LOL: My talent is top-tier, my professional skills are unparalleled.

Chapter 478 Nakano's Charge: A Black Technique! The Man-Mark-Lie Combination!
"Whether it's a regular jungler, a fasting jungler, or a carry jungler like Master Yi, I can handle it all with ease, and I'm as consistent as ever!"

Zaozi Ge was also praising Wang Yao to the skies.

At this moment, Remember suddenly interjected, "Can we talk about it? Did RNG also suffer this loss back then?"

Uzi paused for a moment, then smiled wryly:
"There's nothing wrong with saying that. We did do a lot of research on Wang Yao back then, or rather, the whole LPL did."

"No, it should be said that the whole world is studying Wang Yao, after all, Wang Yao's performance last year was too exaggerated."

"Personally, I think that Wang Yao was a strong mid laner for EDG last year, but he was also very strong in other lanes as well."

"The team's resources are tilted towards him, but he is not the one who initiates the rhythm. Wang Yao is more like the anchor of EDG, consistently dominating the mid lane and creating a huge advantage."

"Then spread the advantage to other lanes, and finally deliver a decisive blow in the resource contest!"

Uzi's statement was echoed by the two commentators. Previously, EDG basically relied on mid and bot lane as their two core carries to finish the game.

But today's EDG has evolved into a multi-core, or even super single-core, system, so betting on Wang Yao is entirely a good idea!
"Now that Wang Yao has switched to the jungle position, his role is quite clearly defined."

"That's the wild core."

"The entire rhythm was controlled by Wang Yao's jungler. EDG played like a tightly wound machine, with everyone acting like a cog in a machine, following Wang Yao's commands to attack east or west as directed!"

Every team has one fundamental question.

That's a problem of resource allocation. In S8, IG could rely on their online players to gain an advantage in kills and gold through individual skill or jungler, and thus dominate the field.

But this strategy is no longer working in the new season. The gold income from kills has decreased, and the towers now have more plating.

Neutral jungle resources have become more valuable, severely impacting IG's previous kill-based economy strategy.

IG is under pressure to attack, so they need to play more aggressively in the early game to prevent the opponent from controlling resources and gain a greater advantage so that they can snowball in the mid-game.

A regular advantage isn't enough; it has to be a very significant one to fill the gap in resources within the IG team.

This method is indeed very effective against weak teams, but it is ineffective against strong teams.

After driving on the road for a long time, I did manage to get some chrome plating.

However, the enemy team coordinated their mid and jungle to completely overwhelm the bottom lane with a four-man gank, leaving them questioning their existence and unable to even stay under the second tower.

Finally, the top laner casually took some more team gold, and the turret plating they had been suppressing for so long was finally returned.

Therefore, in the previous S9 Mid-Season Invitational, IG was caught off guard by TL and failed to even make it to the finals.

EDG is a prime example of a team that excels at creating synergistic gameplay.

Especially after Wang Yao transferred to EDG, the top lane lost a carry who relied on farm and became a tank.

Mid laners can play utility champions, increasing the team's survivability.

The bottom lane can play a utility role or be the carry.

But most importantly, Wang Yao's individual skill in the jungle and his high level of synergy with his laners are the reasons why EDG dominated.

Soon, the formal business plan (BP) phase began.

EDG, who finished first in the regular season, had the right to choose sides first, so they naturally took the blue side, while SKT was on the red side.

From a probabilistic point of view, the blue side has always had a higher winning rate than the red side.

Furthermore, Wang Yao doesn't play solo lanes, and EDG doesn't really need a counter pick.

EDG had the first ban and pick, banning Jayce first. SKT would definitely have to be flexible with Jayce, so they simply banned him.

SKT, on the other hand, immediately banned the Gem!

For no other reason than that, Wang Yao's Master Yi in the last match of the group stage left a deep impression on SKT.

However, the reason for this was that EDG's bot lane picked the Taric and Sona combination, which allowed Wang Yao to pick Master Yi without restraint.

In this way, SKT directly shut down EDG's Gemstone, effectively ending their playstyle.

EDG then banned Azir on the second pick.

Faker's Azir is also very impressive, and he has created many memorable moments.

Although Azir isn't a high priority pick in this version, EDG still banned him as their second pick, probably for the sake of their overall team composition.

