You promised a top lane tutorial, but you're just using Worlds as material for your videos?

Chapter 418 A Little Bit of Fun, LGD Advances to the Next Round Early
To be fair, there are many factors that influence the outcome of esports matches.

Confidence, morale, and other factors are all important influencing factors.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the players' skill level.

Hauntzer's playstyle with Jayce clearly didn't match his confidence level.

As a result, Jayce was completely destroyed by the enemy's top laner, Cho'Gath.

The lane where they should have been gaining an advantage got completely crushed in the laning phase; it would be a miracle if they didn't lose.

In this tiebreaker, TSM was completely crushed by the Rabbit team.

In the final moments, the second seed from Europe advanced from Group D, edging out the top seed from North America.

For everyone at TSM, it was truly a case of joy turning into sorrow.

I was happy for less than an hour before the power was cut off.

This kind of pain is even worse than being eliminated directly from the start.

If we had known this would happen, it would have been better if WE had lost to the Rabbit team and TSM had been eliminated.

This way, you don't have to go back and forth between the two extremes of emotion.

With the Group D matches concluded, WE secured first place in their group and advanced to the next round.

There is one last day of competition left in the second round of the group stage, which is tomorrow, the 15th, to determine the two qualifying spots in Group A, where LGD is located.

However, with WE, the third seed from the LPL, advancing as the top seed in their group, the entire LGD team could clearly feel the increased pressure on them.

It's very simple. In this World Championship, RNG and WE, as the second and third seeds respectively, both advanced to the quarterfinals as the top seed in their group with a record of five wins and one loss.

Not to mention that RNG also defeated two LCK teams in the group stage.

In this situation, as the top seed from the LPL in this World Championship, shouldn't LGD also get first place in the group?

Everyone else is first in their group, so you have to get first place in your group too.

This is a simple expression of emotion from the vast majority of LPL viewers.

No one thinks LGD will fail to advance from the group stage.

Group A was considered from the beginning to have the clearest chance of advancing, with LGD and SKT expected to qualify.

For viewers around the world, the only suspense now is whether LGD or SKT will finish first in Group A.

In the first round of the competition, LGD lost to SKT.

Although SKT in the S-series is a completely different concept.

However, many viewers believe that LGD and SKT still have a fighting chance in the second round of the group stage.

Furthermore, with both RNG and WE advancing as group winners, there's another advantage if LGD can also advance as group winners.

That means all three LPL teams participating in this World Championship advanced as group winners.

This way, LPL teams won't face each other in the quarterfinals.

Most LPL viewers are still unwilling to see an LPL internal battle at the World Championship.

As for those who hope for an all-LPL quarterfinals to guarantee a spot in the semifinals, that's a very small minority. It's a reaction to the LPL's crushing defeats in the previous two World Championships, which left them terrified.

Ultimately, you have to earn what you want through your own abilities!

October 15th marked the final day of the group stage of the S7 World Championship.

In the first round of group matches, Group A, which finished its first round of group matches first, had its second round of group matches scheduled for the last day.

This also gave all the teams in Group A, including LGD, an eight-day rest period.

It's supposed to be a rest time, but of course we can't actually go to rest.

At least at LGD, they have been maintaining a high-intensity training regimen these past few days.

In the first three days of the second round of the group stage, each team came up with many "unexpected tricks", which also brought LGD a lot of benefits.

You can only make progress by learning more.

During the World Championship, with one version, so many teams, playing for a month, you can basically develop that version to its fullest potential.

Ultimately, it comes down to who progresses the fastest.

Even the few teams that dominated from the start to the end of the World Championship in the past have been constantly improving throughout the tournament.

Staying in the same place will only leave you behind others.

Today's match will still start at noon.

"Alright, everyone, welcome to the 17 World Championship Finals. Today's match is the battle for qualification from Group A."

"The teams that will be decided in Group A today will also be the last two quarterfinalists in this year's World Championship."

"Hello everyone, my name is Zeyuan."

"Hello everyone, I'm Su Xiaoyan."

The commentators for the first three matches today were Guan Zeyuan and Su Xiaoyan, the classic "Yan-Guan-Jiao" duo.

"In the matches of the past two days, our LPL region's RNG and WE both achieved a record of five wins and one loss, advancing to the quarterfinals as the top teams in their respective groups."

