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

Chapter 354 Why did Zhou Shen's style suddenly change? RNM, refund my money!
"Alright, congratulations to LGD for preventing WE from coming back from a 0-1 deficit to win 2-1 in this regular season title race between Groups A and B!"

"After defeating WE, LGD's winning streak since the start of the Summer Split continues!"

"Their winning streak has now reached eight games!" Remember said.

At this moment, the big screen at the venue replayed the highlights of the third game.

Then the MVP of the third game was announced.

"Okay, let's take a look at the MVP of the third game. It goes to imp's Caitlyn, with a score of 7-1-5 and the highest damage in the game."

"Actually, I don't think there's any problem with giving the troll to God Zhou."

Remember to adjust his glasses and continue, "Well then, the interview area is ready. Now let's turn the camera to our host."

The post-match interview for this game featured LGD's mid-laner, GodV.

The other four LGD players went back to the rest room first.

By the time Wei Shen finished his post-match interview, it was almost 10 p.m.

The LGD team quickly returned to their team base.

Upon returning to the base, all team members immediately threw themselves into training.

The seventh week of the regular season is just around the corner, and LGD still has eight regular season matches to play.

The regular season lasts for ten weeks, so for the last four weeks, LGD will have two BO3 matches every week, so the schedule is quite tight.

Dgc doesn't dare to give the players a break anymore. LGD is now in the final sprint to achieve a perfect record in the regular season.

This anger cannot be easily vented.

LGD has a match on the first day of the following week, Thursday, against the IM team.

Of course, IM's performance since the start of the Summer Split has been quite poor.

Therefore, LGD doesn't need to pay extra attention to this opponent; they can just prepare normally.

As for the ever-optimistic LGD fans, they don't even take IM seriously these days.

The next day, Sunday, was the last match day of the sixth week of the LPL Summer Split regular season.

There were only two matches this Sunday, but both resulted in upsets.

First, EDG lost 0-2 to Suning SNG.

Then came RNG, who had been dominating and winning games since Uzi's return, but lost 1-2 to IM.

IM's comeback victory against RNG has made many LGD fans, who initially thought they had a sure win against IM, less optimistic.

In the days leading up to their match against IM, LGD played a lot of scrimmages.

The frequency of these training matches is much higher than usual.

The main reason is that this week, the seventh week of the LPL regular season, the LPL matches will undergo a version change.

The competition server has been changed from version 7.13 to version 7.14.

Patch 7.13 was only played a few matches before it was gone, which really puts LPL players to the test in terms of their ability to adapt to different patches.

This is also a point of contention regarding the LPL.

Similar to the Chinese server, the LPL's match version is often not updated in a timely manner due to various reasons.

As a result, it often happens that a version takes a long time to develop before it is updated, and then, in order to keep up with the overall progress, the newly updated version is rushed to be updated again after only a few days of development.

Even more outrageous, LPL matches have seen instances of skipping game versions.

The version is too far behind; the competition server has skipped a certain version altogether.

In short, the contestants were powerless to resist all sorts of bizarre events.

Then all I can do is try to adapt!
In League of Legends patch 7.14, a new champion, Kayn, was released.

Furthermore, tank equipment has been enhanced in this version.

Randuin's Omen has a smoother build path and provides more health.

The Thornmail now provides bonus health and also reduces the attack speed of attackers, essentially combining Thornmail and Iceborn Gauntlet into one – a significant buff.

In addition, there is another hero who has undergone significant changes, namely Cho'Gath, the Void Terror.

The mana cost of Cho'Gath's Q skill has been reduced, and the silence duration of his W skill has been increased.

Most importantly, Cho'Gath's E skill has been reworked. It now causes Cho'Gath's next three basic attacks to fire spikes that damage and slow all targets hit.

Now, Cho'Gath's E skill can reset his basic attack, increase his attack range, and deal percentage-based damage.

This greatly enhances Cho'Gath's ability to engage in melee combat in the top lane.

Coupled with the recently buffed tank equipment, Cho'Gath's pick rate and win rate have soared in both the Korean and Chinese servers.

Zhou Dian has been practicing a lot of games with the big bug these past few days.

