Chapter 476

The power of the four-protect-one formation began to show at this moment.

However, strictly speaking, VG's lineup actually isn't a four-protect-one.

After all, the Green Steel Shadow's late-game ability is still impossible to ignore, and objectively speaking, Fu Lan Duo's development this match, though it looked on the verge of collapse early on, has been mixed together by him in the mid game—not only picking up two kills, but also recovering many last hits, and his equipment has now reached an adequate level.

The reason everyone thinks VG is a four-protect-one formation is mainly because this game's top lane is truly like a stepchild, basically receiving no jungle care, and not getting any resource priority; it really doesn't look like the treatment a core should have.

In contrast, Sima Laozei's rat, the bottom lane kept calling the jungler over, and the jungler would come immediately—whether pushing towers or teamfighting, any economy that could be yielded was yielded, and the minion waves were left for him to eat as he pleased; as long as Sima Laozei could take it, one person could take two lanes, even three or four lanes.

That's also why Sima Laozei, despite not having many kills, could develop so far ahead. Any non-cloud player could naturally see it—Sima Laozei genuinely enjoyed the four-protect-one treatment in this match; although there was a mid-game fight where the Mang Seng, together with the mid and support, pulled off a ruthless tower-diving show, there's no doubt that Fanzi Ma and Lulu, these two supports, were prepared for him.

If this isn't four-protect-one, then what is?

Like RNG's?

In the livestream chat, someone started sending barrage messages:

【RNG: VG stole my tactic!】

【It really is RNG's tactic, so if VG wins this championship, should the prize money also be split half to RNG?】

【I can't tell for a moment whether you're colluding or being serious……】

【The above are all RNG anti-fans, verification complete!】

The core of the four-protect-one tactic is to use more resources to pile up a super-developed big core, then have the others contribute whatever they can from the resources, also piling as much as possible onto that core, concentrating all strength at one point, so that even if the enemy had a hundred cannons, it would still not match the effect of my single nuclear bomb.

It sounds simple, but in actual execution the four-protect-one tactic encounters various problems; the most common is that the one in four-protect-one is targeted in the early game, can't withstand the pressure, directly blows up, is ruined, and the lineup is done for.

Moreover, in the LPL, no team's execution is stronger than VG's.

Furthermore, although VG has long been considered an aggressive team because its average game length is far below the regional average, in reality their defense is just as watertight.

As for the four-protect-one tactic, VG is playing it for the first time, yet they perform it better than many teams that use it frequently.

Of course, neither side has yet erupted in a true 5v5 teamfight, VG hasn't concentrated all its strength for an attack, and the lineup's strengths remain unseen, so we can't say VG's tactic has already succeeded.

Nevertheless, a rapidly developing, elusive rat can already bring tremendous pressure to everyone on WE.

Whenever the rat disappears from vision, everyone on the three lanes starts to panic, worrying that a ghostlike figure will appear beside them at any moment.

Every step feels like walking on thin ice.

Every WE member has a taut string in their heart.

Everyone is waiting in a silent yet fiery atmosphere——

The rat's equipment is already complete; VG could unleash its strongest punch at any moment.

However, someone watching from the god's-eye view doesn't realize that VG actually doesn't plan to unleash that punch proactively. Although VG has the Green Steel Shadow and Mang Seng as two strong engage tools, the enemy is ultimately a multi-core composition, and VG indeed lacks a frontline that can hold up; initiating would inevitably cause some dislocation in the formation, and Xi Ye's Enchantress development is not poor, his teammates also have long-range means to supplement damage, so in some extreme scenarios, if VG initiates a teamfight, there is theoretically a chance the rat could be instantly killed.

VG currently holds a big advantage; passively engaging in team fights is actually the easiest way to win, and as the side initiating the team fight, it's easier to maintain formation integrity and tightness when the team fight erupts.

The key is how to get the opponent to take the bait.

Liang Yan doesn't fish, but his fishing tactics have always been pretty strong.

Sometimes even teammates don't realize they've already been hooked and turned into bait… yes, he even screws over his own teammates.

At around twenty-four minutes, Liang Yan again pulled Xiao Duan away from mid lane on the pretext of warding, taking Xiao Duan to wander near the upper river, looping around a few spots where enemy vision might be, and indeed he placed a few wards.

The WE mid and top laners naturally saw him, and they didn't want the vision of the entire upper river to fall under VG's control, so they also grouped up in the river.

When the next minion wave arrived at the front, Mystic led the way to mid.

At this moment, "Lao Shu" also disappeared from vision.

Having been caught several times by the rat stealing chickens and scraping blood, WE naturally took precautions, so Xi Ye escorted the duo back to mid. However, WE also harbored a fishing mindset, so Xi Ye and Ben deliberately kept a certain distance from Mystic.

They weren't wrong; Sima Laozei was standing at the small path exit behind the red side's F6 bush, and had already placed a vision in the grass, watching the river; the moment Mystic entered the grass vision spot in the river, he silently vanished into the void.

Shortly after, the locust appeared about six hundred units behind Mystic.

At this moment, Liang Yan glanced at the upper river entrance.

Xi Ye's Ahri had never appeared in vision.

Since Ahri hadn't recalled long ago, Xi Ye is unlikely to have returned to base just to replenish a control ward at this moment; therefore, since he didn't go top, it's highly probable he's moving with the duo, i. e., heading to mid.

But Liang Yan didn't warn Sima Laozei; he simply sneaked from the jungle to mid. The vision along this route had already been cleared by him and Xiao Duan.

Needless to say, Xiao Duan has always followed Jiao Shen's lead, so naturally he's trailing behind him.

Meanwhile, Easyhoon, who had just been shielding the jungle support while warding, also sensed the smell of a conspiracy and thus followed behind.

As expected, the moment Mystic entered mid from the left river, the hidden Sima Laozei lurking nearby struck.

The rat's ultimate cooldown was extremely fast, and Sima Laozei didn't hesitate to unleash his ultimate, spraying at Mystic.

The commentator's voice boomed across the arena:

"Sima Laozei is trying to steal someone again!"