The Team Liquid Dota 2 Awards 2012

From the Team Liquid Editorial Panel

Historically, TeamLiquid has done a series of awards for Starcraft 2 and Brood War, commemorating the best players, teams and community members in various categories for their exploits. In 2012, we made an unprecedented leap into a non-Starcraft game and turned our eyes towards Dota 2 coverage and a Dota 2 team of our own. It would only be natural if we ported one of our most popular coverage articles to this new game as well!

Dota 2 has exploded on to the competitive gaming scene with monumental success ever since The International 1 in 2011. 2012 has given us not only the long-awaited sequel to The International, but a slew of community-organized tournaments as well, such as The Defense, the Beyond The Summit World Tour, StarLadder, Dreamhack and many others. 2012 also heralded China's transition from DotA 1 to Dota 2 with explosive results in the scene, bringing back the dominant country in Dota to the limelight again.

Teams shuffled, players joined and quit, and there was much drama to be had. We have the best of the best, and worst of the worst (!) in our TeamLiquid Dota 2 Awards for 2012, so without further ado, here we go!

The rise of the Chinese teams was one of the most anticipated stories of the Dota scene leading up to The International 2. The strength of Chinese carries was legendary, even among the most seasoned of Dota professionals, and by no means did any of the Chinese teams at The International fail to remind the rest of the world of their strength. However, one particular carry stood out. During The International 2, midst the tyranny of Anti-Mage and Morphling, a player named Zhou quietly began the rise of popularity of what is now one of the strongest carries in the game. The first time Zhou chose Luna in the tournament, eyebrows were raised. But he won. And then he won some more, and then he won some more, all on the back of an early-to-mid-game aggressive Tranquil Boots, Drums, Aquila strategy that put pressure on with early pushes, a far cry from the 4-protect-1 farm-focused style that many Chinese carries were known for. Since then, Zhou has shown competency from all sorts of carries ranging from Necrolyte to Alchemist in his games, and he's been even known to pick up non-carry positions for his team with heroes like Enigma in his pocket.

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With every strong carry, there must be a strong team to support him. Both iG's Faith and ChuaN have shown up in our voting process for this category, and both of them deserve it. Both of them are well known for all aspects of their support play, whether it be their meticulous multiple pulls and stacks of jungle camps for their carries to farm later (or, for them to farm themselves and guarantee levels) or whether it be extremely early Smokes and aggression into all lanes to provide openings for Ferrari, YYF or Zhou, or whether it be their excellent presence of mind in team fights - clutch Disruptions, brilliant Illuminates, amazing Black Holes and the likes are all in the repertoire of both of these players. Faith, in particular, has shown amazing competency in his craft, with some of the lowest deaths and highest KDA ratios across all of his heroes throughout every tournament he's in. His presence of mind in teamfights and complete knowledge of exactly how far he can push his hero while still remaining safe is testament to how difficult playing a support can actually be at the highest levels.

"Ganker" is a term we used for anyone who seeks to create openings for their team in the early-to-mid-game. In the Chinese-style of team positions, this is very often the 2 or 3 position, although, as evidenced by Puppey's presence, it could also be the 4 or 5 in certain cases. Nevertheless, these players have a penchant for PK and are often found stalking about the map or teleporting into teamfights to slake their thirst for blood instead of farming creeps all day. In that vein, Ferrari_430 is for sure one of the premiere players in this category. He has shown competency with the complete roster of solo mid heroes. He possesses legendary skill with Night Stalker, Invoker and Templar Assassin in particular, but Ferrari truly has no weak heroes in the lane, being able to play everything from Tinker to Brewmaster to Puck to Queen of Pain all to their highest potential. Yet one thing is for certain no matter what hero he picks. He may be a solo mid specialist, but all that means is that he is that much closer to you to close in for the kill, and should you not have your eye on his position for even the slightest second, you could find your life cut down.