With frequent practice, Zhou Dian felt quite comfortable with the new version of the giant bug.

He felt he had a good grasp of the hero.

One clear example is that in the first few days after Zhou Dian started practicing Cho'Gath in ranked games, his Korean server ranked score increased significantly, and he kept winning.

Compared to when I first started practicing certain squishy heroes, my ranked match record was abysmal.

Zhou Dian had to come to a conclusion.

Are beast-like heroes with "novel" art styles, such as trolls and bugs, more suitable for them than those elegant human heroes?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!
October 7th, Thursday.

The seventh week of the LPL regular season continues.

Although LGD's match time is 7 pm.

However, the LGD team still set off for the competition venue in the afternoon.

The main reason is that the LPL esports authorities are becoming increasingly strict in their disciplinary requirements.

Getting fined for being late is really not worth it.

However, the complex competition requirements also indicate that the LPL is becoming more and more standardized.

As for LGD's opponent today, IM, it was formerly EDG's second team.

In the summer of 16, due to Riot Games' official policy, they separated from EDG.

Also in 16, IM achieved a three-level jump from the secondary league to the top league, and then to the World Championship.

In the final decisive game of the gauntlet against WE, IM's top laner AmazingJ's Titan teleporting behind the enemy lines became a painful memory for many WE fans.

After QG fell in the S5 gauntlet in 15, IM became the first team in LPL history to achieve a three-level jump.

Following LMQ from the North American region in S4 and OG from the European region in S5, IM successfully advanced to S6, making it the third consecutive year that a team has made a three-level jump in the World Championship.

Like the Snake team, IM also completely declined after S6.

IM and Snake are now in the same boat, one is second to last in the LPL and the other is last.

When the LGD players arrived at the venue, IG had just defeated NB 2-0 in the first match of the day.

The two games were decisive and didn't even take an hour in total.

That's really fast.

Ning, IG's new jungler this summer, picked out the new champion Kayn right away today.

The results were quite impressive, putting NB's jungler on a 0-6 score. After the equipment was tested and adjusted, it was LGD and IM's turn to play.

Some of the audience members were LGD fans, while others were just there to watch the excitement; it was rare to see any IM fans.

Basically, on the first day of each match, which is Thursday, the commentators are the old duo of Wawa and Miller.

In their pre-match discussion, both players agreed that, given the current form of both teams, LGD should be able to easily defeat IM 2-0.

In the first game of the BO3 series, LGD picked Cho'Gath directly on the first floor.

"Hey! What's going on? LGD actually picked a top laner on the first floor? What a sudden change in style!" Miller said with a laugh.

"However, Cho'Gath has just been buffed, and his pick rate in solo queue has recently skyrocketed, so there's no problem picking him."

IM's head coach breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that LGD had already picked a top laner on the first floor.

"We can save two ban slots!"

Next, IM selected Maokai for AJ as their top laner.

Just muddle through!
The camera focused on IM's top laner, AJ, who looked very relaxed, chatting and laughing with his teammates.

As someone who has played top lane for EDG, playing Maokai and Cho'Gath together is a piece of cake for him.

But soon, AJ's smile faded.

Because LGD picked Troll Warlord as their last pick.

This also indicates that LGD played Cho'Gath mid in this game.

The on-site director was also sensible; after LGD locked in Troll Warlord, the camera panned to AJ again.

AJ, who was originally all smiles, now has a long face, as if the troll's big club has already been thrust inside.

In IM's team voice chat, AJ muttered in his thick Hong Kong accent, "We've been tricked! I knew LGD was on the red side, how could they not give the counter pick to Zhou Shen!"

Meanwhile, in the commentary booth...

"Trundle top lane? Then AJ's Maokai is going to have a tough time this game. Trundle is the father of the three god-tier top laners. Last week, Zhou Shen's Trundle just beat 957's Poppy, and this week he's here to chop down Maokai again!"

After a pause, Miller continued, "Look at LGD's side, Cho'Gath, Sejuani, Trundle, Tahm Kench, they're so tanky! But this is a fairly common draft pick in the current version."

"With the buffs to tank equipment in patch 7.14, the competition seems to be returning to the old tank meta!"

