The Yuanliu archer remains firmly in first place, while casual players consider Baili Shouyue useless, yet he has been reused by the Chinese server. (II)

The prodigy, a perennial champion, leaves casual players stunned. High-level players are used to seeing this; he's already incredibly strong. Perhaps they dislike the grueling early game development phase in ranked matches, where his early-game shooting is barely effective. They might as well switch to a more passive, marksman-like hero like Hou Yi. This isn't entirely their fault; environmental factors are crucial. Sometimes it's not that they don't want to pick a high-level marksman, but their teammates lack the awareness and coordination. Even if they know how to survive, if a squishy hero is targeted, it's a five-on-one situation where everyone is indifferent—it's truly frustrating. This illustrates the importance of the development phase. High-level players are calm and collected, occasionally engaging in small skirmishes. Ranked matches, on the other hand, often involve prolonged fights and constant brawls. Between development and supporting, which would you choose?

Bai Li Shouyue: Rising to third place in the national top 100

Baili Shouyue is renowned as a marksman who relies on passive skills. Even though the developers have revamped him into a machine gunner, removing his sniper identity and limiting his use of scopes, and now uses him primarily for escaping after sharing ammo with his third skill, he still boasts a 12.8% pick rate and 16.86% win rate across all skill levels. In the 1350 peak match, his pick rate is 21.3% and his win rate is 28.04%. In top-tier ranked matches, his pick rate is 17% and his win rate is 21.66%.

These stats are truly impressive. After a slight buff last season, they immediately surged into the top three in the national rankings this season. While casual players consider them useless, the national server is reusing them. They were already highly regarded by top players early on, showing immense potential. Unfortunately, stereotypes are too deeply ingrained, making it hard to believe, but the facts speak for themselves. The item build remains unchanged. In terms of gameplay, try to use your second skill as much as possible to deal damage in the early game. That's right, you're allowed to snipe and drive away opponents in the early game, while using basic attacks to clear waves and push towers.

Furthermore, with the attack speed build remaining unchanged, sniper bullets become useless in the late game. The damage from a single bullet quickly replenishes the opponent's lifesteal item, making the high-frequency basic attack damage considerable. Once this was understood, it became clear that Baili Shouyue's performance wasn't actually that bad; he was severely underestimated. Regarding skin usage, the "Brave" skins were overwhelmingly superior. You can refer to the Chinese server's selection criteria; they prioritize feel and stealth. After detailed analysis, many Epic and Legendary skins were deemed unsuitable, while the seemingly ordinary companion skins delivered the ideal combat feel.

Image source: Internet