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With nearly a hundred different heroes that each can fill a number of different roles, the possible strategies that one can come up with in Dota 2 is almost uncountable. Unfortunately, not all of them are viable at the competitive level, but sometimes, teams come up with something very interesting and wow the crowd with their creativity. EG's Knight strategy is not only a brilliant theme, but it also has a clear and powerful gameplan that centers around some of the most powerful heroes in the game. The strategy revolves around extremely fast pushes and strong team fights on the back of four Knights - Omniknight in the solo suicide lane, Chen the Holy Knight in the jungle, Dragon Knight as a solo mid, and Chaos Knight plus his trusty steed Leshrac together in the safe lane. Not only are these mighty soldiers (and one ghost pony) an awesome theme to have for a team, it combines some of the best pushers in Dragon Knight, Leshrac and Chen with an extremely strong early game presence. Omniknight is nearly unkillable in lane and needs little farm to be useful to his team, Dragon Knight is historically an extremely strong solo mid, Chen provides excellent sustainability and auras for his team, and Chaos Knight and Leshrac is a tried and tested 1-2 stun combo that can turn any opportunity into sure kills. It is with pleasure that we give EG's brilliant and thematic cavalry the Most Innovative Strategy for 2012.

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In the short course of a year, Dark Seer has gone from almost-never-picked tier to immediate-nerf-by-IceFrog tier, down to first-pick-first-ban tier and now sits comfortably as a common pick and ban. In early 2012, Dark Seer was a hero that was very experimental. His strength as an offlaner was explored a little bit, but he didn't reach his heights of popularity until eventually, people realized that he could put pressure on the lane without even being present. From there, people realized how broken the Aghanim's Scepter on him was, allowing for infinite illusion sieges as you just made allied illusions. This strategy dominated the metagame so quickly that he was instantly relegated to first-ban status in every game until IceFrog struck him down hard with the nerf bat, removing the ability to create allied illusions. But this didn't deter teams who had now found the teamfight and laning versatility of Dark Seer far too strong to give up, and he remained a contested pick all the way up and through The International. Recently, his presence hasn't been felt quite as strongly with balance changes favoring a different playstyle than the one Dark Seer excels in and the addition of Magnus as an alternative to his pick, but he is still an extremely strong hero.

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With the players that we just listed for the best players of their respective categories, this award shouldn't go as a surprise to anyone. In early 2012, the whispers of the Chinese teams trying out Dota 2 began to increase in volume. They made their appearance in The International 1, but they were still well and truly focused in DotA 1 at the time because that's where the money was in China. Once The International 2 was announced, it was only a matter of time before China focused their efforts to Dota 2, and they exploded onto the scene showing all of the same dominance that they had in the game's predecessor, and no team exemplifies that dominance as well as The International 2 champions Invictus Gaming. The battle between them and Na`Vi during the semifinals and finals truly showed the resilience of the Chinese teams, but iG did what the other Chinese teams could not - they successfully adapted against the unpredictable Na`Vi and emerged victorious with more solid play. Their consistency, individual skill and adaptability are all top notch, and it is with pleasure that we name iG as Team of the Year.

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Sometimes, there's just a player that you can't help but notice. One that's always entertaining and always draws the spotlight to himself regardless of his performance. There is no doubt that that player this year is Na`Vi's Dendi. What makes him so popular? Well, pretty much everything, as it turns out. His playstyle is aggressive and entertaining, and he is often seen making the huge plays for his team, whether it be stealing a huge ultimate as Rubick, landing perfect spell combos as Invoker or playing the nightmare to many teams who face Na`Vi - Pudge, every game with Dendi is sure to entertain. His player skill is through the roof, as he has shown himself to be one of the best of the best solo players in the game, even when the odds are against him. His interviews and interactions with his teammates as highlighted by various highlight videos from Na`Vi and Valve themselves proves that he is about as quirky and unpredictable out of game as he is in game. As one of the mainstays of one of the most stable Western teams out there, I think we can easily say that he won't be going anywhere for quite some time. And I don't think anyone's complaining.

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And similarly, the most charismatic team is the team with the most charismatic players. The defending champions of The International 1 and sporting a bunch of strong results going into The International 2, all eyes were on the Na`Vi storyline as they fought against the Chinese resurgence, and boy did they deliver. A weak early start in the group stage segued into an astoundingly strong showing during the bracket stage, cementing them as the Western hope in the tournament. Although they were ultimately defeated by iG in the finals, they were for sure one of the fan favorites of the tournament. Na`Vi as an organization is also known to create many hilarious highlight videos and interviews into the very unique mindsets of their players, winning fans and enemies alike. Yet no matter what, regardless of how seemingly unseriously they may take their jobs at times, Na`Vi's players are consistently among the highest echelon of skill, and their continued strong results only serves to give their players even more time in the limelight where they are most comfortable.

