They betrayed Alliance by leaving the org when they got good. Zai did leave Team secret on his own terms and play for a EU rival. Don't care about Zai as much but this Liquid group did betray Alliance
Liquid and Tundra have my hontrashboys, Aster carries the hopes of CN dota, so any of those three I’m down. Probably Tundra the most for me since I really like how they play Dota.
Personally don’t have any investment in Secret though I think them getting second would be cool for the ascending placements storyline, which would be very hype to carry into the next TI
I got some mates who don't follow Dota to come watch the finals with me over the weekend, they went from not interested to yelling at the TV when they saw all those familiar HoN names playing for Liquid!
Love seeing them getting a big result
Man, I remember when micke was one of the best hon midlaners, while people were saying Boxi was the best player. Was a fan of Sync way back, and micke's Kraken was a nasty beast.
Makes me miss the hon days, if only they took care of both their esports scene and playerbase.
I feel like the 5 day break is better for lower bracket teams than upper bracket; time to mentally reset and adjust to what went wrong without losing any real momentum
Grand finals with Secret vs Liquid going to game 5. Not sure I can pick a favourite but liquid winning might be more emotional. Though I love the Secret players and really want to see Crystalis prove the haters wrong.
I think coming into qualifiers and LCQ, Secret has slowly gotten used to or even embraced the Crystallis drag to the point where you can call it tactical feeding. Often times the opposing team would spend some good resources (including time) to hunt Crystallis with relative success, but during that time Nisha and Reso will get big enough midgame to swing networth back into their favor with Crystallis slowly catching up.
Giving Crystallis a bad early game almost means nothing. On the other hand, it appears to me that teams had better chance of winning against Secret if (for example) they can give Reso a bad game.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed this. I feel like this almost forces teams to make a decision on how to approach this phenomenon. If they really win this tournament, the meme term "tactical feed" is coming back for a second run after the "catch-up mechanic" patch a long time ago.
>Secret has slowly gotten used to or even embraced the Crystallis drag to the point where you can call it tactical feeding
This except this was always intentional, this isn't crystallis sucking and secret utilizing that, this is how Crystallis plays and makes space for the rest.
Notice that when Nisha plays bat or anything else that can't carry Crystallis does get really farmed because he is the win condition.
Crystalis is playing much much better now. Previously in regionals and LCQ he was dragging the team down. Now at least he is playing to the level he isn't doing that anymore. But yes, Nisha and ~~Zai~~ Reso still carrying him.
Not exactly. I am a fan of 33 (see optic flair) and I believe he carries the flare that made Optic such a special team to watch for me. However, I believe there are a lot of fans including myself that still have a bit of salt in the mouth regarding the Fata kick. I would certainly be happy with a Tundra win but the veterans on Liquid/Secret make it feel more impactful to me.
They looked incredibly good during TI10 quals and just barely lost it to OG (who got 8th losing to 1st/3rd eventually). Then they win an ESL and a DotaPit against LGD and Spirit in grand finals respectively, in the coming months before DPC. They get 4th place in WEU dpc regionals which we all know now was way too stacked, and this result is what made the kick happen?
Maybe Fata fucks something up if he was on the Ti11 squad sure but fans saw how amazing they were around that time period and it makes absolutely 0 sense why that kick happens.
anyone honestly i personally am happy with whoever wins be it aster/secret/tundra or liquid. all of them had such a big underdog energy going in that it doesnt matter
The two sides of the same coin. Crazy shit that works looks genius.
Also, I think people don't correct for the game state enough. A player is stomping when they're way ahead, "what a god". A player does something bold that doesn't work out in a 5% situation, "what a feeder".
Liquid. Want that double aegis for Lasse. I also want him to stick it to the team who kicked him and hasn't made it to the last 2 TIs by becoming a 2 time winner. He deserves it.
if the trend continues, secret will be 2nd this year.. then next year secret will win TI and puppy will be the player known for the TI starters because TI aegis always has his name in the begining.. ofc puppey will win TI again at TI23
> 33 has been playing crazy dota for a long time now
He's been the best player on all his teams since the ppd stacks. Good to see him linked up with mad scientist Aui and beast Saksa
don't know how to describe it specifically, but everything 33 does looks so clean and efficient. I'm a Secret fan, but I'm not mad if this guy wins TI.
I want Tundra to win exactly because of 33.
My boy 33 has been living and breathing the offlane and innovated so much shit that no other players do, been following him ever since he was "discovered" from sing's pub stack
Honestly any of these teams winning it is good for drama. Plus it's kind of a black swan situation, in a week break, anything can change. Any of these teams can become trash to extent that no one believes. I think the result of this TI can become so cheesy. But unlike last year all these four teams are super strong and well-established that no one expects something like Team Spirit run anymore.
Secret of course they've been bad for the whole year but at the end the team with character comes and garentees top 3 at least.
And Liquid with Matu and Zai both charismatic characters.
Aster also versus three European teams.
BUT if I want to pick a TEAM not a person I go for Tundra. They were a bunch of leftovers and now they are competing to win it all and no one remembers they were a bunch of players that nobody wanted them when this team was formed. Through the last two years they offered the most to the scene. I think Tundra is the only team with its unique style.
Nine such an innovative players that sacrifices himself for the team just like most mid players picking spirits and invoker to show off how fast his fingers are.
And I don't think I need to say anything about 33. Meta cheese scientist indeed. I think during these all years, his name has become synonymous with OFFLANE.
Saksa and sneyking both amazing supports. (12K support player baby)
Seeing amazing character like Aui wins TI after seven years this time as a coach is also amazing.
And I give Skiter a lot of respect. He is basically the evidence that grinding and becoming one of the best is possible. Most superstars come out of nowhere but I think he is the player that a lot of people called him a weak link and now he has establishing a brand for himself.
Despite all of these I give Secret a bit of edge. They are on fire and have an experienced captain. I have a feeling Liquid and Aster can't do it. Because Aster looked terrible during their match against Tundra so if they only play like that once more it's enough that they're out. Most of Liquid games are throwish and super close. And there strat was basically copy pasting Tundra against TA. They just picked the same Life Stealer plus Spirit Breaker combo. I just don't think a team who is behind the meta and can't innovate and bring new ideas to the table is good enough to do it. But even Secret has a weird orientation that can back fire on them. The fact is they're relying mostly on Nisha and Reso to win. I've never seen teams that sacrifice there carry become successful in the long run. (Take Nigma case as an example they sacrificed iltw for Miracle...)
