Sunday’s Semifinals between T1 and JDG gifted us a lot of flashy moments, highlights and topics for discussions. While people correctly discuss missed knight’s shockwave or Kanavi solo dying to Faker’s Azir in dragon pit, I find interesting that one particularly ugly play from Ruler, which costs JDG game 3, was completely unnoticed by most of the community. Even Chinese fans, during their votes for JDG players, put almost 9 from 10 on Ruler despite a loss and “Faker what was that” engagement.
The motivation of this post is not to flame Ruler or say that other JDG players didn’t do mistakes, but rather to empathize, that modern League of Legends is cruel to even smallest missteps and one single death can cost you all. Let’s dive in!
Pre-face
Before explaining how Ruler ruined his team’s life, let me touch on my logic and thinking process.
As for me, JDG is a team which likes to play around 2-items powerspike. I did some research before series, and found that most of time JDG stay even or at slight lead till the moment when Ruler reaches 2 items and only then they push the accelerator. JDG tries to time it before 20-minute to combine with Baron setup. Around 20:00 Ruler grabs 2nd item and having an item advantage set midlane priority. MISSING, Kanavi and knight pushes top-side of the map, destroy top-side tier-1 tower (if it is not yet destroyed), set vision and wait for knight and Kanavi to complete their items too, to initiate a Baron or fight at their terms.
Here the example for game 2 of the same series. JDG won a fight around 3rd dragon, but didn’t “press the button”, try to force Baron or anything like this, because the had no 2 items:
Instead, JDG prefers to take down midlane tier-1 tower and secure a dragon to prevent T1 from soul point. After that fight, both Kanavi and Ruler got their 2nd items, and they immediately transition to top-side and start pressure T1. Constant deep vision, priority at midlane and toplane, they control entire topside of the map and constantly force T1 to check Baron pit every 5 seconds and facecheck dark map:
Because the map is dark and full of terrors
JDG knows that they have a decent items advantage, but T1 did their best to hold relatively wellm until in 40 seconds after the screenshot I posted above, T1 in desperation tried to engage on JDG and get completely outclassed in team fight, which JDG transitioned to Baron and winning a game.
Actual play
Now, with game 2 in mind, let’s turn back to Game 3, 19:50 on the clock. T1 are formally ahead in kills and at the soul point, but JDG, unlike game 1, are more than happy to take this trade:
Why JDG are happy despite the formal “bad game state” from a neutral viewer perspective?
Because they are ahead at tempo.
T1 were just forced to recall, but actually none of their players managed to grab 2nd item. Because of bad recall timers, they are heavily bleeding on the map. Knight just pushed tier-1 tower at the toplane, 369 set a slowpushing wave at toplane, and Zeus must answer it, Ruler has a priority on midlane. More to this, Ruler is ahead of everyone in items tempo thanks to cheaper lethality build and cs difference with Gumayusi. After clearing the next wave, which you see on the screen, he will have enough for his 2nd item — Manamune.
Following the JDG masterplan, I have little doubts that their thought process was the next: Ruler buys 2nd item and returns to midlane. Having an item advantage, he can easily set a prio and we will try to break midlane T1 tower, and start setting deep vision in enemy jungle, thanks to Knight wo just secure a tower at the toplane and is pretty close to his 2nd item. Our goal is to stay ahead in tempo, get 2nd item for Kanavi and 369, and force a Baron, same as we did in a lot of our previous games like BDS, LNG, BLG, KT.
Ruler happily clears the wave and start recalling having in mind his 2nd item and next steps … But then …
Completely not expecting to see Aatrox punching you into your face**, Ruler just solo died to Zeus … 4 seconds after Baron was spawned!**
Kanavi tried to safe Ruler, used his ultimate, but end up being caught, chunked to 10% HP and had little chances to contest Baron. T1 claimed Nashor, killed Kanavi and entire play would turn into a complete disaster, but T1 got too excited, tried to kill 369 and got caught, dying in 3 and leaving Baron baff only on Faker and Gumayusi.
Inverse logic
Some people think it was not that big mistake, and they have a good rationale just at the surface: at the end, T1 didn’t use this Baron at all, was only like 900 gold Baron powerplay, didn’t break a base and even managed to lose a fight for Dragon soul, delyaing game. Then they traded soul for 2nd Baron with JDG, JDG started to push and was close to win until flashy Faker engage on Azir.
But I have here an inverse logic: if T1 even after a won fight and with Baron did so little, can you imagine how bad it would be without that kill and transition to Baron? They basically ruined entire JDG plan, break their tempo, delayed game by 5 more minutes, buying time for Aatrox and Faker to scale to 3 items. JDG was forced to choose next Baron over dragon soul for T1, they were no longer ahead in tempo and no longer in driving seat as they were at 19:55.
Just in single pair of hands, with a very weird recall shopping Ruler threw away entire JDG game plan and ruined his game for a team. After T1 pulled that victory (in any other universe, without this mistake I am more-less confident, JDG would win and go 2:1), the series became way harder for JDG and maybe nervous and pressure led to a shaky game 4 draft and series loss.
It was not a full-full surprise, because Zeus prior to this clean ward on red buff (Kanavi invaded Red, Oner smited it, and Kanavi left a ward which Zeus checked and cleaned), so they should know he was relatively close, but most probably they expect him go bottom and farm, yes.