Recaps and Previews

By Kupon3ss

Recaps

When the dust settles, we're left with 8 teams to compete in the elimination stage. The die has been cast, and soon battle will be joined for the biggest Dota2 tournament since The International. Of the remaining competitors, we have an eclectic assortment of squads with different goals and expectations.

Overwhelming Favorites

iG finished the group stages in the same form they began, utter dominance. With the triumphs over FTFC and EG even more one-sided than the games versus MUFC and LGD. Some of the games were one sided that iG didn't seem to feel them worthy of GGs, including a 13 minute dismantling of FTFC that can best be described as a massacre. iG goes into the elimination as nothing but the top slot, the seemingly invincible juggernaut that crushes all opposition.

DK is the team looking stronger and stronger with every trial. Since their shaky performance in the opener against Orange, they've jelled very nicely as a squad, narrowly finishing Second after going 2-2 overall against iG at WCG and finishing the games against N9 and Flash in a form almost as dominant as iG's. The resurrection of the Burning, Dai/X/MMY, and 357 combo appears to be running on all cylinders.


Inconsistent Powerhouses

LGD was the second strongest team at the start of the tournament, but now they appear to be a third fading into the distance. Drawing MUFC after completely dominating them in the first game is something you can't simply shrug off as "testing lineups" and is more reflective of a team that's still adapting, both to the new .76 version in-game and to LGD.int's move to China.

Orange's roster for G-1 is perhaps the strongest pool of individual talent in SEA, and their results showed it. Still as on and off as ever, they looked like different teams in each of their games. From the quick defeat at the hands of TongFu to the second overwhelming victory against the same team, their performance against N9 with a stand-in heavy roster even varied hugely throughout the games themselves.


Lumbering Mediocrity

MUFC is decidedly middle of the road. Tying LGD is is perhaps the high point of their group stage experience, which showcased a strong SEA team that is a bit out of place against both the top of the bracket and the bottom.

TongFu barely escaped elimination by playing one of the big games of their group stage against Orange only to fall back into the disorganized mishmash of talent that they've shown us all tournament. Hampered by internal issues, a reforming team, and the highest pings of any Chinese outfit, TongFu has little hope of making the offline finals if their form doesn't vastly improve.


The Underdogs

EG, as expected, got stomped rather badly by both LGD and iG, but their showings were not entirely devoid of brilliant plays like Fear's Rubrick against iG. Adding mother nature in the form of Hurricane Sandy to their mounting list of external enemies, EG nevertheless managed to crawl itself into the elimination stage. There might be a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel, but it's still a rather distant glimmer.

Flash barely eased out a spot over N9 by the way of the elimination bracket. While Ewahh has shown himself to be a capable captain and player, the rest of the team has been derided by viewers and commentators alike, with jokes like "will DsF pass the death/10cs line?"

Previews

iG vs Orange, Nov. 3, 2100 KST

The Strongest non-Chinese team in the tournament against the seemingly Invincible iG. If any team has a chance to match iG's relentless aggression and talent, it would be Orange's all-star lineup of SEA Gods, but even that seems unlikely as iG has showcased a level of consistency and decision making that makes the wanton aggression of the likes of Orange seem rather dull and disorganized next to the well honed assassin's blade that is iG.

2-0 iG


DK vs LGD, Nov 4, 2100 KST

A fight to determine the second best team in China is always a close matchup. Having the seasoned experience and a greater level of comfort in .76, DK has the edge, especially after the win over LGD and the close match against iG at WCG China last weekend. Nevertheless, LGD certainly has both the talent and organization to claim the win, should they find their niche in the new meta.

2-1 DK


MUFC vs Flash, Nov 5, 2100 KST

In a battle between a pair of teams with similar playstyles, it's important to factor in simple individual skill. MUFC has shown that they can keep up individually with LGD while Flash looked absolutely silly against both Orange and DK. Though the inherent inconsistencies in their gank-oriented styles might lead to an upset, MUFC has the sure edge here.

2-1 MUFC


TongFu vs EG, Nov 6, 2100 KST

A close match to call. These two teams have both had their share of rough patches, but always seemed to keep themselves from falling into the abyss. TongFu's performance against Orange showed that their lineup still has a lot of untapped potential. On the other hand, EG's team seemed to be literally falling apart during their last series.

2-1 TongFU


Winner Match 1 vs Winner Match 3, Nov 7, 2100 KST

Better known as Orange vs Inferior SEA team. For the same reason that I gave MUFC the edge over Flash, Orange should have an easy time against whichever team limps into this matchup, as they are likely to be steamed after their defeat at the hand of iG.

2-0 Orange


Winner Match 2 vs Winner Match 4, Nov 8, 2100 KST

Which ever of the more consistent of the Chinese teams fall down here will have an easy time against the weaker team below. The standard play from DK and LGD are both forces to be reckoned with and either EG or TongFU will likely have exhausted their respective bags of tricks against each other.


Lan bracket predictions
iG vs LGD
DK vs Orange