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The debut First Stand tournament’s grand final is on the horizon. Although HLE is the favorite to win the Karmine Corp vs Hanwha Life Esports match, KC’s most recent performances have fans wondering if it could bring upset potential to the bout.
The first-ever First Stand tournament has been dominated by one side above the rest. From the start, Hanwha Life Esports has been in control of every opposing team and has won every match without significant difficulty. It’s all led up to the grand final where HLE will face a team few expected to make it this far.
Whereas HLE’s tournament run has been smooth sailing, Karmine Corp’s has been anything but. The team lost its first match against Team Liquid but has managed to defeat powerhouse teams like Top Esports and, most recently, upstart CTBC Flying Oyster in the semifinal. While the European team doesn’t have the same experience or individual talent as Hanwha Life Esports, getting this far wasn’t just a matter of luck.
Hanwha Life Esports has been on a roll with in this tournament, not losing a single match even when the team went for unconventional drafts and champion picks. Arguably the three stand-out players have been jungler Peanut, mid-laner Zeka, and especially the top-laner Zeus. T1 veteran Zeus is already considered one of the best top-laners in professional League of Legends play, and his recent performance perfectly supports that sentiment.
Karmine Corp may have struggled throughout the tournament, but the team has now found its footing. The way KC drafted in its games against CTBC was excellent, fully taking advantage of tanky champions like Pantheon and impact picks like Rell. In particular, Vladi showcased excellent skill on champions like Taliyah and Corki, and bringing that same energy in the final match may give KC a fighting chance.
Below are the rosters for both teams in the upcoming match:
Karmine Corp
Hanwha Life Esports
One of the biggest factors to consider in the upcoming match is whether Hanwha Life Esports takes a similar champion composition route as it did in its match against Team Liquid in the round robin stage. In that match, HLE went for off-meta picks that seemed like the team was experimenting with what it could get away with. On the other hand, TES didn’t see the same treatment as the Korean team took popular champions like Ezreal, Vi, Aatrox, Rell, Wukong, and Rumble.
As for Karmine Corp, fans can likely expect similar compositions as what was seen in the match against CTBC. Picks like Yone, Varus, Leona, Jayce, Pantheon, and especially Taliyah helped the team win the first two games from the start, and KC may utilize similar picks to recreate that success.
The First Stand’s round robin stage was the first time HLE and Karmine Corp met on the big stage. While Hanwha Life Esports defeated Karmine Corp as it did every other team, KC was the first team to win a game against HLE.
Considering Karmine Corp’s odds of 9.00 compared to Hanwha Life Esports’ 1.05, KC is definitely the underdog going into this match. Considering HLE’s consistent performance in the tournament so far, it’s no surprise the team is the favorite to win the whole thing.
HLE is known to get overconfident against teams when it’s seemingly sure to win or if the stakes aren’t too high. Fans saw the same happen against Team Liquid in the round robin stage when HLE dropped a game to TL. But that likely won’t happen here. Even though Karmine Corp is considered a weaker team, HLE will likely go for strong picks and utilize an aggressive playing style to shut down KC from the start in its quest to raise an international trophy.
Despite the match being a best-of-five, fans can likely expect a similar performance from HLE as in the semifinals. Picks like Yone, Varus, and Leona are KC’s best bet to win at least one game. However, HLE’s experience against high-level opponents like T1 suggests its members will likely know how to counter anything Karmine Corp throws at them. This would also make HLE the safer betting pick, despite the lower potential payout.
If you’re confident in one team taking home the trophy then place your bet now!
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