Dota 2 Super League Tournament Preview May 10th, 2013 05:35 GMT Text by Kupon3ss Graphics by shiroiusagi

Table of Contents

The Opening Salvo

By TanGeng



Team Preview

By Kupon3ss



Invictus By The Numbers

By Kpoptosis



Follow DSL on

Liquipedia





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Dota 2 Super League Tournament Preview



Welcome to the biggest Dota 2 League in China!



The official Trailer





First off, we have



For logistics and scheduling of the event, look no further than our



The Opening Salvo By TanGeng





- VS -

LGD Gaming - VS - Vici Gaming

On Friday, May 10 11:00am GMT (GMT+00:00), China's 10 team Dota2 Super League (DSL), kicks off in Shanghai with a match between LGD and Vici Gaming, and this particular matchup is full of compelling story lines for long time fans of Dota.



Aged Experience against Newblood Energy



Since it was founded, LGD fought through the rule of EHOME, the hegemony of DK, and now fights against the dynasty known as Invictus Gaming. The team, abundant with experience, does not cede a single step to other teams in terms of star power, strategic insight, or team fight coordination. Yet over these past few years, LGD has lacked that mystique that pushes them over the top and wins them multiple championships. Will this inaugural edition of the DSL and its massive prize pool be the team's breakthrough? Will it open a new era of Dota under LGD dominion?



On the other side of the pitch, we have VG. Only seven months have passed since the founding of Vici Gaming. While the legend, ZSMJ (fresh out of retirement), has been swapped in, taking the place of veteran Sydm, the four founding rookies of VG remain unchanged. The team may lack in experience, strategic wisdom, and polished tactics, but their impetuous to win is indomitable and their ambition is yet unsatisfied. In fact, rumor has it the team trains in a rigid daily fashion that borders on militaristic strictness and their computers only ever have one game installed - Dota 2. With that spirit, will VG carve out a name for themselves in this season, starting with this first game?



ZSMJ and Unfinished Business



Rumors are abound regarding the circumstances surrounding ZSMJ's retirement. All that is clear is that LGD played horrendously before ZSMJ left, and following a rapid acquisition of Sylar, the team immediately achieved wonderful form. Out of this messy affair, xiao8 gained the moniker Director8 for seemingly engineering the departure of ZSMJ. Now, ZSMJ returns to face the club that forced him out and the four teammates that played with him before are still there. If the rumors are true, ZSMJ just may have a score to settle with his former club.



LGD Roster Changes



From the release of LongDD, to Sydm's training session, through the return of Sc to the team, LGD stirred up quite a controversy in the pursuit of a team roster that will bring home championships. And the release of LongDD was no mere roster change, as it cost the team the direct invite to The International in the aftermath. The roster change itself leaves a large question mark hanging over everyone's heads. What kind of form will Sc be able to achieve after returning to professional play? Will he be able to recover his prior skills and will the team be able to come together quickly for best results? Whatever that answer is, time is running out for LGD to fix any problems that may come up.



Inspired by the gamefy opening match preview





The Teams By kupon3ss



The teams that have gathered at Shanghai marks the strongest set of Dota 2 talent ever assembled on LAN aside from the International, the following looks at what the hopes and dreams of each team as they entire this battlefield. For a more detailed look at the relative strengths of the teams, refer to



Group A



Undefeated of the East: iG

No matter how you look at it, iG is the single best team in the world and the undeniable favorite in any competition it enters.



Uncertain Waters: LGD.cn

Juggling G-1, DSL, and TI3 East Qualifiers after a torrent of drama and a revolving door at the 4th position role, what looked to be solidly the second best team in the world now slips ever further away from the throne occupied by iG and closer to the lion's den.



Seeking Justification: TongFu

Having replaced LGD.cn's invite slot at the International, TongFu is tentatively back among the elites of Chinese Dota. While their recent condition and play have been top notch, the spectre of the 3-0 sweep at the hands of LGD.int and the abysmal performance at G-1 continue to haunt the resurgent team



To Tame a Lion: VG

VG's play has always had its wild side, ranging from world-class one game to indistinguishable from their pub roots the next. Perhaps their narrow loss to MUFC in the Neotolic East finals is a sign that in ZSMJ's seasoned hands lie the key to tempering the team's overwhelmingly aggressive style.



Edge of Obscurity: For.Love

As the only team in the tournament with no hope of going to Seattle after two years of "just being there" as a footnote of nearly every tournament, For Love's unity and determination had been admirable but waning. However it is skilled play that will make or break a team, not #hardwork #dedication #friendship.



