G, Gumayusi hit a formidable 833 DPM. Not only that, but he managed to be the most consistent weapon of mass destruction in T1's arsenal, never dropping below 500 DPM in a single game. Zeus gave a similarly heroic performance, hitting a max of 759 DPM in the second game against Kwangdong Freecs, whose highest at this point (and throughout the entire game) was only 484.
Kills
It's time to talk about kills, and T1 did not leave fans disappointed at any point during the Playoffs. Alongside the incredible damage caused by Gumayusi against Gen.G in their second game, he also managed to secure the highest number of kills among his teammates during this game at a whopping 10 champion kills in total. This put him equal against Gen.G's Choi 'Doran' Hyeon-joon, who had scored 10 in the only game all season to see T1 take the L.
When it came to solo kills, Zeus took the lead with three in a single game against Gen.G, again coming up against Doran, who also hit three in an earlier game. Kwangdong Freecs didn't put up quite the same fight here, and came away with a high of three kills per game and only hit two solo kills overall.
Gold
Gumayasi has had a bit of a hero's run this Spring Season, and his Playoffs performance was no different. He managed to rack up the most individual gold in the second game against Kwangdong Freecs with 6,892 by 15 minutes. KDF's total gold was 23k, while T1's hovered around 29k, which was the biggest difference at 15 minutes during the two Playoff matches.
Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok gives a thumbs up to the camera
© League of Legends Champions Korea LCK Flickr/Riot Games
MVP
Oner was awarded MVP of the final after his astounding display in the jungle for T1. Finishing the last match against Gen.G at 28 minutes was no mean feat, as their opponents played hard for the trophy, but T1 ultimately took control and secured their 10th LCK Season victory.
There is no doubt that the semi-finals and finals of the LCK Spring Season were intense and challenging games for T1, but their resilience, close-knit team attitude and skill kept them riding high. Despite one game loss, they still have no match losses across the entire Spring Season, which is a record that many doubt will be broken for years to come. Each player proved their determination and ability during these matches, and T1 are fully deserving of the final trophy. They will now be going on to compete in the Mid-Season Invitational at Busan's Exhibition Centre in May for what is sure to be an unmissable tournament.
