In the third phase of the LPL group stage, the schedule is already halfway through. The NIP from the Nirvana group achieved their seventh victory by sweeping LGD in the last match day, temporarily surpassing EDG to top the Nirvana leaderboard. The old sponsor has suffered another defeat, increasing the chances for TT and UP to qualify. Even LNG, with a 1-6 record at the bottom, still has a chance to fight for a spot in the Knights' path. It's clear that the power disparity in the Nirvana group is quite significant.

In another match on the same day, WE faced off against WBG. Both teams have been performing quite mediocre lately. Weibo's breakthrough came from the bot lane, where their ADC struggled against opponents in multiple games, contributing little in team fights. Sometimes, watching WBG play gives the impression that they are just there to initiate the game, with only a couple of matches where they performed normally, and even those were just in favorable situations. Their decline in performance is quite evident.

There's not much to say about WE; since the start of the season, they have only been swept by IG in their debut match. In every other match, they have played all the way through, showing normal performance in the first two games, but suddenly being crushed in the decisive match. This was no exception against Weibo, where in the first game, the jungle-support synergy was maximized, leading to a collapse of Xiaohu, and they won the match with a significant kill lead, showcasing a dominant performance.

In the second game, they maintained an early advantage, but Weibo's bot lane was crushed, with EZ starting 3-0. Normally, with such a significant lead in the bot lane, they should easily win team fights in the mid-game, but WE's performance was abstract; despite having an advantage, they lost several consecutive team fights and were directly overwhelmed by the opponents. Cube's Rumble was truly remarkable; even with normal progression, by the 27-minute mark when the base exploded, he still had 0 kills and 0 assists.

In the deciding match, both sides had back-and-forth exchanges early on, but in the mid-game team fight, they suddenly lost a significant engagement, resulting in another crushing defeat by Weibo. These three matches encapsulate WE's entire performance in the third phase; they can win a game or two against BLG and TES, showing their capabilities, but they always struggle in the decisive matches. This is truly bizarre, reminiscent of TheShy from earlier, who would have one good game, one bad game, and one mediocre game.

After losing to WBG, WE's record has fallen to 1-8, placing them at the bottom of the summit group standings. With only 5 matches left, their direct path to the playoffs is certainly out of reach. However, with their current state, facing EDG and NIP in the Knights' path seems unlikely to yield wins. What they need to do now is thoroughly review their matches and identify the issues that arise when they gain an early advantage but suddenly falter in mid-game team fights.

In this team, Cube's role is quite awkward. In the current warrior hero meta, he performs quite average with most champions. The strong Rumble and Lissandra in this patch fail to produce effective results in his hands, while only his use of Graves is somewhat effective. On the other hand, tank heroes like Sion and Ornn provide significant help to the team. Moving forward, it seems the coach needs to lower the priority of the top lane in the draft phase and focus on securing carry champions for the jungler.

In the one game WE managed to win out of the three, most of the credit goes to Monki. If he doesn't make plays, WE struggles to secure victories. While he enjoys putting pressure on his teammates, his skill level is indeed present. If the coach raises his priority in the draft, there might be a chance to break the current situation. With only 5 matches left, the playoffs are definitely out of reach for WE, so adjusting their tactics and preparing for the Knights' path is what they need to focus on right now.

Conclusion:

After 9 matches, they have only won 1, which is an abstract result in any league. After another loss, WE couldn't help but post a humorous comment: a familiar ending, possibly reminiscent of the second phase when they were swept by TES and JDG in the playoffs, leading fans and viewers to have overly high expectations for WE. The pressure on the players is also significantly greater than before.

So, what do you think WE should do to adjust?

Feel free to leave your comments and discuss!