SKT immediately banned Sylas.

EDG used Sylas a lot during the Spring Split, and the effect was very good.

Scout has also mastered Sylas, and Sylas is a versatile champion for EDG.

Most teams will pick Sylas in the mid lane, but he's rarely seen in the jungle.

Having a hero pool isn't something you can just have anytime, but Wang Yao is an exception.

EDG's last ban was given to the meta jungler, Rek'Sai.

It seems Wang Yao isn't planning to first-pick the excavator, but he also won't let SKT play it.

Soon, the selection phase began.

EDG didn't do much research before locking in Kennen as their first pick.

This hero is really suitable for this version, and the strength is also quite good, making it a good choice for the top lane.

Saint Gun had played Kennen a lot in the group stage and was on fire, so EDG didn't hesitate and confirmed it immediately.

Kennen can also prevent SKT from picking any long-range top laners, thus overwhelming Flandre's CS and tower plates.

SKT's first and second floors featured a combination of Kai'Sa and Nautilus.

Anyway, this combination works great!

In a standard laning phase, Kai'Sa and Nautilus won't suffer much of a disadvantage against any combination in the bot lane. Whether it's Nautilus's ultimate combined with Kai'Sa for a counter-attack or for escaping, it's very effective, making them extremely versatile.

EDG's second and third picks were Xayah and Rakan, respectively.

This version of Xayah and Rakan has actually been nerfed, but their laning and teamfight strength is still sufficient, it's just that their priority is not as high anymore.

However, whether or not Xayah's auto-attack hurts is a classic question in the Rift!
Finally, EDG left SKT with a potential mid-jungle duo to guess.

Coach Koko Ma on the other side immediately frowned. As soon as he saw that EDG had hidden their mid and jungle players until the second round, he had a bad feeling.

It feels like EDG prepared a surprise for them!

But no matter what, we should help Faker get the heroes first, otherwise we'll definitely have to rely on bans in the second round and won't have many heroes that he can easily play.

After a brief coaching session with Faker, SKT immediately revealed their third-floor champion!
Wind it up!

After the first three picks are completed, the second round of bans and picks begins.

EDG banned Lee Sin first. Clid's Lee Sin is very skilled, and EDG didn't give him a chance to perform.

Then they banned Irelia, limiting Khan's champion pool.

SKT was the first to remove the champion Lissandra.

Scout plays a very good utility mid laner, and SKT is afraid of EDG's mid and jungle players controlling the tempo.

As a last resort, SKT banned Akali, an assassin champion who greatly limits the backline.

SKT was afraid Akali would get too fat, so they put Zoe and Kai'Sa in the back row like piglets.

Then, SKT, on the red side, picked first on the fourth floor, and SKT locked in Jarvan IV, a versatile jungler, for Clid.

The Prince is a hero with little presence; he's like "Orianna in the jungle" or "Kai'Sa in the ADC position."

It's still the classic combination of Clockwork Prince.

SKT used this combination in the group stage, but they were completely crushed by Wang Yao's Master Yi.

However, SKT does not believe that the combination was at fault.

SKT wanted to prove themselves with this combination in this game.

But for Faker, Orianna, the evergreen mid-laner, is the woman behind him. Faker has faced countless difficulties over the years.

But in the most challenging moments of his career, he almost always turned the tide by relying on his own strength.

For example, the sprint battle, the ascension battle, EDG's comeback with 10,000 gold, etc.

I remember seeing SKT pick Clockwerk on the fourth floor, and stroking my chin as I said:
"Orianna? Faker's Orianna... is very consistent! This champion either doesn't have much presence, but it has a huge impact in the late game. There are many famous moments where a well-placed ultimate can turn the tide of a game."

Uzi nodded and said, "It's not easy for Orianna to pull off a big combo, but this champion can definitely create miracles, and in this game there's also a Jarvan IV synergizing with Orianna!"

As a mid-lane player, Orianna is a hero that almost every mid-lane player knows how to play; it can be said to be a fundamental hero for mid-laners.

Faker is also the creator of iconic moments, and the Titan element was also present in this game!

Therefore, EDG is prepared to give him the highest level of courtesy.

