Classmancers - A MOBA Esport Story - Part 3

Vol.17 Ch.22: The Mid-Game Plan

The mid-game was about to hit. There was no official in-game announcement for it, but both teams knew the time had almost come.

The exact timing of "mid-game" varied from match to match depending on various factors, the most noticeable of which was the progress of the players' builds. Once most players have finished building their core items - it was time for action! At least, usually, it was.

However, in this case, the Leopards preferred to postpone the mid-game for as long as possible, therefore they didn't make a move. As such, the ball was in Stratus' court. It was up to Yuel to declare when the mid-game will begin.

Nia finished building Imperial Spear, so it's time. He made the decision based on this one particular key item. It was a strong item for Ninja that turned Izuna Drop into a deadlier weapon than it already was.

As such, this was a good time to begin the mid-game. This phase was a double-edged sword for Junglers, but a very necessary one in this case.

Since players usually stuck together during the mid-game, it was that much harder to pick somebody off the way Nia liked. However, on the flip side, the mid-game was much more hectic and dynamic, making it harder for the enemy to defend optimally.

The Leopards sure know how to defend themselves from all sides when things are calm. Yuel thought. This is pretty much like Cato's pawn defense in chess.

Judging by their chess game, Cato had this very peculiar approach to strategy. Though the majority of his moves ultimately followed chess theory, for some reason, the guy was obsessed with erecting a wall of defense made of pawns. He even sacrificed some of his early development to that end.

Though this approach went against many chess teachings, it was admittedly effective at frustrating the enemy and making them struggle to find any good options. Yuel fell into that hellhole during their match and found himself suffocated, unable to make a single good move.

Instead of searching for ways to attack, I should've disrupted the pace of the game first. Yuel thought. If I just dragged him out of his defensive shell first, then an opening would've presented itself eventually.

Alas, Yuel wasn't at the top of his game back then, so he got caught up in the spider's web. He believed he was in full control of the board due to his superior piece development, so he tried to utilize that advantage to mount a strong, decisive attack. And, that tunnel vision became his undoing.

It's actually similar to what happened to Nia in Top. Yuel thought. She could only think about attacking since she found a rare opportunity, so she rushed in. Fortunately, there weren't any counterattacks in this case, but these sorts of mistakes are what Cato usually feeds on.

The guy's obnoxious wall of defense just naturally triggers his opponents, making them desperately search for some kind of opportunity to attack. But, at best, the attacks fail, and at worst, they lead to getting countered.

We just have to accept the fact that the Leopards' defense is at its highest during the early-game. Yuel thought. As long as they can safely turtle in their lanes, it's almost impossible to get any kills on them.

As such, it was best to start dragging them out of their comfort zone as soon as possible. Once they're forced to move around the map and respond to unfolding situations on the fly -that's where Nia might get her next chance to strike.

The next time she gets an opportunity, we really need her to score a kill. Yuel thought. And, it looks like I have to arrange such an opportunity for her.

Waiting for Nia to discover such an opportunity by herself was out of the question. The Leopards will most certainly reinforce their defenses further after Nia's attempt at Challenger's life. As such, it will take Nia a long time to find another opening like that, if she ever finds one.