Chapter 316: Art is the Charge

The competition venue on the third day of ESL Cologne.

The first match of the BO3 between Vitality and FURIA has ended; Vitality finished with a 16:9 scoreline on their map pick, Vertigo.

On the opposing side, Nice and Zywoo combined for 50 kills, with average ratings of 1.44 and 1.55 respectively—it was quite exaggerated.

Art's own stats on Map 1 were 23/2/21; given his playstyle, this was actually a very decent performance.

But in the end, FURIA could not win Map 1.

"Relax, Map 1 was Vitality's own map pick after all," KSCERATO said, taking the initiative to comfort their IGL as he sat there without saying a word.

Vitality is currently ranked number one in the world by HLTV, and they had done a lot of preparation before the match, banning Vitality's Inferno in the first round of the veto.

With Vitality's strongest map removed, FURIA felt there was no pressure.

But Vitality chose Vertigo in the first round of picks.

FURIA hadn't actually practiced Vertigo much, but since Vitality rarely played Vertigo in matches either, they felt they still had a chance.

Yet once the match truly began, their attacks on the A site were completely dismantled by Nice playing around the Yellow Cloth.

All sorts of One-Way Smokes, unconventional positions, and proactively using flashes to counter-clear left them feeling absolutely miserable.

Plus, with Zywoo's big sniper rifle on the A-slope, they couldn't play at all.

During this time, Art's suicidal charges did manage to find some rhythm, but that was all.

"I don't really feel like anything is wrong," Art shrugged, "It's just that several of my charges were defended by Nice, which is very annoying."

On this Vertigo map, there were several times he proactively pulled out a Bizon to play, intending to use this genius weapon to catch Vitality off guard.

The First Time it actually worked, but Nice adjusted very quickly; in the following rounds, Art had no choice but to give up the Entry Kill, which even made himself laugh.

KSCERATO rolled his eyes at him: "I was wondering what you were so anxious about..."

He had momentarily forgotten that their IGL was a fun-loving player who completely enjoyed the game.

Pressure—that was something completely invisible on him.

This gaming attitude of their IGL also influenced the team members; the players all breathed a sigh of relief in unison and adjusted their Mindset slightly.

KSCERATO continued: "But don't be too relaxed; we've already lost one map, if we lose again, we're really going home."

yuurih added: "It's fine, Map 2 is our pick, Nuke. Vitality's Nuke isn't very strong. As long as we can win this Nuke and drag the match to Map 3, we still have a chance to win."

Today's BO3 veto was started by Vitality; Vitality proactively chose Vertigo, then they took their own strongest map, Nuke, and left Overpass for Map 3.

"Speaking of which, the fact that Nuke has become our strong map now has something to do with Vitality," yuurih smiled.

Once, at the Kattowitz Major, they picked what was then their decent strong map, which was Nuke.

But after truly facing Vitality, they were defeated by them even though Vitality wasn't particularly skilled at Nuke.

The sense of impact that gave was particularly huge.

After their failure at the Major, they learned from their mistakes and proactively practiced the map Nuke.

Plus, Art said he "gradually understood everything," and as his IGL style slowly formed, the level of their entire map play rose.

In the previous ECS Season 7 league, they also relied on the map Nuke to defeat Team Liquid.

But afterwards, it seemed some of their tactics were figured out by Team Liquid, making it very uncomfortable for them to play. Yesterday, before facing Team Liquid, they were full of confidence, but ended up not being able to take a single map, which was a bit embarrassing.

"So hurry up and say thank you to Nice!" Art laughed, making a joke.

KSCERATO rolled his eyes at him: "Forget about thanking Nice, let's win the next map first."

During the halftime break.

JackZ smiled and said to Xu Beifang beside him: "I feel like we are slowly getting into the zone; Map 1 went very smoothly."

"It's mainly because this Art is too impatient," Xu Beifang replied, "He's a bit stubborn; charging once with a Bizon isn't enough, he dies and then charges again. He's too hard-headed."

He had once gained insight into Art's Bizon technique, so he could understand what Art was thinking:

"I got held and killed this time, so I'll try the same play again; the opponent definitely won't guess it. This is timing!"

