Chapter 113: Such A Wonderful Start!
Both coaches came to the center of the stage to shake hands, and both teams officially entered the map selection phase.
“Both sides have entered the read map phase. Let’s enter the 2017 LPL Spring Split semifinals together, EDG vs RNG, the first match!”
Accompanied by the system’s high-pitched prompt sound, both sides had entered Summoner’s Rift.
“EDG! Go for it!!”
“RNG! Go for it!!”
Under the stage, the cheering waves from both sides’ fans collided like two torrents, resounding throughout the entire venue.
This was also a match that didn’t require official staff to be arranged here to shout along.
The previous match had called in quite a few staff members to shout.
Mainly because these two semifinal matches were scheduled together, EDG and RNG fans grabbed more tickets, and quite a few people came to buy scalper tickets offline.
Naturally, there were more people supporting the cheers.
At the start, both sides chose the conventional serpentine formation positioning, without aggressive invasion.
Mlg’s Lee Sin chose red start, while Clearlove’s Hecarim chose blue start; both were starting in the lower jungle area.
The reason was quite simple; Clearlove really wanted to try a Level 2 Gank Bottom.
The opponent’s Lucian plus Braum was aiming for laning advantage. Although Varus and Lulu weren’t too afraid of the opponent at Level 1, forcibly trading was actually unwinnable, mainly because Braum’s control was too annoying.
This kind of single-target control was particularly strong in fights, not to mention that after the Lucian buff, it was a must-pick for laning.
Taking it out meant absolute confidence in bot lane.
Xiang Guo starting red on bot lane here was for Lee Sin’s strength; a Lee Sin with red buff posed a huge threat to the laning phase.
He wanted to guard top lane and then go to the jungle to find Clearlove.
At least not let Clearlove interfere with laning.
Because this lineup gave him line priority on both top and bot lanes.
As for mid lane, both Viktor and Orianna were heroes focused on farming.
In this situation, there shouldn’t be any big problems.
If Xiao Hu couldn’t even farm properly… then he really had no solutions at all.
After all, during BP, everyone heard clearly that Xiao Hu had no confidence against Unreal, didn’t dare to let other heroes go, and in this situation EDG picked Orianna.
It already had no single kill ability in the early game…
Actually, Mala Xiang Guo also found it very strange how Xiao Hu’s state could decline so dramatically.
At this time last year, Xiao Hu was the genius boy with LeBlanc in left hand and Zed in right hand, the big daddy in the team.
In just one short year, the change was so drastic.
While farming jungle, he couldn’t help but switch the screen to check the mid lane laning situation.
One look, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Viktor got poked by Orianna’s Q skill, but his auto attack couldn’t land, the second hit of Q damage couldn’t come out, he lost the trade badly, it was so stiff.
Xiang Guo already felt something was off at this point.
No way his Viktor couldn’t even farm properly against Orianna in lane, right?
But he knew Xiao Hu’s personality, so he just glanced at mid lane and didn’t say anything.
Telling him to stay steady might even add pressure…
Xiang Guo finished red buff and F6, was preparing to move to the upper jungle area according to his plan, looking for opportunities to pressure Mouse’s Nautilus, letting Jayce farm more comfortably, and by the way find chances to invade Clearlove’s jungle.
But just as he was about to move, Uzi’s urgent voice came through the headphones: “Xiang Guo, I feel Clearlove will come for Level 2 Gank Bottom, come counter-gank. If he dares to move, this wave he’ll explode!”
Xiang Guo subconsciously frowned tightly.
As a jungler, the most taboo thing was being remotely controlled by laners.
Especially in the early game, every step of the jungler’s path planning was crucial; once seen through or disrupted, it was easy to fall into passivity.
His original plan was to open the game during Jayce’s strong early phase on top lane; now suddenly switching to bot not only wasted time, but if Clearlove didn’t come, the upper jungle initiative would be handed over.
After all, what was said in interviews couldn’t be taken as truth.
Just because he said Level 2 Gank Bottom means he would?
But… the one speaking was Uzi.
In RNG, no one could ignore Uzi’s demands.
Mainly, offending him was equivalent to offending the club.
