Group Stages

The group stages played out in a fairly uneventful manner due to the skill disparities between many of the teams. Group A simply involved the two big names walking over the two unknowns and iG dominating the spirited Belarusian DevilMice, looking none the weaker despite having Chisbug instead of Chuan.

Group B also played out more or less as expected, with DK walking over every other team, their overwhelming strength intensified both by the home court advantage and by being the only roster playing at full strength. The fight for second place was thus one between Orange, UA, and Mouz. While none of the three teams showed their top form, the clashes between them nevertheless produced some entertaining games, including this gem featuring Dendi on his signature hero.



Yet when the dust cleared, Orange had defeated both of the western staples, leaving Devilmice alone amongst the Asian giants.

Playoff Bracket

After two rather dispassionate series with the two big teams simply outclassing one another, iG and DK would once again meet in the final, with Devilmice the underdogs against Orange in the 3rd place match. It was basically a world class team who had defeated iG and were just coming off sound victories against both Mouz and UA against a team that's not even a major player in the European scene.

The first game came as a surprise. With the power of the Lonely Druid (and team oriented pushing lineups) and urged on by the clueless yet entertaining commentary, Devilmice definitely appeared to be the more focused team. Orange, for various looked rather sloppy and dispirited as they fell in a pair of quick sets, showing that the gap between the top teams is certainly not as wide as it sometimes appears and that with practice and determination, anybody can make a splash on the world stage.


Watch live video from wcg_stage_d_eng on TwitchTV

Finally, it was time for the destined grand finals, another clash between iG and DK. Would it be the 6th time in 6 months that DK would come up short or would it be the sweet revenge deferred by LGD's performance in the G-1 League?

The first game was an odd reversal of roles as DK grabbed a multi-core push oriented lineup involving Bat, Naga and Lone Druid while iG was the one to go the more 4-1 defense oriented Antimage build. Magnataur, Nyx, Rubick and Panda on the side of iG were all strong teamfight and anti-push heroes that managed to stall DK's push until Zhou's Antimage ended the fun on the back of the team's superior teamfight, defying what BurNIng had shown us time and time again.



The second game was another struggle of wills between two of the finest teams in China. It was 4-1 once again as the two ancient rivals took to the stage. LD vs Void, Magnataur vs Bat, Push vs Stall, Even Distribution vs Focused Collection. iG's trademark aggression and early game push had DK on the back foot until a series of clutch chronosphere and teamfights brought the game into the realm of uncertainty. What followed was a series of brilliant clashes and battles until one side became too battered to continue. Despite all the shortcomings in this WCG, this game showed us what Dota is all about, and indeed, underlined what was truly "beyond the game".


Watch live video from wcg_stage_a_eng on TwitchTV

Following his now immortalised cast of Dota 2 at WCG, Team Liquid met up with Starcraft to caster Erik "DoA" Lonnquist to talk about Dota 2 on a whole new level.

Team Liquid: So, this will be broken into two parts, there will be a little game I have prepared for later. But, Questions first!

Doa: I'm prepared!


Team Liquid: First off: You've been casting ARTS(action real time strategy) games for a few months now. How was Dota different from other ARTS(action real time strategy) games?

Doa: To me the biggest thing that stood out was that Dota2 felt much more unforgiving than other ARTSs. I saw so many Heroes get killed in just two hits during games so I got the impression that if you get behind in this game it's especially important to stick with your team and not be caught in the open. From an outsider's perspective it felt like in general your options to fight 1v1 or escape are a lot less.


Team Liquid: You and your co-caster definitely hit some taboo subjects during your Dota casts. How would you categorise how much danger you're in: red sword, green sword, or purple sword?

Doa: Ah well, the red sword always seems the most immediately dangerous, but I feel like the purple sword is the one you really need to look out for since it looks the least dangerous. In other news, I was calling turrets - towers on the OGN LoL cast yesterday so now I'm apparently just completely screwed.


Team Liquid: Haha, I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but you can actually combine a red sword with a green sword to make a crossbow.

Doa: That doesn't make any sense. Sven would never want that. I think that item is one of the biggest things Valve needs to address for sure.


Team Liquid: Next question: What heroes (NOT champions) did you enjoy watching?

Doa: Well Rhinomantaur will always have a special place in my heart. He's all about deforestation and heavy metal horn ornaments so that's pretty cool. The Guardian of the Light's Pony Wave spell also makes him stand out in my opinion. Nobody expects a wave of ghost ponies to hurt them, but it actually does! He's a sneaky guy.

