KT Arrows: Arsenal of Aggression
Riot·8/28/2014, 11:30:30 PM·1 votes·9,865 views
Living in the shadow of the KT Bullets since their inception, the Arrows have been a work in progress for the past two years. KaKAO, the charismatic and aggressive jungler, has been passed between the Arrows to Bullets, but finally found his place at the helm of the new Arrows squad. As a team fight hungry and offensive squad, the young Arrows personify their new team captain with their play. The Arrows fought through adversity in OGN Champions Summer, going to the fifth set Blind Pick match in each of their three knockout rounds and coming out victorious. KaKAO and his combative comrades were able to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the final and defeat the defending champions Samsung Blue, but their job isn’t done yet.
KaKAO, becoming underutilized on the Bullets roster, was once again moved back to the Arrows, but this time at the perfect time for him and the Arrows. He had not only gained valuable experience through his up and downs with the Bullets, but was ready to lead a team of his own. With the former Startale trio Ryu, Mafa and Score on the Bullets being the driving force on that team, KaKAO never had the opportunity to be the focal point of the squad. Now placed on a roster with no one over the age of twenty, KaKAO was finally given the reigns to a team they could mold together.
Joining KaKAO on this new Arrows team would be his former teammate and another discarded piece of the former Bullets, Ssumday. Placed behind inSec on the depth chart when he moved from the Jungle to Top, Ssumday experienced the Bullets failure in the Summer Grand Finals from the bench. When given the chance he showed flashes of brilliance in lane and helping his team win, but he was never given the chance and transferred over to the struggling Arrows team after the Bullets fall in the finals to SKT T1 K.
With the two former Bullets players thrown into a rebuilding Arrows team, they were paired with three like-minded individuals when it came to dauntless offense. Arrow, the former AD Carry of Xenics Storm, who lit up Summoners Rift in blood with his trademarked Draven play. Rookie, the top ranked unsigned Mid lane player on the Korean Challenger ladder, who was hailed as the next big prospect to come through the amateur tanks. And finally Hachani, the explosive Support player, who finally caught his big break being signed from former Champions team CTU to the KT Rolster organization.
The Arrows biggest moment as a team came in the group stages of OGN Champions Spring 2014. They dissected the rookies Prime Optimus in their first match of the tournament, but showed their inconsistency against SK Telecom T1 S in the following match, dropping both games in disappointing fashion. With their backs against the wall, the Arrows needed a sweep of the two-time defending champions SK Telecom T1 to advance into the quarterfinals. They were able to get ahead in both games, showing off their impressive laning phase and team fighting in route to a massive upset over the reigning kings of Korea.
Still, their rollercoaster style of play continued in the knockout rounds. The Arrows were able to take one dominating, flawless game against CJ Entus Blaze in the Ro8, but lost the series 3-1 due to their inexperience in a Bo5 format and not being able to dig themselves out of early deficits.
They built on what they accomplished the previous season and went back to work doing OGN Summer. Rookie, the upstanding amateur turned pro, had wowed spectators the previous season with his strong laning phase, but was prone to letdown games like the rest of the Arrows. A season now under his belt and a newcomer no longer, Rookie took an elevated role in his second season, propelling himself to one of the top Mid lane players in Korea. They grabbed some revenge against Blaze in the group stages, sweeping them and leaving the group in first place with the same momentum they had the previous season after toppling SKT T1 K.
Though now champions, the Arrows still have holes in their game that teams can exploit. They might come out and run roughshod over you, or they could stumble out of the gate and give you a chance to take them out of their game. They’ve gotten better at making games they lose closer, not getting stomped as regularly when they fall behind early, but their style of play could spell trouble if they can’t speed out to a quick lead. Their championship run and eventual upset of Blue can’t be denied, but it took them a full five games to defeat a struggling, stagnated in champion composition White Shield squad and a SK Telecom T1 S team that relied on dragging games out to the late game to pull out victories.
