"Wow, wow, wow, what the heck!?" Luke exclaimed. "They be stealin' my DK! Rude!"
"This is interesting," Yuel commented. "Especially, because they subbed out their Mid Laner."
Until now, the Tycoons' picks have been very meta-driven. Drafting was the only phase of the game in which they posed a challenge.
However, this DK pick completely shattered what little was left of their competitive image. Thus, it made the most sense to conclude that the DK pick was related to the newly subbed player, Maverick.
That nickname is also very telling. Yuel thought. If she really prides herself on being a "free thinker", then Mid DK isn't that absurd of a pick.
It wasn't well-known these days, but Mid DK used to be a competitive pick despite its downsides. That strategy lost popularity over the years, to the point that nobody was talking about it these days. But, at its core, Mid DK is somewhat viable. It was hard to make it dominate, but it was doable.
Hmm. Do I even know all the right counters for it? Yuel wondered. This sure is an interesting pop quiz.
Generally speaking, DK was DK regardless of the lane. The class carried its usual baggage no matter where it went, so the same general solutions applied. Namely, stalling the game and applying pressure from the jungle.
However, Mid DK was a bit harder to stifle because of the location. The Jungler was never "too far away" from Mid, so he could always lend the DK a hand. An organized duo like that could block out all incoming threats, allowing the DK to safely prosper in the lane.
I'm not even sure I know the best counterpick for it. Yuel knotted his brows. Is it better to play it safe and stall that DK? Or should Kai try to contest?
There was also Maverick's gender to consider. This will be yet another test for the "Softhearted Amazon".
Hmm. A tricky situation. Let's see what others have to say.
Yuel explained his theory regarding the enemy's Dark Knight pick and where it was likely going to land on the map. Kai cracked her knuckles in response. "So, I'm fighting that thing, huh. Well, bring it on!"
"Which class do you want to pick?" Yuel asked. "Generally speaking, there are two approaches for dealing with Mid Dark Knight. Either you contest him with a strong pusher, or you play a keepout game."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Is it just me, or does it sound like you're not sure which class is best to pick?"
"I have some ideas," Yuel hurried to answer. "But admittedly, Mid DK is so niche these days that I'm not convinced I know all counterplay ideas."
"Huh, that's rare," Kai commented. "To think that Mr. Encyclopedia over here doesn't know something."
"It's just a topic I haven't researched enough," Yuel explained. "I remember watching an old analysis video on how Mid DK rose and fell off in popularity, but there wasn't enough discussion there about practical counters. From what I understood, counter-picking wasn't the reason DK lost its place in the meta, at least according to these videos."
"Yeah, I also watched something like that." Kai nodded. "Can't say I remember any specific counter picks either. Though I think they mentioned Pyro as a class that can kinda contest DK?"
"Yes, I remember something along those lines," Yuel said. "But, that's going down the thorny path. One small mistake and you let the DK dominate."
"Well, maybe I'd be worried about that if I were playing Apprentece or some other high-profile opponent. But, this is just the Tycoons; they don't have even one good player."
Ben mumbled in response. "That's a little rude..."
"Well, but it's true, isn't it?" Kai shrugged. "These guys just suck, royally so. That DK pick feels like a desperate attempt to shake things up."
"Don't underestimate them right off the bat," Yuel warned. "It's true they're weaker than our previous opponents, but we'll be giving them a chance to cause an upset if we don't take them 100% seriously."
"Make that 200%, yo!" Lars corrected. "We've gotta keep going ham until the very end! No stops, yo!"
"Heck yeah!" Luke grinned. "I'mma 200% dunk on them with my memeing! They stole my DK, so time to pull out that Orc I've been working on!"
"Oh no. One problem at a time, please..." Yuel massaged his temple. Both Kai and Luke are gunning for very risky picks, but we have to consider this very carefully. Except, there's no time…
Time kept ticking down while they were having all that chit-chat. It was Stratus' turn to make the third pick, and there were only 10 seconds left!
I have to decide now. Yuel took a deep breath and tried to ignore the ticking clock of doom. To be on the safe side, he preemptively selected Pyromancer so it'd be picked if time runs out. With that said, he wasn't convinced about this direction at all.
I'm not a fan of fighting fire with fire like this. No pun intended. Yuel cracked a laugh as his thoughts devolved into snarkiness, probably as a self-defense mechanism against the pressure.
It's not like I have any solid alternatives from the top of my head. Pyromancer is risky, but at least it's a known rival to Mid DK, so it can't be too terrible of a pick, right? Then again, there's the whole "Softhearted" thing to keep in mind...
Time was ticking down, and Yuel couldn't make up his mind.
7...
6...
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...
Time out.