The International 4

KarmaBaby

BMMachine wrote: »

in winning SL9, Burning played 9 different heroes across all matches. They seem to favour Cent and Invoker (for obvious reasons) and whichever supports work well with their lineup (from looking at their picks, its no issue what Lanm and X play). I agree that the meta is getting predictable but don't doubt for one second that DK can match navi and alliances draft. heck, even EG (who I consider to have quite predictable drafting) outdrafted alliance on LAN (well game 1 anyhow).
I do think Na'Vi and Alliance will up their game heading into TI4 but I think more teams have caught up to their level the past year and in the case of DK, outclassed them. Look at this time last year when both Na'Vi and Alliance went to china and won 2 major tournaments, can you honestly see that happening if they did the same now?

I wouldn't be convinced that other teams have caught up to their level. I just think that both Alliance and Na'Vi have either been taking games less seriously or are suffering a little from exhaustion and have one eye on TI4. Every team has their peak in the year and I think both are looking to peak at the right time for the bigger tournament.

You're probably right about DK though as I haven't watched enough of SL9 and too much of their games against other Asian teams, which are getting increasingly boring.

BMMachine

if you have been watching over the past 6 months you can see that a ton of teams have caught up. Alliance dipped pretty sharply after the last international and are only getting their results back on track now. Na'Vi have been very up and down since the turn of the year too. Teams are getting the hang of how they play and what they need to do to beat them, even teams like Power Rangers can take both these teams on, same with Team Dog & Cloud 9. You don't go to a LAN finals like SL9 with that prizepool and not play your best or hold something back. By the time the international rolls around the game will have probably shifted a different direction again - maybe lycan wont be instapicked and naga wont be banned (unlikely in nagas case) and stuff like that. sure they are very adaptable teams but the advantage they had this time last year isn't there anymore, in some ways they are playing catchup.

They are still top contenders for TI4 and Na'Vi always show up firing, will probably be a bigger test for alliance but they are buffered by having the best support in the world (EGM) who can turn games on their head. DK have to be favourites atm but below them are IG, NewBee, Alliance, Na'Vi, EG, and Empire and as we have seen lately, all these teams are fully capable of beating each other. To say that you can't see beyond Alliance and Na'Vi for TI4 is looking too much at the past. You do that with DotA and you you get passed by, Na'Vi (Puppey, Dendi and xboct anyhow) seem to be the exception to this. They will up their game, but so will everyone else

BMMachine

watching DK - HGT on my break. DK drafted riki-wisp mid and QoP(shes still alive!) solo safe. HGT won game one in a complete walkover, ZSMJ is some player. they seem to be trying a bit of everything

BMMachine

So the biggest event on the DotA calender is here. On in Seattle from July 18 to July 21, The International 4 is going to be an amazing showcase of the best DotA 2 teams in the world.

The invites went out yesterday and the following have guaranteed slots to the tournament:
(Sweden) Alliance
(EU) Cloud 9
(China) Team DK
(Russia) Empire
(USA) Evil Geniuses
(EU) Fnatic
(China) invictus Gaming
(China) NewBee
(Ukraine) Natus Vincere
(Malaysia) Titan
(China) Vici Gaming

Biggest surprise there is the exclusion of LGD Gaming, one of the largest and most storied of the Chinese teams. Bad results these past few months though means they have to take the long road to get to Seattle. From my point of few, the invited teams certainly are the best around at the minute and alls fair in love and dota. Team Dog, Virtus Pro, Team Liquid and Tong Fu are probably the other big teams to miss out on an invite and of course, there are a host of other great teams with top players who they will have to battle through.

The dates for the qualifiers are as follows:
May 12 - 15th NA Qualifier
May 20th - 23th Chinese Qualifier
May 16th - 19th SEA Qualifier
24th - 27th European Qualifiers

For more information, check out this piece from joindota.com


The Spring Cleaning patch has yet to be tested at a competitive level and we all know a patch like that can really change up how teams play. I'm looking forward to more strategies and hopefully riskier heroes. What about you guys?

cherryghost

cherryghost wrote: »

This was announced Mar 31st, so it's not an Aprils fools joke :P



So... any takers for the 11 invited teams?

I have: Empire, Na'vi, Alliance, Fnatic, DK, IG, Newbee,VG, EG, C9, Titan

The last 5 teams who qualify, I cannot really tell. It's too close to call.