On the other hand, the champions of last year’s Summer season, SK Telecom T1 K, fell behind early against foreign teams during last year World Champions, but were able to correct their mistakes in the mid-game and use their superior communication, team fighting and game management to comeback and blow out their opponents. The Arrows, while a monster in team fighting and swarming an opponent early, might get caught by surprise by an international team’s composition and not be able to turn the tables in the late-game. The ability to overcome the odds in the deciding ace match is thrilling and creates great drama, but how long can a team rely on winning the climactic match before it bites them in the butt?
The antithesis to their rivals Samsung Blue, who have a weak laning phase, but possess the uncanny ability to pull themselves out of any tough spot with an incredible mid and late-game, the Arrows bring a trigger-happy, gunslinging style that centers around the laning phase. All five players are mechanically gifted with the ability to outplay their opposition in lane, and the Arrows use that to their advantage to get wide leads in the first ten minutes of the game. If they can mature into a team that can bring the same high level of play in each and every match -- and transition their strong laning phase and team fighting to better game management in the mid and late-game -- the Arrows are a team that have the potential to become the scariest team in League of Legends history.
Youthful, wildly up-and-down with their play, and losing games to opponents they should dominate, the Arrows aren’t your typical Korean powerhouse. They might not break you down meticulously like the SKT T1 K of old or the current Samsung teams, but the Arrows carry an arsenal of talent that if harnessed cannot be touched by any team in the world.
Discarded Aces
Even in the early days of OGN Champions, KaKAO was regarded as one of the top Junglers in Korea. His strong play on Lee Sin and his synergy with Ryu made the Bullets one of the most dangerous teams in the world at the end of 2013, making it all the way to the OGN Summer 2013 Grand Finals against SK Telecom T1 K. Everything was going KaKAO’s way in the final, up 2-0 and only a game away from qualifying for the 2013 World Championships. Suddenly, everything fell apart -- SK Telecom T1 K coming together to figure out the Bullets style, turning it on when it counted most and taking three straight games to stop KaKAO from making it to the world stage. He had one more chance in the Korean Regionals, crushing both CJ Entus squads to make it to the final round of the qualifier. Faced up against SKT T1 for a second time, the Bullets would take the first game in the series once more, but it wasn’t enough. Their resilient rivals made the necessary adjustments, reeled off three games in a row and qualified for the World Championships. On the verge of glory, KaKAO had to watch as SK Telecom T1 K went on to not only make Worlds, but win the entire tournament.
KaKAO, becoming underutilized on the Bullets roster, was once again moved back to the Arrows, but this time at the perfect time for him and the Arrows. He had not only gained valuable experience through his up and downs with the Bullets, but was ready to lead a team of his own. With the former Startale trio Ryu, Mafa and Score on the Bullets being the driving force on that team, KaKAO never had the opportunity to be the focal point of the squad. Now placed on a roster with no one over the age of twenty, KaKAO was finally given the reigns to a team they could mold together.
Joining KaKAO on this new Arrows team would be his former teammate and another discarded piece of the former Bullets, Ssumday. Placed behind inSec on the depth chart when he moved from the Jungle to Top, Ssumday experienced the Bullets failure in the Summer Grand Finals from the bench. When given the chance he showed flashes of brilliance in lane and helping his team win, but he was never given the chance and transferred over to the struggling Arrows team after the Bullets fall in the finals to SKT T1 K.
With the two former Bullets players thrown into a rebuilding Arrows team, they were paired with three like-minded individuals when it came to dauntless offense. Arrow, the former AD Carry of Xenics Storm, who lit up Summoners Rift in blood with his trademarked Draven play. Rookie, the top ranked unsigned Mid lane player on the Korean Challenger ladder, who was hailed as the next big prospect to come through the amateur tanks. And finally Hachani, the explosive Support player, who finally caught his big break being signed from former Champions team CTU to the KT Rolster organization.
Operation Blitzkrieg
The repackaged Arrows with Captain KaKAO were fast, exciting, and anything but consistent. Their strong laning phase, quick movements across the map and deadly team fighting were strong enough to get them massive leads and early victories against teams, but it was also their undoing at times. If they weren’t able to get out of the gates quickly, they weren’t a team that could get back into the game easily. It was sink or swim for the Arrows -- either they busted open the score early and sailed to an electrifying victory, or they looked aimless not knowing how to come back from behind and got crushed by better teams in the mid and late game.
