Introduction
Kennen, the champion in League of Legends, has become a highly contested pick in this year’s World Championship. He has been played in three different roles: top lane, support, and AD carry, making him a powerful flex pick. With 13 appearances and 4 bans, Kennen has proven to be a strong and versatile champion.
What is a Flex Pick and Why is it so Important?
In League of Legends, a flex pick is a champion that can be played in multiple roles. This is rare, as most champions are best suited for a specific role. However, Kennen’s ability to play in three different roles makes him extremely valuable in competitive gameplay. Flex picks are important because they can be difficult to counter in the pick and ban phase, where teams try to gain an advantage before the game even starts. By picking a flex champion, teams can keep their opponents guessing and make it challenging for them to counter the pick.
One example of the power of flex picks was seen in a game between KOO Tigers and CLG in the World Championship. CLG thought Kennen was going to be played as a support, so they picked Blitzcrank to counter him. However, KOO picked Morgana as their support, countering Blitzcrank and surprising CLG. This shows how flex picks can provide a strategic advantage for teams.
Kennen as a Top Lane
Kennen is historically associated with the top lane, but he has seen limited play in this role in the tournament. He offers strong poke and teamfight potential with his stun and utility. However, his squishiness and lack of initiation make it difficult for him to excel in the top lane. His team composition may also lack tankiness compared to the opponent’s. Despite these challenges, Kennen can still be a valuable pick in the right circumstances.
Kennen as a Support
Kennen has been most commonly played as a support in this season. He is often paired with Kalista, who can initiate with her ultimate and combine it with Kennen’s abilities. Kennen’s strong laning phase and ability to function without much gold make him a good support pick. He doesn’t require expensive items to be effective and his focus is on utility rather than damage.
Kennen as an ADC
Kennen has also been played as an AD carry in the tournament, which has surprised many analysts. He is able to work in this role due to his hard CC and strong laning phase. However, he does have weaknesses, such as his relatively low range and lack of late game scaling. Only Fnatic has consistently picked Kennen as an ADC, but other teams may begin to experiment with this role for him.
Conclusion
Kennen’s flexibility and utility have made him a popular and powerful pick in the World Championship. Teams are starting to prioritize banning or picking him due to his ability to round out team compositions. However, this may result in him being less seen in the rest of the tournament. Kennen has certainly made a storm in the World Championship, but his jungle dreams may have to wait for another time.
Photo and Video Credits: Riot Games
Kennen, flex pick, League of Legends, World Championship, top lane, support, AD carry, pick and ban phase