You guys can thank me later. I got 11/11 right

KarmaBaby

cherryghost wrote: »

You guys can thank me later. I got 11/11 right

well played.

Now to the qualifier predictions which are much much harder. Who do you think will be added through the back door?

This is going to be one team from each section and then one last spot going to one of the section runner-ups after a 4 way play-off.

http://www.dotacinema.com/news/the-international-4-teams-announced


I'm going with Team Liquid, Scythe, LGD, Rox.Kis and Team Dog.

BMMachine

KarmaBaby wrote: »

I'm going with Team Liquid, Scythe, LGD, Rox.Kis and Team Dog.

aye, they are definitely the favourites when you look across the groups. Power Rangers are pretty good too so it wouldnt surprise me if they replaced one of Rox/Dog.
I really want a TL vs. Sneaky Nyx Assassins final for the North America group. FLUFF versus the team that quite publicly got rid of him. I also really want to see this new LGD.CDEC team with Maybe. Hes reported to be the Chinese version of Arteezy and LGD seem to have faith in him and will give him time. I think hes not on the main roster due to school or some such, he was very briefly though.

cherryghost

May 12 - 15th NA Qualifier

1. CNB e-Sports Club
2. No Earthspirit
3. North American Rejects
4. Osiris Gaming
5. Revenge eSports
6. Sneaky Nyx Assassins
7. Team eHug
8. Team Liquid
9. TOP5
10. Union Gaming

The weakest of the groups and some questionable teams there too. I reckon it will go down to Liquid and SNA as BMMachine pointed out. Really not sure who will win that but I guess both teams forms are out the window (TL all over the place, SNA not enough games to show consistency).

May 16th - 19th SEA Qualifier

1. Arrow Gaming
2. Execration
3. First Departure
4. Mineski Infinity
5. MiTH.Trust
6. MVP Phoenix
7. Orange Esports
8. Rex Regum Qeon
9. Scythe Gaming
10. Team Zephyr

Both this and China look the most open. Any of these teams could probably make it. There's a lot of support for Zephyr naturally but they haven't made their impact when playing teams outside of Korea. I'd put my rares on either Arrow or Scythe

May 20th - 23th Chinese Qualifier

1. CIS Game
2. CNB.cn
3. DT.NGC
4. HyperGloryTeam
5. LGD.CDEC
6. LGD Gaming
7. New Element
8. Orenda
9. Speed Gaming.cn
10. TongFu

LGD look super shocking, I can't see them going through at all. CIS have been too inconsistant, Orenda are just hilarious to watch tbh. I reckon either HGT or DT could make it.

24th - 27th European Qualifier

1. Aware Gaming
2. hehe united
3. Monomaniacs
4. Meet Your Makers
5. NEXT.kz
6. Power Rangers
7. Relax
8. RoX.KIS
9. Team Dog
10. Virtus.pro

Has to be Dog doesn't it? I'm sure some other teams will put up a fight but Dog has impressed me the most since their inaugeration.

cherryghost

VG looking to the strongest team in China post Starladder. They are on a hotstreak lately.

BMMachine

cherryghost wrote: »

VG looking to the strongest team in China post Starladder. They are on a hotstreak lately.

yeah some very impressive stuff from them. Dreamtime have also been really good. and as I post this i just tune into DT vs VG and VG are a game up DT currently running nightstalker and morphling like its 2012

kersplodey

BMMachine wrote: »

yeah some very impressive stuff from them. Dreamtime have also been really good. and as I post this i just tune into DT vs VG and VG are a game up DT currently running nightstalker and morphling like its 2012

Hey, Morphling is coming back!

Don't believe me? EE-Sama plays a damn good Morphling.

Nightstalker ain't bad either

cherryghost

Morphling has been back a while. EG have been drafting him the last few months

kersplodey

Yeah, I know, but I quite like the EternalEnvy circlejerk.

He's so awkward.

Granted, I do think he's probably one of the best carry players at the moment.

KarmaBaby

Zephyr suffered their first loss to MVP yesterday going down in the second game when MVP drafted a carry Warlock who managed to rush Ags+Refresher.

Embarrassing.

Purge's team aren't going to be a fact in the SEA qualifiers at all.

BMMachine

kersplodey wrote: »

Yeah, I know, but I quite like the EternalEnvy circlejerk.

He's so awkward.

Granted, I do think he's probably one of the best carry players at the moment.