The choice of the blue team EDG to go to the fourth floor immediately pushed the atmosphere to its first peak of the day!
"Where the merciless blade strikes, all are swept away. Beneath the iron heel of fear, life is utterly destroyed." — Hecarim

Hecarim, the Shadow of War, Centaur!!

The profile picture was locked the moment it lit up, without the slightest hesitation.

"Hecarim! Is it Hecarim jungle?! Wang Yao has picked a brand new hero again!"

Guan Zeyuan said loudly, clearly surprised by Wang Yao's choice.

"He'll probably be jungling; they can't have him in the mid lane!" Remember chimed in.

"That's right! Hecarim can actually be jungled! Hecarim has been buffed in this patch."

Zaozi Ge also demonstrated his understanding of the game; although he was sitting in the commentary booth, he never missed a single version of the game.

Without any hesitation, EDG immediately picked their last hero.

"I've discovered that courage is completely unreliable; only utter madness has meaning!"

The enraged knight Kled!
It was locked in seconds!

"Oh, it's coming."

The commentators in the commentary booth instantly became excited.

"Kled? I didn't expect Scout to have such a deep champion pool like Doinb. He's actually waiting for SKT in the semifinals!"

I remember laughing when I saw it.

This is a gift that EDG prepared for SKT and Faker.

Even Zaozi was shocked by EDG's choice:

"Wow, EDG's lineup is so strong at engaging! Hecarim and Kled, plus Kennen's engage, and Rakan as support. SKT's backline is going to have a hard time surviving, they'll die as soon as they charge in!"

"SKT's ADC won't be done until he dies five or six times!"

Uzi has a sharp eye for talent, and he's a professional player who plays ADC.

The key element of EDG's lineup is immediately apparent: charging into battle!

From the perspective of Zaozi, a professional ADC player, EDG's lineup was designed to target SKT's backline.

He had already put himself in Teddy's shoes, figuring out how to survive this round.

Kai'Sa is considered short-ranged among ADCs, and there aren't any heroes with strong protective abilities in the lineup, so it's more likely to be someone like Tahm Kench.

If you manage to get close enough to attack someone, you'll inevitably face a devastating charge attack.

After a series of draft picks and bans, the final lineups for both sides were determined.

EDG (blue side) fielded Kennen (top), Hecarim (jungle), Kled (mid), and Xayah and Rakan (bot lane duo).

The red team is SKT, with Viktor in the top lane, Jarvan IV in the jungle, Orianna in the mid lane, and Kai'Sa and Nautilus in the bot lane!

"Now both sides have chosen their lineups. Neither side developed any unconventional strategies in this game; they both got the lineups they wanted."

"EDG's lineup is more geared towards engaging in team fights, making them extremely strong in combat!"

"On the other hand, SKT is still operating in the classic SKT style, adhering to their consistent style and tactics."

"The team composition we chose is more geared towards the mid-to-late game. The champions we picked, such as Viktor, Orianna, and Kai'Sa, all need to farm a lot."

"However, all three lanes are late-game focused, which means that in the early game, they can only rely on the Prince to drive the pace. But whether Clid's Prince can actually do that is still a question."

"Unless they can gain an advantage in the early game, SKT's lineup will be very passive and will be overwhelmed by EDG in the mid-game!"

Colonel Guan carefully analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of both sides' lineups.

At the same time, both Zaozi Ge and Ji De nodded.

“That’s right, Zeyuan is absolutely right!”

Remember nodded: "The key to this match for SKT is whether Clid's bluff can create momentum in the early game."

"At the very least, we must defend against EDG's attack and withstand Wang Yao's pressure, otherwise the game will be over in the early to mid-game, and we won't be able to drag it out to the point that SKT wants!"

Uzbekistan said with a smile:
"I'll say it again, I don't know how this Kai'Sa is going to survive?!"

"Well, let's just say it again: let's wait and see!"

At this point, Guan Zeyuan summarized with a single sentence.

At this point, the game entered the loading screen.

Wang Yao's Centaur Warrunner summoner spells are Ghost and Smite.

Hecarim doesn't need Flash, but movement speed is very important.

With his sprint and extremely high movement speed, Centaur can quickly support the other three lanes and easily gank any lane from behind.