Oh I want to talk about the Windrunner thing too really quick!


Team Liquid: Sure!

Doa: Funny thing is that we had MASSIVE headphone issues with echo and other terrible noises so we actually casted every game on that stage with our headphones off. Thus, I unfortunately didn't hear Windrunner announce herself. I'm bad a casting DotA, but I normally at least would have the courtesy to listen to a Hero's introduction. That goes double for cute red-heads.


Team Liquid: I forgive you. Are there any heroes (note: NOT champions) that you thought were too strong?

Doa: Niax the Lifestealer or whatever was pretty scary. He kept two-shotting Rubick and Dark Seer, but if you consider how messed up his mouth is then I wouldn't be surprised if they were just faking death after a couple of bites just to get him to go away. At any rate I think it's unfair he can use his arms to both run and hit people. Leshrac doesn't go around kicking people. He's got some dignity. I also have to assume that Rhinomantuar and Bass Hunter are OP since they got banned a lot.


Team Liquid: LOL

Doa: I'm just being honest. Somewhere Tobiwan is crying.


Team Liquid: As an OGN insider, do you know when we can expect mienskee.kor's debut in an OGN Dota league?

Doa: I'll see what I can do, but no promises!


Team Liquid: On that note, I'm sure everyone would like to know: do you have any future plans to play or cast more Dota?

Doa: ha. In all honestly it looks like a really fun game and I do plan on eventually getting into it a bit at least. I already spend so much time on SC2 and LoL that when I have free time it's usually spent playing a non-competitive game to relax for a bit actually. If I do WCG next year I'll make sure to ask them earlier if I'll be casting it and I'll be a bit more prepared. Ideally we'd have someone who actually knew they game cast it though!


Team Liquid: Alright, thats it for questions, but now for this other thing I had put together. We are going to play a little game.

Doa: Oh boy... ha!


Team Liquid: I'm going to link you an image of a hero or item, and I want you to tell me who/what it is. You have 5 seconds to respond. :D (no cheating!)

Doa: I'm ready.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Upgraded Blue Power Ranger


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Hellboy's newest enemy in Hellboy 3: Return of the creepy Horse


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Robogoblin. He was a cop, but now he's back to clean up the streets of Detroit.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Mumra's embarrassing little brother.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Generic rock troll with included target for Rhinomantaur's horn attack.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: A cross between Hellboy and an overweight investment banker. Sorry for using Hellboy twice, but you can't ignore that hand.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Kung-fu Tim Burton animated movie villian.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Void Starfish or Wannabe Protoss. That one was easy. Ha!


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Giant Elvis-haired zombie infant


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Handsome Thrall, post plastic surgery.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Backhawk the punk rock fish.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Even I know Antimage! Sorry! t.t


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: The alien from Independence Day: water edition.


Team Liquid: Done with heroes! 5 items now.

Doa: Ha. OK!


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Bird mask with fake beard attachment.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Diablo 3 art book with Green worm infestation.


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Badass green smoke lamp


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Stoned Golden Skull


Team Liquid: + Show Spoiler +

Doa: Generic Halloween Mask


Team Liquid: So many awesome answers. That's all I have for now. Anything you'd like to say to all your fans?

Doa: Thanks for putting up with my complete lack of knowledge! As much as we try to be prepared for every cast, sometimes you get tossed into some awkward situations and have to make the best of it. Thanks a lot to Brendan for being such a great co-caster to have with me, especially for the insanity! Please watch my Starcraft 2 casts at OGN and maybe even my LoL casts....? In the end, prefering one game over another is perfectly fine, but I think the most important thing is that we all respect eachother's interests and try to get along.


Team Liquid: Thanks so much for the interview. Hope you had as much fun as I did.

Doa: I did! Thanks!

Dota2 group stage placements wer determined on the third day of WCG competition. DK will play against Orange from Group B and Germany's uG won't be advancing due to poor record. Amidst all the excitement, 178 was able to reach star team member, Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi, for an interview. Here is how it went.

goRYrose: I am very pleased to be interviewing K-God (Kuroky). Is this your first time in China? What are your first impressions?

Kuroky: Nice to meet you. I am very happy to be in China. This is my first time here. China is a place that I've been meaning to visit, and I am very excited and happy to be here.


goRYrose: What is your first impression of Kunshan?

Kuroky: Truth be told, these few days we've only gone back and forth between the hotel and the arena. I've been wanting to go out and take a tour. So I can't really give you any impression of Kunshan, but the convention center is really busy, the audience have been extremely passionate, and the competition itself has been extremely professional.


goRYrose: You have many fans here in China, especially veteran players from the DotA 6.56 era. Many of them have fond memories of your performances. Have you met any of your fans?

