Written by: Shouperman, drouks and Salty Dan
Today the group B western qualifiers kicked-off. With EG winning the group, with victories over QPAD and Mouz. They demonstrated dominant play in both games. Qpad will face Iccup tomorrow in the lower bracket.
Table of Contents
Bracket
Game one
Mouz decided to go offensive tri-lane against with Weaver, Rubick and Windrunner against a Gyrocopter, Visage and an unorthodox support Clockwerk. Mouz support got off to a quick start by taking first blood on the carry Gyrocopter, from a quick combination of shackle and telekinesis from Windrunner and Rubick. Despite the early pick offs coming from iCCUP, iCCUP's gyrocopter is really struggling on farm compared to the Lone Druid. With both Mouz core heroes, Lone Druid and Slark leading in creep stats.
By the 20th minute mark, iCCUP has managed to take down all Mouz outer tier one towers in order to sneak a quick Aegis. After taking the Aegis, the game became very passive, with both teams content on farming the next tier items; with only 8 kills in 24 minutes. Once the Armlet with ready on Black's Lone Druid, Mouz became an unstoppable pushing force, taking all iCCUP's outer towers within the 30th minute. Another reason for Mouz's fast pushes were due to iCCUP constantly grouping up as five, whereas Mouz split pushed extremely efficiently with both Lone Druid and Weaver.
35 minutes into the game, a massive fight broke out in the Roshan pit as both teams contested for the second Ageis. A comedy of errors occurred. Despite iCCUP taking down the Roshan in a relatively fast manner, no one grabbed the Ageis. During this time, both Lone Druid and Slark were ripping iCCUP's back-lines apart. However, Magnus was quick to react, daggered in to take the Ageis, but it was too little too late. With Magnus being the only survivor from iCCUP, Mouz quickly destroyed middle barracks and top barracks with ease.
Few minutes after Mouz taking down the barracks, iCCUP smoked up to surprise Mouz as Magnus managed to farm up Refreshers Orb. iCCUP with the smoke definitely caught Mouz off guard. Magnus with a big Reverse Polarity, then skewering Mouz's key damage dealers on to the high cliff. Then Gyrcopter came in to do the right-click damage, winning the fight. However, Mouz did not let the lost team fight upset them. Then pushed on strongly. Taking out iCCUP in the process. iCCUP soon surrenders and calls the 41 minutes GG
Game two
Game two both teams opted for almost exact same picks as the first with Mouz switching their Weaver for a Naix, Bane for Rubick, and iCCUP switching the solo mid Magnus into a Panda Brewmaster. Once again, Mouz has gone for the offensive tri-lane to shut down carry Gyrocopter's farm. Bane Elemental constantly spamming the annoying Enfeeble on Gyrocopter has really made last hitting almost impossible, with only 6 last hits in 3 minutes. First blood was taken by iCCUP in killing Windrunner.
Due to a fail tri-lane from Mouz, the Mouz supports really lacked farm and levels, thus becoming simple kills for iCCUP. By the 10th minute iCCUP have secured themselves a five to zero kill lead, and a 4000 gold lead. With such a significant lead iCCUP piled on the pressure in taking towers after towers to reduce the room that Mouz can farm under. Also iCCUP managed to take an uncontested Aegis by the 20th minute mark. With an Aegis on hand, iCCUP decided to go for the middle barracks.
They successfully took down the middle tower, however with buybacks, Mouz defended strongly and prevented the barracks going down. iCCUP just taking the towers was not enough, two minutes after their first attempt. iCCUP grouped up as five to push mid again. This time they got the barracks, as most of Mouz support heroes ultimate spells as well as glyph were on cool down. iCCUP playing it safe and waited for the second Roshan to respawn. In taking the seond Aegis with ease.
iCCUP goes for a massive push for the top barracks. iCCUP managed to team wipe Mouz with only one casualty. Mouz calls the 32 minute GG. In game two, iCCUP exploited Mouz dearly with Mouz picking up 3 core melee heroes, with Panda Brewmaster taking out the Spirit Bear out of the team fights, also both Naix and Slark can be easily kited upon. iCCUP really showing that they deserve to be in the qualifiers in taking game two.
