=== StormBlitz ====

Aegis (Support) - Druid

Athena (Carry) - Elf

Adapting (Mid) - Aeromancer

Average (Jungler) - Lancer

Apprentece (Top) - Knight

 

=== Sweepers ===

IronWall (Support) - Cryomancer

Argus (Carry) - Gunslinger

Esmeralda (Mid) - Warlock

MegaHawk (Jungler) - Vampire

Ignis (Top) - Warrior

 

Our lineup is overly defensive. Jin thought as he examined the final picks. StormBlitz had Paladin, Elf, and Aeromancer. These were all classes known for their defensive potential. As I thought, they’re a hyper defensive team.

Jin didn't only research his foes. He was told ahead of time he'll be playing alongside StormBlitz, so he researched his potential teammates as well. It was useful information to have, both for today’s match and for their inevitable clash at the regional.

The enemy of my enemy is a friend this time. Jin reasoned. I'll have to make sure they don't fall behind, or else they'll drag me down with them.

Even though this was an exam intended for Jin alone, he had to pay at least some attention to the baggage that was StormBlitz. No matter how well Jin plays he won't be able to carry an entire game by himself, not against pro players. As such, it was necessary to know what this team lacked in order to fill in the gaps.

All of them will focus on defense, so I'll have to go with a more aggressive build. Jin concluded based on the information at hand.

"Just so we're on the same page," Howard suddenly spoke up. "In case you're not aware, our team generally prefers to play defensively. So, keep that in mind when you build items."

Did he just read my thoughts? Jin knotted his brows. "Yes, I figured you play defense. So, I plan to build power to compensate for weak offense."

"Compensate?" Howard blinked. "No, no. You got it all wrong. You see, this isn't a ‘weakness’ in our formation. That’s just our playstyle. We focus on defense and win in the late-game."

"I understand that," Jin said. "But, if nobody builds some offense early on, the team will lose both early and middle game."

"We just have to defend well enough to prevent that from happening," Howard said plainly. "As long as we maintain solid defense, we don’t have to worry. We'll safely reach the late-game and then turn the tables on our opponents."

I feel like I've heard these exact same words before... Jin made a face. "Is this a popular strategy in the west?"

"Hmm. No, I wouldn't say so. At least, I'm not aware of pros favoring defense over offense in particular."

"Is that so." Jin didn't have any statistics to back up either claim so he left it at that. But, it's peculiar. The captains of the two strongest regional teams are hellbent on defense. Is that just a coincidence...?

"Alright, I understand," Jin said. "I'll keep my build balanced." 

"Thanks."

"But, I want to start with power. I need it to compete with Warrior."

"Alright, you do you."

And so, Jin got the green light to open this game with a more aggressive build. Then again, he would've gone for that build even if his teammates objected. Nonetheless, it was more efficient to stay on their good side. All of them were together here in this difficult match, so they'll have to cooperate to grasp victory.

At the very least, their defense should be able to slow down the pros a little. That'll give me more time to make strong plays that leave an impression.

After finishing his preparations, Jin headed into the jungle alongside Average, the Jungler.

The team captain briefly introduced Jin to everybody, including their real names, but Jin couldn't be bothered to remember that many names at once. Besides, none of these players seemed like they'll leave much of an impression on him, so there was no reason to remember their names.

It was that much easier to address everybody by their IGN since those were always visible in-game. So, the Jungler was just called “Average”, no other name.

"Heya, what's up?" Average saluted with a smile. He seemed like the chatterbox type.

"Hm." Jin frowned.

A professional match was no place for idle chatter, that should be known to anybody. And yet, this Average guy seemed like he was planning to strike some casual conversation. His eyes were filled with curiosity, no doubt regarding Jin’s background.

I'd like to ignore him but I don't know how he'll react if I give him the cold shoulder. The captain and the Jungler are the two people I have to stay on good terms with, so I suppose I'll have to entertain this guy a little.

"Hey," Jin responded weakly.

"Say, I was wondering," Average continue the conversation as if it was the most natural thing to do. "How the heck did you manage to grab a cool nickname like Apprentice? Aren't there tons of players who'd grab if it was available? Like, I'd understand it if it was TheApprentice or Apprentice69, but just Apprentice? Wild."

"Please, Danny," Athena interjected. "I think you better learn how to read."

"Say what?"

"Look carefully at the letters. Does it really say 'Apprentice'?" 

