Is there a problem with Samsara's deployment?
At least, after commentators Pan Lin and Li Yibo analyzed the current situation, many players and viewers thought so. With Jiang Botao, the situation would be better, but now Jiang Botao is not here. If this isn't a problem with the deployment, what is?
But the professional players didn't think so.
Using such a reverse deduction to say that Samsara's deployment had problems is undoubtedly hindsight. From the perspective of the situation at the time, Samsara's decision was very correct. On the other hand, abandoning Su Mucheng's Dancing Rain from the very beginning and having everyone rush to rescue Fang Minghua with such determination could be said to be a bit ill-considered.
As for now, because Jiang Botao is not here, Samsara is facing some difficulty with Qiao Yifan's ghostblade, which is a reality. But think about it the other way around. If Jiang Botao's Wulang was still here, Qiao Yifan's Inch of Gray probably wouldn't have acted so rashly.
So, rather than saying there was a problem with Samsara's deployment, it's better to say that Qiao Yifan's situational assessment was clearer. It was his decision with a good sense of the big picture that ultimately created this situation that looked like "Samsara's deployment had problems."
"An outstanding team player." The pro players praised again. At times like these, it was always a bit of an ordeal for Tiny Herb. Everyone looked at them with meaningful glances, everything unspoken. Even if they were completely open and honest, they still felt a bit awkward.
Samsara didn't have the mood to appreciate Qiao Yifan's excellent performance at this time. For them, this was a trouble, a big trouble.
Should they chase Lord Grim and Soft Mist?
Sun Xiang had already made a decision on this difficult multiple-choice question after One Autumn Leaf bypassed the ghost array.
Chase!
Sun Xiang saw that after he and Wu Qi were blocked, Ye Xiu and Tang Rou had obviously slowed down their characters. They were observing their and Wu Qi's next moves. If the two of them switched to attacking Inch of Gray, then those two would probably stop and concentrate on attacking Laughter Song of Joy.
This situation was definitely not what Samsara wanted to see. Whether they could catch up was another matter, but chasing at least gave the other side some pressure, forcing them to maintain this inefficient guerrilla situation, and they could make mistakes and be disrupted at any time.
They had to chase, they definitely had to chase. If not two people, at least one person should chase.
Sun Xiang clarified this point and immediately communicated a message to Wu Qi in the channel. The two of them simply split up. Qiao Yifan was simply left to Wu Qi, who was still trapped in the ghost array. Sun Xiang's One Autumn Leaf bypassed the ghost array and continued to chase.
Unexpectedly, a flash of sword light appeared. Moonlight Slash followed by Full Moon Slash, the classic two-stage attack of the ghostblade, blocked One Autumn Leaf's path. Sun Xiang didn't go looking for trouble with Qiao Yifan. Instead, Qiao Yifan had Inch of Gray kill his way in front of him. A阵鬼 (zhen gui, array ghost), attacking like a斩鬼 (zhan gui, ghost slayer).
With such an outstanding sense of the big picture, how could Qiao Yifan not weigh the importance of the situation? It was a foregone conclusion that An Wenyi's Little Cold Hands would die. Whether Ye Xiu and Tang Rou could successfully kill Fang Minghua's Laughter Song of Joy was extremely crucial. And whether this kill could be completed depended on whether they could intercept Sun Xiang and Wu Qi's characters. At this time, Qiao Yifan would definitely not back down. It was just a pity that all the skills in Inch of Gray's skill tree that could restrict the target were on cooldown. No matter how powerful the Flame Array's damage was, or how outstanding the Plague Array's defense reduction effect was, if the opponent didn't care about life or defense reduction, then it would have no obstructive effect at all.
There was no choice. Qiao Yifan could only have Inch of Gray kill his way out, and use close-range attacks to intercept One Autumn Leaf.
Sun Xiang reacted quickly. One Autumn Leaf dodged Inch of Gray's two-stage attack with two consecutive flashes. Inch of Gray was so close to him at this time that Sun Xiang really wanted to have One Autumn Leaf swing out the Evil Destroyer and beat him up. An inspiration struck in an instant, and he quickly typed a word in the channel: Switch!
It wasn't easy for Wu Qi, who was trapped in the ghost array, to deal with Qiao Yifan. The 残忍静默 (canren jingmo, Cruel Silence), which had been sealed by the Gray Array and Silence Array, had extremely low combat power. If he were to go one-on-one with Inch of Gray, he definitely wouldn't have the upper hand in the short term, and might even be suppressed the whole time. The melee class calls the array ghost a "Bug," and it's not entirely without reason.
But now, Qiao Yifan ignored Wu Qi's Cruel Silence and instead took the initiative to send Inch of Gray in front of One Autumn Leaf. If he was suppressed by One Autumn Leaf, it wouldn't take too long for Cruel Silence to get out of those two ghost arrays. Considering the assassin's speed advantage, it might not be any more disadvantageous for him to chase after leaving the array than for Sun Xiang's One Autumn Leaf to chase from the start.
