Time to Flex Some Muscle

In BLG's lounge, ON watched the match between Invictus Gaming and JingDong Gaming with great interest.

As one of the LPL's most experiment-loving, creative supports, the more he watched the newcomer Lin Heng, the more he felt they were kindred spirits.

If they weren't going to be opponents, they would probably become good friends.

"I think this setup with Blitzcrank fishing for hooks is playable. Morgana top isn't actually essential. If Zoe got a tiny buff, I think she'd be a better choice for mid."

"I don't really play Zoe," Knight muttered.

"My guess is that Invictus Gaming picked LeBlanc because Rookie isn't all that confident on his Zoe either. A Zoe or LeBlanc who can apply pressure from the side is really important. Otherwise, it's hard for Blitzcrank to find a chance to hook someone."

ON continued to study the composition and refine it.

"Invictus Gaming picked Morgana top because the enemy had Renekton and Malphite. If we run into a kiting comp without hard engage, we can absolutely play this. Anyone who gets hooked dies. Bin can play Jayce or something for poke, which works pretty well. It'd be even better if Peng Lixun played Maokai or someone like that."

He was right. The composition wasn't rigid. Its strength lay in combining Caitlyn's trap formation with Blitzcrank fishing for hooks, then, after gaining an early lead, setting up ahead of time for a positional fight around the dragon.

Of course, while the requirements weren't that stringent, it wasn't so simple either.

Caitlyn needed to gain an early advantage with this composition so the support could help the jungle in turn. Mid needed a champion like Zoe or LeBlanc who could safely pressure the enemy backline.

In any case, the concept behind the composition sparked discussion among many teams.

After winning the first game, however, Invictus Gaming's lounge held no review of the match.

Instead, they were discussing how everyone was playing.

"I think the main reason I had such a comfortable time in bot lane was that Lin Heng really has the mechanics. I made a few small mistakes today too. Otherwise, we could've kept pressuring them once we hit level six," Uzi said.

"I got comfortable picks in top lane. Oh? Of course I wasn't going to lose lane," TheShy said.

"I was so-so in mid. Nothing special," Rookie said.

"If Lin Heng can help me out, I actually have a pretty comfortable time in the jungle," Wei said.

Danny sighed as he listened to everyone talk.

So far, Invictus Gaming's wins had all been fairly comfortable.

But in many of those matches, it was because Lin Heng kept pulling out surprises that were hard for their opponents to guard against.

They often gained a huge advantage during Ban and Pick.

The other four only had to carry out their assigned tasks in-game as planned.

But they couldn't keep relying on surprise tactics forever.

So Danny really wanted to try picking some conventional compositions the next time they faced a strong team, to see exactly how the others were playing.

As Lin Heng had said, people always had to set their sights higher.

Against top-tier teams, clever little tricks and setups could help you seize the initiative, but they wouldn't necessarily help you win the game.

But just as Lin Heng had also said, the current JingDong Gaming was too disorganized. Even if Invictus Gaming picked a conventional composition, they wouldn't lose.

JingDong Gaming's teamfight decisions were neither timely nor accurate.

So for the second game, Danny still decided to give the three carries some practice and let them get more familiar with the meta champions.

Meanwhile, the bullet comments were all discussing how boring the previous game had been.

[Invictus Gaming has changed. They don't fight anymore; now they're playing for macro.]

[True. I like Invictus Gaming because they go in hard. This was way too boring.]

[Can TheShy stop playing ranged into melee every day? Can we get some real men going at it?]

[Put Ning in! Why are they serving us Nirvana again?]

[Hasn't your big bro Ning really been worse than big bro Wei these past two days?]

[Know why nobody else needs a substitute, but your big bro Ning gets one?]

[Who said he's a substitute? Haven't they been rotating ever since they got here? Who's whose substitute?]

[Holy shit, now that you mention it, I just remembered someone else has a substitute.]

[Damn, I almost forgot until you said that.]

[Little sister isn't coming back for the second stage, is he? This new support looks flawless. Little sister should stay away and stop causing trouble.]

[This new support has only played for two or three days and you're already hyping him up? In the LPL, skill really is all hype. It's a region that manufactures gods. This support is just like his AD.]

[Five different supports in five games, and three MVPs. Does that even need hype? Can't you tell at a glance whether he's good or not?]

[All he can play is this weird stuff, if you ask me. Once he runs into T1 and Doctor K teaches him a lesson, he'll settle down.]

[Yeah, exactly. Everyone hyped up OFF like that back then too. Look at how he performed at Worlds.]

The discussion went on. Lin Heng's style of play had attracted plenty of fans, but it had also attracted plenty of haters.

In the eyes of some viewers, it was nothing but cheap cleverness, and a truly strong opponent would expose him for what he was.

Of course, the strong teams in their eyes usually weren't from the LPL either. Most likely, they were Gen.G at every other tournament and T1 at Worlds.

That was how these discussions went. When someone brought up the defending champion, most of the time it killed the debate.

Generally, only the people involved got worked up arguing over discussions like these. Most others just watched for entertainment.

As for the professional players, most might not even see these comments.

The second game began amid the ongoing discussion.

JingDong Gaming again chose to go first in Ban and Pick, while Invictus Gaming again chose the blue side.

Before Ban and Pick began, Mao Mao and Tong Xi were still reviewing and discussing the previous game.

"Shy's Morgana top was a really creative pick. He's a true inventor. I honestly can never guess what he'll pick."

Tong Xi replied with a smile, "It seems he's been influenced by their new support. I think the last time Shy played an unconventional pick like this was Nidalee. In just two days, he's played Ashe and Morgana, and now he's experimenting like crazy too."

"But you have to admit, those picks have worked out very well," Mao Mao said.

"I wonder what kind of composition they'll pick for us this game," Tong Xi said.

"I saw a lot of viewers saying the last game lacked excitement, like watching the old LCK. Let's see if the two sides flex some muscle in this second game and play compositions that can clash." Mao Mao actually hoped the teams would keep fighting throughout the match.

As a caster, it was often only in matches with intense clashes that he could demonstrate his professional skills.

Over Invictus Gaming's microphones, Danny first said in halting Chinese:

"So, shall we pick a slightly more confrontational composition this game?"

"Okay, okay," Wei replied.

"I want to fight a little too," Rookie said.

"A brawl? Play some ARAM tonight?" TheShy joked.

"Shy, how about I play ARAM with you tonight?" Lin Heng said with a smile.