In the second stage of the LPL Demacia Cup, the schedule is already more than halfway through. On the previous matchday, EDG faced LGD in Group A. The two teams went the full three games, with EDG winning 2-1. After securing their third consecutive victory, EDG has effectively locked in their spot for the third stage. Even if the other teams in the group win all their remaining matches, the best they can do is 3-1, and EDG holds the tiebreak advantage, making their advancement almost certain, likely achieving a fourth straight win.

Also in the same group, NIP and WE clashed, with NIP easily defeating WE 2-0 to claim their first win in the second stage. Having lost two matches in a row before, NIP’s chances of advancing are slim. The last match was between JDG from Group B and LNG. JDG lost their debut match after a full three-game series against WBG. Before this match, most expected JDG to defeat LNG and secure their first win, but JDG’s players continued to underperform and were swept by LNG.

A quick recap of how JDG lost: In the first game, the early laning phase was mostly fine, and they even won the Rift Herald fight. However, during the lane swap, both carries made mistakes. HongQ died twice in a row, and Gazi was killed under tower by 1Xn while clearing mid lane. By mid-game, LNG had pulled ahead economically. JDG’s team fights collapsed instantly, and after LNG secured the Dragon Soul, their team fights became overwhelming, pushing through and defeating JDG decisively.

In the second game, the early phase was relatively calm, with the first blood only occurring at 11 minutes. During the dragon fight, LNG’s jungler Croco pulled off an impressive play: his Jarvan ultimate canceled Rell’s QW combo, and when JunJia tried to charge and flash his Q, Jarvan dodged it. Vi’s ultimate locked down the target, and another EQ combo created distance, turning JunJia into a sitting duck and securing first blood for LNG. Croco’s clear thinking and fluid mechanics deserve praise.

Later in the Rift Herald fight, Croco secured the objective again and helped teammates kill JunJia. After Xiaoxu’s Sion joined, he damaged two opponents heavily. The duo from JDG hesitated to engage and stayed in river bushes, leading to another lost team fight. At 20 minutes, JDG trailed by 4K gold. LNG maintained control and steadily expanded their lead to 9K gold by 25 minutes. At this point, JDG’s fate was sealed, and the game was effectively over.

This season, LNG has been the weakest team in the LPL regular season, so it was surprising to see them dominate JDG, a team ranked in the top four on paper, in the Demacia Cup. This transfer window for JDG is another classic case of “spending money but getting beaten.” JDG’s issues are numerous: JunJia’s individual skill is inferior to the newly arrived Korean imports Croco and Juhan; mid laner HongQ is considered promising, but he has yet to show any standout performances in these two best-of-five series.

Xiaoxu is not terrible but also not a top-tier top laner; he makes mistakes but can occasionally step up. The most surprising is Gazi, widely regarded as JDG’s key player. Getting killed by ELK’s lane opponent is one thing, but being solo killed by 1Xn is shocking. The crucial point is that Vampire’s individual skill is slightly better than the veteran Meiko, yet Gazi can’t even hold lane against him. There’s little to say about that. Also, Gazi’s team fighting often sees him wandering off into the river bushes without purpose.

JDG’s investment during the transfer period should rank just behind BLG, AL, and WBG. However, their current strength is even weaker than the low-investment LNG. They still have two matches left against OMG and BLG. Given their current form, even beating OMG will be tough, let alone facing BLG. If they continue to struggle with team synergy, JDG will likely be eliminated with a 0-4 record in this Demacia Cup, which would be hard to endure.

Conclusion:

The CFO’s expectations of the mid-jungle duo’s strength were overestimated; they are not as strong as imagined. However, since this is still a practice phase, JDG has room to improve. With better coordination, making the playoffs should be achievable. As for international tournaments, this roster still seems insufficiently strong. We’ll have to see if Tabe can develop them further.

So, who do you think is the biggest problem for JDG?

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