So, switch!
Sun Xiang was excited to have such an opportunity. Qiao Yifan, who seemed very careful, finally made such a mistake because he had to complete too heavy a mission.
Tyrannical Sweep!
While saying the word "switch," One Autumn Leaf attacked, sweeping Tyrannical Sweep to sweep Inch of Gray further away from the two ghost arrays. Close combat was definitely disadvantageous for an array ghost. His greatest weapon, the ghost array, all needed chanting. Where would there be time to chant in close combat? As for the remaining slashing skills, it was like an elemental mage learning a few low-level skills of a battle mage, which could only be used to protect himself in critical moments and would never amount to much.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Yifan's response was also very fast. As Tyrannical Sweep swept over, Inch of Gray had already taken a step back, and was already moving horizontally with a tight body. The pulled-back stance looked familiar at first glance, but it seemed incredibly out of place when it appeared on Inch of Gray.
"What is this?" Li Xuan, the number one array ghost, blurted out. He was very familiar with array ghosts, and he immediately felt that Inch of Gray's stance was very strange, even though it was just a movement.
The seasoned professional players already had the same feeling, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it. After this step, Inch of Gray took another step across.
Chapter 1252 Crossover Step
"Crossover step." Someone called out. As soon as this name came out, everyone suddenly understood and immediately realized where the sense of familiarity came from.
Crossover step is not a rare term, but a very common technical term. However, because different professions have different styles and combat methods, many professions have some technical terms unique to them.
Crossover step is like this. It is a very basic movement technique that refers to using very small steps combined with fast strides to walk the shortest distance, closely circling the side or back of a character, in order to complete a back attack.
Back attacks have damage bonuses, which is a universal setting, but there is one profession that has an exclusive back attack damage bonus on top of the universal bonus setting.
Assassin!
The assassin's job change skill "Art of Assassination" gives assassins higher back attack damage. Coupled with their own agile skills, assassins will try their best to pursue back attacks. Crossover step is not only used by assassins, but it is definitely assassins who can best demonstrate its value. Therefore, those who use this movement technique to perfection are usually assassins.
Inch of Gray is certainly not an assassin. Some melee professions may also use the crossover step, but a ghostblade, especially an array ghost, seems to have nothing to do with this technique. But at this time, Inch of Gray actually used this movement technique, which made people feel a sense of incongruity in an instant. It could be seen that the characteristics of his two crossover steps were very obvious. This was definitely not the level that someone who knew this technique and used it casually could show. This was definitely a technical characteristic that only a well-trained assassin could show.
A ghostblade, and an array ghost, has so much research on the assassin's crossover step and uses it so skillfully?
Many people felt puzzled, but some who had an impression of Qiao Yifan's background, especially the Tiny Herb team players, were not too surprised at this time, because they knew that assassin was the profession that Qiao Yifan was assigned when he was first promoted to the first team, and it was the profession he had practiced hard for half a year in the professional circle.
Now, he has transformed into an array ghost, but he has not easily abandoned the skills he learned during his assassin career. That was also what he had worked hard to learn. Although it was not very suitable for his current profession, he felt that it should not be a bad thing, because there was a role model beside him who was proficient in the skills of all professions. Qiao Yifan had seen him use the skills of multiple professions flexibly many times, turning the rotten into the magical. He didn't have the talent to achieve proficiency in all professions, but Qiao Yifan believed that the things he had already mastered would be his own weapons, which would be used one day, one moment. As long as there was such a moment, then all his hard work would be worth it.
This moment has come.
Crossover step!
A very popular technique that many assassin players play with extremely skillfully. This technique is the fastest way to move a character to the opponent's side or even behind them, but this does not mean that this is an unsolvable movement method for the opponent. With Sun Xiang's level, just two crossover steps shouldn't have made him unable to keep up with the rhythm. But the problem is that the one using the crossover step right now is not an assassin, but a ghostblade, an array ghost.
No one would have thought that an array ghost would actually use the crossover step, let alone that he would use it so skillfully and smoothly, just like a professional assassin.
By the time Sun Xiang realized it and reacted, Inch of Gray had already taken three steps.
Three steps, three small steps. Inch of Gray went from the front of One Autumn Leaf to the side. Only then did Sun Xiang react, and only then did One Autumn Leaf move. He swayed, he moved, but Inch of Gray's attack had already been launched.
Double Stab!
A low-level swordsman skill, a very fast stab.
Too fast, he couldn't do much. One Autumn Leaf was hit by the sword.
The damage wasn't high, but the effect was knockback.
Sun Xiang's face changed. He had realized what this knockback meant.
To the side of One Autumn Leaf, a gray, silent array.