Cloud9 defeated Empire with the score of 2-0 to win the lower bracket finals and earning a slot in the championship. They will be facing the well-rested Alliance in the best-of-five grand finals.
The match between the playoffs' top two seeds was intense, but it was Cloud9 who ended on top after showing strong play and determination. Despite a 2-1 score, Cloud9 actually was ahead in all three games including the second game where they lost.
With the defeat, the Russian team finished their DreamLeague stint with an honorable third-place finish.
Game One
Draft - Empire secured their favorite Io-Gyrocopter pair, two of the key heroes from their win against Alliance yesterday. Cloud9 has a strong AoE and teamfight lineup, with big ultimate heroes like Enigma and Tidehunter on their squad.
2.12 - Wisp was able to snipe C9's courier. Alchemist almost got the first blood on him but Io was able to tether to safety.
4.40 - Empire's Invoker, aided by the rotating Rubick, was able to take first blood by killing Alchemist.
5.52 - The team traded kills in the middle lane, with Invoker dying after a rotation by Enigma and Tidehunter. Invoker was able to use his ice wall before dying, letting a teleporting Rubick secure a kill
6.53 - Invoker died again, this time from the the trio of Alchemist, Enigma and Bane. Enigma used his Black Hole for this kill.
10.00 - C9 tried to sneak up a Rosh, but Empire prevented them from doing so. The kill score is currently tied with both teams having two apiece. Empire is ahead in both gold and experience, but the highest net worth at this point is Doom.
12.45 - Empire broke the silence by killing Bane. It was an easy kill as they have an invisible Rubick, and they followed with a sunstrike and Wisp relocate.
14.20 - A big win for Cloud9 near the Rosh pit. Empire tried to contest, but the fight went sour for them and the lost all five heroes while killing only one. To make it worse, Gyrocopter bought back and C9 was still able to get Roshan anyway.
16.09 - Empire tried to push because Black Hole and Ravage were on cooldown. They managed to get a tier-one tower, an aegis and a kill, but they lost three heroes after.
17.37 - C9 surprised Invoker bottom lane, and they even used the Ravage to secure the kill. The team traded tier 1 towers
18.45 - C9 was able to take the bottom tier-2 tower, but they lost a 1-3 trade on that. They are currently ahead by around 4,000 in gold and 5,000 in experience. They are also slightly ahead in the tower count, 4-3.
21.55 - Empire did not defend their top tier-1 tower at all. Invoker tried to split push at the bottom lane, but the tier-2 tower unfortunately got denied.
26.00 - C9 had an uncontested Roshan, and then they defended the top tower after. Their team is looking stong and a big fight may be tried soon, as they already have 4 BKBs and 3 daggers on the team at this point.
30.00 - Rubick got picked off again as he was trying to ward. Cloud9 has a commanding 7,500 lead both in experience and gold.
33.02 - Wisp bailed Gyrocopter out after Cloud9 attempted an aggressive smoke gank. With Tidehunter using Ravage, Empire felt confident and tried to return with a BKB'd Gyro. Aui had a big black hole, catching four heroes including Rubick and winning the fight for his team. They killed all five enemy heroes, and then they proceeded to take top barracks.
37.15 - Cloud9 got their third Roshan. Their engagement is very strong, with the team now featuring four blink daggers and a refresher orb on Tidehunter.
39.40 - Clockwerk was caught out of position, and his team followed up by a double Ravage. Gyrocopter was not able to deal any damage despite using his BKB because of Fiend's Grip and Black Hole. GG was called by Empire as they lost four heroes.
Game Two
Draft - Interesting drafts for both sides. C9 last picked a Queen of Pain to go along with a support Silencer and a carry Drow. Empire has a greedy mid-game line-up, with strong teamfight ultimates like Brewmaster, Enigma, Brewmaster and Ancient Apparition. The Russian team also last picked a Phantom Assassin.
0.07 - Bone7's Tidehunter was able to get first blood on Ancient Apparition after the Silence won the race to the haste rune.
3.50 - Queen of Pain got a solo kill against Beastmaster. Empire is losing every lane, but they still have a slight experience advantage because of Enigma's jungle kills.
5.50 - Empire lost a 1-2 engagement as both Beastmaster and Enigma died against Queen of Pain and Visage. Queen of Pain died as well, which was a small consolation for Empire.
6.25 - Brewmaster was able to get a solo kill against Drow.
7.40 - Empire ran a successful gank top to kill Silencer. Cloud9 bounced back with a kill against Brewmaster and then by taking the mid tier-1 tower.
9.20 - The team traded their 4-position heroes, with Empire losing Enigma and Cloud9 losing Visage.
10.40 - Reminiscent to the older patches, the Drow-empowered Familiars assisted the kill against Ancient Apparition.
12.08 - Empire took a couple of kills at the bottom lane, and then they proceeded to take a tier-1. Score is currently 9-6 in favor of Cloud9, who also has a 5,000 gold and 3,000 experience advantage.
