Logging into your Cssmancers at on any ptform was as easy as sing a QR code with your phohis ease of use was undoubtedly one of the biggest factors for Cssmancers’ booming success. As soon as Yuel sed the QR code dispyed oV, his at data aings became accessible from the game sole.

  The same applied fnis, who ected to the sole of the other TV. With a simple QR s, they were both logged in and ready to go. But...

  “Isn’t that a little problematic?” Yuel referred to the way the TVs were standing almost side by side. It was too easy to peek at Ignis’s s and learly what she was doing. In fact, it’s harder to not see anything from this position.

  “It’s fiiiiine,” Ignis waved her hand. “You look at my s allllll day. I’mma still *hic* yo ass anyway.”

  But, what if I’m more ed about YOU using the information from MY s? Yuel grumped.

  “My, Yuyu is so serious,” Ellen smirked. “It’s just a friendly 1v1. o set up a professional tour enviro.”

  “Yeah,” Howard nodded. “No need for headphoher. You’ll hear both games at once, but we tweaked the sound options so things don't sound like shit. So, rex. It’s just an i friendly 1v1.”

  “Sure...” Something about these two was suspicious, but Yuel chose to ig. These ditions were far from optimal and it’s a 1v1, which wasn’t Yuel’s forte. However, all of it paled in parison to the fact he was going to py against a real pro! In the flesh! He'd take this opportunity under any circumstances, even if he had to py blindfolded and with 500ms ping, Well, okay, maybe that’s a stretch. But still! A match with a pro!

  “Alrighty,” Ignis nodded. “Made a room. How many levels ya want, kid?”

  “Levels?”

  “Hmmmmmm, let's make ya Lv.10. That should do.”

  “We start at Lv.10? I see,” Normally, both pyers started at Lv.5 in 1v1. This was to make battles more fast-paced from the beginning and to ba csses which had underwhelming early game. Starting at Lv.10 will make the matches even faster, but that's fine for a local friendly match.

  “Nope,” Ignis said. “YOU start at Lv.10. I start from 5.”

  “Huh?” Yuel wasn't sure he heard that right. This gotta be a joke.

  “Just a little tiny handicap. You don't really think ya *hic* me in a fair 1v1, do ya?”

  “A handicap? Of five levels?”

  “Oh, I see, I see,” Ignis nodded. “It's not enough, right? Yeah, of course you're no match to an awesome pro like me! Okay kid, you start at Lv.12.”

  “What, no. That's absurd,” Yuel argued. “I want a fair match.”

  “Ha, haha, hichahaha! This kid is funny! Where did ya find him?” Ignis burst into ughter for some reason, almost falling off the couch. What was so funny? Dammit.

  “She may look like this,” Howard said. “But, don't uimate her. She's a Grandmaster in 1v1.”

  “A Grandmaster...” Yuel’s jaw literally fell off. Pros were always ra Master randmaster, but that's in 5v5 because it’s the only petitive mode that mattered. 1v1 was more of a casual mode which happeo offer a ranked mode as well. It’s a mode which pros shouldn’t have much business with, yet Ignis was Grandmaster? In other words, she’s one of the stro 1v1 Masters iire world!?

  “I-I see,” The troller almost slipped through his salms. Yuel, a mere Gold IV who used 1v1 mostly for experiments and research, was about to challenge a Grandmaster. Yeah, okay, maybe a handicap was in order...

  “So,” Yuel said. “You also py against her with a handicap?”

  “Yeah,” Howard nodded. “She says three levels is good enough for me. She usually beats me, but with four levels I ofte her so she hates that, haha.”

  “I see,” Yuel turo Ignis.” I'd like only four levels then.”

  “Huuuuuh?” Ignis brought her face closer, examining Yuel. Ugh, she reeked of alcohol. “Wardy, is this kid any good?”

  “He's alright,” Howard said. “I don't think he has a fair ce with just four, though.”

  “I'll do it,” Yuel insisted. “Four levels is plenty.”

  “Hmm,” Ignis crossed her arms for a moment, then threw them in the air. “Meh, whatever! Four levels it is. Let's just py already!”

