LOL: I just turned 18, let me fight back and be reborn

Chapter 293 "Do you think I'll lose?"

"Welcome everyone to V5's home stadium in Shenzhen!" Wang Duoduo's loud voice echoed throughout the venue.

"The match about to begin is between V5, who are currently at the top of the standings, and BLG, who are on a roll lately!"

"It's worth mentioning that if BLG can win this crucial match, they will have a good chance of competing for the top spot in the summer regular season, especially since their old rival JDG has already been defeated by V5."

JDG, returning from MSI, failed to exact revenge and were defeated by V5 again early in the regular season.

However, it's clear to anyone with a discerning eye that while JDG's players haven't shown much fluctuation in form, their dominance on the field is noticeably weaker compared to MSI.

Ultimately, it's the massive changes in the mid-season patch that have allowed them to reap the full benefits of this patch!
Compared to the initial exploration at the beginning of the season, the understanding of the version by different regions and teams is now almost the same.

The importance of top lane matchups has increased → 369's laning phase isn't exactly weak, but he's definitely not a "laning specialist."

Due to the limited roaming ability of mid laners, the most obvious trend is that {carry} heroes are becoming mainstream again → which is not exactly a comfort zone for Knight.

Once the mid-lane carry meta returns to prominence, the jungle ecosystem will naturally be affected!
The era of mid-lane roles that function as support for the jungler, as seen in MSI, is likely to be over.

On the contrary, various utility junglers are making a comeback → but this is not Kanavi's comfort zone either!

With almost all three key players (top, mid, and jungle) affected, JDG's ability to remain at the top of the standings is proof of the strength of their roster.

After analyzing the situation, GuGu and WangDuoDuo on the commentary desk smiled and returned to talking about the field.

"It has to be said that today's match was full of highlights. On one hand, it was Kitagawa's first time facing his former team and teammates since joining BLG in the Summer Split. The duel between these two brothers, Kitagawa and Xun, was definitely something to look forward to."

Wang Duoduo chimed in, "On the other hand, it should be Bin's pre-match declaration yesterday, right?"

"Bin is still confident, but then again, BLG did win a game against V5 in the spring. With the team seemingly regaining its form and currently on a winning streak in the summer split, it's understandable that they're so confident!"

Although Wang Duoduo, who had just returned from her training at the Asian Games, had already tried her best to smooth things over with her high emotional intelligence.

But as soon as this topic came up, the comments section immediately exploded!
[So, just because they won a game against V5 in the spring, they're going to brag about it for the rest of their lives? Will BLG's Hall of Fame only have a gold plaque that says "Beat V5 in one game!" hanging there in the future?]

[That's really true, I think it should really become the team's "highest honor"]

[Bin: Chuan, we already beat V5 1-2 before you even arrived. You know what you're here for, right? Winning one game is a success!]

[Wow, the Bin formula is closed! If Trump really beats V5, wouldn't that be a true case of 'betraying the enemy to win the championship'? ———— But if he loses, it'll be like, 'Hey, how come you can't even beat them with one foreign player?']

[Hehe, don't be so quick to pop the champagne, you filial sons and V fans. My great BLG will show you what it means for this farce to be over soon!]

Whether the farce will end or not is unknown, but it feels like the comedy is about to begin!

The whole thing started when Bin posted a normal update.

It's basically a fan interaction post like, "What are some good places to eat in Shenzhen tomorrow?"

Then, some kind-hearted fans in the comments section reminded us: "Tomorrow is the big battle, so let's not think about delicious food for now, let's prepare for the battle and win well."

Bin then replied directly below: "Do you think I'll lose?"

Such a reply, which was tantamount to a "pre-match declaration of war," was naturally spread to various forums instantly, and even became a trending topic that night!
To be fair, when Chen Zebin sent this reply, he probably wasn't really thinking of "declaring war."

He probably genuinely believed he wouldn't lose.

After all, this person is very good at popping champagne halfway through the game. Previously, BLG's strong momentum after changing their jungler had given everyone, including the players and fans, the feeling that "BLG has finally put together the puzzle pieces".

As the event preview drew to a close, the atmosphere at the venue grew increasingly heated.

The host, Liu Hang, walked to the center of the stage and began to speak in a deep voice.

"First, let's welcome BLG Ping An Bank Esports Club—Top Laner Bin, Jungler Beichuan, Mid Laner Yagao, Bot Laner ELK, Support ON, and Head Coach Tabe!"

