The First Win After Twenty-Five Defeats
Humiliating as it was, I knew full well that with my current physical condition, I couldn't easily beat Arang. Physically speaking, she was a monster who could probably hang with active pro top laners.
Facing someone like that when my own physicals were shot made winning far from easy. To be honest, it was damn near impossible.
But still, a person has their pride. There's no way I could just sit there after hearing "guaranteed"—especially since she was supposedly down with a cold, too.
Even the chat was scratching at me. And hearing her called a pro? That made my blood boil even more. You think pro is some kid's game?
I'd been planning to spar anyway, so no hesitation.
"Cut the bullshit, please."
In the end, I dragged Arang into a private room and kicked off the 1v1.
I knew Arang's champ pool pretty well. Insisting on last-pick was mostly pride, but most of her champs were melee anyway, and her ranged ones were lightweights like Kunoichi that abused range to harass melee.
Point is, sniping my pool for a counter wasn't easy from the start.
I picked Taoist, a champ that covers low weight class with insane melee response and mobility. Against most of her melee picks, I'd never die, and I could straight-up zone her off.
"As if."
Arang hadn't last-picked yet. She seemed to be mulling it over, so I explained what happened before she joined while she pondered.
Only after starting did I worry she might demand something weird, but luckily—no cold brain fog or whatever—she didn't.
She just...
Picked Tailor.
"Pardon?"
LoE's classes are Warrior, Fighter, Rogue, Archer, Mage, Priest, Artist.
Unlike the others, Artist sounds so out of place in an AOS game—who even knows why it's there.
True to the name lacking any combat vibe, Artist champs have wild kits—mixed roles, unpredictable skills.
Tailor was one: not a tailor at all, but a psycho assassin wielding giant scissors to throat-slash ADCs.
Not a Taoist counter specifically—it counters all ranged dealers like mages and archers.
Tailor wasn't great at waveclear and sucked hard against beefy melee due to her fragility, so tops rarely saw her—usually mid or jungle.
No way I'd expect Arang to pick it.
Fuck, true—nothing to say.
Chat was already exploding at my hypocrisy: picking Taoist to counter her pool, then raging at her counterpick.
"Shut up."
Game started anyway—no remaking now.
Since she was off-form from the cold, I had to crush her before level 6.
Tailor's ult was a targeting dive-deal unblockable massive damage.
Once she hit 6 and ulted, Taoist had no answer. Game over.
But,
"Goddammit."
Laning phase started, and I knew I'd lost.
Arang wasn't taking CS.
"No, what the fuck."
She couldn't lose post-6 matchup anyway. So instead of risky CS trades, she straight-up forfeited CS.
Just farm XP, snag last-hits only if my skill missed. Zoning her with narrow non-target skills was tough.
This pushed the wave to her side, minions tanked tower, she farmed XP safe. In soloq, I'd dive or roam, but this was 1v1.
Reluctantly poked, no real damage. Better to farm up, base early for items. I shoved, backed for defense items.
She clocked it, grabbed CS, based quick. I had better items from CS, but matchup made it moot.
Both hit 6.
Tailor ulted from stealth. I CC'd and backed, but she dashed through, ult-dived, massive damage.
She popped out behind me. Tower shot her in our turret, but I died first—she barely survived.
Ah,
Lost.
Even if she died after, I died first—still my loss. Damage was just short. Blame defense items? Nah, without 'em I'd die sooner.
Chat mocked my defeat, but I had no energy to care. Eyes didn't even register it.
I was pissed.
Losing straight to Arang pissed me off, but losing to her strategy? Infuriating.
That was one of my last shreds of pride.
Today, one of us dies. I wasn't letting Arang sleep.
~
Over 20 games of 1v1 against Arang. Already 5 hours? Honestly, getting tired. 5 hours gaming ain't bad, but nonstop 1v1s mentally grind you down.
Arang, despite the cold, kept going fine. If anything, that was the problem.
Why so mentally draining? Why 5 hours of 1v1s?
Simple.
I hadn't won a single game yet.
Yeah, Arang was tough as nails. Could've thrown one by now, but every game she went all-out to kill me. Not that I wanted handouts—full effort is respect.
Still, human limits: my mental stamina was fading.
Not going pro again anyway—is grinding physicals like this worth it? Not a must-win tourney, and gains questionable.
Lose this one, call it quits?
That weak thought crept in. Shook it off, queued up—but it lingered.
25th game: I picked Gladiator, she took Butcher. Matchup favors Butcher late, but 1v1s don't drag. End on my terms.
Spear Gladiator gave range advantage for pokes. Unavoidable skill—even Arang couldn't dodge all.
But Butcher healed off minions, biding time.
I threw another spear—and Butcher jumped over minions, slashed wave for multi-kills, hit 6. I grabbed minions for 6 too.
Gladiator ult: semi-Dragon's arena forcing 1v1—walls, AoE damage, minor buff inside. Not inescapable, but...
Butcher ult: buffs range, AD, AS, MS, plus empowered execute.
"Fair" 1v1 field heavily favored Gladiator. Walls pushed enemies, easy wall-stun setup.
But no guarantee, so Butcher viable.
Both wanted decision pre-ult end—no waiting. Butcher charged to stab; I raised shield to bash.
Clash started—I got pushed to the brink.
AA trades lose. So mid-stab, I angled to shove her into wall—but
Arang reacted, jumped to swap spots. AA cancel hid animation.
Shoved, but reposition dodged wall—no stun. She flashed in, attacked. I dashed away, but health shredded.
Ah, over.
That thought hit.
Flash up, but useless now.
Resignation flooded me. Felt like quitting everything. Why self-torture?
Wanna stop. Drop hands, wave white flag.
Letting go seemed freeing.
But I didn't release the mouse.
Doomed loss, yet I clicked, moved.
Just delaying defeat, but suddenly—Arang's trajectory sharpened into view.
Butcher just jumped, long CD. My skills cooling soon. Only I had flash.
HP gap near impossible to overturn. But,
Maybe?
Read Butcher's charge path—speared true. Arang didn't dodge. One-two AAs wins. Dodging wastes distance—no angle anyway.
My dash CD up. Dodged first hit, created space. Now she'd jump-dash back in.
Scene slowed, crystal clear.
I hugged wall. Butcher charged. Wall-stun CD still.
Never planned normal wall-stun. Flashed out of arena—over wall. Butcher no flash/jump: trapped.
Gladiator dropping arena buff? Huge spec loss—can't beat Butcher raw.
But I had spear, longer range. Outside wall: free poke.
IRL can't spear through walls, but LoE world. Hurled spear—Arang chasing, ate it.
Then wall-targeted wall-stun. Wall broke; Butcher stunned despite indirect hit. AA'd till stun near-end, dashed for second stun.
More AAs. Butcher redzone, sliver HP.
Turn moment: stun broke, my AA traded her ult execute.
Mutual kill range—but Gladiator AA ticked first by a frame,
PudgeDice (Gladiator) Kill → Aranggaiger (Butcher)
Won.