With Jiang Yangâs clutch reversal in the second-half pistol round, Steel Helmet managed to tie the score.
But now, they had a critical task: stabilize this next round and prevent Tyloo from countering. Otherwise, the momentum could crumble.
After some thought, MO laid out the strategy: âDD and Cousin, you two head to A1. The rest of us will take mid control. Letâs keep it simple with synchronized execution.â
Steel Helmet wasnât a team that could handle overly complex tacticsâtheyâd get overwhelmed. So, MO opted to simplify the play. He would handle the utility himself to avoid any awkward misthrows like an âAladdin Smoke.â
When the time came to push A, they would rely on synchronized trades to overwhelm Tyloo.
MOâs calm tactical adjustments were highly targeted.
Even though Tyloo forced a buy, they couldnât find any answers to Steel Helmetâs strategy.
With simultaneous pushes through the archway and A1, Jiang Yang, wielding an AK-47, quickly secured the first kill, taking out the CT hiding behind the long box.
Danking, on the other hand, was stationed in CT Spawn with a Scout. He managed to land three body shots, but without a headshot or follow-up damage, he achieved nothingâonly to be taken down by Su Di, who stormed him with a P90.
The score now stood at 9:8, marking the first time Steel Helmet took the lead over Tyloo!
Seeing the score change, Jiang Yang clenched his fist hard.
Truthfully, Steel Helmetâs overall strength wasnât quite there. After all, they were just a group of former pro players, and even in scrims, they only played against streamers.
Their playstyle leaned toward ladder tactics, often engaging in unnecessary duels.
But in todayâs match, Tyloo was giving them opportunities.
Tylooâs playstyle was similarly ladder-oriented, with players trying to rely on raw aim to win fights. This left Jiang Yang plenty of room to outmaneuver them.
After securing this forced-buy round, Tyloo was forced into an eco. At B Site, SLOWLY managed an impressive three kills with his Desert Eagle, but DD and Jiang Yang clutched a tight 2v4, barely scraping through.
The match progressed to a full-buy round.
Sensing something was off, Tyloo called back-to-back pauses to discuss tactics.
MO, ever the mischief-maker, extended their break by adding another tactical pause after Tylooâs, throwing them further off balance.
After the first pause, Steel Helmet decided to execute an A push. However, Bai Cai (Cabbage) seized the opportunity and positioned himself at Sandwich early on.
Catching perfect timing, he wiped out Steel Helmetâs entire lineup in one swift move.
Tyloo finally secured their first round of the second half.
Thanks to their strong early-game performance, Steel Helmet still had a healthy economy.
After some thought, MO said, âLetâs try hitting B this time. Cousin, take the AWP and peek A1 for an opening pick.â
âWeâll smoke mid for cover, and then speed up for an explosive B push!â
As the countdown ended, Jiang Yang received an AWP from Su Diâa skin with a cartoonish cat-and-dog theme.
Jiang Yang instinctively commented, âThis skinâs pretty ugly.â
Hearing this, DD mumbled teasingly, âSu Di, you hear that? Heâs throwing shade at us old folks. Go change the AWP skin after the stream!â
Brother Xiaosa joined in, egging them on: âCousin, just tell us which skin you like, and weâll buy it for you on the spot.â
âSay what you want about us, but our inventoryâs top-tier,â he bragged.
âMO, hand over that 600,000-yuan claw knife! Show some awareness!â
The playful banter made Jiang Yang laugh, âStop it! Cut it out!â
Viewers watching the livestream couldnât believe how relaxed the Steel Helmet team atmosphere wasâit felt more like a casual five-man internet café session than a competitive match.
When the round began, Jiang Yang pushed toward A1 with the AWP. His positioning was excellent. Before gaining vision, he scoped in on the area below the platform, carefully scanning for information.
After about two seconds, he noticed a slight movement through the black smoke of a Molotov below the platform. Without hesitation, he fired.
