Weibo Gaming's mid laner Xiaohu decided on a unique Ahri build, but it didn't seem to work out in the 2023 LoL Worlds Finals.
Game 2 of the Weibo Gaming versus T1 series was a totally one-sided match. T1's top laner, Zeus, dominated in the top lane, and Oner was all over the map with his agile Nocturne play. From the get-go it seemed like a difficult match for WBG.
While T1 were dominating, one crucial error from Weibo may have contributed to their loss. Mid laner Xiaohu opted for an unconventional Ahri build, which might have been the reason for their defeat.
LoL Worlds 2023 Finals: Unorthodox Ahri Build Cost Weibo The Series
In the second match, Xiaohu decided to pick Ahri into Faker's Sylas thanks to the range difference with the two mages. Then to try and get an even greater advantage, Xiaohu decided to try his luck with AD Ahri, buying Long Sword to start.
On his first back he upgraded it to Kircheis Shard, which does have a magic damage passive and can work on AP champions like Ahri. This start is supposed to help in lane, since the added AD and the item would allow for more poking power from Ahri, as well as an easier way to skirmish with a melee champion like Sylas.
Unfortunately for Xiaohu, this unorthodox strategy did anything but work out. Kircheis Shard costs 700 gold and sells for 490 and by minute 15 guess what Xiaohu did? Sell it to be able to purchase his Sorcerer's Shoes. This cost him quite a bit of money to try and get the upper hand in lane, which he also couldn't do, unfortunately.
Xiaohu also ended up getting Liandry's as his first item, meaning he wasn't willing to commit to the AD Ahri build completely. What many AP mages have done is build items like Statikk Shiv to get an advantage in lane, which was also why LeBlanc had a short resurgence on the Rift earlier this year as well.
Weibo Gaming was not able to make the strategy work and ended up losing the match in a pretty decisive matter, putting T1 at match point. But could this one simple itemization mistake have cost them the game?