Anticipated Counter

Jin has already come up with a way to counter Ignis's aggressive setup. So, with how obvious she was about going for it again, it should be easy enough to turn the tables on her.

The counter-plan was as such: First, he'll crash into Ignis's Fearless Charge with his Shield Bash. The two of them will collide and come to a halt. That'll successfully thwart the first step of Ignis's plan.

But, that's not all. Shield Bash also inflicted stun, unlike Fearless Charge that only stunned the enemy when it shoved them into a wall. So, Ignis should be stunned after the collision. Yes, [should] be.

[This interaction can be a little iffy sometimes.] Jin admitted.

Shield Bash failed to stun when it didn't properly "move" the target. Therefore, depending on the specific angle of collision between Fearless Charge and Shield Bash - there was a chance Shield Bash will fail to "move" Ignis in a way that'll proc the stun.

[It would be a shame, but it's not a big deal.] Jin thought. [I'll just have to adapt accordingly.]

He already analyzed the two branching paths of the flowchart.

If the stun takes place, Jin will be in a great position for pressing the offense. He'd follow up with Blade Swing on the stunned prey, then drag her closer to his minions with his taunt skill.

In the other scenario, if Shield Bash fails to stun, then Jin will probably have to give up on Blade Swing. He'll most likely have to roll away to get out Ignis's range, depending on whether she'll respond with her ult right off the gate.

[Both outcomes are manageable, so this is fine.] Jin confirmed. [Though, I suppose there is one more scenario, as unlikely as it is. I remember they patched Fearless Charge about a month ago, so she might take advantage of the new change. But, that shouldn't make a big difference either way.]

Jin accounted for all the likely scenarios that could develop from this play. Now, all that's left was to execute his counter-plan.

[Here it comes.] Jin spotted the startup animation of Fearless Charge. His finger was already half-pressed on the key for Shield Bash, to unleash it as quickly as possible in response to Ignis's movements.

And so, he confidently charged forth with Shield Bash, aiming to clash with the Fearless Charge! However...

[I see you there, kid!] Ignis smirked. [I had a feeling you'll try to pull something like this, so I'm ready!]

Ignis canceled her Fearless Charge into Dodge Roll in less than half a second. The timing for this specific cancel was really strict, but it was something she practiced extensively as one of the few pros out there who dared to bring Warrior to the competitive scene.

The startup of Fearless Charge gave her initial momentum, from which she further accelerated with Dodge Roll. In a blink of an eye, her body shot past the incoming attacker!

[You didn't expect this, did you?] Ignis grinned. [Of course not. They patched in this cancel like a month ago, and almost nobody appreciated it back then. But, I did!]

As a Warrior enthusiast, Ignis saw the hidden potential of this tricky animation cancel. It was a great tool for catching opponents off guard, just like this!

[Look who's behind you now!] Ignis grinned as she recovered from the roll and booted Fearless Charge again, aiming at the target's back. [Eat shit, you damn whippersnapper!]

This was the best angle to attack from. Ignis was almost exactly behind the brat, so her Fearless Charge was going to push him deep into Ignis's territory. There, she'll force him into a fight and her minions will swarm the brat! Ignis was about to win this fight by a landslide!

Unfortunately, her imagination got too far ahead. Her opponent wasn't the pushover she expected him to be, despite his young age.

[So, she really used the roll cancel.] Jin frowned.

His Shield Bash completely whiffed its intended target, hitting only the enemy swordsmen. He specifically aimed his Shield Bash in such a way that the strike will hit both Ignis and some swordsmen, but in the end, it only hit the swordsmen.

[So, the less likely scenario happened.] Jin thought. [I see she is a real Warrior enthusiast. Her dedication is almost respectable. Almost.]

In the end, even this unlikely turn of events was within expectations. Though Jin didn't play Warrior, he always tested all the patch changes in Practice mode to better understand their implications. And, the same applied to the recent "buff" to Fearless Charge.

This was his first time seeing somebody who actually employed the roll cancel in a serious match, but he already practiced answers to this play a while ago. So, he was mentally prepared for this "unexpected" attack and his body remembered the practice he put himself through.

[She's probably going to charge at me from behind.] Jin deduced as much as soon as he saw Ignis rolling past him.

[It'll be the worst-case scenario for me if she pushes me toward her minions.] And so, Jin went for a Dodge Roll without batting an eye. He dodged sideways against an attack he couldn't even see coming.

The Fearless Charge arrived shortly. As expected, it was aimed at Jin's back, but it whiffed.

It was a 1-1 now. Each side whiffed one of their big attacks.

Soon after Ignis ended with Fearless Charge, her shield exploded to deal extra damage. However, Jin was already far away from her, so the explosion only damaged the minions near her.

All things considered, Jin came on top in that exchange, ever so slightly. Ignis burned both of her skills on this operation, whereas Jin still had Honorable Duel and hit ult at his disposal.

[Regardless, her ult remains the most dangerous tool here at the moment.] Jin reminded himself.

The existence of Swordwhirl made it practically impossible for Jin to directly contest Ignis in a 1v1, not unless he first forces her into a very disadvantageous position.

