dota2-banner
All News
article-headline
Dota 210 years agoGosu "GosuGamers" Gamers

EG conquers StarLadder group B, rest of the group goes to tiebreaker

The second and last day of the groupstages has concluded, with the Star Series Season IX moving on to the playoffs stage later. Now the teams have been seeded into the brackets, and will follow a best-of-three, double elimination format whilst in the playoffs.

The top two teams of every group will proceed into the upper brackets; the bottom two teams will proceed into the lower brackets. As the groupstages conclude, we will see Group A's Team DK and Alliance proceeding into the upper bracket, whilst teams Empire and MVP proceed into the lower brackets. Group B will see Evil Geniuses into the upper brackets, but other than that, the group has yet to settle as the a threeway tie forces a tiebreaker to be played for the positions 2 to 4. In case of a new threeway tie, timerating will decide the outcome due to time shortage.

The lower brackets will consist of best-of-ones, up until the third round where it switches to best-of-threes for the remaining two matches.

Alliance vs Team Empire

The second and last day of the groupstages begins with Alliance versus Team Empire on their home turf. The draft begins with a very defensive pick of Naga Siren and Dazzle by Alliance, versus Empire's Luna and Storm Spirit. With the Storm Spirit being the backbone of Team Empire, he was shutdown very effectively everytime he engaged on an enemy hero by the Puck and Clockwerk.

With the Storm Spirit being shut down, Alliance could then focus their aggression on the Doom Bringer and Luna, with Rubick stealing Eclipse and Doom and turning it against them. Eventually Team Empire lost their carefully accrued lead, and they bowed to Alliance's agressions in the mid-late game, calling the 'GG' after a failed teamfight at the 32 minute mark.

MVP.Phoenix vs DK

The second game of the day brings the Koreans up against Team DK, in what might seem to be a one-sided affair. DK's superior laning abilities and game experience cased quite a stir in the early game against MVP.Phoenix, which had two of their towers in the bottom lane pushed down up to the tier three. However, as the game progressed, MVP.Phoenix rallied together and started getting kills, farm, and even towers, nearly nullifying DK's early game gold lead. 

Realising the precariousness of their situation, DK soon buckled up and stuck together, with the Ember Spirit and Axe being the spearhead of their assault upon MVP.Phoenix. Orienting themselves around teamfights, in spite of MVP's Lycan-Shadow Shaman-Invoker+ Necrobooks push, they could not take down 1 full set of rax. As they could no longer hold up against DK's onslaught with their failed push, MVP.Phoenix called the GG.


Na`Vi Vs Rox.KiS

Picking the support Abbadon, Centaur and Viper, RoX.KiS prepares their line up against Na`Vi's Ancient Apparition, Rubick, and Puck. With the early game going in no particular direction, it is a back and forth affair between the supports and mid players, will both sides' carries often being the target of ganks.  Clutch heals and Aphotic shields save RoX.KiS' Luna, with XBOCT on the Spectre in contrast, diving too deep and giving needless kills.

Even with Na`Vi's global strategy of Ice Blast into Spectre Haunt, this was easily negated by the Pipe on Centaur Warruner, and the natural tankiness of Centaur, Viper, and Abbadon, with a BKB on the Luna. As teamfight after teamfight took place around the Roshan Pit, these fights were won by Na`Vi at first, before going the way of RoX.KiS. As with the late game, the Heart on Centaur, along with Butterfly and Daedalus on Luna proved too much for Na`Vi, as they called the 'GG' at 54 minutes.

 

Evil Geniuses Vs Invictus Gaming

Evil Geniuses got the early laning advantage due to some sloppy play by iG, their decisions and communication were questionable. Due to tanky nature of EG's cores combined with the additional tankiness added by the supports (heals, Weave, Living Armor, Shallow Grave), the American squad could easily take advantage of the situation. iG got denied the pole position they needed to utilize their heavy team fight potential and had to play from behind, doing what they could to recover. EG used the early snowballing to shred down towers and further increase the gap between their own networth and their own.

There was no real glimmer of hope for iG other than a few smaller skirmishes slightly going their way. The damage was done and the Viper from Luo proved to not nearly have as much effect as the Viper from Solo seen in the game just before. Evil Geniuses proved that they are one of the most fearsome teams of this StarLadder as they beat Invictus, going 3-0 in the group. The situation forces a tiebreaker stage to be played as there is a threeway tie between RoX.KiS, Na`Vi and Invictus Gaming.]

Remaining matches, April 18th

14.00 CEST -- China Invictus Gaming vs RoX.KiS Russia
15.30 CEST -- China Invictus Gaming vs Natus Vincere Ukraine
17.00 CEST -- Ukraine Natus Vincere vs RoX.KiS Russia

18.30 CEST - China Team DK vs Tiebreaker winner Other
22.30 CEST - United States Evil Geniuses vs Alliance Sweden

Player photos by Starladder

All Esports

Entertainment

GosuBattles

Account