LCK Spring 2022 Week 1 Recap: Faker’s Penta gets Stolen

The first week of the LCK Spring Season is finally over, and Faker’s Penta got stolen from him. What do all these events have in common? The teams playing are not what we’ve become used to seeing at Worlds or even MSI, but a new breed that uses smart tactics and an unorthodox style for victory. Let us take a look back on this week with some interesting stats about the games so far!

The “lck lol” is a recap of the LCK Spring 2022 Week 1. Faker’s Penta gets Stolen, and Kingzone DragonX wins against SKT T1 in the first week.

Week 1 of LCK Spring 2022

League of Legends Champions Korea, or LCK, came out swinging on Week 1. A surprisingly action-packed week from the most “by the book” players in the world was delivered. Since the LCK had a relatively quiet offseason compared to the other regions, most teams were in great shape in Week 1 of LCK Spring 2022. Still, the storylines of the games is what made them exciting. Former T1 members going against the current roster, fans looking at the level of performance 2020 World Champions DAMWON Gaming KIA would bring, and other things. Gen.G and T1 sit on top of the standings, surprising nobody. DRX and Kwangdong Freecs, however, are at the bottom of the standings. Fans are starting to get a little concerned as these teams both have great lineups, but can’t seem to gel together.

More in-game excitement came in the form of the LCK’s first Singed selection in years, as well as the first Singed support in the tournament’s history. Furthermore, Singed won the game with a single Fling. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok was close to getting a pentakill, but his teammate stole it by mistake. Faker, try again next time.

Here you may find complete VODs and schedules. For additional information on the whole season, see this page.

Week 1 of LCK Spring 2022 Game Results

Day 1

Game 1: DRX vs. SANDBOX Gaming

[LSB] Tryndamere, Xin Zhao, Syndra, Jhin, Yuumi against [DRX] Graves, Viego, Ryze, Aphelios, Sona
[DRX] Diana, Caitlyn, Twisted Fate, LeBlanc, and Viktor are all banned. Renekton, Lee Sin, Leona, Jayce, and Akali (LSB)
LSB wins in 36:30 (DRX 5 – 14 LSB in kills)
TL;DR: DRX jumped out to an early lead, and within 20 minutes, they were up 7k gold. On the other hand, LSB focuses on dragon stacking. With Tryndamere and Yuumi, the LSB team mounts a comeback in the middle of the game. They then snowball, capturing Baron a few times and securing Ocean Soul. LSB showed incredible persistence in overcoming an awful start.

SANDBOX Gaming vs. DRX – Game 2

[LSB] Tryndamere, Xin Zhao, Akali, Ezreal, Leona against [DRX] Graves, Jarvan IV, Ryze, Aphelios, Thresh
[DRX] Diana, Caitlyn, Yuumi, Samira, Syndra are all banned. Renekton, Lee Sin, Twisted Fate, Viktor, and LeBlanc are among the characters in [LSB] Renekton, Lee Sin, Twisted Fate, Viktor, and LeBlanc.
LSB wins in 34:25 (DRX 7 – 15 LSB in kills)
TL;DW: The early game is more bloodier than the first. In skirmishes, Tryndamere and Akali are much superior than their opponents. Through excellent macro choices, LSB secures three dragons in a row. Baron is attempted by DRX, but it is taken by LSB’s jungler. They then employ the Baron bonus to siege certain towers and buy room for the Ocean Soul to be secured. DRX is able to capture Baron, but they lose the ensuing combat. Every player put up a strong mechanical effort, but LSB came out on top in the end.

Game 1: T1 vs. Kwangdong Freecs

Picks: [T1] Gragas, Jarvan IV, Zoe, Ezreal, Karma versus [KDF] Gwen, Xin Zhao, Syndra, Caitlyn, Lux vs [KDF] Gwen, Xin Zhao, Syndra, Caitlyn, Lux
[T1] Lee Sin, Ryze, Viktor, LeBlanc, Graves are all banned. Renekton, Twisted Fate, Vex, Jayce, Renekton, Twisted Fate, Vex, Jayce, Renekton, Twisted Fate, Vex, Jay (KDF missed one ban)
T1 wins in 37:10 (Kills: T1 11 – 7 KDF).
TL;DR: The bot lane is filled with activity in the early game, as predicted. T1’s poke combo was too strong for KDF, and KDF lacked the necessary damage to cope with a tank Gragas. T1 is the first to capture Ocean Soul, followed by Baron Nashor. T1 quickly secures the Elder Drake, and they rip KDF apart. The T1 team delivered a macro-focused game.

