Chapter 114: I still want to eat Shanghai cuisine

After joining the team for over two months, Lao Zhang's hero pool also added several new heroes.

The crocodile was added after Rambo, then Kennen, practiced for a whole month, now usable, but not for this intensity of match; that was Liang Yan having Lao Zhang prepare for S6.

Nasus also practiced for a while, but still felt a bit lacking; playing in the European League was enough, but if pulling it out in S6 to face strong teams, felt more practice was needed; mechanics were fine, mainly anger control needed hard work; Ka Lao Si, after considering Tang Anna and Liang Yan's opinions, assigned Lao Zhang the task of at least four ranked Nasus games per day, with extra practice if win rate below fifty percent.

As for Jayce…

Whether it was Liang Yan or others, even Lao Zhang himself, they had completely given up on this hero. When initially planning to practice, Lao Zhang thought Jayce, like Nasus and Kennen, was a long-range top laner, so perhaps they could share experience?

Actually playing it revealed that Jayce is a three-position hero capable of poke, melee, and even assassin, which made the single-minded Lao Zhang feel troubled.

Nasus's two playstyles already gave Lao Zhang a headache; Jayce, a hero with three positions, he couldn't grasp, practiced two days, then decided to give up.

Each player's time and energy are limited; typically, a player can spare only three to four hours a day to practice new heroes, the rest spent on scrimmages to refine tactics and maintain feel for regular heroes; for non-top-tier players, the norm is to keep five regular heroes plus one being practiced, any more is impossible, so how to choose is very important.

Fortunately, although Lao Zhang couldn't play Jayce, AP had no problem.

Lao Zhang's crocodile proficiency was already sufficient; playing one or two games a day to maintain condition, just avoid getting rusty.

As for why practice the crocodile?

This was the consensus reached after Liang Yan and the two coaches discussed.

In this version, the crocodile is absolutely an overlooked strong point in top lane, and in G2's system it's a versatile role, like Nasus, a must-practice.

But those who haven't studied it can't understand; G2 pulling out an obscure hero as a last pick, especially facing a counter like Shen, looks outright absurd.

After G2 locked in crocodile on the fifth pick, the three commentators were all stunned.

"What? Crocodile?!"

"My goodness... check, is the crocodile's W skill counted as a basic attack?"

"It must be."

"G2 is too crazy! They're the type who won't turn back until hitting the south wall, insisting on using their chests to block UOL's gun barrel; one Jinx can't stop it, then add a crocodile, hey, beet! If we ignore the team names, I'd give this lineup zero points; against the left lineup the win rate is ten to zero!"

"If we don't ignore the team names, fifty-fifty?"

"About right!"

"But..."

Sjokz hesitated a bit,

"I think G2's lineup has plenty of damage points, and the power points are very consistent; they chose the whole lineup around early-mid game tempo."

"Looks fierce, but what good is it? In team fights, a Shen shuts down their top and bot dual carries completely!"

"Um, can't count it that way; first, team fights depend on execution; second... more importantly, before team fights, you need to win lane."

"Meaning Shen can't suppress the crocodile? Impossible! This is a pure counter lane!"

"But G2's bot lane combo definitely has a huge lane advantage; moreover, on top lane, as long as the crocodile doesn't fight Shen, it can actually push the lane."

"I still favor UOL!"

"You said the same last game."

"But this game I'm judging purely objectively; don't you feel it? UOL's lineup is too solid!"

"Alright."

The players from both sides quickly swapped hero positions, and the lineup was fully locked.

UOL, blue side

ban: Syndra, Nidalee, Trundle

top lane: Vizicsacsi, Shen

jungle: Move, Rek'Sai

mid lane: Exileh, Karma

bot lane: Veritas, Big Mouth

support: Hylissang, Bu Long

coach: Sheepy

G2, red side

ban: Caitlyn, Rock Sparrow, Lulu

top lane: Island, Crocodile

jungle: Firrrrrre, Spider

mid lane: Perkz, Malzahar

bot lane: Zven, Ember

support: Mithy, Bard

coach: ocelote

As a later player said well, playing crocodile jungle without helping me is fuck your mom!

The crocodile picked is meant to be fed; in a disadvantageous lane, help even more.

You say counter?

Crocodile plus spider early game counters everything!

When reading the map, Liang Yan laughed:

"Lao Zhang, if you don't go godlike this game, I'll look down on you; don't play crocodile anymore."

"Damn! Looking down on people? I'll play ten!"

Far on the other end of our team's bench, Mithy immediately raised his thumb to the sky:

"Going crazy enough to kill even yourself? I respect you as a wolf exterminator!"

"Wrong, it's a tough person. Anna taught this Chinese: hen, ren!"

Zven solemnly corrected Mithy.

Then he was mercilessly roasted by AP: "Zven, you're probably an idiot."

???

Hahaha...

Amid the laughter, everyone entered Summoner's Rift.

Liang Yan bought his equipment and stood waiting in front of the air wall, marking his own bottom lane's Magic Swamp Frog camp with a ping:

"Xia Lu eats the toad then goes back to lane; if they don't eat it, let them push the lane over; I'll gank bottom at level 3, if they eat it you push the lane, play a bit more aggressively, but keep good vision."

Got it, this tactic is called the Empty City Stratagem!

You still know quite a bit.

How come you ancient Chinese people are so good at scheming? You really know how to play with people's hearts!

Five thousand years of heritage, you're joking, right?

newbee!

Chinese newbee!

I still want to eat Shanghai cuisine...

Guys, stop the chatter and take your positions, otherwise if someone comes in and sees the Empty City Stratagem, it'll turn into a Self-Inflicted Wound stratagem.

If you don't understand, ask: what is the Self-Inflicted Wound stratagem?

You mean you're teaming up with the enemy jungler to take out a few of our guys?

??? This isn't match-fixing, is it!

Exactly, so we'll report you.

Mommy, it scared the baby, so Zven had no choice but to really beat up the enemy!

No problem!

Everyone burst out laughing again.

But the duo's comment was no joke.

Jhin is indeed strong now, because someone found the most potent build for him in this version.