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

Chapter 152: They're all top-tier writers!
“Look closely, with the middle tower as the center, the vision of the F4, the three wolves, and even the red and blue buffs to the two sides of the river is instantly lost by more than half.”

"Their living space has been squeezed by about a third, no wonder..."

The youth team players, who had been thoroughly thrashed by NXG's first team in several games, suddenly realized what was going on.

"Therefore, the mid tower is the most important tower in the game LOL. From this perspective, you should be able to understand why Ming said that the mid lane is also the most strategically important position in this game."

Losing the mid lane means losing the jungle, and once the jungle is lost, the minion waves on the top and bottom lanes will never be able to push forward. Faced with the pressure of the minion waves, the enemy will always have to follow behind NXG and eat their dust.

"Let's play one game first, and then we'll analyze the game in detail afterward."

Unlike the long explanations or the sudden enlightenment that players can gain after a few pointers, professional players' various abilities require a massive amount of training and accumulation. Apart from those who are born with knowledge, in this kind of competition measured in milliseconds, even if your reaction is only half a second slower, the impact on the entire team can be an exaggerated number.

Zhu Xiaolong was lucky enough to draw another opportunity to play a training match against the first team.

The others remained still, acting as spectators.

Indeed, having someone to guide you and not having anyone to guide you are two completely different experiences.

During the training match, after his own bottom lane duo lost their first tower to sorry and door in seven minutes, he took advantage of the time while the opponent was taking the dragon to switch lanes with his duo and used the time difference to whittle down a lot of the health of the top tower.

Unlike before, when they foolishly continued farming the bottom lane, not only did the top lane get brutally beaten by the AD carry and support who arrived later, but the bottom lane was also easily ganked by the mid, top, and jungle as soon as their own support left.

Of course, it's not to say that after listening for just a short while, they will be able to catch up with the five-man NXG team in terms of operations.

The economic losses from the loss of the bottom lane tower and the dragon are real. Given the economic disparity, the duo lane switching to the top lane early can only be considered a minor way to mitigate the damage.

Later, Song Yuan, who switched to the bottom lane, further supplemented the knowledge points for the youth training trainees with his actions.

In other words, regarding the issue of minion wave control after the loss of the turret mentioned by White Crescent, the bottom lane naturally loses a turret. Therefore, if NXG has the initiative, the top lane can push the lane and then follow the jungler to do things.

The basic version includes, but is not limited to, invading vision in the lower half of the map, occasionally launching a three-man attack on mid-lane heroes, or using vision advantage to ambush or steal jungle resources. Economic lead gradually translates into equipment lead, and the next step for the youth training team is to trade blows.

Outnumbered opponents can gain summoner spells, etc.

When there is a significant equipment gap, unless you can turn the tide through skillful maneuvering, once your condition is lowered, it will be NXG's turn to attack again.

This is why Jiang Ming repeatedly emphasized to the NXG team members that with the excessive stats in version S3, individuals have a chance to turn the tide when facing absolutely skilled opponents.

In a sense, the fact that Riot Games relentlessly nerfed mid-lane assassins actually added an extra layer of insurance for NXG's S3 journey.

Their winning strategy was never based on single-point breakthroughs online.

It's not Riot's fault. Given their current size, it's already quite good that they can focus on a few overpowered silence champions. Without Jiang Ming actively pointing them out, Riot still has a long way to go to understand deeper issues like jungle economy, Prophet's Potion, and the early-game weakness of turrets.

"Lost!"

"GG!"

As if their nerves had been malfunctioning from the brutal beating, just before the crystal exploded, the five members of the youth training team typed out letters in unison and then quit the game.

They had a pretty good experience today, managing to hold out until the Baron Nashor spawned. NXG's five players had to rely on their vision advantage to ambush and gank to secure the victory.

Well, the kill count didn't exceed double digits, but I saw the Baron spawn, a huge improvement.

Subsequently, Zhu Xiaolong and four teammates were substituted, and MLXG, Death's Declaration, Nexus, Zhao Hao, and a few others took their place.

The result remained the same, but thanks to the successful breakthrough by the aggressive player Spicy Pot, the youth team successfully traded the top tower of NXG's first team in the first wave of lane rotation. It was clear to the naked eye that the youth team trainees, who had observed the game from a god's-eye view, had gained a deeper understanding of the first wave of contact in the mid-game operation rhythm.

"..."

"Crack! Crack!"

"You all understand it well. Let me give a summary."

"First of all, the fall of the bottom lane tower usually marks the end of the laning phase and the beginning of the lane swapping and operational rhythm. Generally speaking, to judge whether a team is strong or not, we need to see how they handle this stage. The greater the gap, the easier it is to widen the economic gap here."

