posted by SohNata,
Vici Gaming, on the back of some incredible work and impressive drafts have just secured a Top 3 berth and kept their hopes of winning alive after defeating DK in two straight games to eliminate them from the contest. Find out how inside.
Lower Bracket Round 2 - Match AGame 1Game 2Game 3
Pregamecn Vici Gaming0:0DK cnDK are really throwing curveballs with drafts every game now - this time it's Tinker, Beastmaster, Undying, Shadow Shaman and Anti-Mage. VG go for Pugna, Razor, Shadow Demon, Leshrac and Nature's Prophet.3:00cn Vici Gaming1:0DK cnFirst blood! Leshrac and Shadow Demon is a deadly pair in the hands of Vici Gaming, proven as they Disrupt/Split Earth on Burning's Anti-Mage, to secure the first kill!5:00cn Vici Gaming1:1DK cnWith the aid of a golden tombstone from the clearly very fortunate iceiceice, DK strike back with a kill of their own.7:00cn Vici Gaming3:2DK cnVici Gaming are really bringing the fire with Leshrac and Pugna, a lot of early harass setting up two ills on Burning and iceiceice - they then melt down the tier one top, really restricting DK's jungle now. VG are clearly opting to get the deathball rolling before DK can get online - their push on the tier two tower goes a tad awry as Fenrir dies trying to dive for a kill.9:00cn Vici Gaming3:3DK cnVG are going at a frenetic pace, as they remove the tier one bottom now. Tinker is getting his farm up, but he's yet to enter the fray. r0tk then lingers around a bit too long, as he finds himself melted down after eating a Beastmaster roar.11:00cn Vici Gaming7:5DK cnThis pace is furious in this game, but that benefits Vici who get the best of a long engagement, kicked off by LaNm getting trapped in the rosh pit - iceiceice gets a nice tombstone off, but when the rest of Vici gaming flood in, DK simply cannot fight into it - they lose four heroes in trade for two, not what they want to do against this lineup.14:00cn Vici Gaming9:6DK cnSuper find a solo kill with his eye of the storm after DK go hunting on r0tk - he clever hets the ward down before Fenrir disrupts him and turns - DK are able to TP out of that one, but MMY dies to a hasted up Razor elsewhere - Super is really getting a lot done here. Tier one mid becomes a battleground as Vici try to push it, but DK come in en masse. MuShi has farmed up very quick on Tinker and is now really beginning to have an effect on the game - finding a kill on Sylar, although VG use the time to destroy a tower, although it does get denied.17:00cn Vici Gaming10:6DK cnSuper gets baited into a fight, but is that really what DK want? Not really, as MMY melts under eye of the storm and DK scarper - and this is the problem against Vici's line-up: make a mistake and you will lose a tower. This time, it's tier two mid.20:00cn Vici Gaming11:6DK cnr0tk survives a roar and DK rush in to follow up, but they're met by most of LGD who use the time to get their Pugna out. Burning somehow dies on the top-lane in the meantime. Vici just seem to be getting the small edges at th emoment as they now turn their push to tier two bottom, with the tower dead in literally less than five seconds. Lightning fast destruction. Sylar then goes for a pick-off on iceiceice, but it doesn't come off. DK get him out, but they do use wards in doing so, essentially placing a bunch of gold in the coffers of Vici.22:00cn Vici Gaming11:6DK cnr0tk gets found out alone in DK's jungle but survives for an absurdly long time until Burning cracks the mana void to end his life. It's not without loss as MMY dies in the aftermath - he cannot get any serpent wards off offensively in the face of relentless push. DK haven't even taken a tower yet.25:00cn Vici Gaming12:7DK cnNice work from r0tk and company as they sneak a Roshan before DK have time to respond - they did have a chance, but it looks like Tinker's BoT target got killed and cancelled the portal. Vici move to high-ground. Glyph used but Super loses his Aegis quickly Vici are undettered though, getting a big amount of damage before finally exiting. Burning tries to splitpush but can't secure a tower.27:00cn Vici Gaming14:8DK cnDK wrap around on Sylar, but the kill is too slow and it gives time for VG to come in and get a crucial kill on Mushi - who doesn't have buyback! VG punish it with impunity, buying back on Sylar and taking the racks in the mid-lane. A possible turning point in this game.30:00cn Vici Gaming14:8DK cnDK get their first tower at 28 minutes! Unfortunately for them, they lose their tier two top in the trade and Vici go highground yet again to take the tier three to boot, even with all of DK there. Poor Shadow Shaman is having a torrid time, being forced to use wards defensively, which greatly reduces their impact on the game.32:00cn Vici Gaming15:8DK cnVici are on highground again, but this time they want barracks. Mushi just survives an onslaught and then Burning pops to the refresher Razor. Those racks are gone. Burning has no buyback and his Manta is dead on the courier too! Vici back off after that - it's brutally methodical