League of Legends: Reborn in Season 3, Tuning the Entire League

Chapter 105 From this moment on, you're gone!

IG team.

With his scalp shining brighter, Xiaoxiao shouted at the door, "Old Park, come and watch the live stream! JM is reviewing the match you played with that weapon."

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud "bang" came from outside the door. The training room door was kicked open, and a gust of wind rushed in.

The loud noise startled Xiaoxiao and the others in the training room, who all looked up to see PDD's massive figure rushing into the room at an unimaginable speed, like a giant cannonball hurtling towards the house.

It was clear that Shadow had silently taken a step; if his small frame had been accidentally bumped, he would probably have gone straight to see his great-grandmother.

"Hey, little one, give me a spot!"

PDD has been holding a grudge about being outmaneuvered in the mid lane that day and getting taught a lesson, and he can't figure out why.

Just as PDD sat down, Jiang Ming's slightly teasing voice came from the device in the live broadcast room: "When it is clear that Zed is easily restricted in team fights in the late game, and there is the epic boss Jax in split pushing, crushing IG in the early game becomes my inevitable choice."

"Everyone agrees that Zed can beat Karthus even with his feet in the early game, so during the draft phase, I assumed that Karthus wouldn't be in the mid lane. Wouldn't he switch lanes or something?"

"So for the top lane, I picked Twilight Eye for Xiao Song, a champion that can withstand pressure and split push while providing comprehensive support, as an extra layer of insurance."

"Hehe, Square Dragon, your tricks about feelings were seen through from the very beginning."

"Oh my god, we really overlooked the fact that Karthus can't lane against Zed at all, and the opponent will be prepared for a lane swap if we pick him." Xiaoxiao habitually rubbed the top of his head. "The main thing is, NXG guys are too damn good at lane swaps. But then again, since they knew we were going to swap lanes, why didn't JM swap the mid and top lanes beforehand?"

Outside the live stream, neither the IG members nor the viewers questioned JM's prediction of the lane swap based on the purple team's champion selection.

Apart from the occasional die-hard WE fan who jumped out with sarcastic remarks and was immediately banned, all the other viewers were listening attentively to Jiang Ming's analysis.

This is the reputation gained from making tutorial videos and reaching the top of the Chinese server for a year and a half. Although it's not as outrageous as that of a certain Tianlong Duan Wangye, it's still a golden brand.

At this moment, Song Yuan, who was playing the top lane match in the NXG team's live stream, said to his viewers.

"When we entered the game, we actually asked Ming-ge if we wanted to switch lanes with him, but Ming-ge refused because we lacked experience in early lane switching and said that we could be used as training material."

I lacked experience in lane swapping early on, so I didn't switch lanes!
Can it be used as training material?
Upon hearing this, PDD's face instantly turned red, and visible steam rose from his head, as if he were playing his favorite game, Enemy of Machines, and it was overheating and emitting a warning sound.

However, the red glow lasted only two seconds before PDD deflated again; there was nothing he could do, the game was over, and even if someone offered hindsight advice, what could he do? The fact remained that Zed had outmaneuvered his Jax in the mid lane.

"Calm down and see what he has to say. Didn't you keep wondering about that minion wave after the game ended that day?"

The discussion among PDD's teammates at their own base naturally didn't affect Jiang Ming's explanation on the other side of the live stream: "Everyone must be wondering, it's all about hero matchups, why would switching lanes make a difference?"

"But the fact is that when PDD, who is a top player in the top lane, comes to the mid lane, his laning level is actually about the same as that of an average diamond player."

[Diamond Player: ???]

Okay, okay, so you've made diamonds a unit of measurement for me, huh?

I'm sorry, it's my fault for being so bad at cooking.

"Hehe, not bad, JM is a good person to be with, she has good taste."

PDD, who was just feeling down, suddenly beamed with joy again because of Jiang Ming's very tactful compliment.

"Let's move on to the next point and directly review the mid-lane laning phase to see where PDD's weapon went wrong."

Jiang Ming paused the game with his mouse. "When a hero goes online, we must first clarify one principle, which is to determine whether we or our opponent has the advantage or disadvantage in the early game. All subsequent laning and even team fights will be conducted based on this principle."

