When the 2015 Chinese Regional Qualifier began, it seemed as if all participants had signed the Mutually Assured Destruction doctrine. The only powerful picks we'd seen were ones already played on Patch 5.15 before the Juggernaut buffs. Naturally, AmazingJ still built Dead Man's Plate on his Olaf, and Gangplanks and Fioras populated the rift, but the real gloves didn't come off until the sixth game of the night.

The Chinese Regional Cold War ended when Edward Gaming secured Darius as their last pick in their second game against Invictus Gaming. They dropped the first match, in part to Zzitai's Gangplank, which managed to out-damage Azir, Kog'Maw, and Viktor in the late game. A single loss pushed them over the edge, and in Game 3, Skarner tumbled out.

In a way, Patch 5.16 was a lifeline for both Edward Gaming and Invictus Gaming. The versatility of iG's solo laners and jungler have made them quick to adapt to big patch changes, and though they weren't quite on the Juggernaut train yet, they still showed more proficiency with Gangplank and Fiora and a better understanding of pick priority than either Qiao Gu or Snake.

During Playoffs, Edward Gaming struggled with some of their late game team fighting engages. The players lacked the same finesse in communication that they did during regular season. Then tonight, not one, but two members of the main lineup were hit by sickness. The game order almost swapped because Deft allegedly went to the hospital for a checkup before the start of the night's events, but was able to make it to the venue in time. Koro1's own sickness returned, and AmazingJ had to take his place.

Instead of relying on team fight coordination, EDG were able to take the snowball approach in skirmishes. Especially in the first game against Snake, EDG went about taking early objectives and smashing through the entire series. A few power picks later on allowed them to do the same to Invictus Gaming when confronted by the power of Gangplank and some of the team's kiting compositions.

Whether aided by a massive patch change or not, it's doubtful anyone will say Edward Gaming don't deserve to attend the World Championship this year. Hit by illnesses affecting every member at some point with the exception of Meiko, Edward Gaming only managed to avoid placing first in one tournament they attended this year. Their roster fluctuated, Deft seemed to be hitting walls in terms of his positioning at times, some of the team fighting spark flickered.

Despite the struggles, they still won 120 of 152 professional games played this year in a region steeped with competition. The theme of Edward Gaming's summer has been resilience, and they not only managed to adapt after their 1-6 humiliation in Playoffs and give Snake a resounding defeat in the first best of three, but they came back from a game down against Invictus Gaming to claim the second World Championship berth for China. Clearlove sits alone as the only Chinese player to have made three World Championships.

If this year showed anything, it's that staying at the top is difficult. Teams underneath a front-runner get all the benefits of learning from them, while the giants seek challenge. Multiple teams used the summer to improve, and Edward Gaming were hit with a concrete wall they didn't expect. They still got up. They still came out of Regionals understanding the patch better than any other team in the tournament. This was a far cry from the twitch-worthy drafting EDG pulled out in Playoffs.

As for Invictus Gaming, no team is more used to losing to EDG. They had a taste of victory in the third place match, but iG have the lone distinction of having faced EDG in a best of five in every Chinese tournament in which the latter has participated. All told, Edward Gaming beat them in 21 games of 26. It could be worse, but not much.

Invictus Gaming's loss to EDG in their first best of two encounter of the Summer split seemed to deflate them. They stopped coming to champion select with a plan, and they failed to be proactive while letting themselves get run over. They had a little more initiative against Vici Gaming and Qiao Gu Reapers in Playoffs, but nothing rejuvenated them like executing their plan against Edward Gaming and securing their rewards.

Now that they've lost to EDG once again, the question becomes whether they'll be able to still push through to the World Championship in the lower bracket final tomorrow. Zzitai has shown a willingness to play two of the top lane power picks we've see so far, but more options remain unseen.

Garen hasn't graced the 5.16 rift yet, and Moredkaiser, with his change to experience gains, could be the most broken champion of the patch. Of the remaining AD carries in the tournament, TnT has shown the most versatility and seems likely to pull it out over the more limited Kid or Martin. QG seemed the most lost today, and if they want to make a bid, Mordekaiser is their lifeline.

Snake still have the most carry-oriented top laner on their roster. Flandre didn't have the jungle pressure at his disposal that AmazingJ did today, and the Korean jungle giants Swift and KaKAO will still cause trouble. V was finally given free reign to to play more carry oriented top picks like Fizz, and his results against Zzitai's Gangplank were surprisingly impressive. In this Juggernaut war, V can't be completely discounted.

But if jungle-top and adaptability remain key on 5.16 tomorrow, iG has the best foundation in Zzitai and KaKAO in terms of relative strength in both roles. Patch 5.16 gives them their ticket to make the trip to Europe.

If they remain mentally sound, their superior drafting will knock out Snake, who have notoriously struggled with picks and bans. QG had a chance to close out against iG today if not for an unfortunate Baron throw and an awkward second draft.

Unlike Edward Gaming, neither of these teams have made it clear that they're favorites over the course of the season. QG's and Snake's climbs have heavy dips. Ennui hung over iG. Yet all of them would likely represent China well. Tomorrow it comes down to two best of fives and Patch 5.16.

Edward Gaming already tossed out the false pretense that Regionals wouldn't feature patch power picks. Not all champions were built or played optimally, but the picks themselves were strong enough for it not to matter. The remaining teams need to take the plunge. If QG, Snake, and iG don't bring new juggernauts to champion select tomorrow, they'll never have Paris.

Kelsey Moser is a staff writer for theScore eSports. You can follow her on Twitter.