riptide Profile Joined July 2007 679 Posts #1



After a great week of Dota 2, the finals of the Sina Supernova Cup has arrived. We will see Vici Gaming and Team DK, two of the strongest teams in the Asian Dota 2 scene set to duke it out to become the new champions of the Sina Supernova Cup. Vici Gaming are the reigning champions, but with team DK recently taking them out in the WPC Semi-finals there might be a new champion in town. We will have to wait and see!







After a great week of Dota 2, the finals of the Sina Supernova Cup has arrived. We will see Vici Gaming and Team DK, two of the strongest teams in the Asian Dota 2 scene set to duke it out to become the new champions of the Sina Supernova Cup. Vici Gaming are the reigning champions, but with team DK recently taking them out in the WPC Semi-finals there might be a new champion in town. We will have to wait and see! Team DK





DK are collecting titles, and they want this one.



A little over a month ago, I wrote that



The Sina Cup was the first Chinese tournament of the new year, and DK has cruised through it comfortably, dispatching the likes of iG and VG on their way to the finals. Once again, it is their versatility that has played the biggest role in their victories.



Their semi-flexible #1 - #3 positions make their lineup a difficult one to draft against, and the sheer versatility of BurNing, Mushi and iceiceice mean that DK can turn any game into anything from a Tiny-Wisp global gankfest to a more slow and steady Faceless Void based lategame farm war. Though they did drop a handful of games on their way to the finals, and though they did make some mistakes here and there, they very rarely looked like they were anything but in total control of each series.



The first two years of professional Dota 2 have been dominated by teams that played certain styles of Dota. Firstly, and perhaps most visibly, Invictus Gaming dominated TI2 and then much of the early 2012 - 2013 season with their patented Face Rush strategy, a five man strategy that centered around getting early kills and towers and then snowballing to victory. Then, Alliance dominated the late 2012 - 2013 season, and indeed, TI3, with what has fondly (or not so fondly) come to be known as Rat Dota.



While DK’s success thus far in 2013 - 2014 season is still too short-lived to be called dominance, it is notable that the team has yet to show us a style of Dota they prefer. From MLG Columbus to G-League to this week’s Sina Cup, the team has shown us that not only are they comfortable playing a variety of styles, but they are also exceedingly proficient at many of them.



Today, VG certainly have their work cut out for them, because traditionally, you took down a juggernaut by countering its style. But how do you counter a team that cannot be pinned down to a set of strategies? When Sylar drafts against Mushi later today, not only does he face the prospect of banning against an impossibly vast hero pool, but he must also prepare strategies against a DK team that border on formlessness. Because, “if it is formless, then even the deepest spy cannot discern it nor the wise make plans against it.” So, from the pick/ban stage onward, beating DK in a series is in every sense, a monumental task.





A little over a month ago, I wrote that 2014 would be the year of DK , and while it’s a little too early to verify that claim, DK’s current form strengthens my argument even in some small way.The Sina Cup was the first Chinese tournament of the new year, and DK has cruised through it comfortably, dispatching the likes of iG and VG on their way to the finals. Once again, it is their versatility that has played the biggest role in their victories.Their semi-flexible #1 - #3 positions make their lineup a difficult one to draft against, and the sheer versatility of BurNing, Mushi and iceiceice mean that DK can turn any game into anything from a Tiny-Wisp global gankfest to a more slow and steady Faceless Void based lategame farm war. Though they did drop a handful of games on their way to the finals, and though they did make some mistakes here and there, they very rarely looked like they were anything but in total control of each series.The first two years of professional Dota 2 have been dominated by teams that played certain styles of Dota. Firstly, and perhaps most visibly, Invictus Gaming dominated TI2 and then much of the early 2012 - 2013 season with their patented Face Rush strategy, a five man strategy that centered around getting early kills and towers and then snowballing to victory. Then, Alliance dominated the late 2012 - 2013 season, and indeed, TI3, with what has fondly (or not so fondly) come to be known as Rat Dota.While DK’s success thus far in 2013 - 2014 season is still too short-lived to be called dominance, it is notable that the team has yet to show us a style of Dota they prefer. From MLG Columbus to G-League to this week’s Sina Cup, the team has shown us that not only are they comfortable playing a variety of styles, but they are also exceedingly proficient at many of them.Today, VG certainly have their work cut out for them, because traditionally, you took down a juggernaut by countering its style. But how do you counter a team that cannot be pinned down to a set of strategies? When Sylar drafts against Mushi later today, not only does he face the prospect of banning against an impossibly vast hero pool, but he must also prepare strategies against a DK team that border on formlessness. Because, “if it is formless, then even the deepest spy cannot discern it nor the wise make plans against it.” So, from the pick/ban stage onward, beating DK in a series is in every sense, a monumental task. Vici Gaming





Vici Gaming have a lot to prove.