"The weapon is a warrior, and Zed is an assassin. In the early game, Counter Strike can block basic attacks, so Zed definitely can't win in a head-on fight. However, Zed has some poke options. As long as he's careful not to get jumped on by the weapon, that's where Zed's advantage lies."

"So when facing a superior opponent, I choose to let the line go!"

Jiang Ming explained in great detail, and wasn't afraid to say that after this discussion, other teams would surpass NXG. He said that minion wave management is not something that can be learned by watching it once or twice. Moreover, minion wave management is a team effort. If only the mid laner is bad while the other lanes are bad, the result won't be much different.

Besides, who told you that lane management only involves the laning phase?

"When a weak hero is facing a strong hero in the early game, or when a short-range assassin is facing a long-range mage, be careful not to push the lane recklessly."

"When you're at a lower level, your skills don't allow you to go forward and trade blows. Think about it: if you push the minion wave to the enemy tower, they only need to control it slightly to endlessly harass you with their attack range. You also have to constantly face the risk of ganks from the jungler. Doesn't that make you useless?"

"Weapons are facing this kind of dilemma. As viewers should have noticed, PDD was pushing the lane quickly at level one, while I even intentionally avoided minions when using my Q skill to poke..."

One minute later, Jiang Ming showed the minion wave positions after the mid-lane operation.

Wow!

【Wait, how do you play this?】

[If you can't push in, keep pushing forward is basically telling the jungler that you can gank.]

[I suddenly understand what JM meant when he said a player's experience in role-switching during laning phases can affect their laning performance.]

The top lane is different from the mid lane. The top lane is long, so it's normal for PDD to push the lane quickly to reach level 2, then go in and trade blows. But this doesn't work in the mid lane...

Why isn't it working?

[You're being silly. There's a turret just ahead. You think you can challenge the turret in the early game?]

PDD lamented, "Oh my god, so that's how it is! No wonder it's so hard to even last-hit a monster like JM.

"Flax is being treated like pigskin!"

Jiang Ming's debriefing wasn't over yet. "So how do we solve this situation?"

"It's simple—call me Dad!"

"When the lane is controlled, you should try to get the jungler to come and help by throwing two skills to push the enemy into the tower, which would break the deadlock."

"It has to be said that after M5 developed the jungler position, it has completely changed the way the game is played. The existence of a free agent can provide a lot of changes to the league's tactics."

Jiang Ming changed the subject, "However, I anticipated IG's prediction and guessed that the Prince would come to the mid lane to help Jax soon. After all, if he only needed to chip away at Jax's health, Zed would be completely unable to lane against him, which is why Elise counter-ganked..."

The replay continues, from the laning phase to the tower exchanges and tower dives, time passing little by little.

Whoa!

PDD suddenly stood up.

Xiaoxiao looked puzzled. "Not watching anymore?"

"I'm not watching anymore, I feel so choked up. You watch Square Dragon first, I'll talk to you again tomorrow."

"What's wrong with him?"

Kid and Zz1tai, two straightforward guys, clearly didn't understand how their top laner was feeling at that moment.

"Hehe, what else could it be? I feel like my IQ has been crushed, and I'm not happy about it."

As close friends who constantly tease each other, Xiaoxiao isn't afraid to expose PDD's secrets!

"What's the big deal? We know how they play now, we can just retaliate in the next round."

"You don't understand, Old Park is frustrated precisely because he's convinced by JM."

Posture: "Huh?"

……

VG Club.

Inside the dimly lit training room.

Several contestants huddled around a computer, occasionally letting out hissing gasps.

Ahem, they weren't watching any erotic Japanese adult films; the computer screen was clearly showing Jiang Ming and his NXG live stream.

"Awei, are you really not coming to take a look? I feel that JM's mid-lane minion wave strategy is very helpful to you."

A young man wearing glasses called out to someone behind him.

"I'm not watching. What's there to see? I'd rather play a couple more ranked games." Wei Zheng's slightly chubby face was full of disdain. "Minion waves, macro, teamwork, and all that talk is just an excuse for not being good enough."

I'll crush you online, what's the point of your operations then?

The teammate who called for help opened his mouth, but knowing his incredibly arrogant mid-laner's temper, he didn't say anything more; at this moment, another long-haired young man tugged at the sleeve of the bespectacled man.