"Got held and killed again. He's held this position twice in a row, he can't possibly hold it a third time, right? Let's go again!"

Art's way of thinking is completely different from the average pro player.

Xu Beifang's countermeasure is also very simple: treat Art as a noob. By being rigorous with all crosshair placements and clearing, Art has no room to perform.

If you think Art is very powerful and overthink things, then those strange ideas of Art's can hit you like a ton of bricks.

After all, this is a man who can jump through smoke with a big sniper rifle to grab an Entry Kill.

As the team's IGL, apEX started to address their Mindset: "Keep this state, let's not be too careless. FURIA's Nuke is quite something now; they've defeated Team Liquid before, so we must be serious about the next map."

Everyone nodded, and Xu Beifang picked up his tactical pad and opened it.

The arrival of the Analyst made their research on subsequent opponents much clearer and more visible.

The Analyst also summarized and gave them a few small suggestions for today:

"After killing arT, don't be careless!!! Because a few steps later, there will definitely be a KSCERATO."

"Beware of arT's unreasonable charges!"

"Be careful not to be led into their rhythm by FURIA."

Xu Beifang kept these reminders in his heart. Soon, the halftime break ended, and the confrontation for Map 2 officially began.

Vitality vs. FURIA.

Map: Nuke

T: arT, KSCERATO, yuurih, ableJ, VINI

CT: apEX, Zywoo, Nice, shox, JackZ

The match officially begins!

"For the Pistol Round, let's leave Outside completely empty. Leave 3 people at the Inner Site, and Nice, I want you to go down to K1. If they do a wave down K1 in the second timing, you can still stall them," after getting into the zone, apEX quickly gave the instructions.

He had watched quite a few of FURIA's matches before the game, and this team's overall playstyle is fast.

Later, this was extended into a style called the Panther Rush.

apEX felt that in this situation, leaving Xu Beifang alone to hold Outside put too much pressure on him.

If he were placed in K1, with cover and space, then Xu Beifang would still have room to maneuver.

The countdown ended, and everyone followed the commander's plan, heading to their respective defensive areas.

……

"Welcome back to the second map of the BO3 between Vitality and FURIA, I am your commentator for this match, Ma Xixi!"

"I am captainMO."

"Who are you guys?"

In the CSBOY livestream, Ma Xixi and MO greeted the audience as usual.

The viewers in the chat also played along with the meme:

【I am commentator Xu Beifang】

【I am idan】

【I am Lionel Messi】

【……】

"Vitality has already taken one map, now let's turn our eyes to Nuke," Ma Xixi said, adding a snide remark, "This guy Xu Beifang has finally started playing matches. Only when he plays can I become the temporary number one on Huya. I'll support you with a steel helmet!"

MO shook his head: "I can only say it's terrifyingly powerful, alright."

After the banter, the two turned their attention to the match.

"Hiss~ FURIA's matches are still good to watch." Ma Xixi didn't expect that after just a few words, FURIA's army would already be pressing in, starting to put pressure on Vitality.

"1 minute 37 seconds, the main force of FURIA Outside has already occupied the Warehouse and Zhengmen, continuing to launch an assault towards the bottom of the Third Floor." Ma Xixi glanced at the minimap and was clearly stunned for a moment, "They also sent two people down into K1. Is FURIA trying to secure Outside first, and then move from the bottom of the Third Floor through the Iron Plate and K1 together to pinch Bomb Site B?"

"Is this tactic really that top-tier?"

Although Nuke is a signature tactical map, in all his years of commentating, this was the first time Ma Xixi had seen such an abstract tactic.

【This is Art!!】

【Don't you understand what the God of Art is!】

【For this kind of abstract tactic, I really don't think there's anything wrong with it coming from FURIA】

【……】

Since the beginning of 2019, the rising star FURIA began to make a name for themselves in professional matches.

As the team's commander and star player, Art's wild rushing playstyle was loved by many.

His more abstract ways of playing were also affectionately called "Art" by the players.

After all, it's hard to imagine a Professional Player frequently pulling out strange weapons like the Bizon, P90, Negev, or Auto Sniper in a match.

