LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The ten-minute halftime break is a fleeting moment of cheers and heated discussions for both the audience at the venue and those watching on screen.
For the two teams on stage, however, it was a race against time, a tactical storm, and a psychological rebuilding process.

As the stage lights focused again and the countdown to the final game began on the giant electronic screen, the atmosphere at the Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center reached its peak.

The air seemed to be on fire, and everyone's heart pounded in time with the red numbers.

"Welcome back to the 2021 LPL Summer Split match between EDG and FPX!" Miller's voice on the commentary desk was already tinged with excitement. "The score is tied 1-1! Now, we are about to enter the final game of the BO3 series, the decisive game! This will determine who is the true champion of today!"

Wawa: "Yes! In the first two games, the two teams showed us two completely different styles! FPX took the first game with their signature top-mid-jungle synergy, while EDG relied on Mo's amazing solo lane pushing to easily win the second game! This is no longer just a simple player duel, it's the ultimate clash of two tactical philosophies!"

Rita's beautiful eyes sparkled with anticipation: "The decisive game will test not only skills and tactics, but also the players' willpower and mental fortitude! Especially for FPX, who just suffered a defeat, how will they adjust? And will EDG come up with any unexpected tactics?"

The audience seats had long since become a sea of ​​distinct yet interconnected spaces.

In EDG's fan zone, black and gold light sticks converged into a wave, and the shouts of "EDG, keep going!" were unified and powerful.

On the other side, some FPX fans responded by waving phoenix flags.

On major live streaming platforms, the screen is already flooded with comments.

[Here it comes! A life-or-death situation! Where's my nitroglycerin?]

My palms are sweating buckets! I'm even more nervous about this match than when I played my own qualifying matches!

FPX is definitely going to have to change their strategy. Their conventional tactics can't beat Mozi's split-pushing. Let's see what brilliant ideas Coach WarHorse has in store!

[I don't care, I just want to see Mo Shen pick another monster and slaughter Niu Bao like an experience point!]

[I'm betting on Mozi to pick Teemo! Let him know what real torture is!]

[Go Phoenix! Don't let one person's enthusiasm overwhelm you! This is a team game!]

What's the point of saying all this? With Mozi on EDG, I don't know how they could possibly lose.

Amidst the clamor and anticipation of the crowd, both players took their seats again.

Su Mo remained calm and composed, as if the game about to begin was just an ordinary ranked match.

On the other side, Nuguri's eyes became unusually firm. The loss in the previous game did not break him; instead, it brought out the ruthlessness and determination of a top professional player in his bones.

Even when facing God, one must muster courage!

"Alright! Both players are ready! The ban/pick phase of the decisive game is officially beginning!"

Miller's voice, like the starting gun, opened the curtain on this ultimate game.

"EDG is still on the blue side and has the first pick!"

First round of bans:
FPX's first move was to ban Fiora.

EDG took the first pick and banned Future Guardian.

FPX's second move was to ban Blade Dancer.

EDG's second pick was to disable Shadow Whistle.

FPX's third move was to ban Aatrox.

EDG's third pick was to ban Blade of the Ruined King.

Wawa immediately explained: "FPX's ban strategy is very clear! They still gave the first two positions to Mo's signature champions, Fiora and Irelia! But for the third pick, they didn't continue to target the top lane, but instead banned Aatrox, a flexible champion, which is very interesting! On the other hand, EDG conventionally banned Jayce, Akshan, and Fryeglor, three strong champions in this version."

First round of selection:

As the blue side, EDG immediately locked in Ezreal, the Explorer, for Viper in the bottom lane!

"Ezreal!" Miller's eyes lit up. "EDG made a very smart pick! They anticipated that FPX might target the bot lane aggressively, so they chose the most mobile and least likely to be caught out marksman, ensuring the team's minimum damage output in the late game!"

FPX decisively locked in Olaf and Galio on the first and second floors!
"They're here!" Wawa's voice suddenly rose. "FPX's intentions are crystal clear! Olaf and Galio, a global support rotation! They're aiming for mid-jungle synergy, and their target... is most likely not top lane!"

EDG's second and third floors selected Thresh and Viktor, the Mechanical Herald.

Rita analyzed, "With Thresh and Ezreal, EDG's bot lane focuses on kiting and counter-engaging. Meanwhile, Viktor in the mid lane ensures the team has a stable late-game mage carry. EDG's draft is very solid; they're waiting for FPX to make their move!"