“Tch…” Xiang Guo struggled inwardly for a moment, looking at the eager Lucian and Braum on bot lane constantly pushing forward trying to poke, and finally compromised.
He knew if he didn’t go and Clearlove really came, giving up kills on bot would create even bigger pressure.
“Okay, I’m coming.” Xiang Guo responded, controlling Lee Sin to turn direction and directly enter the bush below the bot lane dragon pit for counter-gank.
Time passed second by second.
And on bot lane, Zet and Meiko played very smartly. Facing Uzi and Ming’s strong suppression, they chose to play safe and let the minion wave go, preferring to miss a few CS rather than give the opponent first move opportunity.
The minion wave was slowly pushed to EDG’s turret under.
But after squatting for nearly ten seconds with no movement, Xiang Guo already sensed something was wrong.
This rhythm was actually off; if it was Level 2 Gank Bottom, Hecarim should have arrived by now.
Xiang Guo’s heart sank bit by bit.
He knew his worst fear had happened; the opponent was just using a smoke grenade, specially said in the interview.
“Maybe… not coming?” Xiao Ming tentatively asked.
Little Dog was also a bit uncertain now, but he still said, “Squat a bit more, he definitely wants to target us!”
However, just as the RNG bot-jungle trio focused on bot lane, the system’s prompt sound exploded like thunder over the canyon!
First Blood!
First Blood!
“What happened?!” Little Dog and Xiang Guo exclaimed almost simultaneously.
The three quickly switched their view to mid lane.
Only to see Orianna calmly clearing the minion wave under the turret, while Xiao Hu’s Viktor had become a cold corpse, lying not far in front of his own turret.
“Clearlove didn’t go bot at all, he came straight to gank me.” Xiao Hu sounded very aggrieved…
After all that talk, no one thought of him ganking mid?
Mainly, Clearlove saw the mid lane situation and immediately changed his idea.
Because he didn’t expect Xiao Hu’s Viktor to be poked so much health.
That meant there was a chance to gank and kill Viktor.
Compared to bot, he still felt that if mid could take off, this game would be more stable.
After all, Varus was poke flow, and the opponent’s lineup had damage as long as Varus landed Q skills.
Orianna was the real core this game; the better she farmed, the better the teamfights.
The director immediately showed the replay.
In mid lane, under Li Fan’s poke, Xiao Hu’s health was already somewhat low.
Clearlove’s Hecarim charged out from the side shadow with Sprint plus E skill, kicking Viktor back with one hoof!
Xiao Hu reacted extremely fast, immediately flashing, but Li Fan’s Orianna followed flash, a precise QW slow, cooperating with Hecarim’s damage and red buff stickiness, the final auto attack with passive steadily securing First Blood!
The entire gank flowed smoothly with perfect cooperation; even flashing, Xiao Hu couldn’t escape death.
“My god, Clearlove didn’t go bot, he chose to gank mid, and succeeded! Unreal got First Blood!” Ji De shouted loudly.
“Xiang Guo ran to bot to squat for so long, not only didn’t counter-gank anyone, his own upper jungle might get counter-jungled by Clearlove…” Su Xiao Yan said, looking at Clearlove already entering Blue Side jungle on the minimap.
“Obviously, Clearlove probably guessed Xiang Guo went bot to counter-gank, so he directly changed his play and went to gank mid…”
“This is game theory! RNG thought Clearlove would target bot, but EDG did the opposite, knowing you had defense on bot, so I gank your mid! Now, RNG’s early rhythm is a bit disrupted.”
“Actually… ever since Unreal started playing mid, Clearlove has done Level 2 Gank Mid very often, so while this seems unexpected, it’s actually reasonable. Mainly, Unreal’s laning ability is exaggerated; once health is pushed low, it naturally becomes the jungler’s focus.”
Live stream room bullet comments instantly exploded:
【Hahaha, classic Level 2 Gank Bottom turned into Level 2 Gank Mid!】
【Laughing to death, you think I’m going bot for counter-gank, but actually I went mid.】
【Xiao Hu stay steady! How did you give up First Blood like this?】
【Unreal’s Orianna feels off, everyone’s Orianna is for farming, right? Why is he playing so aggressively? Always trading and poking?】
【Bad, EDG mid-jungle got rhythm!】
Just as the EDG fans on site were excited for Li Fan getting this kill, the director quickly switched the camera to bot lane.
