EG Win Again

Virtus Pro vs Vici Gaming

The final day of The Summit 4 started off with Virtus Pro facing off against Vici Gaming, a matchup that we’d seen on the very first day. VG won that series 2-1, a result that VP were looking to avoid this time. In the first game, VG opted for a fourth pick Alchemist, and VP took Ursa to counter him middle. Despite a strong level 1 rune fight for VG that secured them first blood and the bounty rune for their Alchemist, VP’s early rotations proved too much for VG. Silent’s Gyrocopter snowballed the game to a 23 minute victory, and VG were back to the drawing board. For game 2, VG went with far more standard picks, but it wasn’t enough to save them. Virtus Pro continued to rotate better early and take better fights, and it took them just 2 minutes longer to secure the second game. VP had successfully reversed their previous loss to VG, and in dominating style. They were ready for their grand final opponents, EG.

Virtus Pro vs Evil Geniuses

The matchup between VP and EG wasn’t one that many had predicted for the grand finals. While EG were seen as favourites coming in, few people expected much out of VP, especially after their first series loss that put them into the loser’s bracket so early. The lower bracket warriors are EG, after all, not VP. Yet here we were, and VP were not only in the finals, but they also had momentum, having crushed both of their previous opponents 2-0 in quick, brutal series. EG were not going to have an easy win.

In the first game, EG chose to be radiant and VP opted for first pick. PPD was willing to give VP Shadow Fiend on dire, which Fng took with his first pick. This quickly proved to be a mistake, as G single handedly took over the game with a dominating individual performance. VP (and especially Lil’s Spirit Breaker) played well around him and gave him opportunities, but in the end, it was G’s near-double networth advantage over every other hero in the game that proved too much for EG to contest. At 33 minutes, game 1 was longer than VP had needed to defeat their other opponents recently but it was still a dominant performance. In game 2, EG again chose radiant and VP obligingly chose first pick again. EG banned slightly differently, assuming VP would take the SF and when PPD was right he was rewarded with a Gyrocopter for his troubles. VP developed their draft with the Drow + Visage combo, and EG decided to 5th pick Sumail’s signature Storm Spirit. VP last picked Disruptor as their counter of choice, which was somewhat surprising because Lil normally plays both Visage and Disruptor for them. Fng proved that Lil wasn’t the only talented Disruptor player on VP though, and despite a fairly even early game (including a bizarre 6-for-6 teamfight) VP were able to leverage the power of Drow + Visage to push early and often. A few strong fights later, they took high ground and when EG’s buybacks weren’t enough, we were on to a game 3 in just 24 minutes. The Virtus Plow was cruising along at full speed.

For game 3, with their backs against the wall, EG stuck to their guns and chose the radiant side, giving VP first pick. Again, VP took SF first, and again EG took Dazzle + Gyro in response. VP took the same Drow + Visage combo in the second phase, but this time EG responded with Bounty Hunter. EG had a very successful laning stage, winning all 3 lanes and securing some early kills. G’s SF did get excellent farm though, and with help from the jungle was able to draw ahead substantially in net worth. When EG’s Bounty Hunter failed to generate any action for the next little while, VP were able to draw ahead and it looked like the series could be over in a quick 3-0. Drow + Visage took down towers with a little help from SF, and despite Bounty Hunter finding some picks for EG, VP were looking to go high ground with an aegis on their Shadow Fiend at 26 minutes. EG, however, were able to hold their high ground very successfully, getting a 4 for 1 exchange with track kills and from there they took control of the game. Bounty Hunter’s map control kept EG in the lead and a few very favourable fights later, EG handed VP their first game loss in 7 games.

In game 4, Fng continued the drafting game of chicken, choosing to be first pick and letting EG opt for radiant again. VP duly chose Shadow Fiend first and EG responded with Dazzle + Gyro for the third straight game. EG chose Ember Spirit for Sumail, and VP countered with a last-pick carry Silencer. Despite G’s fourth consecutive monstrous performance on Shadow Fiend, Sumail’s Ember Spirit was unstoppable in minor engagements, and in teamfights UNiVeRsE’s Dark Seer was always there with a vacuum + wall combo. EG closed the game out with much less urgency than VP had shown in the rest of the series, ending it at just under 40 minutes.

And so we came to game 5; after all that Dota, either team could win it right here in a best of 1. Fng finally blinked in the draft, choosing radiant over first pick and allowing EG to take Shadow Fiend first pick. VP threw a wrench into the draft when they opted for a 4th pick Broodmother, but EG still had time to take Axe for their own 4th pick and last-picked the Sumail Timbersaw. The draft didn’t look very good for VP by the end, and despite Broodmother successfully taking over EG’s jungle for most of the game, EG constantly drew ahead. UNiVeRsE was consistently able to find good initiations on Axe and Lil had a disastrous game on Tusk. Eventually, Sumail’s Timbersaw had too much farm and too much AoE damage, and VP’s cores of Slardar, Viper and Broodmother simply didn’t have enough farm to win fights. EG played the game very meticulously, aiming for the long game even after winning quite a few midgame fights, and by the time they ended it 50 minutes in, the result had been clear for a while. EG completed the reverse-sweep and had won The Summit 4!

Final Results