"what happened?"

"Pfft...cough cough...look in JM's live stream." The long-haired youth bit his upper and lower lips hard, as if trying hard to suppress a laugh.

Live broadcast room?
The bespectacled young man turned his head in confusion, and when he saw the scene in the live stream, his expression instantly became strange.

He glanced back at Wei Zheng, who had just finished selecting his players, and then looked at Jiang Ming's lineup, which was exactly the same as his.

Wow, we just finished talking and it's already our turn to be in line.

Could it be that our mid laner is some kind of protagonist in a novel, born to show off and slap people in the face? 2013 was the time when fantasy novels were popular among young people, so it's no wonder that some of VG's teammates had such thoughts.

What a coincidence!

……

On the other side of the game.

After reviewing the game for the players, Jiang Ming, who had planned to end his livestream with a ranked game to understand minion waves, was somewhat speechless.

We're all gone! Clearlove!

Good grief, it's these two people in line now.

Could it be that today, the legendary catchphrase of our "Particle Dance" contestant is about to be born in her own hands?
Mingkai played Hecarim in the jungle, and Gawei played LeBlanc in the mid lane.

As for Jiang Ming, after seeing that all his teammates were AD carries, he decisively locked in Gragas.

Hmm, Gragas as the second player against LeBlanc, short-range counters long-range.

At this time, it was almost late at night.

Viewers either took a break or went into Summoner's Rift to battle it out, and the popularity of the live stream gradually decreased after reaching its peak.

However, the live stream chat immediately became lively again after seeing the opponent Jiang Ming was matched with.

Haha, it's an old acquaintance.

[Hey, isn't that Director Norman? He's been matched up against the other team again.]

[Promise: Damn it, JM keeps stealing my points, huh?]

[Good, good, I thought I was doomed, but I managed to pull off a big kill in my last ranked game.]

[This looks tough. JM's team is mostly Diamond players, while the blue side has several professional players, including VG's mid laner and OMG's gogoing as the top laner.]

[That's a narrow perspective. The purple team has JM, what do you call that? That's called having the advantage!]

Once in the game, the four players on the purple team recognized Jiang Ming's ID and typed in the chat box to try and build rapport: "JM, please carry us!"

"I'm all set now!"

"The enemy team has three top-ten players in the top, mid, and jungle. How could I possibly be matched with a team like this?"

"Brother, because the first place is on our side."

“(ΩДΩ)!”

"Hey pro, let's do this. If you can handle the pressure this game and don't mess it up, how about I give you a friend slot?"

"I also have a career dream. Is NXG still hiring?"

Jiang Ming quickly bought the equipment, went to his online position, and typed a reply: "Friend slots are easy. As for NXG's recruitment, you can follow our official Weibo. We are currently screening people for the second team. Just send a screenshot of your rank and attach a ranked game video."

[Ming-ge, Gragas is a melee champion, won't he be under too much pressure against LeBlanc starting with Doran's Ring?]

A player asked in the live chat.

Jiang Ming clicked on the hero's skill with his mouse. "Yeah, in the early game, melee heroes fighting against ranged heroes, or heroes whose laning strength isn't enough, definitely shouldn't follow my example and take Doran's Ring. Getting forced to return to base without consumables will be very damaging. Boots and health potions or a Crystal Flask and health potions are good choices."

In Season 3, the price of Doran's Ring at Teemo's shady merchant shop hadn't dropped yet, so choosing this starting item meant you couldn't buy health potions.

"However, the barrel itself has its own regeneration. If you manage the cooldown and the distance of your attacks well, the impact of having a few less health potions in the early game is not significant."

"Now online, now I'll teach you how to develop your character using melee to counter ranged opponents."

Controlling the hero while narrating the story in the live stream is not difficult for him, as long as the opponent does not put any real pressure on him.

"Don't rush, let's see if LeBlanc can pull the minion wave... OK, if she can't, then the mid lane matchup is over."

【? ? ? 】

No, no, I must be hard of hearing, or JM must have misspoke.

What do you mean by saying that LeBlanc can't farm minions, so the mid lane matchup is over?

[Wow, stop scrolling, focus on the tutorial.]

