Game #3 | Ivern vs Volibear – 17/2/22 | Platinum 1 Avg

At the start of the game, we get to see where Voli started so I go for blue -> gromp -> wolves -> raptors -> invade. After looking at Voli’s clear speed, it’s clear that this should never work. I actually ended up looking up Voli’s clear speed afterwards and found out he can sub 3 with 1 smite ._.

So yeah if their Voli either went blue after gromp or cleared optimally, this would never work. Strangely bad play.

After first recall, I ping for singed to TP up so I can gank Kayle. Instead, he pings on the way and decides to walk. I stay and wait for him (WHICH IS REALLY BAD, I SHOULD NOT LISTEN). Once it’s clear that he doesn’t intend to TP, I should go to my camps.

By the time I end up touching my second rotation of camps, it’s 31 seconds late (HORRIBLE). This put me at a significant tempo loss and made the game feel difficult even when Voli’s pathing is predictable.

I end up making a play that has me wait in a bush (that turned out to be warded). When reviewing my past 2 sweeper uses, both were fairly necessary. Because of the ward, Voli cancels recall and matches, forcing me to use my flash and denying us the kill. After reviewing the play, I don’t think it was “bad” or even that negative. However, the outcome was still losing flash for 0 value and wasting time. How would the perfect Ivern player know it was warded?

If we go back a little earlier, I could’ve watched midlane to tell where the ward was. While I can’t realistically stare at mid all game, there’s some basic body language that gives away the ward’s location. Azir crashes a wave, and then starts hugging the bottom side of the lane when the next wave meets. There’s no way he’d play like this unless he’s either hovered by Voli or has a ward.

Back on the old map before s14, I’d do this kind of body language reading much more, but I’ve gotten lazy with it recently. If I paid more attention to it, I would’ve been able to clear more efficiently and save my flash.

A fight starts in the enemy jungle and I end up killing Volibear (but take an extra passive auto from him due to bad spacing). Then, Azir comes to try killing me but I narrowly escape. Upon review, there’s a few small mechanical details done wrong that would make a big difference.

From this spot, I should immediately backwards dash off my root to create some space. In the game, I end up instantly casting R instead to try getting Daisy out ASAP (despite there being no time loss if I were to backdash since Daisy can be summoned during it. This causes 2 issues:

I take an extra auto from the soldier on top of me
My shield hits him and can’t refresh.

If we add up all of the extra damage I took here, it’d come out to roughly:

80 dmg from Voli
50 dmg from Azir’s Soldier
160 dmg from not getting my shield refreshed

In total, that’s 290 damage that I didn’t need to take.

I also disrespect Azir wall and end up dying to both ADC/Sup roaming up. I could’ve lived if I played the previous section perfectly (+290 HP), but because I didn’t this is a bad play.

After defending a dive bot and getting a double kill with Daisy, I have 24 seconds left on her timer so I wait in anticipation for Voli to blast cone to crab. I know that since Daisy will go on cooldown after she expires, I want to make a play that removes Voli’s option to do drag with what’s left.

The problem is that he decides to walk from the banana bush instead. This wastes a lot of Daisy’s timer to the point where I get 1 knockup before she expires. However, due to my red buff I still chunk him for 60% of his HP.

The issue is that Azir TPs down and I end up getting both me and Soraka killed. This is another play where I don’t see it as “bad” since every single factor in my thought process are good points. However, the perfect Ivern player would still be able to recognize that Azir both didn’t use R in the last fight and has TP advantage.

While running away, I also could’ve lived if I took the path directly down river to bot. You can interpret this as running away from Jhin (path towards tribush) or Azir (path towards bot). Since Azir can ult me, running away from him takes priority. Since I ran towards tri instead, I end up dying.

In another fight, I end up Q2ing towards Azir while he has R up. This works against most champions, but not Azir R. I almost died.

In general I have not been respecting Azir R at the timers that I should this game. Most of my mistakes have come from fighting with him.

I use rift herald to push top alone after a fight. I get the tower very low, but don’t end up killing before having to leave because of Kayle respawn.

There was actually a more optimal way to clear wave which could’ve gotten me the tower (or at least a much higher chance of killing it).

From this position, if I shield myself once, click on rift herald as shield is about to pop, and then plow through the minions in rift charge, that would be enough to clear the entire wave. Instead, I use 2 shields and a bunch of autos which wastes a few seconds that could’ve been spent hitting the tower.