T1 Doran: "Playing through botlane hard has become one of our go-to strategies as part of that"

In this interview, T1’s Doran reflects on a 6-3 Round 1 finish, Peyz priority and his Anivia pick after four straight wins

T1 Doran during T1 Homeground. Credit: Grégoire "Aries" Bgz

"I think we have a lot of different strategic approaches, so yeah, I'm confident"

Winners of their fourth consecutive match this Wednesday, April 29, against

Nongshim RedForce

close out Round 1 of the LCK Season with a record of six wins and three losses. A strong finish to the first stage for Choi "

Doran

" Hyeon-jun and his teammates after a mixed first three weeks.

T1’s toplaner spoke to Sheep Esports after this latest 2-0 victory, reflecting on Round 1, the priority placed on Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan during games, as well as his Anivia pick during the series.

Choi "Doran" Hyeon-jun: “Yeah. First of all, I'm really happy to close out Round 1 with a win, but there were some disappointing moments and matches during Round 1 that still stick with me. So… I don't want to just be satisfied with Round 1. I think we need to set a direction for improving even more in Round 2 and keep pushing forward.

Still, you did win today. What do you think was the key factor?

Doran: The key factor? I think the whole team was just in good form today, so the communication was smooth and the plays came out well. That's why I think we won.

You pulled out Anivia top for the first time today. Anivia's been showing up in a lot of different roles lately, and since this was your first time playing it, what did you feel were its strengths?

Doran: Anivia has a lot of CC, and then with the wall—that terrain ability—I think it's a champion with a lot of strengths. The fact that you can flex it top, mid, and even support is really nice. And regardless of which lane you take it to, it's a champion that can bring out all those strengths well, so I think it's a solid pick.

Of those three—top, mid, and support—where do you think Anivia is strongest?

Doran: I'd say in terms of raw damage, mid is probably the strongest. But Anivia is less about dealing damage and more about zoning the enemy with CC and creating opportunities for your team. So I don't think the damage is all that important.

You had a rough start to the LCK Season, but today's win makes it four in a row. How much do you feel the team's synergy has come together, and what's changed compared to the early part of the season?

Doran: Early in the season, we had a lot of losses, so within the org and the team we identified what the issues were and started working on fixing them. I think that's been paying off quite a bit. I feel like our overall direction is really good, so we just need to keep working hard.

Looking at your recent matches, there's been a lot of funneling resources toward botlane. Is that a natural response to the current meta, or more of a style the team is deliberately building around?

Doran: With

Peyz

(Kim Su-hwan) joining the team, part of our direction has been finding Peyz's identity and playstyle. Playing through botlane hard has become one of our go-to strategies as part of that. But it's not the only thing we can do — I think we have a lot of different strategic approaches, so yeah, I'm confident.

Including last week's Homeground match, you've played three series in a row recently. The difference between LoL Park and the Homeground venue must have been pretty noticeable. How much do you think the venue environment and atmosphere actually affect performance?

Doran: For Homeground matches, you have one team's fans concentrated there cheering really hard, so I think the away team can feel some psychological pressure from that. But beyond that, I think it's just a great experience overall.

T1 players at T1 Homeground. Credit: Grégoire "Aries" Bgz

You're famously known by the nickname "Doran's Grasp" from the starter items since your debut. As it happens, this patch added Doran's Bow and Doran's Helm as new items. What kind of impact do you think they'll have on toplane, and is there one you've got your eye on?

Doran: Honestly, I haven't gotten to look at that patch yet and haven't had a chance to practice on it, so I can't really say which one will be good. But I think the champions that synergize well with those items will probably shape the next meta.

Is there a champion that doesn't really show up in LCK right now that you'd like to see come back into the meta?

Doran: If I had to pick one, I'd say Gragas. He's been pretty hard to play in toplane lately, but if he got some buffs, I think he could come back. I'd like to see that.

Since we're a global media outlet, do you have a message for the international fans?

Doran: Yeah — thank you so much for all the support throughout Round 1. I'll keep working hard to prepare well for Round 2 and the rest of our matches. Thank you.