Game 2: T1 vs. Kwangdong Freecs

Graves, Lee Sin, Syndra, Jhin, and Yuumi (KDF) vs. Jax, Nidalee, Viktor, Caitlyn, and Karma (T1)
[KDF] Irelia, Twisted Fate, Ezreal, Zoe, and Akshan are all banned. Renekton, Ryze, Lux, LeBlanc, and Jayce (T1)
T1 victory in 25:01 (Killers: KDF 4 – 18 T1)
TL;DR: The game starts slowly, until Nidalee’s gank kills both KDF bot laners, putting T1’s duo ahead. The KDF squad is unable to bridge the gap, resulting in bouts being lost. T1 maintains its momentum and continues to annihilate KDF’s members. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok was on the verge of getting a pentakill when his jungler intervened. T1 delivers a shellacking that was predicted.

Day 2

Game 1: Hanhwa Life Esports vs. Nongshim REDFORCE

Graves, Lee Sin, Azir, Jinx, Nautilus vs. Tryndamere, Xin Zhao, Syndra, Jhin, Rakan (NS).
Yuumi, Karma, Caitlyn, LeBlanc, and Leona are all banned. Twisted Fate, Renekton, Aphelios, Lulu, and Akali (HLE).
NS wins in 35:48 (NS 19 – 7 HLE in kills).
TL;DR: In team combat, the NS squad dominated HLE. HLE made valiant efforts, but they were eventually unable to outmaneuver the opposition squad. NS pushed for the victory, even getting some sneaky fountain kills, thanks to the Ocean Soul.

Game 2: Hanhwa Life Esports vs. Nongshim REDFORCE

Gragas, Xin Zhao, Viktor, Ezreal, and Karma vs. Jayce, Lee Sin, Corki, Aphelios, and Nautilus (HLE)
[HLE] Diana, Jarvan IV, Irellia, Tryndamere, and Akshan are all banned. Renekton, Yuumi, Twisted Fate, LeBlanc, Graves [NS] Renekton, Yuumi, Twisted Fate, LeBlanc, Graves
HLE triumphed in 32:32 (kills: HLE 15 – 3 NS).
TL;DR: HLE’s outstanding performance demonstrated that they were not yet out of the game. After receiving the Baron bonus, they declare victory. HLE took a premeditated hammering in this game, which was played at a snail’s pace.

Game 3: Hanhwa Life Esports vs. Nongshim REDFORCE

Graves, Lee Sin, Syndra, Jinx, and Nautilys vs. Tryndamere, Xin Zhao, Viktor, Jhin, and Sett
Yuumi, Caitlyn, Karma, Leona, and LeBlanc are all banned. Twisted Fate, Renekton, Aphelios, Thresh, Azir, Renekton, Aphelios, Thresh, Azir, Renekton, Aphelios, Thresh, Azi
HLE wins in 36:01 (NS 9 – 24 HLE in kills).
TL;DR: The game was very equal until HLE snatched an ace out of nowhere. They turn their advantage into a Baron and break open the NS base. HLE wins the game after a series of victories.

Game 1: KT Rolster vs. DAMWON Gaming KIA

Gwen, Xin Zhao, Orianna, Caitlyn, Lux versus [KT] Akali, Lee Sin, Zoe, Jhin, Karma vs [DK] Gwen, Xin Zhao, Orianna, Caitlyn, Lux
[KT] LeBlanc, yuumi, Diana, Corki, and Gragas are all banned. Renekton, Twisted Fate, Vex, Ryze, Graves are all DK characters.
DK wins in 42:42 (kills: KT 6 – 10 DK).
TL;DR: ShowMaker wows with his flawless CS, racking up 260 points in only 21 minutes. DK prioritized objectives, but KT’s top laner kidnapped the Baron. Despite this, they attempt to claim it for the second time. After being boosted by the Baron, DK went for the kill and won after acing KT.

