mousepad-d2 Chapter 22: Confronting DMO
Chapter 22: Confronting DMO
The contestants welcomed them with crisp applause.
Since it was a training match, Su Xiaoluo only said a few words and then left.
Karam, accompanied by the translator, walked over to the players, ready to begin the next training match.
Chen Song's official start date is tomorrow, so Karam just had Chen Song sit aside to familiarize himself with IG's tactics in advance.
As luck would have it, through the translator, I learned that the practice match team I was scheduled to meet with later was LNG.
This made Chen Song feel a little expectant.
Ultimately, he was indeed fired by LNG.
In reality, they know almost nothing about LNG.
But one thing he was certain of was that LNG and IG were not even in the same league.
It's easy to see from his expression that Karam was brimming with confidence during the practice match against LNG; he practically had the words "crushing" plastered on his face.
Chen Song thought that IG would win the next training match without any suspense, but to his surprise, IG was defeated 2-0 in both training matches in a flash.
Rather than saying that IG's draft was bad, it's more accurate to say that they played even worse.
It's clear that Karam has made some changes and wants to practice his late-game lineup, but Chen Song is having a bit of a headache watching how he executes it.
In the first game, IG drafted a Sona + Taric bot lane mage carry composition, but the execution was too rough.
Sona lacks survivability and initiation, while Taric provides invulnerability and reliable crowd control. However, Taric lacks sustain and damage, while Sona can heal, speed up, and provide additional crowd control.
Once the two unit group up in the mid-game, they have healing, invulnerability, crowd control, and kiting abilities, making it a late-game lineup with complementary mechanics.
Sona's passive ability allows teammates to last-hit minions and also grants her bonus gold. With Taric's support items, a duo can perform better than the opposing duo in PvP.
With a smooth transition through the laning phase, it's almost impossible to lose a small-scale team fight after 15 minutes.
Therefore, there is no problem in choosing this lineup. In addition, given the players' laning skills, Chen Song is very curious about how IG will operate.
It seems that Karam has also noticed that the team's shortcomings in drafting and playstyle are being magnified.
However, if you choose the Sona + Taric combination, you need to absolutely avoid fights and focus on farming in the early game, instead of being as fond of fighting as before.
And so it remains the same old habit.
I like to play aggressively in the early game, no matter what lineup I get.
Facing LNG's Xayah + Rakan, their first tower was pushed down in less than 10 minutes, resulting in them dealing no damage in the mid-game.
Similarly, in terms of jungle tempo, Ning's Jarvan IV was completely suppressed by LNG's Sejuani.
Whether it was ganking or map control, Ning was a step too slow, which directly impacted IG's mid and top laners.
Throughout the game, from the very first wave of minions, LNG's Xayah and Rakan relentlessly pressured their opponents, taking down the first tower in less than 10 minutes.
In the mid-game, LNG gave IG absolutely no chance for a head-on 5v5, constantly pushing the side lanes and taking dragons after pushing towers.
In terms of laning details, JackeyLove and Baolan's Taric Sona positioning and skill combos were noticeably unfamiliar.
Similar to the Gem's E-Flash, Sona's forward positioning frequently resulted in her being lifted up by Rakan, demonstrating a very poor level of skill in these maneuvers.
Especially considering that they repeatedly insisted on engaging in team fights even when their ultimate abilities weren't ready, it's clear they weren't used to this turtle-like, flexible playstyle.
To put it bluntly, what's the point of practicing a lineup that you're not even familiar with?
What is the essential difference between a contestant who crams at the last minute before the exam and one who does so in a similar way?
In the second game, IG's strategy was straightforward: pick champions that forced lane dominance across the board, clearly aiming to crush their opponents in the early game.
But intention is intention, and result is result.
LNG countered with a strong initiation composition, making it impossible for IG to keep up.
IG failed to achieve their expected early-game dominance, and instead, LNG's top and jungle found an opportunity to counter IG.
LNG's top laner, in particular, single-handedly defeated TheShy.
In the jungle, Ning continued the problem from the first game, always lagging behind LNG's jungler in jungle rhythm.
Unsurprisingly, the training room fell silent after the practice match.
Not only the players, but even Karam himself did not expect things to turn out this way.
You said that losing the first game is just that, losing.
Karam admitted that the Sona + Taric combo was a bit of a mismatch for IG in terms of champion proficiency and team composition.
What about the second game?
The second game featured IG's most familiar lineup.
The results of it?
The top laner got solo killed, and the jungler was fed.
"엄마랑놀아요!" (I'm playing crazy!)
Karam couldn't help but curse inwardly.
Since the training matches have turned out like this, it's impossible to continue playing training matches.
Tomorrow is June 3rd, which is the first day of the Summer Split.
IG will face DMO in their first match of the Summer Split.
Therefore, we absolutely cannot continue with the original training schedule today.
After Karam reviewed the game with Mafa, he told everyone to get into a good state of mind and go to bed early to rest.
In the empty training room, Chen Song sat alone in front of the computer.
After briefly reviewing the two training matches, Chen Song analyzed DMO's playing style and player information.
……
the next day.
At Chen Song's personal request, Su Xiaoluo agreed to let him go to the competition venue with her.
Considering that Chen Song was only on his first day at the club and had not yet started working on the draft data and information for IG's official matches, Karam suggested that he stay at the club to learn first.
For Chen Song, this was his first time being present at a competition since he traveled to this world, so he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement.
As he stepped off the bus, he was somewhat shocked by the sheer size of the venue.
Led by Su Xiaoluo, the group included Karam and Mafa, both dressed in sharp suits.
Especially with Karam's height, when he stands there, he looks like a majestic giant leading the way.
The first game was very close. Around 20 minutes in, IG was attacked by DMO when they had an opportunity. Gangplank used his ultimate to help his teammates wipe out IG and secure Baron.
At the time, DMO had a leading economy and the Baron buff, seemingly having victory in hand.
However, in the crucial team fight at 28 minutes, IG seized on DMO's positioning mistake. Rookie's Sylas, with the help of his teammates, quickly eliminated Gala's Kai'Sa. Then, TheShy's Rumble used his ultimate to perfectly block the path. IG scored a 2-for-0 exchange and then took down Baron Nashor. Finally, they pushed down the map and completed the comeback.
This game gave Chen Song a taste of a classic "IG-style" chaotic battle.
In the early stages, both sides traded blows, with IG gaining a 6000 gold lead around the 20-minute mark. However, they faltered in a crucial team fight, resulting in a 1-for-4 exchange and the loss of Baron Nashor.
After seeing the BP lineup decision, Chen Song wrote an evaluation in his notebook as usual.
Top-heavy and unbalanced
IG's current lineup still suffers from a major problem.
That is, apart from Rumble, Vayne, Sylas, and Olaf all have very slow wave clear.
In the early game, IG faced significant pressure on the lanes against DMO's Gangplank and Jayce.
This is also the biggest reason why IG fell into a disadvantage in the early stages.
Then there's the issue of heroes.