Game three
Game three got off to a quick start with iCCUP killing Jakiro for first blood however lost Rubick in the process. The tri-lane of iCCUP is really suffering from the lack of experience. Thus the two supports from iCCUP decided to rotate stop to gain some experience from pulling neutrals.
The early game strongly looks in favour of German team, with Black getting good farm, also solo mid Puck dominating Batrider, solo killing Batrider twice in eight minutes. 15 minutes into the game, Mouz leads the scoreboard by 13-5, with four towers ahead and has built up a 10,000 gold lead. The game looks very bleak for iCCUP. After taking down all iCCUP's outer towers, Mouz plays it safe and decides to take an easy Aegis at the 20th minute mark. With an Aegis on Naix. iCCUP had nothing to stop the power of Mouz.
The fast initiation of an infested Puck. iCCUP got simply destroyed with the race care Naix running rampant in the midst of the iCCUP line-up. iCCUP had nothing left and calls the 25 minute GG.
Game one
EG rotated as five before the game starts and applied two really offensive wards in Qpad jungle. By the second minute, the two supports rotated to the top lane, to grab a really early first blood on Wagamama's Furion. QPandas selected to use their easy lane for a solo Phantom Lancer, a choice that proved partially unwise since he was continuously pressured, and killed twice by EG in the first few minutes. The Europeans however were able to score some early game kills for themselves, mostly against Rubick and Nyx Assassin.
Qpad, abusing their lineup were able to demolish the mid tier-one tower 13 minutes in, and the top tier-one a minute later. EG responded with a sneaky Roshan, giving them a significant gold boost. Storm Spirit got the Aegis of the Immortal finished his Orchid Malevolence a few seconds later. The next minutes were pretty stagnant in terms of action, both teams boosted their farm. The situation kept on for about 10 minutes.
EG then stormed the middle lane, taking down the tier-two relatively quickly, without a response from Qpad. They also attempted to get down the tier-three, grabbing two kills in the processes. Qpad eventually forced them back, after receiving big tower damage. EG returned to the offense after taking down Roshan by minute 28, and they eventually chopped down the middle barracks, moving on to do the same top. Qpandas could not drive them back, especially with SeLeCT being unable to hit a decent Reverse Polarity on EG. One properly used Smoke of Deceit was all EG needed to seal the deal.
EG launched an attack on Qpad base, SeLeCT responded with a 3-man Reverse Polarity but Bdiz's Rubick was there to steal the spell and return the favor. This setup helped Jeyo's Gyrocopter, who obliterated Qpad's lineup, grabbing an Ultra kill. The top barracks fell, and Qpandas conceded a few minutes later, after losing another clash next to their Ancient.
Game two
The game started really conveniently for Qpandas, as they managed to grab a 20 second first blood against DeMoN's Storm, by commiting Mini's Wisp in exchange. Mini did, however, turn the tides as he continuously hunted around the map, grabbing DeMoN two times before the first ten minutes, forcing him to leave the middle lane and rotate bottom. EG, realising that they are losing their momentum, forced a really early fight by assaulting middle with Smoke of Deceit. This decision worked out for them, as they managed to win a 4-2 fight and get back into the game. Qpandas managed to isolate DeMoN again a few seconds later, increasing the pressure they put upon him.
EG kept forcing the clashes, to take advantage of their teamfight oriented lineup. Both teams rotated top by minute 13 to battle next to the tier-one tower, and Jeyo's Lifestealer, abusing SexyBamboe's impressive Ravage, managed to score a triple kill. The fight ended 4-2 in favor of EG, who managed to grab the tier-one as well. Jeyo's performance seemed exceptional, having his Desolator by minute 16.
The situation worsened for Qpandas, as the Americans got an uncontested Roshan 25 minutes in, and looked to take down the barracks. EG entered the base and met a persistent defense, with 4 buybacks being used in less than a minute. Nevertheless, Jeyo completely crushed the barracks, leaving the battle unharmed. Qpad were able to grab Keeper of the Light and Tidehunter in exchange.
