Chapter 89

### Chapter 89: First Scrim

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I immediately launched the dedicated server client for the tournament to prepare for the scrim. Although it had been gathering dust due to the lack of proper use, I already had a dedicated account from the tryout, so it wasn't difficult.

­Welcome!

I then launched the practice mode and checked the settings.

'Hmm.'

Smooth and seamless.

To the point where I could fully showcase my skills here.

As expected, the computers and equipment in the first-team practice room were incomparable to those in the second-team practice room. The monitor's refresh rate was at least 240Hz, and the computer's specifications were capable of running even the most demanding settings.

Even though League of Legends is known for its excellent optimization, the equipment here could objectively be considered quite good.

'Well, it is the first-team practice room of a first-division league, after all.'

I already knew from rumors and experience that YSG has a significant disparity between the first team, second team, and trainees. Not only in the gaming environment but also in terms of personal rooms and snacks.

Of course, with limited budget, this is inevitable, but the disparity, or rather, the discrimination, is so pronounced that there are many discussions among the trainees.

'...But, that's not important right now.'

SCV.

The team we, or rather, I, will face from now on.

There was no room for complacency with such an opponent.

[YSG Outlaw]

My nickname appeared.

It was the nickname I had just changed.

'Ugh...'

To be honest, I accepted YSG's offer not only because I wanted to debut as a pro but also because I wanted to confirm the doubts I had.

A choice I could make at any time.

Due to the various aspects of YSG I had seen so far, I didn't have much attachment to the team. If my doubts turned into certainty, I was prepared to leave YSG without hesitation.

But why?

Seeing my ID with a new affiliation felt... strange.

"Um... I've invited you."

The one who awkwardly spoke to me was Kim Man-gi, YSG's top laner and team captain, sitting to my right. The seating arrangement in the practice room followed the standard order: support, ADC, mid, jungle, and top, so it seemed Kim Man-gi was the one who spoke due to the proximity.

"Ah, yes."

While I was spacing out, it seemed all the preparations were complete, and the game invitation had arrived.

[“...”]

[“...”]

Despite the imminent scrim against SCV, an awkward atmosphere filled the practice room. It wasn't just because of me; the room had always had a stark silence.

"Alright, everyone knows who we're facing today, right? It's an important scrim, so focus."

At that moment, Coach Park Tae-hyung's voice from behind made me involuntarily shudder.

'Now that I think about it... from now on, coaches will also participate in the ban and pick process.'

When scrimming with the second team and trainees, the coach did not participate in the ban and pick. However, now that we were scrimming against another team, Coach Park Tae-hyung started to participate actively.

'By the way, there are other coaches, right? What was the name...'

To be honest, he wasn't a particularly noticeable coach, so I hadn't memorized his name yet.

'From what I've seen, it seems Coach Park Tae-hyung does most of the work.'

Of course, I'm sure Coach Choi Tae-dal and other coaches are also busy in their own ways, but from my perspective, that's how it seems.

It's surprising how YSG has managed to function so far.

"Man-gi, we're on the blue side, and we'll play four games, alternating. Everyone, line up."

Following Coach Park Tae-hyung's instructions, we lined up, and soon the nicknames of YSG and SCV players were gathered in one place.

[Blue Team]──────────

(Diamond 1) YSG ManGi

(Grandmaster) YSG Outlaw

(Challenger) YSG GoGoSing

(Challenger) YSG JuWon

(Grandmaster) YSG YYYSSS

───────────────

[Red Team]──────────

(Challenger) SCV KING

(Challenger) SCV Vendetta

(Challenger) SCV AllDay

(Challenger) SCV BlackDog

(Challenger) SCV WhiteCat

───────────────

Seeing the complete lineup of SCV, my heart raced.

All Challengers.

In contrast, our team had only the mid and ADC at Challenger.

'Well, I'm only Grandmaster for now...'

Of course, solo queue rankings don't fully represent a pro player's skill, but there is a certain weight to the visible scores.

For pro players, solo queue is a place to practice new meta and expand champion pools after completing team schedules, or a place to relieve stress accumulated throughout the day.

The important thing is that for pro players, solo queue is always a secondary priority. Achieving high scores despite a lack of focus indicates a high level of inherent skill.

In that sense, the force SCV exuded was something that made the viewer feel overwhelmed.

'YSG may not have great teamwork, but the individual skills are not bad... the comparison is clear.'

Top-tier teams and lower-tier teams.

The gap between the two teams was more significant than the visible ranking difference.

The ban and pick process began.

