NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78
As soon as the game began, pings started flying chaotically.
It should have felt familiar, but it oddly felt strange, which means I must have been away from this place for quite a while.
Top tier high Dia, low Master.
Still, given that this is a tier where people think a bit, there weren’t any idiots going AFK right from the start.
“Well, I don’t really care since I’m a supporter anyway.”
Though jungle control usually leads to lane control, it’s true that there’s less pressure than when I’m jungling.
“If they go AFK, it’s only them who will suffer.”
Oh, sure, I’d suffer too.
Anyway, since that didn’t happen, I didn’t need to think too deeply about it.
[Outlaw(Kamal) is on the move]
One of the few strengths of Kamal support is the early invade.
At this point, it’s best to invade towards the bot lane for later lane control.
“Getting a flash would be nice, but if not… well, it can’t be helped.”
Especially if I can get Aphelios’ flash, who has no survival skills, it’d be great for future trades or lane control, but I can’t count on that kind of luck.
Sure, picking Kamal support means I have to stake everything on the invade, but there’s no need to be anxious about it.
Opportunities will surely come.
Kamal support is a niche pick.
No, to be more precise, it’s a bit of a troll pick.
Of course, even players in Dia or Master can’t gather data on it normally.
“But it won’t be easy.”
Typically, when people face a niche pick, they instinctively become cautious.
They can’t predict what strange tricks the enemy might employ.
However, while Kamal is niche as a support, the champion itself is a mainstream pick.
So, saying it’s a ‘unique’ play is mostly something already in the players’ minds.
“Thinking of catching them off guard is a bit arrogant. But setting up trades isn’t bad.”
From an objective standpoint, the enemy invade composition is quite powerful.
Starting with Sett, plus Renekton with immediate cc, and throwing in Nautilus, who can grab.
“But we’re the ones holding the initiative for the invade.”
What’s the basis for that?
Because I’m Kamal.
It’s time to unleash the strengths of Kamal support.
1 minute 20 seconds.
Not late, not fast — just the right time when top laners head to their lanes.
[Outlaw(Kamal) is on the move]
With loud pings, the four allies, except the top laner, boldly entered the enemy blue from the bot bush.
At that moment.
As if welcoming an uninvited guest, Nautilus’s grab flew out from the enemy blue bush.
In that fleeting moment, numerous thoughts flashed through my mind.
“Nautilus initiating a fight means the enemy’s four are gathered here.”
As expected, Nadalee, known for her quick jungling, seemed to opt for the blue buff path rather than the red.
“Of course, it won’t go as smoothly as she’d like.”
Among our team, I’m the one at the forefront.
And right before me, Nautilus’s grab is coming in.
“I’m evading forward.”
Evading a flying skill with a flash forward isn’t something even pros commonly do.
If successful, it’d be an elegant play, but honestly, there’s no need for that.
But I’m different.
For me, this isn’t a fancy play; it’s just a play I can naturally pull off.
I can do this.
“Now.”
Avoiding Nautilus’s grab with a diagonal flash, I planted a hook and ward in the bush.
The three enemies, aside from Nautilus, were now revealed.
There was no need to hesitate.
I charged at the enemies and stunned all three of them at once.
The real fight had begun.
Having boldly charged into the enemy territory, I was naturally exposed to their concentrated fire.
However,
My runes are Revitalize and Bone Plating.
Ordinary lane Kamal usually uses Conqueror, or these days often goes for Grasp, but my role is support.
What I’m trying to do as a support Kamal is initiate and provoke aggressive trades.
The first to hit me was Renekton’s W, but his not-full rage W couldn’t break Kamal’s passive shield.
But that doesn’t mean the enemy’s concentrated attack was painless.
Although my health quickly dropped below 30%, I managed to hang on somehow.
Meanwhile, the situation wasn’t great for Nautilus, who, like me, was alone in the enemy territory.
With his grab missing, Nautilus became exposed to my allies, and his passive from basic attacks went off just a beat late.
Naturally, Nautilus had to pay the price for that.
– First Blood!
– Enemy eliminated!
