Vici Gaming, the 65% favourite coming into the match, outplayed LGD beautifully to secure their winner bracket final spot. They will be waiting to face the winner of Secret versus EG while LGD is one step away from elimination.
Day 4 schedule:
18:30-21:00: VG vs LGD
21:00-23:30: Secret vs EG
00:00-02:30: Playoffs lower bracket round one
02:30-05:00: Playoffs winner bracket finals
Game 1
Game one between Vici Gaming and LGD was a slow one to say the least. While the kills were lackluster in this game, the build up to the next battle was huge as both teams danced around one another trying to outmaneuver their opponents for extended period. A lot of lane switches were also made to try to gain a slight advantage but it was VG who came up slightly victorious in all these rotations.
LGD was the first aggressor of the game. They grouped up as five and headed bottom and although they were able to pick off the Bristleback, a clutch Disruption from the Shadow Demon kept Iceiceice alive as VG mowed down three from LGD.
After that attack, LGD got a little more passive and moved around the map together trying to find kills but they were unsuccessful. This opened up the map more for VG to farm while picking off the Morphling who was usually farming away from his team.
Feeling that VG is starting to pull ahead, LGD managed to sneak a Rosh and secured the Aegis for the Undying but VG did not give a hoot about it. They engaged onto LGD immediately and took down four heroes (except Morphling) for Io and Leshrac. After that, VG took some time to push out their lanes and wasted no time to push the middle lane. VG took down the melee barracks without any retaliation. LGD attempted to defend before their ranged barracks go down but VG was too far ahead for them to stop.
LGD forfeited the game after losing another bunch of heroes trying to defend the bottom barracks.
Game 2
If we were to name a MVP for this game, it would have to be fy's Bounty Hunter. While many pros would disagree with picking the Bounty Hunter as support hero, this one puts on a clinic killing Drow Ranger and Visage on bottom lane alongside Spirit Breaker and sniped off LGD's courier on the top lane moments later.
VG's gank heavy line-up was used to perfection to stop the aura push line-up from LGD. Spirit Breaker would randomly fake the charge to the Shadow Fiend prompting Visage and Shadow Priest to waste their teleport scrolls.
Due to the threat of the VG's line-up, LGD assembled as five and pushed together but VG had no desire to engage a five man team. They split push the top and the middle while LGD was taking down bottom tier two and even came out doing more structural damage to the towers.
Considering that LGD had the stronger 5-man line-up, VG split their team into two groups to push the top tier three and bottom tier three of LGD. This move threw LGD off as they were visibly frantically walking between the top and the bottom lane. VG backed off after they destroyed the bottom melee barracks.
Sensing danger, LGD went for another push, this time down the middle lane. LGD easily took down the tier three tower and began their work immediately on the barracks. Surprisingly, VG had no intention to defend their structures and instead, sent Tiny and Io into LGD's base to work on the tier four towers. It was too late for LGD to defend at that point and Spirit Breaker and the rest of VG tried their best to hold their tier four and cancel LGD teleports. Tiny continued plowing on LGD's throne until it exploded.
Headline image from BTS flickr.
