Cover image source: @OGADotapit
Being a long time Dota follower, I thought it would be a cold day in hell before I got to see xiao8 and Ferrari_430 playing in the grand finals of a Valve event but sometimes Dota do be like that. Many doubted the new Ehome lineup featuring 2 legends of the Chinese scene but Director 8 and his boys showed up when the time came, to make it an exciting finale. As the dust settled, however, it was PPD and Ninjas in Pyjamas who were left standing as they took the win 3-2, moving onto the MDL Paris Major and proving undoubtedly that EU is the strongest of all the regions.
The day started off in the lower bracket finals, where Ehome pulled out an absolute classic SK+Leshrac dual offlane that forced Alliance into a 19-minute gg. Game 2 would be longer and much closer, but Ehome’s late game was too hard for Alliance to contest.
In the finals, NiP brought out a last pick Broodmother in game 1 and Ehome simply did not have the answers to deal with what is one of 33’s best heroes by far. Game 2 stayed close till about 35-minutes but NiP weren’t able to close the gap on Ferrari’s Medusa in the teamfights, allowing the former TI winner to dish out supreme amounts of damage and tie up the series.
Not to be outdone, NiP picked up the Medusa for themselves in game 3 and played a patient game, amassing a huge networth lead, which they used well in the teamfights. On the brink of elimination, Ehome struck back with End’s Lifestealer going uncontested for much of the game. After successfully snuffing out 33’s ganks in the midgame, Ehome pulled out ahead and had little trouble in teamfights as they disengaged with Stampede every time Ace popped Metamorphosis.
It came down to game, which turned out to be an absolute nail-biter, as NiP and Ehome both found themselves unable to go high ground. Ehome had the counters to Ace’s Drow in End’s Spectre but they could do little to deal with a farmed Fata Huskar and 33 Doom. Xiao8’s NP ratted and kept things tight as both teams were afraid to commit in the lategame. However, NiP used the 4th Roshan of the game to finally break high ground and Ehome finally ran out of steam.
Ninjas in Pyjamas pick up the winner’s cheque for 125,000$ while also securing a spot in the MDL Disneyworld Paris Major.