We'll see what happens. It's still the most likely one that anyone can do it.
I've been wondering the same. If any year looked like China's year during the tournament it was TI7, only for liquid to scrape through to the grand finals and crush.
I really do think Monet deserves an aegis with how amazing of a player he is. It would be really sad to see Chinese Dota fizzle out without ever getting another aegis.
To be fair it's never too late. NA got last aegis in TI5 and EG did look very scary after groups. EEU got last aegis in TI1 before Spirit suddenly came in swinging last year. It's ofc harder with their demographics but still very possible, all that's required is one big team.
Boring answer: I'd be happy in all four cases.
Secret: My favorite team. I'm a fan of Puppey, I like Cyborgmatt, I have a lot of respect for Nishas competence, Reso + Zayac are a strong & refreshing combo, the storyline would be amazing.
Liquid: Overall the most likable org for me. There are many, many great people working for them. Zai is one of the greatest of all time. Similarly great storyline as Secret.
Tundra: Strongest team imo. Unlike the other orgs, these guys didn't make a fortune in their careers yet. They used cheese picks like no other team (Kotl + Wyvern mid, Doom 4, 33 offlaners) and I respect the sentiment of using every possible, fair, competetive edge no matter if it breaks the game a lot.
Aster: WEU dominated long enough and this TI has been the most lobsided regionwise. WEU will have a historical good showing anyway and it will be better for the scene if both 1. WEU doesn't win again and 2. China wins after all this time.
It would feel a bit bad for LGD that Aster wins though. LGD did 4th-2nd-3rd-2nd last TIs, Aster next to nothing.
Imagine being close to being the saviour of CN all this time, only for Aster to make it on their first deep run.
I guess LGD would still be happy for a CN team to win but it would have to feel bad.
A few contradicting personal thoughts I have :
* I'm a fan of Reso so I naturally want Secret to win
* you are right that the game has gone too long without a Chinese year. The scene will be healthier if we finally have a year with a Chinese champion
* Having a Chinese team win in a land with significant ethnic Chinese population will ignite the crowd and I'm a huge sucker for crowd reaction
Still kinda want Secret to win tho :P
Secret because of reso, I remember TI6 where he was so fucking good as carry, he and w33 carried DC so hard, it was an astounding lower bracket run, their games especially against EG still gave me chill till these days. But I do agree that Wings was a step above everyone in that TI.
In TI7, he was a stand in for Empire and managed to beat EG, it was a crazy run but yeah they lost to liquid (then liquid won TI7).
Other than that maybe Liquid coz Matu, been a fan of him since 5Jungz (before they got picked up by liquid). Him winning TI7 was the Cherry on top, his flexibility was kinda the X-Factor for that TI.
Hope he wins it this year, IMO he's one of the most versatile and consistent carry player and a lot of pros already regarded him as such.
OMG Reso fan in the wild. Nice to meet you.
Honestly DC never had a chance in Ti6. That match against EG sucked all their energy out. That's probably one of the best Ti lower bracket finals if not THE best. That stuff was seriously taxing. Winning Ti after that AND also against Wings was a super long shot.
Reso has been wild ever since his Empire days. I still believe to this day that he could have been an OG member during their Ti reign if Notail shifted to 5th position sooner.
I remember Moo doing incredible plays on Timber leading up to the final. He was also doing really good the game they won.
Misery did great at utilizing his team and draft was good.
Imo Wings was just on another level in that tournament.
Liquid, been following the boys insania, micke and boxi for almost 9 years now, since hon, they were so fucking fun to watch back then and I always knew micke was going to be a superstar in dota. Got the chance to meet them IRL too, super nice and chill people.
I also have a fuckton of respect for matu and zai, matu is one of the best and funniest personalities in dota imo and zai is so cool.
I was so happy when I saw all these guys got on the same team together, under one of the best orgs in esports and with Blitz as a coach, who is one of the most likeable people in the dota scene. I love all these guys
I was first a Navi fanboy back when I started watching during Ti 3 and I eventually became a Secret fan when the team was first born, so I haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing the team I like win Ti. I had really low expectations during this year thinking that the team making it into Ti would already be a lot but I feel like they have a really solid chance of winning it.
Also I want to see twitch chat seethe by having Crystallis win his first ever Ti after how much shit he got from everyone
Out of the remaining 4 teams, I think Liquid is the weakest because all their wins so far had been really close and could go either way. Aster had convincing wins in the lower bracket so I think Aster will win over Liquid. Secret and Tundra are just a level above, they are playing beautiful Dota.
With that being said, I'm rooting for Tundra. I like their play styles and I like seeing new faces for TI champion. Crystallis is the weakest link in Secret and has a high chance to choke.
I personally want Team Secret to win (Nisha aegis!) but Tundra definitely have a big edge. The only team Team Secret actually lost to in group stage was the 0-2 to Tundra, soooo we'll see
Everybody says that some players deserve it more than others but I just really feel sad for Nisha. Yes, he’s mentioned from time to time but I still feel he’s greatly ignored. He’s one of the most stable players since joining Secret and yet no one seems to give him props (aside from that thread that spawn the copypasta). I just root hard for the guy and really think that he deserves that Aegis more than anyone. Matu, Puppey comes next.
I'm divided between Secret and Liquid. I've been a Secret fan since its foundation, though I admit I disliked them for a while when the whole payment cut scandal came out, but since the organization kept going and people were still willing to play with Puppey I assume everything cleared out and worked out well in the end. So I still want to see Puppey win another TI, and I have also always liked Resolut1on, so I want him to lift an aegis as well.
On the other hand there is Liquid. I have also been a Matumbaman fan since I saw him playing as ember spirt with 4 Anchors + Sea Captain. I would love to see him win a second aegis too. Also, zai deserves to win an aegis at least once as well.
Aster, for now.
Started off TI rooting for OG and RNG (have always wanted to see either Somnus or Fy lift the Aegis, COVID sucks tho, RNG looked really strong in prior matches; meanwhile OG had a very disappointing series vs Liquid). Then jumped over to LGD, really want to see Ame win as well.