After a pause, Guan Zeyuan continued, "In Group A today, there is also LGD, the number one seed from our LPL region. I think they will definitely have no problem advancing from the group stage."

"I just don't know if we can advance from Group A as the top seed, like RNG and WE."

“I think this is quite difficult,” Su Xiaoyan added.

"After all, the group includes the three-time world champion SKT, and SKT's current record is better than LGD's. It will be difficult to beat SKT and advance as the top seed in the group, but it's not impossible!"

Su Xiaoyan's words were...
I said something, but it's as if I said nothing at all!

"Alright, without further ado, let's begin our first match of the day."

The first match was between SKT and AHQ.

Currently, the other team from the Taiwan region, Flash Wolves, has been eliminated.

AHQ is currently the last remaining representative in the Taiwan region.

Of course, C9 in Group A today is also the last remaining North American team.

AHQ currently has a record of 0 wins and 3 losses, and their group also includes strong teams like LGD and SKT.

Therefore, viewers in Taiwan no longer have high hopes that they can advance from the group stage.

I just hope they can do what Flash Wolves did and at least win one BO1 match in the group stage, so they can at least save some face.

Otherwise, going home with zero wins and six losses in the group stage, getting completely shut out, would be too embarrassing.

However, face is something you earn yourself; it's never given to you by others.

In AHQ's match against SKT, it seemed that only mid laner Westdoor wanted to save face; his teammates seemed to have lost their fighting spirit.

As a veteran player who is about to retire, Ximen Yeshuo probably doesn't want to leave any regrets on this stage.

So the blue team on the fifth floor first chose their signature hero – Fizz.

Upon seeing Fizz, Faker picked Kassadin as a counter pick on the fifth floor of the red side.

Judging solely from the champion pool, Kassadin is indeed a counter to Fizz.

However, during the laning phase, Fizz does have a chance to solo kill Kassadin; it all depends on the player's skill.

And Westdoor did live up to his title as the world's best Fizz player, as he indeed solo-killed Faker in this game.

And it was a tower dive solo kill!

Ximen Yeshuo predicted Faker's Flash, and Fizz used E-Flash in sync with Kassadin's Flash to secure a solo kill.

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

Even those who aren't supporters of the Taiwan region couldn't help but applaud this spectacular tower dive solo kill.

Ximen's "last dance" as the little fishman can be said to have left no regrets.

But back to the match, despite the solo kills, AHQ couldn't secure the victory.

The two teams are significantly different in terms of overall strength. After this match, SKT's record stands at four wins and zero losses.

AHQ, on the other hand, suffered a four-game losing streak.

Although in theory, AHQ has not been completely eliminated.

But everyone knew that with LGD in the same group, AHQ couldn't replicate FNC's miraculous qualification.

Next up is the match between LGD and C9.

In the previous match against C9, Zhou Dian's Jayce not only crushed Da Mu, but also the entire C9 team.

In this match, C9 surprisingly banned Jayce in the first round of the draft.

It's worth noting that in most of the previous matches during this World Championship, both sides picked junglers and bot laners in their first three picks.

Therefore, almost no teams ban top lane heroes in their first three picks.

This shows just how afraid C9 is of Zhou Dian's Jayce.

Of course, LGD was on the blue side in this game, so it's understandable that C9 banned Jayce in the first round.

As this World Championship progresses, more and more teams are discovering that in the current version, Jayce has reached the top of the top lane ecosystem and seems to have no natural counters.

A true Tier 0 top laner.

Of course, this is on the premise that you are a top-tier Jayce player.

Jayce is a champion that can be played very differently by different players.

If LGD picks Jayce first, DaMu realizes he doesn't have many heroes to counter Jayce, so he simply bans Jayce in the first round.

The first round of selection.

LGD, on the blue side, picked Jarvan IV, Galio, and Lulu as their mid, jungle, and support in their first three picks—three utility champions.

C9's first three picks were the bot lane duo and the jungler.

In the second round of bans and picks, C9 banned Rumble and Camille, two top lane champions.

C9 chose Kog'Maw, who has no mobility, for their AD carry, so they are a bit afraid of these two heroes.

Prince Galio was already having a tough time, and then Camille came along, it was like a pinpoint explosion, directly "locking in" Kog'Maw, making him completely unplayable.

Then, Da Mu chose the Big Bug on the fourth floor of the red team, instead of taking the counter seat on the fifth floor.