“Wait! Xiang Guo’s Lee Sin didn’t leave, he and RNG bot duo are moving on EDG bot! This is a Level 2 tower dive kill!” Ji De’s voice became urgent.
On screen, Braum led the charge, diving into EDG’s bot lane turret!
A Q skill precisely hit Varus who was trying to position under turret.
Directly applying passive and slow, also drawing turret aggro.
Lucian slid forward, Holy Bullet pouring out, quickly proccing Braum’s passive!
“Kill AD first! Kill AD first!” Uzi shouted urgently in voice chat.
Xiang Guo’s Lee Sin’s Sonic Wave hit the stunned Varus, second Q kicking right up!
Meiko’s Lulu reacted extremely fast, immediately polymorphed the biggest threat Lee Sin.
But without extra skills, no shield, there was no way to stop RNG’s damage.
Varus woke from stun, Heal and Flash pressed almost simultaneously, but Lucian followed Flash with two passive autos plus ignite, forcibly killing Varus under turret!
“Zet is down! But the turret is still attacking Braum! Braum is very low health! Can they trade it?” Su Xiao Yan shouted nervously.
Meiko’s Lulu put all damage on Braum, the turret’s second attack also landed.
Finally, Lulu’s auto attack took Braum down.
“Braum is down too! The kill goes to Meiko’s Lulu, but there’s still Lee Sin and Lucian under turret! What does Lulu do? No skills left!”
In this situation, there really wasn’t a good counter.
The tower dive kill rhythm was just too good.
Trading one was already very difficult…
Ultimately in the second tower dive, with Lee Sin tanking turret and paying a Flash, they still took down Lulu.
Lucian successfully achieved a Double Kill!
“Uzi got the double kill, this RNG bot-jungle forced tower dive turned into 1 for 2, and both kills on Lucian!” Chang Mao exclaimed. “Although mid lost, RNG fought back on bot! Due to this big minion wave entering the turret, Zet couldn’t get any CS. Although mid gave up a kill, relying on bot, they actually made a small profit.”
The entire venue’s atmosphere was reignited, RNG fans letting out cheers of relief like surviving a disaster!
So what if Unreal’s Orianna got a kill? Not much impact early-mid game, only later, but once Lucian’s laning phase ends, he rules the match.
“Wow… this RNG wave was so decisive!” Ji De calmed down a bit. “Xiang Guo wasted time on bot, knew he had to act, and Uzi seized EDG bot duo’s poor state for forced tower dive. Although paid the support price, Uzi got two kills. This Lucian with two early kills in hand, bot lane is taking off!”
Live stream room bullet comments’ direction instantly reversed:
【Holy shit! Xiang Guo!】
【Dared to tower dive this? Too aggressive!】
【Although mid gave up, bot fought back!】
【Bad, fed a super fat Lucian, EDG late game is screwed.】
RNG player bench.
Uzi showed an excited smile on his face, controlling Lucian to recall while shouting in voice chat: “Nice! Brothers! With these two kills for such a wonderful start, this game is already over.”
Xiang Guo also breathed a sigh of relief; though the process was twisty, the result was good: “Good good, you fat is fine.”
Xiao Ming also grinned: “Dog bro awesome!”
As for support, it was inherently doing this dirty work.
Xiao Hu hearing the good news from bot finally wasn’t so nervous.
If bot hadn’t gotten anything, it would have been big trouble.
Just farm well this game and wait for bot to carry.
EDG player bench.
Zet looked at the black and white screen, annoyedly rubbing his hair.
“Shit!”
“It’s okay, it’s okay… opponent wasted so much time on bot, jungle is already cleared by Clearlove, they didn’t gain much.” Meiko comforted.
This game their bot duo pick was for functionality, just lie low.
“Right, no big problem, just stay stable, we have mid-jungle advantage.”
ps: Monthly Ticket please