A burst of cheers and encouragement immediately erupted from the audience, creating quite a stir.

It's worth mentioning that BLG officially started to exert its strength in S12 last year, and then launched a large-scale team building campaign in S13 this year. Its overall strength has definitely reached the top of the league.

Not only that.

In the current meta, this team's "popularity" is at least on par with TES, except for V5 and WBG, who are considered the "double god team".

The reason is simple: it's all about the three words "all-Chinese cast"!

Since RNG officially disbanded and was sold off in a fire sale this year, TES also acquired Rookie in the summer.

Currently, BLG is the only team in the entire LPL that still uses the concept of "marketing"!

Furthermore, BLG has not only changed its roster this year, but also its operations team.

This operations team is the same team that was with SN back then. As the first marketing team to make "biographical documentaries" for players, they almost marketed Huanfeng as a sunny seaside boy, which shows their strength.

This is the key reason why BLG can still generate so much buzz despite not winning a single championship this year!
Currently, their biggest marketing focus is on the reputation of "the strongest all-Chinese cast in history".

If they can successfully market this title, they might even be able to rival V5 and WBG, becoming the only top-tier team among LPL teams without a championship!

As for the key to success, it is naturally to make it into the world championship!

This is also why BLG was eager to make changes in the Summer Split, fearing that the competition would be even fiercer and that they might not even be able to secure a spot in the World Championship.

"Next up, welcome StarCraft V5 Esports Club! Top laner Flandre, jungler Xun, mid laner YE, bot laners Deft and Beryl."

In an instant, the black and gold V5 team flags on the players' bench fluttered in unison.

The roar that erupted from the scene was so powerful that the cheers of BLG fans earlier seemed like a drop in the ocean, as if they were about to lift the roof off!
The two sides confronted each other in the center of the stage.

Kitagawa nervously glanced at his old teammates, especially nodding repeatedly when he looked at Ye Bo, and only making a fist gesture when he looked at Xun.

Chen Zebin, sensing the stark difference in the volume of screams from the audience, visibly became somewhat displeased.

He gave Ye Bo a fierce look that said, "Just you wait!" before walking back to the players' seats.

Second route, Huya's four dogs live streaming room.

Crystal is cheering on his former teammate, Flandre.

Letme, listening to the sounds from the live stream, exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, it seems there are quite a few people supporting BLG, especially since this is V5's home turf!"

He jokingly started the conversation: "What do you think of Coach Wright? Who are you rooting for today?"

Letme has recently been rumored to be going to coach RNG, and Zz1tai's words seem to confirm this.

Letme was actually quite proud of this—he didn't care whether the management was interested because he could "get something for free" and they valued his abilities!
"Well, from the coach's professional perspective, BLG's top lane is slightly better. Bin has been playing quite well with Beichuan recently. Beichuan knows so well how to protect his carry!"

"For V5, the most obvious advantage is definitely in the mid lane, but GaoGao is the mid lane version of Flandre. If he can hold onto YE, then it's a success!"

"You're really starting to analyze things, aren't you? But speaking of which, where's Xiao Wei today? Did he go home? I didn't see him in the replay!"

"Hey! Is Wei in the live stream? Speak up!"

Zitai knew how to do a live stream, and immediately set the chat room ablaze with messages of "I'm here!"

It wasn't until a crisp sound that the draft screen appeared and drew everyone's attention. Since the side selection rotations for the spring and summer seasons were predetermined, BLG went straight to the blue side in the first game.

Both sides banned in the first round —

BLG: Akali, Sylas
V5: Nicole, Quesanti

The first two bans for both sides were unsurprising.

Although Neeko and Quesanti have both been nerfed in the last two patches.

For example, Neeko's ultimate ability has a 0.25-second "cast animation" when it is cast in disguise, which greatly increases the chance of dodging for professional players.

However, Neeko support's strong laning ability, coupled with her tower-pushing strategy which has been explicitly stated by the designers as part of the "mechanics," still makes her a must-pick or must-ban choice for the support role.

The same logic applies to Quesanti; even if his stats are nerfed repeatedly, at most he'll just be killed and forced to leave the mid lane.

As long as the mechanism hasn't been changed, it will remain a must-ban or must-pick choice!

The main game between the two sides takes place in the third move.

After some deliberation, Tabe chose to give the hero the title to Aphelios, who remains the only Tier 0 marksman.