Zhou Dian was too lazy to outwit him in this game, so LGD simply picked Maokai on the fourth floor.

Just a quick smuggling!
I've played so many games, what's wrong with just getting one less?
The top lane in this game was a classic matchup from the last two patches: Maokai versus Cho'Gath.

Then LGD picked AD carry on the fifth floor, choosing Caitlyn.

LGD played a four-protect-one strategy in this game.

Before Zhou Dian joined LGD, LGD's most common strategy revolved around imp in the bottom lane.

Even after their "sharp edge" at the top of the week, LGD has reduced the number of times they focus on the bottom lane in matches.

But this skill has not been neglected; it can be used at any time.

In the commentary box.

"Many viewers know that Zhou Shen plays warriors and some damage-dealing top laners very well," Guan Zeyuan said.

"However, Zhou Shen is also quite good at playing tanks, but he hasn't used them in competitions very often before."

"Of course, in this World Championship, Zhou Shen has already picked tanks in three out of LGD's four group stage matches so far!"

"."

As the commentators chatted, all ten heroes from both sides entered Summoner's Rift.

Immediately, a large number of cheers for LGD could be heard from the scene.

Playing at home is definitely a comfortable experience!

Regardless of the stance these fans hold within the LPL.

However, during the World Championship, most LPL viewers followed the same principle.

That means uniting against external threats.

Despite LGD changing their lineup and strategy in their rematch against C9, the result was the same.

After all, there is a significant gap in the two teams' overall strength.

When neither side gains an advantage in the draft phase, as long as both players perform normally, this difference in raw skill translates into a difference in the overall situation on the field.

C9's three-core lineup—Jungle Graves, Mid Ryze, and Bot Kog'Maw—meant everyone had to farm, making it impossible to stop LGD's relentless early-game offensive.

LGD will not give C9 any chance to develop to the late game.

Taking advantage of the female police officer's laning phase and range, they quickly extended their lead in the bottom lane to the entire game without any hesitation.

C9 was completely overwhelmed by LGD's fast push, and the development of their three late-game cores was severely hampered.

If we say that LGD's attack, launched with Jayce as the focal point, was a swift and decisive victory against C9, then this was a case of cutting through the Gordian knot.

In this rematch against C9, LGD's attack, centered around Caitlyn, was like slowly boiling a frog in water.

Although the match wasn't as intense as the previous one against C9.

However, as LGD gradually devoured all the resources on the field, C9 could only sit and wait for their demise.

Finally, around the 33-minute mark, LGD, with their second Baron buff of the game, pushed down C9's base crystal in one fell swoop.

Throughout the entire match, which lasted over thirty minutes, C9 failed to destroy a single LGD turret.

In fact, this game was easier to win than the previous game against C9, even though the match lasted almost ten minutes longer.

In the last game against C9, LGD was a physical damage team and was under immense offensive pressure.

They failed to gain an advantage in the early stages and ended up losing the game.

Having gained an early advantage, they also faced the constant risk of being overturned. A slight mistake could result in giving away a win, which was essentially walking a tightrope.

Throughout the entire game, LGD controlled the situation.

After only ten minutes, C9 had already lost any chance to turn the game around.

It's fair to say that some teams die within ten minutes, but it takes more than thirty minutes to bury them.

In the commentary box.

"Alright, congratulations to LGD for winning this match against C9!" Guan Zeyuan said loudly.

"LGD's current record in the group stage is three wins and one loss, still behind SKT, temporarily ranking second in Group A!"

"With the end of this match, I regret to say that AHQ from the LMS region has been eliminated from Group A."

AHQ's current record is 0 wins and 4 losses.

Even if he wins the next two matches, his final group stage record will only be two wins.

Currently, Group A already has LGD with three wins and SKT with four wins.

With only two qualifying spots per group, there's no way AHQ could possibly finish in the top two of Group A.

In other words, AHQ was eliminated from the group stage two rounds early.

The last two matches for AHQ were basically just unimportant "entertainment games".

The audience in the Taiwan division wailed in despair, their last remaining "theoretical" hope of advancing was shattered.

Now they can only hope that AHQ can win a game, otherwise being completely wiped out would be too awful.

In the group stage of this World Championship, apart from AHQ, all fifteen other teams have won at least one BO1 match in the group stage.

If AHQ becomes the only team to be swept in the group stage of the entire S7 World Championship, it will be a huge disgrace.

(End of this chapter)