With the LCK Summer entering the second part of the split, let’s check out the match between KDF and HLE: can the former tie the score?

LCK Summer Week 5 – Is KDF the dark horse of the league?

Week 4 saw HLE take down both T1 and FOX to re-take the second place in the standings. After what looked like a small slump at the start of the split, HLE has been on a streak, only losing to DK and Gen.G. With the last two convincing victories, HLE is slowly entering title contention (even though Gen.G still looks a tier above everyone else).

While HLE was expected to be a front runner in the league considering the roster they put together, KDF are what we would call the dark horse of the LCK. In the last split, they were the playoff gatekeepers since they beat most of the teams below them in the standings but none of the top teams. This time around, however, it looks like they have raised their level quite a bit, having won against KT and taken games off from DK and T1. With that in mind, let’s see the key elements of the series.

KDF vs HLE – Match Breakdown

What has allowed KDF to improve their level compared to the last split is how the team is able to rely on different players to carry based on the team composition. Cuzz took up that role by carrying games on Nidalee (5 out of 5), putting less pressure on Bulldog and Leaper to be the damage dealers. They have been much more balanced, even though the team still struggles to play aggressively during the early game, something that HLE has been much better at.

Speaking of HLE, the team is still heavily relying on Viper and Zeka to do the job, especially the ADC. Peanut still acts as the usual bridge for the rest of the team, dictating the pace of the game. If he’s not on his form, HLE immediately drops a few notches. So from KDF’s perspective, they need to be able to neutralize Peanut.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗛𝗟𝗘 𝗟𝗖𝗞 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲
어느새 성큼 다가온 서머 스플릿! 한화생명e스포츠와 함께 더욱 뜨거운 여름 맞이할 준비되셨나요?

2024 LCK Summer Split is just around the corner! Are you ready for a hot summer with HLE? #WHYNOT pic.twitter.com/AVnBAKiPAx

— Hanwha Life Esports (@HLEofficial) May 23, 2024

On a side note, KDF has been mainly playing on the red side, utilizing counter picks as an important way to gain edges in the draft: we’ll see if that will still be the case in this series. Overall, the series should still be in HLE’s favor but I wouldn’t discount a game win from KDF. Considering they are the underdogs coming into the series, showing they are getting closer to the top teams would mean a steady improvement, especially considering how the players individually are not better than their counterparts.