  “Yes, let's,” Yuel nodded. As he wished, Ignis ged the match settings to give him only four levels advantage. Arguing over a one level difference might sound silly to some, but it actually had a huge impact, especially in 1v1. A lead of one level could easily alloyer to destroy the oppo even if they were otherwise fairly matched in skill. So, starting at Lv.10 would have given him that advantage five times over. It's invincible to overe such odds, even frandmaster.

  With the match settings sorted out, they ehe css sele s. Si was a casual game, Ignis didn't bother making it in draft format. A shame, since he would have liked to learn what a Grandmaster normally bans in 1v1.

  Before proceeding with the pick, Yuel moved to the edge of the sofa to make it harder to see Ignis's monitor. He wao keep the match as fair as possible even in this low effort setup. If he gets any hints about Ignis's pick, his brain will automatically try to e up with a ter even if he doesn’t want to.

  Without knowing what Ignis may pick, the only thing to do was select a css Yuel rofit with and which performed well in 1v1 on average. Knight was one such good option. Bruises were generally favored in 1v1 due to boasting a bination of offense and defense. Also, Knight’s passive, Chivalry, granted a small defense buff to nearby allied minions, which was a huge advantage for a 1v1.

  Okay, this should do it. Yuel o himself and locked his pick.

  “Knight, huh.” Ignis mumbled with a drunk smile.

  “Wait, wha-” Yuel jumped. “That's cheating!”

  “Huh? Who's cheating?” Ignis waved her hand. “Just making sure we have a fun fight. You don't wao actally pick a ter, do ya?”

  But what if -I- picked a ter to what you had in mind? Yuel made a face. Just watch, she'll pick a hard ter to Knight for sure.

  “Hmmm,” Ignis tilted from side to side. “Warrior sounds good. This gonna be fun, hic.”

  Warrior? That's not a ter. In fact, Knight was one of the csses which rendered Warrior obsolete ia because it had access to simir types of CC, except with better utility. Maybe Ignis really just wao have a fun match?

  “Hehe~” Something about her smirk was disturbing, though.

  “My dolences.” Ellen pced a hand on Yuel's shoulder with an uanding nod.

  “Yeah, he's toast alright,” Howard oo.

  “Hey now,” Yuel frowned. “Don't write me off before we even started.” There was nothing particurly favorable fnis in this matchup, was there? If anything, Yuel might have an edge thanks to Knight's passive and ult.

  The match began before Yuel could draw any clusions. He spawned in the base at Lv.9 and allocated all 9 SP. That’s a lot of points right off the bat, but there timized order for leveling skills so it’s a no-brainer.

  The more iing question was which item to build first. Normally, he'd go for armor to survive the early game in 1v1. That gave him time to study the oppo without g any kills.

  However, this situation was very different from normal 1v1. Yuel was already four levels ahead of the enemy, so he’s in a “leading” position. Therefore, the idea of building a power item to swiftly crush a “weaker oppo” ealing. It didn't matter the oppo was a Grandmaster because stats were stats. No amount of skill could overwrite the absolute w that was math.

  Buying a power item on top of his four levels lead will allow him to kill Ignis in just a couple of hits. It was too good to pass on. Thus, he bought the Muramasa bde.

  Muramasa provided high attack power with a little mix of attack speed aration. However, its main fun id in its Lv.3 passive, which shredded the enemy’s protes with each strike and temporarily transferred them to the attacker. It was one of the best 1v1 items avaible, especially in bruiser vs. bruiser situations which dragged on. How will Ignis respond to it? This should be fun.

  After finishing his purchase, Yuel headed into the juhe map had two Wraith Camps, one on each side. Defeating wraiths granted a blue buff that gave MP regeion, which was essential for staying on the ne for a long time. It also gave cooldowion to skills, which allowed to spam them more often in a fight.

  Acc to the rough meta of this mode, each pyer should start by clearing the nearby Wraith Camp before heading to the ne. However, Yuel had a different idea in mind. With his huge head start and with Murasama in hand, he should be able to easily kill Ignis if he brings to battle to her. Therefore, instead of clearing his own Wraith Camp, he’ll start by invading her camp instead! That way, he might get a kill AND steal her buff along the way.