Over the past few days, Vici Gaming gaming has shown us that they are well deserving of their place among China’s big four. They too cruised through the Winner’s Bracket, even dispatching LGD 2-0, and only fell down to the Loser’s Bracket when faced with DK in the WB Finals. Even in their losing series, VG showed promise. Sylar played a great Morphling, and his team rallied around him to take the game away from DK. In fact, Sylar has both the highest single game GPM (824) as well the highest average GPM (569.4) of the entire tournament thus far, an impressive feat in a tournament with BurNing, Hao and xdd. He is also a more aggressive carry than BurNing, as is seen by his average kills in the tournament: 5.8 vs BurNing’s 4.9, with even the typically YOLO Mushi clocking in at 5.4 kills per game.



VG’s cores are undeniably skilled, and their supports are some of the best around (



Towards the end of 2013, VG were showing themselves as a team capable of being the best in China. They are the reigning champions from last season of the Sina Supernova Cup, and even with their defeat against DK in the WPC Semi-finals, there is no question that they have the individual talent to take them down this time around. In fact, if their Sina Cup run has shown us anything, it’s that they are the best team to do it.



But will they? That depends on a lot of things. First and foremost, despite their high individual skill, VG do have some problems with consistency, especially from players like rOtk. While their stylish offlaner has stabilised in terms of play since he moved to the team from DK, he is still volatile at times. What remains to be seen, then, is if his volatility works for VG or against them, for in any series or game, it really can go either way when it comes to him. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that he is the soul of the team, the wind in their sails. In fact, some would say that it's not so much that he's inconsistent, but that he always treads a fine line between big plays and big throws. If the big plays come in this series however, they will certainly play a vital role in propelling his team towards victory.



When all is said and done, however, let’s be clear about one thing: VG are here to defend their title. Not only are they Sina Cup Season 2 Champions, but they are also one of the major Chinese teams in what is now well and truly the run up to this July’s TI4. While making it to the finals of the first Chinese tournament of the year is good for them, a win here would really cement their place at the top of the region along with DK and put them in good standing for an invite to Seattle later this year. In short, a Sina Cup victory here for VG will mean more to them than it will to DK. DK are already established as the best the Chinese scene has to offer this season, while VG still need to make their presence felt if they are to be guaranteed an invite to the biggest tournament of the year.



What a way, then, to finish off the first Chinese tournament of the new year. The Sina Cup may not be G-League or WPC Ace, but the Grand Finals sure feels like it!







Writers: riptide, Kupon3ss, TanGeng, opterown

Editors: TheEmulator

Front Page photo Courtesy of DK and VG Facebook pages : riptide, Kupon3ss, TanGeng, opterown: TheEmulator Over the past few days, Vici Gaming gaming has shown us that they are well deserving of their place among China’s big four. They too cruised through the Winner’s Bracket, even dispatching LGD 2-0, and only fell down to the Loser’s Bracket when faced with DK in the WB Finals. Even in their losing series, VG showed promise. Sylar played a great Morphling, and his team rallied around him to take the game away from DK. In fact, Sylar has both the highest single game GPM (824) as well the highest average GPM (569.4) of the entire tournament thus far, an impressive feat in a tournament with BurNing, Hao and xdd. He is also a more aggressive carry than BurNing, as is seen by his average kills in the tournament: 5.8 vs BurNing’s 4.9, with even the typically YOLO Mushi clocking in at 5.4 kills per game.VG’s cores are undeniably skilled, and their supports are some of the best around ( fy won Support Player of the Year at the TL Dota 2 Awards 2013 . In fact, of the teams in the finals, Fenrir and fy have the highest number of assists. At 9.6 and 9.4 respectively, they are clearly very effective supports. It is undeniable that VG’s supports are right up there with the best the scene has to offer.Towards the end of 2013, VG were showing themselves as a team capable of being the best in China. They are the reigning champions from last season of the Sina Supernova Cup, and even with their defeat against DK in the WPC Semi-finals, there is no question that they have the individual talent to take them down this time around. In fact, if their Sina Cup run has shown us anything, it’s that they are the best team to do it.But will they? That depends on a lot of things. First and foremost, despite their high individual skill, VG do have some problems with consistency, especially from players like rOtk. While their stylish offlaner has stabilised in terms of play since he moved to the team from DK, he is still volatile at times. What remains to be seen, then, is if his volatility works for VG or against them, for in any series or game, it really can go either way when it comes to him. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that he is the soul of the team, the wind in their sails. In fact, some would say that it's not so much that he's inconsistent, but that he always treads a fine line between big plays and big throws. If the big plays come in this series however, they will certainly play a vital role in propelling his team towards victory.When all is said and done, however, let’s be clear about one thing: VG are here to defend their title. Not only are they Sina Cup Season 2 Champions, but they are also one of the major Chinese teams in what is now well and truly the run up to this July’s TI4. While making it to the finals of the first Chinese tournament of the year is good for them, a win here would really cement their place at the top of the region along with DK and put them in good standing for an invite to Seattle later this year. In short, a Sina Cup victory here for VG will mean more to them than it will to DK. DK are already established as the best the Chinese scene has to offer this season, while VG still need to make their presence felt if they are to be guaranteed an invite to the biggest tournament of the year.What a way, then, to finish off the first Chinese tournament of the new year. The Sina Cup may not be G-League or WPC Ace, but the Grand Finals sure feels like it! Administrator SKT T1 | Masters of the Universe