On the 25th (KST), SK Telecom T1 defeated bbq Olivers with a score of 2-1. SKT’s champion compositions were focused on laning. They succeeded to gain advantage and secured games 1 and 3. On game 1, Effort delivered some concrete performance in teamfights with his Rakan. For the last game, he used Tahm Kench and focused on supporting the team.

The following is the interview with Effort.

Q. The team defeated bbq 2:1. How do you feel about your victory?

We have to win every single match to reach the postseason. I’m happy that we won today’s match.

Q. The team seemed to focus on laning. How did you prepare for today’s match?

In the current meta, it becomes really tough for junglers if the laners lose the advantage in lane. In the opposite, if the jungler is having a hard time, it becomes really hard for the laners as well. That’s why we decided to pick aggressive laning champions.

Q. Although you lost game 2, you are known for your Pyke. What are your thoughts on him?

When he was first revealed, there were controversies on Pyke. Personally, I think he isn’t a good champion. It really depends on how the player uses him.

Q. SKT managed to get first blood in game 2, but the team failed to dominate the game. What do you think was the reason for the defeat?

I gave away a solo-kill in bottom lane. Our concept was to focus our resources on Kennen and make him dominate the matchup against Gnar. We failed to focus on top since the other laners collapsed quite early in the game.

Q. Nowadays, teams are starting to use traditional ADCs. I heard that numerous teams believe that ADCs are solid picks. What are your thoughts on this?

In early-game, ‘non-ADCs’ have the advantage. They used to win the matchup against traditional ADCs, but now things are a bit different. With help from champions such as Morgana and Tahm Kench, it’s much easier to sustain lane phase. As a matter of fact, if your mid laner and jungler are stronger than the opponent, it becomes much harder for ‘non-ADCs’ to gain the advantage.

Q. You guys won game 2 with relative ease. What was the most important factor in the series that allowed SKT to win?

Just like the other two games played today, our team drafted a team composition that put a lot of emphasis on the laning phase. That put a lot of pressure on the enemy jungler, limiting his movement on the map. I think that’s why we had an easy time.

Q. You will play against Jin Air Green Wings in your next series. It’s a match that SKT desperately needs to win. How will you prepare for them?

We have to win against everyone that we face. Looking at our performance in today’s match alone, we still have a lot of things that we need to fix. It won’t be an easy match, so we’ll have no choice but to continue to put in a lot of effort during preparation.

Q. Unlike the early part of this Split, SKT has been performing better recently. What do you think caused this change?

In the beginning, when we lost 4 games in a row, we all decided to more frequently talk with each other and share game information. In order to do that, everyone in the did their absolute best. In addition, including 1 vs. 1 practice, we started practicing in various ways. We also watched games from the other regions for inspiration. Currently, we aren’t a strong team, so we began analyzing the top teams’ games to learn from them -- paying attention to the smallest details, such as positioning. I feel the hard work is finally paying off.

Q. Any last words?

I’m really glad that we won today. We’ll play another match soon, and we’ll make sure to win again with better performance.