Prior to the match, Tribal.int player Bane disagreed with the widespread doubt shrouding the new Nirvana.int, stating that “Nirvana will be just as strong, and Azen already has experience with the team from the old EG days”. However, Zep- mentioned that “from a strategic standpoint, the loss of Puppey will surely be a critical blow” to the international powerhouse.
The Dreamhack Winter winners expressed enthusiasm for the Gosucup finals, promising to play with “a lot of heart”; an effort which spurred Tribal.int into an impressive opening streak in the second game.“We were a little worried early on; bottom was supposed to be very passive farm, but due to poor execution on our part and excellent play by Tribal, it quickly became a very Sentinel-dominated lane” said Merlini.Going into the Finals, both teams sported losing streaks, and despite minor mishaps, Nirvana was able to cleanly end the tournament with an impressive 2-0 set. Nirvana player Merlini adds, “I think the largest challenge for us will be the lack of practice time, and the unfamiliarity with the .67c map”. True to this statement, Tribal.int’s Gordan put up a very notable performance playing Nerubian Weaver, decimating Nirvana.int in a crucial engagement in game one; before ultimately succumbing to heavy push-pressure.
With GosuCup tucked away, Team Captain Fear has the following to say “Puppey was our captain and our picker, so now I'm going to have to take over his spot and be the captain and hero picker for the team on top of the responsibilities I already had on the team. Santa will be taking over the role that Puppey played as far as heroes go and Azen will be taking the role that KuroKy had. I think both of these players are excellent players and will have no problem filling the gap that KuroKy and Puppey left. I think we are weaker than the previous Nirvana.int but with the some practice I'm confident we can return to our previous shape, or become stronger.”Despite the nearly unanimous consensus for a Nirvana victory, the matches were still “very important to us [Nirvana] as a team” (Merlini), due to the relative surprise and, for the most part, disappointment following the departure of European players Puppey and KuroKy. The eager and apprehensive Dota community was treated to a very strong and fun performance by a new Nirvana international team, which newcomer Santa promises “will be a trend" in the team.
Gosucup, unconventional not only for its map choice (6.67c) but also for its mode (-CD), offered plenty of unusual and foreign picks—including a strong Weaver in the first game, and a Bristleback in the second. Amidst looming questions regarding the new Nirvana.int’s strength, a clean and decisive victory answers the question: How Gosu are You? with “Gosu enough”.
Written by guest Editor Nirvana.Sayuri.
