Classmancers - A MOBA Esport Story - Part 3

Vol.15 Ch.8: The Princess's Analysis

"Whoa, that DK is such a ballsy pick," Karen commented. "Either they're brave or they're hella dumb. Sis, are you sure these guys are really worth our attention?"

"Hmm." Fiona knotted her brows. That Dark Knight pick caught even her off-guard.

Both in chess and in Classmancers, following the meta was the key to victory. In the same way chess players studied the optimal openings, Classmancers players picked the superior classes and formed the best team compositions.

That was the primary guideline by which Fiona studied Classmancers, and the various coaches she hired endorsed this approach as well. Naturally, that also included Fernando Rodriguez, the Leopards' famous coach.

The only coach who ever tried to teach Fiona differently was the one who insisted to call herself "Esmeralda". The witch's unorthodox approach was the main reason Fiona didn't mesh too well with the teachings. Even though some of the woman's crafty advice was definitely valuable, a lot of the concepts didn't sit right with Fiona.

Out of all the coaches, Esmeralda would likely be the one only to not bat an eye at a Dark Knight pick. She'd even go as far as claiming that a Dark Knight pick was perfectly fine, even against a powerhouse like the Leopards.

As far as that oddball of a woman was concerned, Classmancers was a game without hard rules. It only had guidelines that people could greatly benefit from following, but otherwise, nothing was set in stone.

According to her, there were always exceptions to everything. Esmeralda insisted there was always value in trying out new things that strayed away from the meta, no matter what others thought of it.

It was an interesting point of view, one could even call it "revolutionary". But, in the end, it was simply too unrealistic and inefficient.

Humans had a finite amount of time and resources for polishing their skills in any one particular field. Nobody understood that fact better than Fiona Landberht, who competed in many different sports at the same time.

In order to climb to the top of each competitive field, it was necessary to study and master the "meta" of the game. That was the fastest and most efficient method for turning into a high-level competitor.

As such, inefficient off-meta picks like Dark Knight were simply unacceptable. The class definitely had its unique strengths, but it was far too fragile and flawed to be utilized in real tournaments.

From the top of my head, I can only recall a handful of pro games in which Dark Knight was ever picked. Fiona thought. And, if memory serves, none of these were A-League teams. As such, even the few examples that exist are not worth taking seriously.

The A-League housed the teams that had the most robust experience in the field. As such, only their opinions on the meta were relevant to consider.

Therefore, if no A-Leaguer ever seriously picked Dark Knight, then clearly the class was not meta under any circumstances. A mere middle schooler couldn't possibly discover a strong use for Dark Knight that the best pros missed.

As such, this Dark Knight pick was undeniably faulty in the current meta. This wasn't an opinion or an estimation, but a hard, cold fact.

And yet, I find myself wondering. Fiona admitted. Is 'he' going to show us an innovative tactic of some sort that can counter the Leopards using a Dark Knight?

Normally, Fiona would dismiss such nonsensical ideas on the spot. And yet, two years ago, Fiona was defeated by precisely this sort of nonsense.

Somehow, Yuel Fermond found an odd line of play that threw Fiona off her game. His ideas in that game were nearly as nonsensical as this Dark Knight pick, yet the man managed to make them work.