and DK are gasping for breath.34:00cn Vici Gaming16:8DK cnDK try a Tinker/Hawk gank, but Vici are too quick to save it and DK are lucky to escape with no deaths - but on another lane it's a different matter as Mushi gets caught out and he has to buyback instantly - without him, DK cannot stop the onslaught. Vici finally move into Roshan, after waiting for a pretty long respawn.36:00cn Vici Gaming19:9DK cnDK try to contest, but it turns out badly after Fenrir delays DK with a great self-disrupion, letting his teammates get to the fight before he dies. They maximise the impact of it, downing Beastmaster, Shadow Shaman and Anti-Mage. Of course, they mop up Roshan afterwards and you have to expect a march on the final barracks soon.39:00cn Vici Gaming21:13DK cnVici infact do not push highground. Mushi is desperatly pushing out every lane as DK find a nice double gank on Fenrir and r0tk, with Sylar down too. Super's there though with his ultimate, as he gets kills on Shadow Shaman and Mushi's Tinker! All four of his team-mates die though. 4 for 2 seems like a good trade, but when one of the two is that Tinker, it's not that clear cut.GG!cn Vici Gaming23:13DK cnSuper storms up to highground and the last lane of barracks and well - it just melts. The refersher ultimate is too strong and DK call it there and for the second series in a row, DK must come from a game behind. Vici countered DK's plan perfectly, with Pugna and company dominating the early phases and leaving DK too far behind. Razor was then too big after that and ended up going beyond godlike. It has to be said though, that the Anti-Mage pick did very little and actually seemed to aid VG overall.
Pregamecn DK1:3Vici Gaming cnSo, DK face elimination once again. They must win two straight to survive here, after a fairly comprehensive loss to Vici, who again opted to use the deathball against them. Vici were pretty imperious in that game - eveytime DK made a miss-step, they pretty much punched them in the face for it.Draftcn DK0:0Vici Gaming cnInteresting opening from Vici, going straight for Morphling, alongside Lich. DK react with Razor and Ancient Apparition. Tidehunter, Batrider, Venomancer and Earthshaker are the next bans, with Vici going for Shadow Shaman after that phase - DK go for Rubick. After having a torrid time against it earlier, Vici now opt for a r0tk Clockwerk! Faceless Void, who's dipped in popularity a tad is th next pick for DK. Vici's last pick is Death Prophet - with her best friend in Shadow Shaman, Vici will once again look to melt towers. DK finish off the draft with a Mushi QoP!3:00cn DK0:1Vici Gaming cnLaNm and MMY smoke up almost instantly to try and kill Sylar, but Fenrir expects it - he's there babysitting his carry in advance and sitting well back. Soon though, they get caught out and LaNm gives up the first blood and it goes to Super! Vici start well.5:00cn DK0:2Vici Gaming cnThis game not quite matching the absolutely frantic pace of the first, but there's plenty of action, as Vici find another kill - this time with a smoke gank as fy shackles up Mushi for a quick death.6:00cn DK0:3Vici Gaming cnThis is bad news for DK as Mushi is picked off again - a second death, but the kills have gone to Prophet and Morph respectively, which is letting them really power ahead.7:00cn DK1:3Vici Gaming cnA nice recovery kill now as DK gather up to kill off Super's Death Prophet. r0tk almost salvaged it with a hookshot, but it got interrupted by chronosphere. 10:00cn DK3:3Vici Gaming cnSylar bullying Mushi here, replicating in just to wave form down one of QoP's stacks and deny here the solo XP and gold, before iceiceice just surives a r0tk hook by walking out just in time - DK teleport in, but they cannot secure the kill unti; Mushi goes for the dive and just, just hits the Sonic Wave. DK fighting back now. Chronosphere then gets popped to kill off fy.12:00cn DK3:3Vici Gaming cnHere's the issue though - Vici can still push down towers incredibly fast, as DK lose two tier ones in quick succession - Sylar is also being left to free-farm on his Morphling, which is never a good thing - just ask Cloud9.14:00cn DK4:5Vici Gaming cnChain frost! A weird engagement as r0tk thinks he's hooking onto a solo Rubick but it's actually all of DK! He dies quickly under Chrono, but all of Vici are also there including Fenrir who drops a big chain frost that does way too much damage and DK lose Burning and iceiceice - the last tier one tower dies in the aftermath. DK haven't taken any towers yet and Morphling is 2.2k ahead of DK's highest net worth - alarm bells must be ringing for Burning and co. Vici move into Rosh.17:00cn DK4:7Vici Gaming cnDK smoke up to try and contest, but to channel Ayesee- a day late and a dollar short, as Vici have already finsihed the job and got the Aegis up on Morphling. Soon after, they smoke up and go on the hunt to great effect as they murder Faceless Void - AA thinks he's away, but r0tk nails him with a hook. Exorcism is used, but no tier two mid. Still, a nice excursion by Vici, who