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When you are the hard carry of your team, your job is to stay alive and output as much damage as you possibly can. Openings are created for you, and it's up to you to capitalize on those openings. sqL vs. EG game 2 was a classic battle of an early game teamfight/pushing oriented lineup against a late-game hypercarry lineup, and although EG managed to gain significant ground in the early game, it was not nearly enough of an advantage for them to stymie the farm of sqL's carries. It seemed like the game would play out like so many similar games have played out in the past - eventually, sqL would break out of their base and seek to take down EG themselves. And sqL did successfully manage to break out of their base, and Fumoffu began to push. Alone. Into an enemy team with a Storm Spirit that could easily provide the opening for his team. Multiple times. Without buyback ready. With the absence of their main damage dealer for many fights, sqL successfully gave momentum back to EG... until Fear bought a Rapier and lost it in a crucial team fight. For a second, it seemed that sqL had their win handed back to them... but Fumoffu was having none of that. Instead, the stalwart Rubick picked up the Rapier and proceeded to lose it in about half a second, and EG laughed their way all the way to the ancient. This event would give birth to the new name of sqL after their sponsor dropped them - Fumoffu's Throws Fan Club.

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A rolling stone gathers no moss, or so they say. From the draft stage, things looked bleak for EHOME, with them opting for the Tiny-Wisp combination (then not nearly as popular as it would soon become) against the stable Morphling pick of Orange. The early and mid game would not be kind to them as well, as they gave up map control and momentum in many places - they would eventually find themselves facing a 14000 gold deficit at only 20 minutes into the game. Yet, strangely, despite this advantage, Orange could not push through the stone bulwark of EHOME's defense. Try as they might, all they succeeded was throwing bodies futilely into EHOME's defense. EHOME was soon able to capitalize on the global presence of Tiny and Wisp. And eventually, Tiny grew and grew, gathering momentum, slowly but surely until he became a mighty wrecking ball, and Orange crumbled under the mighty rock ball.

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After a decisive game one in this series, Na`Vi found themselves with their back against the wall against the behemoth of The International, LGD. Undefeated, 19-0 LGD. The momentum seemed like it was completely overwhelming, and that Na`Vi would just be another casualty on LGD's uncontested trip to the finals. But, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Na`Vi fought back brilliantly behind their signature Juggernaut pick along with a strong pushing lineup with Lycanthrope, Enigma, Shadow Shaman and Rubick. Despite giving up kills early and being at an 8-2 deficit at one point, Na`Vi was never deterred from their lineup's strength, and took complete map control by 25 minutes into the game. From there, it was a short reprieve for LGD before Na`Vi decided to finish it decisively. Although the game was relatively one-sided and the kill count was low, the importance of the match is what caused it to shine. Na`Vi handed LGD their first loss of the tournament and toppled the mighty giant like David to Goliath. With LGD's momentum completely stunted by this loss, they would soon lose the series to Na`Vi and fall to the lower bracket, where they would finally be dismantled by their fellow countrymen iG, and Na`Vi proved that odds and momentum mean nothing to them. Each game is just another game.

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In Dota, sometimes the timer doesn't even have to reach the 0 minute mark in order for the action to start. During the Dreamhack Winter Finals, upstart team No Tidehunter played the crowd, themselves and the enemy with a brilliant bait at Roshan before the creeps spawned. Shortly after spawning, four of nth` Smoked up and ran straight into the Radiant jungle - a move not often seen, but not completely unheard of. However, fifth member AdmiralBulldog on Furion went into Roshan and suicided himself, drawing the attention of EG. However, when EG arrived at the pit, they saw nothing until the nth` squad stalked them from behind, landing an easy first and second blood thanks to the bait. This brilliant maneuver showcased nth`'s nerves, ingenuity, and complete understanding of their opponent on one of the grandest Dota 2 stages, and will definitely be one to remember.

