I want to see mouz or quantic win it. But realistically, I'll be a NaVi fan once they get knocked out. I love watching NaVi play.

I am super hyped for this.

 

Navi, alliance and TL for me. Mainly though, I just want to see some amazing games.

 

Not really all that into DotA, will watch it when there's not much else on but personally rooting for TL because Liquid all the way.

Wouldn't surprise me to see Na'Vi finish top 3, hell, potentially even win it (again?) given their recent run.

 

I was rooting for Quantic. Then boars were stunned.

Now, I guess Mouz and LGD.

 

Can anyone tell me what exactly the solo championships are? I only really got into Dota 2/moba this year, and I haven't come across it yet.

Edit: I just found the page on the Dota 2 website, nvm.

 

If anyone is not watching this you are missing out. Great games so far, and a ton of upsets. The elimination stages are going to be amazing.

 

If a Chinese team is to win, I hope it's DK or IG. Otherwise, Navi

Most of the games I've seen have been fairly one sided

Also, the chinese streams have lots of female commentators!

 

Is there a clan/team (w/e it's called) in DOTA2 for DLP? I've been playing a bit and I like it so far, but I'm sure it would be more fun with people working in team. Plus, I'd probably get a bit (a bit eh!) less bashing if I make an error!

 

Yea, the international has been amazing so far. Alliance is looking freakishly scary if anyone wants to see the mental effect they have watch their first game against Tongfu yesterday.

Today should be interesting a lot of pressure on DK, IG, Dignitas and LGD to win and get into the upper brackets.

Hopefully Na'vi take another 2 today to secure top seeding, would be great to have a Navi vs Alliance final.

Would love to have a DLP guild, I've been playing a while (also Dota 1) and since the updating the matchmaking is making things incredibly hard to have good games with teamwork. You really need a 3 stack or more to be confident in your team.

Did anyone here buy a compendium? How have you predictions been?

 

Im down for a DLP guild as well, but im not really willing to play anywhere but on Aus servers. Which makes it a bit too hard I think.

Chalk me down as another hoping for NaVi vs Alliance finals. Both teams are looking ridiculously strong. I'm actually really surprised about how well all the western teams were doing. I was expecting the eastern teams to have a lot more of a dominating performance.

 

The western teams have an innate advantage over eastern teams in that they can play wisp to a very high level, while eastern teams cannot. So eastern teams must always spend one of their first two bans on wisp, leaving them less able to ban out other important heroes.

See: Alliance vs orange, both games, for what happens when wisp is allowed through.

That said, the team play and consistency of western teams (minus navi and aliance, also arguably fnatic) often fails them at crucial moments, while chinese teams won't really choke in this way.

See: Dignitas vs LGD.China tiebreaker game for an example of this.

 

I might be missing something, but why can't eastern teams play Wisp?

 

Western are picking first?

As for the DLP guild; do we have to decide which timezone it's in or anyone can join it's just when matchmaking? Cause I could do one I guess...if I find the right option and there's not one up yet.

EDIT: My question is actually a question. Thought it might sounds sarcastic or something following Esper's post.

 

They have to waste a ban on wisp the same way that teams have to waste bans on Lone Druid or Furion when facing Alliance. Other teams can play Furion or LD, but usually not quite as well as Alliance. Eastern teams can play wisp, but I've heard that wisp isn't a popular champion in Eastern tournaments, so they're probably not quite as practiced.

 

Wow, Liquid are out? They were doing so well on day 1 and arguably into day 2. 7-7 and out, just wow. Guess it's all on Na'Vi or Alliance then, though rooting more-so for Na'Vi than Alliance just due to the presence of NaNiWa on the team in the SC2 side of Alliance.

 

It's a little sad that everyone pretty much knows who's going to the finals. Na'vi and Alliance are too good. Still, anyone have any ideas on 3rd or 4th place? I want to say Orange or IG, but given DKs and Fnatic's performances so far, it's uncertain.

 

I wouldn't count it quite that cut and dry. NaVi might face Fnatic again in the 2nd WB round, and that could be interesting. Or just a stomp, heh.

Things are about to get interesting now thought I'd say. All the teams are about to start pulling out all of their prepared strategies.

Hopefully we get some really interesting heros.

 

Because eastern teams did not rate Wisp highly as a hero so they never practiced it, while in the western scene wisp has been first pick/first ban since november 2012 or earlier.

By the time eastern teams had realized Wisp was actually good (late May, in the g1 league finals when they lost to alliance and liquid), it was too late for them to be able to practice it and get it to an acceptable level.

 

It's a question of styles really. Wisp became very popular in the East although I can't remember who started the trend. It was generally thought that Wisp didn't work in China because of how safely the Chinese teams play (and 5 man dota) giving no openings for the Wisp to gank.

However, NaVi's Alienware cup run, where they went 7-0 with Wisp, showed that there are holes for high level teams to exploit, so the Eastern teams are forced to waste a ban on it now unless they feel they can flat outplay the team they are against.

For the record, [A] may have used Wisp during their G-1 run, but I can't remember if they did or not.

 

I'm retarded, I should've known the group stage would split into upper and lower bracket teams. Still rooting for Liquid as my main team though.

Was half expecting some HL3 joke from Gabe, though I suppose the internet will make those itself over the next few hours. Good view into IG's journey and life to kick us off - also surprised they brought over James '2GD' Harding again. Didn't he spend most of his time trolling at IT2? Or has he taken this one more seriously? I know him and his attitude but he seems a lot more professional when he wants to be. Either way I like the stuff he does, just didn't expect to see him at IT3.