Mid-lane national server power rankings: Xiao Qiao officially promoted to high-end mage, Bian Que reworked but abandoned shortly after: Elimination Chapter

This season, the mid-lane received almost no targeted adjustments. The Six-Eared Macaque was released, and the supporting character was the redesigned Bian Que. Everyone was praising his high kill threshold, and the entire community hailed him as a strong comeback. His ban rate, pick rate, and win rate all continued to rise. It was indeed fun at the beginning of the season. Whether it was the novelty or the support of skilled players who addressed his short-range weakness, everyone adored this violent scientist, a biological weapon. No need to hide behind and heal; once his passive stacks were full, a single ultimate ignited a poison bomb, and everyone perished on the battlefield. It sounded terrifying. So why was he so heartlessly abandoned by the middle of the season?

Bian Que: Stop Romanizing

Players in the peak rankings have completely different thought processes than ordinary players. The former choose what works well, while the latter choose what they want to play. You can think of it as one following reason and the other following their heart. The rebirth is a cause for celebration, but the core problem is that it's not fun to play. The output environment in the low ranks has no limits. As the rank increases, the reason why basic attacks can't be stacked is really frustrating. Flexible lineups are useless. Even simple poison application can't be done after losing a match. There's no strategic aspect to speak of, and that's why they're relegated to fourteenth place.

The adaptability of the Elephant Artifact in high-level games is limited. In situations where visibility is extremely poor, the cooldown reduction becomes less practical. Therefore, two approaches are adopted. The first is to focus on dual resistances, with the core item being the Prophecy of Time, for a semi-tank build focused on attrition. The second is to utilize slowing items like the Heart of Ice and the Fang of Nightmare, which are better than mindlessly stacking attack power.

Bian Que's ranking reveals the high expectations top players have for him. While his "overpowered monster" title is gone, it doesn't mean his skills have been crippled. Remember to choose wisely and consider team composition. He's not the only one whose ranking has slipped; Haiyue dropped to twelfth. Preconceived notions might suggest a decline in strength or an inability to capitalize on the Wuxiang artifact's advantages, but the reality is her extremely high ban rate. No one uses her, no one is investing in her, so how can she compete for a top-ten position?

Most of the mages ranked 11th to 20th lack strategic depth, struggle to fill gaps and provide damage in team fights, and are unable to execute combos before retreating and leaving the damage to their teammates. However, they excel at solo kills and are often targeted by other players.

Image source: Internet