Team Liquid TI3 Awards August 21st, 2013 01:42 GMT Text by riptide The International 3

Follow TI3 on

and in the



Focus Mode

Turn off Focus Mode [x] Follow TI3 on Liquipedia and in the LR Thread



Team Liquid

TI3 Awards





The International 3 was the biggest Dota 2 tournament of the year and, as such, we thought it was a little sad that no awards were given out after the event drew to a close. Thus, Team Liquid now steps in to fill what it sees as a void in Valve's coverage. Yes, after a week of intense debate, our writing team is here with the Team Liquid TI3 Awards.



The selection process was long and arduous here at TL Dota 2 Coverage. We have a staff of thirty or so writers from all over the world, and the winners of the following categories were hotly contested between people who see Dota very, very differently. We hope you enjoy the results, Dota fan, as we feel they reflect the very best that our competitive scene has to offer.



As always, Team Liquid encourages awardees to make acceptance speeches in this thread. Congratulations to all our winners! Good games, and well played.



The Bruno Award for

Host of the Tournament

Winner: Kaci Aitchison

Runner-up: Merlini



Let’s face it: Kaci was the face of TI3. Not even Bruno and his multi-coloured suits could upstage her. Her professionalism and wit more than made up for the fact that she knew next-to-nothing about the game, and as she progressed through the tournament, she even managed to pick up the basics of the game.







Our runner-up is Merlini, and not just because he polices this community's pauses. Despite being added in the last hour due to GoDz’s visa issues, Merlini was always around, giving us insight into this game that we know and love. GoDz couldn’t have had a better stand-in!







The Public Matchmaking All Random Award for

Most Heroes Played



Winner: Mushi

Runner-up: Dendi



During TI3, it seemed like Mushi played more heroes by himself than the entirety of LGD.cn combined. On top of that, he played them right through the tournament, starting from the Group Stages right up to the Lower Bracket finals. Mushi has been called the MVP of TI3, and with good reason; he was easily the most versatile player of the tournament, playing a whopping 19 heroes, and he takes this award with ease. Mushi played everything from Alchemist to Ursa, and was the only player at the tournament to handle the likes of Sven, Faceless Void and Tiny.



Our runner-up, of course, is Dendi, who played fifteen heroes over the course of the tournament. His repertoire included the likes of Puck, Shadow Fiend and Pudge, and he even played Skywrath Mage, and to top it all off, a solo mid Wisp.







The Puppey Tactical Pause Award for

Pause Of The Tournament

(brought to you by 1-800-MERLINI)

Winner: Finol





Let’s be clear here: there is no second place in this category. Finol’s pause in the game between iG and [A] was by far the best pause of the tournament. The immediate unpause, of course, makes it the best pause of all time. Though the damage was minimal in the grand scheme of things, the ensuing qq nearly shut down the community itself, and for that, our Shitty Wizard walks away with the coveted Puppey Tactical Pause Award.







The Morphling Replicate Award for

Most Persistent Carry



Winner: Weaver

Runner-up: Lifestealer



If Morphling was the face of TI2, then Weaver was his closest counterpart at TI3. The giant bug came into vogue just before the tournament, and was almost constantly throughout the prelims. Many a team ran him as an offlaner, making him top pick/ban material throughout TI3.



Lifestealer, of course, remained as popular as ever, despite his pre-TI3 nerfs. A solid offlaner and aggressive trilaner, he was chosen time and time again as a part of a two or three-core lineup, making him Runner-up in this category.







The Broodmother Award for

Most Annoying Ban Magnet



Winner: Outworld Devourer



Despite an underwhelming record of 12-21, Outworld Devourer received the most bans of the tournament. OD was the catalyst for so much midlane counter-picking and counter-counter-picking that many a drafter decided to do their midlane specialist a solid and just removed him from contention entirely.







The Orange Esports Lower Bracket Run Memorial Award for

Comeback Hero Of The Year



Winner: Naga Siren



Naga’s TI3 hopes appeared dim after the career-threatening nerfs she received in 6.75 caused her fall off of the competitive scene. But through an intense training regimen of tail squats and full-contact karaoke and a position change from main carry to support, Naga Siren was a major force to be reckoned with in TI3. Out of all lane supports, she received the third highest Pick/Ban % in the entire tournament.