Group B



The Slumbering Dragon: DK

DK hasn't received the world spotlight since the last G-1 Finals in November, but their recent dismantling of LGD.int and Zenith online in G-1 after a period of adjustment showed that the dragon has reawakened. After being narrowly defeated no less than 6 times in various tournaments by iG over the past year, will DSL heed the dragon's call?



North of Pasture: Orange

The Chinese Proverb "淮橘为枳" explains that Oranges planted in different climates yield different fruit. Known for the most inconsistent play among top Asian teams, Orange's foray into the DSL will likely see a different kind of Orange. Whether this new Orange will be able to master the DSL, however, remains to be seen.



Wherefore Art Thou? LGD.int

The period of uncertainty after their G-League final appearance has developed into a problem serious enough to warrant roles changes. The world-class potential and execution are still there, but the team is having trouble putting it all together again. Perhaps the long LAN tour and the prospect of TI3 will lead to the next step of their evolution.



The Serpent: RattleSnake

RattleSnake is a team that can upset anyone. This new team of old faces has been hidden in the grass for quite some time, waiting to strike unsuspecting victims. With innovative lineups and solid execution, the team has a decent chance against anybody, something they proved with their win over Orange in the G-1 group stages.



A Fleeting Comet: RisingStars

After a brief period of exciting wisp play, RisingStars has faded into the background. As one of the more erratic and innovative teams in the scene, RisingStars often has trouble against even second-tier SEA teams. Their recent thrashing at the hands of Tongfu further distances the team from VG and RattleSnakes, the strongest of the up-and-coming teams.









Delineating Dominance By kpoptosis







After winning the second International tournament, Invictus Gaming has been a team widely regarded as the best in the world. They have been an absolute force in tournaments since TI2 as well, placing first in G-League II, WCG 2012, and the G-1 2013 Asian qualifiers. The only other tournament they participated in during this time frame was the G-1 IV finals, where they finished fourth behind Orange, DK, and LGD.cn. Based on these showings, our very own May



Despite this performance, there are a few critics who believe that iG is a bit overrated. Perhaps the most legitimate complaint against iG’s ranking is the number of games they have played since TI2. They have only participated in 49 matches and 21 Bo3 matchups during that time frame. In comparison, Na`Vi has played 191 matches in the same time span. To iG’s credit, the games they have played have almost exclusively been against top tier competition, playing four Bo3s against LGD.cn, three against Orange and DK, and one apiece against Zenith, LGD.int, For.Love and TongFu, all quality competition. Therefore, even though their number of matches have been slim, they have certainly been tested.



iG passed these tests with flying colors. Since TI2, iG is 42-7 (86%) in matches and 19-2 (90%) in Bo3s. They have yet to lose a Bo3 in 2013 and have only lost two individual matches since the start of the Western new year. Over this period, they have racked up a kill differential of +413, averaging a 12 kill advantage per game. Considering the level of competition, this stat is pretty staggering. To put that statistic into perspective, LGD.cn, considered by many (including our May Power Ranking) to be the 2nd best team in the Eastern scene, maintained only a 4.3 kill advantage per game after TI2, only a third of iG's advantage.





picture from ESFI

So what has made iG so dominant? Certainly, the individual talents of their lineup play a part as every single player could be considered the best at their position, but is there a more unique and objective reason for their dominance? One possible reason could be their farming strategy. In the past, Asian teams were known for “4 protect 1” strategies where a single carry was supported by the other four players in the hopes of farming him up enough to dominate the late-game. iG however, uses the uncommon “2 or 3-core” strategy where they farm up two or three heroes instead of just one. This tends to require a large amount of skill and coordination to fight early and not lose out on farm, but as mousesport's Black^ said in an earlier interview with Team Liquid, “...it gives great benefits if you manage to pull it off successfully (2 or 3 farmed heroes instead of 1)!”



When browsing the statistics, this strategy seems to have a large impact upon their success. When averaging the career GPM of their top three farming heroes, iG maintains an average of 421 gpm, whereas DK averages 401 gpm and LGD.cn averages 391 gpm. Since TI2 however, iG’s three-hero average has skyrocketed nearly 54 points to an average of 480 gpm. In that time span, YYF, iG’s de facto 3 role player, maintained a higher gpm than Korok, S4, and Dendi, all Western mid players known for their ability to farm as well as actively participate in the game. By being able to effectively farm up three heroes instead of just one or two, iG is able to fight sooner and harder while scaling into the late game better than any of their opponents.