Nautilus tried to escape with a late flash but got caught by Sylas.
In the process of his escape, my health also dropped below 10%.
At that moment.
– Flash!
The enemy Aphelios, unable to resist the temptation of low health, used both flash and heal to finish me off.
– Killed by the enemy!
The screen turned gray.
There was no need to lament.
The Aphelios had used all his spells just to catch me, and he would have to pay for that outburst.
– Enemy eliminated!
A 2-for-1 exchange.
Already a sufficiently beneficial invade, but what’s important isn’t just that Kamal’s flash is down, but that the enemy ADC’s spells are all gone too.
“On the other hand, our ADC still has her flash.”
Whether Varus, just like Aphelios, is a slow-moving ADC with flash up was crucial for lane dominance in bot.
Also, the jungle benefited as well.
We won the invade skirmish, and naturally, Nadalee had to hurriedly alter her path to the red buff.
With the situation like this, Nadalee had no choice but to take a half-and-half jungle path to minimize losses.
And since the enemy jungle path was forced, it meant we inevitably had to take bot lane control as well.
So far, the early plan I had set up was working quite well.
🤙
🐧
“Well, this might not be good news for Jason.”
As both jungle players divide their jungle paths, Jason at top will naturally suffer from Nadalee’s ganking threats.
Let alone Sett, who’s decent for responding to ganks and diving, compared to Renekton.
Revived from the well, I headed straight to the lane.
Even though I arrived slightly later to bot than the enemy, the enemy bot didn’t even dare to touch the wave and was just flopping around in the back.
With Xin Zhao, a champion capable of a level 2 gank, pathing towards bot, the enemy has no choice but to cede early level 2 dominance.
If it were a mediocre tier, they’d try to seize level 2 dominance regardless of whether Xin Zhao was coming or not, but since they’re a tier that thinks a bit, that mishap didn’t occur.
However, just because one side dominates the lane early doesn’t mean the game is over.
That’s only the beginning.
Varus’s strength reveals itself when the wave is pushed.
[Kamal – Level 2]
[Varus – Level 2]
As soon as we hit level 2, the ruthless pokes began, causing the enemy to lose their will to fight.
The enemy comp is Aphelios and Nautilus.
A powerful combination in team fights and gank responses, but with jungle paths restricting their options, all they can do is endure.
“They must be getting a bit angry now.”
The CS gap between Varus and Aphelios gradually widened.
Along with that, every time I slipped out of sight, I could see the enemy mid flinch and back off.
The bottom lane control from the early invade was affecting the mid lane too.
“You getting mad yet?”
Of course, the enemy bot, quietly enduring, could only start to feel frustrated.
Every time I briefly went out of sight, I could see Nautilus hesitating.
“Should I go? Should I not go? Has he gone up? Is it a trap?”
With those thoughts, I, the instigator of the situation, only had to watch and toy with Nautilus’s reactions.
“Am I going up? This time for real?”
The strong pressure clouds judgment.
How many times did I move like I was teasing the enemy?
Unable to hold back any longer under the continuous pressure, the enemy Nautilus suddenly charged at the isolated Varus.
“Just as I expected.”
Varus desperately tried to move, but it wasn’t easy for the fundamentally slow Varus to dodge Nautilus’s grab as he pushed forward.
– Thwack!
Varus was pulled by Nautilus’s grab.
Of course, that was the wrong answer.
“Bye.”
Along with that, Xin Zhao, who had been lurking in the bush, and I ambushed Nautilus at once.
Nautilus was still in a state where his flash wasn’t up, and he couldn’t withstand the subsequent bombardment.
It wasn’t until he itemized that he would be tanky, but in the early stages, Nautilus is softer than you’d think.
– Enemy eliminated!
But it didn’t end there.
The enemy Aphelios became isolated in a flash, and feeling the pressure of being dived, he had no choice but to back off.
[⨷]
[Outlaw(Kamal) indicates turret shield]
While Aphelios watched from a distance, CS started disappearing, and we harvested turret shields freely.
It was the moment the bot lane blew up.