Division 3 Promotion Battle (5)
No matter how strong the push or siege potential was, that only mattered once levels rose, skills maxed, and items dropped.
With Ha-young stuffing allied minions into a clearing hidden in the woods and trapping them there for a full five minutes, Team Riddle's carry lane and their sitting support couldn't farm CS or gain levels anymore.
For three straight minutes, Team Riddle's carry line had no clue what was happening. They just stood there dumbly in lane, waiting for minions that never came.
Only then did they accept reality. The carry belatedly headed off to jungle... but Eternal Combat's jungle mobs were tough. Jungling only led to meaningful growth if done by a champion specialized for it. Having a frail early-game carry-type champion try to clear jungle was absurd.
With zero growth, the clones—which took even more damage than the main body—couldn't withstand the jungle mobs' attacks.
Team Riddle's carry, Siren, burned through health and mana alike without securing a single jungle mob, forced to retreat to the fountain. Meanwhile, Yuna alone feasted on the lane pushing right up to their tower.
Of course, this strategy hurt their own side too. Ha-young had spent nearly five minutes wrangling minions, leaving her at 0 CS and level 1, same as the enemy.
But there was a world of difference between the team's perennial broke second support being at 0 CS and level 1, versus the team's richest position—the carry—being in the same boat.
The casters spat foam raving about the genius of Ha-young's play, while the in-game crowd and streaming chat exploded.
One line jumped out from the streaming chat floating next to the coach's seat. Playing like shit. What kind of ultimate praise was this?
In 4 minutes and 30 seconds, nine waves—over 50 minions—had marched right into that clearing on their own, trapped forever inside the natural fence of regrown trees as they struggled futilely.
Team Riddle probably still had no idea where all those minions from the past eternity had vanished to.
By now, Yuna's Wave Sorcerer was level 6, with CS nearing 50—a luxurious offlane farm. Meanwhile, Team Riddle's carry and support sat at 0 CS and level 1. At pro level, this wasn't just a collapse; it was beyond recovery. With this gap, Yuna could waltz in 1v2 trusting her tankiness, take both down, and walk away with over half health.
But our ruthlessness was far from over.
"Unnie, drop a ward in their jungle please."
"Sure, you worked hard holding them. I'll spot you the ward."
Yuna bought the ward in place of Ha-young—who was mana-starved and vulnerable—slung what looked like an impossibly heavy steel anchor over her shoulder, and headed for the enemy jungle.
I hadn't just coached Ha-young on this strategy.
— From the 10th wave, Ha-young's out of mana and can't trap more. But the enemy won't know when minions return, so they can't take the 10th wave.
— Won't they just wait at tower?
— Nah. After 2-3 mins, they'll realize something's wrong and try jungling. But they bought lane items, so jungle's a bust. Their only option? Sell for jungle-friendly gear, eating gold loss. By the time the 10th wave hits tower, 100% they're swapping items in their jungle.
— Then what do I do?
— Ha-young's broke, so you buy wards. Tell her ahead. Then Yuna, rush their jungle and ward the two hill spots. You'll spot them for sure. Chase, ult 'em.
— Me solo ulting in their jungle as Wave Sorcerer? Safe?
— Totally. Bet they're level 1—2 tops. No items. Your ult blasts half their health. Stun hits? Anchor swing, torrent the runner. Double kill guaranteed.
Yuna jammed wards into both enemy jungle hills as instructed. Vision secured a wide area—and sure enough, their carry and support struggled against mobs with poverty-tier items.
"Bingo."
Yuna chuckled darkly and strode behind them. Team Riddle's carry and second support, locked in mortal combat with jungle mobs, startled at distant footsteps and the drag of something heavy on the ground. They whipped around.
"Hey there?"
"Wh-what the fuck?!"
"Sorry, gotta die!"
Yuna hoisted the steel anchor sky-high, then slammed it down with monstrous force. The ground cracked around it, and seawater erupted from the fissures in a furious geyser.
Wave Sorcerer's ultimate for supreme teamfight dominance—Tidal Eruption—devastated a massive area with damage and stun. The duo got swept into the torrent, launched skyward, then crashed back down at equal speed.
"Aaaagh!"
"Gaaahhh!"
While stunned, Yuna dragged her anchor closer. By the time they blinked awake, Yuna loomed with a wicked grin inches from their faces.
"Haaah!"
She spun like a giant swing, whipping the anchor viciously. Level 1 champs, already half-health from the ult, stood no chance against a level 6 Wave Sorcerer.
"Urk..."
First blood. Team Riddle's frailer second support ate an anchor swing plus auto and perished.