Game 2: KT Rolster vs. DAMWON Gaming KIA

Graves, Jarvan IV, Viktor, Aphelios, Karma versus [KT] Camille, Lee Sin, Vex, Jhin, Rakan vs [DK] Graves, Jarvan IV, Viktor, Aphelios, Karma
Yuumi, Caitlyn, LeBlanc, Syndra, and Corki are all banned from [KT] Yuumi, Caitlyn, LeBlanc, Syndra, and Corki. Renekton, Twisted Fate, Xin Zhao, Kennen, Diana, [DK] Renekton, Twisted Fate, Xin Zhao, Kennen, Diana
DK wins in 24:06 (kills: KT 11 – 17 DK).
TL;DR: It’s time for another sluggish game. DK was able to defeat Baron as soon as it appeared, and with the bonus, he was able to finish the game quickly.

Day 3

Game 1: Gen.G Esports vs. DRX

Choose from [DRX] Gragas, Xin Zhao, Viktor, Caitlyn, and Lux and [GEN] Tryndamere, Viego, Corki, Varus, and Thresh.
Bans: [DRX] Karma, Graves, Twisted Fate, Jarvan IV, Kennen against [GEN] Yuumi, Renekton, Lee Sin, Akshan, Akali, Yuumi, Renekton, Lee Sin, Akshan, Akali, Yuumi, Renekton, Lee Sin, Akshan, Akali, Yuumi, Renekton, Lee Sin, Akshan
GEN wins in 29:32 (DRX 2 – 17 GEN kills).
In this stomp of a game, GEN’s composition just ran over DRX. DRX was never allowed any freedom in the game, and it was determined swiftly.

Game 2: Gen.G Esports vs. DRX

Picks: [DRX] Gwen, Xin Zhao, LeBlanc, Aphelios, Nautilus against [GEN] Graves, Lee Sin, Corki, Ziggs, Leona
Caitlyn, Twisted Fate, Karma, Akshan, and Rakan are all banned. Tryndamere, Renekton, yuumi, Jayce, and Lissandra are among the [DRX] characters.
GEN came out the top in 25:51 (kills: GEN 22 – 8 DRX).
TL;DR: GEN built on their momentum from the previous game and increased their attack. They jumped out to a big lead early on and stomped DRX once again, much like the previous game. Unfortunately for DRX, they were unable to win in Week 1 of LCK Spring 2022.

T1 against Fredit BRION – Game 1

[T1] Jayce, Nidalee, Ryze, Jhin, Rakan against [BRO] Camille, Xin Zhao, Galio, Varus, Leona
[BRO] Yuumi, Caitlyn, Twisted Fate, Viego, Jarvan are all banned. Renekton, Lee Sin, KLarma, Gragas, and LeBlanc are [T1] Renekton, Lee Sin, KLarma, Gragas, and LeBlanc
BRO wins in 42:43 (Kills: BRO 17 – 11 T1).
TL;DR: After a bot dive gone awry by BRO, the early game swung dramatically in T1’s advantage. But, in the end, it didn’t matter since the Camille-Galio combination had no counterplay. It was successful in taking T1 members off guard, earning BRO the Hextech Soul and, eventually, victory.

T1 against Fredit BRION – Game 2

Gnar, Xin Zhao, Viktor, Aphelios, Nautilus (T1) vs. Gragas, Viego, Ryze, Jhin, Sett (BRO)
[T1] Lee Sin, LeBlanc, Twisted Fate, Leona, Yuumi are all banned. Karma, Caitlyn, Renekton, Graves, and Lulu (BRO)
T1 wins in 45:51 (kills: T1 21 – 13 BRO).
TL;DR: It’s a fairly even game. T1’s carries were effectively shut down by BRO, and the Baron was twice stolen from T1. T1 on the other hand, after gaining the Elder Dragon and the Baron bonus for themselves, turns the game around.