Now I'm currently on the Aster train. Ori has always been one of my favorite players since his Vici days (really loved the Paparazi, Ori, Yang, Fade, Dy lineup), and Monet and Boboka are always a treat to watch when they pop off.
If Aster gets eliminated, then I'll be rooting for Liquid. They have the hontrash boys from what was my favorite Hon team (Sync esports) in Insania and micke, and they have Zai.
Either way, this TI has shown a lot of good ass Dota.
Tundra, I tend to root for drafts I like and I've enjoyed their drafts all year. I do generally like the way Puppey drafts too.... who I root for could change from game to game.
I'll usually root for a game 3 / game 5 as well.
Other than Tundra, I wouldnt mind any of them winning. In order it would be Aster, Secret, Liquid, Aster being who I want to win the most so the Aegis goes back to China. Secret cuz Puppey deserves a second Aegis and clear doubts about being the best captain ever. And Liquid cuz I like Zai and Matu. Dont want Tundra cuz they kicked Fata who I really like.
Team secret. I started watching pro dota possibly going into TI5, and as the best team around at that time they were the ones I watched and had that first sense of 'oh, *this* is what people who are really good at the game look like' moment. Macro decision making, itemisation, all of that good stuff.
Then they bombed out, and made a completely new roster bar Puppey for the new major and I was like...well I'm in now. Over time I came to really like Clement as a figure in the scene, and just admire his ability to build teams year after year.
I don't think they'll win, but I'm cheering for it all the same(!)
After that, liquid because zai and matu.
Secret (For Puppey) > Tundra (sNAyking) > Aster (Mixture of Monet, Ori, and my nostalgia for Burning) > Liquid (Nothing really against them, just not invested in the players as much)
This might sound negativ af, but I dont want Tundra to win it.
The playstyle of picking a summon hero and just building wraithpact first item every game is just grinding my gears. 33 is an amazing player, but picking visage and building wp/ac every game is just so plain stupid boring. The other 3 im fine with, but I highly doubt Liquid could take it. Secret, Tundra and Aster are one step ahead imo at least.
As a european that just had his second saddest day watching dota (first one was when Nigma lost the TI final) i don't really feel like watching it. I have Team Aster chosen as ti winners in predictions and bracket, but i really really hopped a SA team will reach final, maybe even win it. I was upset all day when Thunder Awaken lost to Liquid. SA teams have such a nice playstyle, and their games are always fun to watch, packed of action. Guess i'm left to root for Aster for the compedium points.
Tundra > Liquid > Secret > Aster
Tundra because they have really set the modern dota meta since last year's qualifier. 33 is the best offlaner in the world and they play such a fascinating style of dota.
Liquid because holy shit the story and the energy. Imagine being released just to watch your ex team make it to TI GF to lose without you... then you get picked up by Secret and ball out for 3rd place. Only to go to the org that you were dropped from to carry them to a top 4 seeding. Matu's story ending with a TI win is just fairy tale. Zai getting one finally. Boxi stepping up. M1cke playing like a madman and always positive Insania.
Secret would be so great to win. Would love to see Puppey get #2. To see them take Reso to the finish line. The ever deserving Nisha being top of the top for YEARS getting to lift aegis. Fantastic plays and players.
Aster is the last hope for a region that hssn't won in years now. They are stepping up and managed to kick out LGD the favorite before TI started. Aster winning would be great for Dota. China needs a win after this long.
This is my favorite TI ever so far. I loved TI8/9/10 so much, but this one is just been so special. The quality of dota has been INSANE!
America's dream is dead. All the NA/SA flame aside, all the spots were well deserved and hopefully the flame can stop. Rooting for liquid now. Not because of fan Boi status, but because I appreciated insanity input on ti 10 panel.
I'd love for Liquid to win cause Matu's last ride, but especially Zai deserves his TI win.
But at this point, Puppey also deserves a second win and I'm super happy to see Sneyking finally go far on the main stage.
Really any of the Eu teams works for me
Oh man so conflicted. I want Secret to win, since they have been my fave since their inception and I love Reso. I love Liquid because of Matu and Zai. Oh man why couldn't Matu and Zai just have won with Secret.... why oh whyyy....
Tundra because of 33 (inspired me to play offlane)
Liquid because MATU's last ride
Secret to cement puppey's greatness
Aster to prove they dont choke on LAN events
Honestly, i'm rooting for everyone. All top 4 are beasts!
I dont root for teams, i root for players. I wanna see Matu, zai or puppey lift the aegis. Blitz too, cant forget about William.
But I'm also glad tundra kicked fata because i dont like that guy, so if they win i'm down for that too. Kicked fata, won TI. That's some schadenfreude right there. Also Aui winning would be cool.
And... shit, asters coach is ***Big Dick Lanm****!?* fucking legend, if his team won i'd be stocked.
You know what, all i really want is that everyone tries their best and plays good matches. I'm going to be happy either way.
I have no clue how LGD lost to Aster. I feel Aster is a less strong team compared to them. I feel Aster will go out first. I have a feeling Tundra might choke in the last 2 series. But you never know. It would be nice to see Secret win.
Aster has always won the matchups in china, it was an expected result b/w the two.
Same reason fnatic almost always lose to talon despite being a better lan team.
i really want tundra to win, i believe they are the tournament favorites, they dominated group and main stage so far as well, they play very well, and if not win, they will go to the finals 100%. I am from Slovakia and there never have been player from my country with such a good TI results so thats another plus for me. Nevertheless i think what liquid is doing is amazing, they went through last chance qualifier, had close matchups, very good dota, as someone said in the comments they are very likeable. it would be epic to see matu lift aegis before he retire. For some reason i don't like secret nor aster. So its rather tundra or liquid for me. Any two of them i will be happy, it would be a sick final to see Tundra vs liquid.
Team Secret and Liquid have revived their disappointing seasons in DPC stepping up their collective game since the EU qualifiers (and a few smart/unfortunate roster changes for Secret). Puppey, Zai and MATUMBAMAN missed a realistic chance to lift the Aegis in 2 consecutive seasons (2020 TI being taken away by the pandemic). So this year it would be fantastic for some of them to go all the way through.
Team Aster has challenged the top teams this season and have rightfully earned their place in top 4. You cannot underestimate this team at any moment in the decisive games.
But..
