Unrivaled Under Heaven

9-0

That's iG's record in G-League, resulting in an absolutely sublime run through some of the toughest competition that Chinese DotA has to offer. The winner of The International 2012 and WCG 2012, iG is a team whose individual skill, experience, and understanding of the game are all unrivaled in the DotA world. Since their defeat in G-1 League, iG as a team seems to have transcended conventional DotA and stepped on to a whole new level of understanding . In iG's conception of DotA, there is only aggression and victory combined in a style that is encompassed by the mantra:



The crux of iG's strength is that they have no weak lanes; while other teams can be overcome by early game aggression, 430, Zhou and YYF will come out even or better in almost any one-on-one lane matchup while be it double-roaming, stacking and clearing jungle, or in a trilane vs trilane, Chuan and Faith are possibly the most efficient supports playing the game today. They are not only supports, but playmakers perfectly capable of carrying a game if they have to.

The offensive trilane might seem like a viable weapon were it not for the fact that YYF can turn any offlane into his safelane, and indeed, the sight of a DS outlaning LoH's Lone Druid, a BH destroying Hannah Montanah's Tide, and a WR against Xiao8's Engima remain fresh in our minds. How can one ever feel confident leaving a solo against him?

As long as LGD.Int's dual roam is banned or limited, Zhou, nicknamed "4th positon" by Chinese fans for the amount of pressure he often suffers through early game, is still the most solid carry in the world. His ability to play with his team is unrivaled and nothing can stop his midgame development as long as farm space exists somewhere.

In middle of the lineup sits 430, a player whose tempo control and killer intent can be felt all across the map. When his team has the advantage he becomes a whirlwind of death and destruction that sweeps across each lane while his improved solidity ensures that he is not fazed even by the harshest of dual mids.

The solos of iG are all flexible pivots, and each of them requires multiple players on them if they are to be kept down, and are capable of carrying games by themselves should they be allowed to run rampant. Unfortunately, LGD.int only has 5 players.

While new developments from the West in the past few months might offer a glimmer of hope, iG was one of the foremost innovators for heroes like lifestealer and their combined decades of DotA experience will serve them well in any situation. Even in disadvantaged situations, iG is able to do what they do best: force chaotic teamfights. As long as they have heroes that can fight, no deficit is insurmountable for iG.

Having learned their lesson about relaxed training and overconfidence during G-1 League, iG has yet to cease in preparing since the break for G-League. When asked what they expect, YYF humbly predicted a "5-5" in a short pre-game interview translated below.



Of course, we all know that it's going to be either 3-0 or at most, 3-1. iG will finish what they started. The only question is if can LGD.int take a game off them.

Flame of the West

LGD.int will face and defeat iG in the G-League Finals at the Mercedes-Benz Cultural Center in Shanghai this weekend. They will also secure championship honors in their maiden major tournament. But just how will LGD.int defeat the seemingly invincible all-star team? Remember, this is the team that can take down Tongfu in 15 minutes, and reliably crush most opponents in under half an hour. Even when iG falls behind, its players seize every opportunity and capitalize on their opponents' mistakes to secure amazing comebacks. Further, iG didn't lose a single game through the group stages and semi-finals. LGD.int, on the other hand, has lost several games and barely crawled into first place in their group.

The truth is that iG's current form is eerily similar to what they looked like just before the G-1 Champions League offline finals, where they cruised through group stages in a series of games that left opponents shattered. They even found a way to defeat Orange despite giving the Malaysian team a massive early game advantage. Two weeks later, however, a complacent iG faced a well-prepared LGD.cn team that brought them crashing down to earth in a straight 2-0 loss. The previously untouched iG never recovered and took an ignominious fourth place in the tournament, a result that would have seemed inconceivable just weeks prior.

While iG won't be repeating the old mistake of showing up to a final completely unprepared, neither can the team completely purge itself of its overconfidence. In the group stage and semifinals games, iG found themselves behind a handful of times to LGD, MUFC, and VG due to mistakes and over-aggression in the early game by Ferrari and Zhou. Likewise, in the nearly lost game against Vici Gaming, Zhou almost gave the game back by dropping a divine rapier inside the enemy base.

While all these teams failed to win because of iG's mistakes, LGD.int is exactly the kind of team that is able to take full advantage of even marginal errors in the early game. Roaming ganks by Misery and 1437 are the perfect tactic to catch Zhou and Ferrari out of position for early kills on solos. A couple of these will secure the laning phase for LGD.int. The safe methodical team push strategy is likely the best way to turn any small early advantage into a solid mid-game lead and a eventual victory without ever giving iG any chance to turn the game around with the kind of chaotic running team fight that iG is so good at.