The Arrows biggest moment as a team came in the group stages of OGN Champions Spring 2014. They dissected the rookies Prime Optimus in their first match of the tournament, but showed their inconsistency against SK Telecom T1 S in the following match, dropping both games in disappointing fashion. With their backs against the wall, the Arrows needed a sweep of the two-time defending champions SK Telecom T1 to advance into the quarterfinals. They were able to get ahead in both games, showing off their impressive laning phase and team fighting in route to a massive upset over the reigning kings of Korea.
Still, their rollercoaster style of play continued in the knockout rounds. The Arrows were able to take one dominating, flawless game against CJ Entus Blaze in the Ro8, but lost the series 3-1 due to their inexperience in a Bo5 format and not being able to dig themselves out of early deficits.
They built on what they accomplished the previous season and went back to work doing OGN Summer. Rookie, the upstanding amateur turned pro, had wowed spectators the previous season with his strong laning phase, but was prone to letdown games like the rest of the Arrows. A season now under his belt and a newcomer no longer, Rookie took an elevated role in his second season, propelling himself to one of the top Mid lane players in Korea. They grabbed some revenge against Blaze in the group stages, sweeping them and leaving the group in first place with the same momentum they had the previous season after toppling SKT T1 K.
Piercing Aggression
Blind Pick can make or break a team in Korea. The Arrows did something no team had ever done in Korea prior to OGN Champions Summer -- go through the entire knockout rounds by going to the fifth and final set, Blind Pick, and emerging victorious in every series. While not showing the dominance that SK Telecom T1 displayed during their reign as champions, the Arrows proved something just as special: an ability to come out on top when their backs were against the wall. They were never a team that was adept at coming from behind in games, but when everything was on the line in the fifth and final set, they came out with the high end play that desperately alluded them in losses previously in the series. The Arrows conquered the previous season finalists NaJin White Shield, the defensive minded SK Telecom T1 S, and finally the defending champions Samsung Galaxy Blue in a one-sided fifth set Blind Pick game to capture their first Champions title.
Though now champions, the Arrows still have holes in their game that teams can exploit. They might come out and run roughshod over you, or they could stumble out of the gate and give you a chance to take them out of their game. They’ve gotten better at making games they lose closer, not getting stomped as regularly when they fall behind early, but their style of play could spell trouble if they can’t speed out to a quick lead. Their championship run and eventual upset of Blue can’t be denied, but it took them a full five games to defeat a struggling, stagnated in champion composition White Shield squad and a SK Telecom T1 S team that relied on dragging games out to the late game to pull out victories.
On the other hand, the champions of last year’s Summer season, SK Telecom T1 K, fell behind early against foreign teams during last year World Champions, but were able to correct their mistakes in the mid-game and use their superior communication, team fighting and game management to comeback and blow out their opponents. The Arrows, while a monster in team fighting and swarming an opponent early, might get caught by surprise by an international team’s composition and not be able to turn the tables in the late-game. The ability to overcome the odds in the deciding ace match is thrilling and creates great drama, but how long can a team rely on winning the climactic match before it bites them in the butt?
The antithesis to their rivals Samsung Blue, who have a weak laning phase, but possess the uncanny ability to pull themselves out of any tough spot with an incredible mid and late-game, the Arrows bring a trigger-happy, gunslinging style that centers around the laning phase. All five players are mechanically gifted with the ability to outplay their opposition in lane, and the Arrows use that to their advantage to get wide leads in the first ten minutes of the game. If they can mature into a team that can bring the same high level of play in each and every match -- and transition their strong laning phase and team fighting to better game management in the mid and late-game -- the Arrows are a team that have the potential to become the scariest team in League of Legends history.
Youthful, wildly up-and-down with their play, and losing games to opponents they should dominate, the Arrows aren’t your typical Korean powerhouse. They might not break you down meticulously like the SKT T1 K of old or the current Samsung teams, but the Arrows carry an arsenal of talent that if harnessed cannot be touched by any team in the world.