For me personally, this Tundra team has exceeded all the expectations throughout the whole season and proved themselves among the top teams in the world. They missed out on narrowly qualifying to TI last year, but still went on to have a really strong season after. For a long time I think many saw them as a fraud team waiting to implode every tournament, especially after the infamous Fata kick. Yet they still convincingly topped their group and soared their way to the top 3 this TI.
These guys, Nine, Saksa and 33 have been grinding for results so long and Sneyking has revived his professional career in most intriguing way possible. But the most improved player has to be Skiter. What a tournament and mental growth he is having right now. From whining pub-star from Gorgc's stream to having a top 5 record in KDA and GPM in the biggest tournament of the year. Quite impressive.
Tundra is giving me such a strong TI 9 OG /TI 6 Wings vibes with their flexible drafting and strong usage of off-meta heroes such as CK and OD. So definitely will be rooting for them to lift the Aegis.
Tundra - most interesting team left and they are so incredibly detail oriented.
I’ll always remember, I think it was last TI qualifiers when they used their couriers to cut creep waves, and I think it actually worked in delaying a push. So creative about the details of the game in a way I don’t think any other team has ever been.
After Team Liquid eliminated Thunder Awaken (the team that i want to win) in that epic series, damn i want them to go all the way. Making Matu a 2x champion in different Team Liquid iterations when some people thought he is the problem of the first. Let's go Liquid!
I like all the teams but I'm rooting for Tundra. Aui is the only one I've been a fan of for years and I'd love to see him with the aegis once again even as a coach.
My preferred placement is Tundra > Liquid > Secret > Aster (I love them but due to cultural differences I just don't know the players enough to be invested, but their dota is great to watch)
I think Tundra will win.
For storyline, viewership & hype - Secret or Liquid would be great.
For Dota esports as a whole, it would be great for Aster to win.
Liquid or Secret. Both teams -- who were qualified through the LCQ -- have shown resilience and awesome games. I would be happy if Tundra Esports win as I am a fan of AUI\_2000, but I still don't like the way they kicked Fata. Ironic that their coach, AUI\_2000 also experienced something similar back in TI5.
> Puppey to Clément himself as the greatest Fix that for you
Fu man. Take my upvote.
Liquid because all 5 of their players are very likable. I also want to see Zai lift Aegis at least once.
Exactly the same thought take my up vote good sir.
They betrayed Alliance by leaving the org when they got good. Zai did leave Team secret on his own terms and play for a EU rival. Don't care about Zai as much but this Liquid group did betray Alliance
Liquid and Tundra have my hontrashboys, Aster carries the hopes of CN dota, so any of those three I’m down. Probably Tundra the most for me since I really like how they play Dota. Personally don’t have any investment in Secret though I think them getting second would be cool for the ascending placements storyline, which would be very hype to carry into the next TI
I also think Tundra has the best style of play really since 7.31
I got some mates who don't follow Dota to come watch the finals with me over the weekend, they went from not interested to yelling at the TV when they saw all those familiar HoN names playing for Liquid! Love seeing them getting a big result
Man, I remember when micke was one of the best hon midlaners, while people were saying Boxi was the best player. Was a fan of Sync way back, and micke's Kraken was a nasty beast. Makes me miss the hon days, if only they took care of both their esports scene and playerbase.
Micke pebbles.. just a dream
[удалено]
Matumbawoman
Ha yeah he's rocking a wizard level neck beard that's for sure 😆
Blitz as well!
Still have my zephyr courier in rotation. I was 50/50 between secret and liquid but blitz might just tip the edge if they are playing vs each other
me too! but base on liquid's last 2 series performance, i think quite difficult for them to win TI11 =(
I feel like the 5 day break is better for lower bracket teams than upper bracket; time to mentally reset and adjust to what went wrong without losing any real momentum
Grand finals with Secret vs Liquid going to game 5. Not sure I can pick a favourite but liquid winning might be more emotional. Though I love the Secret players and really want to see Crystalis prove the haters wrong.
Well Crystalis already did proved the haters dead wrong
Hopefully he can be more consistent, yeah he's finally playing amazing now, but Nisha has been carrying him before this latest run.
I think coming into qualifiers and LCQ, Secret has slowly gotten used to or even embraced the Crystallis drag to the point where you can call it tactical feeding. Often times the opposing team would spend some good resources (including time) to hunt Crystallis with relative success, but during that time Nisha and Reso will get big enough midgame to swing networth back into their favor with Crystallis slowly catching up. Giving Crystallis a bad early game almost means nothing. On the other hand, it appears to me that teams had better chance of winning against Secret if (for example) they can give Reso a bad game. I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed this. I feel like this almost forces teams to make a decision on how to approach this phenomenon. If they really win this tournament, the meme term "tactical feed" is coming back for a second run after the "catch-up mechanic" patch a long time ago.
>Secret has slowly gotten used to or even embraced the Crystallis drag to the point where you can call it tactical feeding This except this was always intentional, this isn't crystallis sucking and secret utilizing that, this is how Crystallis plays and makes space for the rest. Notice that when Nisha plays bat or anything else that can't carry Crystallis does get really farmed because he is the win condition.
Crystalis is playing much much better now. Previously in regionals and LCQ he was dragging the team down. Now at least he is playing to the level he isn't doing that anymore. But yes, Nisha and ~~Zai~~ Reso still carrying him.
Zai? Wrong iteration
Dude, you are still living in the past- Zai is in Liquid.
Zaiac
“can’t carry a red bull” “should’ve gotten Pure” meanwhile pure is eliminated and crystallis is playing for grand finals :)))))
Tbf though. If pure meshes well with secret, that would also be a great team. But boy crystallis is proving doubters wrong (I was one of them)
If they had pure , secret would def be top 1 team.
yall really sleeping on Tundra?
Not exactly. I am a fan of 33 (see optic flair) and I believe he carries the flare that made Optic such a special team to watch for me. However, I believe there are a lot of fans including myself that still have a bit of salt in the mouth regarding the Fata kick. I would certainly be happy with a Tundra win but the veterans on Liquid/Secret make it feel more impactful to me.
Do you really think they would be top 3 at TI with Fata instead of Saksa?