FPX picked Rakan on the third floor again.

Second round of bans:
FPX's fourth pick was to ban Wukong.

EDG's fourth pick was to ban Void Daughter.

FPX banned Sett as their fifth pick.

EDG's fifth pick was to ban Poppy, the "Messenger of Sorrow" – who was up all night.

Miller: "The second round of bans was still full of strategic maneuvering! FPX banned Wukong and Sett, two top laners who can synergize well with Viktor in team fights, continuing to pave the way for Nuguri's picks. EDG, on the other hand, banned Kai'Sa and Veigar, limiting FPX's choices in the mid and bot lanes."

Second round of selection:

FPX locked in Ornn and Xayah without hesitation!

"Ornn!!" Wawa exclaimed, "Nuguri really picked a pure tank! FPX has completely changed their tactics! They abandoned the top lane laning phase and made Nuguri a pure utility player! And Xayah's pick also shows that they are going to play around the bottom side of the map this game!"

EDG chose Graves for their jungler Jiejie.

“Graves jungle!” Rita said. “A champion that focuses on farming and jungle skirmishes. It seems that Jiejie’s focus this game is to protect his jungle and provide high physical damage in the mid to late game.”

Now, all eyes are focused on EDG's final fifth floor.

In the upper half of the map, there is only one lonely avatar frame left.

Everyone is waiting to see what kind of hero Su Mo will choose to deal with the situation, given that FPX has made it clear that they are going to give up on the top lane and have Nuguri play a tank to withstand the pressure.

Should I choose a hero with similar development and lane peacefully?

Or should we pick a long-range champion to torment Ornn?

Amidst the anticipation of everyone, on the fifth floor of EDG's map, the hero icons began to flash rapidly.

Finally, the picture freezes.

A nobleman dressed in an expensive suit, with a pale face and a slightly sinister smile on his lips, appeared on the big screen.

The Crimson Reaper - Vladimir!

"Om-"

The moment the hero was locked on, the entire stadium fell into an eerie silence, followed by a violent uproar!
"Vladimir!" Miller laughed. "In the top lane! Facing an Ornn destined to be under pressure! Mo pulled out a late-game magic nuke—Vladimir!" Wawa chimed in, "What kind of strategy is this? FPX's tactic is 'avoid their strength, attack where they must defend,' they want to abandon the top lane and let Nuguri face Mo alone. Meanwhile, Mo picks Vladimir, allowing him to farm safely. FPX is now in a dilemma!"

On FPX's bench, the expression of determination and confidence on head coach WarHorse's face froze instantly.

He stared intently at the crimson Reaper on the screen, his brow furrowed.

The final lineup is confirmed:
Blue side EDG:

Top Lane: Vladimir, the Crimson Reaper
Jungler: Graves, the Outlaw

Mid Lane: Viktor, the Mechanical Vanguard
Marksman: Ezreal, the Explorer
Support: Thresh, the Chain Warden
Red team FPX:

Top Lane: Ornn, the Mountain's Flame

Jungler: Olaf the Berserker

Mid Lane: Galio, the Colossus
Archer: Niyu·Xia

Support: Phantom Feather Luo
"The lineups for both sides are now finalized!" Miller concluded. "An ultimate showdown between offense and defense! FPX has chosen a lineup with maximum support and initiation capabilities; their goal is to end the battle in the early to mid-game! EDG, on the other hand, has drafted a three-core scaling lineup: Viktor, Ezreal, and that most unreasonable Vladimir in the top lane! Their only goal is to stall! If they can drag the game past thirty minutes, the scales of victory will tip heavily in their favor! The decisive game begins!"

Online viewers were constantly discussing the topic through live chat.

[Top lane Vladimir vs. Ornn! Mozi is setting up a peaceful farming zone in the top lane!]

[FPX: We're abandoning you. Mo: Thanks, then I'll stop being human.]

[I can almost picture it: thirty minutes from now, a Bloodseeker charging into the fray with Sprint and Blood Pool activated, instantly melting FPX's backline!]

The pressure is on FPX! They're racing against time!

Amidst the expectant gazes of countless viewers, ten heroes loaded into the game and descended upon Summoner's Rift, the place that would soon determine their fate!

As the system's female voice announced "Welcome to Summoner's Rift," the highly anticipated decisive match officially began.