But it is not just the farmers who are key in iG’s success. Followers of the Dota 2 scene are all aware of iG’s soft support player, ChuaN. Beyond strategising and securing farm for his carry, ChuaN maintains the highest career Assists to Deaths ratio of any active player (besides his teammate YYF) at 3.46. Since TI2, ChuaN has been able to increase that to an ungodly ratio of 4.0 assists to deaths. ChuaN’s ability to set up kills whilst staying safe is unprecedented, and yet another facet of iG’s dominance since TI2. As for iG’s hard support, Faith, no single metric indicates his dominance over other 5’s, but his drafting insight and ability to secure farm for iG’s three carries speaks for itself.



After looking at the numbers, it comes as no surprise that Invictus Gaming are once again the favorites to win it all at TI3. Before that though, they’ll face some stiff competition in Perfect World’s Dota 2 Super League. Their group is a particularly tough one, as they’ll be matched up against LGD.cn, Vici Gaming, TongFu, and For.Love. This will be a terrific opportunity for iG to prove their worth as well as do some last tune-ups before travelling to Seattle in August.



*Note - Outcomes, but not GPM or K/D/A statistics were able to be pulled from the WCG Qualifiers and Finals*







Gfx: Hawaiianpig, Shiroiusagi

Editors: Riptide, Firebolt145, TanGeng, Kupon3ss

Banner via

Writers: TanGeng, Kupon3ss, KpoptosisGfx: Hawaiianpig, ShiroiusagiEditors: Riptide, Firebolt145, TanGeng, Kupon3ssBanner via Gamefy Welcome to the biggest Dota 2 League in China! Dota 2 Super League is a joint venture between Gamefy, the guys who brought you G-League, and Perfect World, the publishers of Dota 2 in China. The star-studded 2 month tournament will pit the top teams of the East on a consistent LAN footing never seen before in Dota 2.First off, we have a preview of the opening showdown between VG and LGD.cn from TanGeng, followed by what each team brings to the table . Kpoptosis takes a by-the-numbers look at the strongest team in the world to try to comprehend the true nature of the beast.For logistics and scheduling of the event, look no further than our Live Report Thread and Liquipedia On Friday, May 10 11:00am GMT (GMT+00:00), China's 10 team Dota2 Super League (DSL), kicks off in Shanghai with a match between LGD and Vici Gaming, and this particular matchup is full of compelling story lines for long time fans of Dota.Since it was founded, LGD fought through the rule of EHOME, the hegemony of DK, and now fights against the dynasty known as Invictus Gaming. The team, abundant with experience, does not cede a single step to other teams in terms of star power, strategic insight, or team fight coordination. Yet over these past few years, LGD has lacked that mystique that pushes them over the top and wins them multiple championships. Will this inaugural edition of the DSL and its massive prize pool be the team's breakthrough? Will it open a new era of Dota under LGD dominion?On the other side of the pitch, we have VG. Only seven months have passed since the founding of Vici Gaming. While the legend, ZSMJ (fresh out of retirement), has been swapped in, taking the place of veteran Sydm, the four founding rookies of VG remain unchanged. The team may lack in experience, strategic wisdom, and polished tactics, but their impetuous to win is indomitable and their ambition is yet unsatisfied. In fact, rumor has it the team trains in a rigid daily fashion that borders on militaristic strictness and their computers only ever have one game installed - Dota 2. With that spirit, will VG carve out a name for themselves in this season, starting with this first game?Rumors are abound regarding the circumstances surrounding ZSMJ's retirement. All that is clear is that LGD played horrendously before ZSMJ left, and following a rapid acquisition of Sylar, the team immediately achieved wonderful form. Out of this messy affair, xiao8 gained the moniker Director8 for seemingly engineering the departure of ZSMJ. Now, ZSMJ returns to face the club that forced him out and the four teammates that played with him before are still there. If the rumors are true, ZSMJ just may have a score to settle with his former club.From the release of LongDD, to Sydm's training session, through the return of Sc to the team, LGD stirred up quite a controversy in the pursuit of a team roster that will bring home championships. And the release of LongDD was no mere roster change, as it cost the team the direct invite to The International in the aftermath. The roster change itself leaves a large question mark hanging over everyone's heads. What kind of form will Sc be able to achieve after returning to professional play? Will he be able to recover his prior skills and will the team be able to come together quickly for best results? Whatever that answer is, time is running out for LGD to fix any problems that may come up.The teams that have gathered at Shanghai marks the strongest set of Dota 2 talent ever assembled on LAN aside from the International, the following looks at what the hopes and dreams of each team as they entire