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The LEC 2024 Winter Split is heating up. One of the most prestigious championships in the competitive League of Legends world, the regular season, aka group stage, continues.
The opening match of the new week is the battle between G2 Esports and Rogue, followed by this match. The match between GiantX and Team Heretics, which is definitely worth a look.
If at first glance it's obvious, you should realise that it's only the first one. We'll be looking at what to expect from this match, which team will be stronger and which team will earn extra points to move on to the play-offs.
Let's go.
Form Heretics
Let's open our match analysis with an analysis of the Heretics' form. They will play as favourites in this match, with odds to win at around 1.7.
Heretics have been in the LEC structure since 2022. In their "debut" season, Team Heretics played on the TIR-2 stage, more specifically in Superliga Summer 2022 (Top 1), European Masters Summer 2022 (Top 1) and Iberian Cup 2022, where they finished Top 2.
In 2023, the Heretics entered the LEC series of tournaments. The successes were not so good: first TOP-8 at LEC Winter 2023, with SK Gaming knocking them out.
In spring the situation only got worse: Heretics again failed in the group stage, this time playing it with a score of 3-6 and not making it to the play-offs.
In the next round of the LEC draw, Team Heretics performed their best as an affiliate team. They took the top 4 at LEC Summer 2023, Ledge and Fnatic in a battle for the top 3. Heretics secured $5,512 by finishing in the top 4.
- Team Heretics roster: Wunder, Jankos, Perkz, Flakked, Kaiser.
After a series of bad performances last year, Heretics changed their roster by signing top European players. Let's see how they will do against the strongest representatives of the region.
In the opening match Heretics will play against MAD Lions. In that match I expect a victory from Heretics. Next, Jankos and company will face Rogue. All in all, the first week without any easy matches, if there can be any at all within LEC Winter 2024.
Team Heretics' most popular champions
Aatrox (3 matches, 100% wins) and Renekton (2 matches, 100% wins) appear on LOUD's top line.
Sejuani (4 matches, 100% wins) and Wukong (3 matches, 66% wins) take the jungle.
On the centre line, Taliyah (3 matches, 100% wins) and Lissandra (3 matches, 66% wins) are not the most popular.
Among the shooters Aphelios (4 games, 75% wins) and also Xayah (3 games, 66% wins).
Nautilus (4 games, 75% wins), Nami (4 games, 75% wins).
GiantX Form.
Let's move on to a breakdown of GiantX's game form. The opening team of LEC Summer 2023 will be playing the number two team in this match, and the odds for them to win are at around 2.
GIANTX is the new name for the LEC league. The LEC Winter 2024 split will be the debut match for the club, which has absorbed the EXCEL slot. Incidentally, GIANTX themselves are the fruit of a merger between British club EXCEL and Spanish club Giants.
GIANTX had a very difficult last season. At LEC Winter 2023, the team completely failed, finishing in the top 10.
The spring split, however, didn't show anything new. GIANTX once again failed in the split and once again came in last.
- EXCEL line-up: Odoamne, Peach, Abbedagge, Patrik, LIMIT .
After two disgusting splits, GIANTX changed their forester and replaced Targamas with South Korean legionnaire Peach. The change was a good thing, because there is no other way to explain the miracle-run at LEC Summer 2023.
GIANTX not only finished in the top 3, but also made it to the split grand finals, thus guaranteeing themselves a spot in the LEC Finals. Ledge and G2 Esports are in the finals, but there is no shame in that, you have to understand.
The achievements of LEC Summer 2023 are at risk of being reversed given the experience of the first match of LEC Finals 2023. In the match against MAD Lions, GIANTX looked more like what we saw during LEC Winter and Spring, but not at the summer split.
In the next match, then EXCEL faced Fnatic. That match was more like something worthwhile and ended in a full-fledged bo5, but in Fnatic's favour. For ex-Excel, LEC Finals 2024 ended with a top-5 finish.
In their first match under the new tag, GIANTX will meet Vitality. I think the Ledge Bees will bee. Next up is The International and the game against BDS. If the French can beat the former, it's hard to believe that they will succeed against BDS.
The most popular GIANTX champions
On the top line the most frequent picks are KSante (4 matches, 50% wins), Gnar (3 matches, 100% wins).
Foresters picks are Wukong (4 matches, 50% wins), Vi (2 matches, 50% wins), Nocturne (2 matches, 50% wins), Viego (2 matches, 0% wins).
On the centre line Gragas (4 matches, 50% wins), Annie (4 matches, 50% wins).
Aphelios (6 matches, 33% wins), Jinx (3 matches, 66% wins), Zeri (2 matches, 100% wins).
The Heretics are also stable: Lulu (3 matches, 66% wins), Rakan (3 games, 0% wins), Nautilus (2 matches, 50% wins).
Head-to-head history of Heretics - GIANTX
Last season, GIANTX, while still EXCEL, outplayed Heretics in the summer split. By the way, also in the group stage.
Predicted result of GIANTX vs Heretics at LEC Winter 2024
I would define this match as the centrepiece of the day. The odds are close and the teams are not far apart in terms of level of play, so it should be at least entertaining. As for the winner, I think it will be GIANTX, who are the nominal underdogs here.
Bottom line: GIANTX wins.
