Author:
Connor Coates
Publish Date:
02/10/2024
ESB ProVision: How good is MDK’s Nidalee?
Welcome to ProVision here at ESB. Today, we will discuss MDK and how they use the flex of a Nidalee pick to their advantage.
How good is MDK’s Nidalee? | League of Legends ProVision
The Value Of Nidalee
As a champion, Nidalee takes a great deal of work to execute effectively. Compare her to champions like Skarner, who takes much less work to be effective and is not as difficult mechanically. You can see through pick and ban rates how valued this is and that Skarner is often prioritised. Another good comparison is Viego. He is another champion who takes a lot of work, but the outcome can be game-altering. He does not take as much work as Nidalee but can be more effective, especially with the current meta.
Other teams do not value Nidalee much, mainly due to the amount of work she takes to be effective. She quickly becomes ineffective if the game does not go according to plan. We saw a recent resurge in her being picked. GEN.G Jungler Canyon brought her back into people’s thoughts, but only he could pilot her effectively for a while. That is, until MDK found a way to make it work for them.
How MDK Made It Work
It works for MDK because they use it as a unique and flexible pick. What does this mean? Teams coming up against MDK will know they may play this champ. This forces them to either ban it and use a ban or allow it through the draft and accept that MDK may use it. It is a flex pick; it can go into multiple roles. So, Myrwn has used this pick in the top lane, but it is predominantly a jungle pick. Making a flex pick early in the draft is essential, as this creates uncertainty for the opposing team. If the pick is done too late, it will be easy to counter as it will be telegraphed to show where the pick is for.
For this to work effectively, the top laner has to be able to play Nidalee. MDK’s case works as Myrwn has shown he can play her. This has been an excellent tool for MDK through play-ins. They have used Nidalee twice, but Myrwn did not play it on either occasion. It went to Elyoya both times, but the threat of the flex pick works. The opposing team will not know where this Nidalee will go and must draft around that uncertainty.
Moving Into The Swiss Stage
It is unlikely to bring the same success as we move into the Swiss Stage. The first reason is that Nidalee is not that strong of a champion. Most teams at the Swiss Stage will be able to contain Nidalee and beat her in the lane with meta picks. The Swiss Stage is full of the world’s best players, and playing a champion who is not that strong is just making the game harder.
Secondly, the Nidalee pick is a component of MDK’s success, not a driving factor. The Nidalee flex has not won the games but contributed. Their success at play-ins has come through superior team fighting and individual performances from Supa, Alvaro, and Elyoya.
In conclusion, flex picks are a powerful tool for a team. But as we advance, it would be good to see other picks used, as the Nidalee is not the strongest. It is a fun pick to watch and makes it hard for teams to draft against, but it is never a driving factor for MDK’s success. It would be good to see flex picks with more tangible advantages.
Betting On MDK
The first game for MDK at the Swiss Stage is BLG. This is not a game MDK is expected to win, and it would be best to avoid betting on them. They currently have odds of 1/20 across Bzeebet, LeoVegas and Betiton. Meanwhile, BLG are sat at 13/2 across all three sites. (Odds subject to change).
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