Welcome to EGamersWorld.
The group stage matches of LPL Spring 2024 continue. The fourth day of the group stage is coming up, where 17 teams are playing for 10 spots in the play-offs.
Among the contenders for the exit are place Weibo Gaming and Rare Atom. Both teams, to tell the truth, are very different from each other in terms of level of play, but for now they should look equal to us, as they have not yet started their journey through LPL Spring 2024.
Let's see which of the pair will prove to be the stronger of the two at the LPL Spring 2024 Long Walk and earn their first points on the LPL Spring 2024 Long Walk.
Let's go.
Weibo Gaming Form.
We open the match breakdown with an analysis of Weibo Gaming's match form. The Worlds 2023 vice-champions are in the status of clear favourites, with odds to win at around 1.3.
Weibo Gaming can be called a newcomer to the LPL, as the club appeared on the Esports radar and the big stage in 2021, and made its LPL debut in 2022.
As a rookie, the results were very good. Weibo made the top 8 twice in 2022, finishing top 6 at LPL Spring 2022 and top 8 at LPL Summer 2022.
At the last tournament played before LPL Summer 2023, the previous LPL Spring 2023 split, the team again finished in the top 6. It's not surprising, as the club has a great roster.
- Weibo Gaming roster: Zdz, Xiaohao, Xiaohu, Light, Crisp.
Weibo Gaming very confidently entered the play-offs of the championship. In the group stage of LPL Summer 2023 the team played on the score 10-6, which allowed to take the sixth place.
Weibo's first opponent in the play-offs was Ninjas in Pyjamas, who made a great run through the group stage and then surprised in the play-offs, reaching the top 8. But obviously they couldn't win, with Weibo winning 3-1.
Weibo's next opponent in the LPL Summer 2023 play-offs was LNG Esports, who showed top flight performance in the regular season, reaching the top 2 of the league and almost beating JD Gaming in the finals. Nevertheless, it was Weibo LNG that LNG had to deal with in the play-offs, and that match ended with the score 2-3 not in favour of WG.
In the regional finals Weibo started their performance from the lower grid, where their opponent was TES. A willful 3-2 win was a key argument in favour of Weibo's advantage in this match.
Next up, Weibo played against EDG for a slot at Worlds 2023. WBG played quite a game and ended up shutting out EDward with a 3-1 score, earning a place at Worlds 2023.
In the opening match at Worlds 2023, Weibo Gaming faced off against NRG. The match ended exactly as it should have: absolute annihilation of the first team of America and an easy victory for Weio.
Next, Weibo played against G2 Esports, and this match was perhaps the most unexpected of all at Worlds 2023. G2 Esports outplayed their vis-a-vis in a mind-blowing series, thus sending Weibo to a 1-1 score. Spurred on by the loss from G2 Esports Weibo Ledgeili to host the stage in the form of KT Rolster.
Having hit the net 1-2 Weibo Gaming without any problems swatted MAD Lions, and after that went to play with another representative of the LEC - Fnatic. Weibo Gaming won the decisive match in the Swiss stage after falling behind by one card.
In the first round of play-offs WBG met NRG. The only team from the West only put up a fight on the first of the three maps played, but that wasn't even close to enough to give WBG problems.
In the semi-finals, Weibo met fellow vice-champions MSI 2023 Bibili Gaming. The LPL resident derby was one of the most colourful matches and ended on 5 maps with the score 3-2 in favour of WBG.
In the last match of last season WBG met T1 in the grand final of Worlds 2023. That match ended with a total beating of the Chinese club and T1's fourth win at the Worlds. And before the Long Spring LPL Spring 2024 had time to play at the local event of the Demacia Cup series, Demacia Cup 2023, where they reached the play-offs, but did not move further than the first round.
Weibo Gaming's most popular champions in spades
Weibo Gaming is not known for diversity in the top line up. TheShy plays KSante (10 games, 8 wins), Gnar (6 matches, 50% wins). Sion (2 matches, 100% wins) and Renekton (2 matches, 50% wins) make rare appearances.
The ubiquitous Maokai is ignored in the forest (appeared only once and lost). But Vi (6 games, 100% wins), Elise (6 games, 60% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins) get quite a lot of attention.
The centre line is occupied by Syndra (7 games, 85% wins), Ryze (4 games, 0% wins), Talliyah (3 games, 66% wins).
From shooters like Lucian (5 matches, 80% wins), Varus (4 games, 75% wins), Zeri, Sivir and Caitlyn appeared 3 times each and only Sivir didn't win a single game.
Sapports: Nami (7 matches, 85% wins), Ashe (4 matches, 50% wins), Yummi (3 matches, 33% wins).
Rare Atom Form
We open the match breakdown with an analysis of Rare Atom's match form. In this match, they play as an outsider, with win odds of around 3.8.
The season before last, Rare Atom frankly failed. The team took 15th place at LPL Spring 2022 and 17th at LPL Summer 2022. However, they managed to improve a bit during LPL Spring 2023.
Making it to the play-offs of LPL Spring 2023 is already an indicator. Rare Atom won 8 matches out of 16 played to advance to the main stage. However, they failed to move further into the top 10.
- Rare Atom line-up: Xiaoxu, naiyou, VicLa, Assum, Zorah.
Being a resident of LPL, Rare Atom performed at the summer split of the Chinese league. They played, to put it mildly, not very well: top 15 out of 17 possible results can't be called a good result.
Before the Demacia Cup 2023 RA visited NEST 2023. There they played in their canon - TOP-16. But at Demacia Cup 2023 Rare Atom showed an unexpected class. Rare Atom unexpectedly took TOP-1 in their group, leaving behind IG and FPX.
Also unexpectedly Rare Atom won the first match in the play-offs of Demacia Cup 2023. And they beat not just anyone, but LNG Esports with a score of 3-1. However, next were JD Gaming, who did not let RA go further. In general, this result can be called more than successful for RA.
Rare Atom's most popular champions
Rare Atom has no revelations on the top line. The team picks KSante (4 matches, 50% wins), Renekton (3 games, 33% wins), Gnar (3 matches, 66% wins).
In the forest all the same, more or less standard: VI (7 games, 57% wins), Maokai (3 games, 66% wins), Poppy and Sejuani 2 matches and 0 wins each.
On the centre line with no deviations. There are Azir (4 matches, 50% wins), Ryze (4 games, 50% wins), Syndra (2 games, 50% wins), Cassiopeia (2 matches, 50% wins).
The championship among shooters is held by Lucian. Champion appeared 5 times, but won only 2 matches. Tried to Zeri, but failed: 0-3 in three appearances.
Among the supporting champions, Nami was a success. She was picked up 5 times, and her winrate was 40%. Yummi (3 games, 0% wins) and Ashe (3 games, 66% wins) were also picked.
History of head-to-head meetings between Rare Atom and Weibo Gaming
The teams have previously crossed paths with each other twice over the course of LPL 2023. Both matches were won by WBG, but both were won in a struggle, with a score of 2-1.
Predicted result for Weibo Gaming vs Rare Atom at LPL Spring 2024
In this match I expect WBG to win, however I will not rush to bet on 2-0. The thing is that WBG made two substitutions after the successful Worlds 2023 and it is not sure that without TheShy and Weiwei, who were the headliners at the last World Championship, WBG will be able to keep their game at the same high level as last season. We need to keep a close eye on them as the tournament progresses.
Bottom line: WBG wins.