Since the team's commander is already this artistic, it's reasonable for FURIA's tactics to be a bit artistic too, right?

And to be honest, Ma Xixi really couldn't quite understand this attack from FURIA.

Because the map structure is complex, there are many conventional ways to pinch B on the field.

For example, entering K1 from Outside, then coordinating with the Iron Plate to pinch B.

Entering K1 from the Guandao, coordinating with the Iron Plate to pinch B.

But attacking the bottom of the Third Floor from Outside and walking through the Iron Plate to coordinate with K1 to pinch B, he had truly never seen this playstyle before.

Because just thinking about it, it doesn't seem very reasonable.

Terrorists attacking the Iron Plate from Outside towards the bottom of the Third Floor is almost circling the entire map; it's completely taking the long way around.

However, looking at Vitality's formation, Ma Xixi knew that this wave might actually allow FURIA to unfold their tactic.

Because neither the top of the Third Floor nor Zhengmen were prepared for FURIA at the first moment, allowing FURIA to push to the bottom of the Third Floor very easily.

shox was defending the top of the Third Floor, but at this stage, he couldn't do much about the Terrorists at his feet, so he could only rely on JackZ playing alone at the Iron Plate.

The pressure at the bottom of the Third Floor was immense; JackZ was trying hard to engage at the Iron Plate, but the opponent's offensive intent was too obvious.

But yuurih's aim was accurate enough, and after a brief exchange of fire, he took him down instantly.

However, at the same time, Zywoo, hiding in the Dead Pipe, heard the sound of the Iron Door opening, directly peeked out, and took down arT, who wanted to fish in troubled waters and rush into the Guandao, with one shot.

Watching Art's movement trajectory, Zywoo immediately warned: "Beifang, be careful, the other side should be trying to attack underneath."

Xu Beifang nodded and focused his attention.

He stood at the hatch and soon heard the sound of the Dead Door opening, as well as the footsteps released by the opponent.

After waiting for a few seconds, Xu Beifang opened the door directly and flicked his USP over.

"Puff... puff!"

【Nice used USP to get a Headshot kill on VINI】

Now the entire map had become a mess; FURIA's plan was very ambitious, and they even wanted to launch a pinch on Bomb Site B from three angles.

Fortunately, Zywoo stopped the person coming down from the Guandao, so Xu Beifang didn't have to face such great pressure from the front all at once.

"shox has already moved to the bottom of the Third Floor. He heard tons of footsteps and jumped down to actively pursue, but the timing was just off, and there was someone trailing behind him; the France No-Backer was also backstabbed!"

Ma Xixi took advantage of the pause in the firefight to quickly analyze: "The situation is very chaotic. Now the headcount is 3 vs 3. In this situation, FURIA hasn't even gathered yet and is still scouting individually."

"They still want to launch an attack on Bomb Site B, but I don't know where Xu Beifang is hiding."

"yuurih has already snuck over from the Iron Plate. What about Xu Beifang in this wave?"

With Xu Beifang alone covering both Bomb Site B and the Iron Plate sides, it was inevitable that there would be some oversight.

With one moment of inattention, he let the opponent get their Pre-aim ready first and fire a few shots at him.

He quickly switched to his knife to speed up and slip away, immediately retreating into the Control Room.

Zywoo's voice also came through the voice chat: "There is one near the Warehouse Outside, and there is one in the Third Floor area. I got tapped."

Xu Beifang analyzed the information briefly and realized he still had to take the initiative to take this guy down.

It seems the opponent's numbers are more concentrated at A Site, but on this map.

That guy in Sanlou can enter B Site through the Iron Plate.

The person outside Zhengmen can also go through the Guandao to come down directly.

Now that the opponent has split up, there is actually room to maneuver.

If they were allowed to gather together, the pressure would be immense.

So after considering it, Xu Beifang actively adjusted his pre-aim and began looking for the Terrorist at the Bomb Site.

Very quickly, he heard the sound of someone landing at the Bomb Site and immediately pushed out, seizing the timing.

yuurih was a bit panicked; he didn't know Xu Beifang had caught the timing so cleverly, so he hurriedly aimed to fight back.