Fortunately, Honorable Duel was exactly the kind of skill that could accomplish that. Jin simply had to sneak it in the middle of battle, then he'll have a chance to manipulate Ignis like a puppet and force her into a bad position.

[In a way, this outcome is better than the scenarios I simulated.] Jin realized.

Since both Jin and Ignis whiffed their charges, neither of them landed a hit on each other thus far. In other words, despite their attempts at each other's lives, the minions pretended the lane was peaceful at the moment.

Thus, the two armies were casually bickering among themselves, paying no heed to Ignis or Jin. This outcome was the complete opposite of the setup Ignis was trying to achieve.

The other factor that played in Jin's favor was the fact Ignis has spent both of her movement skills: Fearless Charge and Dodge Roll. As such, it'll be difficult for her to escape the range of Honorable Duel.

[If I can take advantage of both these factors, I can set myself up for a win.] Jin dashed into enemy territory. He had to reach Ignis before she realizes how grave her situation really was.

[Is he coming at me, or at the minions?] Ignis cocked her head.

In this chaotic situation, it was difficult to get a read on what was coming next. Ignis thwarted the kid's plan, then he replied in kind by thwarting hers. That turned the situation into a mess, so it was hard to tell what will happen next.

[Oh shit, he's planning to taunt!] Ignis concluded via a process of elimination. But, she was a little too late to catch on.

Only now, it dawned on her how terrible her position actually was. She should've prioritized retreating from the scene as soon as possible. But, instead, she stuck around and smacked some minions. Such an amateur mistake!

"Let us fight honorably!" the Knight shouted loudly while raising both arms into the air.

"Fuuuuuuu!"

Death was coming. Ignis could feel it creeping up on her.

If the taunt lures her into enemy territory and makes her strike the Knight, then all enemy minions will be on her business. They'll tear her to shreds while the dang kid will be watching, laughing at her misery.

[I can't let that hit me!] Ignis instinctively went for the only answer she had at her disposal: her ult. She booted Swordwhirl and started spinning, becoming immune to all CC.

The Knight's loud yell vibrated across the area, but it had no effect on Ignis. She continued spinning as if nothing happened.

[So, she chose to counter it.] Jin anticipated such a possibility. [I have to admit, I'm a little surprised. I thought she'll underestimate me all the way and will let me taunt her. Yet, she chose to throw away her strongest weapon just to counter me. Well, I'm not complaining.]

Ignis turned into a living tornado, slicing through everything around her. However, this lethal attack couldn't reach its primary target, so it looked more like an unfortunate misfire.

[Damn it. I was saving this to kill the dang brat.] Ignis grumped. [Whatever. I'll pressure him with lane advantage instead.]

Ignis hasn't given up. Even though she prematurely activated her trump card, it was still possible to get a kill in this fight. And, to get closer to that goal, the first step was to dominate the lane.

Therefore, instead of trying to reach the brat with Swordwhirl, Ignis directed her Beyblade toward the enemy swordsmen.

SLICE. SLICE. SLICE. She repeatedly cut through the entire pack, erasing their HP in a matter of seconds.

While she was spinning wildly like this, Apprentece couldn't possibly approach the area to attack her minions. The kid had no choice but to watch the scene unfold from afar, as Ignis was slaughtering his precious frontline.

Before long, the odds heavily tilted in Ignis's favor. She wiped out the entire enemy frontline while her own frontline was fully intact.

With three swordsmen and three bowmen at her disposal, Ignis was about to wage war against the kid's lousy lineup of just three bowmen. Apprentece stood no chance!

[Alright, now we're talking!] Ignis nodded in satisfaction. With this lane advantage, she'll smack the kid into submission in no time!

Of course, her opponent understood the situation just as well. Will he run away with his tail between his legs? That'll be a disappointing outcome, but it'll count as Ignis's victory all the same.

The ball was in the kid's court now.

[This isn't good.] Jin frowned.

Just a moment ago, he had the high ground in this duel. Then, Ignis's ult turned the tables on him.

Now, Jin was the one in a disadvantageous position, and he didn't have any tools to turn the situation around.

[How do I deal with this?] It was a difficult question. For the first time in a while, the next course of action didn't come to him immediately. That stood testament to how delicate the situation was.

[Can I retry this during the next wave?] Jin wondered. [No, probably not. I already see players rotating.]

The enemy Support left Bot and headed to help out in Mid. This one small move effectively signaled the beginning of the mid-game.

Once somebody breaks the established positions this boldly, it often caused a domino effect. As result, it threw the entire game into a "disarray" known as the mid-game.

[My initial conclusion was correct. I won't get another chance to show off my skill in a proper duel.] Jin nodded to himself. [So, this is it. My last big duel opportunity. If I run away here, it'll leave a lasting impression of me losing to Ignis, and I probably won't be able to fix that image for the rest of the game.]

Running away wasn't an option. Despite the disadvantageous position, Jin had to stand his ground and fight. He had to cause a miracle and win this lane exchange with just three bowmen, against Ignis who was leading a full platoon of minions...