[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 254

Patch (6)

The game began.

-Welcome to Summoner's Rift!

It was the announcer's familiar voice as always, but this game wouldn't be familiar.

Clearly, Summoner's Rift today would be different from before.

[⬇] [⬇]

[OLZ Outlaw (KeAn) is on the way]

["Fighting."]

"Huh? Ah, fighting."

-Just... awkward OLZ Top Jungle!

-Hnnng...

-A - wkward

-lolololol

-Be a bit more friendly

"...We are friendly. Don't keep pushing it. All our teammates are friendly."

-OK

-You're right

-Absolutely absolutely

Those damn guys.

'That's that.'

I assess the composition.

'Opponent jungle is Nadali. Mid is a TF vs Akali matchup. There's a higher chance our allies can join mid faster.'

'The bot lane matchup is clearly stronger for the opponent. There's a high chance we'll lose priority, so Nadali might make a threatening move towards bot.'

'And top is......'

The Viktor vs Jayce matchup originally favors Viktor.

But in this game, due to the difference in early jungle intervention and combat ability, top lane had to sacrifice somewhat.

This was because, due to Viktor's characteristic as an immobile champion, playing the lane aggressively would leave him vulnerable to Nadali's ganking threat.

'It's not for nothing that top laners dislike picks like KeAn.'

Basically, growth-type champions like KeAn are champions that grow by sucking the lifeblood of their teammates.

Of course, KeAn has the ironic mechanism of needing to gank to transform, but that's the basic gist.

'For now, shall I go with the standard?'

I said.

"For invades, let's just defend for now."

["Okay."]

Our team composition wasn't bad for early invade fights, but since this was a game to understand the patch, I planned to start safely.

After all, if the game became a chaotic brawl due to an early invade, it might be difficult to figure out what had changed.

"You don't have to leash."

[❕] [❕]

[OLZ Outlaw (KeAn) sent a danger ping]

I was planning to start with Krugs anyway, so a leash wasn't really necessary.

If this was a strength of KeAn, then it was a strength.

["Huh?"]

"...No, not you."

I had just been talking to myself as usual on stream, but somehow a strange fellow replied.

-lolololol

-Cute

-Ah lol Just go to lane

-Where do you think you're going to leash when His Highness the Jungler is jungling?

-Fr lol

Whether the viewers were doing that or not, my attention was on the bot lane matchup.

'The lane matchup is already difficult. If we even leash, it might become hopeless.'

Of course, the Ezreal Leona combination isn't one that has no chance at all, so depending on execution, we might be able to find kill opportunities.

...But only when our bot lane can gain an advantage against the SY Longbow Guineapig bot duo.

'That possibility is small.'

Even though our bot lane players are also top-tier users, expecting such luck would be difficult with this kind of matchup, unlike if the matchup was favorable.

And,

-Minions have spawned!

The main laning phase began.

->>Ugh

-Massacring Krugs ㄷㄷ

-Overpowered champ

-Champs that can start Krugs seem good like this yeah

Thanks to going straight to lane without leashing, no major variables occurred early on.

'For now, shall I go for a full clear?'

Since KeAn's characteristic is that forcing early lane intervention would likely backfire unless an opportunity presented itself anyway.

Prioritizing growth was perhaps natural, if you think about it.

'Even so, if the lane situation absolutely requires intervention, I'll have to do it.'

Jungle play was supposed to be flexible, so playing the game as if there was a fixed answer wasn't very good.

Krugs, Red, Golems.

After taking 3 camps, I felt the moment of decision was approaching.

'Alright, what shall I do?'

Until now, the pathing of 5 camps followed by Scuttle Crab for level 4 existed.

If you did 6 camps, you could reach Scuttle Crab after level 4, but it was because you would be a step slower than the opponent and there was a high chance the Scuttle Crab would be taken.

Therefore, the 5 camps + Scuttle Crab route became the most standard and safest pathing, allowing you to secure growth, skirmishes, and ganks.

But now, just 5 camps + Scuttle Crab doesn't give you level 4.

This was because experience was insufficient after the Scuttle Crab nerf patch.

Considering the difference between reaching level 4 or not in the early game, the 5 camps + Scuttle Crab route essentially lost its merit as an option.

'The first appearance time of the Scuttle Crab is 3 minutes 15 seconds.'

I calculate carefully.