"Pretty dang sure it does. It’s Apprent... Apprentence!? The heck is that!? It got 'e' instead of 'i'! I feel so robbed, WTF. What's the deal with that?" 

"It’s similar on purpose," Jin delivered his usual explanation, the one that made him sound smart. "Humans don't read words letter by letter. They see the beginning and ending of a word and usually assume what entire word is. So, I used that to make the name look like Apprentice."

"Damn, son. That's some 200 IQ strat right there! So, the mind games start all the way at the selection screen, huh."

"Sure." Jin simply nodded without asking to elaborate on that nonsense. After all, the first rule of dealing with chatterboxes was by communicating as little as possible, to not give them any topics to latch onto.

On top of that, his IGN was one topic he definitely didn't want to linger on. The more he had to talk about it, the more awkward the whole thing would become. After all, the "smart" explanation he gave regarding his name was just that, a "smart" explanation he prepared in advance. The real story behind it was far more embarrassing. 

"Alrighty, we're done here," Average announced as they finished clearing the wraiths and wolves. "Seeya! Don't hesitate to call if you need help." 

"Sure." Jin nodded. You're the Jungler, so of course I'll use your services. You exist to help the laners, so I'm glad you understand that much, at least.

All in all, the first contact with this chatter-box was a success. Jin ended the conversation without coming across as rude or uncaring.

That was a good start. For now, the Jungler was very much willing to cooperate.

So, it begins. Jin stepped into Top Lane. His minions had just arrived, and so did Ignis. She was sporting a mana buff and already at Lv.2, just like Jin.

It was good. They started off on equal footing. From here, it was up to Jin to prove his individual skill in lane.

Top Lane was usually the most uneventful part of the map. It was subject to fewer ganks because the classes there were tanks or bruisers, making them unappealing targets for assassination. 

As a result, the majority of the laning process was a pure 1v1 contest between the two laners. It was almost like playing Duel mode within the larger MOBA mode.

That's why this is the best role for me to play during this test. Jin reasoned.

Across his many years of practicing Classmancers, Jin had a fair share of experience playing alongside inferior players. His conclusion was that the best way to carry a weaker team was by playing Top or Jungler because Mid and Carry were too fragile for the task.

So, as long as Jin played Top, his weak team won’t be too much of a baggage. That logic applied to the current game alongside StormBlitz, and it also applied to when Jin played with the Leopards. Whenever the team was untrustworthy, it was best to play Top.

However, his lane opponent looked at it differently.

You made a grave mistake picking Top, kid. Ignis grinned. Nobody will save you here. I'm free to crush you whenever I feel like it.

The poor boy was like a cornered mouse. There was nowhere for him to escape here.

Well, for now, let's see if you even know how to farm. Ignis didn't attack the enemy swordsmen. Instead, she ran past the frontline and reached the bowmen in the back.

And, as she passed by the swordsmen, she saw the Knight heading in the opposite direction. Both of them broke past each other’s frontlines while ignoring the swordsmen. Why? Because that was the superior tactic for their classes, especially in this matchup.

So, he knows the basics of high-level play, at least. Ignis nodded. That's a start.

Among intermediate-level players, it was more common to see Knights and Warriors charge through the front gate. They usually pushed the swordsmen toward the backline, then finished the job there.

However, in most cases, starting from the backline was actually the superior high-level approach. Even the Chinese kid seemed to understand that much.

So, we had the same idea. Jin nodded in approval as he watched Ignis head in the opposite direction. It was only natural for a pro to capitalize on the best farming method in this matchup. Finally, I get to have a high-level match here. It's been a while since I faced anybody who was worth my time.

Jin and Ignis circled around each other's backlines. From these positions, they were ready to push the unsuspecting bowmen all the way to the frontline.

Knight had Shield Bash whereas Warrior had Fearless Charge. Both skills involved charging forward and pushing all enemies along the way.

And so, Jin and Ignis booted their skill at about the same time. They knocked all the bowmen toward the heart of the battlefield.

As a result, the center of the lane turned into a messy crowd. But, that’s exactly what Jin wanted.

After Shield Bash, he followed up with Blade Swing, slicing through the entire enemy squad. The blade spared nobody, neither the swordsmen nor the bowmen.

The blow wasn't enough to kill but it sufficiently injured the enemy forces, bringing some of them down to 50% HP. From there, Jin simply had to cut down the enemies one by one.

Unlike Jin's combo of Shield Bash into Blade Swing, Ignis didn't have a direct follow-up for her Fearless Charge. This combo was one of the main reasons Knight was considered a "better Warrior", for it was such an important laning tool.

