Three weeks into the 2023 LCS Summer Split in North America, the League of Legends meta for the season ahead is looking very set. Two top lane champions in particular have emerged as heavy picks, so some teams are exploring options to counter them—and Dignitas might have found the very solution.
In the 45 games played in the LCS Summer Split so far, only 10 top lane champions have been contested more than once, according to League Fandom, with K’Sante and Renekton accounting for 45 percent of those top picks.
Of the two, K’Sante is dominating the head-to-head matchup, while the bulk of Renekton’s losses came against the Pride of Nazumah. Only Golden Guardian’s Licorice is yet to try his hand on K’Sante, with all 10 playing Renekton at least once.
It was a similar story in Spring too, with K’Sante picked almost twice as often as the next-most-picked Sion. But teams are beginning to branch out and explore alternatives to the dominant top laner, and Dignitas’ Rich might have found the answer.
In his debut LCS season, Ex-Heroes of the Storm star Rich is taking Summoner’s Rift by storm with a myriad of top lane picks. He has played six different champions in nine matches so far, and while K’Sante has been one of his regulars, he’s begun exploring the likes of Poppy, Jax, and Quinn—with varying degrees of success.
It was his Illaoi game against NRG on June 30 that caught the attention of peers and fans alike, proving there were options out there that could brawl with K’Sante whilst also showing off an alternative to the standard Illaoi build.
In most matchups, you would complete your Iceborn Gauntlet Mythic item then proceed to tier two boots and Black Cleaver. But as Rich demonstrated, going straight for the Black Cleaver allowed him to tear down K’Sante’s armor. The bonus movement speed from attacking also allowed the Illaoi to keep within striking distance of the bruiser.
It is best to utilize the Black Cleaver rush when paired against similar tanky League champs in the top lane, particularly melee opponents like Sion or Darius. With these champions needing to be within melee range to secure farm or hit back, Black Cleaver allows you as Illaoi to keep up should they begin to back out.
With Illaoi’s Test of Spirit one of the most effective poke abilities, and the enhancements given to you via Black Cleaver, most bruisers cannot afford to remain within range of your tentacles for too long, giving you lane priority. Should they teleport to the base to reset, press the attack on the structures and punish the move by taking map control.
Rich then returned to picking up boots and his Iceborn Gauntlet, before purchasing a Stopwatch and immediately rushing a Gargoyle Stoneplate for the huge active shield and magic resistance. Between the Stoneplate active, the Stopwatch, and the life gained from her Tentacle’s Slam, Illaoi has incredible sustain.
In the late game, it was all about positioning for Rich, who looked for the perfect Leap of Faith to counteract the burst damage he received from frontlining. In the final fight above, Santorin found the catch and vision for Rich to leap into the pack, who then slammed down multiple Tentacles and all but wiped NRG immediately.
Related: 2023 LCS Summer Split: Scores, standings, and schedule
As K’Sante remains a top pick among both professional League and the ranked queue, Rich has presented one alternative option to shut down the dominant champion but keep in mind positioning is key. Without a prior Tentacle setup or a multi-hit Leap of Faith, there is little sustain for Illaoi to stay alive in a larger teamfight.
Rich and Dignitas return to the Rift for their next LCS match against Evil Geniuses on July 5 as they push for a Summer Split playoffs spot, and we’re sure to see plenty more alternate champion picks from him as the season progresses.