But Xu Beifang's aim was more accurate!

"Pfft!"

【Nice used USP to headshot yuurih】

Seeing his teammate at B Site get killed, Art had no other thoughts and gave a direct order: "Just plant the bomb at A Site. KSCERATO, you go down, and ableJ, you hang out at Sanlou."

KSCERATO threw a Yellow Room Smoke Grenade, then immediately jumped to the Bomb Site and began planting the bomb.

Seeing the opponent throw a Smoke Grenade over, Zywoo didn't rush; instead, he hid inside the Smoke Grenade to gather information.

apEX also gave his input: "It's a 3v2 clutch, don't rush, wait for me and Nice to get into position."

"Understood, once you are mostly in position, I will pull out directly to get information for you," Zywoo responded.

He had been headshot during a firefight with ableJ earlier, and at this moment, his health was nearly gone, leaving him with little combat effectiveness; by using his remaining health to contribute to the team and letting his teammates make the plays, he could maximize his value.

Xu Beifang snuck up from the Guandao, and the beeping sound rang out at the Bomb Site.

"Dou Dou, help me hold Sanlou."

After a brief exchange of fire with the person at Sanlou, the information was clear.

One at Sanlou, one at the Bomb Site.

Xu Beifang pushed rapidly toward the Bomb Site.

Watching Xu Beifang's position, Zywoo understood perfectly and rushed out from the Yellow Room Smoke Grenade.

The bomb-planting Terrorist heard the approaching footsteps and didn't dare finish planting; seeing the person from Yellow Room pull out, he hurriedly raised his gun and started Firing.

Zywoo, already low on health, was taken out by a single shot.

But Xu Beifang did not let down Zywoo's expectations and took out the bomb-planting Terrorist with a single shot.

ableJ at Sanlou immediately pulled out to attempt a Trade Kill.

【Nice used USP to headshot KASTRATO】

But just as he pulled out, he only saw the CT's head jerk upward.

"Bang!"

【Nice used USP to headshot ableJ】

"Whoa————"

"This is Beifang, the god of the occasional Pistol Round!"

Ma Xixi exclaimed: "He gets a Four Kill right off the bat in the Pistol Round. Beifang has continued his feel and form from Map 1. Just as the opponent wanted to trade, he flicked one up and was instantly killed by the person at Sanlou. Is this the man with the strongest Positioning? He really is ruthless."

MO added: "Zywoo played it well too. Although he started with no health, pulling out actively at that moment helped a lot; otherwise, FURIA would still have room to maneuver. The Bomb Site player fired to collect a toll, then let the guy with armor at Sanlou guard the bomb."

"But I didn't expect Beifang to take two people down with two shots, killing them instantly."

"Now that they've lost the Pistol Round and haven't planted the bomb, FURIA's economy is a bit awkward. Are they going to Force Buy to play a tactic?" Ma Xixi glanced at FURIA's loadout. "No, they are all on naked Glocks. It looks like a pure ECO."

MO, however, said: "No, Art bought two pieces of utility here, there seems to be a plan."

The Pistol Round tactic was successful; at least in the mid-round, they had gained the terrain advantage.

But being dismantled one by one by Nice in the Pistol Round afterward left Art feeling very helpless.

Community players have always said his calling is a bit of a mess, but Art believes he is still very wise.

He is clearly a very rational caller, isn't he?

"The economy isn't great, how about we Force Buy and ECO the next round?" KASTRATO looked at the economic situation and gave his suggestion.

After some careful deliberation, Art rejected this idea: "No, you all just pure ECO, and give the bomb to me. It's just that the economy is bad, right? I'll earn some money back for you."

Under the questioning gazes of his teammates, Art bought an HE Grenade and a Smoke Grenade.

After the countdown ended, Art, in the first position, charged directly into the Terrorist Hall.

The director also noticed Art's anomaly. This was supposed to be an anti-ECO round; with 4 Terrorists running naked, only Art bought two pieces of utility. He knew this guy might be up to something, so the personal camera was switched directly to Art.

