TL;DR
- Faker showcased Tryndamere as an effective Corki counter in LCK match against DRX
- The pick secured 8 kills including a game-winning turret-diving triple kill
- Tryndamere’s melee pressure counters Corki’s safe laning and scaling
- Faker maintains 70+ champion pool with strategic one-time picks
- Execution requires specific itemization and timing strategies
League of Legends legend Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok continues to expand his champion mastery, having now deployed 70 distinct champions in LCK competition and 74 throughout his professional career. His recent selection of Tryndamere against DRX provided compelling evidence of the champion’s viability as a strategic counter to the currently dominant Corki.
During T1’s third series of the split, Faker unveiled this surprising pick specifically to address Corki’s meta dominance. The Daring Bombardier has become a fixture in the current competitive landscape, frequently appearing in either the pick or ban phase due to his consistent performance.
Corki’s enduring presence in the professional meta stems from multiple factors: his exceptionally safe laning capabilities, powerful late-game scaling potential, and recent synergy with the First Strike rune that amplifies his gold generation and burst damage output.
Faker’s Tryndamere: A Strategic Masterclass Against Corki
The Barbarian King demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in neutralizing Corki’s advantages. Tryndamere’s relentless melee pressure and ultimate survivability created constant threats that Corki couldn’t effectively answer.
Faker’s execution proved flawless as he accumulated eight eliminations throughout the match. A crucial turret-diving triple kill sequence became the turning point, establishing momentum for the decisive push that secured victory. T1 closed out the series with a convincing 2-0 scoreline.
The matchup success hinges on Tryndamere’s ability to negate Corki’s core strengths. While Corki excels at safe poke and scaling, Tryndamere’s gap-closing with Spinning Slash (E) and undying ultimate create constant kill pressure. The critical timing window occurs at level 6, where Tryndamere can all-in without fear of retaliation.
Common mistakes in this matchup include improper fury management and misjudging Corki’s package timing. Advanced players should focus on wave manipulation to force Corki into vulnerable positions while tracking jungle presence.
Optimal itemization starts with Kraken Slayer into Navori Quickblades, maximizing damage output while reducing cooldowns for repeated engagements.
While renowned for his mastery of control mages like Azir, Orianna, and especially LeBlanc, the Korean mid laner has consistently incorporated unexpected selections throughout his career. Tryndamere now occupies a specialized category of champions Faker has played exactly once with successful results, joining Olaf, Poppy, and the newly released Vex—who may soon graduate from this exclusive group with further play.
A more extensive collection consists of champions the three-time world champion attempted only to suffer defeat and never revisit. This group includes unconventional mid lane choices like Darius, Kayle, Nautilus, Quinn, and Singed, alongside surprising inclusions of Lux and Pantheon. Both these champions have experienced periods of mid lane relevance at various points in League’s evolution.
For players looking to expand their strategic options in similar scenarios, our Class Guide provides valuable insights into champion selection philosophy.
Action Checklist
- Maximize fury generation early to enable aggressive trades
- Time all-in engages around Corki’s Valkyrie (W) cooldown
- Track Corki’s package timer and avoid engagements during active duration
- Build Kraken Slayer first for maximum damage against Corki’s relatively low health pool
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