Especially in late-game team fights, if Hecarim finds an opportunity to use his ultimate (R) to charge into the enemy team, it basically means the enemy formation is about to collapse.

This version of Centaur has actually been nerfed, but compared to the buffs to Centaur in the previous two versions, this slight nerf is insignificant.

The base armor growth value is 4.25, and the damage increase per stack of the Q skill Rampage is 5% (+1% per 33 bonus attack damage).

The W skill, Fear Spirit, has been changed so that Hecarim can heal himself when he deals damage to a target.

治疗量为赫卡里姆造成伤害的30%(+1%每40额外攻击力)，加上队友造成伤害的15%(+1%每80额外攻击力)。

The minimum and maximum base damage of E skill Devastating Charge have been nerfed.

However, this change is harmless.

Hecarim remains a popular jungler in this patch!

In this match, Wang Yao's Centaur Warrunner did not choose the conventional Conqueror rune setup.

Although the Conquerors were almost invincible after the recent update, with exceptionally strong sustained combat ability and the ability to heal while fighting, making them a veritable Conqueror Alliance.

However, Wang Yao still chose the Predator talent, which he didn't use much.

The Predator talent is actually quite unpopular; aside from a few specific heroes, nobody uses it.

Furthermore, it has obvious weaknesses; it is easily interrupted by enemy heroes, and its cooldown time is very long.

So let alone in competitions, this talent is rarely used even in regular ranked games.

However, the new changes have shortened the cooldown of Predator's talents, which means that Predator can be used more frequently and at a faster pace.

Furthermore, if the predator is interrupted during its use phase, a portion of the cooldown time can be returned.

With such a significant enhancement, it quickly attracted Wang Yao's attention.

Some heroes who need a burst of movement speed can try taking this talent, such as Hecarim, Gragas, Skarner, Galio, etc.

Compared to the Conqueror, the Predator's sustained damage capability is definitely inferior.

However, this talent's support and ganking abilities are clearly stronger.

Most importantly, the Predator talent can add an active effect to your boots, providing a very high movement speed bonus.

It can also enhance the damage of the next skill or normal attack.

Movement speed, movement speed, and more movement speed—I'll say it three times because it's important.

The most important thing for Centaur is its movement speed!
Wang Yao then brought Sudden Impact, which triggers Hecarim's E skill Devastating Charge when it hits an enemy, granting him armor penetration and further enhancing Hecarim's burst damage.

In addition, Centaur's ultimate ability can also trigger Sudden Impact.

Eyeball Collector is the easiest rune to stack, and it permanently increases Centaur's attack power.

The relentless hunter grants permanent out-of-combat movement speed upon participating in kills, allowing the Centaur to roam and provide support more quickly across the map.

The secondary spell tree is Wizardry, with Swiftness and Waterwalking.

Continue to improve the movement speed of Centaur.

Soon, the game began.

At the beginning, EDG was seen to be lined up in a long, straight line.

They don't plan to engage in a level 1 team fight with SKT.

Although EDG's lineup is strong in engaging, their level 1 skills are incomplete. EDG's players are all short-ranged, so they are always pulled out of the fight in level 1 team battles and can't do any damage.

But SKT clearly knew this.

Their lineup wasn't strong in level 1 team fights either, but apart from Xayah who had a longer range, the rest of EDG couldn't even touch anyone at level 1.

It's such a shame that SKT didn't engage in the level 1 team fight!
If they were to force a level 1 team fight, EDG would definitely lose to SKT.

Fortunately, EDG had already placed two defensive wards in their own lower jungle early on.

When they saw the SKT players approaching, they immediately retreated and left.

"Oh? EDG is playing quite steadily. They've completely abandoned their own red buff jungle, and Hecarim has gone to their own top jungle, planning to start at their own blue buff!"

"That's right, there's a ward left at the red buff. If Clid's Jarvan IV steals the red buff, Wang Yao's Centaur can go and swap jungle camps."

Looking at the situation on the field, Ji De and Colonel Guan exchanged a glance and said something.

"This is actually the smartest way for EDG to play. If they don't exchange jungle camps, then Hecarim will have to fight with SKT in the bottom jungle in the early game."

"This is completely unnecessary for EDG."

Even Brother Zaozi couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

(End of this chapter)