owlsbooks Chapter 252 Top 4 EDG
Chapter 252 Top 4 EDG
Chapter 252 EDG's Top Four
During the post-match media Q&A session, the atmosphere at SKT was eerily calm.
Facing the barrage of cameras and microphones from Korean, Chinese, and even Western media, Faker, seated in the center, adjusted his signature round-framed glasses and calmly stated, "The team's performance today was passable. WB is a very energetic team, but we executed our tactics better. As for the upcoming matches, regardless of who our opponents are, we have only one goal: the highest honor of S8, the Summoner's Cup."
When a Chinese reporter, with a slightly trembling voice, asked Xiao Yan, who had just achieved a pentakill, how he would evaluate his amazing Kai'Sa play, the young AD, who was seen as "Death" by LPL fans, simply adjusted his microphone slightly.
"A pentakill is just a result, not the goal." Xiao Yan's voice was flat, as cold as his precise auto-attacks on the field. "TheShy's flanking maneuvers, Faker's perfect control, and Peanut and WoIf's initiation—they set the stage. I just went up there and wiped out the remaining health bars. As for the evaluation—I can only say that the pressure from the opponents wasn't enough."
This statement, transmitted back to the live broadcast room in China via simultaneous interpretation, triggered another earthquake.
"Insane! Absolutely insane!"
"They have the right to be arrogant! They dominate Light every game, taking on five opponents on their high ground, what can you say?"
"Is there really no hope for the LPL this year? RNG is down, WB got swept 3-0, are we going to have to watch another LCK finals showdown?"
However, the gears of fate seem to always like to play tricks on us in Season 8, a season full of miracles and curses.
In the final match of the quarterfinals, EDG, carrying the last hope of the LPL, faced the formidable European team Fnatic.
At that moment, they displayed unprecedented resilience. Clearlove, the factory manager, was given a crucial role in the decisive game, picking his signature Widowmaker champion and pairing her with Scout's LeBlanc. They managed to carve a bloody path through the Europeans' defenses and narrowly advance with a score of 3-2!
EDG broke the "quarterfinals curse" in their team history and became the only LPL team to reach the semifinals of S8.
Their opponent in the semifinals is none other than SKT, the "ultimate galactic battleship" that just swept WB with overwhelming force!
"EDG, the last hope of the LPL and the vanguard against Korean teams, will face off against the fully-formed SKT led by the Demon King Faker!"
This hype completely ignited the global esports community three days before the semifinals began.
The sentiment on domestic forums also underwent a complete 180-degree turn. Those fans who were disheartened after WB's loss poured all their prayers and hopes into EDG.
"Factory manager, please, please, let's recreate the miracle of MSI 2015!"
"Although we know there's a gap in overall strength between the two sides, isn't EDG a team meant to create miracles?"
"iBoy vs. Xiao Yan, Scout vs. Faker, Ray vs. TheShy — just thinking about these scenes is breathtaking."
Time flies.
October 27, 2018, Gwangju Women's University Universiade Gymnasium, South Korea.
The first semifinal match of the S8 World Championship, SKT vs. EDG, has officially begun.
The stage lights suddenly dimmed, and a rousing symphony began to roar in. On the huge holographic projection screen in the center of the stage, the logos of the two teams appeared.
"Welcome to the 2018 League of Legends World Championship Semifinals!" Jeon Yong-ae's booming voice echoed throughout the arena. "Today, LPL's last hope, EDG, will challenge LCK's absolute champion, SKT!"
Amidst deafening cheers, the two teams entered the arena one by one.
Leading the EDG team was Clearlove, whose expression was stern. His eyes no longer held the burdens of the past, but instead showed a resolute determination. Behind him was the young and spirited iBoy, who was chewing gum and staring intently at the other side of the stage.
On the right side of the stage, SKT's starting five appeared like five insurmountable mountains.
TheShy remained as shy and reserved as ever, Peanut wore a sunny smile, Faker stood with his hands in his pockets like a king surveying his territory, and WoIf and Xiao Yan walked at the back, Xiao Yan's gaze as calm as still water, as if what was before him was not the World Championship semi-finals, but an ordinary ranked game.
"Alright viewers, welcome back to the commentary booth! I'm Miller!"
"I am a doll!"
"I am Guan Zeyuan!"
On the LPL commentary desk, the golden duo of Haier Brothers and Guan Zeyuan were ready for action.
"To be honest, sitting here today, I feel like my palms are completely sweaty." Wawa took a deep breath. "EDG"
Reaching this point has already broken team records, but the mountain in front of them is simply too high. SKT's dominance is suffocating.
"That's right, especially TheShy in the top lane and Xiao Yan in the bottom lane. These two are like two sharp knives for SKT," Guan Zeyuan added. "But EDG isn't without a chance. Scout was in excellent form in the quarterfinals, and Clearlove, as a veteran, has the mental fortitude and experience that are EDG's most valuable assets. In today's best-of-five series, EDG must find their rhythm early on!"
