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The main stage of LEC Spring 2024 is heating up. While the battle for the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 and LEC Finals 2024 is still on, 6 teams remain in contention.
Among their number are Fnatic and Team Heretics. They will play each other in the second round of the LEC Spring 2024 lower grid play-offs. The winner of the pair will play the winner of the Vitality - MAD Lions KOI match.
We'll see which team will be stronger and go through the main stage grid after the match, and who will have to leave the spring split after this match.
Let's go.
Fnatic Form
Let's open the match with an analysis of Fnatic's form. In this match they play as favourites with odds to win at around 1.5.
Fnatic started their ascent to the LEC Regional Finals last season with an appearance at LEC Winter 2023. It wasn't a successful one, as the Orange finished in 9th place and didn't make it out of the group stage.
The following season, Fnatic gave one last chance to roster with Rekkles. They failed to use it, as FNC, after coming out of the group stage, lost in their first match against MAD Lions, thus ending the spring split at the top 8.
- Fnatic lineup: Oscarinin, Razork, Humanoid, Noah, Jon.
Two terrible splits resulted in major re-splits. ADC Rekkles and support Advienne left the band. In their place came Korean legionnaire Noah and experienced support Trymbi. The result was not long in coming.
Fnatic looked much better at the LEC summer split than at the two previous ones. The team managed to make it through the group stage and then made it to the top 3 of LEC Summer 2023, which allowed them to advance to the regional finals. Here's the truth, to the bottom set.
Fnatic played against Excel - the main opener of LEC Summer 2023 - in the match to advance to the Top 4 and won. They won 3-2 in a tense bo5.
In the match for the LEC Finals 2023 Small Final, Fnatic and BDS had a real fight (3-2), and Fnatic ended up here.
They also managed to beat MAD Lions, with whom they played for a place in the grand final. And again, the full-fledged bo5 with a score of 3-2 in favour of the Orange. But the grand final was not enough: G2 Esports beat Fnatic 3-1.
At Worlds 2023, Orange played to the best of their ability. The club lost the first match against LNG Esports, and then outplayed the Vietnamese from GAM Esports. The last match on the way to a 1-2 set was a match against BLG, which Fnatic legitimately lost. Then FNC defeated C9 with a score of 2-1, and in the match for play-offs Ledge and WBG. The latter, by the way, became the vice-champion of the World Championship, so the result for the European club was excellent.
Fnatic will debut at LEC Winter 2024 with a match against Karmine Corp. Based on the experience of previous seasons, there is every chance to see the favourite (which is Fnatic) lose in that match. Next, they will face Vitality and this is where I would bet in favour of the Orange. That's pretty much how it turned out, except for the match against Karmine Corp: Fnatic closed two series, but lost in the match against SK Gaming.
Fnatic had a pretty good start to the regular season, but it got worse from there. Fnatic finished the regular season with a score of 5-4. The LEC Winter 2024 playoffs "Orange Longsong" with a very confident victory against MAD Lions. Next, Fnatic played against G2 Esports and looked good there, even managing to snatch the map, which no one has managed to do so far.
In the match for the quarter-finals Fnatic met with SK Gaming. The German club put up a fight, but Fnatic were stronger: 2-1 in favour of Humanoid and company guaranteed their passage to the top 4 of LEC Winter 2024.
In the next match, Fnatic were able to fight G2 Esports and take the map away from them, but they were unable to surpass the Samurai in the match. Fnatic also failed to get a chance to continue their participation in the tournament in the lower grid, where Fnatic lost to MAD Lions KOI with a score of 2-3. At the end of LEC Winter 2024, Fnatic finished in the top 4.
LEC Spring 2024 Fnatic finished the LEC Spring 2024 regular season in the top spot, something the team hasn't had since 2019. In the first round of the play-offs, Fnatic shut out GIANTX on a classy basis. LEC Spring 2024 faced G2 in the match to advance to the top grid finals and lost 0-2 without a chance.
Fnatic's most popular champions
Jax (3 matches, 33% wins), Gwen (2 matches, 50% wins), Gangplank (2 matches, 50% wins), Jayce (2 games, 50% wins) take the top line.
In the woods, Maokai (7 matches, 42% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 25% wins), Vi (3 games, 66% wins) were permanent.
The centre line was most often occupied by Sylas (5 matches, 40% wins), Ryze (3 games, 100% wins), Akali (2 games, 0 wins).
Zeri and Sivir peaked equally often on the shooter position. Both heroes appeared 4 times, but the former won all his games, and the latter - none.
Ashe appeared most often amongst the Spurrots. Archer was chosen 5 times and won 2 matches. Yuumi (4 matches, 75% wins), Heimerdinger (4 matches, 25% wins) were also frequently played.
Team Heretics uniforms
We continue our analysis of the match between Fnatic and Team Heretics with the analysis of the latter's form. The win odds are at around 2.
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, Jankoz, Zywroo, 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.
The group stage of LEC Winter 2024 was not so good. The team was quite brisk in the group stage, but later slipped to 4-5.
Going into the play-offs Heretics faced BDS - the best team of the group stage of LEC Winter 2024. The French club fully justified their status by winning 2-0 and Heretics travelled to the bottom of the group stage.
The LEC Winter 2024 play-offs did not last long. Heretics defeated SK Gaming 1-2 in the first match of the main stage, leaving the championship at the TOP-8 stage.
At the end of the LEC Spring 2024 regular season Heretics finished in the top 4. In the first round of play-offs Heretics faced BDS and rather ignominiously fell to the bottom net after a 0-2 defeat. Already in the match for life in the first round they played against SK Gaming where they won 2-1 and it was pretty tough.
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).
History of head-to-head meetings between Fnatic and Team Heretics
Over the past year, the teams have played each other 5 times. Fnatic won three times.
Predicted result of Team Heretics vs Fnatic at LEC Spring 2024 Playoffs
I expect Fnatic to win this match. "Orange lost to G2 Esports, but Heretics is a different story. They play so harshly that their stay in the play-offs at this stage is surprising to me.
Bottom line: Fnatic.
