LOL: Can’t I play other games professionally?

Chapter 557 Akali Arrives

"It feels like the game is about to end."

On the LPL commentary desk, Guan Zeyuan returned to his most familiar segment. Whenever EDG played and the opponent was crushed, he would succinctly offer this comment.

And today is no exception.

IG suffered a huge loss in this wave, almost being wiped out by EDG, and handing over the Baron Nashor.

A poor economy is like a string of stock prices soaring, suddenly jumping from a negligible difference of one thousand yuan to over six thousand yuan.

What's even more terrifying is...

EDG only needs to do a little more management to easily take down IG's outer towers, and the economic gap can continue to grow to around 10,000.

What's even more terrifying is...

EDG has a mid-to-late game lineup.

IG, on the other hand, had a completely early-game focused lineup.

With that in mind, no one would have any high expectations for this match.

With your early-game lineup getting destroyed like this, how can you expect to turn the game around in the mid-to-late game?

Hard to say.

Anyway, Lucian should first make sure his basic attacks hit Xayah and Viktor before anything else.

"Although the disadvantage is so great that it's almost impossible to fight, I still say that IG can't drag this out."

In Wang Duoduo's view.

This is what makes IG most desperate: no matter how big the disadvantage is, they have to rise to the challenge.

In this situation, going up there would be practically the same as feeding the enemy kills.

Therefore, IG inevitably fell into an atmosphere where they wanted to fight but dared not fight.

The first tower had just fallen, and Lissandra had already teleported into the river.

When they saw that the person closest to him was Luo, everyone immediately relaxed.

After a slight hesitation, EDG had already swarmed in and turned the tables, driving Lissandra away from the river.

IG finally chickened out.

I'm worried that a triple explosion could wipe out my entire home.

Therefore, in this final life-or-death moment, the team must open the most promising and best possible formation.

But it seems that they have no choice in the matter.

EDG quickly grouped up again and headed towards the second mid-lane tower.

IG's positioning once again became a major weakness. He thought that although Lissandra's teleport did not initiate a team fight, it had at least scared EDG away.

So after that, everyone except the two carries rushed into the lower jungle to establish vision.

Unexpectedly, EDG turned around and started pushing forward again.

Lin Ruo operated the excavator, using the two displacements of the previously reserved tunnel, and forced Braum to use his Flash in the Blue Monster area.

This led to another phase in the situation.

IG's top, jungle, and support all gathered at the three wolves, while EDG's Rek'Sai and Aatrox approached from the top and bottom lanes, and the exit leading to the second tower was blocked by EDG's top and bottom trio who were pushing the lane.

We are surrounded by enemies again.

Ryze was engaged in a one-on-one duel with Aatrox at the top, while the two at the bottom lane were able to use Braum to dash along the wall and dodge Lucian into the tower to escape.

Ning Wang's Zhao Xin was different; he couldn't escape even the slightest thing.

All he could do was grit his teeth and walk out, stepping onto the gravitational magnetic field set up by Viktor, and while he was immobilized, unleash his ultimate move to sweep away as many attacks as possible.

Attacks outside the range can be avoided, but what about those inside the range?
Victor had already gone inside, and an excavator came up and knocked him away.

At this point, the very common team fight scene reappeared.

My teammate is about to die.

So the question is, should we go up and rescue them or sell them?

Many teams expose this problem during matches, and the final result is often that they can't save the team in time or sell them off in time.

In summary, the key is to make a decisive decision when you can; otherwise, you'll just stand there and watch.

So Tianye's Luo used his E skill to get close to Viktor, and then used his ultimate to accelerate and use W to rush into the turret and lift up the two of them.

Zhao Xin is dead.

The ones inside the defense towers were also opened.

That's the result of this wave. Viktor and Xayah continued to deal damage, instantly killing Braum, who had already lost half his health to Aatrox earlier.

Lissandra activated her ultimate to freeze herself, while Lucian's health was still relatively good, and he still had the ability to deal damage to limit EDG's aggressive entry into the fray.

But as Rek'Sai's depth charge hit, the beast's roar suddenly rang out.

Lucian then has little room to deal damage.

Because Lin Ruo's excavator pounced directly into the hole, then burrowed underground to launch it into the air, and chased after Lucian, giving him a good beating and driving him away.

Whether they can be killed or not is unknown.

But Lucian really doesn't have much of a chance to deal damage anymore.

Thus, Viktor and Xayah could deal damage without pressure, and then flash in to finish off Lucian when Lin Ruo was low on health, thus completing the team wipe of IG's four members under the mid-lane second tower.

The excavator also collapsed, but it didn't die.

With the resurrection armor, Lin Ruo was still full of energy when she got up again.

Meanwhile, IG had lost a large number of players, with TheShy's Ryze still entangled with Aatrox, miraculously escaping once again using Nimbus Cloak and Wandering Path.