The Flame of the West Award for

The First Western Team to Dispatch a Chinese Team



Winner: Dignitas

Runner-up: Liquid



Do you know how many Western teams eliminated a Chinese team from the tournament last year? None. How about this year? Two, and they both qualify for our Flame of the West award. Dignitas were the first to accomplish the feat by beating RaTtLeSnAkE in the first round of the Lower Bracket, and they thus walk away with Aragorn’s Sword. Their fellow North Americans, Liquid, come in Runner-up in the category for dispatching LGD Gaming from the tournament.







The I Am The 1% Award for

Highest Net Worth In A Single Game





Winner: BurNing



Of the records broken at TI3, perhaps the most impressive was a new ceiling for the highest net worth in a game, which was set by BurNing. Massing over 60,000 gold in a single game (with an end-game GPM of 631), the legendary Chinese carry forever etched his name in the history books as the most hungry farmer to have ever played the game.







The Scythe Gaming Award for

Most Successful SEA Team



Winner: Orange



Before TI3, we didn't even know the SEA scene existed! Thus, it was with some surprise that we watched Orange Esports pummel their way through the Lower Bracket and into its finals, bagging a Top 3 spot at TI3. Well done, Orange! Who knew SEA teams could play so well!







The Stanley Cup Award for

The Most Canadian Canadian





Winner: TC

Runner-up: aui_2000



Though TC’s team beat LGD amidst chants of USA! USA!, the truth is that their carry, at least, is a Molson-drinking, maple-syrup slurping, hockey-watching, bona-fide Canadian. He hails from Alberta, for crying out loud.



Dignitas’ aui_2000 qualifies for the award as well, but comes in second because he’s from the more cosmopolitan British Columbia. I mean, who knows, maybe he’s never had to dig himself out of 12 feet of snow! He certainly seemed at home in the warm climes of Seattle.







The John D. Rockefeller 10K Club Honorary Membership Award for

Highest Unspent Gold



Winner: Mushi

Runner-up: Sylar

Second runner-up: BurNIng



While anyone can farm, it truly takes a hero to farm up 10k gold in the bank without spending it. The scene’s most successful non-spender, of course, is none other than Mushi. While Mushi’s ability to farm has never been in question, he is not someone who is known for his ability to invest. Often riding huge gold leads on his heroes, he is often seen saving his money for a rainy day, and for that he wins this award with ease.



Our runners up include the Chinese carries Sylar and BurNing. While they are a little better at spending their money than our winner, they too carried huge gold leads with them this TI3, earning them top spots in this category.







The Chuan-YYF Bromance Award for

Bromance of The Tournament





Winner: Loda and Akke

Runner-up: N0tail and Era



Competitive Dota is full of bromances, and while many players enjoy close ties with each other, perhaps no two players at TI3 were as closely connected as Loda and Akke. In his



Our Runner-up in this category is the Fnatic duo of N0tail and Era, who are now famous for their stress-relieving massages.















The Comic Con Award for

Best Cosplay Of The Tournament







Winner: Ogre Magi

Runner-up: Liquid horse



There was plenty of great cosplay on display at TI3, with some extremely well-considered and pored-over Windrunner and Templar Assassin(s) costumes. However, neither of our winners made it on technical aptitude alone. No, the really arresting cosplay at TI3, what made onlookers gasp and laugh seeing it in person or on screen, came from two intrepid young men and a dream- to see Ogre Magi picked at TI3- that would be realised only in the grand finals, prompting a rapturous reaction from the Ogres themselves.









Kaci’s interview with the Liquid horse, paradoxically one of the most normal man-on-the-street interviews from the tournament if you ignore the giant horse head, left an indelible impression and may have helped to inspire Liquid’s star turn against LGD*. For that, the Liquid horse bags runner-up in this category.



* Unconfirmed by Bulba.







The Play Award for

Play Of The Tournament

Winner: Dendi’s fountain Hook on Hao

Runner-up: S4’s $1 million Dreamcoil















The 2GD Award for

Most Awkward Moment On Camera



Winner: Kaci, for accosting Maelk, armed with deodorant



Runner-up: Bruno, for his genie costume



Kaci makes an appearance in these awards again, and this time, for accosting Maelk about the comment he made regarding her personal hygiene. Viewers at home could sense the tension in the air as Maelk leans back in his chair while Kaci calls him out on his offhand remark.





And of course, this, which needs no description.