Once in the game, IM's jungler was constantly trying to target Zhou Dian in the early game.

Even if Zhou Dian was playing a troll in this game.

The so-called name of a person is the shadow of a tree.

After all, Zhou Dian is now infamous, with a notorious reputation.

Unfortunately, Zhou Dian was really slippery.

During the laning phase, his troll had no intention of killing, he just couldn't catch him.

On the other hand, IM's bot lane has been completely overwhelmed by Eimy's Sejuani.

Just over ten minutes into the game, LGD destroyed IM's bottom lane tower.

Then LGD moved their bot lane duo to the top lane and Trundle to the bot lane, and IM had no choice but to follow suit and swap lanes as well.

Then, AJ's tree accidentally carried the line across the river.

Because IM lost their bottom lane turret, Maokai was chased all the way by Troll Warlord wielding his club and was eventually beaten to death in front of his own bottom second turret.

Another solo kill in the matchup.

Although this solo kill didn't involve any fancy maneuvers, it was just a series of hard blows.

Subsequently, LGD's dual-lane strategy, with its tight, unstoppable pace, left IM completely unable to cope.

The idea that tank lineups have no damage output only applies in the late game.

If you have a level advantage in the mid-game, the base damage of your skills alone is enough to kill someone.

In less than thirty minutes, LGD, with the Baron buff, arrived with four muscular men—top, mid, jungle, and support—surrounding their smallest and best-farmed ADC.

The troll wielded his giant club and led the way, allowing LGD to destroy IM's base crystal in one fell swoop.

In the second game of the BO3 series, IM directly picked the meta top lane Cho'Gath on the first floor, preparing to stick to the same strategy no matter what.

Upon seeing the giant bug, Dgc thought: You want to get ahead? Then I'll grant your wish.

They then picked Trundle for Zhou Dian in the top lane.

The audience was unhappy when they saw Zhou Dian pick the troll again.

On the official live stream chat:
[Zhou Shen, my Zhou Shen, why did your style suddenly change? You've played Trolls for three games in a row!]

[I don't want to watch Trundle! I want to watch Camille and Fiora, Trundle is too ugly!]

[We finally get to watch an LGD match, and they keep playing Troll Warlord? What's with that? Do they think they're doing us a favor?]

【RNM, refund! 】

[Ahem, I was thinking you didn't even go to the game live, so why are you asking for a refund?]

【.】

Back to the game.

In this game, LGD once again fielded three tanky champions: Trundle, Sejuani, and Galio, with Janna as support. Imp's Caitlyn was incredibly reassuring.

Eimy focused on IM's bot lane in the previous game, but in this game he's focusing on the mid lane.

In the 4th minute of the game, Sejuani successfully counter-ganked IM's jungler Kha'Zix, and IM's mid and jungle were completely destroyed.

Then, Wei Shen's Galio became the starting point for the rhythm, attacking from all sides.

There is indeed a significant gap in strength between the two teams. Once Galio, the female police officer, gets going, the game is completely dominated.

IM was already down before Zhou Dian even had a chance to push forward.

AJ's Cho'Gath was still having a good time playing with Trundle in the top lane when he realized that the second turrets in the mid and bottom lanes were about to be destroyed.

In the end, LGD ended the game in less than 30 minutes.

Including rest time, the entire BO3 took less than an hour and a half.

LGD easily defeated IM 2-0.

Miller summarized after the match: "In today's match, LGD showed the qualities that a strong team should have."

"We no longer rely too much on Zhou Shen's single-target burst damage in the top lane to drive the whole team, as we did some time ago."

"So, even though Zhou Shen played several games of tanks in a row, I'm actually more optimistic about LGD's future!"

Other coaches who were also watching the game shared the same thought as Miller.

If a team only has one lane that can perform well, then no matter how well that lane performs, it is relatively easy to target.

But if it blooms in multiple locations, then it will be difficult to deal with.

The MVP awards for the two games were given to imp and Wei Shen, respectively.

This is the first time since the Summer Split that LGD has won a BO3 without Zhou Dian receiving a single MVP award.

But anyone who watched the game knows that Zhou Dian is undoubtedly even more terrifying when he plays tank.

(End of this chapter)