The contestants took their seats, and the equipment was set up.
The screen switched, accompanied by a dull sound effect, and the ban/pick phase of Game 1 officially began!
"In the first game, EDG had the first choice of side, and they chose the blue side! This was a very wise decision, as the blue side's win rate in S8 is well-known." Miller stared intently at the screen.
EDG's head coach Nofe stood behind Clearlove, his brow furrowed, his notebook filled with densely packed tactics for dealing with SKT. SKT's head coach kkOma, on the other hand, appeared relatively relaxed, holding a tactical board in one hand and occasionally whispering a few words in Faker's ear.
The first round of banning begins.
EDG didn't hesitate at all in their first three picks, immediately eliminating Akali, Irelia, and Jayce!
"Wow! EDG is determined to target the top and mid lanes!" Wawa exclaimed. "Akali and Irelia are champions that both Faker and TheShy can flex, and Jayce is TheShy's signature champion that made Bin suffer in the quarterfinals. EDG's three bans are putting a lot of pressure on SKT's top and mid laners!"
When it was SKT's turn, kkOma smiled slightly and gave the first three bans: Thresh, Xayah, and Nocturne.
"SKT is specifically targeting Meiko's engages and Clearlove's 'lights out' entry. Xayah being banned means the bot lane meta will be reshuffled," Guan Zeyuan analyzed.
EDG (Blue Side) gets the first pick!
Without any hesitation, Ray on the first floor immediately locked in the current meta top lane juggernaut, Urgot, the Dreadnought!
"Urgot! The undisputed top lane king of S8! Ray picked his most confident champion, and this first pick was very solid. He's determined to ensure that the top lane doesn't collapse when facing TheShy!" Miller shouted.
The camera pans to TheShy, who, upon seeing Urgot, has a slight upturn of his lips, seemingly finding it somewhat uninteresting.
The red SKT building is lit up on both the first and second floors.
"My hands are stained with sin."
"Let's go, let's go!"
Lee Sin, the Blind Monk!
Rune Mage Ryze!
"SKT has locked in Lee Sin and Ryze! Peanut's Lee Sin is his signature, and Faker's Ryze—those who know, know. It's like the Demon King from S5 is back! SKT's mid and jungle strength has instantly reached its peak!" Wawa gasped.
EDG selects players on the second and third floors.
Coach Nofe quickly communicated with the players via voice chat, and then the second and third floors locked in Kai'Sa and Alistar!
"iBoy picked Kai'Sa! Facing Xiao Yan, iBoy did not choose to back down and directly picked a late-game carry! Meiko picked Alistar to counter SKT's possible strong engage."
SKT, third floor.
Xiao Yan glanced at Kai'Sa on the screen, his eyes flashing slightly. He whispered something to kkOma, who nodded.
"It's time to show our true skills!"
Explorer Ezreal!
"EZ? Xiao Yan locked in EZ?" Guan Zeyuan was somewhat surprised. "Picking EZ against Kai'Sa, although he can exert pressure in the laning phase with his range advantage, in the late game, EZ's damage output is far inferior to Kai'Sa's. Is SKT planning to focus on the early to mid-game tempo?"
Enter the second round of banning.
EDG targeted the bot lane and support, banning Rakan and Tahm Kench to prevent WoIf from having a comfortable position to engage.
SKT targeted the jungler and mid laner, banning Xin Zhao and Syndra to limit Clearlove's early game impact and Scout's performance.
Line weight.
The red team, SKT, selects players on the fourth floor.
WoIf cheerfully selected Morgana, the Fallen Angel, a hero that caused an uproar throughout the arena!
"Morgana support! That pick was absolutely brilliant!" Miller slapped his thigh. "Morgana's Black Shield perfectly counters Alistar's double engage! And with Ezreal, the bot lane is not only extremely safe, but the wave clear speed is also incredibly fast. WoIf, that old fox, made a brilliant draft!"
Meiko got the upper hand last time!
Blue team EDG, fourth and fifth floors.
Now, all the pressure is on EDG's mid and jungle players.
The factory manager took a deep breath and glanced at Scout. Scout nodded, his eyes resolute.
"Only I can lead us to victory!"
"The black rose will bloom again!"
Jarvan IV, the Prince of Demacia! LeBlanc, the Deceiver!
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers!
"Jarvan IV and LeBlanc! EDG has brought out their most classic burst-damage composition! Clearlove's Jarvan IV, Scout's LeBlanc!"
This mid-jungle duo possesses terrifying fighting power and tempo-driving ability in the early game! EDG is going to go toe-to-toe with SKT! "Wawa was so excited that his face turned red.
Now, only SKT's last counter pick remains.
All eyes were on TheShy's screen. Facing Ray's Urgot, what would this man, known as the "ceiling of top lane mechanics," choose?
