Finn Wiestål is a bit of a statistical anomaly in the European League of Legends scene. You probably know him as Finn. He’s the guy who has played for basically every major organization you can think of—Rogue, CLG, Excel, Astralis, and SK Gaming. Yet, for some reason, whenever people talk about the "elite" top laners in the LEC, his name is often left out of the top three. It’s weird. Honestly, it’s a bit of a crime when you look at how he actually functions within a team environment.
Finn League of Legends history is a rollercoaster of being the "weak side" hero. He’s the player who gets left on an island, receives zero jungle proximity, and somehow still manages to be more useful than the opponent who got three successful ganks. That’s a specific kind of skill. Not everyone can do it. Most players tilt. They start dying. Finn just... survives.
The Rogue Era and the Kled That Defined a Career
If we’re going back to where it all started to get serious, we have to talk about 2020 Rogue. That was a special team. You had Inspired in the jungle, Larssen in the mid lane, and Hans Sama and Vander in the bot lane. On paper, Finn was the weakest link according to the "analysts" on Twitter. But he wasn't.
He was the enabler.
He played Kled. A lot of Kled. If you haven't seen Finn on Kled, you haven't lived. It was chaotic. He understood the "limit testing" aspect of League of Legends long before it became a buzzy catchphrase for streamers who just want to justify their 0/10 power spikes. He knew exactly when he could dive into a 1v3, dismount, get the courage back, remount, and turn the fight. It wasn't luck; it was math. Very fast, very aggressive math.
People forget that Rogue made Worlds that year. They were in a group with Damwon Gaming and JD Gaming. Talk about a "group of death." While Rogue didn't make it out of groups, Finn held his own against Nuguri and Zoom. Those are legendary names. And yet, after that season, he was shipped off to North America.
The LCS Experiment: What Went Wrong at CLG?
Going to the LCS is usually where European careers go to die, or at least to collect a very large paycheck before retirement. When Finn joined Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) in 2021, the community reaction was mixed. CLG was a mess. Let’s be real. The organization was struggling with its identity, the roster didn't have synergy, and Finn looked miserable on stage.
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He was trying to carry. That was the problem.
In the LEC, Finn was a piece of a puzzle. In the LCS, he was expected to be the whole puzzle. He played 23 different champions across his time there. He tried the Gwen, the Camille, the Renekton. But when your team is collapsing around you, it doesn't matter if you're winning lane by 20 CS. You’re going to lose the game.
His time in NA is often cited as a "down period," but if you watch the VODs, his laning stats remained respectable. It was the mid-game macro where everything fell apart. It’s a classic example of how a great player can look mediocre in a bad system. He eventually came back to Europe, and honestly, the LEC is better for it.
The Skillset Nobody Values: The Art of Losing Gracefully
We need to talk about "weak side" play. In League of Legends, everyone wants to be the carry. Everyone wants the pentakill. But a team only has a finite amount of gold and attention from the jungler. If your jungler is pathing bot to get your ADC ahead, the top laner is going to get dove.
Finn is a master of the "graceful loss."
- He manages waves so he loses the minimum amount of XP.
- He tracks the enemy jungler without needing his own jungler to ward for him.
- He stays relevant in teamfights even when he’s 3000 gold behind the enemy Jax.
This is why teams like Excel and Astralis picked him up. They knew they could leave him alone. He’s a "low resource, high impact" player. When he joined Astralis, a team everyone expected to be 10th place, he helped them actually contest for playoffs. He brought a veteran presence that helped younger players like 113 or Jackies find their footing.
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He isn't just a tank player, though. That's another misconception. He’ll pull out the Olaf or the Irelia and just run people over if the draft allows for it. But his professional value lies in his flexibility. You can't ban him out. If you ban three of his champions, he’ll just play Malphite and hit a four-man ultimate that wins the game anyway.
Comparing Finn to the LEC Giants
How does he stack up against the likes of BrokenBlade or Photon?
BrokenBlade is the "Top Father." He gets the resources, he gets the counter-pick, and he carries G2. Finn is different. If you put Finn on G2, they might actually be more stable, though perhaps less explosive. If you put BrokenBlade on a bottom-tier team with no jungle support, he’d struggle more than Finn does.
Photon is a lane dominant mechanical god. Finn is a teamfight specialist.
In the 2024 seasons with SK Gaming, we saw Finn evolve again. He became more of a vocal leader. You could see it in the Mic Checks. He was the one calming the team down during chaotic Baron fights. He’s transitioned from the "young prodigy with the Kled" to the "grizzled veteran who knows exactly how the map should look at 25 minutes."
The Mental Game: Why Professional League is Brutal
Being a pro isn't just about clicking fast. It's about not losing your mind when you're 0/2 and the enemy jungler is sitting in your brush for the third time in five minutes. Finn has been through the ringer. He’s been benched, he’s been traded, he’s moved across the world and back.
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He’s still here.
Most players from that 2020 Rogue roster have had massive ups and downs. Finn has stayed remarkably consistent. Even when his teams are losing, he rarely looks like the reason why they are losing. That’s a rare trait in the top lane, which is notoriously the most volatile role in the game. One mistake and your lane is over. Finn doesn't make those "one mistakes" very often.
What's Next for Finn?
As we move deeper into the current competitive cycle, Finn remains a gatekeeper of the LEC. If you can't beat Finn, you aren't a top-tier top laner. It’s that simple. He is the litmus test for every rookie coming out of the ERLs.
Is he ever going to be the #1 player in the league? Probably not. He isn't flashy enough for the MVP voters who only look at KDA. But is he the player you want on your team if you're trying to build a cohesive, winning roster that doesn't crumble under pressure? Absolutely.
Actionable Insights for Players
If you want to improve your own top lane play by watching Finn League of Legends VODs, don't just look at the kills. Look at his map movements.
- Watch the first 5 minutes: Observe how he positions his character relative to where he thinks the enemy jungler is. He almost always leans toward the "safe" side of the lane.
- Analyze the Teleport usage: Finn doesn't use TP just to get back to lane for a couple of minions. He saves it for the bot lane play that actually flips the game state.
- Identify the "Bait": He is excellent at looking vulnerable to bait an enemy dive, only to use his kit (like Kled’s passive or Ornn’s W) to survive just long enough for his team to arrive.
- Champion Pool Diversity: Stop one-tricking. Finn’s career proves that being "good enough" on 15 champions is often better for a team than being "perfect" on two.
- Communication: If you listen to his interviews, he talks about the "state of the game" rather than just his lane. Start thinking about the 5v5, not the 1v1.
Finn is the ultimate pro's pro. He’s the guy who does the dirty work so others can shine. In a game dominated by ego, that makes him one of the most valuable assets any LEC team can have. Pay attention next time he’s on stage; you’ll see the game differently.