The Chuan Lifting Aegis Award for

Best Victory Celebration



Winner: BuLba

Runner-up: AdmiralBulldog



We were all pretty happy when Liquid beat LGD. None of us, however, was as happy as BuLba, who promptly exploded out of the booth and onto the stage. It’s not clear where he was headed or what he was trying to accomplish, but that’s no matter: the adrenaline rush sent him out onto that stage and here, into these TI3 awards.



A close second is AdmiralBulldog, whose table-thumping antics were caught in the player cam as Alliance closed out their Game 5 victory over Na`Vi in the Grand Finals. His outward expression of joy is definitely unique, and thus worth a mention here.







The Cricket Test Match Award for

Longest Game Of The Tournament









Winner: iG vs DK

There are long Dota games, and then there is iG vs DK, a whopping 98 minute game that exhausted fans and casters and nearly put the entire community to sleep. If you're like us, you woke up just in time for the record breaking game to finish. For messing up the day's scheduling and proving forever that Dota 2 could be played like test cricket, both iG and DK walk away with this award.







CREDITS

Writers: riptide, TheEmulator, heyoka, shostakovich, rabidch, TanGeng, Vykromond, CountChocula, BurningSera

Gfx: riptide, Heyoka

Editors: riptide, TheEmulator, SirJolt

Photography and art via

Writers: riptide, TheEmulator, heyoka, shostakovich, rabidch, TanGeng, Vykromond, CountChocula, BurningSeraGfx: riptide, HeyokaEditors: riptide, TheEmulator, SirJoltPhotography and art via Valve and R1CH



