Korea’s Rising Star: Lee “Crash” Dong-woo
Lee “Crash” Dong-woo has burst into the LCK’s 2016 Spring season with impressive performances. Longzhu’s rookie jungler has taken the starting spot over Lee “Chaser” Sang-hyun, who was the league’s best jungler last year. Crash’s rise to the starting lineup is due to Longzhu’s struggles with team synergy and macro-play. They have been experimenting with their roster to find the right chemistry.
In contrast to his limited competitive experience, Crash has shown exceptional decision-making and autonomy in the games. Before joining Longzhu, Crash played for amateur teams in China under the name Goeat. Playing for Longzhu is a step up for him.
Crash’s Playstyle
Crash isn’t the type of jungler who focuses on dueling opponents like Yoon “Peanut” Wang-ho. Instead, Crash prioritizes farming and out-farming his opponents. He often ends up with a significant CS lead and higher levels than the rest of the players in the game. His playstyle revolves around choking the enemy jungler and gaining an advantage for his team, while his teammate Chaser tends to focus on dominating one lane.
Crash’s playstyle is facilitated by the current meta. In the LCK, side-lane tier 1 turrets fall quickly, leading to extended mid-lane standoffs. This means that there is less need for early group skirmishes and more focus on farming. Crash takes advantage of this by clearing his own jungle, invading the enemy jungle, and stealing camps. This enables him to quickly accumulate gold and experience.
Crash’s champion picks also contribute to his farming-focused playstyle. He prefers champions like Graves, Nidalee, and Rek’Sai that excel at clearing the jungle quickly. These picks, combined with his skilled and self-sufficient laners, create the perfect environment for Crash to thrive.
The Impact of Meta Shifts
One of the challenges for professional League of Legends players is adapting to the ever-changing meta. The ability to adapt is what sets players like Faker apart. Crash’s success may be due to his suitability to the current meta, but it remains to be seen if he can continue performing well when the meta shifts.
The Future of Crash
While Crash has shown great potential, he still has room to grow and adapt. Opposing teams may find success by targeting him specifically and denying him farm. Global pressure picks could be an effective strategy to unsettle Crash. It will be interesting to see how Crash responds to different strategies and if he can maintain his success as the meta changes.
If Crash can continue to evolve and adapt, he has the potential to become one of Korea’s top players. However, only time will tell if he can handle the pressure and maintain his status as Korea’s most promising rookie.