The reason is simple: Tabe believes that the strategic focus of both sides in this match will not be on the bottom lane, which also means that BLG's first pick of AD on the blue side is not cost-effective, and if it is not banned, the red side will get it for free.

V5's third pick was the undisputed laning king, Renekton.

"BLG immediately picked LeBlanc as their first pick! Although LeBlanc with Statikk Shiv has been nerfed, she is still an absolutely strong and top choice for the mid lane!"

"V5 then picked Varus and Rumble as their second choices!"

"Wow, Rumble just got a major rework in patch 13.12, and V5 is already practicing so fast? It must be Master Ye's Rumble again!?"

"Rumble vs. LeBlanc"

As a hero who has just been reworked, unless he is obviously overpowered, he will not be seen in matches for a while.

On the one hand, the tactical system needs to be refined.

On the other hand, players also need time to practice.

Especially Rumble, who seems simple and is an ancient hero, but has always been a hero that most players haven't played well.

"BLG has directly secured the monkey and weapon!"

"Bin is going all out in the first game, building Jax naked with Gragas on top of him, that's confidence!"

"So V5 is going to build Tristana first? Not Gragas?"

This draft pick actually shows the difference between Tabe and other amateur coaches.

The commentators all assumed that Gragas would be the obvious pick, and some even thought Rumble was a mid-laner.

But Tabe's interpretation of the version is insightful enough.

He also knew that since the other side would take the initiative to release LeBlanc, a hero who was still OP, they must have a backup plan.

The mid-lane version of Tristana was also one of the solutions that Tabe came up with!

After the nerf to LeBlanc with the Statikk Shiv, Tristana, whose wave clear speed is already dominant in the mid lane, can at least compete with her during the laning and split-pushing phases.

Of course, "Restraint" is definitely out of the question.

LeBlanc's mobility is too high. Unless there is a major mistake, Tristana has almost no chance to hit her full E skill for core damage, so she can't pose much of a threat to LeBlanc and can only be a counter to her.

Although Ye Bo had previously picked Rumble as a mid-laner, most people would assume, based on habit, that Rumble is still a mid-laner.

But it didn't fool Tabe.

As for weapons.

In the current top lane meta, that's one of the top three picks, second only to Quesant and Renekton!

The still-powerful {Divine Separator} and {Lethal Tempo} provide the weapon with sufficiently high strength in melee combat, while the hero's late-game side lanes provide a safety net.

Another point that many people easily misunderstand is:

As a standard "late-game hero," the weapon is absolutely not weak in the hands of a skilled player, whether in the early laning phase or in early 2v2 skirmishes!
The only weakness is in 5v5 team battles!
Other champions with similar traits include Fiora and Camille.

These are all heroes that seem like "late-game heroes," but in reality, with enough skill and understanding during the laning phase, they are in no way weaker than many "early-game heroes."

If they are really scared by the barrel and waste their weapons, resulting in being blocked in the second round, BLG may not get any advantage in the draft on the blue side!

Take a step back.

If Rumble is given to the mid lane, he will definitely be suppressed by LeBlanc!
BLG would also accept such an exchange.

Second round of ban —

V5: Reverse Feather, Lucian
BLG: Vi, Japanese Girl

"V5 picked Rey on the fourth floor; she's a versatile jungler/support pick."

Riel, who was reworked in the previous version 13.11, has now been fully utilized, and the jungle Riel's current pick rate is even higher than that of the support.

As for the AD position, there haven't been many changes; the only one to fall from grace is Zeli.

Zephyr underwent its third rework in patch 13.12—its original passive ability was removed, the passive of its Q ability was transplanted to it, and Q could no longer trigger Sheen, directly killing the previously popular Trinity Force build.

This has resulted in the fact that nowadays, the only viable core ADC options are Aphelios and Jinx.

However, Tabe did not choose Jinx, but instead chose Kai'Sa, along with Rakan to enter the game.

V5's last move was the standard Titan build.

The lineups of both sides are determined:

Blue Team: BLG vs. Red Team: V5

Top Lane: Jax vs. Mech Warrior

[Jungle: Monkey King vs. Iron Maiden]

Mid Lane: LeBlanc vs. Tristana

[Marksman: Daughter of the Void vs. Arrow of Retribution]

[Support: Phantom Dancer vs. Deep Sea Titan]

(End of this chapter)