If I go to take it after a full clear, it's quite tight, and if I do 5 camps and take it, I won't reach level 4.

Furthermore, since the value of the Scuttle Crab itself has also decreased, the pathing of simply going for Scuttle Crab after a full clear, rather than 5 camps + Scuttle Crab, or aggressively securing Scuttle Crab early on, such as after 3 camps followed by a gank, seemed better.

Soon, I had to make a decision..

I consolidate the given situation.

I check each lane.

What I mainly check is the top and bot lane matchups.

'The top lane matchup is being handled well by Yeonwoo right now. With that lane state, even if Nadali goes top, diving won't be easy.'

'The bot lane matchup is getting pushed as expected. Even if we attempt a gank, there's a chance we'll lose 2v3 instead.'

'If so......'

I reach a conclusion.

'Full clear.'

Having made my decision, I immediately headed towards the upper jungle.

This was to start a full clear safely.

Since the champion KeAn was originally one of the full clear junglers and jungling was very fast anyway, there was nothing to hesitate about.

One could even say it became faster because the Scuttle Crab was being skipped.

The fact that the value of Scuttle Crab has decreased is actually very good news for champions like KeAn.

Beyond just the rewards the Scuttle Crab gives, it meant that the gap between opposing junglers wouldn't widen, and the early Scuttle Crab skirmishes that had dominated the Scuttle Crab meta until now would also largely disappear.

'Of course, it's still a good objective, but.'

The river vision effect that Scuttle Crab provides is its original identity, and thus is a great help not only to junglers but also to laners engaged in the laning phase.

There was nothing bad about taking it for now.

-Early game is smooth yeah

-They say Scuttle Crab got heavily nerfed, how much is it?

-ㄴ To the point where it's okay to lose them all

-Fr?

-Not that much;;; It's not like before though yeah

Jungling continued.

Wolves, and like Blue and Gromp.

[KeAn - Level 4]

Having reached level 4, I immediately went out to the upper river.

'There's a Scuttle Crab.'

In addition to that, Nadali, whose appearance should have been visible by now if he followed the standard buff path, was also not seen.

In other words, there was a high possibility that Nadali started Red, placing him diagonally opposite from me.

'What's dangerous in this situation is a bot dive.'

It seemed Nadali was planning to put pressure on bot, given his combination of Caitlyn and Lulu, and having the SY bot duo as teammates.

Given the current bot lane situation, there was a possibility that Nadali would attempt a bot dive after taking the lower Scuttle Crab.

There was a need to give a warning.

[❗] [❗]

[OLZ Outlaw (KeAn) sent a danger ping]

"I think you can assume Nadali is diagonal to me."

["Okay."]

"How's top?"

["It's okay."]

"Is there a gank opportunity?"

["I don't think I can get a kill... but I might be able to burn their Flash."]

"Then let's see right after I take the Scuttle Crab."

Whether it was a ward, or if the opposing Jayce also roughly anticipated my position, he reduced the pressure he had been maintaining and seemed to be playing safer.

'If so......'

Having taken the Scuttle Crab, I crossed over into the enemy jungle via the Baron pit.

And checked Golems.

Current time, 3 minutes 47 seconds.

Golems are not there.

What this meant was clear.

'The respawn time for Golems is 2 minutes 15 seconds.'

And the expected time if we assume Nadali took the Red-Golems route is 2 minutes 3 seconds.

In other words, if Golems respawn around 4 minutes 18 seconds, I will know Nadali's pathing completely.

Of course, there was also definite information I could know now.

"Nadali is below."

[❕]

[OLZ Outlaw (KeAn) sent a danger ping]

I warned bot one more time and then turned towards top lane.

Whether Jayce thought I had left, or couldn't withstand the pressure any longer, he was engaging in the laning phase again.

"Want to play a bit more aggressively?"

["Okay."]

Despite it being a rather abstract request, Seo Yeonwoo always complied with my demands.

Even though there was a possibility of a solo kill opportunity from Jayce's burst damage if things went slightly wrong.

'Anyway, there's no chance of a counter gank.'

In addition to that, due to the Teleport patch that occurred this time, support from the enemy mid laner also cannot come.

In other words, the opposing Jayce is currently completely alone.

"Here I come."

[⨷]

[OLZ Outlaw (KeAn) targets BAN EZ (Jayce)]

I climbed over the wall as I was and flew towards Jayce.

It was time to charge the gauge.