Introduction
There are so many tournaments going on at the same time that it can get overwhelming trying to keep up with them. In this series of blog posts, I will share matches which I have found notable and worth watching in the past week or two.
vs 
Very short 8 minute match. Tobi starts laughing midway through the draft when he realises that Alliance is planning to take up a "challenge" he issued them - to take raxes by 10 minutes. They actually manage to take down the first rax before 8 minutes, just at the GG call.
Yes it's a stomp of a lesser team in a tournament, but the manner of it happening is quite interesting, particularly the hero picks. I have a tendency to recommend shorter games anyway, as even I don't particularly like watching long drawn out games (unless they're particularly noteworthy)
vs 
The only "actual" game between relatively equal teams I'm highlighting this week, Mouseports, fresh off their win in the TI3 Western Qualifiers, got drawn into Group A of the Defense 4 Tournament, along with Na'Vi. They both went through the group stage games with the same number of wins, so they have to play a tie-breaker.
Na'Vi allowed Mouseports to run an Alchemist safelane uncontested - with free farm and points in Greevil's Greed getting him a 5 minute Midas.
For me the highlight was Na'Vi running Funnik as the solo off-laner vs the enemy quad-lane as Bounty Hunter - you heard that right, 1v4 (Dark Seer, Jakira, Shadow Demon, Alchemist) as Mouseports' Dark Seer abandoned his off-lane. Funnik pulled out all the stops - manipulating the creeps at the start so they would double up, harassing the Mouseports supports in the jungle and stealing their farm - and he somehow managed to find his farm and levels, finishing Phase, Vlads, Drums, and Assault Cuirass by 20 minutes, all items aimed at boosting the damage of their carry. Amazing play. Other interesting note is how Puck in midlane can Phase Shift before the Dragon Knight Flame Breath can reach her.
As a note, I am highlighting a lot of Alliance and Na'Vi games because they're very entertaining. Na'Vi have a tendency to be extremely aggressive - they pull off a lot of risky plays, and it sometimes backfires on them, similarly for Alliance.
vs 
It was pretty much a forgone conclusion that Na'Vi would win this game because they're a much better team, but it's entertaining just because Dendi plays a Windrunner mid who doesn't have the greatest start, but still ends up scoring 8 kills in 12 minutes, forcing RoXKIS to surrender. No one else managed to get any kills, except for one by XBOCT. I guess it's noteworthy because Windrunner has a very unreliable stun skillshot and isn't usually the best candidate to send mid when you could run heroes with more reliable disables and damage like Storm or Puck. But we have Dendi to show us how it's possible I guess =P
There are so many tournaments going on at the same time that it can get overwhelming trying to keep up with them. In this series of blog posts, I will share matches which I have found notable and worth watching in the past week or two.
Alliance takes up Tobi's "challenge" vs IN.RS
vs
Tournament: RaidCall EMS One Summer Cup #4
Teams: iNfernity RS versus Alliance
Stream: joinDOTA
Very short 8 minute match. Tobi starts laughing midway through the draft when he realises that Alliance is planning to take up a "challenge" he issued them - to take raxes by 10 minutes. They actually manage to take down the first rax before 8 minutes, just at the GG call.
Yes it's a stomp of a lesser team in a tournament, but the manner of it happening is quite interesting, particularly the hero picks. I have a tendency to recommend shorter games anyway, as even I don't particularly like watching long drawn out games (unless they're particularly noteworthy)
Group A Tie-Breaker (Defense 4)
vs
Tournament: Defense 4
Teams: Mousesports vs Na'Vi
Stream: joinDOTA
The only "actual" game between relatively equal teams I'm highlighting this week, Mouseports, fresh off their win in the TI3 Western Qualifiers, got drawn into Group A of the Defense 4 Tournament, along with Na'Vi. They both went through the group stage games with the same number of wins, so they have to play a tie-breaker.
Na'Vi allowed Mouseports to run an Alchemist safelane uncontested - with free farm and points in Greevil's Greed getting him a 5 minute Midas.
For me the highlight was Na'Vi running Funnik as the solo off-laner vs the enemy quad-lane as Bounty Hunter - you heard that right, 1v4 (Dark Seer, Jakira, Shadow Demon, Alchemist) as Mouseports' Dark Seer abandoned his off-lane. Funnik pulled out all the stops - manipulating the creeps at the start so they would double up, harassing the Mouseports supports in the jungle and stealing their farm - and he somehow managed to find his farm and levels, finishing Phase, Vlads, Drums, and Assault Cuirass by 20 minutes, all items aimed at boosting the damage of their carry. Amazing play. Other interesting note is how Puck in midlane can Phase Shift before the Dragon Knight Flame Breath can reach her.
As a note, I am highlighting a lot of Alliance and Na'Vi games because they're very entertaining. Na'Vi have a tendency to be extremely aggressive - they pull off a lot of risky plays, and it sometimes backfires on them, similarly for Alliance.
Dominating Windrunner play by Dendi
vs
Tournament: The Defense 4
Stream: joinDOTA
It was pretty much a forgone conclusion that Na'Vi would win this game because they're a much better team, but it's entertaining just because Dendi plays a Windrunner mid who doesn't have the greatest start, but still ends up scoring 8 kills in 12 minutes, forcing RoXKIS to surrender. No one else managed to get any kills, except for one by XBOCT. I guess it's noteworthy because Windrunner has a very unreliable stun skillshot and isn't usually the best candidate to send mid when you could run heroes with more reliable disables and damage like Storm or Puck. But we have Dendi to show us how it's possible I guess =P
