Maverick overextended after aggressively clearing the minions, just like in the previous wave. She seemed dead-set on pushing.
But I doubt it's that simple. Yuel thought. She strikes me as smart, so I doubt she is oblivious to the danger.
Judging by the few exchanges Maverick had against Kai, it was evident the girl was rough around the edges when it came to execution. On the flip side, her strategic finesse seemed rather decent. This was the one area in which Yuel didn't feel comfortable underestimating the girl.
I wonder where their Jungler is right now? Yuel scanned the mini-map. We last saw him near Top, and there were no signs of him reaching Bot so far. Hmm. Why does this feel so familiar...
Actually, it wasn't just familiar. It was pretty much the same scenario as last time when Luke got counter-ganked. Except, this time, Maverick was pushing even more aggressively, almost as if begging to be ganked.
If this is bait, then it's too obvious. Yuel reasoned. In fact, it's so obvious that it almost looks genuine. One of those cases where it's hard to tell incompetence apart from trickery.
Was Maverick overextending in desperation? Or was she baiting Luke?
I think it's safer to assume this is intentional. Yuel concluded. If they get another kill here, they might reclaim enough momentum to pose a threat. Meanwhile, we won't lose much if we play it safe.
Stratus was the stronger team, so they'll win this game for sure if there aren't any big surprises. As such, it made the most sense to minimize risks and sail smoothly toward victory.
But I don't want this to become a throwaway game. Yuel thought. We can play passively and slowly strangle the weaker opponent, but that isn't very educational. Nobody on the team will improve as a player from this experience.
This was a scrimmage, an event designed for testing one's mettle before the real deal. So, if there was a good time to be proactive and try all sorts of ideas, it was now. Therefore, instead of running away from this challenge, Yuel wanted to face it head-on.
Okay, let's suppose Maverick is baiting us. Then, how do I counter that?
This was a somewhat unusual scenario. Usually, it was Yuel's team that was regarded as the underdog, so he and his teammates were the ones who had to come up with tricks to get the win.
However, in this match, Stratus was the top dog. The Tycoons were much weaker, so they were the ones who had to rack their brains and come up with creative ideas. And that's exactly what Maverick has been doing.
This was an interesting puzzle. What would be the best way to deliver a gank on Mid without running the risk of a counter-gank?
Logically, the right play would be to give up on the gank, Yuel answered to himself, but that's a boring approach. This is a rare opportunity for us to practice against a weaker opponent who is doing their best to find a winning strategy. We should make the most of it.
In theory, if Kai and Luke were to perfectly coordinate their attacks on Maverick, then they should be able to take her out before the enemy gets a chance to counterattack. But that would require pitch-perfect teamwork, the kind that Taurus' Triangle had. Kai and Luke weren't up to the task.
I need something simpler and more definitive. Yuel racked his brain on this for a while. He could cancel the operation at any time, but he didn't want to. There was a lot of merit to winning such a delicate exchange.
Hmm. A strategy that can take down a weak but smart opponent… It was like trying to figure out Stratus' own weaknesses. From the point of view of powerhouses, Stratus must've looked just like this at first.
Of course, Stratus managed to prove their mettle over time, so nobody should be looking at them that way today. Nonetheless, the reality was that their overall team power paled compared ot the Leopards'. They managed to force a 2-3 against the regional champions only thanks to the element of surprise and unusual tactics.
In this game, we're the powerhouse, Yuel asserted, and funnily enough, I find this quite a difficult position to be in.
The stronger team was supposed to win, but competitive games were almost never that simple. There were certain risks that only the underdog was willing to take, as they had far less to lose. And said risks sometimes led to big gains, big enough to claim victory.
Meanwhile, on paper, Stratus could easily coast to victory via brute strength. That encouraged minimizing risks and sticking to straightforward meta concepts.
But that's a dangerous thread to tread. Yuel thought. I don't want anybody on the team to think that it's alright to "take it easy" against a weaker opponent. That kind of mindset leads to negligence in critical moments.
Therefore, Yuel wanted to win decisively here. Stratus had no use for easy wins. Even from an inherently advantageous position, they should seek further dominance.
And so, Yuel examined multiple lines of play. He simulated in his head how his knight piece would invade the enemy territory in order to attack the enemy rook. However, in this play, the knight was running the risk of getting captured by the enemy bishop instead.
Some of the analogy is lost in translation, but there is an interesting point here. Yuel realized. The bishop is posing a threat, but he has to get closer in order to get anything done. That might be an opening.
"Luke, there's a slight change of plans."
"Whaaaat?" Luke made a face. "In the 90th minute? I'm already ready to gank, man."
"That's fine. Go ahead, but don't commit all the way." Yuel instructed. "There's a high chance they'll counter-gank, so I want you to pull a little trick. Kai, you need to listen to this, too."
And so, Yuel laid out the counter-counter-gank idea he came up with. On paper, it sounded smart. However, when it came to this many layers of outsmarting, it was debatable whether it was even worth pursuing the play in the first place.
Nonetheless, Yuel pressed on. There was valuable experience to be gained from pushing themselves like this, even against a weaker opponent.
And so, the counter-counter-gank plan was set in motion. Will Stratus be able to turn the tables on Maverick's trickery? Or will all this overcomplication blow up in their faces? The answer shall reveal itself soon.