In the commentary booth, Miller immediately went into high-speed mode: "Alright, the match begins! We can see that neither side chose to invade at level one; both started with standard positioning. Let's focus our camera on the top lane first, as this is the most crucial point of contention in this match!"

The director's camera precisely focused on the intersection of the top lane minions.

"Mo's Vladimir started with a Doran's Ring and two health potions, and took Phase Rush as his rune, aiming for maximum kiting and farming ability. Nuguri's Ornn, on the other hand, started with a standard Doran's Shield," Wawa analyzed. "We can tell from their starting items that these two players have completely different goals today."

At one minute and thirty seconds into the game, the first wave of minions clashed.

Su Mo's Vladimir didn't rush to poke or push the lane like a traditional top laner.

He simply stood calmly behind his own ranged minions, finishing off each low-health minion with basic attacks.

His positioning was very subtle, ensuring his own safety while perfectly blocking Nuguri's Ornn's path as he tried to finish off the enemy.

At the FPX booth, Nuguri took a deep breath, his eyes focused.

He knew that this matchup was not a contest of skill, but a battle of patience and will.

He controlled Ornn, carefully walking forward, intending to use his Q skill [Volcanic Eruption] to finish off a low-health minion in the distance.

The moment he raised his hand to unleash his skill, Su Mo moved.

Without any warning, the vampire moved forward nimbly, landing a QA on Ornn before immediately retreating.

Nuguri managed to land a last hit with her Q skill, but it also took away a significant amount of her health.

He tried to fight back, but the vampire had already retreated to a safe position.

Nuguri's brow furrowed slightly.

He knew the other party's intentions, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

He could only silently use his health potion and continue to use his skills to finish off enemies from a distance.

Su Mo, on the other hand, began to control the minion wave.

He tightly controlled the minion wave near his own turret, creating a slow pushback trend.

This not only put him in an absolutely safe development environment, but also put Nuguri's Ornn in a dilemma.

While things were developing peacefully on the main road, undercurrents were surging elsewhere.

In the mid lane, Scout's Viktor faced off against Doinb's Galio.

Scout knew his mission was to keep Doinb, the "rhythm engine," firmly pinned down in the mid lane.

He took advantage of Viktor's long range, constantly pushing the lane and trying to prevent Galio from having a chance to roam.

In the bottom lane, FPX's Xayah and Rakan duo played extremely aggressively from level one, constantly trading blows.

They knew that Tian's Olaf had abandoned the entire upper jungle and was rushing towards the bottom lane.

"FPX is about to make their move!" Wawa's voice suddenly tightened. "Tian's Olaf has already circled around to the tri-bush behind EDG's bottom lane tower! Doinb's Galio has finished clearing the wave and is also moving towards the bottom lane! This is a long-planned four-man gank on the bottom lane!"

In EDG's team voice chat, Meiko calmly said, "They're here! Jiejie, watch your position!"

"I'm counter-ganking, we can engage!" Jiejie's Graves had already arrived at the blast cone in his own jungle in the bottom lane, ready to provide support at any time, thanks to his keen sense of positioning.

FPX's attack has begun!

Crisp's Rakan seized the moment when Viper's Ezreal went forward to last-hit a minion, and used his W skill to try and lift up EDG's bot lane duo!

However, Meiko's reaction was incredibly fast!

Just as Luo took to the air, he used his E skill [Pendulum of Doom] to bring Luo back from mid-air, interrupting his entry!

"Meiko's doom pendulum is crucial!" Miller exclaimed.

When his first attempt failed, Tian's Olaf had no choice but to charge out from behind the tower, trying to use his Q to lock down the enemy.

"Kill the support! Kill the support!" Doinb shouted in the voice chat. His Galio had arrived and was ready to provide support at any time.

Tian's Olaf activated his dash and charged at Meiko's Thresh like a mad dog, wielding his axe!
Meiko remained calm under pressure, pulling back while simultaneously using her Q skill to precisely predict Olaf's movement, briefly freezing him in place.

Viper's Ezreal didn't choose to run away, but instead stayed within the turret's attack range, constantly using his Q skill and basic attacks to whittle down Olaf's health.

At the same time, Meiko threw a W lantern at the wall next door.

The next moment, the blast fruit was lit up, and Jiejie's Graves came from the jungle, picked up the lantern and flew over, working with Ezreal to bring Olaf, who was charging at the front, to low health!
"Let's go! Let's go!" Seeing the situation was bad, Doinb immediately signaled to retreat. (End of Chapter)