Compared to LGD.cn and VG, LGD.int holds distinct advantages when matched up against iG. In contrast with VG, LGD.int has more experience and more patience. The team knows how to play with a lead and secure the victory, and their game record demonstrates that they are perfectly happy to slowly secure an already won game and are not happy to risk the victory in order to end the game a few minutes early. Also, unlike LGD.cn, LGD.int won't be intimidated by iG, and its players will not feel rushed into unnecessary safety buybacks like those of xiao8, and of course, will not charge headlong into unfavourable team fights. The mental resilience of the team is evident in how LGD.int rebounded from a 22-3 drubbing defeat in the opening game 1 to completely shut out LGD.cn in game 2 and thereafter methodically win game 3.

The key showdown of the series will be between the supports of the two teams. iG's Chuan and Faith will be providing cover and protection for all three lanes with expertly placed sentry wards and early TP scrolls for reinforcement. However, given the creativity that Misery and 1437 have displayed in harassing the middle lane, for example, when they sniped the courier against Tongfu, LGD.int should be able to find success more often than not. And, as we've already established, once the early lead is secured, LGD.int will never look back.

A follow-up on the previous interview, LD talks about what has changed and what's to come

Stats on G-League (numbers under parenthesis: all-time stats)

Position Five: Dying for the Carry




There is a difference between the 1437 we saw on mouz, and the 1437 we see today. The old one was a part of a very aggressive team that would engage all the time, while the current one is more judicious and careful not to die for nothing.

On the other hand, Faith's Assists per Game reflect how well iG works as a unit in team-fights. Also, even in matches where he died an abnormal 10 times we can see a good support taking the enemy hits to protect his team: his team were against heroes with huge killing potential and even so, in these instances the iG carry only died three times. Clearly Faith understands the meaning of dying for his carry.

Position 4: More with Less



ChuaN looks as solid as ever. With the highest Assist's per Game in the finals, his contribution to iG's team-fight is priceless. He always manage to unleash all the damage that a hero like Lina has to offer, or when he plays Sand King he manages to get an early Blink Dagger and control the team-fights. On the other side of the river, MiSeRy is a carry/solo-mid player who started playing support. The idea of "doing more with less" were always a hallmark of the Danish player. His plays with Enchantress and Chen, be it in the enemy jungle, choking the life out of the enemy easy lane, or be it roaming between the lanes to gank an open space, were instrumental to LGD.int's success in G-League. Every time the draft gave the opposition strong trilaners and offlaners, MiSeRy would lead a gank to the mid lane, forcing the opponent to address the issue and thus opening the map up for his own team.

Position 3: The unmoved mover



"Give me a fulcrum, and I shall move the world," Archimedes once said. Right now, YYF is the fulcrum that moves iG. He is the team's unmoved mover. When the situation is dire, he's the one that keep things under control. He's the one protected by the team (together with Zhou) when iG is in trouble, and the other three bank on them to carry the team back into the game. Brax is also playing solidly, profiting from the space created by MiSeRy and 1437 and commanding LGD.int's aggressive trilane. His Tinker and Lifestealer were very important for LGD.int in the matches against TongFu.

Position 2: Method to his Madness



During G-League, Ferrari gave some signs of sloppy play, dying when he shouldn't have on several occasions. But he's still The Pianist, able to come back into the match if given half a chance. iG loves to give him Brewmaster, in hopes that his skill in the solo-lane will allow him a quick Blink Dagger, ensuring a lot of team-fight control from the beginning and putting a lot of pressure on the enemy from the early game itself. If Ferrari is like a refined concert pianist, G is a mad tiger leaping on everything in his sight. But there's method to his madness: the stats show that he's also become more judicious about going for kills. Dying much less and contributing more to the team, G is often given heroes that suit his towerdiving, aggressive nature, such as Night Stalker and Dark Seer. By exploiting the space created by MiSeRy and 1437, he's able to dominate the map, solidifying his team's position.

Position 1: The Sword of Damocles



Zhou is the player with the best Kills per Game and Average GPM in the whole G-League. These stats are a testimonial to how the iG system is working well and how well Zhou played the whole league, never getting less than 450 GPM in a match. Pajkatt also did great: even without having as much kills or assists as Zhou, he manages to stay close to Zhou with 531 Average GPM. But the most important thing for both is their ability to stay alive. Their mere presence is already a threat to the enemy, and the opposition is often forced to do something before their ticking bombs explode. By being alive, farming and getting stronger all the time, both ensure that the other team is always pressured. That's how a carry should be, like a Sword of Damocles, always looming over the heads of their opponents, threatening their existence.

Author: Gamefy
http://gleague.gamefy.cn/view_29633.html
Translator: CountChocula



An official Match-up Analysis done by an ex-professional player, and presented by Gamefy and translated by Teamliquid.

Zhou vs. Pajkatt

Regardless of whether one considers basic farming ability, item choice or late-game experience, Zhou remains a contender for the title of best carry in the world, even after all these years. After solving the farm allocation problem, iG has given Zhou enough space. In return, Zhou has repaid them with excellent performances. In comparison, Pajkatt may not be lacking in individual skill, but as far as his carrying fundementals goes he still has a few things to perfect.