this battlefield. For a more detailed look at the relative strengths of the teams, refer to our Power Ranks. After winning the second International tournament, Invictus Gaming has been a team widely regarded as the best in the world. They have been an absolute force in tournaments since TI2 as well, placing first in G-League II, WCG 2012, and the G-1 2013 Asian qualifiers. The only other tournament they participated in during this time frame was the G-1 IV finals, where they finished fourth behind Orange, DK, and LGD.cn. Based on these showings, our very own May Power Ranking listed iG as the best team in the China/SEA region. The majority of other websites and community polls also agree that iG is the leader of the Dota 2 pack. Furthermore, they go into their next tournament, the Dota 2 Super League, sponsored by Perfect World, as the favorites.Despite this performance, there are a few critics who believe that iG is a bit overrated. Perhaps the most legitimate complaint against iG’s ranking is the number of games they have played since TI2. They have only participated in 49 matches and 21 Bo3 matchups during that time frame. In comparison, Na`Vi has played 191 matches in the same time span. To iG’s credit, the games they have played have almost exclusively been against top tier competition, playing four Bo3s against LGD.cn, three against Orange and DK, and one apiece against Zenith, LGD.int, For.Love and TongFu, all quality competition. Therefore, even though their number of matches have been slim, they have certainly been tested.iG passed these tests with flying colors. Since TI2, iG is 42-7 (86%) in matches and 19-2 (90%) in Bo3s. They have yet to lose a Bo3 in 2013 and have only lost two individual matches since the start of the Western new year. Over this period, they have racked up a kill differential of +413, averaging a 12 kill advantage per game. Considering the level of competition, this stat is pretty staggering. To put that statistic into perspective, LGD.cn, considered by many (including our May Power Ranking) to be the 2nd best team in the Eastern scene, maintained only a 4.3 kill advantage per game after TI2, only a third of iG's advantage.So what has made iG so dominant? Certainly, the individual talents of their lineup play a part as every single player could be considered the best at their position, but is there a more unique and objective reason for their dominance? One possible reason could be their farming strategy. In the past, Asian teams were known for “4 protect 1” strategies where a single carry was supported by the other four players in the hopes of farming him up enough to dominate the late-game. iG however, uses the uncommon “2 or 3-core” strategy where they farm up two or three heroes instead of just one. This tends to require a large amount of skill and coordination to fight early and not lose out on farm, but as mousesport's Black^ said in an earlier interview with Team Liquid, “...it gives great benefits if you manage to pull it off successfully (2 or 3 farmed heroes instead of 1)!”When browsing the statistics, this strategy seems to have a large impact upon their success. When averaging the career GPM of their top three farming heroes, iG maintains an average of 421 gpm, whereas DK averages 401 gpm and LGD.cn averages 391 gpm. Since TI2 however, iG’s three-hero average has skyrocketed nearly 54 points to an average of 480 gpm. In that time span, YYF, iG’s de facto 3 role player, maintained a higher gpm than Korok, S4, and Dendi, all Western mid players known for their ability to farm as well as actively participate in the game. By being able to effectively farm up three heroes instead of just one or two, iG is able to fight sooner and harder while scaling into the late game better than any of their opponents.But it is not just the farmers who are key in iG’s success. Followers of the Dota 2 scene are all aware of iG’s soft support player, ChuaN. Beyond strategising and securing farm for his carry, ChuaN maintains the highest career Assists to Deaths ratio of any active player (besides his teammate YYF) at 3.46. Since TI2, ChuaN has been able to increase that to an ungodly ratio of 4.0 assists to deaths. ChuaN’s ability to set up kills whilst staying safe is unprecedented, and yet another facet of iG’s dominance since TI2. As for iG’s hard support, Faith, no single metric indicates his dominance over other 5’s, but his drafting insight and ability to secure farm for iG’s three carries speaks for itself.After looking at the numbers, it comes as no surprise that Invictus Gaming are once again the favorites to win it all at TI3. Before that though, they’ll face some stiff competition in Perfect World’s Dota 2 Super League. Their group is a particularly tough one, as they’ll be matched up against LGD.cn, Vici Gaming, TongFu, and For.Love. This will be a terrific opportunity for iG to prove their worth as well as do some last tune-ups before travelling to Seattle in August.*Note - Outcomes, but not GPM or K/D/A statistics were able to be pulled from the WCG Qualifiers and Finals* When in doubt, just believe in yourself and press buttons