After entering the Terrorist Hall, Art pulled out the HE Grenade and threw it toward the Iron Door, blowing it open.

Immediately after, he grabbed the Smoke Grenade and smashed it toward the Iron Door entrance.

Art had already let go of the shift key and was charging inside with big steps.

After walking into the Smoke Grenade, with a skillful Spin Jump, he clearly felt himself enter the Guandao.

Then, without stopping his pace at all, Art headed straight for the Fake Door.

He sprinted all the way into B Site and pressed the "wealth code." At this moment, the time was only 1:38; only 17 seconds had passed since the round started.

Because the director's camera had been on Art the whole time, the viewers in the livestream were completely stunned.

【Ah??】

【How the hell is going through a pipe like going home?】

【Moving in with just a suitcase】

【Entering the Bomb Site to plant at 1:38, this is way too exaggerated】

【Vitality probably hasn't even reacted yet, this is too smooth】

【Is Art in such a rush to get off the computer?】

……

Xu Beifang was responsible for defending Zhengmen this round; just after arriving behind Zhengmen, he saw a Smoke Grenade at the Iron Door, immediately sprayed a magazine into the smoke, and then threw a fire into the Iron Door.

Knowing the opponents had no money this round, they played quite cautiously.

However, the Default here was carried out methodically, and faintly, a "beep-beep" sound could be heard, followed immediately by the time bar above their heads instantly turning into the appearance of a C4.

"Huh?" Everyone on Vitality was stunned.

"They planted at B just like that?"

Xu Beifang explained: "I don't know, I was just spamming the Iron Door the whole time."

Defending the Iron Door at the first opportunity requires someone from the Yellow Room to come up and watch; the speed from the front is not as fast as the Terrorist.

"This playstyle is truly perverted." apEX complained, then gave the order, "Don't rush, there should only be one person down there. They don't have much economy this round, let's get the kills first."

Following apEX's order, they quickly began to actively push toward the Terrorist Hall, clearing out most of the people in one wave.

Then they each began their Retake.

Xu Beifang started his Retake by walking inward from the Outside K1 Guandao.

But halfway there, he saw a kill notification appear in the top right corner.

【Art used Claw Knife to kill apEX】

"Guandao!! Guandao!!" apEX shouted the callout in voice chat, and the rest of Vitality also became cautious.

They quickly arrived at B site, and after the first round of clearing without seeing the opponent, they adopted the method of one person holding the angle while one person defused to deal with the final Art.

But until they finished defusing the bomb, Art didn't make a single move.

Only then did Xu Beifang figure out Art's train of thought: "He never even intended to defend the bomb; damn, what on earth is going on in Art's head."

"Huh??"

According to common sense, after planting the bomb, doing everything possible to defend it is the most conventional choice.

But Art didn't think that way.

Xu Beifang explained: "They were likely on a pure ECO this round; Art only wanted the economy. He threw one HE Grenade and one Smoke Grenade, spending 600, but planting the bomb added a total of 4000 to the team's economy, and plus he knifed Dou Dou, that's another 1500, and he even got himself a FAMAS."

600+4000+1500+2050=6950

"This round, he directly added nearly 7000 in economy to his team; this Art's economic calculation is absurd!" Xu Beifang couldn't help but click his tongue.

Originally, they had successfully won the Pistol Round and could have started 3-0.

Even if the Terrorists were on a pure ECO in the second round, the overall difficulty of the gunfights wouldn't have been very high for them.

But after being messed with by Art like this.

The Terrorists could go Full Armor Long Gun in the third round, and Art himself could even pull out a Full Armor sniper rifle and still afford a few pieces of utility.

The economy of both sides instantly reversed, and in the third round, FURIA's gun lines completely crushed them.

"Hiss~" After hearing Xu Beifang calculate these numbers, apEX instantly gasped, "This pressure... is a bit high."

……

This chapter is from yesterday; I was groggy after writing it yesterday and went to sleep. I only saw the messages in the group and from everyone after I woke up, and realized I hadn't posted it. Sorry, sorry...

It's hard to imagine the mental state of a goblin coffee-drinker after pulling an all-nighter.