T1 against Fredit BRION – Game 3

Picks: [T1] Gwen, Jarvan IV, Vex, Aphelios, Lulu versus [BRO] Gragas, Xin Zhao, Corki, Varus, Karma
[BRO] Yuumi, Caitlyn, Twisted Fate, Viktor, and Ryze are all banned. [T1] Lee Sin, Renekton, Camille, LeBlanc (Missed Ban)
T1 victory in 41:22 (Kills: BRO 4 – 18 T1).
TL;DR: The whole early game action took place on the map’s bottom half. T1 benefitted from these plays. They built on their lead with an Ocean Soul, an Elder Dragon, and a Baron to bring the series to a finish. T1 is now in first place in Week 1 of LCK Spring 2022, thanks to this win.

Day 4

Game 1: Nongshim REDFORCE vs. SANDBOX Gaming

Graves, Talon, Viktor, Jhin, and Yuumi (NS) vs. Ryze, Xin Zhao, Zoe, Ezreal, and Karma (LSB).
Caitlyn, Tryndamere, Aphelios, LeBlanc, and Akali are all banned. Renekton, Lee Sin, Twisted Fate, Diana, and Viego are among the characters in [LSB] Renekton, Lee Sin, Twisted Fate, Diana, and Viego.
NS wins in 30:34 (NS 13 – 6 LSB in kills).
TL;DR: NS makes many attempts to punish Ryze’s top, but each time fails. They turn things around, though, by eliminating stragglers from the LSB squad and winning the first game.

SANDBOX Gaming vs. Nongshim REDFORCE – Game 2

Graves, Diana, Orianna, Aphelios, and Braum (NS) vs. Camille, Viego, Akali, Ezreal, and Leona (LSB).
Caitlyn, Tryndamere, Karma, Jarvan IV, and Xin Zhao are all banned. Renekton, Lee Sin, Yuumi, Twisted Fate, and LeBlanc are among the characters in [LSB] Renekton, Lee Sin, Yuumi, Twisted Fate, and LeBlanc.
NS wins in 26:03 (NS 13 – 5 LSB in kills)
TL;DR: The early kills go to NS, giving them a huge advantage. This game was effectively ended in 12 minutes, and all NS had to do was destroy the Nexus as a formality.

Game 1: Kwangdong Freecs vs. KT Rolster

Graves, Lee Sin, Lissandra, Varus, and Thresh vs. Tryndamere, Jarvan IV, LeBlanc, Aphelios, and Sett
Yuumi, Nautilus, Twisted Fate, Vex, and Ryze are all banned from [KDF]. Caitlyn, Karma, Renekton, Syndra, and Viktor ([KT])
Kills: KDF 7 – 20 KT) Result: KT win in 35:31
TL;DR: KT gained an advantage in the lane phase, allowing them to threaten objectives. Slowly, KT accumulated enough damage to render KDF unable to win a battle, and they won game 1.

Game 2: Kwangdong Freecs vs. KT Rolster

Gnar, Lee Sin, Viktor, Varus, and Thresh versus Graves, Jarvan IV, Sylas, Aphelios, and Sett (KDF)
Yuumi, Nautilus, Twisted Fate, Lee Sin, and Malphite are all banned from [KDF]. Caitlyn, Karma, Renekton, Syndra, Graves; [KT] Caitlyn, Karma, Renekton, Syndra, Graves
Kills: KDF 4 – 13 KT) Result: KT win in 32:11
TL;DR: This game followed the same pattern as the previous. Because of the similarities in the draft, KT Rolster’s fight execution and map play were identical.

Day 5

Game 1: Hanhwa Life Esports vs. Fredit BRION

Picks: Gragas, Xin Zhao, Corki, Jhin, Rakan against. Gnar, Lee Sin, Sylas, Aphelios, Lulu [BRO] vs. [HLE] Gnar, Lee Sin, Sylas, Aphelios, Lulu
[BRO] Caitlyn, Karma, Tryndamere, Graves, Sett are all banned. Renekton, Twisted Fate, Varus, Yuumi, and Leona (HLE)
BRO defeats HLE in 33:42 (kills: BRO 6 – 3 HLE).
TL;DR: Both teams played a very sluggish and cautious game. Corki’s Rocket Barrage, on the other hand, scared the HLE team. This, together with the Chemtech Soul, helped the BRO squad win team battles and ultimately the game.