To finish the game, Evil Geniuses visited the Roshan pit for the last time. Qpad, tried to contest them, but ended up devastated in a 5-0 fight. They immediately called the games. Jeyo, who barely survived the last fight, did not die once in either games, having a 25-0 streak.
The teams both ran Tri-lanes with EG's aggressive Trilane of Lifestealer, Shadow Demon and Nyx facing off against Gyrocopter, Sandking and Leshrac. A cagey early game ensued with both teams taking few chances. Mouz struck first though, winning an early teamfight 2-1 with a kill on Naix. A kill on Dark Seer in the top lane however, even the score early on. However with Batrider quickly dominating the midlane, the early game quickly fell in the favour of Mouz.
Night-time came quickly however, and the rotation of Nightstalker to bottom lane allowed EG to pick up three easy kills (with a teleport from the Lonedruid helping him on his way), thrusting them into the lead. EG used this lead to dominate the mid game. Both Nightstalker and Lifestealer picked up kill after kill, and EG easily took towers.
Mouz looked increasingly unable to cope against the midgame focussed line-up of EG. Gyrocopter was near unable to farm, managing just 55 CS by 16 minutes, and while Dark Seer had impressive CS he's hardly able to carry a team. With both Lone Druid and Naix outfarming their core heroes, the game looked increasingly out of reach for Mouz.
While Batrider was able to pick up his blink and Dark Seer held an ever increasing bundle of support items, it must be said that the EG supports were playing particularly well. Fear, in particular, who managed both Arcanes and a Blink Dagger on Nyx by 20 minutes after getting 8 assists and no deaths. Comparatively the Mouz supports were penniless paupers barely managing to pick up boots over the same period. EG pick up Roshan and a kill on Dark Seer at 22 minutes to further cement their lead.
They proceed to take a huge teamfight mid, despite losing the Aegis and Shadow Demon and immediately follow up by taking a tower and another team fight in the bottom lane. The game is all but won and Mouz can only cling on. They lose their last outer tower (and another team fight) at 27 minutes. They take their second Roshan at 33 minutes and slowly begin the process of ending the game. They take their first Barracks at 37 minutes and the game is ended.
Game two
After a lengthy delay, Game Two of our series finally went under way. Mouz ran a defensive trilane, with Alchemist at it's core, with Puck in the offlane and Lifestealer mid. EG challenged the Mouz definsive triliane, with an Undying, Weaver and Bane lane of their own. The early game quickly headed the way of Mouz, after they picked up first blood on the Bane after a prolonged early fight. This game them space to get the farm they desperately needed. Undying quickly manages to gain levels, however, and soon with the power of tombstone helps EG pick up a retaliation kill on Jakiro.
The game is looking fairly even at 6 minutes in but with Bamboe dominating bottom on Batrider and Puck picking up little there are worrying early signs for Mouz. Additionally, while they pick up another kill in the top lane Alchemist's farm is far from impressive sitting at 14 CS at 10 minutes. A team fight at 10 minutes ends with heavy losses for both teams but with EG managing to take a tower during the fight the game is beginning to tilt in their favour.
However with Mouz managing to get good pick-offs they are slowly pushing the pendulum in their favour. EG however, on the back of an amazing RP, manage to take a team wipe and a tower at 16 minutes. With Black's farm looking paltry, the game and series was looking increasingly out of reach for Mouz. Another teamfight and tower bring EG even further ahead. Their three core heroes are all fairly far ahead of what anybody on Mouz has. It would have, at this point, taken a huge comeback from Mouz to win this game. EG, in typical fashion, took their foot off the gas a little. Unwilling to risk their lead they gave Mouz a little space to catch up. However, with all of their team significantly far ahead the result was actually the opposite with EG heroes continuing to outfarm Mouz.
While the farming power of an alchemist is not to be trifled with he could only farm so fast, and he was so far behind. EG take another teamfight, almost by accident, at 22 minutes but again fail to really accomplish anything off the back of it. While it's easy to sense that EG could have ended this game a long time ago, they never seemed to be harming their chances of victory by delaying. Eventually they took Roshan, and pushed their first Barracks. Mouz tried their best to hold on for just a little longer but EG were too dominant and finally closed off the game in a calm and collected manner by 33 minutes.
