The Origen vs Fnatic game kicks off on January 19! This is the clash of two European legends, and coincidentally, it’s also our LEC match of week 1 of the 2019 LEC Spring Split. Fnatic have made a splash last year by going all the way to the World Championship finals. Their roster is stacked with talent, but it’s the way they move around the map and work together in teamfights that really makes them stand out from the competition. That said, Fnatic have lost their ace—Caps—in the off-season, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to playing with a new mid laner.
Origen still need to reestablish themselves as a household name. Their current roster revolves around battle-hardened veterans. However, none of them are the type of players that can single-handedly take over the game, so Origen will need to rely on teamwork and strategy to gain an edge over their opponents. Unfortunately, the synergy isn’t there yet, and it will take some time until this lineup becomes a well-oiled League of Legends machine.
Origen vs Fnatic LEC Match Breakdown
Top Lane Matchup
Origen’s Alphari has always been a force to be reckoned with. Ever since he entered the EU LCS in 2017, his game sense and mechanical prowess made him one of the strongest top laners in the league. That is, in the laning phase. It’s no secret Alphari has a hard time navigating the later stages of the game, so he tends to fall off if he doesn’t secure a convincing lead early on.
The same can’t be said about Fnatic’s Bwipo. Granted, he also puts a strong emphasis on overpowering his opponents in lane, but he has no issues showing up in teamfights and splitpushing scenarios. His only problem is overstepping his limits and exposing himself to the enemy jungler, but considering how well he works with Broxah to cover this weakness, Alphari and his teammates will have a hard time exploiting this weakness in the Origen vs Fnatic LEC match.
VERDICT: FNC Bwipo claims the top lane as his own.
Jungle Matchup
It might seem weird to see Kold making it onto Origen—after all, he didn’t achieve much on Unicorns of Love. But if you look past results, Kold was playing out of his mind in 2018. His pathing was crisp, his ganks were solid, and his playmaking was on point. And now that he has better teammates around him, Kold will finally be able to cement himself as a top-tier LEC jungler.
Unfortunately for him, he’s going against Broxah in this Origen vs Fnatic matchup. For the longest time, Broxah was viewed as a glorified support for Fnatic’s superstar laners, but the 2018 World Championship turned this narrative on its head. Not only did he put on a clinic on playmakers like Elise and Lee Sin, but he also made a name for himself as one of the best aggressive junglers at the tournament. Sorry, Kold, but you’re outmatched here.
VERDICT: FNC Broxah wins the jungle matchup.
Mid Lane Matchup
It’s hard to find a more experienced mid laner than Origen’s Nukeduck. He’s been around since the first EU LCS season, and he has only grown better with time. On paper, this combination of experience and natural talent should make him the clear-cut best mid laner in Europe, but Nukeduck has always had a very risk-averse playstyle, which doesn’t exactly put him in a great position to carry.
Still, he’s going to have a field day against Fnatic’s Nemesis. The two have a similar approach to the game with the only exception being that Nemesis is a complete rookie. With that, it’s hard to imagine him outmaneuvering a seasoned veteran like Nukeduck, and Fnatic will either have to put a lot of resources into him or come to terms with playing around a losing mid laner.
VERDICT: OG Nukeduck takes the lead in the mid lane.
Bot Lane Matchup
The bot lane will be the most interesting position to follow in this Origen vs Fnatic matchup. Origen’s Patrik (formerly known as Sheriff) managed to stand out even on a shaky team like the 2018 H2K lineup, but he’s yet to prove himself as a top-tier AD carry. The same applies to Mithy, a renowned European shot caller who’s returning to the LEC after a questionable year in North America.
Meanwhile, Fnatic’s bot lane is going stronger than ever. Despite Rekkles stepping away from the spotlight for the majority of 2018, he still has the brains and the brawn to be the #1 marksman in Europe. And while Hylissang has his share of questionable initiations, his willingness to pull the trigger makes him a huge asset for Fnatic.
VERDICT: FNC’s Rekkles and Hylissang outmuscle the enemy bot lane.
Origen vs Fnatic LEC Match Prediction
This is Fnatic’s game to lose. Despite the mid lane difference, they hold a significant edge in every other position on the map. And unless Origen cook up something special, Fnatic will find a confident LEC victory!
You can be on Fnatic winning the Origen vs Fnatic match for odds of 1.48 at Betspawn.
