picture source: DotaPit
After losing the first game of the series, Vici Gaming made a superb comeback to drop OG into the lower bracket at the AMD SAPPHIRE Dota Pit League minor
Day 2 at the AMD SAPPHIRE Dota Pit League kicked off with OG going up against Vici Gaming. For VG, they would be hoping to vastly improve on their performance at the only previous minor which they attended, StarLadder i-League, where they were unable to pick up any wins. However, VG had an amazing run through the Dota Pit qualifiers and would be looking to continue on that form. For OG, this would be their first foray in the new season – after they did not qualify for the previous minors or the major – and would be hoping to take away some Dota Pro Circuit points here in Split, Croatia, with Roman ‘Resolut1on’ Fominok now being part of the team.
Game One
VG started the game on the front foot, claiming the first blood on Resolut1ion’s mid lane Medusa followed by 3 more kills before 6 minutes had passed. By ten minutes VG held a 3-6 lead on the score board and had taken control of the early game. However, by eighteen minutes, OG were starting to find their footing as they used their team-fight line up to secure some much needed kills alongside tier 1 tower objectives.
OG were able to take down Roshan and claimed an aegis without contention from VG and with that in hand, they managed to rip through the entire Chinese squad, taking control of the game. But it did not last long as VG managed to take down 4 from the Radiant line up a few minutes later and with thirty minutes approaching, the score was tied and the net worth graph was almost even too.
But OG’s line up were too strong – and with their high ground push, they removed the Dire’s bot and mid lane barracks as Resolut1on claimed an ultra-kill too. Without any way to fight back into the game, VG were forced to call GG a few minutes later.
Game Two
With the possibility of dropping into the lower bracket staring VG in the face, they managed to find a good start to the game once again, killing off Johan ‘n0tail’ Sundstein’s Viper in the bot lane. VG controlled the early game once again, finding the early kills and an early tier 1 tower to secure a 2-6 lead with ten minutes passed. But over the next few minutes, OG begun to make their way back into the game again, finding essential kills constantly.
However, VG had a better team fight composition this time round and used it well to keep themselves in the lead – and while Jesse ‘Jerax’ Vainkka managed to steal the aegis – it came at the cost of the entire Radiant team falling as twenty-five minutes approached. VG’s first attempt at a high ground push came a few minutes later, and while it was met with a fairly good defense from OG to quell the threat for the moment, they were not able to find a great fight to secure the lead.
After OG lost their top lane barracks when VG pushed high ground again, they finally found a good fight and dropped 4 from the Dire line up but with buy-backs coming out from VG’s full team, they were unable to get any more objectives – while the Dire team claimed an aegis. With that in hand, the Chinese squad took the remaining barracks and without a way back into the game, OG called GG – taking us into a decisive game three.
Game Three
With the third and final game of the series deciding who would be dropped into the dreaded lower bracket, OG found the better start, and after Gustav 'S4' Magnusson managed to claim first blood, the Dire team managed to keep a 0-5 lead as ten minutes approached. OG continued to run rampant in the opening twenty minutes of the game, finding good kills, but VG were not down and out yet as they managed to keep the net worth in their favour.
By twenty five minutes though, OG had managed to find a great fight to secure an aegis for themselves, and they utilised this to claim some much needed map control. With Resolut1ion on the Sniper, OG managed to easily take down the bottom lane barracks as well as most of the Radiant team. Things were looking dire for the Chinese team as OG found another opening to take down the mid barracks.
While VG managed to find some good pick offs around the Roshan pit, they were still 2 lanes of barracks down and were still unable to claim any follow up objectives. But just before forty minutes, with OG attempting to claim another aegis, the Radiant team were able to take down 4 from OG’s line up and claimed the aegis for themselves. Suddenly VG were on the front foot as they finally managed to find tower objectives around the map.
The game continued to go in VG’s favour for the next few minutes, even when OG made an attempt to claim the final set of barracks in the top lane, they were met by a fierce defense which cost them 3 of their heroes. With fifty two minutes passed, VG found the opening they needed and pushed into their opponents base, tearing through the OG line up and forcing the GG.
With that, OG will move into the lower bracket, where they'll be met by best-of-one series to try survive in their first minor of the season. Vici Gaming, on the other hand, will claim their 2-1 victory in their first game at the AMD SAPPHIRE Dota Pit League minor and go on to meet the victor of the next match up between Virtus.Pro and Fnatic.
