The MSI Beat It GosuCup Asia has run it's course today, featuring teams Scythe and Arrow Gaming in the upper brackets, with the winner moving on to face the lower bracket finalist in the Grand Finals.
It has been a harrowing day for all the teams participating, as they compete in the upper brackets and Grand Finals of the GosuCup, for a chance to take home the largest slice of the $2,000 USD prize pool. The inaugural May edition of the GosuCup has just ended, having been held over the weekend with multiple renowned Asian teams showing off their prowess and gaming abilities.
Game 1: Scythe Vs Arrow Gaming
The first game of the upper brackets sees Arrow Gaming picking a highly unusual line up, featuring Viper, Wraith King, and Vengeful Spirit. It was apparent that Arrow Gaming was going for a pushing oriented line-up, taking a Viper and Wraith King was brilliant, being able to not only tank the damage by Scythe's Sven, but also slow and kite him. The game begins with Scythe Gaming reviving the solo mid Batrider, against Arrow Gaming's Viper.
Whilst the other lanes were farming, Arrow Gaming opted to push early, with Chen, Vengeful Spirit, and Wraith King lined up at the top lane to take down the tier 1 tower. Taking down the tower, they managed to find pick offs here and there due to sloppy positioning and overextentions by Scythe. Things began looking bad for Scythe, as Arrow Gaming's Wraith King and Viper began to farm up their core items. However, given that Scythe was losing out in pick offs and teamfights, map control was relatively good for them, allowing the Sven to farm up his cores: MoM-BKB close to the 20minute mark.
As time passed, it was apparent that Scythe were relying too heavily on the Sven, putting all their eggs in one basket. All that Arrow Gaming needed to do was focus him down, and they would win the teamfight. A Heaven's Halberd was purchased for Wraith King, a Blink Dagger for initiation. Excellent teamfight execution by Arrow Gaming, a farmed up Viper and Wraith King, uncharacteristically sloppy mistakes and overextensions by Scythe sealed the deal for Arrow, as the GG was forced out at the 37 minute mark.
Game 2: Scythe Vs Arrow Gaming
Unorthodoxy was the name of the game for Arrow gaming, this time picking up a Morphling, Lion, and Juggernaut, showing no regard for the current meta game. In their haste however, they let the Naga through the hero pool and it was instant snapped up by Scythe. This would later prove to be a fatal mistake for Arrow Gaming.
The bottom lane offlane lifestealer was doing well, gaining lane control over Arrow Gaming's morphling. Finding bits and pieces of farm despite being restricted, the Morphling managed to scrap together an early Linken's Sphere by 16minutes. Following that, a brilliant play by him just has he got his Linken's allowed him to get a triple kill almost by himself, taking down Scythe's Centaur, Shadow Demon, and Lifestealer.
With her Radiance, Naga split pushed very efficiently; taking down the lanes, jungle, and cutting off Arrow Gaming's creeps from reaching the tower. Playing almost like a solo game, it was the brilliant split pushing and farm that was able to keep the Scythe in the game. Past the 30 minute mark Naga had 400 cs to her name, taking down not just creeps and tower, but the barracks, enemy carry, and the entire Arrow Gaming team as well. The 'GG' was called shortly after, at the 36 minute mark.
Game 3: Scythe Vs Arrow Gaming
This time, both teams opted for a more traditional line-up, rotation of supports, but with a little twist: Meepo was selected as Scythe's carry of choice. Coupled with a Mirana, though slightly unconventional does not present a line up that deviates much from the current meta-game.
Scythe was able to claim the tier 1 at top lane easily with their line up, leaving Arrow Gaming's Anti-Mage struggling to farm properly. Emboldened by their win over Arrow Gaming in the second match, Scythe showed strong signs of recovery this game, playing extremely aggressively and ganking efficiently. By the 16-17 minute mark all of Arrow Gaming's tier 1 towers were taken down, courtesy of the Mirana - Shadow Demon's Disruption into Sacred Arrow combination. It was deadly especially to Arrow Gaming's supports, which melted like butter when they tried to defend their towers.
Scythe's Meepo gets an Aghanim's Scepter by the 15 minute mark, whilst on the other hand Anti Mage gets his Battlefury. As the Anti Mage split pushed and farmed the lanes as well as the jungle, it was all going downhill fast for Arrow Gaming as gank after gank failed for them. Failing to get the most out of the ganks, Arrow Gaming allowed the experience and gold lead of Scythe to accrue, with Meepo getting his Scythe of Vyse, with a pre-bought Blink Dagger at the 25 minute mark. Mirana farmed well too and had a Desolater, with a Manta Style on the way.
