Hanwha Life vs KT Rolster – LCK Match of the Week (2019 Spring)

Posted on March 25, 2019

Hanwha Life and KT Rolster face each other on March 29! This LCK match of the week is the last opportunity for KT to avoid the dreaded relegation zone, but HLE definitely won’t make it easy for them. Hanwha Life Esports made a name for themselves as South Korea’s gatekeepers. Their macro is strong enough that they can outmaneuver most bottom-tier lineups, but their individual talent isn’t at a point where they can hold their own against some of the best teams in the league.

KT Rolster are in a much tougher spot. Their original plan to make Smeb the focal point of their roster backfired horribly, and they’ve since resorted to using Kingen in the top lane. To make matters worse, their early game is in disarray, and it’s common to see KT fall several thousand of gold behind before they reach the 15-minute mark.

Hanwha Life vs KT Rolster – LCK Match Breakdown

Top Lane Matchup

Our Hanwha Life vs KT Rolster LCK breakdown starts with the top lane. It feels weird to say this, but this might be the strongest point of HLE’s roster. With a 3.6 KDA and 8.6 CS per minute, Thal went from an unremarkable role player to a lane-dominant top laner that can perform on a wide range of carry picks. And while SoHwan won’t blow you away with his 1.0 KDA and 8.6 CS per minute, he has the brain and the brawn to go toe-to-toe with most South Korean top laners.

KT Rolster have been slowly moving away from Smeb—and for good reason! His mediocre 1.7 KDA and 8.0 CS per minute are a perfect reflection of his level of play, and the same Smeb that once dominated the League of Legends with his carry-oriented playstyle legitimately looks like one of the worst top laners in the region. Unfortunately, Kingen isn’t much better. Sporting a 3.2 KDA and 9.0 CS per minute, KT’s substitute top laner does a decent job of standing his ground in lane, but he doesn’t have the game sense to splitpush or provide a robust frontline in teamfights.

VERDICT: HLE Thal and SoHwan take charge in the top lane.

Jungle Matchup

It’s hard to tell what’s going to happen in the jungle. Holding a 2.8 KDA and 4.5 CS per minute, HLE BonO plays with the confidence of a top LCK jungler, but his decision-making isn’t as refined as it needs to be to pull off such a challenging playstyle. To make matters worse, his mechanics are all over the place, and it’s common to see him whiffing key skill and dragging his team into losing skirmishes.

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KT don’t have the strongest jungle presence either. With a 1.9 KDA and 5.1 CS per minute, UmTi is great in terms of mechanics, but he falls into the same trap as BonO when it comes to picking his battles. With that, it’s not exactly surprising that KT Rolster subbed him out for Score. Sporting a 3.7 KDA and 5.1 CS per minute, Score is a battle-hardened veteran that knows when (and where) he needs to be on the map, and while his skill set is ill-suited for the current era of high-tempo jungling, he should still be able to outpace someone like BonO.

VERDICT: KT UmTi and Score claim the jungle as their own.

Mid Lane Matchup

The Hanwha Life vs KT Rolster mid lane will get wild! With a 3.0 KDA and 8.5 CS per minute, HLE Lava might not have the name value of some of the most established mid laners in the league, but he’s quite potent on carries and aggressive playmakers. Combine that with the fact that Tempt (4.8 KDA and 8.7 CS per minute) is renowned for his mastery of control mages, and Hanwha are very versatile in the mid lane.

Yet, neither of their players will be able to keep up with the force of nature that is Bdd. Sporting a 3.6 KDA and 8.5 CS per minute, KT’s mid laner is the pillar of their roster and the sole reason why they have four wins on the board. His champion pool is as wide as an ocean, and his mixture of razor-sharp mechanics and veteran game sense puts him head and shoulders above most LCK mid laners.

VERDICT: KT Bdd takes over the mid lane.

Bot Lane Matchup

Things will get messy in the bot lane. With a 4.1 KDA and 10.2 CS per minute, HLE Sangyoon is a talented teamfighter that shines on hypercarries and utility champions. He’s accompanied by Key (3.0 KDA), a good-but-not-great playmaker that has a couple of crafty pocket picks in his arsenal.

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But even this duo can look like a world-class bot lane compared to what KT Rolster have to offer. With a 1.8 KDA and 8.6 CS per minute, Gango is a lane-dominant marksman that routinely falls prey to the enemy ganks and commits bizarre positioning mistakes. His substitute Zenit (3.1 KDA and 9.6 CS per minute) is a bit better, but he still lags behind most LCK marksmen in teamfights and skirmishes. Granted, their flaws are somewhat concealed by KT’s veteran support SnowFlower (2.6 KDA), but even then, they will have a hard time keeping up with the well-rounded bot lane of Hanwha Life Esports.

VERDICT: HLE Sangyoon and Key win the bot lane standoff.

Hanwha Life vs KT Rolster – LCK Match Prediction

If you just look at the matchups, things don’t seem that dire for KT Rolster. However, you need to evaluate how both teams work as a unit. HLE are much more coordinated when it comes to teamfighting and navigating the map, and unless KT take over the game with their superior mid/jungle duo, we’re going to have to predict a 2-1 victory for Hanwha Life Esports!

You can bet on HLE winning the Hanwha Life vs KT Rolster LCK match with a 2-1 score for odds of 2.80 at Betway.

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Kieran L.

Kieran is a gaming & esports betting enthusiast, and one of our top contributors based in Australia. He mainly follows the LoL esports scene, focusing on North America, LEC and LCK. Follow Kieran's updates, exclusive stories and bookmaker reviews.

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