He also gets muted a lot due to mass troll reporting

yeah it was more the NS + Morph as 2 cores which reminded me of TI2. lunch time VG vs Newbee on atm

kersplodey

BMMachine wrote: »

He also gets muted a lot due to mass troll reporting

yeah it was more the NS + Morph as 2 cores which reminded me of TI2. lunch time VG vs Newbee on atm

Oh, yeah, he's a bit of a dick.

Ugh, lunch hour in work isn't until 1pm.

BMMachine

kersplodey wrote: »

Oh, yeah, he's a bit of a dick.

Ugh, lunch hour in work isn't until 1pm.

he isnt really, just gets reported by trolls. has happened to a lot of pro players recently. I think 2 weeks ago toby was casting a game and 4 players were chat muted including the 2 captains

kersplodey

BMMachine wrote: »

he isnt really, just gets reported by trolls. has happened to a lot of pro players recently. I think 2 weeks ago toby was casting a game and 4 players were chat muted including the 2 captains

He can be. :P

But yeah, the reporting system in Dota 2 is awful. Valve should probably do something about it.

BMMachine

kersplodey wrote: »

He can be. :P

But yeah, the reporting system in Dota 2 is awful. Valve should probably do something about it.

brave words to say around here

Newbee up 12-8 atm but VG have their agh's on tiny/wisp.
Newbee game 1 - Weaver, TA, Cent, Lich, Disruptor
VG game 1 - Wisp, Tiny, Invoker(wex quas), treant, nyx

xiao8 is a bit of an absolute boss right now, been playing brilliantly since he got married to that model. she must be quite inspiring

kersplodey

BMMachine wrote: »

brave words to say around here

Newbee up 12-8 atm but VG have their agh's on tiny/wisp.
Newbee game 1 - Weaver, TA, Cent, Lich, Disruptor
VG game 1 - Wisp, Tiny, Invoker(wex quas), treant, nyx

xiao8 is a bit of an absolute boss right now, been playing brilliantly since he got married to that model. she must be quite inspiring

Want more brave words? I hate Quas/Wex Invokers. :P

I think Quas/Exort is a far better style of play the majority of the time.

Granted, in that lineup it kind of works because tornado + emp + root + tiny stun = win teamfight.

BMMachine

Vici won that on tiny's back. Newbee just werent able to capitalise on their massive early advantage.
yeah im the same with invoker, I just really like the power of sunstrike in the early and think its such an abusable spell. the quas wex really suits the style of play atm though as the spells have such massive relevance in teamfights

kersplodey

Yeah, but also, Forge Spirit + Cold Snap is really strong for ganking in early game, and the fact that you have sunstrike doing quite a lot of damage is really good as well.

I'm gonna watch some of game 2, I think.

Edit: Enchantress/Nyx first phase picks what?

BMMachine

Super 84% alchi win rate ><
love seeing witch doctor one of my favourite supports. seen him a few times the past week or so


hmmm, maybe a live match thread would be a good idea

kersplodey

Witch Doctor is one of those heroes I can't ever play because the stun always bounces the wrong way. :P

I'm more of a support Windranger person myself, probably one of my favourites to watch and play. Great shackles are the most awesome.

KarmaBaby

Just watching Zephyr against MVP. MVP stomping at the moment. Zephyr's drafts starting to get so predictable, but the feeding from Blitz and Bambo in this game has been ridiculous.

cherryghost

Zephr in general, not just against MVP, has been predictable and boring. They are tied last now I believe.

kersplodey

Zephyr confirmed trash tier, etc.

They're just not good.

Tar.Aldarion

This is why i posted about thanking zephyr fans for their rares on betting sites

Bet away on a zephyr
they're feeding more than everrrr
And in this perfect weather
We'll feed in this place together
Blitz&purge 2k14

KarmaBaby

kersplodey wrote: »

Zephyr confirmed trash tier, etc.

They're just not good.

I just cant understand how 5 guys sitting in the same room, playing together for this long, can find themselves getting out of position and feeding one-by-one so often.

Its one thing to have fast reaction times and good last hitting. Its another thing entirely to have some game sense and map awareness.

Zephyr are done and surprisingly, Purge is the only one of them that has shown he's good enough during this adventure. He has been far and away their best player.

cherryghost

Nah, they've all been bad. Purge equally as bad.

On a side note, not surprised about MVP Phoenix at all, currently dominating the KDL S2, Starladder woke them up, would personally love to see a Korean team at TI4.