"Secondly, the basic principles of AD lane swapping are: whether there is turret protection, whether the lane is safe, and where there are neutral resources that need to be contested."

"The top and middle lanes used for the trade also need to be considered simultaneously, including whether key heroes can provide support during resource point battles."

Execution can be developed through practice, but controlling the rhythm of operations requires a very high level of skill from the players on the field, especially those in the mid, jungle, and support positions. You need to experience it firsthand to gain experience in dealing with it.

Often, from a God's-eye view, anyone can offer their opinion, but once inside the game, facing a first-person perspective with limited information, many people need a long time to process information, let alone give commands.

“Young men, you still have a long way to go.”

White Crescent looked at the young professionals in front of him, who were much younger than him, and silently offered his blessings.

……

Team training continued until 20 p.m.

There was a two-hour break in between. The break started at 6 PM, followed by dinner around 6:30 PM. The contestants had free time until 8 PM.

During this time, you can go back to your dorm to lie down for a while, or go pet the cat and run to the door to digest your food, as long as you are not late.

However, the two hours after 8 o'clock are for the intensive training of the youth trainees every day, so being late is strictly not allowed.

There are a limited number of teaching assistants, so being late means you are giving up your allotted time slot.

Intensive training is divided into three types: team competition, individual intensive training, and combination training.

Team battles are relatively simple; it's a 5v5 training match mode, except your teammates will keep changing.

The team practice includes duos interfering with the top laner, and coordinated drills involving the mid-jungle, top-jungle, and mid-jungle-support trio. The coaching staff will set up various scenarios to suit different needs, making it a rather unique training program.

As for individual intensive training, it should be the part that all the youth training trainees look forward to the most.

The reason is simple: it's the kind of growth that's immediately visible!
Zhu Xiaolong was assigned to intensive personal training today.

Wang Wang stood beside him, holding a notebook, and reminded him: "Today, we'll mainly practice the top laner's kiting. Also, you need to try to integrate the top laner's no-minion movement skills into your own muscle skills. This way, when facing an opponent with a strong top laner, you can put yourself in their shoes and withstand the pressure from the opponent or even an extra jungler."

"Your Jax is going up against Darius in this game, you should have no problem getting level 2 first, right?"

Zhu Xiaolong nodded, "No problem, Brother Wang."

Seeing that the contestant gave a positive answer, Wang Wang said no more and quietly became an observer.

When playing Jax against Darius, you must secure the lane at level one. However, Darius usually levels up his Q skill at level one. So, how do you manage to save your E to apply pressure while still securing level two against Darius? Pay attention to the details.

A fundamental principle known to all high-ranking players is that a solo lane champion can reach level two by clearing seven minions (two waves). NXG's basic training for top laners includes a trick: instead of clearing the entire wave, simply kill one extra melee minion when the second wave arrives, taking advantage of the melee minion's higher experience gain to reach level two earlier. With the weapon's passive stacking attack speed, and faster minion clearing, Zhu Xiaolong faced little pressure and successfully reached level two.

Start with A. While Darius is retreating, turn around and auto-attack a minion to try and bait out Darius's Q skill. Regardless of whether Darius uses it or not, follow up with QA for another burst of damage. After that, activate E and finish with a Counter Strike skill. At this point, don't be greedy with auto-attacks; move back first.

"That actually works!"

Wang Wang couldn't help but praise Zhu Xiaolong's performance in high-elo casual games.

During the few days of the trial, he paid close attention to the opponent's rank records and found that he was a player with a versatile style. He could be aggressive and confrontational, or play a stable tank. He could gain an advantage in lane and also hold his own for his teammates in team fights. He could also do a good job of taking on pressure.

The only drawback…

"It's lost some of its domineering aura!"

Wang Wang recalled his boss's evaluation of this youth training trainee and subconsciously compared him to PDD at the All-Star game.

Indeed, if a top laner who emphasizes individual combat isn't assertive enough, it's difficult for them to reach the top.

Thinking of this, Wang Wang, Zhu Xiaolong's teaching assistant for today's individual intensive practice, suddenly said upon seeing what was happening in the game:

"Norke learned W at level 2, ganked the minion wave, and directly overtook him."

"Ah, tower diving?"

"You can cross when the third wave of minions arrives."

In terms of reaction time, he may not be as good as these talented players, but when it comes to lane management and judgment from a god-like perspective outside the game, NXG's assistant coach is no pushover.

"it is good!"

Zhu Xiaolong also knew that what he needed to do most right now was not to haggle with the teaching assistant.

