Alexander "XBOCT" Dashkevich - #1 - Carry

PLAYER STATISTICS

One of the most controversial carries in the West, XBOCT is known for his hyper-aggressive plays which often lead to him over-extending in team fights. Many fans and foes feel that his playstyle is too volatile, throwing advantages away by attempting to break opponents in unwinnable situations. Dota 2 casting studio BeyondTheSummit once rated him 4/10 in one of their pre-game analysis sessions, a rating that soon became a meme within the community, with even Na`Vi themselves playing on the joke.

All of this, however, is unimportant when considering his role on Na`Vi. XBOCT has been with the squad for over three years now, and along with Dendi and Puppey form the very core of Na`Vi. While his play may appear hyper-aggressive and even erratic to outsiders, the fact remains that his undeniable fearlessness simply fits Na`Vi.



Perhaps Puppey has mastered the art of reining XBOCT in. Perhaps Puppey knows how to dissuade him from buying Rapiers or leaping senselessly into battle, but when you’re up against the fence and there’s no hope left, sometimes the only way out is to play like you only live once (buybacks be damned!). In situations like that, XBOCT is the guy you want leading the charge.

SIGNATURE HEROES

Danil "Dendi" Ishutin - #2 - Core / Mid

PLAYER STATISTICS

If Na`Vi is the face of Dota 2, then Dendi is its most visible feature. Behind his boyish charm and disarming smile, there lies a killer instinct that has made him one of the most feared mid players in the world. His Pudge is one of the most common respect bans in all of Dota 2, and there was a time early in Dota 2’s history when nearly every Chinese opponent first banned the hero against Na`Vi simply because Dendi was so dominant on it. While the pick is much less common now, his Butcher still sends chills down spines whenever it appears.



Once described as the Mushi of the West, Dendi is known for his versatility and large hero pool. His role on Na`Vi is that of setting the game’s tempo, usually winning the mid lane before snowballing on precise, burst-heavy, and aggressive heroes like Templar Assassin or Puck. The control he provides with these heroes is crucial for Na`Vi’s mid game, providing space for XBOCT’s ‘harder’ carry to farm for the late game.



However, this style has lost favour in the current meta, which tends to utilise farming mid heroes over fiery tempo setters. While Dendi can certainly farm if called upon to do so, this does not exploit his biggest strength of making jaw dropping plays that stun players and audiences alike. It remains to be seen whether Dendi will be able to successfully adapt to the farming-mid style, or if he will simply defy the meta and win through his signature flair.



SIGNATURE HEROES

Gleb "Funn1k" Lipatnikov - #3 - Core / Offlane

PLAYER STATISTICS

Picked up by Na`Vi in their early 2013 shuffle, Funn1k is a highly skilled offlaner and fearless initiator. Famous for being able to stay alive against even against the most pressing opposition, he steadily balances push and farm throughout the game. He may not be as flashy as Dendi, but this resilient play is part of what helps Na`Vi secure and maintain early leads to keep a strong momentum rolling into the mid and late game.

Funn1k is a flexible laner with a large hero pool, capable of playing cores in both the safelane and offlane role. He is usually found on high-impact and involvement heroes such as Doom, Puck, Clockwerk, Timbersaw, Batrider, and Nyx. With excellent timing and positioning, as well as the game sense of a natural predator, Funn1k is often Na`Vi’s default teamfight initiator, yet he manages to stay alive throughout most engagements by expertly maneuvering around the action and controlling the fight.



Overall, his vast repertoire of heroes and positions allow Puppey a lot of flexibility when drafting. He is a strong third core that Na`Vi can always depend on to get the job done.



SIGNATURE HEROES

Clement "Puppey" Ivanov - #4 - Support

PLAYER STATISTICS

Puppey’s sheer size in person is matched only by his imposing presence in game. As the captain of Na`Vi, the Estonian is responsible for some of the most outrageous calls in the game over the years. With the trust placed in him by his teammates, Puppey is able to turn suicidal dives into spectacular pickoffs, completely changing the course of the game with a single chaotic teamfight. A battle-hardened LAN performer, Puppey is able to accept disadvantages in a best-of series and sit back, slowly edging his team back into contention before striding confidently into the lead.



However, his captainship is not just about what he does between draft and throne, and his impact starts well before the heroes hit the field. Puppey is widely regarded as being one of the best drafters in Dota. Sure, all good drafters are able to exploit their team’s hero pool while devising picks that are difficult to read, but Puppey goes further than that. His mind games include letting seemingly overpowered heroes through, stalling on important picks, sitting by as reserve time ticks away, all in an effort to manipulate his opponent. His calculated shrewdness forces Na`Vi’s opponents to always be on their feet, fretting on every decision they make in the pre-game.



As a player, Puppey is known for jungling supports such as Chen and Enchantress, both of whom he puts to good use in the early game by efficiently ganking and creating space for his cores. Adept at micro-managing these kind of heroes, he is as capable of making game changing plays for his team as Dendi.



Seriously though, Puppey is really tall. Like, you could stack two Soes and just reach his height.

SIGNATURE HEROES

Kuro "Kuroky" Salehi Takhasomi - #5 - Support

PLAYER STATISTICS

Like Funn1k, Kuroky was picked up by Na`Vi in February of last year. A previous teammate of Puppey’s during their legendary Ks.int days in 2008-2009, he shocked the scene to its core and was touted as the first "child prodigy of Dota" at the age of 16. He went on to become one of the scene’s most successful Western carry players.



Picking up Kuroky was a break from tradition for Na`Vi, as he is the first player outside the CIS scene to ever wear the yellow jersey. He has since overcome national and linguistic boundaries to become a vital part of Na`Vi’s play. He prefers heroes that are useful in trilane engagements as well as teamfights in general. Although he is well known for heroes such as Dazzle, Visage, and Wisp, his signature hero is without a doubt Rubick. His ability to steal crucial spells in the middle of chaotic teamfights has resulted in early Rubick bans even though fifth position heroes are rarely removed from the pool.



Aside from individual heroes, Kuroky displays a sixth sense for detecting rotations and attacks while turning simple support plays like warding into an art. His teamfight ability is second to none. Brilliantly coordinating with the rest of his team, Kuroky hops in and out of teamfights with ease, causing chaos for the enemy while holding his team together before retreating out safely. Notably, he also tends to be one of the most farm-heavy 5th positions in the world, knowing exactly when to steal a creep or two from his cores, coordinating his farm with theirs as necessary.



In a Dota scene where #4 and #5 players are seldom brought to the spotlight, Kuroky stands out as a superstar support, capable not only of setting up the fights that keep his team ahead, but of making the plays that make us remember them.

SIGNATURE HEROES