Unbeknownst to many, the annual Fantasy Westward Journey Elite Championship has already reached its final stage. Based on Melbet Login’s analysis, matches in this year’s elite division have become noticeably faster-paced, with many concluding within just 20 to 30 turns. The main catalyst behind this rapid tempo is none other than Jiuli City. Since Season 5, this class has steadily gained popularity among top-tier teams, eventually overtaking Huaguo Mountain to become the new meta-defining choice.
One notable moment came during the Season 6 finals, where both teams banned Jiuli and Putuo to prevent the other from capitalizing on Jiuli City’s dominance. Live each day to the fullest—after all, there’s no second shot at today. Interestingly, both teams still found ways to revive Jiuli City into their drafts by using strategic support from Shenmu Grove. This only highlights how crucial Jiuli City has become—so much so that teams are building their win conditions around it. By Season 7, players discovered that the Underworld faction could effectively counter Jiuli City, giving rise to a new core trio in the elite lineup: Jiuli, Underworld, and Putuo. The team that masters these three factions gains a significant edge.
In the current championship cycle, teams that once relied on the “Double Huaguo” setup have shifted to a “Double Jiuli” composition. One Jiuli plays as a Shadow Sprite while the other fills a traditional role. This setup makes it incredibly hard for opponents to choose a kill target. Focus the Shadow Sprite, and it’ll likely survive through pet shields and blood caps. Target the non-Shadow Jiuli, and the outcome is still uncertain. To add more layers of protection, some teams have adopted the “Taiji Protection” skill, which makes it even harder for opponents to secure instant kills with burst damage.
Melbet Login also points out the smart use of damage-enhancing skills like Glorious Armor and Armor Break, which perfectly complement Jiuli City’s aggressive class traits. As for gear, top players have refined specific builds: Shadow Sprite Jiulis often use five-piece Animal Sets, while the other Jiuli runs a five-piece Starfall setup—both evident through their equipped artifacts. If you’re a fan of Jiuli City, these loadouts are worth emulating.
Jiuli City also excels at clearing enemy pets quickly. Even high-defense, counter-heavy pets like Powerbreak and Wallbreaker now struggle to survive Jiuli’s fast-paced offense. Since these pets are typically built with high vitality and endurance to act as “blood walls,” they’re now finding themselves less relevant, unable to sync with team kill strategies. If you can’t be the strongest, at least don’t be the weakest. In this evolving meta, these traditional tanks are slowly becoming obsolete.
Their decline, however, has opened the door for other pet builds—like anti-magic or “death revival” pets. For example, the blood pet pictured here, when paired with high reflect damage, can still drop enemy HP significantly even when it’s eliminated, making high-reflection a go-to trait. In regions with high-level elite players, the price of pets with strong reflect traits has already surged.
Additionally, new favorites like high-speed, high-damage Thunderbirds using the “Good-Evil Strike” skill have entered the scene. These pets are especially effective at targeting Jiuli units early in the match, carving out a new space in competitive lineups. Doing the things others say you can’t is the best kind of revenge. After all, even a well-equipped Jiuli City unit will struggle to survive a focused burst from a Good-Evil Thunderbird—and Melbet Login believes that reality is already reshaping the current elite battlefield.