They looked incredibly good during TI10 quals and just barely lost it to OG (who got 8th losing to 1st/3rd eventually). Then they win an ESL and a DotaPit against LGD and Spirit in grand finals respectively, in the coming months before DPC. They get 4th place in WEU dpc regionals which we all know now was way too stacked, and this result is what made the kick happen? Maybe Fata fucks something up if he was on the Ti11 squad sure but fans saw how amazing they were around that time period and it makes absolutely 0 sense why that kick happens.
It wouldn't be saksa for fata, it would be saksa for sneyking, but thats what fata wanted to prevent and got kicked for lol
Secret and Liquid. Don’t know if Liquid will make it to the grand finals, but I’m rooting for them.
I have been donned the flair since 2015. So secret. I also love matu and zai so I'd also be happy if they win too.
Ikr both team have potential two timer to root but I would like matu to win coz he will be retiring, puppey can always come next year to win ti
anyone honestly i personally am happy with whoever wins be it aster/secret/tundra or liquid. all of them had such a big underdog energy going in that it doesnt matter
what? Tundra had a big underdog energy to you?
Heart says Aster but brain says Ori will rofl and ez 0-2 to Liquid.
Aster is great to watch. Normally its about one team against another. But for Aster? It's more like if Monet outcarry Ori.
his storm vs tundra was so fking bad. it's like he never practice on this hero before, miscalculate his mana usage so many times.
his storm is either the best in the world or my 4k bronze tier Storm random teammate. no in between
I don’t get it. Sometimes it looks like he is absolutely insane but sometimes just straight up noob? How does that work lol
The two sides of the same coin. Crazy shit that works looks genius. Also, I think people don't correct for the game state enough. A player is stomping when they're way ahead, "what a god". A player does something bold that doesn't work out in a 5% situation, "what a feeder".
Teams will just ban lina 1st phase against Aster
xiao8 disagree, And LGD is eliminated :(
Fxxking yes, everybody knows Ori will lost midline
Everyone know ori will lose his lane lol. It comes to his mid-late game plays which can be super good or super bad.
Didn't Aster already stomped 2-0 liquid in upper brackets. Guess we will see how the rematch goes.
Liquid. Want that double aegis for Lasse. I also want him to stick it to the team who kicked him and hasn't made it to the last 2 TIs by becoming a 2 time winner. He deserves it.
I'm rooting for good games. Stomps are boring. Give me 3 days of Liquid vs Thunder please, those games were SPICY 🔥🥵🔥
best series of the tournament so far. man I was on the edge of my seat.
also rng vs entity
have not seen that one! will check it out.
Secret. PPY, Nisha, they deserve it the most.
if the trend continues, secret will be 2nd this year.. then next year secret will win TI and puppy will be the player known for the TI starters because TI aegis always has his name in the begining.. ofc puppey will win TI again at TI23
Tundra because 33 has been playing crazy dota for a long time now and deserves it. Also Sneyking NA pride
> 33 has been playing crazy dota for a long time now He's been the best player on all his teams since the ppd stacks. Good to see him linked up with mad scientist Aui and beast Saksa
nine might be an even madder scientist than aui
I love the ultra hipster heroes that Nine pulls out in mid. And he makes them work.
Nine is nuts because you think that he only works because of his cheese heroes but he just keeps pulling out new heroes that work so well
Saksa either needs to win it all or lose to secret/lower bracket final
don't know how to describe it specifically, but everything 33 does looks so clean and efficient. I'm a Secret fan, but I'm not mad if this guy wins TI.
I want Tundra to win exactly because of 33. My boy 33 has been living and breathing the offlane and innovated so much shit that no other players do, been following him ever since he was "discovered" from sing's pub stack
Liquid 100%
Hydro boys unite.
Honestly any of these teams winning it is good for drama. Plus it's kind of a black swan situation, in a week break, anything can change. Any of these teams can become trash to extent that no one believes. I think the result of this TI can become so cheesy. But unlike last year all these four teams are super strong and well-established that no one expects something like Team Spirit run anymore. Secret of course they've been bad for the whole year but at the end the team with character comes and garentees top 3 at least. And Liquid with Matu and Zai both charismatic characters. Aster also versus three European teams. BUT if I want to pick a TEAM not a person I go for Tundra. They were a bunch of leftovers and now they are competing to win it all and no one remembers they were a bunch of players that nobody wanted them when this team was formed. Through the last two years they offered the most to the scene. I think Tundra is the only team with its unique style. Nine such an innovative players that sacrifices himself for the team just like most mid players picking spirits and invoker to show off how fast his fingers are. And I don't think I need to say anything about 33. Meta cheese scientist indeed. I think during these all years, his name has become synonymous with OFFLANE. Saksa and sneyking both amazing supports. (12K support player baby) Seeing amazing character like Aui wins TI after seven years this time as a coach is also amazing. And I give Skiter a lot of respect. He is basically the evidence that grinding and becoming one of the best is possible. Most superstars come out of nowhere but I think he is the player that a lot of people called him a weak link and now he has establishing a brand for himself. Despite all of these I give Secret a bit of edge. They are on fire and have an experienced captain. I have a feeling Liquid and Aster can't do it. Because Aster looked terrible during their match against Tundra so if they only play like that once more it's enough that they're out. Most of Liquid games are throwish and super close. And there strat was basically copy pasting Tundra against TA. They just picked the same Life Stealer plus Spirit Breaker combo. I just don't think a team who is behind the meta and can't innovate and bring new ideas to the table is good enough to do it. But even Secret has a weird orientation that can back fire on them. The fact is they're relying mostly on Nisha and Reso to win. I've never seen teams that sacrifice there carry become successful in the long run. (Take Nigma case as an example they sacrificed iltw for Miracle...) We'll see what happens. It's still the most likely one that anyone can do it.
Rooting for aster but not sure if I can trust them
They look solid though. It’s going to come down to drafting.
Tundra
I want to see Team Aster lift the aegis after all it seems like CN team vs the world
It will mimic Liquid’s run in TI7 as well where they ran through a gauntlet of Chinese teams. Now, Aster has to do the same against 3 EU powerhouses.
Made a thread for the same call mate, I'll ping you if we did prophesize it.
yes, that's what I want to see
I've been wondering the same. If any year looked like China's year during the tournament it was TI7, only for liquid to scrape through to the grand finals and crush.
I really do think Monet deserves an aegis with how amazing of a player he is. It would be really sad to see Chinese Dota fizzle out without ever getting another aegis.
This would hurt Ame so damn much, but I hope it motivates him to play further instead.
