The LEC underdogs: Astralis' 2023 magic continues

The LEC underdogs are taking their underdog story to the stars in 2023.

Author:
Sage Datuin
Updated:
Mar 14, 2023 3:41 PM EDT
Original:
Mar 14, 2023

Astralis’ bounce back in the LEC 2023 season has become one of the most shocking developments in the LEC. Astralis began their 2023 LEC campaign with an abysmal 0-5 start to the LEC 2023 Winter Split. That, combined with the communities lack of expectations, had many wondering if they would even be able to win one game in the Winer Split.

Instead, the team made one of the most impromptu underdog runs as they went on a three-game win streak to squeak into the LEC 2023 Winter Group Stages in eighth place. That underdog narrative continued in the LEC 2023 Winter Group Stages as the team worked their way up to sixth place, just one game shy of a spot in the top four.

After their strong performance in the LEC 2023 Winter Group Stages, Astralis entered the LEC 2023 Spring Split with a slightly different lineup.

Before starting the LEC 2023 Spring Split, Astralis announced that they would be swapping out midlaner Oliver “Dajor” Ryppa for Adam “LIDER” Ilyasov in an attempt to bolster their lineup moving forward in 2023. So far, that midlane swap has worked out for Astralis, as Astralis are now 2-1 after week 1 of the LEC 2023 Spring Split.

And for longtime Astralis head coach Baltat “AoD” Alin-Ciprian, it was nothing but positive thoughts, despite ending their week on a loss to the undefeated SK Gaming.

“I think we actually played much better than everyone thought and I think we stepped up in many areas,” AoD said. “I’m pretty happy.”

When asked about the team’s strong start to the LEC 2023 Spring Split, Astralis head coach AoD shared that the team’s practice had been going well, a stark contrast from the team’s scrims in Winter.

“I think we were trending upwards in the last few days of scrims, “Astralis head coach AoD said. “We had a really good mood coming in and the social factor was there.”

One of the most significant factors for the team’s strong start has been the team’s newest player LIDER who has impacted the team in ways outside of just gameplay alone.

“I think he’s the guy who takes initiative outside the game and makes the group bond,” Aod said about Lider. “I think this is really important for mental reasons.”

Many LEC viewers were uncertain about the decision to make a midlane swap following Astralis’ most successful split in the team’s history in the LEC. However, the team’s newest midlaner might just be the final piece that Astralis needs to leapfrog into the top four.

Regardless, it isn’t about the position in the standings that AoD is fixated on. Instead, the focus is on consistent improvement, despite the record.

“I don’t really think about positions in the split,” AoD said. “It’s just about delivering good performances that we can be proud of. We don’t have a lot of time to solve these issues, especially in this current format, but we are doing our best and I am proud of it so far.”

After a strong start to the LEC 2023 Spring Split, Astralis will move forward into week 2 as they look to continue their strong form against MAD Lions, Team BDS, and Team Vitality. It will be interesting to see if this new iteration of Astralis can continue this strong form heading into week 2.