You Think You're the Only One Who Can Gank Top?

Invictus Gaming's level-two jungle invade had once again secured them an early-game advantage, and once again exposed JingDong Gaming's predicament to Tabe backstage.

When something unexpected happened, there was often no one willing to step up and take command.

Gala was the most experienced player on the team and its captain this season. He had his own judgment, but he wasn't particularly good at making calls constantly. At critical moments, he also devoted much of his attention to his mechanics and couldn't spare any for shotcalling.

Everyone else made calls, but there was often no one to step up and shout, "Listen to me this time. Here's what we're going to do."

That also made their teamfighting look a little too easy to break apart.

But Tabe wasn't worried, because solving this kind of problem was what he did best.

And problems were generally better discovered sooner rather than later.

JingDong Gaming's players had also felt frustrated being pulled around in that exchange.

The frustration came from being pulled around constantly, forced to react to the other team's plays, and not even being able to defend successfully.

"Junjia, Ah Can (God V), if you get a chance to engage this game, go for it. We'll fight them in teamfights and see whose mechanics are better. It's fine, we'll all do our best to follow up, so play freely," Gala said to his jungler and support as he returned to lane.

Yes, rather than suffer through being pulled around like this, they might as well turn it into a brawl.

Invictus Gaming clearly had a very definite game plan and shotcalling. The four veterans and their one rookie had a wealth of game experience.

They might as well fight them and see whose mechanics were better.

After hearing the words of their team's veteran, the other four JingDong Gaming players also let go of the pressure weighing on them.

"Let's take the initiative. I'll gank top as soon as I finish Krugs. Their jungler has to clear his bottom jungle, so he'll get up here a little later," Junjia called.

"Sure, sure. I'll trade away a little health," Xiaoxu said at once.

Xiaoxu then acted as if he were trying to push the wave under the tower, forcing the push and taking TheShy's abilities.

After a very unfavorable trade, Xiaoxu's Yone dropped straight to around a quarter health, while TheShy still had nearly half.

But if Xiaoxu didn't push that wave in, his Yone would be completely screwed.

TheShy clearly understood that and refused to give Yone a chance to push the wave under the tower.

When Yone tried to force the wave forward again, TheShy chose to cross the minion wave and attack, because he saw a chance for a solo kill.

Ambessa's E slowed Yone. With his Passive still a long way from ready, Yone could only Flash backward, looking as if he were fleeing for his life.

But the instant TheShy Flashed after him, Jarvan IV came straight out of the first brush on Red Side's top lane with an EQ, knocking TheShy airborne.

Yone immediately used the first cast of his Q, then hurriedly backed away a little farther.

Having used Flash and dropped below half health, TheShy had no chance of getting away if he chose to retreat now.

So TheShy continued the chase. He used W for its shield and movement, only to be knocked airborne by Yone's W and second Q.

Yone then ran toward his own tower without looking back. Although TheShy's second Q hit him, it fell just short on damage and failed to finish him off.

In the end, TheShy was killed by Junjia's Jarvan IV.

The gank instantly fired up JingDong Gaming's players, and they all shouted, "Nice!"

The commentator Mao Mao shouted:

"Ouch, that hurts! If he'd landed two more auto-attacks, he would've traded kills. If it were any other top laner, burning Yone's Flash might have been enough, but this is TheShy. Of course he was going to go for the solo kill!"

"Yes, Junjia's countergank and Xiaoxu's bait were brilliantly played too," Tong Xi commented.

As soon as TheShy died, the bullet comments began flooding in.

[Just in time.]

[Here comes the guy who can't play unless he's on a ranged champion.]

[Shows up and delivers.]

[His teammates just got an advantage on the bottom half, and he's already thrown it away on top.]

[If the spring breeze had any pity for flowers...]

[Xiaoxu, master angler. He didn't catch a fish, but he caught a horse.]

Mocking comments flooded the screen.

The pressure on top lane, where Xiaoxu had been struggling under constant pressure, also eased after that play.

After Xiaoxu went home, bought items, and returned to lane, he instantly grew more confident.

He stepped forward aggressively to trade health with TheShy.

With both of them at full health, Yone certainly wasn't afraid to fight, because his Passive granted him attack damage and could revive him.

TheShy didn't back down either, choosing to trade a round of damage.

But just after Yone and Ambessa had used their abilities, Camille walked straight out of the first brush on Blue Side.

Having used Flash in the previous play, Yone had no abilities available and could only force his Passive to trigger, fighting as he retreated.

Lin Heng's level-four Camille first used W to slow him, then walked up and dealt damage with Hail of Blades and Double Q.

TheShy had also saved his E slow during the trade just now. He used it to slow Yone, and the two chased him down with auto-attacks.

They chased him all the way to the Red Side tower, where Yone lost his first life.

At low levels early in the game, the amount of health he recovered was relatively small.

As soon as Yone stood back up, Lin Heng's Camille stunned him again with Hookshot and landed Double Q.

TheShy then finished him off with his own Double Q, taking the kill and reaching level six.

"You've got a jungler, but I've got a support! This Camille really is something. She slipped unseen into the first top-lane brush again, at the mirror position to Jarvan IV's gank just now, and caught Xiaoxu for the kill. Dying right after teleporting back is devastating. TheShy can not only push a huge wave under the tower here, but also take a layer of Plating."

Mao Mao shouted excitedly. Games with both sides attacking back and forth like this were interesting.

"Tch..." Xiaoxu had thought he could finally play, only to be ruined again. Watching Camille leave without a care after ganking him, he frowned deeply.

"I thought she'd gone back to replenish her health and would help the jungler contest the second Rift Scuttler in a bit. I didn't expect her to go top," God V, who hadn't called Miss, said at once, a little embarrassed.

But right after he finished speaking, the small marker for the second Rift Scuttler spawn appeared on the top half of the map, indicating that it would spawn there in one minute.

Akali had just gotten a kill, and TheShy also had a big advantage top. As long as top and mid moved over to help a little, the Rift Scuttler would definitely be Wei's.

The JingDong Gaming team fell silent for a couple of seconds.

"I'll play it safe," Xiaoxu had no choice but to say.

Yone was still very strong in mid-game teamfights. As long as he played a little safer and held out until the mid-game teamfights, he would be formidable.

After pushing the wave and taking a layer of Plating, TheShy returned to the first brush to recall. Watching the tower whittle down the minions beneath it, Xiaoxu's heart bled.

The main problem was that Orianna in mid had also used TP to return to lane, so she couldn't teleport top to collect the wave. The whole wave could only be wasted.

After respawning, Xiaoxu hurried back to lane, even using the short movement from his E to get there faster.

But just as he reached the space between his first and second towers, he was suddenly knocked airborne.

He looked closely. It was Ambessa.

Ambessa hadn't gone home. Instead, she and Lin Heng's Camille had gone straight to the brush between Red Side's first and second towers and waited there.