The outcome of the game of Dota is frequently decided in a single moment. Everything before this moment is an attempt from both teams to seize it. Teams apply pressure, grow economic advantage and take objectives to increase the likelihood of this elusive game-winning episode to grace them.
The International 7 had a lot of spectacular moments. From crazy rat plays to perfectly executed chaotic teamfights — the patch allowed for a great variety of different strategies to work and showcased how the game is in almost perfect spot. And this blog is dedicated to capturing the magic of the current Dota and the International 7.
EG vs. Empire
Many attribute the EG loss to questionable drafting in general and Winter Wyvern specifically. The hero in question was discussed previously and the general consensus was that while the hero is definitely strong in a pub environment, she will probably suffer in the professional scene, because she is at her best when picked last against certain strategies.
Despite that, Winter Wyvern actually had a pretty decent run in the tournament with a 55% win rate across 20 games. Maybe it wasn’t the hero in itself, but rather bad positioning from EG and scouting information from Nyx Assassin which allowed Empire to always find their initiation angle?
Liquid vs. Newbee
Everything went wrong for Newbee in the Grand Finals. For the majority of viewers the 3:0 score tells a story of a stomp, a complete outclass and, perhaps, unexciting grand finals. In reality, only the first game was a complete stomp and games 2 and 3 were anyone’s to take up until the end.
This moment is a perfect example of this, with Miracle- surviving with roughly 100 HP and then turning around to deal massive damage with a Double Damage rune. Extra half-a-second of stun, one extra right-click or even the lack of Double Damage would most likely have swayed the fight in the direction of Newbee and potentially would give us games 4 or even 5. One extra auto-attack could give us a different Champion and that’s what makes Dota a truly amazing game.
EG vs. Newbee
No luck, no “what if?” involved — an amazingly executed and patient play from kaka that secured Newbee this game. Despite a long history of nerfs, Earth spirit remains one of the strongest and versatile supports and players capable of using him to his full potential are always a treat to watch.
LGD vs. DC
You don’t give LGD their Magnus. old eLeVeN is perhaps one of the most consistent players on the hero, both during the laning stage, where he manages to secure his farm and levels, and during big teamfights, where he will exploit the enemy positioning mistakes to the maximum.
This fight single handedly secured LGD the game and the series.
Virtus.Pro vs. LFY
How do you throw away a 12k gold lead and your chances to continue the tournament in the upper bracket along the way? You give one small opening to LFY in a situation where they need their whole team to kill your Viper.
LFY have shown that they are not to be trifled with during the group stage and it seems Virtus.Pro didn’t learn their lesson. This fight was one of the most heartbreaking moments for the CIS fans and one of the biggest tournament highlights.
Newbee vs. LFY
Many people think that Super lacks the skill to be a flashy mid player and therefore plays the “macro” heroes such as Death Prophet and Dragon Knight. Turns out, it is definitely not the case and this player is simply doing what’s best for his team, sacrificing his potential for highlights in favor of consistent victories.
This game is one of the very few games where Super got to truly shine. And he took this opportunity to its maximum, essentially styling over Newbee and forever silencing the doubters.
Team Secret vs. TNC Pro Team
And for the finale, a small tutorial on how not to play the game. A multitude of mistakes from the SEA squad coming in a rapid succession turned around a 12k gold lead and allowed Team Secret to easily win the game they should have not won.