Our team was on the blue side, the bottom side, and had the first pick.

[“Well, since it's the first game, I want to see the full potential of the ADC. Is the bottom side okay?”]

[“Yes.”]

[“Good, then I want to ban Leesin first. Outlaw, what about you?”]

“Sure.”

[“Alright, let's ban Leesin first.”]

+

[Ban List]

Leesin / Raze

BaeGho / Lucian

ShenZao / Diana

+

Coach Park Tae-hyung said.

[“Well, this is Jason. Do you want to take him?”]

Currently, Jason is a champion with a very high tier in the tournament. His strong laning phase makes him a solid first pick, and he is a versatile champion who can do almost anything, from laning to poking.

Of course, he's not without flaws, but in the current meta, his strengths outweigh his weaknesses, making him a highly banned champion.

[“Man-gi, can you handle him?”]

However, Jason has a more critical flaw beyond his champion-specific performance.

[“...”]

It's the champion's difficulty.

Jason is a champion that requires a skilled player. While his basic skill set is very good, he is not as extreme as some champions that require a high MMR, but he is still a difficult champion to handle.

In fact, the evaluations of Jason among pro players have always been divided, making it even more so.

[“Man-gi?”]

[“...Let me try.”]

The response was quite delayed.

Just from that, it was clear that Kim Man-gi's confidence had dropped significantly.

'He was actually in Diamond.'

I remember he was in Master just a few days ago... it seems his tier has dropped further in the past few days.

'But for Coach Park Tae-hyung to specifically ask him to play Jason, there must be several reasons.'

The biggest reason is probably to confirm whether Kim Man-gi can use Jason.

Does Kim Man-gi's Jason work?

If it doesn't, what should be done? Should a ban card be used? Or should a counter pick be prepared?

'That's the domain of the coaching staff, but...'

It would be a lie to say I'm not worried.

There are two main ways to counter a first-pick Jason.

The first is to pick a tank champion and endure.

The second is to pick a melee champion like Irelia and engage in a direct fight.

The first is a safe choice, and the second is risky but has a high return.

While I was lost in these thoughts, the opponent made their picks.

[ Ezreal ]

[ Nidalee ]

Even though our top laner was the first pick, the fact that they didn't pick a top laner suggests that they were likely targeting Ezreal and Nidalee.

Coach Park Tae-hyung seemed to agree.

[“They probably picked to counter our poke composition. They'll likely take Renekton. Should we take him?”]

[“Sure.”]

[“Good. Let's take Renekton.”]

Renekton was picked.

[“Next, hmm... do you want to pick the jungle? It's fine to go bottom.”]

“I'll go bottom.”

[“...Really?”]

Coach Park Tae-hyung's voice sounded surprised, as he didn't expect me to go bottom.

But I had a reason.

The moment I saw the general ban and pick structure, I had a feeling.

This game, I need to take the lead.

[“Then let's take the ADC. Ashe or Aphelios, which one do you prefer?”]

[“Ashe would be better.”]

[“Alright, let's go with Ashe.”]

The third picks for both teams were completed.

+

[Our Team / Enemy Team]

Jason / Ezreal

Renekton / Nidalee

Ashe / Ornn

+

Unlike solo queue, in tournaments, after the third picks, both teams have two additional bans.

'Hmm.'

Our top and mid picks were Jason and Renekton, so we naturally needed an AP champion.

However, the highest-tier AP champions in the current meta, Diana and Nidalee, were either banned or picked.

This severely limited the champions I could play.

'AP junglers that are viable in the current meta... Rumble, and champions that synergize with Renekton like Elise, Cassiopeia, and maybe Lillia or Talon?'

None of these picks are easy to make.

Especially considering my role as the 1AP, a hard carry, champions like Rumble or Cassiopeia would be preferable.

At that moment.

[ Rumble ]

[ Cassiopeia ]

Rumble and Cassiopeia were banned.

This further narrowed my options.

'...Well, maybe it's for the best.'

If I had more options, I would have hesitated, but with such limited choices, there was no need to hesitate.

[“Now we need to pick the jungle. What do you want to play? You know it has to be an AP champion, right?”]

“Elise, please.”

[“...Are you sure?”]

“Yes.”

In the current meta, Elise has two faces.

In solo queue, she is a solid Tier 1 champion, but unfortunately, she is not highly regarded in tournaments.

This is due to the inherent limitation of Elise, who loses power as the game progresses.

So, how can we win with Elise?

The answer is clear.

'Let's try it.'

A solo queue-style game-breaking play.

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