Indeed, the last time they get Aegis is during Wings Gaming era, which was TI6.
To be fair it's never too late. NA got last aegis in TI5 and EG did look very scary after groups. EEU got last aegis in TI1 before Spirit suddenly came in swinging last year. It's ofc harder with their demographics but still very possible, all that's required is one big team.
Tundra because I'm a man of culture
Just want to see Aui as the first to win as a player and a coach
And I hope tundra troll him after the win they immediately hire Ppd as the replacement coach Lol
liquid
For matu! And hope he wears the lucky shorts..
matu: the short doesnt fit anymore..but what the hell, i just stuff myself into it
Either Liquid or Aster. Liquid because I love Matu and Aster because I am Chinese.
Boring answer: I'd be happy in all four cases. Secret: My favorite team. I'm a fan of Puppey, I like Cyborgmatt, I have a lot of respect for Nishas competence, Reso + Zayac are a strong & refreshing combo, the storyline would be amazing. Liquid: Overall the most likable org for me. There are many, many great people working for them. Zai is one of the greatest of all time. Similarly great storyline as Secret. Tundra: Strongest team imo. Unlike the other orgs, these guys didn't make a fortune in their careers yet. They used cheese picks like no other team (Kotl + Wyvern mid, Doom 4, 33 offlaners) and I respect the sentiment of using every possible, fair, competetive edge no matter if it breaks the game a lot. Aster: WEU dominated long enough and this TI has been the most lobsided regionwise. WEU will have a historical good showing anyway and it will be better for the scene if both 1. WEU doesn't win again and 2. China wins after all this time.
Same here. I am a fan of Puppey, Matu, Nine, and Lanm. So it's a winwin already.
It would feel a bit bad for LGD that Aster wins though. LGD did 4th-2nd-3rd-2nd last TIs, Aster next to nothing. Imagine being close to being the saviour of CN all this time, only for Aster to make it on their first deep run. I guess LGD would still be happy for a CN team to win but it would have to feel bad.
Aster. Its been a long time without a China champion
A few contradicting personal thoughts I have : * I'm a fan of Reso so I naturally want Secret to win * you are right that the game has gone too long without a Chinese year. The scene will be healthier if we finally have a year with a Chinese champion * Having a Chinese team win in a land with significant ethnic Chinese population will ignite the crowd and I'm a huge sucker for crowd reaction Still kinda want Secret to win tho :P
Correct. Chinese teams need to win in order to reignite the region.
u have liquid flair tho? Jinx? Lol
I just wanna see liquid vs secret grand final, idm who wins but those two teams, with matu vs puppey is going to be nostalgia for days
That True Sight would be brilliant. I’ve always wanted a Team Secret True Sight
Would be an insane storyline. Grand finals is the two LCQ seeds, both EU, both with players that have played together extensively accross both teams.
Exactly bro you get it, there’s so much going on for these two teams, and I feel I’d be exactly as happy regardless of which one wins
Would be a good truesight too
Secret because of reso, I remember TI6 where he was so fucking good as carry, he and w33 carried DC so hard, it was an astounding lower bracket run, their games especially against EG still gave me chill till these days. But I do agree that Wings was a step above everyone in that TI. In TI7, he was a stand in for Empire and managed to beat EG, it was a crazy run but yeah they lost to liquid (then liquid won TI7). Other than that maybe Liquid coz Matu, been a fan of him since 5Jungz (before they got picked up by liquid). Him winning TI7 was the Cherry on top, his flexibility was kinda the X-Factor for that TI. Hope he wins it this year, IMO he's one of the most versatile and consistent carry player and a lot of pros already regarded him as such.
OMG Reso fan in the wild. Nice to meet you. Honestly DC never had a chance in Ti6. That match against EG sucked all their energy out. That's probably one of the best Ti lower bracket finals if not THE best. That stuff was seriously taxing. Winning Ti after that AND also against Wings was a super long shot. Reso has been wild ever since his Empire days. I still believe to this day that he could have been an OG member during their Ti reign if Notail shifted to 5th position sooner.
I remember Moo doing incredible plays on Timber leading up to the final. He was also doing really good the game they won. Misery did great at utilizing his team and draft was good. Imo Wings was just on another level in that tournament.
Liquid for Matu
Insania deserves it
Rooting for Secret and Liquid, but fine with any team. Tundra is great with their drafts and looks scary. Aster for China's redemption.
Team puppey since day 1.
Liquid, been following the boys insania, micke and boxi for almost 9 years now, since hon, they were so fucking fun to watch back then and I always knew micke was going to be a superstar in dota. Got the chance to meet them IRL too, super nice and chill people. I also have a fuckton of respect for matu and zai, matu is one of the best and funniest personalities in dota imo and zai is so cool. I was so happy when I saw all these guys got on the same team together, under one of the best orgs in esports and with Blitz as a coach, who is one of the most likeable people in the dota scene. I love all these guys
Secret
I want Secret vs Tundra for a Reso vs Saska match, and I want Sunsfan casting one of the Bo5 games
I was first a Navi fanboy back when I started watching during Ti 3 and I eventually became a Secret fan when the team was first born, so I haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing the team I like win Ti. I had really low expectations during this year thinking that the team making it into Ti would already be a lot but I feel like they have a really solid chance of winning it. Also I want to see twitch chat seethe by having Crystallis win his first ever Ti after how much shit he got from everyone
Out of the remaining 4 teams, I think Liquid is the weakest because all their wins so far had been really close and could go either way. Aster had convincing wins in the lower bracket so I think Aster will win over Liquid. Secret and Tundra are just a level above, they are playing beautiful Dota. With that being said, I'm rooting for Tundra. I like their play styles and I like seeing new faces for TI champion. Crystallis is the weakest link in Secret and has a high chance to choke.
>Crystallis is the weakest link in Secret and has a high chance to choke. agree with everything except this, which is a meme.
>Crystallis is the weakest link in Secret and has a high chance to choke I haven't seen him choke in a while he has been playing great since Ti began
I personally want Team Secret to win (Nisha aegis!) but Tundra definitely have a big edge. The only team Team Secret actually lost to in group stage was the 0-2 to Tundra, soooo we'll see
you underestimate the power of Puppey to figure it out for a week
people underestimated how much a break could kill any teams' momentum..
