Paul "Stend" Lardin is leaving the Hive. According to sources from Sheep Esports, the Vitality Bee support has reached a verbal agreement with Team Heretics for the upcoming LEC season. Heretics initially prioritized signing Labros “Labrov” Papoutsakis, but the Greek player ultimately chose to join G2 Esports, Europe’s best team, as previously reported by Sheep Esports. However, Stend has also been highly sought after, not only by other LEC teams but also by several LFL teams, according to our sources.

It's no surprise, given Stend's standout performance in the French league this year. Vitality.Bee heavily relied on their botlane to secure a top-three finish in the LFL, alongside BDS Academy and Karmine Corp Blue. The team placed 4th in the Spring Split after being upset by Gentle Mates and finished 3rd in the Summer. Stend is also ranked as the 3rd best support in the LFL according to Sheep Stats, earning an impressive rating of 71/100. While playing mostly tank champions like Nautilus, Alistar, and Rell, he posted the best KDA among LFL supports in 2024 (3.87).

Third recruit of the season

Stend notably raised his level of play towards the end of the season, playing a key role in Vitality.Bee’s successful EMEA Masters campaign. His consistent performances helped the team reach the finals of the tournament, with their impressive run (15 wins, 5 losses) sparking hopes they could challenge BDS Academy’s dominance. However, the Swiss powerhouse proved unbeatable, and Stend’s season concluded in the shadow of one of the few supports who outperformed him in 2024, Polat "Parus" Çiçek.

Stend’s stats during the LFL 2024. Credit: Sheep Stats

At Heretics, Stend will replace Adrian “Trymbi” Trybus, who was brought in during Spring 2024 to improve communication within the team. Despite this, Heretics struggled to find the right formula, finishing 7th in Winter, 5th in Spring, and 7th again in Summer, which left them out of the Season Finals. The team has opted for a major rebuild for 2025. Stend is not the first recruit of the offseason; the organization, which aims to rebuild around AD Carry Victor "Flakked" Lirola, has also signed Theo “Sheo” Borile as their jungler and promoted Carl Ulsted “Carlsen” Carlsen to the toplane, as previously reported by Sheep Esports.

Header Photo Credit: Elliot Le Corre/LFL