14.30 - C9 tried to make advantage of their lead, but they miscalculated and lost the engagement. They lost a 4-1 hero trade even after a buy back by Queen of Pain. Lead by Cloud9 on the gold and experience graphs were halved.
17.12 - Cloud9 won a 4-2 trade at the bottom lane after a strong team fight for them. Despite not having the Drow there, Empire lost because of a well-timed Global Silence. Despite a close 15-13 kill score, Empire is behind by a lot (7,500 gold, 5,000 experience) on the graphs.
20.20 - Empire was able to pick off Drow again behind an invisible Mortred. Drow bought back for no reason, but his team took a tower to keep the momentum for their team.
21.30 - Empire was able to get the Roshan uncontested, while C9 took the top tower. The latter also killed the Beastmaster by using the Ravage.
25.11 - Cloud9 lost a 3-1 trade near the Dire ancient camp. A nice Black Hole by Enigma caught the two supports and his team was able to kill them quickly. C9 failed to use both Global Silence and Ravage on that skirmish.
27.45 - Empire lost Phantom Assassin after a poor engagement. She was trying to use up her Aegis, but it unfortunately expired a few seconds before she was killed.
33.50 - Roshan was killed by Cloud9 unchallenged, but they got greedy again because of their advantage. Empire punished them, killing all heroes after a well-timed buyback from Beastmaster. Silencer failed to use Global Silence again. C9's gold lead down to 4,000, and Empire turned the experience graph from a 2,500 deficit to 2,500 advantage.
36.30 - EternalEnvy made an Ethereal Blade of his Eaglehorn, instead of the more common Butterfly.
38.50 - C9 killed Phantom Assassin, but they overextended and Empire turned it around after a buyback. They got two kills and a tower after that.
42.59 - Empire teamwiped C9 at the expense of three heroes. They also took the third Roshan after that. Again, Silencer was killed before using his ultimate.
48.40 - Empire played a teamfight to absolute perfection, wiping the whole enemy without losing a single one. Big double Black Hole from Enigma. Cloud9 lost the top lane after that.
49.58 - C9 tried to surprise the enemy in the middle lane, but they got decimated by the enemy yet again. They called GG after being wiped.
Game Three
Draft - C9 returned to the Alchemist mid and Doom carry which worked for them in the first game, while Empire went with a strong pick-off/fighting lineup with Mirana, Dragon Knight and Beastmaster.
1.05 - Doom Bringer took first blood after a beautiful wrap around by the boots-first Shadow Shaman.
2.50 - Another kill for C9 after nice usage of the invisibility rune. This time, it is Dragon Knight who take the fall.
9.22 - Empire takes the top tier-1, the first tower to fall down in this game. They are still behind in both gold and experience.
11.37 - A big teamfight happened in the Rosh pit. While Empire won 3-1, they were all brought to low hp that C9 was able to return then zone them out. Cloud9 took down Roshan after.
13.49 - C9 won another teamfight, this one a 3-2 trade. They are now ahead by 4,000 on both gold and experience.
17.29 - A very long team fight ensued on the bottom lane. Both teams made big plays, but it was C9 who ultimately ended with the advantage as they followed it by taking the tower.
19.30 - Cloud9 was able to get two heroes after a smoke gank bottom.
20.18 - Empire tried to attack the middle lane, and they were able to get two kills. The enemy responded quickly though, and the Russian team ended losing two heroes of their own.
23.30 - It was Empire's turn to smoke up, and they were able to kill Shadow Demon for it.
24.12 - Cloud9 wins another engagement, killing three heroes and giving out only two. They are ahead by more than 10,000 in gold and experience.
25.53 - C9 took Roshan easily, and Empire was in no position to contest at all.
28.15 - Empire again lost a team fight, with C9 getting good engagements with the Lasso and the Doom. Another 3-1 trade for C9, and they took the bottom tier-2 as well.
30.23 - 3-1 seems to be the trend, as it was another victory for C9 with that score. Among the three dead heroes for Empire are two cores, while they only killed a Shadow Shaman. C9 took the top tier-2 after that. Gold and experience lead now up to 20,000+.
32.46 - Empire had one of their better teamfights this game, but it only ended 3-4 for them. C9 took down two mid towers before giving up Doom as he was fleeing.
36.05 - What seemed to be another good engagement for Empire turned out to be bad. Killing two heroes from the get go, they were quickly reversed by the farmed enemy heroes and the Russian team ended up losing the whole team. C9 took the third Roshan of the game after that.
39.33 - With an Aegis and a big lead on their hands, Cloud9 pushed through the bottom lane. They were almost wiped, but what they did was enough for a 4-3 trade and a the bottom lane barracks.
42.31 - The three cores of Cloud9 were the three heroes with the highest net worth. Using them, the team easily climbed uphill and won the ensuing teamfight. They first took down the middle lane, and Empire called GG after losing their heroes in the top-lane defense attempt.
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