430 vs. God

In terms of individual skill, the solo mids of the two teams are the closest amongst the five positional match-ups. A famous rival to Dendi, God's brilliance radiates in all directions. With solid last-hitting in lane, incisive carrying of the tempo, speedy acquisition of core items, the ability to hold his own against top solo mid players, and a tendency to get incredible cs numbers and exciting killing sprees, God is not to be underestimated. If you're looking for something to look forward to, look forward to the crossing of swords between God and 430. It may well be the most volatile of the matchups.

YYF vs. Brax

The safelane follows YYF wherever he goes. At position 3, there still exists a big gap between him and Brax. This competition will not only be an opportunity for Brax to test his skills, but it will also be a learning process. Our jolly, cheerful young American will need to approach this game the same way YYF does, enduring it silently and approaching it unflustered and with precision, in the processing taking up the role of the engine within his team.

ChuaN vs. Misery

Watching through iG's replays, one will see ChuaN's constant search for kills during the laning phase. He is always looking for opportunities to TP support when a teammate is being ganked, and his spell usage and positioning changes during teamfights are all flawless. He has found a perfect harmony between the responsibilities of ganking and supporting. Aside from loving the odd killsteal, ChuaN's play is nearly perfect. Misery, on the other hand, has a unique understanding of jungling heroes. If he gets to play Chen or Enchantress, it's possible he will make himself troublesome to ChuaN and Faith in the early-game.

Faith vs. 1437

If iG were a human body, Zhou would be the eyes, 430 would be the arms, YYF would be the heart and ChuaN would be the blood. Faith, then, would be the brain that holds them all together. His ability to play support without being reduced to soy sauce (TL note: Chinese term for useless 40min Boots+4 Ironwood Branch support) even when playing alongside a bunch of farm-hungry carry players, tells us Faith's skill must be immeasurably deep. In earlier matches, 1437's performance was pretty average. His biggest role so far has been forming a partnership with Misery to smoke gank. If he can execute the fundamentals of his position well and throw in some dynamic personal ideas of how the game should be played, he may be able to bring some great new plays to the game.

Playstyle Analysis

iG has not dropped a single game in the tournament so far. Even though they faced a certain amount of resistance from LGD.cn, their control overall still revealed itself as one level above. From the old Top 3, iG really has shown themselves to be a class apart. Whether in bans/picks, individual skill, teamfight execution or even their possession of a unique intuition in discovering a breakthrough in late-game deadlocks, iG truly the strongest Dota 2 team in the world right now. The strongest feeling iG gives off currently is an aura of invincibility. iG's playstyle is very clear and concise. They rely on outclassing their opponents by playing perfectly during the laning phase. Until they farm up one or two core items, they rely on ChuaN and Faith's roaming to create space. When they have a little advantage, they group up to take towers. When they take towers, their initiation is decisive and their formation is organized. If the opponent's response is careless, it will often turn into a situation where iG kills all their heroes and takes their tower, sometimes resulting in a complete rout of the opposition. If the opponent is disciplined and delays, iG will quickly decide between taking the tower by force or a swiftly retreat without dilly-dallying. It's uncommon for iG to be behind, because they rarely lose out in the early-game. It just may be that the best way to find a hole in iG is a full-frontal assault.

Though LGD.int is a fairly new team, they have traveled far in G-League. Even though it often seems like they're staggering along, their success is definitely not a coincidence. Their strength comes from their ability to learn. Every mistake, every loss and every flash move by an opponent is quickly and easily digested by them. In that sense, they are similar to a martial artist who has great inner strength but lacks knowledge of external fighting techniques. Their style seems like a clumsy, wild way of fighting, but many old masters have fallen to their fists.

LGD.int is good at the jungle/dual-roam and will smoke gank mid early on to give God a good start. Then they will seize the opportunity to go to their hard lane, forming an aggressive tri-lane there. Then they will rely on summons to harass the opposing carry and disrupt their farm. God will rely on the advantage provided by the smoke gank and his sound fundamentals to reach a high level, get his core items and have strong rune control so he can easily influence the tempo. Thus, if LGD.int's relentless assault is not stopped, iG will find itself dragged into a disadvantageous situation with continuous fights, thus making it hard for their carry to farm. Following key items on their carry, LGD.int will seek to group up and rely on their solo mid and carry's item advantage to win teamfights. If it's possible to counter LGD.int's early roaming and find a way to limit God's farm, LGD.int will be like a car that's out of gas, a body without a soul. In short, they will find it hard to advance into the mid-to-late game. If LGD.int unwaveringly pursue their "thinking man's strategy", they will not only need to strengthen the individual skill of their position 3-5 players, but will also need to make use of the creativity unique to European players. As someone once asked, how do you know it won't work without trying?

Score Prediction - iG 3 : 0.5 LGD.int

No matter how you look at this series, iG will likely win by a big margin. LGD.int might get 0.5 points based on God potentially snowballing harder than 430 can, but that too is a hit-or-miss. What's worth celebrating for us fans is the fact that both these teams are very aggressive, and thus, regardless of who wins, this will be one of the most exciting series we have seen this year!