So Jian Zihao had the five players take the stage.
"Remember, everyone, play the first game according to Director Jian’s strategy and tactics."
After Ding Yue gave his final reminders, he watched the five players leave the dressing room backstage and walk towards the competition stage in the front.
"We can see that today, our FY team’s starting lineup is—
Bottom ADC: Xiongxiong!
The commentator grandly introduced the FY team’s starting lineup for today’s final.
This lineup was FY team’s original lineup.
When the domestic netizens and audience saw the starting lineup, they couldn’t help but cheer.
After all, this was the lineup they most wanted to see, as each player was dearly loved, and together, they were the FY team’s strongest battleship!
"Today the FY team has finally sent out their original starting lineup; this is bound to be a suspenseful best of five finals!"
"Yes, now Korea’s Big Tiger team has also appeared, with their familiar five starting players, who are..."
Swiftly, the starting five players of Korea’s Big Tiger team also took the stage.
The same five people as in the semi-finals, who have always been Big Tiger team’s players, they have never replaced a player.
Both teams’ players entered the gaming area.
Then they tuned their competition-specific computers, and the ban phase began.
The ban decision of Korea appeared to be the result of a lot of effort; the style they demonstrated this time was completely different from the semi-finals.
This move could not help but make Jian Zihao a little sweaty.
After I researched your semi-final style, you present a completely new style of ban picks in the finals?
The banning of heroes was still manageable, as Jian Zihao successfully had his players ban several of Big Tiger team’s strong heroes.
But Big Tiger team’s hero selection was completely beyond Jian Zihao’s expectations, almost entirely different from his understanding of their team.
"Coach, their hero selection seems to be a different style from before," said Xiong Jiahao as the captain. He quickly spotted the issue and immediately communicated with the rest.
"Mm-hm, don’t panic just yet, let’s stick to the plan for our ban picks. What kind of trick is the Big Tiger team trying to pull this time?"
Jian Zihao first stabilized his players.
And then continued with the ban picks.
Big Tiger team’s bottom lane duo was kind of expected, but mid lane picked Jayce, potentially flexing to the top lane, while top lane was Gnar, also possibly flexing to mid.
The jungle was a mage jungle!
This lineup was not unusual because it was uncommon, but because Jian Zihao had not seen Korea’s Big Tiger team use such a lineup before.
The LPL commentators noticed as well and immediately said, "We can see that the Big Tiger team has unveiled their secret weapon right from the first game, it looks like they are ready to go all out."
"Our FY team’s hero selection is somewhat more standard, but facing Big Tiger team’s flex lineup, if Big Tiger correctly predicts our positions, it’s going to be uncomfortable in the lanes."
From the perspective of hero selection, it was apparent that Big Tiger team had the upper hand.
They had the initiative.
Generally, having the initiative during the ban pick phase is quite important.
However, this round couldn’t be helped.
Korea’s Big Tiger team played a ’sneaky’ one on Jian Zihao, directly revealing their secret strategy.
Well, nothing could be done there.
They would have to see how the players would adapt during the match.
"Don’t worry about the opponent’s lineup being fancy, no big deal. Just take each step carefully, play well, everyone, let’s go!"
Jian Zihao could only encourage his five players.
The five players responded.
After the ban picks were done, the coaches of both sides left the stage.
Jian Zihao returned to the backstage dressing room and said to Principal Ding, "Principal Ding, I really didn’t expect that Korea’s Big Tiger team would unveil their secret weapon in the very first game."
"It is indeed a bit surprising," Ding Yue nodded slightly, then added, "Let’s see how Xiong Jiahao and the others respond."
Now that the lineup was set and the game had started,
there wasn’t much more that Jian Zihao, as a coach, could do.
From now on in the game, it would depend on the individual performance of the players.
"Guys, let’s play steady early game and see what the opponents’ tactics are," Xiong Jiahao advised his teammates.
The teammates responded one after another.
Over at Korea’s Big Tiger team’s side, the players were chattering away in Korean, likely also engaged in active communication.
Ding Yue watched the game nervously.
Nobody could predict the outcome of the finals’ first game.
Ding Yue initially estimated the odds to be fifty-fifty; his own FY team might win, but Korea’s Big Tiger team could also win.
It all depended on whose players performed better.
Fans and netizens within the country were typing "Go FY" in the live broadcast chat, showing enthusiastic support.
"Neither side is initiating a team fight at level one in the river... "
"We can see that FY team’s vision in this position is quite good."
The commentators started to cover the official match.
Both teams were playing steadily and cautiously in the lane during the early phase, with FY team performing very securely, while Big Tiger team seemed to gradually become more aggressive.
After successfully flexing in the lanes, Big Tiger team attempted to dive the top-laner Wang Shilin in a two versus one dive.
Fortunately, Wang Shilin was quick to react, promptly clearing the minion wave with his abilities and retreating to the safety of his tower.
Without the minion wave, Big Tiger team’s top and jungle dared not act rashly.
The intense first game of the finals unfolded with Big Tiger team repeatedly looking for opportunities, all of which were diffused by FY team.
Indeed, for the first ten or so minutes, the teams were really going evenly head to head.
Each took a Canyon Pioneer, and the dragons were also taken alternately.
In the blink of an eye, the game time reached twenty-two minutes, and both sides prepared to make a play around the Baron.
And it was at this moment.
An astounding play shook the entire venue...