The surviving carry Siren bit her lip, wriggling her sleek serpentine lower body to flee—but a frigid water jet nailed her from behind.
"Where you goin'!"
Slowed by Torrent, escape was futile. Siren glanced back desperately at the anchor-dragging Yuna.
"This... can't be real..."
"It is."
The anchor whistled down. Double kill.
But Team Riddle's nightmare raged on.
"You fuckin'... let go!"
"Nah, you're playing with me!"
Team Riddle's mid wanted to help but Seona clung like madness, forcing endless trades that pinned them in lane.
The first support/jungler Curseweaver arrived late—after the double. Sensing their top jungle lost, they pivoted to bot jungle.
And the moment they arrived...
[Our tower is under attack!]
The tower alert hit. Team Riddle players frantically pulled up the map hologram. Jaws dropped.
A colossal mass surged toward their top tower.
###
The instant Yuna headed to ward their jungle, Ha-young—back at fountain recovering mana and buying minor items with her natural gold—returned top. She felled the tree blocking the clearing exit with her logging saw once more. Then, after 5-second cooldown, the next one... and the next...
— When Yuna enters their jungle, chop the clearing exit trees and release the minions.
— When you spot their champs?
— No. Chop the second she enters.
— But how do we know where—
— They're definitely jungling. Yuna solos 'em. Releasing after she spots is too slow. Level 1 means fast respawn—they could dash top for scraps. Waste more CS, speed our push: release fast.
— Then where do I go?
— Up with the minions. Catch delayed levels. Around second tower, they'll contest. Side-flank, crack their retreat.
— Their first support? Won't they stall first?
— First support bolts bot-side post-jungle loss. Mid's Seona's problem. Only carry and second support contest. Offlaner maybe—but that empties offlane for Sera and Eunjae.
The clearing gate burst open. Over 50 trapped minions flooded out, joined by fresh base waves—ten waves total, 60 minions marching in formation to first tower. Spectacular.
Yuna's double kill call rang out. Bot-side, Eunjae—who'd pre-warded—spotted descending Curseweaver and pinged.
Marching with the minion horde, Ha-young shivered beyond awe. Every scenario unfolded exactly as Yuseong predicted.
Maybe he sees the future. Absurd thought.
Towers were sturdy, but numbers overwhelmed. Six hits per melee minion, two per ranged. 30 melees alone: 180 hits. No endurance for that.
Team Riddle's first tower crumbled fast. Survivors pressed to second.
"This is insane... Everyone who can, defend top!"
"I'll body-block with taunted jungle mobs for time!"
"Mid can't go! This psycho bitch is so goddamn annoying!"
"Abandon offlane?"
"Leave it and inhibitor falls! Ditch lane—come!"
"Got it, coming!"
Team Riddle—all but mid—rushed to defend second tower from the insane horde.
Curseweaver first taunted allied jungle mobs as meatshields during their clear, buying time for the other three.
"My taunted mobs are all dead..."
"Good. Bought time. Numbers too much—tank some HP, defend tower, let carry CS..."
Then—boom. Earth quaked behind them.
"Wh-what!?"
They spun. Jagged rock fissures erupted, blocking retreat. Earth Spirit's Land Crusher.
"Fuckin'..."
"Agh! I'll kill that bastard!"
"You'll die first."
Yuna emerged anchor-first. From vision-denied dark woods, massive silver arrows streaked toward them!
"M-Moonlight Arrows!"
"Shit, can't dodge!"
"Aaaagh!"
Fissures trapped one in no-escape Moonlight Arrows—massive damage, long stun.
"Hehe, nailed it. Blocking makes it easy."
"When'd that one arrive?!"
"4v3! Kite trees till fissures fade!"
"4v4."
A chilling voice crushed their last hope, heard by all four. Dread crawled spines.
Ghostly figures—Sera's phantoms—spawned beside every Team Riddle champ.
Race's ultimate: Ghost Haunting. Global: briefly spawn beside all enemy champs for vision, auto-hunting them relentlessly.
Race could teleport to any ghost anytime. Sera, farming bot moments ago, ulted in, unveiling their vision.
Black dagger traced inky trails, slashing. Phasing through trees like specters, ghosts harried Team Riddle.
4v4, but two ungrown champs meant unwinnable.
Team Riddle wiped at second tower. 40+ minions left razed it, then third. At 8 minutes, inhibitor fell—a catastrophe.
The game's fate was sealed.
Match end: 15:57.
Push-master Team Riddle, siege-master Team Riddle—faster than any prior win—saw base razed in franchise shortest time. Fastest in global Eternal Combat leagues ever.