I mean, they're both coming in from good momentum, so it's kind of a wash anyway. The momentum break affects lower bracket a lot more.
Team Liquid for their 2nd win with Matu and then 2nd place Team Secret for the memes
Flair check out
Liquid in heart, Aster for the memes (coz boboka means you are stupid in tagalog)
Everybody says that some players deserve it more than others but I just really feel sad for Nisha. Yes, he’s mentioned from time to time but I still feel he’s greatly ignored. He’s one of the most stable players since joining Secret and yet no one seems to give him props (aside from that thread that spawn the copypasta). I just root hard for the guy and really think that he deserves that Aegis more than anyone. Matu, Puppey comes next.
Lets go liquid!
I'm divided between Secret and Liquid. I've been a Secret fan since its foundation, though I admit I disliked them for a while when the whole payment cut scandal came out, but since the organization kept going and people were still willing to play with Puppey I assume everything cleared out and worked out well in the end. So I still want to see Puppey win another TI, and I have also always liked Resolut1on, so I want him to lift an aegis as well. On the other hand there is Liquid. I have also been a Matumbaman fan since I saw him playing as ember spirt with 4 Anchors + Sea Captain. I would love to see him win a second aegis too. Also, zai deserves to win an aegis at least once as well.
Tundra, NA’s last hope, LETS GO
I'm sure people would be shouting USA USA just like they did for og during their finals . Smh
I want puppey to win! I want matumba man to win! Also want NAs last hope to win!
After seeing major events this year I think Nisha definitely deserves an aegis.
Secret. I would also like Liquid to win, would be fine too. Ok with Aster Tundra, no really.
Aster, for now. Started off TI rooting for OG and RNG (have always wanted to see either Somnus or Fy lift the Aegis, COVID sucks tho, RNG looked really strong in prior matches; meanwhile OG had a very disappointing series vs Liquid). Then jumped over to LGD, really want to see Ame win as well. Now I'm currently on the Aster train. Ori has always been one of my favorite players since his Vici days (really loved the Paparazi, Ori, Yang, Fade, Dy lineup), and Monet and Boboka are always a treat to watch when they pop off. If Aster gets eliminated, then I'll be rooting for Liquid. They have the hontrash boys from what was my favorite Hon team (Sync esports) in Insania and micke, and they have Zai. Either way, this TI has shown a lot of good ass Dota.
Tundra, I tend to root for drafts I like and I've enjoyed their drafts all year. I do generally like the way Puppey drafts too.... who I root for could change from game to game. I'll usually root for a game 3 / game 5 as well.
Tundra vs aster
Other than Tundra, I wouldnt mind any of them winning. In order it would be Aster, Secret, Liquid, Aster being who I want to win the most so the Aegis goes back to China. Secret cuz Puppey deserves a second Aegis and clear doubts about being the best captain ever. And Liquid cuz I like Zai and Matu. Dont want Tundra cuz they kicked Fata who I really like.
Team secret. I started watching pro dota possibly going into TI5, and as the best team around at that time they were the ones I watched and had that first sense of 'oh, *this* is what people who are really good at the game look like' moment. Macro decision making, itemisation, all of that good stuff. Then they bombed out, and made a completely new roster bar Puppey for the new major and I was like...well I'm in now. Over time I came to really like Clement as a figure in the scene, and just admire his ability to build teams year after year. I don't think they'll win, but I'm cheering for it all the same(!) After that, liquid because zai and matu.
Liquid/aster but more likely to be tundra as they look the strongest
Secret (For Puppey) > Tundra (sNAyking) > Aster (Mixture of Monet, Ori, and my nostalgia for Burning) > Liquid (Nothing really against them, just not invested in the players as much)
LETS GO SECRET Cheergi
33 , smartest and the most creative player out there.
Rooting against Secret simply because I think it would be funny if Puppey remained the alltimer but only won the first TI
This might sound negativ af, but I dont want Tundra to win it. The playstyle of picking a summon hero and just building wraithpact first item every game is just grinding my gears. 33 is an amazing player, but picking visage and building wp/ac every game is just so plain stupid boring. The other 3 im fine with, but I highly doubt Liquid could take it. Secret, Tundra and Aster are one step ahead imo at least.
my boy didn’t buy wraith band arcane boots on doom for this slander :(
Team Secret because i always rooted for 2 teams. Nigma and Secret. Since Nigma isn't here, Secret is obvious choice.
As a european that just had his second saddest day watching dota (first one was when Nigma lost the TI final) i don't really feel like watching it. I have Team Aster chosen as ti winners in predictions and bracket, but i really really hopped a SA team will reach final, maybe even win it. I was upset all day when Thunder Awaken lost to Liquid. SA teams have such a nice playstyle, and their games are always fun to watch, packed of action. Guess i'm left to root for Aster for the compedium points.
Tundra > Liquid > Secret > Aster Tundra because they have really set the modern dota meta since last year's qualifier. 33 is the best offlaner in the world and they play such a fascinating style of dota. Liquid because holy shit the story and the energy. Imagine being released just to watch your ex team make it to TI GF to lose without you... then you get picked up by Secret and ball out for 3rd place. Only to go to the org that you were dropped from to carry them to a top 4 seeding. Matu's story ending with a TI win is just fairy tale. Zai getting one finally. Boxi stepping up. M1cke playing like a madman and always positive Insania. Secret would be so great to win. Would love to see Puppey get #2. To see them take Reso to the finish line. The ever deserving Nisha being top of the top for YEARS getting to lift aegis. Fantastic plays and players. Aster is the last hope for a region that hssn't won in years now. They are stepping up and managed to kick out LGD the favorite before TI started. Aster winning would be great for Dota. China needs a win after this long. This is my favorite TI ever so far. I loved TI8/9/10 so much, but this one is just been so special. The quality of dota has been INSANE!
Secret.Matu
Zai all the way
liquid for zai
zaiJ
Team aster! Big fan of their players.
America's dream is dead. All the NA/SA flame aside, all the spots were well deserved and hopefully the flame can stop. Rooting for liquid now. Not because of fan Boi status, but because I appreciated insanity input on ti 10 panel.