Then I looked back and all my teammates' screens went black again.

Then came the classic lament from the commentators: "IG almost got wiped out again!"

The three commentators checked the time at the same time. To put it simply, from the 15th minute to the 22nd minute, in just 7 minutes, IG was almost wiped out three times in a row.

Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a chaotic brawl, with people going out and immediately starting to fight, and it just wouldn't stop.

Except for that Ryze who didn't seem to be part of the group, none of them died in the three waves.

However, this does not affect the pace of what follows.

Is a 35-second respawn time enough?
It's obvious without even thinking that it's not enough.

"Damn it, it's about to be a push! EDG has won three perfect team fights in a row and is about to destroy IG's base."

In the LCK commentary box.

The Roaring Emperor was also wailing.

He had to admit that today's IG is even more European and American than the European and American teams.

You've already fallen into a huge disadvantage after a wave of sudden deaths, right? Well then, I'll just die two more times and end it all. That's the summary of the entire rhythm after 15 minutes.

IG collapsed very quickly.

However, this lineup seems to be understandable to everyone.

There's nothing we can do if we don't fight, and there's nothing we can do if we fight and collapse. At least we don't have to keep dragging things out and tormenting our own team as well as all the viewers at the venue and in front of the screen.

"GG!"

IG's naked Nexus exploded, and the familiar closing notes from the LCK commentators followed.

EDG secured the victory in the third game in 23 minutes, taking the match point in the finals.

Is it ultimately just a flash in the pan?

The Wenhe Arena once again became a night of celebration for EDG fans.

After the match, the five EDG players left the player's seat with their heads held high and walked backstage.

In stark contrast to them were the five members of IG who were constantly shaking their heads.

This match was no different from a chaotic battle, and it wasn't that they didn't have opportunities, but compared to the opportunities they found, they obviously gave away more chances.

Back in the locker room, head coach Kim Jeong-soo looked at all the IG players in the same way.

He felt that IG played very steadily in this match, without being impatient.

They simply used the same mindset they used against other teams to deal with EDG.

What's the mindset for dealing with other teams? Based on all the matches since the finals, it's simply to get things moving.

Yes.

As long as we dare to engage and fight, no team can match our IG team's ability to fight chaotic battles.

Therefore, everyone who fought with them lost.

But EDG is really different.

You might think that fighting them is all it takes, but the cunning EDG will use every possible environmental factor to lower your win rate before the fight even begins.

They can also play, but they know how to utilize their positional advantages, their numbers, and all sorts of other advantages.

For example, the last wave.

EDG capitalized on their positioning advantage. After IG failed to activate Lissandra's teleport in the first wave, EDG adopted a pressure strategy, trapping three IG players in the narrow area around the three wolves.

After this match, IG's win rate dropped by half.

And that wave in the top lane.

This is what angered Kim Jeong-soo the most: why did they have to blindly invade the jungle like that?

You caught one person, but what happened next?

Lucian got sabotaged while trying to provide support, and ended up giving away a kill in the upper part of the river.

Lissandra was also sabotaged while trying to provide support. She had just entered the river when Aatrox teleported down, and she was slaughtered like a pig being herded into a pigsty.

Could these things have been anticipated by EDG?

If EDG had foreseen this, Viktor wouldn't have left the blue buff area.

It's obvious that these were all mistakes made by IG themselves, and what EDG needs to do is to continue to expand their advantage based on these mistakes.

By taking advantage of differences in environment, geography, and numbers, you can increase your chances of winning before the battle even begins.

Watching the whole thing, EDG did it.

IG actually did it. For example, in the first F6 team fight, although it was bad at the beginning, their support advantage was very good. Later, Ryze's teleport created a very good positioning advantage.

This not only allowed them to counterattack EDG, but also gave Lucian an early opportunity to develop.

But IG never managed to do that again.

Because it was EDG who accomplished all of that later on.

This is what Kim Jung-soo can't understand the most: why did he do so well at the beginning, but then he went completely out of control and started messing things up?

Knowing that Ryze doesn't have teleport, he still invaded the jungle without saying a word.

Do the IG players' brains work like robots and sometimes freeze up?
Others may not know, but Prince Ning certainly does.

"I went on a whim, and sometimes I can't guarantee I'll do my best." Ning Wang was accepting the coach's criticism at this moment, feeling somewhat helpless.

Opportunities always come with risks. At that time, his initial advantage wasn't that great. If he stopped looking for opportunities, was he just going to watch time slip away and he would become completely powerless?
Given Viktor's development speed at that time, it's questionable whether he could win a team fight at Baron Nashor if he didn't create more opportunities earlier.

However, if he looked for a good opportunity but it wasn't one he could do anything about.

