Didn't We Get S1mple? Why Invite NIKO Too?!

Jiang Yang's superb AWP defense caused VG's offense a lot of trouble.

259 was really having a rough time.

The other Steel Helmet members were experienced and had solid aim.

But even they couldn't hold up against VG's flash-heavy attacks. VG had always studied the European style of play, and the team worked together exceptionally well.

They were far better than Steel Helmet when it came to the finer points of using utility.

So once they launched a full utility-based attack, they could usually gain the advantage.

What frustrated them was that Jiang Yang's AWP kept taking players out early or rotating in time to shore up the defense, disrupting their attacks.

Because of their economy, Steel Helmet had surged ahead to a 6:0 lead.

It wasn't until A Zhong switched into "fifth gear" and charged up Mount Akina, tearing through A site, that VG finally started picking up rounds.

Once they got on the board, VG's offense gradually improved.

But Steel Helmet's defense was tough, and what surprised everyone was that, besides Jiang Yang, MO was the one stepping up today. Plenty of former Old Tyloo members were moved to tears.

But there was a saying in CS:GO: "When the in-game leader starts carrying, things must be going badly."

Steel Helmet's defense really wasn't in great shape. Jiang Yang and MO were barely keeping them afloat, but VG still claimed more of the remaining rounds.

"9:6." MO looked up at the score. "Not bad. We can work with that."

Nuke was a bit unusual. It was an extremely CT-sided map.

They'd played the first half on defense. Ten rounds was par, so nine was a little short.

But nine was still a workable score, within reach.

The second half began, and the teams switched sides.

MO moved to the attacking side. They bought pistols for the pistol round, planning to run a small set play.

"Cousin, hold the flank this round. The rest of you, stay around Yellow Room. I'll throw fire and a flash at Bomb Site later, and you guys rush Inner Site."

Steel Helmet hadn't practiced this map much. They only had two basic pistol-round plays on the T side: a utility-heavy Inner Site hit and a fast push through Iron Plate.

MO chose the Inner Site hit this time.

Jiang Yang slipped into the shadows to watch for any enemies pushing up from Iron Plate.

Soon, they began their utility-heavy push into Inner Site. DD coordinated with MO's utility to get the first kill. Jiang Yang held his angle for a while, and when no one pushed Iron Plate, he called over voice chat, "I'm working my way up Third Floor. Stall them up front if you can!"

But while he was still making his way along Iron Plate, bad news came from the front.

After a chaotic exchange, all his teammates were dead, leaving him in a 1v3.

And the bomb was in Yellow Room.

Jiang Yang did his best, but managed to take down only one enemy.

DD said guiltily, "My bad. I was reloading, and Jamyoung swung out from Third Floor and instantly killed us."

"Xiao Ju's aim with pistols really is something," Xiaosage chimed in.

Jamyoung's nickname was Xiao Ju.

Xiao Ju had exploded into action this round, wiping out everyone at Inner Site in an instant. Only Su Di had managed to trade one kill, but it hadn't made a difference.

"It's fine, it's fine. At least we got the bomb down, and our economy's okay. Let's try a force-buy."

MO thought for a moment. "We'll throw a Line Smoke at Outer Site on the second timing, try to get xiaosage into K1, then make our move on Iron Plate and pinch them from above and below."

Nuke was a fascinating map.

Its unique layout made all sorts of unusual strategies possible.

This round, for example, they were going to circle around the map and pinch Iron Plate.

After the countdown ended, they managed to get xiaosage in without much trouble, but their push on Iron Plate fell apart.

Jamyoung wrecked them all with an M4A1. Steel Helmet's players up front had been waiting for xiaosage to sync up with them, but their opponents were clearly ready for it. In the end, Jiang Yang and DD had no choice but to force their way through.

They traded two kills, but still went down on Iron Plate.

Steel Helmet lost another round.

"Nothing we can do. Jamyoung played that well, and we didn't have any utility to limit him," MO said helplessly. "It's our ECO round now. But don't go to Inner Site. Try to find their rifles and keep them from building up their economy."

On Nuke, if the CT side got their economy rolling, it became much harder for the attackers to take rounds.

They had little chance of turning this economy round around anyway. Better to give MO time to think up a strategy, then get taken out by the other team's rifles and at least keep them from making too much money.

Jiang Yang bought an unarmored Desert Eagle.

When the countdown ended, he called DD over to try their luck at Outer Site.

The odds weren't great, but they had to try.

"Sure enough, VG are under no pressure at all after switching sides. Looks like Steel Helmet are going to get steamrolled this half," Ma Xixi remarked without thinking, given how badly things were going.

The viewers in the livestream chat sensed something was off as soon as they heard that.

[Has he started jinxing them already?]

[Remember these words: Steel Helmet are going to get steamrolled.]

[Don't jinx it, Mr. Ma.]

[VG can practically feel the jinx pouring out of his keyboard!]

Ma Xixi explained, "I really do think so. Nuke's hard to attack on in the first place, and xiaosage and DD haven't found their form. Liu Ke can't carry them by himself."

"Besides, VG learned their style from Europe. Their discipline is top-notch."

But the moment he finished speaking, Kaze at Main Entrance began pre-aiming toward the Outer Site sniper position despite having no information.

No one was holding a direct angle on the sniper position, but DD had boosted Jiang Yang onto the box behind it, giving him a height advantage.

"Kaze swings across—can he see Cousin? He can! But Cousin catches him! One shot, and Kaze is instantly dead!"