After a back-and-forth maneuver that resulted in a slightly missed Q from Darius, he immediately used QA to jump in and, while simultaneously trading damage in the minion wave, built up his E's full damage potential.

"Push the lane slowly, wait for your E skill to cool down, and use A and E to dodge Darius's W."

The control screen in my mind kept flashing, and my hands synchronized with the screen in the game.

"Nice!"

The blue team's Darius feinted forward, trying to bait Zhu Xiaolong's Jax out of the tower, but instead flashed back.

Having already entered the tower, the weapon user certainly wouldn't give up on the tower dive that was already halfway through. He followed up with Flash, and with the damage from Ignite plus W, he instantly killed the opponent before Darius could reach level three.

"See, it's totally doable, right?" Wang Wang took off Zhu Xiaolong's headphones. "You just need to be more confident. Even if you lose under the tower, you'll still come out ahead. With first blood and such a huge wave of minions under the tower, Darius can just AFK."

"Um……"

As the coach said, after the tower dive, all the minions were eaten by the tower, and the jungler who came to farm the lane only managed to get two or three ranged minions. Darius's laning phase was completely destroyed.

After Doran's Blade was added, Darius faced a wave of lane push and called for the jungler to gank again. Darius, who failed to get two minions and was sent back to the fountain, was immediately forced to quit the game.

Zhu Xiaolong's eyes brightened as he recalled the time when he first faced off against Norsha, the top laner of the first team.

In four or five games, you might only have an advantage in one lane, and even then, it's because the opponent picked a hero that you don't need to have an advantage with.

Even though his skills weren't bad, he still lost too much health while being constantly kited by the opponent. He was either tower-dived and killed like Darius in front of him, or he was tower-dived by the jungler.

You're saying you won't farm the minions?

That works too. You can just wait for the minion wave to be completely controlled, like a level 6 minion hitting you two or three levels higher.

See, compared to before, we've grown again.

Playing esports and pursuing a professional career is tough, and Zhu Xiaolong had mentally prepared himself for it beforehand. However, if he could be provided with a progress bar so that he could clearly see his progress every day, the pressure wouldn't be unbearable.

Details of NXG's plan to form two second teams, Black and White, were made public at the youth training camp. The team uniforms of the two teams were even hung at the entrance of the training room the next day, echoing the KPI record sheets in front of each player's computer.

With more monks than porridge, if you want to stand out and be selected as a formal member of the club's second team, you will inevitably have to put in the corresponding efforts.

Individual training starts at 20 PM and continues until 22 PM, followed by a half-hour debriefing of the day's training matches, and then the players have free time for training.

The club's rule is that you must not be back in the dormitory before 2 a.m., and there are no specific requirements regarding the number of ranked matches.

However, given the examples of players who didn't get enough ranked games during their trial period being excluded from the formal youth training contracts, everyone basically spent all their time in the training room doing seamless ranked games.

On the first day, the lights in the training room were turned off at 2 a.m.

The training session was extended to 2:30 the next day.

On the third day, there were still lights on in the training room at three o'clock...

"Damn it, I'm not going to compete anymore, I really can't compete with you guys who are such hardcore gamers."

At three in the morning, rubbing his sore eyes, when the first trainee with panda eyes stood up from his position, the other e-sports chairs in the training room collapsed like dominoes.

U, wearing glasses, seemed to be struggling to breathe. "Damn it, so you guys are all just putting on a brave face."

"Ahem, it's just that I was getting anxious seeing that none of you had left."

Moon, the support player, touched his nose and gave a wry smile.

Chinese people are so competitive. When it comes to competition, if you work until 2:00, I can work until 2:30. If someone works until 2:30, we end up working until 3:00 together.

"Um, guys, let's get some rest. We can continue tomorrow, okay?"

"Agreed!" ×N
"Then it's settled. Whoever secretly tries to undermine the competition is a dog."

"Wrapped!" ×N
"By the way, Ah Hong, let's make a deal. Tonight, tie that guy Zhao Hao to your bed so he can't secretly review the video."

……

Time flies, and as the number of trainees in the youth training camp continues to decrease, the professional newcomers who persevere are constantly being transformed under NXG's dedicated training.

Just as the selection process for NXG.B and NXG.W was drawing near, another team was also making its way to the LPL Spring Finals.

　Phew, I've been busy all day, managing to write 10,000 words within the tight timeframe. (PS: How was the amount of detail in the youth training camp? After all, the theme is training, so I focused on describing Spicy Hot Pot and Death's Declaration in detail. I'll adjust the amount later as needed. The Spring Finals storyline was basically skipped in one day, with the focus on sending the second team out to show off and the later championship event linking to the guild's operations.)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)