Kuroky: I have, and I've felt their passion. There have many people coming up to me for signatures. Thank you, all of my Chinese fans.


goRYrose: Is this your first time attending WCG Grand Finals? What are your feelings about it?

Kuroky: Yes it is. This is because it's Dota2's debut as an event. I think it's great and would like to attend the WCG again.


goRYrose: Many players would consider attending the WCG World Grand Finals the greatest of achievements and doing so is a lifetime dream for many players. What is the value of this competition in your heart?

Kuroky: WCG is an classic brand in the scene. It has a big place in my heart. In addition, when I first stepped foot in the gaming arena, I experienced a magical sensation and it's hard to explain. On top of that, it's here in China. It's amazing!


goRYrose: Please introduce some of your team members for us. Chinese fans aren't familiar with them.

Kuroky: My four team members are all young and recent newcomers. They are seriously lacking in experience when it comes to major competitions, so WCG is a valuable training exercise for them. As a veteran, I will do my best to help them, and I believe that we will get stronger with every passing day.


goRYrose: Your group matches are completed. Are you satisfied with 1-3 win-loss record?

Kuroky: Though I don't think we can say we are satisfied, but we are actually here with the mindset of coming to train. In my mind, our record isn't all that important and the experience is the most valuable takeaway. We really lack experience when it comes to major LAN tournaments, so being able to play against DK, Orange, and other top notch teams will really benefit us in the future.


goRYrose: Dota2's semifinals are already set. Which team do you think has the best chance of winning.

Kuroky: DK. I love DK. I also know DK has recently changed team members. Dai is an extremely formidable player, and his arrival at DK is is a huge boost for them. On the other side, iG has a stand-in this time. Chuan not being able to compete will definitely have an impact on them. Chuan is a really good player, and I think he is the key player on the team.


goRYrose: Which Chinese players catch your eye? From what I have heard, you have always been very interested in the Chinese DotA scene.

Kuroky: Haha. Yes. I think I got interested in Chinese Dota during the 6.56 era. At the time, European and Chinese players had virtually no contact, but I loved watching Chinese team replays. I liked their play style and felt that their teamwork was perfect. As for my favorite players, there are just too many. Many of them have already retired, like snoy, dc, and 2009. dc's global vision was great. As for current players, my favorites are zhou, burning, dai, and iG's YYF.


goRYrose: We are all familiar with you as a veteran player, but since switching to DotA2, you haven't been able to achieve any notable results. What do you think is the problem? Have you lost any confidence in your game?

Kuroky: That is true. I have played Dota for 7 years now. Honestly, a year ago, I was quite confused about where I should go with Dota and that took away some of my confidence. However, I have since corrected that and now my teammates and I will give everything we have to become a top class team.


goRYrose: Just a moment ago, you said that your teammates are newcomers. What is your personal assessment of their Dota talent and individual skill?

Kuroky: I think they are really good. I trust them, and now I am passing on my experience to them and feel like we're improving daily. I am supremely confident in them.


goRYrose: Let's revisit some past events. As we all know, PPY and you were very good friends, but PPY left you for Na'vi. When recalling that series of events, do you feel hurt by his decision?

Kuroky: I have always respected his decision and understand his choice. I know that there are many great players in Ukraine and Russia, so PPY teaming up with them is highly natural. I just hope that someday my team will defeat his team. Haha.


goRYrose: Earlier this year, you joined up with the legendary team VP. Unfortunately VP ultimately didn't get a spot at The International 2012 in Seattle. VP consisted entirely of big time stars. Why do you think you weren't able to get the desired results with that team?

Kuroky: Team games are always like that. Just because five strong players get together doesn't mean that the team will be strong. At the time, VP had some communication problems and there were conflicts in terms of playing style. We were never able to establish any chemistry and our teamwork wasn't up to par, so we couldn't execute good play.


goRYrose: Well, the past is the past. Since now your confidence is restored and have a new team, we wish you the best of luck and hope that you will be back on top and taking home top honors.

Kuroky: Thank you. I will be working hard.


goRYrose: Say some final words for your Chinese fans!

Kuroky: I would like to thank all of you for your continued support. Coming here, I have had the pleasure of appreciating the friendliness and the passion of my Chinese fans in person. I hope all of you will thoroughly enjoy the entertainment provided by WCG and Dota2. Thank you 178 for the interview.