Chapter 1503: A s.h.i.+ft in Style
Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
Team compet.i.tion map: Full Moon Forest.
As soon as the name of the map came out, Pan Lin and Li Yibo immediately started introducing the characteristics of the map.
Full Moon Forest had the name “forest” in it, but in reality, the forest set the boundaries for the map. The scenario for the setting was a little village inside a forest. The village had a lot of content, but the layout of the map was relatively simple, it didn’t have complicated intertwining alleyways like the larger city maps. The entire village only had four buildings.
The southwest corner had a blacksmith’s shop. The northeast corner had a grocery market. The southeast corner had a storehouse and a watchtower. The northwest corner was the residential area. The houses were built on top of trees with drawbridges connecting the trees together.
Directly to the south of the village was a small pond. To the north was an altar, which was the most open area in the map. There were several large trees providing shade scattered throughout the village. Although it couldn’t be considered a forest, it provided a good amount of cover.
In general, the map was not a place for a direct confrontation. Very few teams chose simple maps in the playoffs. Every team wanted to utilize their home game advantage to the fullest and pick a map that best suited their team.
After introducing the map, Pan Lin and Li Yibo began a.n.a.lyzing what advantages Happy would have as the home team. This topic was much more complicated than an introduction of the map. Pan Lin mainly became a question-asker, giving Li Yibo the main spotlight. Li Yibo could only force himself to a.n.a.lyze the issue at hand. Every few sentences, he would chuckle an awkward “haha” to cover up his lack of confidence.
As the two discussed the topic, the match officially began.
Happy sp.a.w.ned at the southwest corner, surrounded on three sides by trees. From afar, they could see the blacksmith’s shop to the northeast. Tyranny sp.a.w.ned at the opposite end of the map at the northeast corner. Their sp.a.w.n point was the exact same as Happy’s sp.a.w.n point, surrounded on three sides by trees. From afar, they could see a grocery market to the southwest.
The two teams went along the only path available. Not long afterwards, a brilliant blue pond appeared to the east of Happy, while an altar appeared to the west of Tyranny.
Team Happy was the home team. They naturally had a plan in mind. Once the pond became visible, they had more directions to choose from. In the end, Happy moved towards the northwest towards the residential area.
On the other hand, once Tyranny had more directions to choose from, they immediately slowed down.
As the away team, they weren’t as familiar with the map compared to the home team, so slowing down the pace was normal. However, as Team Tyranny, slowing down out of caution was very rare.
On one hand, it could be seen how highly Tyranny looked upon Happy. On another hand, it could be seen that it wasn’t just Han Wenqing adjusting, but rather the entire team. All of them were changing their usual pace under their captain’s lead.
Li Yibo had once been a part of Tyranny, so he was very acute to these changes and started confidently discussing this topic. As for the home team advantages that Happy had with this map and the logic behind choosing this map, he put them aside for now…
The two teams moved on their own accord. Neither of them saw each other. It felt like the calm before a storm. Team Happy’s movements were decisive. When they reached the residential area, they began hiding. In the end, Ye Xiu’s Lord Grim was the only one who hadn’t hidden himself in a residence. Instead, he went along the road, cutting across towards the altar.
Everyone was stunned.
Because the careful Tyranny just happened to be moving towards the altar as well. Li Yibo was talking about this area too. There was no pressure from the map disadvantage for Tyranny because of the openness of the altar area.
But just when Li Yibo was talking about Tyranny’s choice, Ye Xiu moved towards the altar a step ahead of them.
As a result, Lord Grim soon came into Tyranny’s line of sight.
Kakaka!
Gunfire immediately came from Team Tyranny’s side. Zhang Jiale took the initiative and had Dazzling Hundred Blossoms start their offensive.
Han Wenqing was always the first to rush out, but when facing his long-time rival, he remained calm and collected. Not only did he not immediately charge forward, he stopped.
It was a 5v1 confrontation, but Tyranny unexpectedly didn’t immediately pounce on the opportunity.
“Tyranny is playing quite cautiously,” Pan Lin emphasized the word “quite”.
“What? No one’s coming?” Seeing how Tyranny wasn’t coming, Ye Xiu immediately started taunting them.
Tyranny’s players were old generals, plus with their familiarity with Ye Xiu’s personality, no one was bothered by this bit of taunting. Tyranny’s five players ignored him. Zhang Jiale and Qin Muyun, the two Gunners, split to the left and right, expanding their team’s field of vision while forming a pincer towards Lord Grim. Han Wenqing, Lin Jingyan, and Zhang Xinjie formed a triangle. Desert Dust and Dark Thunder at the front, while Zhang Xinjie’s Immovable Rock stood at the back. The three slowly advanced.
Tyranny wasn’t like before. In the past, the team would have charged forward as if they were trying to cut open a mountain. Now, they were gently carrying out their offense as if they were droplets of water grinding down stone. The current Tyranny was almost unrecognizable.