The countdown is ticking away.
Suddenly, a dark red avatar lit up.
"Come with me into destruction!"
Aatrox, the Darkin Blade!
"Locked up! TheShy's Aatrox! In the current version, Aatrox is actually not easy to play against Urgot. Urgot's W skill shield and ranged poke will make it very difficult for Aatrox. But he is TheShy! Since you picked a juggernaut, then I will pick the ultimate lifesteal god and go head-to-head with you!" Guan Zeyuan shouted loudly.
At this point, the lineups for both sides are completely finalized.
Blue side EDG:
Top Laner Ray: Urgot; Jungler Clearlove: Jarvan IV; Mid Laner Scout: LeBlanc; Bot Laner iBoy: Kai'Sa; Support Meiko: Alistar; Red Side SKT:
Top laner TheShy: Aatrox; Jungler Peanut: Lee Sin; Mid laner Faker: Ryze; Bot laner Xiao Yan: Ezreal
Support Wolf: Morgana "Looking at the lineups, EDG's lineup is very solid, with a frontline, initiation, burst damage, and late-game potential. SKT's lineup, on the other hand, is more focused on early-mid game skirmishing and lane dominance. If EDG can smoothly navigate the laning phase, Kai'Sa's ability to take over the game after 30 minutes is stronger than Ezreal's. But the prerequisite is that they can withstand SKT's early-game onslaught!" Miller made his final pre-match analysis.
"Bang!"
Accompanied by the sound of crystals shattering, the scene transitions to Summoner's Rift.
A deafening roar erupted from the crowd, as if the Gwangju Gymnasium was about to be overturned by the shouts of fans from both China and South Korea.
"EDG! Go for it!"
"SKT! T1!"
Game start!
The ten heroes from both sides quickly bought their equipment and rushed out of the fountain.
In the level 1 team fight, both sides appeared very cautious. EDG grouped up and invaded SKT's lower jungle, attempting to set up vision at the red buff and observe Peanut's Lee Sin's early game movements.
The factory manager's thinking was very clear: facing Peanut, a highly aggressive carnivorous jungler, he had to know the opponent's position in order to protect the safety of the top and mid lanes.
However, SKT's defense was impenetrable. WoIf's Morgana, positioned at the F6 choke point, landed a perfectly timed Q skill, Dark Imprisonment, forcing Meiko's Alistar, who had positioned himself forward, to use Flash!
"One and a half minutes into the game, Meiko was forced to use Flash while trying to clear wards! This is extremely bad news for EDG's bot lane!" Wawa exclaimed.
Without Flash, Alistar will become nothing more than a human punching bag when facing the poke of Ezreal and Morgana at level one.
At 1 minute and 30 seconds, the entire army launched an attack.
The factory manager's Jarvan IV started with the blue buff in the top half of the jungle, while Peanut's Lee Sin started with the red buff in the bottom half. The two junglers mirrored each other's farming routes.
The camera first focused on the middle lane.
Scout's LeBlanc played extremely aggressively, crossing the minion wave at level one to try and stomp Faker's Ryze with his W skill, Shadow Step. But Faker's positioning was practically scripted; the instant LeBlanc jumped, Ryze made a tiny backward twist, not only dodging LeBlanc's stomp damage but also landing a basic attack followed by his W rune root, freezing LeBlanc in place, and then finishing her off with two more basic attacks.
In this level one trade, Scout not only didn't gain any advantage, but actually lost a third of his health.
"Faker's distance control is terrifying! Scout got a little too hasty this time. Ryze has Phase Rush, and once he gets into position, LeBlanc's laning phase will be very difficult," Guan Zeyuan said with a frown.
The scene in the bottom lane was even more breathtaking.
Xiao Yan's Ezreal displayed a despair-inducing skill hit rate. iBoy's Kai'Sa hid behind minions, trying to last-hit with her Q skill, but Xiao Yan seemed to be able to predict Kai'Sa's every move.
Q, Arcane Shot.
He passed through the extremely narrow gap between two melee soldiers and accurately hit Kai'Sa.
Q again, anticipating Kai'Sa's retreating movement, and hit again!
In just three minutes, iBoy's Kai'Sa was pushed out of the experience zone, and all his health potions were used up, leaving him with only half health.
"Is Xiao Yan's Ezreal some kind of lock-on cheat?!" Miller's eyes widened. "He doesn't even use his E skill to push forward; he's just using the maximum range of his Q skill to torment iBoy! Combined with WoIf's Morgana's W skill to push the lane, even last-hitting under the tower has become a luxury for EDG's bot lane!"
Meiko, having lost Flash, was frantically pacing around the tower, but he couldn't find any angle to initiate a fight. Every time he dared to take a step forward, Morgana's Q skill would stalk him like a viper.
The game lasted 4 minutes and 15 seconds.
The first turning point in the game occurred in the top lane.