Coming back from a 1-0 deficit, Empire managed to claim three consecutive victories to take down Alliance in the best-of-five consolation final. Earning the third place of Dota2 Champions League, they earn ~$19,000, and Alliance will settle for ~$12,500.
The penultimate battle of Dota2 Champions League has just concluded, with Empire snatching a 3-1 victory against the Swedish squad Alliance. The Russians seemed to have entered the best-of-five series with more preparation and knowledge of Alliance's strengths and weaknesses. For their success, around $19,000 will be entering their bank accounts, while Alliance earn the fourth place prize of almost ~$12,500.
As for the grand final of Dota2 Champions League, Na'Vi will take on Cloud9 in a best-of-five series. The date of the final is still not known. The minimum prize for either of these teams is ~$31,000, and the victor of the clash will double that amount (~$61,000 goes to the first team). The DotaTV tickets contributed more than $75,000 in the tournament's total prize pool, turning it into one of the most prestigious leagues of the west.
Game One [Winner : Alliance]
Empire selected the rather common Invoker for Resolut1on, laning against s4's Puck. Early rotations and sloppy execution by Empire helped the Swedes build a significant gold and experience advantage, with Resolut1ion dying twice before the 10th minute mark.
As expected, Empire decided to move as five before their time, but were ambushed by Alliance near the Radiant middle tier-one tower. They lost three heroes and a tower by minute 11. Nonetheless, Empire's quick return caught s4 and EGM off-guard, and Alliance gave two kills and their own tier-one tower as a result.
Empire kept seeking early game fights by forcing defensive teleports near towers. They were even able to win two massive fights during the 14th and 17th minutes, with the latter ending with an ultra-kill for VANSKOR's Silencer. However, it was then that the Wisp + Chaos Knight combo started having an impact, with EGM and Loda helping Alliance dominate Empire in two consecutive teamfights. Loda had his Drums, Armlet and Black King Bar 26 minutes into the game.
As the map control belonged to Alliance, Empire staged a comeback using a Roshan raid to claim the Aegis. Alliance decided to challenge their Roshan attempt, but were crushed by Empire's coordination for a 4-1 trade.
Following the Roshan victory, the Russians tried to earn more pick-offs in order to control Alliance's split-pushing potential. The ideal target was EGM's Wisp, as he seemed easy to take down on paper. However, getting rid of the glowing ball was harder than Empire expected, and they had to commit Global Silence and Flaming Lasso to get the best of him. Capitalizing on the situation, Loda stormed in the fight and killed several core heroes of Empire, breaching the top barracks seconds later.
Empire did not want to give up, and forced yet another victorious fight against Alliance, killing s4 twice along with several other heroes of Alliance. However, they were unable to abuse their number advantage to take some buildings down themselves. Alliance seized the opportunity and assaulted Empire near the middle lane. Losing their cores, the Russians were unable to prevent Loda from going mental on their barracks, resulting in a 52 minute GG.
Game Two [Winner : Empire]
Coming into the second match with confidence, Alliance selected an aggressive line-up wiith massive physical damage. Empire's answer was bound be decisive for the outcome of the series, but what followed was not expected.
Empire started the game with a first blood against EGM's Naga. Seven minutes later, Loda dived under the tier-two to kill Mag, but a TP reaction resulted in two kills for Empire. Seconds later, Loda moved to the middle lane to assist s4 who was getting ganked, but died yet again without saving his teammate.
Empire just went rampant after this point. VANSKOR's Bane performed astonishingly well, being present in almost every clash all around the map. The score was 11-0 in favor of the Russians, with Alliance claiming their first kill 15 minutes into the game for a one-for-one exchange between the two teams.
The massive victories kept coming for Empire. Mag's Batrider had a Blink Dagger, a Force staff and a Scythe of Vyse in his inventory 22 minutes into the game. The final assault took place by minute 24, with Empire stepping on Alliance for a 5-0 teamfight. With a score of 26-4 in 24 minutes, Alliance called the GG.
Game Three [Winner : Empire]
Not willing to make the same mistakes again, Alliance chose a more mobile mid hero, Nyx Assassin, while Empire opted for Invoker once again. Much like the first game, the lane stage went quite bad for Resolut1on, who died three times before the clock ticks the 10th minute.
Seeing the game escape their grasp, the Russians started teamfighting early once again, but this time they were successful. In fact, they were able to take down Loda twice in three minutes, delaying his Radiance significantly. 17 minutes into the game, a gank attempt inside the Radiant jungle allowed Resolut1on to Cyclone three heroes, ALWAYSWANNAFLY immediately popped the Black Hole, and VANSKOR finished the job with a massive Ice Blast for a 4-0 fight in favor of Empire.
Capitalizing on their hard earned momentum, Empire proceeded to win three more teamfights (all of them were 3-1 trades), with the third one giving them a free Roshan kill as well. 34 minutes in, they marched inside Alliance's base to take down the bottom barracks, losing only one hero and the Aegis in return.
In the meantime, Loda's Spectre managed to complete the Radiance and a Diffusal blade, two very important pick-ups that massively boost the impact of the hero. Using the freshly bought Purge charges, Alliance ambushed Silent's Morphling, forcing the whole team of Empire to teleport and assist their carry. Through better positioning, the Swedes emerged victorious from a 5-2 fight, showing signs of life for the first time in over 25 minutes.
As Loda's Spectre received significant amounts of gold during the last engagement, Empire knew they had to seal the deal. They forced a very big fight near the middle lane, resulting in a 5-3 exchange in their favor. Silent's Morphling managed to score a rampage, showcasing his six-slot inventory.
With Alliance being in a defensive stance, it was now or never for Empire. 46 minutes into the game, they entered the base of the Swedes, catching several heroes off-guard. Alliance's defense was disorganized, and they could not control Silent and his buddies. With a full five-man wipe and no chance of coming back into the game, s4 called the 'GG'.
Game Four [Winner : Empire]
Empire's hero selections for the last game instantly revealed their intentions - they wanted to gank, and then gank some more. Alliance realized they needed as much mobility as they could possibly get this game, so they picked-up the Centaur Warruner for AdmiralBulldog once again. Sending a dual mid-lane with Loda on Ember Spirit and Akke on Lich, Empire had to bring VANSKOR to Resolut1on's aid.
One thing that is obvious from Alliance's playstyle is that they know how to deal with the enemy middle heroes. Resolut1on's Storm Spirit kept getting killed, delaying the Orchid Malevolence. However, Silent's Mirana and Mag's Doom were free farming, abusing the very high commitment against their solo mid coming out of the Swedes.
Using the Serpent Wards and Forge Spirits, Alliance took the first Roshan of the game 11 minutes in. Empire answered with a free tier-one tower kill and two pickoffs inside the Dire jungle. Two minutes later, s4 and EGM were caught off-guard and both lost their lives. Luckily, s4 had an Aegis and mananged to escape the second time.
As Mag and Silent joined their team, Alliance seemed to be unprepared for the two beefy carries they faced. This resulted in three consecutive teamfight victories for Empire in less than six minutes. The situation went from bad to worse for the Swedes with 25 minutes on the clock, as Empire intercepted their Roshan raid to completely wipe the team even after two buybacks. The Aegis went to the Russians, and they decided to start pushing hard.
33 minutes into the game, Empire abused the Aegis to enter Alliance's base. The TI3 champions used everything in their arsenal to control the Radiant, but they were only able to remove the Aegis. The teamfight near their base caused the death of four, and Empire took down the middle and top barracks. Three minutes later, Empire stomped Alliance once again, with a clean 5-0 teamwipe sealing the deal for Silent's gang.
Headline image by joinDotA