At least I was brave enough, which is better than just sitting around waiting to die.

Of course, in such a highly anticipated final, Kim Jung-soo wouldn't think that Ning was wrong to look for opportunities.

It's good that they found this opportunity at this time. If it were the way Mingkai did in those years, Kim Jung-soo would be the one who really lost his temper.

Although Prince Ning did not find a good opportunity, he should at least not be subjected to all criticism.

Kim Jeong-soo's real message boils down to two points: "We can play without discipline against any team, but we absolutely need it against EDG, regardless of our lineup or playstyle."

"Because if you make any mistake, EDG will immediately lay a trap, so I need you to make sure you don't overlook any potential weaknesses while looking for opportunities."

"Make sure you have good vision. Before the fight, communicate with each other to find out the positions of everyone on the other side. Make sure everyone is in the right position. You can't be in one spot and then suddenly disappear from another."

Kim Jung-soo talked at length, and Mafa, who was translating, was so tired from repeating it that her throat went dry.

In short, the whole message boils down to one thing: look for opportunities, but make sure they are good ones, and don't do anything that could lead your brothers astray again.

And TheShy.

The biggest problem is that they are often out of touch with reality.

When facing other teams, you can show off your skills and even stall for time until your teammates arrive.

But against EDG, being out of sync is being out of sync; there are only two choices: one person dies or the team dies as a result.

There is absolutely no third option for a comeback.

It's like criticizing Ning Wang. Kim Jung-soo wanted to criticize this point even more, but he couldn't. If TheShy would listen to him, he wouldn't be called TheShy.

So at this moment, the best thing Kim Jung-soo could do was stand in front of TheShy and solemnly say in Korean, "Please believe that this may be your best opportunity right now, so please show your best attitude."

TheShy habitually drinks water and nods, but whether he listens or not is another matter.

"Keep it up, keep it up next time!"

In the EDG lounge.

As head coach, Mingkai's job is much simpler.

After all, they are the winners, and they are the more confident and stronger side.

At this moment, the most important thing to do is not to criticize the mistakes on the field, but to encourage the teammates to keep going and that they will definitely do better in the next game.

Then, we can also discuss with Lin Ruo how to modify the draft and ban phase for the next game, and what the specific gameplay should be.

This is what Mingkai should have done during halftime: pat each person on the back as encouragement when he went back on the court.

This is much easier than back then when Abu would always yell at people and ask why he didn't play more aggressively.

...

When both teams rejoin the field after halftime.

In what could be the most important game of the finals, the emotional environment was completely different.

After a brief adjustment, the IG players took their seats, their minds filled with the thought that losing this match would mean losing the World Championship trophy.

The team clearly had no room for error left.

No one can remain absolutely calm and rational in such an environment.

What's more, this is the first time that all five members of IG have stepped onto the stage of an international tournament finals.

Even though Kim Jung-soo said a lot from below, whether it was encouragement or criticism, the contestants only had one voice in their hearts, and that was their own voice.

"Come on, come on! Take a break before the draft starts and don't think that losing this game means the end."

Kim Jung-soo said that the only person who could translate for him at the moment was Rookie.

But Rookie himself was also a little panicked.

Looking up again, even the usually strong-willed Prince Ning had closed his eyes at that moment.

[Holy crap, is Ning going to die?]

[I don't know, but it's probably coming soon. Look how pale you are. You must have been scared by Lin's excavator last time, after all, you were hit four or five times.]

【No, you actually managed to see the word "white" on Prince Ning's face? Brother, your eyesight is amazing.】

[Ning, hang in there! Finish this game before you die!]

[Are you still going to fight? If you don't carry them off, the fight will end halfway through.]

LPL viewers were already laughing hysterically when they saw this scene on the live stream, but when the camera moved to the EDG players' bench and they found Lin Ruo quietly resting with his eyes closed, the tone of the conversation changed.

[Holy crap, summon the gods! Lin is about to unleash his power; next game will probably be a quick push in under 20 minutes.]

[No, isn't Lin himself a god? Why would he need to invoke any gods?]

[Yes, yes, Lin Shen just wanted to catch his breath, so that when he opened his eyes again, he would make sure the opposing team couldn't recover for the entire game.]

Putting everything else aside, that closed-eye look is so powerful, guys. It's terrifying. I can already picture IG getting thrashed in the fourth game.

[Wait a minute, when Ning closes his eyes, you say he's dead, but when Lin closes his eyes, you say he's summoning gods to prepare to beat up the opponent. That's such a double standard! Oh well, I checked and it seems to be true, hahaha, good looks are everything, Ning's black face really does look like it.]

...

cough cough.

Prince Ning probably didn't expect that he would be said to be dead simply because he closed his eyes for a moment.

If he's lying on the chair, wouldn't it be just a matter of saying we should carry him down and bury him?

