NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 436
Huff…
Taking a small, deep breath.
Inhale, exhale.
“Whoo…”
Even though we won the first set quite easily, I remained cautious.
I knew all too well that it was due to the opponent making somewhat unreasonable picks.
“Plus, MAX’s bot lane power was definitely alive throughout the previous game.”
From that perspective, it was clear that the bot lane would be the most crucial in the second set as well.
“They’re probably going to make changes to their ban/pick in the next match.”
“That seems likely. Do you have any predictions?”
“Maybe they’ll play it safe? They wouldn’t want to pick something like Sol and cause a mess again.”
“True.”
Of course, we were also pretty confident in what’s commonly known as the standard combination.
“How about we try a strong pick for the bot lane this time?”
“Sounds good.”
“What about Jae-min?”
“Of course, we need to go with the strongest option.”
“Okay. Let’s do that. Then let’s aim for Ruler if possible.”
“Got it.”
After a brief feedback session, it was soon time for the second set to begin.
“Alright everyone, let’s do our best in the next match. Let’s win cleanly, 2-0.”
“Okay!”
“Let’s go!”
The ban/pick stage of the second set officially kicked off.
Our team was in blue.
After losing the first set, MAX, given the choice of side, opted to stay in red, so the sides didn’t change.
Usually, after a loss, teams switch sides, but there are also instances where they choose not to.
Some teams think they’re not wrong.
There are those who believe that sticking with their current side is better, even if they change up their strategy.
Both blue and red have their pros and cons.
[“Let’s try to secure Ruler if we can. We need to play strong into a strong bot lane team.”]
[“Yes.”]
And…
The ban/pick was completed.
──────────
[OLZ / MAX]
Top: Malphite / K’Sante
Jungle: Viego / Maokai
Mid: Nikon / Tristana
Bot: Zeri / Kai’Sa
Support: Ruler / Rakan
──────────
Overall, both teams seemed to have reasonable and solid combinations.
As expected, MAX chose to ban picks that are strong in the current meta rather than just focusing on countering the jungle.
They played it safe.
We also adjusted our strategies accordingly.
Especially, bringing in Viego, a hard-value champion in the jungle, and securing Ruler to strengthen our bot lane.
Even though tank supports were currently strong in the meta, if Ruler could win the lane, there would still be some advantages.
“Let’s do well.”
[“Okay. Let’s win.”]
[“OLZ fighting!”]
[“Fighting!”]
OLZ vs MAX.
The second set, which could possibly be the last match, officially began.
*
Welcome to Summoner’s Rift!
As the game started, a thunderous vibration could be felt through my noise-canceling headset.
I couldn’t hear the exact sounds, but I guessed it was cheering for OLZ.
Somehow, I had that feeling.
[⬇] [⬇] [⬇]
[OLZ Outlaw (Viego) is on the way]
[OLZ Outlaw (Viego) is on the way]
[OLZ Outlaw (Viego) is on the way]
The early invade’s target was the bot lane.
Considering the Zeri-Ruler combo, if we fell behind in the lane, there was a chance we could face an infinite bottom dive, making the bot lane more critical than anything else.
[“The opponents might be there. We need to keep an eye on the fight.”]
[“Okay.”]
While the early invade setup favored the opposing team in 5v5 encounters and sustained damage fights, it didn’t mean there were no variables.
That variable was Viego.
With Viego’s potential, if he could snag a kill, the entire situation could flip.
Was that why?
Or did they not want to allow any unexpected variables?
[“No opponents in sight.”]
[“This might make the bot lane a bit more manageable.”]
It seemed the opponents chose to dedicate their efforts elsewhere instead of guarding against our bot lane invade.
If they had planned to simply defend the invade, we should have seen some of their bottom laners; yet, we hadn’t spotted anyone from their team in the bot lane.
[“But in that case, the jungle might be a bit tough. Are you okay with that?”]
“It’s fine.”
We had decided that the critical lane for this game was the bot lane, so we were willing to take that kind of loss.
In the end, what mattered most was winning the game.
My jungle starting position was at red.
Thanks to our bot lane invade, the lower jungle felt reasonably safe, plus we secured vision on the red side.
Of course, there was no leashing.
Since we invaded the bot bush to take control, leashing would have rendered our efforts pointless.
‘On the other hand, it seems like they’re planning to leash completely.’
That made sense.
Unless Rakan managed to pull off some miraculous play at level 1, a weak combo like Kai’Sa-Rakan would get beaten up by Zeri-Ruler all game long.
It was better to hold the line than to engage in a power struggle.
-The minions have spawned!
The minions had spawned, and it was time for the lane phase to officially begin.
It looked like a normal fight going according to the setup, but something felt off with the enemy bot movements.
‘Something’s different.’
The current meta prefers tank supports for a simple reason.
Utility supports typically dominate lanes, but because they’re squishy, they’re more vulnerable to ganks. If they get caught out once, it could blow up the game.
Given that utility supports tend to be fragile, they’re also susceptible to dives.
However, sometimes strong teams bring out utility supports like Ruler simply because they can win their lanes.
Utility supports have significantly more value than tank supports, so if you can secure a favorable lane matchup, it’s advantageous.
Conversely, it means that if you can target the weaknesses of the team that picked a utility support, you can clearly demonstrate why the current meta favors tank supports.
‘The fact that they leashed suggests they’re going to make a swift turn in the jungle.’
While the typical move for mid lane would be to use that turn, I had a hunch they were up to something different.
‘They’re probably planning a movement diversion.’
Even without any prior information, the reasoning behind my prediction was simple.
The enemy bot’s movements seemed aggressive, as if they were ready to engage at any moment.
Of course, it could just be a tactic to regain lane control, trying to engage at level 1, but whatever it was, it didn’t matter to me.
If the enemy was going all in, I could counter with my own gamble.
[Viego – Level 2]
Having just finished my red and about to hit level 2.
For the bot lane, it was also the perfect time to settle the level 1 duel.
“I’m heading to the bot lane right now.”
[“Huh?”]
With the sudden declaration of a level 2 gank, Kim Ji-hoon was slightly surprised but didn’t oppose it.
[“Got it.”]
That was all we needed.
The level 1 Rakan was unlike any other Rakan; he had no way out.
If he came in with his W at level 1 and missed, the entire trade would fail, and they’d end up in the dumpster.
Even so, Rakan dived in as soon as Ruler revealed a slight opening.
To win the bot lane with a weak combo like Kai’Sa-Rakan, he had to seize victory at level 1.
[“They’re coming in.”]
Kim Ji-hoon remained calm.
He could dodge Rakan’s W with his flash, but if he did, Rakan would swiftly back off.
To draw the opponent in deeper, he needed to take a hit from their skills on purpose.
[“Rakan! Rakan!”]
Kim Jae-min yelled desperately as a 2v2 fight broke out in the bot lane.
“I’m here. Let’s fight.”
[“Okay.”]
It was a short exchange, but no more words were needed.
Level 2 gank.
For champions like Viego, it was a toxic gank; however, when the target was the key to winning the game, it was a different story altogether.
The enemies had already pushed deep into the terrain.
Subtly, our bot lane had lured the opponents in while engaging, leading to this opportunity.
“Let’s focus on Kai’Sa. We can take both of them.”
[“Yes.”]
Viego dashed behind the enemies.