Buzz
G2 Esports' Jungle - Mid duo has been consistently utilizing the Ivern - Rengar combo on the Korean server.
Among the teams set to compete in the upcoming MSI 2022, besides T1 and RNG (representing LCK and LPL), G2 Esports is attracting a lot of attention. Not only for their Spring 2022 LEC championship title after a comeback from the lower bracket, but also for their unique, intriguing strategies that always keep people curious. Remember back in MSI 2019 when they made waves by bringing Pyke to their Mid Lane.
As of now, G2 Esports players have been in South Korea for about 3 days and have begun training by climbing ranks on the Korean server. Observing Jankos and Caps climb the ranks, we can see they're employing a rather 'unconventional' strategy of Ivern paired with Rengar. In this setup, Jankos handles Ivern while Caps takes Rengar to the Mid Lane.
Strengths that prompt G2 Esports to actively practice this tactic with Jankos and Caps? Firstly, it's the element of surprise in the early game damage potential that Rengar can unleash, often leading to significant advantages in the Mid Lane. Even when facing long-range Mage champions, with Ivern starting with his W ability and creating brush in the Mid Lane, Rengar can still pounce on opponents and deal damage.
Not only during the laning phase, but this duo can also create an incredibly strong snowball once Rengar takes the lead in the Mid Lane. With support from Ivern's brush, Rengar can leap onto opponents from unexpectedly positions, even when they stand in the middle of the lane and away from bushes. Additionally, Ivern's brush also limits the enemy team's vision, making it more effective in controlling the battlefield and squeezing opponents.
Considering G2 Esports' position, their choice to practice this duo seems quite reasonable. Looking at the teams at this year's MSI, T1 and RNG are clearly G2 Esports' biggest opponents. The commonality among them is having excellent players in lane control and macro movements in the later stages. To put it simply, playing a Mage matchup against Faker or Xiaohu in the Mid Lane is akin to shooting yourself in the foot.
Hence, G2 is forced to seek innovative strategies in the Mid Lane to gain a significant advantage here and make it difficult for T1 or RNG to control the game. Perhaps the solution G2 chooses to do this is Ivern - Rengar, helping Caps find ways to solo kill opponents in the same lane and snowball. Hopefully, Jankos and Caps will master this playstyle even more to use it effectively at the upcoming MSI 2022, who knows they might create a whole new meta.
