Cover image source: @Secretlab
PSG’s lack of respect for Nisha’s Arc Warden, came back to bite them as Secret took them down 2-0 to move onto the winner bracket finals. It’s been a good tournament for Team Secret who are yet to drop a game but more than anything, there coordination and synergy look unparalleled.
In game 1, PSG never had the heroes to take on the Arc Warden, especially once his BKB was up. With a tanky frontliner in Zai’s Bristleback, Midone’s Weaver and Arc Warden had little trouble in laying in the damage and the control from Puppey and Yapzor made it difficult from Ame’s Lycan to get in and beat down the Secret heroes. Secret had no problems taking it late, knowing that Lycan would fall off and pounced when it eventually happened. It took one big teamfight to finish it off as PSG ran out of gas post the 35-minute mark.
PSG thought they found the answer to the Arc Warden in Ame’s Slark, but they kept getting outplayed in the crucial teamfights. LGD, kept the game even thanks to some fights taken on the back of Chalice’s Axe but with Midone’s Kunkka bringing in the damage reduction it was still hard for the Chinese team. Secret’s fight meanwhile was beautifully coordinated as they used the Centaur ultimate to disengage anytime the Tombstone was dropped. With Midone’s Kunkka landing clutch torrents and ghostships to in teamfights, it became scary for PSG to try and make the aggressive plays they wanted to with Slark. With two Aegis’s going their way, Secret were able to farm up and eventually force highground, after catching out Maybe’s Tinker without a buyback.
LGD drop down and will take on EG, another team known for running the Arc Warden with great success. Can they make the necessary changes to turn things around?