Even with Anti Mage's Blink and Manta Style, he was unable to participate fully in teamfights due to the multiple Earthbinds, which locked him down and allowed him to get kited by Scythe. Shadow Demon's Soul Catcher, along with Mirana's Desolator debuff proved too much for the Anti Mage, as he died time after time whilst not contributing much to teamfights. With the Meepo's hex, Arrow Gaming bowed to the onslaught of Scythe, and called a 28 minute 'GG'.
With this win, Scythe proceeds on to the Grand finals, to face Arrow Gaming once again, after Arrow Gaming won against NE in the lower brackets to make it to the Grand finals.
Grand Finals Game 1: Scythe vs Arrow Gaming
Arrow Gaming steals the naga from under scythe's nose with their first pick in the Grand Finals of the MSI Beat It GosuCup Asia; And with that, the game begins to Arrow Gaming's Mirana against Scythe's Storm Spirit at mid. Deciding to play go aggressive this time, Storm Spirit, Nyx Assassin and and Shadow Demon commit to ganks around the map, killing off Arrow Gaming's safe lane supports. Successful with their ganks, Scythe slowly applies the pressure to Arrow Gaming in terms of map control, taking down their towers.
With little outside vision, Arrow Gaming became weary of ganks from Scythe's fearsome Infest - Ball Lightning combo. Contrary to expectations, Arrow Gaming did very well against such ganks, turning around some of the teamfights to wipe the entire Scythe team. Barelling down the mid lane, Arrow tries to take the mid barracks away from Scythe Gaming. This proves to be a huge mistake, as Scythe is prepared for their engagement, as Storm Spirit activates his BKB, along with Rage from the Lifestealer, to get critical kills.
As Scythe throws caution to the wind, it is their turn to go down the mid lane and turn the game around. But that turns out to be a bad choice, and they almost throw away their lead after Arrow's heroes respawn and take Scythe down. After a few back and forth affairs like that, Scythe had the opportunity to take down Roshan, and claim the Aegis for their own. That opportunity and aegis was squandered by Scythe, as they hastily coverged at mid after some farming to take down the barracks, instead of further farming up their items. Arrow Gaming went on the defense and as expected, cleared Scythe again.
However just as the game seemed to progress nowhere, Scythe had a lucky break and managed to clear their opponent's team, and took down their mid barracks. Despite all the back-and-forth teamfights and engagements, Scythe managed to destroy Arrow Gaming's base convincingly, mainly due to Luna's Bouncing Glaives ability. The 'GG' was called soon after, at the 44 minute mark.
Grand Finals Game 2: Scythe vs Arrow Gaming
The Tiny-Wisp hero combo picked up by Arrow Gaming, as they turn on the aggression against Scythe. Picking up a Centaur and Nyx Assassin as well, Arrow seems determined to take this game 2. Scythe, on the other hand, decides to risk a truly new lineup which features Axe, Treant Protector, Shadow Priest, and Doom. More like a line-up often seen in public games, all doubts are quelled when the First Blood goes to the Axe barely a few minutes into the game.
Turning the tables against Arrow Gaming however, Scythe looks to gank and roam around the map, and is highly successful in finding pick offs around their enemy's towers and jungle. Apart from a slow start, the hero rotations by Scythe were highly effective, as they took down tower after tower, and picked off Arrow Gaming hero by hero in a mechanical fashion.
Rotating, Scythe managed to farm up core items on their heroes, such as a Blink Dagger on the Axe, and a Drums of Endurance on the Doom Bringer. This was when the synergy between the heroes truly showed, as Arrow Gaming were unable to take down Scythe's heroes due to their natural tankiness, even as Scythe dived towers and forced out buybacks, starving Arrow's Tiny of his farm.
As the game started to sway heavily in favour of Scythe, things were looking grim for Arrow. Scythe was dominating, Scythe controlled the map;the Jungle, the lanes, towers, and farm. Unable to stop them and realising the hopelessness of their situation, Arrow Gaming called the 'GG' at 13 minutes into the game.
Prize Distribution
1st Place - 
Scythe.SG ($1,200)
2nd Place - 
Arrow Gaming (USD $500)
3rd Place - 
New Element (USD $300)