Forget it.

Ning Wang now only wants to win the fourth game, so that he can at least bring back a decisive game for the team.

This is no joke. The entire IG team is on high alert. They really don't want to be stopped at the so-called finals.

Many people comfort others by saying it's okay, there's always next time. But for a competition like League of Legends, reaching the World Championship finals once is already a perfect combination of favorable circumstances.

No one can guarantee there will be a next time, or to put it more definitively, once you've been caught in one, it's very difficult to have another chance.

So this is the first time, and it will most likely be the last.

"EDG has a good mentality, while IG is still a bit heavy-hearted. After all, another loss would mean elimination. So let's hope that IG can put on a better performance."

In the commentary booth, Guan Zeyuan, observing the situation on both sides, still had some personal motives.

He hoped the two sides could go to a fifth game, which was also the opinion of all neutral viewers.

Who wins or loses is not important, but what is important is to play at the highest level.

But is it really possible? It feels like winning one game against EDG is already the limit for IG, according to Guan Zeyuan.

Objectively speaking, it's hard to believe that IG could hold out until the so-called fifth game. In that case, this year's World Championship will most likely become the only World Championship since S1 where we won't hear the battle anthem.

Isn't this also a form of record?

This record fully demonstrates EDG's dominance, but it's impossible to expect neutral viewers to enjoy it.

So, the support ratio in the LPL official live stream has somehow risen to 40/60.

LPL viewers want to watch one more game. After all, it starts at 4 PM, and it's not even completely dark yet. You're telling me it's over? That won't do.

It's the finals, for goodness' sake! Can't you be a little more professional? What do you mean the finals were played during the day?

Protest! Absolutely protest!

If they could, viewers who love a good spectacle would all want to lend their support to IG.

Could you come back for a fifth game? It's nothing, I just want to see both of you looking tense.

In this regard.

Lin Ruo could only say, "Want to see me nervous? You're dreaming."

After both sides readjusted, the fourth game's draft phase quickly began as the battle commenced.

It could be the final draft phase, and the three commentators quickly tensed up.

"The draft phase has already begun, and IG has proactively chosen the red side."

I remember specifically reminding you of that.

Wang Duoduo quickly added from the side: "Then they must have a trump card, wanting to give a player in a strong position an absolutely suitable hero."

Normally, the blue side is definitely better than the red side, but if you choose the red side, it means you want to keep the counter slot.

Based on the draft picks of the previous games, the jungler position will definitely be snapped up early, so the only key positions Wang Duoduo could think of for the counter picks were probably mid and top.

If we differentiate between mid and top lanes, the top lane is most likely the one that comes into play.

Indeed, TheShy has been on the defensive for the past few games. For example, in the last game, he was forced to pick Ryze in the end.

Although Ning, the jungler, has undoubtedly been IG's most dominant player in this World Championship, TheShy's top lane dominance has been a crucial factor in helping Ning establish his rhythm in most matches.

So it's likely that Kim Jung-soo decided to choose the red side in the fourth game because he considered TheShy's less-than-ideal situation in the previous games, ensuring TheShy had a comfortable position in the top lane.

Although we were on the red side in the last game, we originally wanted to reserve a counter pick for TheShy, but EDG's Viktor forced us to choose Ryze top.

Rounding to the nearest integer is equivalent to having no counter digit.

But this time, Kim Jung-soo, who was prepared, chose the red side again, and naturally, he would not allow the story of the previous game to repeat itself.

How can you avoid replaying the scene? Well, just press the button and you're done. Why waste time with all that fuss?

"Oh, so IG took the initiative to ban Viktor from the previous game right from the start."

Wang Duoduo was not surprised at all.

Just as he thought, IG's idea of ​​choosing the red side was to give TheShy the initiative. Now that Viktor has also been activated, there is no doubt that they have basically secured the initiative.

As for EDG...

The first three moves were in a similar direction to the previous game.

First, kill Urgot.

So IG would naturally take the initiative to ban Aatrox. Scout's Aatrox had very high damage in the last game, and even Rookie's Lissandra in the mid lane couldn't suppress him at all.

In addition, Camille is a champion that the red side always has to ban, which is why IG banned her in the first three rounds.

EDG, on the other hand, removed Alistar and Tahm Kench.

Since then.

After both sides have completed the first three bans, the hero selection phase begins.

"What should EDG pick on the first floor? Should they pick Rakan again?"

As Guan Zeyuan was still analyzing, the figure of the assassin appeared on the big screen.

"Akali? You're building this right off the bat, huh?"

Guan Zeyuan's eyes widened at the sight. Although Akali was indeed strong in this version, her pick rate in the World Championship was not as high as that of heroes like Aatrox and Urgot.

And EDG not only picked it, but they also had to snatch it?

(End of this chapter)