Ma Xixi's eyes lit up. "Not bad!"

On an ECO round, trading for one of the other team's rifles was already a good deal.

"Great shot!" DD praised him. "Cousin, let's see if we can grab their AK."

Picking up the AK would make them more dangerous, and maybe they could get another kill later.

"Yeah," Jiang Yang replied. "I'll lead and scout. If I die, pick up the Desert Eagle and keep fighting."

He had the most money, so he could afford an unarmored Desert Eagle this round. Everyone else was running around with bare Glock pistols and had no real firepower.

DD didn't argue. He trotted after Jiang Yang, ready to trade if he went down.

Jiang Yang didn't rush to pick up the rifle. He slowly pushed from Red Box toward K1.

Without armor, he played cautiously, carefully pre-aiming every possible hiding spot. He was practically a Roomba, sweeping the area clean.

When aumaN saw Kaze die, he immediately came over from Under Third Floor.

He chose a terrible position—beside the AC Unit above Glass Room, a spot where he could hide most of his head and expose very little of himself.

After communicating with his teammates, all he had to do was watch the path from Outer Site into K1.

AumaN focused intently on the information coming from Outer Site. Then an enemy suddenly appeared in his field of view.

AumaN didn't even have time to react. He was blasted backward and crumpled to the ground.

"Bang!"

[young killed aumaN with a headshot from a Desert Eagle]

"I got one at Outer Site with a Desert Eagle!" AumaN shouted over voice chat, baffled. "How did he know to pre-fire that spot?"

He knew the other team had a Desert Eagle, so he'd deliberately picked an unconventional position to steal a kill. But his opponent had still swung out and pre-aimed him, leaving him completely perplexed.

"Someone on their team died above Glass Room too!" Jiang Yang shouted over voice chat, passing the information to MO.

MO had been thinking about their next-round strategy, but his mind immediately sprang into action.

One had fallen at Outer Site, and another around Third Floor.

The opponents should have one watching Iron Plate and another at Inner Site. They didn't know where the last one was. He could be at K1, Third Floor, or somewhere near Iron Plate.

But MO thought Third Floor or Iron Plate was more likely.

Once he'd figured it out, he immediately called, "Everyone, gather at Outer Site. We'll walk quietly and make contact, then head straight down K1."

If they got down K1, they'd have enough players to trade kills, and they'd already picked up an AK.

They really had a chance to turn this round around.

At the very least, they could plant the bomb!

MO felt his superbrain spinning at full speed!

Jiang Yang led the way as he took his teammates into K1. Everything went smoothly.

At the corner of K1, however, he called, "Don't rush. I'll pre-aim this spot. There's a trick to it."

After getting NIKO's Pre-aim Technique, Jiang Yang had grasped the essence of pre-aiming.

So from time to time, he watched clips of NIKO's pre-aims.

NIKO's K1 pre-aim was practically a signature move, and it had left a deep impression on him.

Later, he'd practiced it plenty of times in a private server, so he had some confidence in this spot.

Jiang Yang stopped behind Cover, imagining through the wall where someone might be standing in K1 and preparing himself.

He swung right, crouched, and fired!

"Steel Helmet left Su Di behind in T-Spawn to watch their rear on the second timing. The rest of them are walking in quietly from Outer Site and making their way into K1."

"VG's formation is still pretty spread out. One is holding Iron Plate, one is at Bomb Site, and 259 is in K1 watching the gap and throwing utility."

Ma Xixi analyzed, "He's playing it safe. If he sees someone pass through the gap, he can immediately smoke it off and buy time for his teammates to rotate."

"259 sees—whoa!!!!!" Ma Xixi was already shouting. "What was that, Cousin?!"

"He deliberately pre-aimed that spot!"

"He swings out and lands a Desert Eagle headshot?!"

The livestream chat instantly filled with question marks. That shot was incredible, and the Director's camera was on 259, making it all the more shocking.

The viewers had only just spotted a tiny shadow through the gap when 259 was instantly taken out.

"Great shot!!!" Steel Helmet's players shouted excitedly over voice chat.

MO immediately said, "Group up, group up! Swing out through Death Door!"

"Only one person can stop us now, and we got him!"

At that, Jiang Yang didn't hesitate. He charged toward Death Door with his Desert Eagle.

He opened the door and immediately saw jamyoung holding the angle at Iron Plate.

Jamyoung instantly killed him, but DD, right behind him, landed the follow-up shot!

"Nice!" Jiang Yang shouted excitedly. "The last one should be at A site!"

Then Su Di shouted, "He went down Pipe!"

Xiaosage and MO immediately held Pipe. A head peeked out, and they instantly took him down with concentrated fire!

"MO is a beast! He got the last kill and gave VG no chance to turn it around!"

Ma Xixi shouted excitedly, "Cousin was the real star! He got three kills with three Desert Eagle bullets, and 259 was completely stunned!"

The Director knew what to do, too, and cut straight to Jiang Yang's kills.

The first two shots made NIKO Fans in the livestream feel euphoric. His pre-aims were so smooth.

(That's roughly what it looked like.)

But the third shot sent NIKO Fans into a frenzy.

They'd never seen anyone besides NIKO nail a pre-aim like that at a spot like K1.

The opponent had only exposed half his head and barely shown himself at all.

Yet that pre-aim still tore 259 apart.

It had only been an ECO round, but Jiang Yang's individual skill had genuinely turned the tide!

How could anyone not be amazed?