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Dota 27 years agoIsaac "RedCrayon" Celis

NP find the secret and eliminate Puppey's team from the Manila Masters

After a hotly contested three game series, Team NP overcame rivals Team Secret and eliminated them from the Manila Masters.

Game One

In game one between rivals Team Secret and Team NP, Team Secret looked to be on their back foot most of the game, but a steadfast highground defense allowed them to comeback and take game one after just over an hour. Team NP’s lineup had a much higher tempo, with a Templar Assassin for Adrian 'FATA-' Trinks and Bristleback for Jacky 'EternalEnvy' Mao. Team Secret however, went with a much later game lineup with a Luna for Noah 'MP' Pyo and an Invoker for Nai 'MidOne' Zheng Yeik

Early on, NP seemed to be in control as Secret’s aggressive trilane failed to contest EE’s saflelane Bristleback. In the midlane, FATA- was well in control, but some support by Secret captain Clement 'Puppey' Ivanov allowed MidOne's lane to stabilize. With their aggressive trilane falling flat, Secret’s supports rotated around the map as they tried to find a right engagement. NP, however, were the ones to take the initiative and a number of successful smoke ganks and rotations put them up objectives and kills. With their out towers falling, Secret were hemmed in their base, but held brilliantly as time and time again they held out with some aggressive defense off the back of MidOne's Invoker and Yazied 'YapzOr' Jaradat's Clockwork hook. Cowed by their failed siege, NP were forced to back off and gave Team Secret some well-earned breathing room.

As the game went into its final stages, NP just couldn’t seem to break Secret’s highground into a win despite being ahead in farm. Secret continued to hold brilliantly and despite being down three barracks, were unphased as they continued to find the right engagements with NP’s BKB’s down to five seconds, and the massive control coming out from Secret’s lineup. With their late game cores online, every fight continued to go in Secret’s favour, as each team traded blows and buybacks. However, Secret realizing their power, simply marched down the midlane at 64 minutes, with NP basically unable to do anything against MP’s Luna and his backup control. A few minutes after, NP called gg as Secret closed in for the kill, after coming back by almost 20k gold. MVP’s go to Yapzor and Clockwork for sure: MidOne’s Invoker absolutely unstoppable with his spells and YapzOr's Clockwork with some amazing control with his Power Cogs.

Game Two

Game two started off much better for Team Secret as they controlled the laning stage with their quick tempo lineup in MidOne’s QoP and MP’s Troll Warlord. Along with an Abbadon for Maurice 'KheZu' Gutmann, Secret looked to be in strong position to edge out NP in the midgame. NP, however, went with a much stronger sieging and teamfight lineup compared to game one, which paid out in spades, as they took game two off the back of FATA-‘s Lina and Kurtis 'Aui_2000' Ling's Treant Protector.

Early on, Secret seemed in control, as MidOne dominated FATA-‘s Lina in the midlane. Along with KheZu’s continual aggression on the EE’s Luna, things looked to be in rough shape for NP. It was Aui with his Tree, however, who came out big, picking up a courier kill and whose rotations proved the crucial initiation tool that NP was missing in game one. NP found their full swing at 18 minutes after a great fight in the midlane, taking four from the Secret lineup and their second tier one tower. As the game moved into its later stages, Secret’s greedy move with a double Midas was punished heavily, as NP continually moved around the map finding kill after kill, even going onto the Secret highground taking about 10 kills along with a set of barracks.

At 29 minutes, NP had a 18k networth lead reminiscent of game one. Unlike game one, however, NP were able to execute and close out the game with their better sieging heroes in the Luna and Lina, compounded by the poorer highground defense from Secret. After a few more fights—and despite almost overstepping their bounds a number of times—the North Americans were finally able to close it out with their huge farm advantage at around 42 minutes moving the series to a game three. MVPs for sure go to Aui’s Tree and FATA-‘s Lina: the two absolutely crucial to NP’s success in game two.  

Game Three

In game three of the hotly contested series, both teams started off in relative passivity, worn out perhaps from the past two games. Team NP went with a lineup that seemed to fuse their lineups from games one and two, with their safelane Bristleback and Io for Pieliedie in game one, along with the highly successful Lina for FATA- and a Legion Commander for Arif ‘MSS’ Anwar, which proved crucial; as well, Johan 'pieliedie' Astrom's Io finally showed its success. Team Secret went with a much different lineup from their previous games, giving YapzOr his critical Earth Spirit along with a Lycan and Slardar.

Early on, lanes started relatively passive, as both teams seemed wary of each other. First blood fell to NP with Secret answering back with two kills in return. Secret seemed to come out better as YapzOr’s rotations on his Earth Spirit proved deadly as Secret picked up a number of more kills.  After the score became 2-2, it seemed to be a farm fest, but NP pushed the pedal early, taking a very early tier one tower at eight minutes. Secret looked to answer back, and postured around the top tier one after picking off Envy, but pressure from FATA- on the tier one mid cowed their push and they retreated. As the game continued and Aui started getting involved on his Nyx Assassin, NP took control of Secret’s jungle. 17 minutes marked a good momentum shift for NP, as they found three kills after an EE bait along with Roshan as well. A few minutes after, Secret were left with no outer towers and looked to be in dire straits.

Secret seemed to showed signs of life at 23 however, as they took four from NP. Not ones to sit down, NP answered back quickly with two kills in return. As the game moved toward the half-hour mark, NP didn’t slow down at all as continually moved around getting Duel wins on MidOne’s Ember Spirit, controlling up the slippery hero. 28 minutes spelled the end of Secret’s run at the Manila Masters as they smoked up to contest NP’s Roshan; a little too late to the party, Secret still decided to fight, but lost three along with a tier three shortly after. Just a few minutes after, NP continued their aggression and finally closed out the series, eliminating their rivals. NP move on to face iG in the next round of the lower bracket.

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Isaac "RedCrayon" CelisLoL refugee. DOTA lover. EE fanboy. Hit me up about anime, dota and anything else you can think of

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