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In late 2011, a relatively unknown TeamLiquid poster by the name of EternalEnvy posted in Dota 2 General his plans to take a leave from school to try his hand at playing Dota 2 professionally. The reactions to the thread were mixed, but overall negative. Skeptics believed that the scene wouldn't grow, or that he wasn't good enough to succeed, or that he should just stick with his education... and EternalEnvy politely declined their concerns and went ahead with it anyway. He disappeared for awhile, but began rising in the community as a skilled player, often showing up in the highest-level pub games. Among players that he would encounter on his rise was a Syllabear specialist named AdmiralBulldog, and together, they would become known as two of the strongest "pub stars" in the Dota 2 scene... until suddenly, out of nowhere, it was announced that both of them would be joining No Tidehunter with EternalEnvy as captain. Reactions were mixed - two pub stars joining some of the most legendary Swedish Dota 2 players in history? But the doubters were quickly silenced, as No Tidehunter scored victory after victory after victory, proving that yes, dreams can and do come true as long as you're willing to put the hard work into it.

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Dota 2 may be in its infancy, but the DotA scene has a long and storied history. As Dota 2 gets more popular, players of old find themselves hard pressed to resist the clarion call of competition once again, and with every passing minute, old blood is revitalized and flows back into the scene. One such player who has made resounding success with the scene is nth`'s Loda, once of MYM and SK fame. In late 2011, he announced that he was seeking to make a Swedish team with his old teammate Akke, and in 2012, they were picked up by League of Legends powerhouse Counter Logic Gaming. However, due to intrateam issues, Loda ended up leaving shortly afterwards. Some time passed before he was found halfway across the world, surprising people by joining Singaporean team Zenith and representing them at The International. However, after The International, Loda sought to return home to Sweden. By this time, Counter Logic Gaming had disbanded, and Loda found himself creating a new team with its remnants and a few upstarts. Calling themselves "No Tidehunter," the team exploded onto the scene with resounding success, ending the year with a Dreamhack Winter victory and a place among the giants of Western Dota.

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I believe that our beloved Russian commentator v1lat can do this category more justice than I could ever hope to in words. So, here you go. (Be sure to turn on subtitles!)

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The first International at GamesCom in 2011 was Valve's first foray into producing an eSports event themselves, and quite frankly, it fell a bit flat. There was a lot of downtime, no storylines, and not even player cameras. Expectations were high going into The International 2, which took place in Valve's own backyard of Bellevue, Washington. This location proved to be instrumental, as Valve was able to invite all the teams to the event a week beforehand to play preliminaries and group stages, eliminating all possibilities of jet lag and rest advantages to both teams. And what emerged was one of the best-produced eSports events of all 2012 across all games. An extremely professionally produced venue complete with soundproof booths in a gigantic theater hall, awesome interviews and commentary from the analysis desk, and the ability to watch the game from a multitude of platforms including in game with Valve's new pennant system all combined together for an amazing viewing experience. The International is the first truly international tournament, inviting teams from every region of the world together to compete, and it still remains the premiere tournament and the goal and dreams of every professional Dota 2 player.

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One of the biggest Dota 2 stories of 2012 was the transition of the Southeast Asian and Chinese scenes into the DotA sequel, and with their transition brought the need of casters knowledgeable about the scene and willing to cover the tournaments in the new time zone. With the BeyondTheSummit World Tour before the International, LD, Luminous, GodZ and the other fine folks at BeyondTheSummit stepped up to the plate and took on the position of premiere Asian scene coverage on top of the European tournaments they were already casting at the time, and they did it with aplomb. They were rewarded with trips to The International, where GodZ would handle the analysis desk and LD and Luminous would provide amazing commentary for some of the best games in the tournament. Afterwards, the workload did not decrease in the slightest, as more and more Asian tournaments began to take place. LD in particular rose to astounding fame, casting, well, pretty much every tournament under the sun. With his insight into the scene, sound strategical knowledge and witty humor (knock knock!), it is with pleasure that we give LD the Caster of the Year award, and note that he is the only person to win his nomination unanimously among the staff. But seriously, does this guy cast in his sleep?

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