Player Watch - Key players to attend ESL One

DISCLAIMER : This is an opinionated article and the opinions expressed in it do not reflect those of GosuGamers.net or any affiliates.

 

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 "Suffer my sorcery!"

Name: Kuro 'Kuroky' Salehi Takhasomi

Team: Team Secret

Position: Carry, Support, Mid

Picks to look out for:  Morphling, Phantom Assassin, Razor

Kuroky is one of the old dogs in the DotA/Dota 2 scene, having years of experience and playing under many banners. The German used to impress with his carry play and was arguably one of the best on his positions, yet he transitioned to a support role for the sake of success. Indeed, he was able to lift four German players to newer levels and improved even the ever so strong Na'Vi, but many still believed he was better suited as a core. Now as part of Team Secret, Kuroky has returned to his once signature position. While it is the first LAN for Team Secret, all of their players have quite the experience under their belts, yet as a team the first LAN can always be shaky. Can Kuroky shine again?

 

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 "None shall hinder me"

Name: Dominik 'Black^' Reitmeier

Team: Vici Gaming

Position: Carry

Picks to look out for:  Centaur, Terrorblade, Razor

Black^ is starting his second year in China, after a very mediocre endeavour with LGD.int and an in the end disappointing run with CIS. The latter one consisted of promising players, but that's just it. They were promising and needed the proper guidance to rise. Black^ himself is no natural born leader and thus the team was bound to disband. In Vici Gaming however, it seems as if Black^ has finally found a team that he fits in. Not forced into the leading position he is able to play out his carry potential. The versatile playstyle suits him, considering he also likes to take on the mid role. A lot of people and fans have wondered and are questioning whether or not he would fit into a team full of Chinese speaking players, yet Vici Gaming was able to dominate the Chinese scene as of late. Black^ is on his way to prove that his adventure in China was not in vain.

 

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"I have waited long enough"

Name: Clinton 'Fear' Loomis

Team: Evil Geniuses

Position: Carry, Offlane, Support

Picks to look out for:  Sven, Alchemist, Bounty Hunter

Fear had to sit out what was going to be the biggest tournament of his life. The team he put together himself had to play without him and he had to watch from the sidelines. While still involved as a coach, he was able to give his input and help them prepare, but he was unable to help them in-game. The veteran is back however and EG seems stronger than ever. Fear integrated himself flawlessly and the added a layer of versatility to the team, being able to take over multiple roles and thus rotating between lanes and positions. The team looked vulnerable at the WEC LAN event, yet was still able to recover quickly and take home the winning trophy. Loomis and his team look strong and are undoubtedly the favorites for this tournament.

 

 

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 "I rise against the tide"

Name: Jonathan 'Loda' Berg

Team: Alliance

Position: Carry

Picks to look out for:  Naga Siren, Spectre, Sven

Loda has had a rough year with Alliance, not being able to live up to the powerful form the team displayed during TI3. Much like the rest of his team, Loda did not seem to be up on his game and has not been able to impress throughout the year. Ever since TI4 however, the Swede looks refresh and reborn. Alliance in general may still have looked a bit shaky here and there, but Loda seemed revitalized, rocking the highest average GPM out of all the carry players mentioned in this thread. Much like Black^, it felt as if Loda never wanted to be a leader but dire situations sometimes forced him into that position. However, with MiSeRy in the boat, Loda is able to take a backseat and just focus on what he does best: carrying. He may not be the flashiest of all players, with many of his actions going unnoticed, but he is a powerhouse in himself.

 

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"No chains can hold me"

Name: Aleksander 'Xboct' Dashkevich

Team: Natus Vincere

Position: Carry 

Picks to look out for:  Gyrocopter, Mirana, Lifestealer

Xboct has yet to show his true strength in this new season. While it seems as if fng drafts his carry heroes he is comfortable with, Xboct still has to unfold what he is capable of. It certainly doesn't help that Na'Vi as a whole is currently in a slump. Even at LAN events, which was once Na'Vi's strength, the Ukrainians kept falling short to other teams, only being successful at EMC. While the results are obviously not ideal, the way the team has performed so far is concerning, with only a few convincing performances ever since their furious 7-1 start in Starladder. Symptomatic for this current form, it has become rather quiet around Xboct, a player that was once renowned for strong farming, unconventional tactics, seemingly crazy dives and a lot risky plays. These four components make or break whether or not Xboct will be able to truly carry his team once more.