Nonetheless, experienced Warriors knew how to compensate for that difference in burst damage. And, even as a low-ranking pro, Ignis knew to do that much.

Soon after she pushed the bowmen toward the swordsmen- BAM! Her entire body exploded! Jin's whole squad was caught up in the powerful explosion! 

Such an over-the-top skin effect. Jin shook his head in disapproval at the large explosion. I'm pretty sure this one is banned in official matches.

It looked as if a bomb just went off, but in truth, it was just Warrior’s shield from the War Cry skill. Once the shield expired - it exploded and dealt AoE damage around the Warrior.

The damage was proportional to the percentage of the shield’s remaining health. Since nobody has damaged Ignis' shield during this entire exchange, the shield exploded with maximum power.

The damage wasn't anything special by itself. However, when combined with the damage of Ignis's Fearless Charge, her total damage rivaled Jin's output. And so, the two of them still remained on equal footing even after this first exchange.

But, the round wasn’t over yet. Next, they had to finish off the minions in front of them as efficiently as possible. And, to gain an advantage during circumstances like this, Knight had its trusty passive.

The Chivalry passive boosted the defense of nearby allied minions, making them harder to kill. Therefore, when starting from equal footing on lane, this passive should have tilted the odds in the Knight’s favor.

But, it just so happened that his opponent was Warrior who had the Battle Thirst passive. The skill buffed the Warrior’s Attack Power based on the number of nearby enemies. So, while Jin’s entire army was alive and kicking, Ignis’s basic attacks hit pretty hard.

The two passives almost canceled each other out. Knight’s Chivalry was still the superior passive because it buffed each and every minion, unlike Warrior’s selfish Battle Thirst. And yet, the end result of this round was a draw.

As expected, even with building extra early power, it’s not enough to outclear a pro-level Warrior. Jin nodded in satisfaction. This is good. It's been a while since I got to face somebody of this level in lane. I'm glad to see that being a B-Leaguer means something in the west too.

B-League was the level at which a player was considered a "real pro". Below that, in C-League, the "pro players" were more like "aspiring pros”. They were pretty much newbies who were trying to climb their way into the real leagues.

Thankfully, Ignis was a B-Leaguer so she should be above such amateurism. Her farming was pretty much flawless even with a rather niche class like Warrior. She knew exactly how to time her shield so it'd explode the moment she grouped up the minions. It was fast and accurate execution.

But, that's just the basics. Jin thought. In Korea, even C-Leaguer are held to a standard like this. The real question is, how is she going to play from here?

The farming race ended in a draw, with both sides eliminating each other’s armies. And so, only Jin and Ignis remained in the lane.

The next minion wave was already on its way, but it'll take a while before it arrives. In other words, this was a pure 1v1 situation at the moment.

What's more, each of them was currently extending a little into enemy territory. That was the result of the farming technique they used to optimize their clear times. By starting from the backline, they inevitably finished their farming on the enemy side of the lane.

Of course, they were sure to stick close enough to the center for it to not count as an extension. But, it didn’t change the fact they were currently standing in each other’s territory. In other words, they had no choice but to run into each other as they switch sides.

I'd rather avoid fighting this early if I can help it. Jin cautiously circled around his opponent. His plan was to peacefully return to his territory without any unnecessary clashes.

Early-game fights are more prone to RNG because we have low HP and defense. So, surely you agree we shouldn’t gamble here, right? He directed the question at his lane opponent, who was eagerly watching his every move.

Ignis was like a hawk watching her prey. It almost felt like she was planning to initiate combat right here and now, despite how unprofessional it was.

What's wrong, kid? Ignis grinned. Too scared to fight early on? Then, I'll strike first!

Fighting early was dangerous, but that's exactly what made it so exciting! The line between success and failure was so thin it made the heart race!

Batting an eye for just a moment could prove fatal here. Every second, every millisecond, counted. It was the epitome of how intense duels should be like!

Alrighty, let's pretend I also plan to walk away peacefully. Ignis moved toward her side of the lane without starting anything yet.

Nevertheless, she kept a close watch on the brat from the corner of her eye. In addition, she ensured they were close enough to each other as they passed by.

And, the moment their positions aligned horizontally - Ignis went for it! She Dodge Rolled to close the distance in an instant, then swung her giant blade at the enemy!

She's really going for it!? Jin gulped. 

And so, an early brawl broke out! Will Jin be able to fend off this early-game berserker woman!?