The International 3 was the biggest Dota 2 tournament of the year and, as such, we thought it was a little sad that no awards were given out after the event drew to a close. Thus, Team Liquid now steps in to fill what it sees as a void in Valve's coverage. Yes, after a week of intense debate, our writing team is here with the Team Liquid TI3 Awards.The selection process was long and arduous here at TL Dota 2 Coverage. We have a staff of thirty or so writers from all over the world, and the winners of the following categories were hotly contested between people who see Dota very, very differently. We hope you enjoy the results, Dota fan, as we feel they reflect the very best that our competitive scene has to offer.As always, Team Liquid encourages awardees to make acceptance speeches in this thread. Congratulations to all our winners! Good games, and well played.Let’s face it: Kaci was the face of TI3. Not even Bruno and his multi-coloured suits could upstage her. Her professionalism and wit more than made up for the fact that she knew next-to-nothing about the game, and as she progressed through the tournament, she even managed to pick up the basics of the game.Our runner-up is Merlini, and not just because he polices this community's pauses. Despite being added in the last hour due to GoDz’s visa issues, Merlini was always around, giving us insight into this game that we know and love. GoDz couldn’t have had a better stand-in!During TI3, it seemed like Mushi played more heroes by himself than the entirety of LGD.cn combined. On top of that, he played them right through the tournament, starting from the Group Stages right up to the Lower Bracket finals. Mushi has been called the MVP of TI3, and with good reason; he was easily the most versatile player of the tournament, playing a whopping 19 heroes, and he takes this award with ease. Mushi played everything from Alchemist to Ursa, and was the only player at the tournament to handle the likes of Sven, Faceless Void and Tiny.Our runner-up, of course, is Dendi, who played fifteen heroes over the course of the tournament. His repertoire included the likes of Puck, Shadow Fiend and Pudge, and he even played Skywrath Mage, and to top it all off, a solo mid Wisp.Let’s be clear here: there is no second place in this category. Finol’s pause in the game between iG and [A] was by far the best pause of the tournament. The immediate unpause, of course, makes it the best pause of all time. Though the damage was minimal in the grand scheme of things, the ensuing qq nearly shut down the community itself, and for that, our Shitty Wizard walks away with the coveted Puppey Tactical Pause Award.If Morphling was the face of TI2, then Weaver was his closest counterpart at TI3. The giant bug came into vogue just before the tournament, and was almost constantly throughout the prelims. Many a team ran him as an offlaner, making him top pick/ban material throughout TI3.Lifestealer, of course, remained as popular as ever, despite his pre-TI3 nerfs. A solid offlaner and aggressive trilaner, he was chosen time and time again as a part of a two or three-core lineup, making him Runner-up in this category.Despite an underwhelming record of 12-21, Outworld Devourer received the most bans of the tournament. OD was the catalyst for so much midlane counter-picking and counter-counter-picking that many a drafter decided to do their midlane specialist a solid and just removed him from contention entirely.Naga’s TI3 hopes appeared dim after the career-threatening nerfs she received in 6.75 caused her fall off of the competitive scene. But through an intense training regimen of tail squats and full-contact karaoke and a position change from main carry to support, Naga Siren was a major force to be reckoned with in TI3. Out of all lane supports, she received the third highest Pick/Ban % in the entire tournament.Do you know how many Western teams eliminated a Chinese team from the tournament last year? None. How about this year? Two, and they both qualify for our Flame of the West award. Dignitas were the first to accomplish the feat by beating RaTtLeSnAkE in the first round of the Lower Bracket, and they thus walk away with Aragorn’s Sword. Their fellow North Americans, Liquid, come in Runner-up in the category for dispatching LGD Gaming from the tournament.Of the records broken at TI3, perhaps the most impressive was a new ceiling for the highest net worth in a game, which was set by BurNing. Massing over 60,000 gold in a single game (with an end-game GPM of 631), the legendary Chinese carry forever etched his name in the history books as the most hungry farmer to have ever played the game.Before TI3, we didn't even know the SEA scene existed! Thus, it was with some surprise that we watched Orange Esports pummel their way through the Lower Bracket and into its finals, bagging a Top 3 spot at TI3. Well done, Orange! Who knew SEA teams could play so well!Though TC’s team beat LGD amidst chants of USA! USA!, the truth is that their carry, at least, is a Molson-drinking, maple-syrup slurping, hockey-watching, bona-fide Canadian. He hails from Alberta, for crying out loud.Dignitas’ aui_2000 qualifies for the award as well, but comes in second because he’s from the more cosmopolitan British Columbia. I mean, who knows, maybe he’s never had to dig himself out of 12 feet of snow! He certainly seemed at home in the warm climes of Seattle.While anyone can farm, it truly takes a hero to farm up 10k gold in the bank without spending it. The scene’s most successful non-spender, of course, is none other than Mushi. While Mushi’s ability to farm has never been in question, he is not someone who is known for his ability to invest. Often riding huge gold leads on his heroes, he is often seen saving his money for a rainy day, and for that he wins this award with ease.Our runners up include the Chinese carries Sylar and BurNing. While they are a little better at spending their money than our winner, they too carried huge gold leads with them this TI3, earning them top spots in this category.Competitive Dota is full of bromances, and while many players enjoy close ties with each other, perhaps no two players at TI3 were as closely connected as Loda and Akke. In his post-TI3 interview with Team Liquid , Akke even remarks that their 10th anniversary was coming up!Our Runner-up in this category is the Fnatic duo of N0tail and Era, who are now famous for their stress-relieving massages.There was plenty of great cosplay on display at TI3, with some extremely well-considered and pored-over Windrunner and Templar Assassin(s) costumes. However, neither of our winners made it on technical aptitude alone. No, the really arresting cosplay at TI3, what made onlookers gasp and laugh seeing it in person or on screen, came from two intrepid young men and a dream- to see Ogre Magi picked at TI3- that would be realised only in the grand finals, prompting a rapturous reaction from the Ogres themselves.Kaci’s interview with the Liquid horse, paradoxically one of the most normal man-on-the-street interviews from the tournament if you ignore the giant horse head, left an indelible impression and may have helped to inspire Liquid’s star turn against LGD*. For that, the Liquid horse bags runner-up in this category.* Unconfirmed by Bulba.Kaci makes an appearance in these awards again, and this time, for accosting Maelk about the comment he made regarding her personal hygiene. Viewers at home could sense the tension in the air as Maelk leans back in his chair while Kaci calls him out on his offhand remark.And of course, this, which needs no description.We were all pretty happy when Liquid beat LGD. None of us, however, was as happy as BuLba, who promptly exploded out of the booth and onto the stage. It’s not clear where he was headed or what he was trying to accomplish, but that’s no matter: the adrenaline rush sent him out onto that stage and here, into these TI3 awards.A close second is AdmiralBulldog, whose table-thumping antics were caught in the player cam as Alliance closed out their Game 5 victory over Na`Vi in the Grand Finals. His outward expression of joy is definitely unique, and thus worth a mention here.There are long Dota games, and then there is iG vs DK, a whopping 98 minute game that exhausted fans and casters and nearly put the entire community to sleep. If you're like us, you woke up just in time for the record breaking game to finish. For messing up the day's scheduling and proving forever that Dota 2 could be played like test cricket, both iG and DK walk away with this award. Administrator SKT T1 | Masters of the Universe