Ye Xiu didn’t continue with his trash talk. He had lord Grim retreat back.
He had no choice but to retreat.
Tyranny’s formation looked to be very simple, but Ye Xiu was able to tell that their formation could cover a large area. At the same time, they could shrink and extend freely, instantly converging into Tyranny’s specialty, a frontal a.s.sault.
“Looks like they’ve got a few new tricks up their sleeves.”
It seemed to be just a few simple adjustments, but it left a deep impression in Ye Xiu. He could see that this formation was finally bringing out Zhang Xinjie’s talents to the fullest. Zhang Xinjie’s style conflicted with Tyranny’s. After a series of adjustments from the team, they were beginning to a.s.similate together perfectly.
One of the four Master Tacticians, Zhang Xinjie.
The Zhang Xinjie who won the champions.h.i.+ps as a starter in the main roster in his first year.
His potential was still far from being cleanly realized!
Ye Xiu retreated.
He chose to retreat without even attempting anything.
He was clear and decisive, leaving the hesitation for Tyranny.
Lord Grim came alone. He obviously couldn’t 1v5, and it was obvious what Happy was planning.
Tyranny wasn’t familiar with the map, so they didn’t know what sort of ambushes Happy could set up. Zhang Jiale and Qin Muyun scouted their two sides and confirmed that there was no possibility of a pincer. Tyranny had just come from the back. From how much time had pa.s.sed, it wasn’t possible for Happy to have circled around them.
In that case, Ye Xiu had come alone to bait them into an ambush. Now that he had retreated, if Tyranny advanced forward, they would certainly be caught in an ambush. However, if they did not advance and stalled for time, they would give an opportunity for Happy to circle around them.
Zhang Jiale and Qin Muyun had confirmed that their left and right sides were safe. The altar itself was a flat area, but there were numerous ambush spots in the surroundings. The altar wasn’t that large either, so using the surroundings as cover to set up an ambush was a big threat.
If Tyranny didn’t move, would Happy seize the opportunity to surround them?
No one could tell what plans the two teams had in mind. Everyone could only wait and see.
Tyranny didn’t move. Happy didn’t move.
Tyranny didn’t give chase. As a result, Ye Xiu didn’t have Lord Grim continue retreating. Happy’s four characters, who were hiding in the residential area, stayed still too.
The ten years of rivalry didn’t immediately set off blazing sparks, instead, the two sides were carefully probing each other’s actions. It had to be known that with their understanding of each other, neither side originally needed to do any probing to know the other side’s thoughts.
However, Ye Xiu had a new team behind him, and Han Wenqing’s unyielding fierceness that had been a part of him for ten years had begun to become more flexible.
The two pro players at the ends of their career, the two rivals of ten years were still as diligent as ever, looking for ways to break through.
It was because of this that the two sides were more careful. They wanted to be the first to see through their changed opponent, while not letting themselves be seen through.
Ye Xiu didn’t retreat. Han Wenqing didn’t advance. The confrontation lasted nearly 30 seconds, when suddenly, Tyranny headed diagonally in the 10 o’clock direction.
This movement had been as swift as the wind. Tyranny’s original style was instantly displayed. When the team had been making adjustments, they didn’t let go of their strongest and most reliable weapon.
However, Ye Xiu had seen this weapon many times and didn’t even raise an eyebrow towards it. Instead, when he saw the fierce charge, he smirked.
“What are you charging blindly for? You guys aren’t surrounded.” Ye Xiu typed into the chat.
How could he not see through Tyranny’s intent? The standoff was to let Happy make their setup. Then, before Happy could complete their encirclement, they would suddenly burst out and break through it.
“Yes, how could you not see it?” Zhang Xinjie replied.
“Then, what are you planning?” Ye Xiu asked.
“Positioning.” Zhang Xinjie replied.
Ye Xiu was surprised. When he took a look at Tyranny’s position right now, Tyranny was outside of the altar. Behind them was a flat path, which they could either advance or retreat from. To their left and right was the forest. Compared to their previous position at the center of the altar, they were much less in the open and in a far better position than before.
Li Yibo had a.n.a.lyzed as such. After listeners heard his a.n.a.lysis, they couldn’t help but question it.
Is that all?
Everyone thought to themselves.
All they did was move from one place to another, had Tyranny really needed to be so careful? If Tyranny had just strolled over, what would happen? Ye Xiu’s Lord Grim would rush at them and try to stop them?
That was what everyone else thought, but not Ye Xiu.
It was a very simple movement, but this simple movement showed Tyranny’s spirit.
The Tyranny of before had centered around their captain, Han Wenqing. The Tyranny of today had finally begun s.h.i.+fting their center towards their vice-captain, Zhang Xinjie.