Game 2: Hanhwa Life Esports vs. Fredit BRION

Gragas, Lee Sin, Viktor, Varus, Leona against [HLE] Jayce, Viego, Jayce, Aphelios, Karma
[HLE] Corki, Jarvan IV, Twisetd Fate, LeBlanc, and Irelia are all banned. Renekton, Tryndamere, Xin Zhao, Graves, and Sett are among the [BRO] Renekton, Tryndamere, Xin Zhao, Graves, and Sett
HLE wins in 30:30 minutes (kills: HLE 13 – 6 BRO).
TL;DR: HLE had a one-sided early game dominance. Despite this, BRO was able to turn the game around on multiple occasions. On BRO’s second Baron assault, however, HLE repels them and goes all out to finish the game.

Game 3: Hanhwa Life Esports vs. Fredit BRION

Gragas, Xin Zhao, LeBlanc, Jhin, Rakan vs. Gnar, Viego, Vex, Caitlyn, Nautilus (BRO)
[BRO] Aphelios, Tryndamere, Karma, Lux, Graves are all banned. renekton, Corki, Twisted Fate, Yuumi, Leona, [HLE] renekton, Corki, Twisted Fate, Yuumi, Leona
BRO wins in 35:08 (Kills: BRO 15 – 2 HLE).
TL;DW: The early stages of this game were pretty sluggish, but the middle stages were a carnage. Several team battles were place, with BRO coming out on top almost every time. BRO took their Nexus and the match when HLE was unable to stop their bleeding.

Game 1: DAMWON Gaming KIA against Gen.G Gaming

Gwen, Lee Sin, LeBlanc, Ezreal, Yuumi against [DK] Camille, Diana, Twisted Fate, Samira, Nautilus
[DK] Tryndamere, Jarvan IV, Aphelios, Gravas, and Jax are all banned. Renekton, Caitlyn, Talon, Poppy, and Xin Zhao (GEN)
The result was a DK victory in 36:00 (DK 15 – 17 GEN).
TL;DR: GEN established a lead, but DK quickly snatched the Hextech Soul. This was insufficient, since GEN was able to swap the Baron for the Elder Soul. Samira was on the verge of getting a pentakill, but the Elder bonus prevented her from doing so. DK’s composition team battles better, as shown by their victory against GEN in a battle for the Elder Dragon.

Game 2: DAMWON Gaming KIA against Gen.G Gaming

Gragas, Poppy, Corki, Aphelios, Leona [GEN] vs. Akali, Jarvan IV, Kassadin, Jinx, Thresh [DK]
Bans: [GEN] Samira, Karma, Caitlyn, Syndra, Vex; [DK] Yuumi, Twisted Fate, Renekton, Viego, Graves; [DK] Yuumi, Twisted Fate, Renekton, Viego, Graves; [DK] Yuumi, Twisted Fate, Renekton, Viego, Graves; [DK
GEN prevailed in 48:02 (kills: GEN 18 – 23 DK)
TL;DR: In teamfights, GEN performed an excellent job of shutting down Kassadin. Despite possessing the Cloud Soul, DK was unable to defeat the Corki’s poke. When DK repelled GEN’s winning push and claimed the Elder buff, it gave them a ray of optimism, but it wasn’t enough. GEN quickly seized the second Elder Dragon, and they pushed the game to a conclusion with a 5-man push.

Game 3: DAMWON Gaming KIA against Gen.G Gaming

Gragas, Viego, Viktor, Ezreal, Yuumi vs. Ornn, Poppy, Corki, Samira, Singed [DK] Gragas, Viego, Viktor, Ezreal, Yuumi
[DLeBlanc, Aphelios, Jarvan IV, Nautilus, Graves] are all banned. Renekton, Twisted Fate, Talon, Syndra, and Vex (GEN)
GEN triumphed in 35:08 (kills: DK 17 – 15 GEN).
TL;DW: This is the first time Singed support got picked in the history of LCK. At first, it seemed quite ineffective, even to the point of dying four times without any impact. However, a successful Fling onto Viktor tips the scales onto GEN’s favor. After a won fight, GEN march onto DK’s base to snatch the series away. Gen.G end Week 1 of LCK Spring 2022 at the top of the standings.

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