âBang!â
[young killed summer with AWP]
âNice shot!!â The kill feed lit up, and Steel Helmetâs older players couldnât help but marvel again.
Cousin really had the skills!
At this level of competition, it was rare to see Jiang Yang misstep or miss a shotâhe was consistently lethal.
âIâll bait them here,â Jiang Yang said calmly.
As the teamâs decoy for the A push, he needed to sell the fake convincingly. He threw a flashbang against the wall at A1, simulating an aggressive push.
Sensing the pressure, Tylooâs A Site players immediately countered with a smoke grenade to block Jiang Yangâs vision.
With the fake sufficiently sold, Steel Helmet began executing their B push.
Jiang Yang then sprinted toward B.
In the voice chat, DDâs thick accent could be heard shouting:
âThereâs one on sofaâsuper low!â
âWhite car, white carâgot him!!â
âSofa guyâs down too!â
âOne in marketâdead!â
When a confident entry fragger is on fire, everything they say sounds cocky. But in this case, DD wasnât braggingâhe was just that good.
Jiang Yang quipped over comms, âDD, something feels off about you.â
âWhat do you mean?â DD asked, momentarily confused.
âCheck the date on your computerâitâs gotta be 2018. This is the 2018 version of DD!â Jiang Yang joked.
Hearing this, DD was delighted. âLittle bro knows how to talkâI like it!â
For the veterans of Tyloo, 2018 held a special place in their hearts as a year of glory. Jiang Yangâs comment hit the perfect note.
With DD fully activated, he carried that momentum through the following rounds, reclaiming his title as "Asiaâs Top Entry Fragger."
While DD ran rampant, Jiang Yang could afford to relax, occasionally picking off one or two players with his AWP.
Though Tyloo managed to claw back some rounds, their efforts appeared strained.
The score crept up to 14:11.
Tyloo had used their final pause.
The narrowing score gap shocked viewers in the 6657 livestream room:
âOnly two rounds left!!â
âNo way⦠are they really taking this map from Tyloo?â
âIf Tyloo canât even beat these streamers, they should disband!â
âFirst Tyloo, then VG! Steel Helmetâs on the rise!â
Even the caster, Machine, couldnât hold back: âHonestly, guys, this might really be the end for Tyloo!â
âThis next round is critical. Tyloo has no more pauses, and their economy is shaky. If they lose this rifle round, the momentum could collapse entirely!â
Steel Helmet didnât rush into the round. MO decided to spread out across the map for control, wary of a potential aggressive push from Tyloo.
After establishing control, they planned to regroup for an explosive execute.
âDanking has good positioning this round,â the caster noted. âHeâs lurking mid for picks, but as soon as he peeks the archway, he eats two grenades and drops to 1 HP!â
Steel Helmet played slowly, deliberately baiting out Tylooâs aggression.
Meanwhile, Tyloo prepared a triple-crossfire in mid, anticipating a late T-side push.
Steel Helmetâs attempt to pressure mid resulted in disasterâSu Di was flashed and eliminated by Tylooâs sewer push, disrupting their synchronization.
MO, sensing the shift, quickly adjusted the plan: âLock, throw a flash into sewers to apply pressure. Weâre going to rotate toward A.â
âCousin, take point at A1 and throw two flashes to cover DD and me as we push into A2. Letâs deal with the CTs at CT Spawn first.â
The round devolved into chaos, leaving Jiang Yang in a 1v4 clutch situation.
Under immense pressure, Jiang Yangâs focus sharpened. He adjusted his position and carefully picked off one CT after another, ultimately blind-scoping Danking in a jaw-dropping finale.
As the last shot landed, Jiang Yang roared, âToday, weâre turning the tables!! Tyloo? Iâll take you all down!â
Steel Helmetâs comms exploded with excitement, while even Ma Xixi, watching from his stream, was left speechless.
âThatâs⦠world-class. My cousin might actually destroy Tyloo today!â