Life in the Top Lane: inSec and DanDy
Both Team King and Vici Gaming floundered at the start of 2015 LPL Summer. Under the new name of Team King, the former Star Horn Royal Club roster had struggled to put all five members of starting lineup on the Rift at the same time. Meanwhile, Vici had weaknesses in the mid lane and AD carry positions, and their playstyle could only cover them up for so long. Something had to change for either team to succeed.
In Week 3, the two stumbling teams met, reuniting former Champions junglers Choi "DanDy" In-kyu and Choi "inSec" In-seok. But rather than meeting up in the jungle, the two tangled in the top lane, baffling spectators and pundits alike.
The Pesky inSec
Regardless of where he starts on the map -- jungle or top lane -- inSec's approach remains the same. His flashy Lee Sin plays made him a star, and even now encapsulate his reckless play style. Even when the odds are not in his favor, if inSec thinks that he can outplay his opponent he'll all in anyway -- and it usually works.
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In spite of reported disagreements with AD carry Jian "Uzi" Zi-Hao while the two were teammates on Star Horn Royal Club, inSec and Uzi synergized on the Rift for just that reason. Both trend towards risky plays, and any out-of-game communication issues evaporated as the two became dive buddies. InSec suited Uzi's play style well, and the two took Star Horn to the 2014 World Championship Finals against DanDy and Samsung Galaxy White. Unfortunately for them, it ended in a 3-1 drubbing for the latter.
While the most successful inSec team was a World Championship finalist with him in the jungle, the best inSec team was a Champions Summer 2013 finalist with him in the top lane.
As a top laner on the KT Bullets, inSec over-aggressed but acted as a distraction while the rest of his team smartly took objectives under jungler Lee "KaKAO" Byung-kwon's guidance. His champion pool was similar to that of a jungler's, bringing Lee Sin and the odd Rengar to the top lane along with Shen and Zac.
Now returning to the top lane for Team King -- following a series of mishaps including a significant leg injury -- inSec does best in 2v1s, where the threat of multiple opponents forces him to play more safely. When left alone in the long lane, inSec often overextends and takes unnecessary damage while trading. King isn't nearly as strong as the 2013 Bullets, and cannot cover for these mistakes, so a more passive inSec suits them best.
Moving him to the top lane creates a new set of problems with his trademark recklessness, but inSec's impact in the jungle had waned in his 2015 LPL Spring matches thanks to the new Cinderhulk meta. King's prior top laner, Jiang "Cola" Na, had struggled mightily, and inSec is an upgrade in that respect.
That being said, King's newfound cohesion has little to do with inSec's role swap, but the team gets a similar jungle performance from Lei "hu1" Hui-Guo while still allowing inSec to initiate teamfights in his new role.
Measured Mechanical Prowess
Unlike inSec, DanDy is known for his cold and calculating mastery of the game. Together with support Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong, DanDy stifles opponents through overwhelming vision and map movement. InSec's in-game influence is easy to pinpoint, whether he is in the jungle or top lane. DanDy's role is far more nuanced and difficult to parse.
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As a jungler, DanDy provides complete control. He is always where his team needs him to be, dictating the pace of the game from minute one. As a top laner, he acts as a second jungler.
DanDy's prior top lane experience is limited to the SK Telecom LTE-A Masters 2014, where organizations were encouraged to mix and match players, especially in the third masters match. His performances on Renekton, Rumble, and Ryze were lively and fun, but not an active representation of his top lane talent. These games also gave no measure of the vacancy caused by role swapping a jungler of his caliber.
Absence Heard, Presence Felt
Moving DanDy to the top lane wouldn't be as significant if DanDy had struggled in the jungle like inSec. However, at the time of the switch, DanDy was still one of the best at his position and the absence of his presence and map pressure is an immense loss for Vici Gaming.
Though the decision was initially last-minute in Week 2, details are still hazy surrounding the departure of former top laner Wang "Carry" Zu-Jing. Citing health issues, an interview with one of Vici's team manager's suggests that DanDy himself was one of the reasons behind the position switch, saying that the jungler wanted to "challenge himself."
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DanDy's replacement in the jungle is Solo Queue player Chen "World6" Yu-Tian. World6 has performed admirably under the circumstances, especially on Nunu and Gragas. If he wasn't replacing one of the best in the world, he would likely be praised for his performance. Vici's style in LPL Spring was always to out maneuver their opponents through crisp rotational play, set up by DanDy's map pressure and vision control. DanDy now plays on Smite/Teleport Hecarim and tries to exert as much map pressure as possible -- even from the long lane -- to make up for his jungle absence.
Unlike inSec, DanDy is strong in lane. Well aware of how much he can trade, his mechanics are sharp and he remains mindful of the map. When the two met in Week 3, DanDy bested inSec in lane, but inSec performed better in the 1v2 situation. Their teams tied the set at 1-1.
Despite the cries of fans to put DanDy back in the jungle, he seems to like the top lane. Role swaps have worked out before -- just ask Invictus Gaming's Liu "Zzitai" Zhihao or OMG's Hu "xiyang" Bin -- but removing a legendary jungler from his key role is a significant setback for Vici, although they should be able to make Playoffs. Meanwhile, inSec's absence from King's jungle is almost a boost for the team. Hu1 is serviceable on meta champions, and inSec's role running distraction for AD carry Zhu "NaMei" Jia-Wen remains the same regardless of his position on the map. However, with the worst record in the LPL, King still have a lot of work to do.
How will the pair adjust to their new position in the top of the Rift? Keep your eyes on Lolesports to find out!
