Two Korean juggernauts—SKT and Kingzone—clash in an LCK match of the week series on February 13! Only one of them will remain standing. Who’s it going to be? SK Telecom T1 are the definition of a flawed powerhouse. Their roster is stacked with experience and individual firepower to the point where they can run over most opponents in teamfights and skirmishes. However, the sheer number of carries on their roster leaves SKT struggling to find a clear identity and distribute resources among their players.
Kingzone DragonX have a very well-defined approach to the game. Some of their players might not be top-tier, but they know full well what role they need to play on the team. With that, you can count on Kingzone to rally behind their superstar AD carry, turning him into the spearhead of their offensive. And considering the bot-lane-focused direction of patch 9.3 changes, that’s the perfect playstyle for the current League of Legends meta.
SKT vs Kingzone – LCK Match Breakdown
Top Lane Matchup
SKT Khan is on a decline. With a 2.9 KDA and 9.2 CS per minute, he went from a confident carry top laner to a mediocre role player that has a hard time making his presence known around the map. Of course, a part of this stems from team decisions. SKT are hesitant to funnel their resources into the top side of the map, effectively leaving Khan out to dry in carry vs carry matchups.
Fortunately for him, he’s going against Rascal. Holding a 3.1 KDA and 8.5 CS per minute, Rascal is a textbook example of an average top laner. His laning is weak, his teleports are unremarkable, and his teamfighting presence is lacking on anything other than tanks and robust bruisers, so even a slumping Khan should be able to get an upper hand in this SKT vs Kingzone match.
VERDICT: SKT Khan takes the lead in the top lane.
Jungle Matchup
At this point, it’s obvious that Clid is a mechanical prodigy. Sporting a 4.3 KDA and 5.2 CS per minute, SKT’s jungler can even make some of the most spectacular outplays look like child’s play with how seamlessly he executes them. And while he does demand a lot of resources in the pick/ban phase, he makes full use of them on the Rift.
Cuzz is much more focused on team play. His 2.4 KDA and 5.2 CS per minute might not blow you away, but he has a good understanding of his role, and you can count on him to initiate the right fights and work well with his teammates. He does have a tendency to overstep his limits during invades and river skirmishes, though, which puts him at a sizeable disadvantage against someone as aggressive as Clid.
VERDICT: SKT Clid claims the jungle as his own.
Mid Lane Matchup
The SKT vs Kingzone mid lane matchup isn’t what it used to be. Sporting 3.9 KDA and 9.1 CS per minute, Faker is still a solid mid laner, but he’s not nearly as dominant as he was in his prime. In fact, SKT’s franchise player spends most of his time on bruisers and utility picks, and his scarce showings on carries leave a lot to be desired.
Meanwhile, PawN is slowly returning to form. With a 2.6 KDA and 8.4 CS per minute, Kingzone’s mid laner might still be shaky in lane, but makes up for it with explosive mid-game performances on assassins and playmakers. There’s also a chance that Kingzone will sub in Naehyun (5.0 KDA and 7.6 CS per minutes) to play a more supportive style around their bot lane. Faker should still have an edge over these players, but he’s far from an overwhelming favorite.
VERDICT: SKT Faker squeezes out a win in the mid lane.
Bot Lane Matchup
The bot lane matchup will be key in this SKT vs Kingzone battle. With a 5.0 KDA and 10.3 CS per minute, Teddy is a mechanical monster who acts as the focal point of SKT’s game plans. He’s joined by a veteran support in Mata (3.6 KDA), and even though some of Mata’s initiations are a bit hit-or-miss, he can still break open the entire game with his playmaking.
Kingzone have more than enough talent to match them. Holding a 3.6 KDA and 9.9 CS per minute, Deft might not have Teddy’s numbers, but he does a natural knack for dominating teamfights and snowballing the slightest individual leads into game-winning advantages. Meanwhile, his support TusiN (3.5 KDA) might be even better than Mata at exerting lane pressure and setting up his teammates with advantageous teamfights.
VERDICT: KZ Deft and TusiN win the bot lane standoff.
SKT vs Kingzone – LCK Match Prediction
Kingzone might have an edge in the bot lane matchup, but it’s not as big as they want it to be. SKT are the better team across the board, and they should have no issues using their individual advantages to overwhelm their opponents. Our prediction is a 2-0 victory for SK Telecom T1!
You can be on SK Telecom T1 winning the series with a 2-0 score for odds of 1.95 at Betway.
