We're getting to the pointy end now ladies and gentlemen.
Make sure you tune in for the winners bracket finals between OG and Newbee. The set promises to be one of the most intense battles we've seen all week as the current titans of East and West go head to head.
Our interview with David 'Godz' Parker is now up for you to have a look at as well. Make sure you go and check it out to learn about Godz' feelings on Dota as a game and how he got into the world of e-sports.
11:13 am: LGD v MVP Phoenix
Our first set of the day is LGD v MVP Phoenix.
LGD have taken the first game of the series in a fairly dominant fashion; leaving MVP Phoenix fighting for their tournament lives here in Manila.
The draft for game 2 has kicked off with the tournaments signature heroes, Slardar and Disruptor, both picked up by LGD.
11:25 am:
First blood goes to MVP as LGD’s Enchantress accidently triggers the Smoke of Forev, alerting MVP to the hero’s presence in MVP’s mid lane and the attempted gank. MP and Forev turn on the Enchantress and secure the kill.
11:37 am:
MVP’s Spectre is off to a good start, scoring a kill on the QOP in middle lane with the first haunt of the game. Whether this will give MVP the momentum to overcome the ticking time-bomb of LGD’s Anti Mage is yet to be seen.
11:45 am:
MVP are starting to gain momentum. Ice Blast’s combined with Vacuum – Wall have won them two fights in a row.
LGD respond instantly though, scoring a successful fight in the Dire top lane; earning the Anti Mage his Battle Fury.
11:54 am:
LGD attempt to sneak the first Roshan of the game but MVP sniff the attempt out.
MVP rolls in with the Earth Spirit and Spectre ult, supported by a perfect Ice Blast from AA. Two of LGD’s core heroes fall and MVP is able to collect the Aegis for themselves.
MVP then rotate towards LGD’s mid lane. They secure the melee rax and a die-back on the Slardar for the cost of their Spectre. MVP then disengage and move back to secure the map while they wait for their Spectre to respawn.
12:06 pm:
MVP rotates towards the Pit and LGD moves to contest.
Despite a gorgeous initiation by LGD, they’re simply not able to overcome the destructive power of the MVP Spectre.
LGD calls it and MVP takes the GG.
That leaves the series at match-point; one game remains to see who takes the series.
12:24 pm: MVP Phoenix v LGD game 3.
The final game of MVP Phoenix vs LGD Gaming is underway.
The panel (and the author) both feel that MVP has the better draft. The combination of high aggression heroes really does suit MVP’s playstyle and will create some serious trouble for LGD.
And just as I write that, MVP scores first blood at the top rune right as the first runes spawn.
12:32 pm:
LGD have recovered from their rocky start, scoring a series of kills in a row on high value heroes of MVP.
Another scrappy fight hands a small victory to LGD in mid lane and they then rotate to bot and score another kill on the Slardar of MVP. These kills give LGD a lead of 9-3 by 8 minutes in to the game.
12:39 pm:
MVP have begun to fight back; taking a series of fights across the map and getting back to their trademark aggressive style.
LGD still have control of the match though; securing several small fights in a row before moving to the Roshan pit and securing the first Aegis of the match.
12:54 pm:
LGD win a series of fights in a row and then push towards MVP’s middle lane of rax, easily securing melee while MVP’s heroes are still down.
LGD then backs off; securing a clean retreat and moving to take map control and the next Aegis.
They then push back towards MVP’s base, securing a series of kills in the bottom lane but being repelled before they can do any structural damage.
1:08 pm:
LGD secure the third Aegis of the game and begin to look towards MVP’s base again.
But MVP orchestrate an absolutely gorgeous defence, losing only the AA while killing four of LGD’s heroes and burning the Aegis.
All of a sudden, MVP are very much back in this match with a 6000 gold swing going their way.
LGD push back towards MVP’s bottom lane under the cover of smoke and secure several kills on key MVP heroes. MVP burn their buybacks but LGD are in too good of a position; LGD roll through MVP’s base, securing mega-creeps and the GG from MVP.
With this defeat, MVP are now out of the Manila Major.
2:13 pm: OG v Newbee
Here we are folks, the series everyone today has been waiting for, the winner’s bracket finals.
OG and Newbee are undoubtedly the heavyweights of the European and Chinese scene at the moment.
OG, previous Major winners, have a comprehensive playstyle that centre’s around solid hard-supports and Miracle’s terrifying solo ability.
Newbee, a combination of players from all around Asia, have some of the most experienced minds in professional Dota and a long track record of powerful performances.
2:17 pm:
Miracle has one of his signature heroes, the Invoker. Newbee are going to have to be careful that they don’t let the 9k MMR prodigy get the momentum he needs to start steamrolling them.
And just as I say that, Newbee go for an early gank on Miracle in mid; bringing him to within an inch of his life before Miracle turns on them, killing the Death Prophet and scoring first-blood.
2:23 pm:
A series of successful ganks by Newbee has resulted in a 5-1 lead by the six minute mark. Newbee have been rotating so early, catching OG off guard in every lane.
