Preview of the second match in the annual breakout tournament: DRG faces EDG.M again, can the Masters group all advance to the playoffs?

With WB’s clean sweep over RW侠 securing their playoff spot, just two breakout matches are left! On October 13th, DRG goes up against EDG again. Will the Masters group all make it to the playoffs?

During the first half of this annual arena, DRG at one point evoked memories of the spring season, boasting a four-game winning streak and the highest theoretical net score in the Masters group. However, just when they were one step away from locking in a playoff berth, they slipped into a familiar pattern of "starting strong but fading," losing 2-3 to TES and 1-3 to KSG, disrupting the elite group’s standings. They fell from first place in the Masters group’s theoretical rankings to the bottom.

Dropping from spring season runner-up to a top ten finish in summer was already disappointing enough; tonight must not see a new low. Let’s hope they can push themselves.

EDG also fits the pattern of starting strong but declining. Their first three matches went the distance, losing 5 games against the summer season’s champion, runner-up, and the elite Wolves team, earning them a reputation as a tough opponent in the elite group. But in the last three games, EDG suddenly collapsed, losing 1-3 to DRG and TTG, and finishing with a 0-3 sweep by LGD.NBW in the final match.

At first glance, they seemed the most promising contenders to claim the title, but after all matches, they only slightly outperformed RW侠 and QJ. Tonight, facing DRG—the first team to break their “full participation” streak—let’s see if EDG will continue to be dominated or fight back for revenge.

DRG’s player 皖皖 has performed less impressively in the last two seasons compared to his spring showing. His past performances and stats were often compared to FMVP-level junglers by many secondary commentators. But in this annual tournament, only his average gold per minute and damage taken share rank him among the top three junglers. DRG’s path to runner-up in spring heavily relied on strong performances from their top and jungle. If 皖皖 can’t regain his former form, even a win over EDG tonight won’t easily bring them back to spring’s heights.

夏凌 successfully replaced 初晨 as EDG’s sole jungler in this tournament. Many questioned why Aes favored 夏凌 so much during the summer season, and even after the tournament, 夏凌 hasn’t provided a clear answer. Despite extensive playtime, his damage taken share is the lowest among league junglers; among mainstream junglers, only 杨戬 has a win rate above 50%. If 夏凌 continues to occasionally lose connection and perform inconsistently, EDG won’t be able to get past DRG tonight.

As a veteran marksman in the Rift, 后羿 is beloved by many players and has become a top-tier (T0) marksman this season. His first skill deals AOE damage, his passive grants attack speed boots, and his ultimate provides crowd control. This allows 后羿 to dominate 百里守约 in lane, especially if he plays carefully or buys an early lifesteal dagger to counter 百里守约’s second skill harassment. After level four, 后羿 can easily coordinate with teammates to send 守约 back home using his ultimate control.

As long as his ultimate hits 守约 within his basic attack range, 后羿 can solo kill him. A fully equipped 后羿 isn’t afraid of 守约 in lane. Team fights are 后羿’s strength, with much better team fight capability than 守约. In team fights, 后羿 just needs to output damage from the backline, staying close to mages who have crowd control to support each other. So when facing enemy marksman 守约, confidently pick 后羿 to keep 守约 under tower pressure.