  This should work. Yuel o himself as he passed by his Wraith Camp without toug it. He ventured deeper into the juil he reached Ignis’s camp.

  Not here yet? For some reason, Ignis was nowhere in sight. Weird. The wraiths will spawn in a couple of minutes, so she should have been here already. A pro pyer, especially a 1v1 Grandmaster, should be more punctual than this. She surely khis was the on opening for this mode, right?

  “Huh...?” Time passed, the wraiths spawned and still no sight of Ignis. Where was she and what was she doing? Maybe she headed to ne already? That shouldn't be the case, but... “Where?”

  “What's wrong, kid?” Ignis’s lips curved into a smug. “Don't tell me you’re waiting at the wraiths.”

  “Who knows.”

  “Haha! You’re funny! Think you invade my stuff and *hic* me just because you're a few levels higher? Keep dreaming, kiddo!”

  She saw through it!? Yuel ched his troller. He thought he was onto something here, but Ignis figured him out in instant. Wait, was she spying on his monitaihrew a g her, but it seemed she was trated on her own monitor.

  Was it really just dedu? Thinking about it, Ignis probably pyed many games with a handicap like this. No matter how “smart” Yuel thought his idea was, it surely crossed the minds of some of her oppos before. So, she was already aware of this “smart” tactic via experience.

  Yuel was careless. Even though Ignis was drunk, she still reasoned exceptionally well. Rather, it’s probably not a stretch to say such reasoning was already engraved on her instincts. She could ter such basic pys in her sleep.

  Oh, so that's what she’s up to. While cheg whether Ignis ying on his monitor, Yuel actally caught a glimpse of her s instead. The spied became the spy. Oops. W-Well, the g sounds from her sole also indicated who she was fighting right now, so it's not like learning any of this was his fault, okay?

  Ignis was fighting ogres and there’s only one p the map where that could be dohe Ogre Camp in Top Jungle. Instead of starting at her Wraith Camp in Bot Jungle, she started at the Ogre Camp. sidering how it was oher side of the map, Ignis must have figured Yuel out from the get-go, before he eve foot in the jungle.

  The strengths of both Wraith Camp and the Ogre Camp were roughly the same, so Ignis won’t have any trouble clearing the camp. Even if Yuel tries to invade her now, he won't make it in time to Top Jungle. Well pyed, I have to admit.

  With er choice left, he proceeded to take out the wraiths. He got a blue buff while Ignis got a red buff. Ignis’s clearing speed will be faster thanks to increased power, whereas Yuel will be able to stay longer ohanks to his MP5. Not a terrible trade. This early into the game it’s impossible to tell who beed more from this exge.

  Befoing to ne, Yuel could first take a detour to clear the Wraith Camp on his side of the map. Doing so would give him extra exp, prolong his blue buff and ensure Ignis won't get her hands on it any time soon. It was an attractive offer, but it harbored some risks.

  Losing even a little bit of ne trol in 1v1 was extra dangerous because the Colossus was only protected by a Golem; there were no Turrets. sidering Ignis had the power buff, she could push the ne pretty hard. So, if Yuel doesn’t get there right away, the sequences will be dire.

  Therefore, he went to ne right away. Ignis also arrived shortly, ing from the opposite side. Now that she was within his range of sight, he could see what item she started with. So, what was the opening move of a Grandmaster?

  Spiked Buckler. Hmm, iing. It was on the cheaper side. Pyers started with much mold in 1v1 than in 5v5, so there were plenty more expeions she could have gone for.

  Spiked Buckler provided attack power and defense, both i amounts. It was a banced pick, which implied Ignis wasn't sure yet how her battle with Yuel will py out. A smart choiot quite what he expected from such a vulgar and ceited pyer. Putting aside her personality and drinking habits, Ignis rht.

  Despite trash talking and treating Yuel like a nobody, Ignis was taking this match 100% seriously. Gulp. This match will be even harder than Yuel inally thought...