2:31 pm:
Newbee are doing everything right so far; scoring kill after kill on Miracle, stopping him from gaining any kind of momentum. They then rotate into OG’s mid lane and score a 4-0 fight against OG in the shadow of their T2 tower.
On the other hand, Newbee has only been able to match OG in towers taken, even with their possession of a good pushing line-up with the DP Exorcism.
Despite that, Newbee are still able to counter-initiate on OG in the Dire mid lane, wiping OG completely in a 5-2 team-fight.
Newbee then rotate towards Roshan with OG hot on their tails. OG initiates on to the Newbee Slardar but are instantly countered by the Hex of the Lion. Newbee succeed in wiping OG again for the cost of only two kills.
2:42 pm:
Newbee are already knocking on the door of OG’s rax, taking the T3 in top and one rax by the twenty five minute mark and forcing multiple buybacks from OG before rotating towards mid and scoring another two kills on the Venge and Invoker of OG.
Newbee rotate towards bottom lane but OG smoke up to intercept. An unfortunately missed blink – lasso from the Batrider though, spell the end for OG.
The team is wiped 5-0 and they GG immediately.
3:15 pm: OG v Newbee game 2.
Game two is underway with four kills falling in the first two minutes. OG scores first blood in bottom lane while Newbee scores three kills in top against the Earth Spirit and Batrider.
OG responds though, turning on an attempted gank in mid lane and securing a kill on Newbee’s Phoenix.
3:21 pm:
OG have evened up the score with some spectacular play in the middle lane with multiple kills falling on the side of Newbee.
All the while, Notail remains in bottom lane, free-farming on his Naga Siren.
3:32 pm:
On the back of an attempted ambush near the Radiant ancient camp, Newbee are turned on by OG, falling 4-0 and surrendering their control over the match.
Notail picks up a pre-twenty minute Radiance and the text-book Naga split-push begins.
3:41 pm:
OG secure Roshan under the cover of Notail’s Song of the Siren. They then rotate towards bottom and score another high profile kill on the enemy Ember Spirit.
And all the while, Notail is off farming, now 7K ahead of the top player on Newbee as the Naga illusion onslaught truly begins.
Newbee find themselves being pushed further and further back into their base as illusion after illusion pours through with OG close behind. OG picks apart the bottom lane of Newbee; taking the bottom rax and forcing Newbee to the GG as they realised they had nothing to address the illusion spam from Naga.
4:15 pm: OG v Newbee game 3.
The third and final game between OG and Newbee is now underway.
Miracle is back on his signature Invoker while Newbee have picked up an Alchemist and Spectre as their core heroes.
The action kicks off early with OG taking first-blood in bottom lane before the one minute mark.
4:27 pm:
Unbelievable early aggression from OG takes Newbee off guard.
OG take both of the top towers off Newbee before engaging their opponents on the steps of their base, taking a 4-0 fight at eleven minutes into the game.
They respond by rotating towards bottom to repeat the performance again; catching out the Batrider of Newbee before turning on the rest of the team. When the dust settles, OG are three kills up and have forced out a buyback from the Batrider.
4:33 pm:
OG pick off the Bat in bottom lane again before rotating into the Rosh pit and taking the Aegis.
They then move towards Newbee’s base. With their Necro books ready and the brutal pushing power of the Lycan and Invoker, OG look to start pushing high ground before twenty minutes.
And all the while, Alchemist’s lead is being whittled away. Without the ability to farm the map, the hero is slowly sliding further and further into obscurity as his item progression is stunted.
OG is pushed back from Newbee’s base at the cost of a buyback on the Alchemist and the game begins to stabilise until OG catch the enemy Alchemist outside his base, pick him off, rotate towards bottom lane, and take a full lane of rax and a series of buybacks off Newbee.
4:41 pm:
Newbee defend the second push of OG, scoring two kills for free and deflecting their aggression.
OG maintain a lead in this game, but Newbee is fighting back strongly. OG need to be careful that they don’t throw away the lead they have built so convincingly.
They move into the Rosh pit and secure the second Aegis of the game without any contest from Newbee.
OG push into the middle rax of Newbee again; securing one building but getting beaten back in the process and surrendering a raft of kills.
Newbee respond by pushing onto OG’s side of the map, securing their second T1 of the game.
4:55 pm:
Both teams engage in Newbee’s jungle. It looks to be going to Newbee but a last second buyback from Miracle with his BT’s allows OG to clean up the remaining players of Newbee and take a slight edge in the fight.
Both teams begin to posture around the Rosh pit. The tension between these two teams (and their fans) is thick in the air; one wrong move could surrender the match and the series.
The Batrider of Newbee jumps in but is instantly hit with a tornado. OG jump on the opportunity and engage Newbee just outside the pit. They clean up Newbee in fine style before transitioning towards the base, clearing the top rax, and securing the GG.
With this victory, OG secure themselves a spot in the grand-finals. This is not the end for Newbee though; they will move to the lower bracket to continue their challenge for the championship.