now back off.19:00cn DK8:9Vici Gaming cnDK finally find what they need, chrono used on Super to take her down quick, with Vici flooding in too late - then finding a massive team-fight with a 4-0 trade in their favour! They then blwo exorcism on a stolen Rubick replicant! They move onto the tier two - Morphlin did not lose his Aegs. They get their tower then fight - everyone is low, Clockwerk and Void died, Sylar loses Aegis - then both teams break off. Every decision matters here.23:00cn DK10:12Vici Gaming cnMushi gets caught far from home, stunlocked up and brusted down - Super used exorcism for that though, which means it won't be used on a tower. DK know this and now decide they're going to push a tower. It's a tense moment with neither team wanting to commit - icex3 waiting to use void, r0tk lurking with hook. Who blinks first? fy and iceiceice are literally next to each other in the woods! But neither can see each other due to fog, then fy finds him and ward traps. DK are force in, but iot's too late, it's a disaster! They lose three for just that Shadow Shaman. A bizzare moment - make sure you catch the replay of that one.26:00cn DK15:14Vici Gaming cnChrono expended, but only for Fenrir. Dk get a tower admist it, although denied. Clock then denies Vici's last tier one. Fight time again, with Burning hooked onto, but force staff breaks it! A massive chrono sees three die from VG, but Sylar gets two return before QoP sonic waves down another: 4-2 trade! DK get the better of that one, but watch a clutch force-staff to stop that hook working.32:00cn DK18:21Vici Gaming cnVici smoke right underneath a DK ward, which they will hate on the replay. DK use it and Burning is used as bait, but it doesn're really work! He dies too quick, but iceiceice can save it - nice chrono gets three kills, but he dies soon after, and Sylar takes over - four dead for DK. It's Sylar and Super against Burning - AA buy sback but then Burning dies before his friend can aid him - that was actually a dieback! Rosh is now open and Vici are straight in there. DK can't get there in time and they get another aegis for Sylar - who still hasn't died all game. Then Super snipes out MMY! It's all going wrong for DK. 37:00cn DK21:24Vici Gaming cnDK also have only one tier two tower left now and are stranded in their base. VG go highground and use the wards to secure tier three tower. Ice's chrono get Super but he'd Eul'd a bit of it away - enough damage to kill her, but Bloodstone brings her back in 10 seconds. QoP and Clock also died on either side and both buyback. Rubick stole wards but deployed them poorly. Then Super and R0tk stumble into DK and look doomed but their team-mates save them and Sylar goes Godlike! LaNm is shotgunned down. He has to buyback. Iceiceice tries to creep skip, but also send Vici on a goose chase taking them away from the base. Then iceiceice finds the chrono on Sylar who's Aegis has just expired! Sylar's gone, but ice also dies in the effort. But they finally, finally killed Morphling.37:00cn DK21:24Vici Gaming cnDK smoke up and hunt as five, but they're nowhere near Vici - they just have to settle for going on Tier Two top - while this is happening though, Roshan spawns as Vici are farming their ancient stack. Vici move in and DK are too far away and Vici claim Aegis again - and Cheese. DK do get that tower, but they were fairly unlucky on that Roshan respawn.43:00cn DK21:24Vici Gaming cnIceiceice tries to repeat the trick with the Chrono/Ice-Blast, but Morph just uses BKB - and Iceiceice just tp's out in his own Chrono - Vici now know it's down and move on highground. Thry want bottom barracks and commit wards and Exorcism. Hookshot hits Void and he's gone, he butsback. But Vici are chasing them back, having lost nobody - it gives the time for the barracks to melt and that's one lane down. I said it in game one and many others have before - if you make any mistake against Vici, like blowing that chrono for no kill - they will 100% punish you.44:11cn DK22:33Vici Gaming cnMassacre on the highground! Mushi gets caught out without a TP and can't regroup to a fight as Vici blow the ultimates and kill four, the buybacks come but Sylar is too strong, DK are left with only Burning with no buybacks- then Burning dies! No buybacks. It's over. VICI HAVE DONE IT! 44:11cn DK23:33Vici Gaming cnVici Gaming win their second BO3 of the day and pull off what some would consider an upset against DK. Fy was crucial in that game, setting up early kills on Mushi and then in one of the turning points, sniffing out iceiceice in the trees and wardtrapping him, stopping him from ever using chrono later on. Sylar's Morph remains devastating. Vici now face EG.



This article was written by uk Jamie Donovan, a joinDOTA writer.SohNata first experienced Dota during the TI3 finals and has been hooked ever since. A massive fan of European Dota, he's probably one of the people with more tickets than wins.Location: Warwickshire, UKFollow him on @SohNata.

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