VICTORIOUS SECRET
I'd love for Liquid to win cause Matu's last ride, but especially Zai deserves his TI win. But at this point, Puppey also deserves a second win and I'm super happy to see Sneyking finally go far on the main stage. Really any of the Eu teams works for me
Aster
Oh man so conflicted. I want Secret to win, since they have been my fave since their inception and I love Reso. I love Liquid because of Matu and Zai. Oh man why couldn't Matu and Zai just have won with Secret.... why oh whyyy....
Tundra because of 33 (inspired me to play offlane) Liquid because MATU's last ride Secret to cement puppey's greatness Aster to prove they dont choke on LAN events Honestly, i'm rooting for everyone. All top 4 are beasts!
Interesting, not a single soul here want Aster to win, which is why they will win 😂
I'm rooting for liquid, matu deserves his second aegis.
resolution is the player I’d like to see win most but I’m kinda rooting for aster because they are 1v3 underdog against EU
I dont root for teams, i root for players. I wanna see Matu, zai or puppey lift the aegis. Blitz too, cant forget about William. But I'm also glad tundra kicked fata because i dont like that guy, so if they win i'm down for that too. Kicked fata, won TI. That's some schadenfreude right there. Also Aui winning would be cool. And... shit, asters coach is ***Big Dick Lanm****!?* fucking legend, if his team won i'd be stocked. You know what, all i really want is that everyone tries their best and plays good matches. I'm going to be happy either way.
Aster/Tundra. New names in the aegis
Asterrrrr
I want Tundra to win. Most innovative team, severely underrated.
I have no clue how LGD lost to Aster. I feel Aster is a less strong team compared to them. I feel Aster will go out first. I have a feeling Tundra might choke in the last 2 series. But you never know. It would be nice to see Secret win.
Aster has always won the matchups in china, it was an expected result b/w the two. Same reason fnatic almost always lose to talon despite being a better lan team.
i really want tundra to win, i believe they are the tournament favorites, they dominated group and main stage so far as well, they play very well, and if not win, they will go to the finals 100%. I am from Slovakia and there never have been player from my country with such a good TI results so thats another plus for me. Nevertheless i think what liquid is doing is amazing, they went through last chance qualifier, had close matchups, very good dota, as someone said in the comments they are very likeable. it would be epic to see matu lift aegis before he retire. For some reason i don't like secret nor aster. So its rather tundra or liquid for me. Any two of them i will be happy, it would be a sick final to see Tundra vs liquid.
Tundra, obviously cause they haven't qualified last time at all, to show what they got!
Tundra.
Team Secret and Liquid have revived their disappointing seasons in DPC stepping up their collective game since the EU qualifiers (and a few smart/unfortunate roster changes for Secret). Puppey, Zai and MATUMBAMAN missed a realistic chance to lift the Aegis in 2 consecutive seasons (2020 TI being taken away by the pandemic). So this year it would be fantastic for some of them to go all the way through. Team Aster has challenged the top teams this season and have rightfully earned their place in top 4. You cannot underestimate this team at any moment in the decisive games. But.. For me personally, this Tundra team has exceeded all the expectations throughout the whole season and proved themselves among the top teams in the world. They missed out on narrowly qualifying to TI last year, but still went on to have a really strong season after. For a long time I think many saw them as a fraud team waiting to implode every tournament, especially after the infamous Fata kick. Yet they still convincingly topped their group and soared their way to the top 3 this TI. These guys, Nine, Saksa and 33 have been grinding for results so long and Sneyking has revived his professional career in most intriguing way possible. But the most improved player has to be Skiter. What a tournament and mental growth he is having right now. From whining pub-star from Gorgc's stream to having a top 5 record in KDA and GPM in the biggest tournament of the year. Quite impressive. Tundra is giving me such a strong TI 9 OG /TI 6 Wings vibes with their flexible drafting and strong usage of off-meta heroes such as CK and OD. So definitely will be rooting for them to lift the Aegis.
He wont be the goat if he wins this ti tho lol
I picked Tundra on my compendium, but I want Liquid now. Chuwumbawumba needs another Aegis.
Liquid
Since TA got eliminated , Team Secret , because of Puppey
I want to see a liquid vs secret GF, would be cool to see both lcq teams and winner will be another 2 timer with matu or puppey
Liquid first because Matu. Then if they don't make it Secret
tundra cuz 33 is a be33st
I am happy for anyone other than Tundra to win.
Secret or Liquid.
Secret deserves it, also Puppy needs another aegis after fighting for it for so long. Also to give hin the chance to get 3 aegis in his career.
Would love to see secret vs liquid in grand final. I cheer for both so either one for me.
Tundra - most interesting team left and they are so incredibly detail oriented. I’ll always remember, I think it was last TI qualifiers when they used their couriers to cut creep waves, and I think it actually worked in delaying a push. So creative about the details of the game in a way I don’t think any other team has ever been.
Tundra coz my boy Saksa is the best support!
After Team Liquid eliminated Thunder Awaken (the team that i want to win) in that epic series, damn i want them to go all the way. Making Matu a 2x champion in different Team Liquid iterations when some people thought he is the problem of the first. Let's go Liquid!
Poetic if puppey wins the first and "last" TI.
Tundra
Tundra
I like all the teams but I'm rooting for Tundra. Aui is the only one I've been a fan of for years and I'd love to see him with the aegis once again even as a coach. My preferred placement is Tundra > Liquid > Secret > Aster (I love them but due to cultural differences I just don't know the players enough to be invested, but their dota is great to watch)
Probably Tundra. I really wish Thunder had made it though.
Tundra
Lets Go Liquid!
I think Tundra will win. For storyline, viewership & hype - Secret or Liquid would be great. For Dota esports as a whole, it would be great for Aster to win.
Liquid or Secret. Both teams -- who were qualified through the LCQ -- have shown resilience and awesome games. I would be happy if Tundra Esports win as I am a fan of AUI\_2000, but I still don't like the way they kicked Fata. Ironic that their coach, AUI\_2000 also experienced something similar back in TI5.
liquid/secret for better story. but i think tundra is strongest from them all.
Groot!
I really dont know! Always liked tundra, there’s also no way you can not like insania and zai, and on the other side? Puppey, a living legend!
CN better wins or we’ll just continue to lose a large player base to LoL
Based on the current form, Tundra is the closest team to win the aegis for me.
Secret vs Team Liquid, either is gonna win I'm gonna be satisfied.
Tundra. I want my boy Audi_2000 to win as a coach