Dota 2: Last Chance Qualifier Day 2 Overview
| Tags: Dota 2
| Author Zlosterr
We break down the most important moments from Dota 2's Last Chance Qualifier for TI 11.
Following the action on Day 1, the Group Stage of the Open Qualifiers is finally over. The twelve teams decided which 8 teams advance to the Upper Bracket and which 4 would have to survive in the lower ones.
Some of the results were expected, but others definitely surprised us. This is especially true for Group B, so let’s learn more about them.
Group A
Most of the top teams in Group A lived up to the expectations and secured themselves a slot in the Upper Bracket. That said, Day 2 allowed us to watch several matches that were worth it, so let’s learn more about it.
Team Secret vs Polaris
Even though Team Secret was considered one of the big favorites in this match, Polaris put up a good fight, which is why the match ended in a draw. Interestingly, the SEA powerhouse won the first map after picking some of its best heroes.
Team Secret relied heavily on Invoker and Razor to carry them. However, the laning waste was not great because Tusk and Chen ganked their core heroes a lot. This allowed the SEA squad to become too strong. Unsurprisingly, Shadow Fiend and Ember Spirit secured tons of kills and won the match.
Game 2
After losing in the first game, Team Secret had to win to guarantee their slot in the Upper Bracket. Hence, the team picked Enigma and Morphling, two of their best heroes so far. As for Polaris, the latter relied on SF yet again, but this time, luck was not on their side.
Secret’s laning stage was not the best, but the EU squad started winning the most skirmishes once Enigma got the items it needed. In the end, the team’s Morphling became too strong for Polaris to kill, even with Kunkka and SF. The late-game monster carried his team to success and allowed Secret to win the game.
Vici Gaming vs Natus Vincere
Speaking of interesting matches, the clash between Vici and Na’Vi was also a joy to watch. Unsurprisingly, this was another important match, especially for the Chinese, because Vici had to win to be in the top 4. Sadly, the team didn’t accomplish its task because the match ended in a draw.
The first game was almost one hour long, and it had everything we needed. Similar to their draft in the last games, Na’Vi used Silencer, a hero that is becoming very important in the current meta. In fact, he had a key role in the team’s success.
Na’Vi definitely focused on the mi9d-game because the team picked Leshrac and Ursa. Even though the Eastern European squad had a solid start, Vici didn’t let them take full advantage of their draft and bounced back. Things didn’t look good for N[o]one and the rest, but despite Vici’s superior draft, Na’Vi won.
Game 2
We expected the Ukrainian squad to be motivated for the second match because it got a very close win in game one. However, the Chinese were way better and ripped through their opponents.
Instead of a one-hour epic battle, Vici Gaming needed just 22 minutes to win. This wasn’t surprising for those who watched the match because their Templar Assassin had an amazing game. The heros got numerous kills, allowing her to snowball out of control.
Group B
T1 vs Xtreme Gaming
Following yesterday’s disappointing results, T1 bounced back in Group 2 after defeating one of the big favorites. To be honest, most people didn’t expect Xtreme Gaming to lose, especially after their performance yesterday. However, it seems like Topson and ana’s experience played a crucial role in T1.
The first match was one hour long, and surprisingly, T1 won. Xtreme Gaming had a way better draft because the team had a fantastic late-game monster, as well as Broodmother. The latter had no counters aside from Primal Beast, but this seemed enough.
Despite having a slight lead, Dy and the rest couldn’t stop T1 from splitpushing. The SEA squad eventually won a critical fight that allowed them to win the map.
Game 2
The loss in game one definitely affected Xtreme Gaming because the team couldn’t show its prowess in the second game. It seems like the Chinese tried to steal a page of Na’Vi’s book after picking Silencer. Sadly, the hero was not powerful enough to stop T1’s “in-your-face” draft from snatching the victory.
Despite losing this match, Xtreme Gaming will be one of the teams that will advance to the Upper Bracket. The Chinese defeated Wildcard Gaming and got a draw against Liquid and VP prior to this match.
Team Liquid vs Virtus.Pro
As expected, Team Liquid is the best team in Group B, and their results prove it. After having pretty much no trouble yesterday, Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen and the rest continued to dominate. The team defeated Wildcard Gaming, which gave them the chance to play against Virtus.Pro. Although the CIS powerhouse is always among the favorites, Ramzess and co, did not have enough firepower to bring down their WEU counterparts.
Both games were one-sided, but this is especially true for the first one. Team Liquid needed just 25 minutes to win after their Void, and Dark Seer draft exploded. VP tried to surprise their enemies by getting Brood, a hero that is notorious for winning games on his own. Sadly, it didn’t do much because Liquid was just too strong.
Game 2
The loss in game one pushed Virtus.Pro to change their draft for the second match. Even though they had CK once again, the team used gankers and nukers so that they could have a better laning stage.
While it is true that VP had a better game, Liquid was superior yet again. The QoP and Naix combo, combined with Magnus, was way too strong for VP’s fragile lineup. CK was the only hero that could survive the deadly ganks, but Lifestealer and Empower prevented him from doing tons of damage and carry his team.
The loss put VP in a bad position because it had to play against T1 for a slot in the top 4. Fortunately, the match ended in a draw, which means that both teams will head to the Upper Bracket.
Stay tuned as we continue to recap the Last Chance Qualifier! Plus, don't forget you'll find the latest guides, esports news and Dota 2 betting tips right here on ESTNN.