Jiang Ming controlled the barrel, pretending to move forward to try and harass LeBlanc before the minion wave converged. However, Ga Dewei was extremely arrogant and didn't back down at all, immediately using his W to step on her.

laugh!
The barrel's health bar decreases by one small unit simultaneously.

At the same time, the hero's skillful execution allowed her to land basic attacks.

"Yeah, a huge profit. I gained a health bar as soon as the minion wave arrived. I have a chance to solo kill at level three."

A hint of excitement flickered in Ga Dewei's eyes as he sat in front of the computer.

In the mid-lane exchange, although he was hit by Gragas's Q, he didn't take any basic attack damage, so he still came out slightly ahead.

Despite his disdain for JM's live-streamed tutorials, how could he possibly remain unmoved when facing the currently recognized number one player in the Chinese server?

Defeat the opponent!

Jiang Ming remained calm, wiggled his hips from side to side, interacted with the blue team's minions, and then hid behind his own minion wave, watching LeBlanc from afar without last-hitting minions, as if the incredibly brave person who had challenged LeBlanc to a duel at level one was a completely different person.

Given their trust in Jiang Ming's abilities, there were few dissenting voices in the live stream regarding his strange behavior.

Some higher-ranked players began to carefully observe the mid-lane minion wave.

JM's explanation just now focused on the minion wave, so the action just now should be related to that, rather than mindlessly rushing in to trade blows.

Troop line!

Soldier!
[I think I understand now. Look at the melee firefight between the two sides.]

[Three blue team minions against one, is this normal?]

Why is that? Can you explain, JM?

Jiang Ming controlled the hero and easily finished off the low-health minions with basic attacks. "There's something you need to know: when melee fights ranged, we're not afraid of him pushing the lane in the early game, but we are afraid of him controlling the lane, because when he controls the lane, we often have to pay more health to get experience."

"I've taught this in previous videos about the importance of experience over economy in the earlier levels. If you're not clear on this, you can go back and review it."

"Right now, the blue team's melee minions are focusing fire on our minions, which is exactly what I was trying to accomplish by taking the LeBlanc's skill."

"The enemy LeBlanc is a professional player, so I don't need to elaborate on her skills in lane control and lane management. If the opponent doesn't push, we need to find a way to make the minion wave come to us."

"Oh right, in a previous match, Song Jies leveled up E at level 1 against Rumble, which was actually for lane control."

When minions focus fire, friendly melee minions will die faster, and the same wave of minions will advance exponentially if one side loses even just one melee minion to absorb damage.

Of course, he didn't talk about the deeper aspects, such as dealing with minion waves, melee or ranged enemies, or dealing with one or two enemies.

Actively explaining lane dynamics is to promote the progress of the region, while holding back is for the benefit of one's own team.

Other clubs can try to figure it out themselves if they're capable. If they still can't learn it after all this talk, they might as well go to the factory and start working.

"?"

(The Shadow of War has marked the mid lane!)
Mingkai was so angry he laughed. It's not like IG's Jax was playing Zed. I can understand melee fighting melee getting blocked, but how can you, a LeBlanc, manage to do this against Gragas?

Pushing the lane right from level one, do you think you can solo kill someone, or do you think I can help you tower dive?

Realizing belatedly that he had been tricked by the Gragas at level one, Wei Zheng was furious and typed directly in the game channel: "What the hell!"

Clearlove: "Hehe!"

Do you know what it means to offend the jungler when playing League of Legends?

From this moment on, kid, you've run out of mana, and don't expect me to come to mid lane to help you.

Thinking this, Mingkai, who had just reached level three, was about to make a move when the bowl-cut youth, who habitually opened the scoreboard, looked at the ID of the opposite barrel.

"It's better to arrest them!"

Although WE and NXG are currently competitors and will be rivals for points in the next round, one of their statements is correct.

If you try to dominate early on, it's really hard to win the game.

There's nothing we can do at WE; if Ruofeng and Caomei, the top and mid laners, can't carry the team, he can only help Weixiao.

　The livestream storyline basically ends here. There will be half a chapter of memorable scenes later. I thought about it, and now that I've been reborn in Season 3, how could I miss this memorable scene? The livestream storyline will probably only appear once every few hundred thousand words in the future; it'll basically be used as promotional material, since writing something truly outstanding is just too difficult.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)