TI6 Group Stage matches: Teams put on strong opening performances

The TI6 Group Stage debuted in a spectacular fashion, as the first series of four simultaneous matches delivered high quality Dota, breath-taking moments and unpredictable comebacks.

The TI6 Group Stage matches continue, in Seattle, with four more sets of encounters within both groups. The second day of the Group Stage will kick off on August 4th, at 18:00 CEST (09:00 PDT).

UPDATE (August 13th):

TI6 final standings, updates and highlights – HERE

The first set of TI6 Group Stage matches lived up to the expectations, as each game kept hundreds of thousands of spectators on the edge of their seats. 

The Group Stage debuted with four, high octane, match-ups.

Aggressiveness was the name of the game. Na’Vi rolled over Escape Gaming in 18 minutes, in the second game of their opening series, while LGD and Wings Gaming managed to withstand the onslaught of EG and OG, respectively.

Faith did not favor TnC, as the Filipino team lost both games against Alliance.

The Na’Vi Blitzkrieg – Na’Vi [1:1] Escape Gaming

Natus Vincere was the prize ship of the Group Stage opening series, due to their outstanding performance versus Escape Gaming, after a two-game series that swung from one team to the other. The first game was peppered with kills and ganks coming from Na’Vi, but each gank came at a cost – one support and a core lost to Escape. Little by little, Escape Gaming managed to capitalize on Na’Vi’s missteps and drove the victory home in under 40 minutes.

The second game had Na’Vi’s fans at the edge of their seats, as the Ukrainian team rolled with a strong mid-game, push-oriented lineup. This time, Na’Vi was trading kills efficiently, continuing to apply nonstop pressure. Escape’s towers started to fall one by one, alongside their heroes. Na’Vi continued to press on the advantage, securing the first Roshan on Dendi’s Drow Ranger and marching towards the mid barracks.

Although Na’Vi didn’t have any of they key ultimates, they continued the uphill siege, slowly chipping away Escape’s tower and barracks. One final, greedy dive from Na’Vi hit the last nail in Escape’s coffin, as they called GG just a bit shy of minute 19.

TI6 favorites, OG, not invincible – OG [1:1] LGD Gaming

Coming into this match-up as the underdogs, LGD managed to surprise everybody with an epic 20k networth comeback, in the first round. OG started strong with Miracle- making quick work with his Legion Commander, as the trumpets of every successful duel sung across the map. LGD seized every opportunity to push, slowly wittering out their defenses.

Under the constant pressure of LGD’s elusive Morphling, OG start to make mistakes and even give out duels to their opponents. LGD manage to catch up to OG’s mid-game advantage and try to break the stalemate by taking Roshan.

In a desperate attempt, OG dive into the Rosh pit but end up giving kills one by one and the Aegis to LGD, marking the final moments of this heart-stopping match. With no buybacks or heroes to defend, OG’s ancient crumbles and GG is called.

Going into the second game, OG continue to apply early game pressure and secure kills, but this time they manage to remain cool under LGD’s constant pressure. Now, LGD are the ones feeling the need to rush into battle, as their push-heavy lineup is starting to miss its mark.

Miracle- delivers spectacular plays deep within enemy territory and soon OG starts bringing Refresher Orbs into their fights, obliterating any resistance from the Chinese team. Every team-fight coming from OG is a show of might and coordinated double ultimates that lead to the team’s final and victorious push.

EG and Wings show determination – EG [1:1] Wings Gaming

Evil Geniuses decided on a draft that brings a great amount of sustainability, thanks to the presence of Io and Dazzle, supports that revolved around two sturdy cores – Huskar and Slardar – and a Batrider to further add to their ganking factor.

In response, we had Wings Gaming opening with a Mirana pick and then opting for a Oracle, quickly followed by a Timbersaw and a Sandking. Viper sealed the deal for a heavy counter-draft.

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TI6 Group Stage matches TI6 Group Stage matches TI6 Group Stage matches TI6 Group Stage matches TI6 Group Stage matches TI6 Group Stage matches TI6 Group Stage matches

Moving into the match, the fist blood went to Wings Gaming, putting a small dent into EG’s aggressive game-play. The North-Americans managed to pick up the pace around minute 5. Thanks to the Io-Huskar combo, EG delivered swift death to any hero they came across on the map.

Despite the constant pressure and heavy casualties, Wings managed to respond to each fight and recover from their early-game losses. With items coming online on their core heroes and a Roshan for Viper, Wings started turning the tides.

Now on a more equal footing, kills started going left and right, and both teams tried to capitalize on every team-fight they won. Bases started to crumble, and one wrong step from EG gave Wings Gaming the chance to deliver the final blow, after 47 minutes.

The second match was a roller-coaster of emotions, as both teams continued trading kills on every lane. Wings Gaming’s unpredictable nature shined, as they delivered shock and awe in every team-fight. Every Batrider Lasso was closely followed by a spectacular RP from Magnus, leaving EG breathless and dead on the ground.

Despite losing so many fights, EG managed to maintain balance and continued taking objectives. Even in the face of a rampaging Slark, EG did not falter and continued to march at a steady pace towards the Dire barracks. A greedy play from SumaiL on Huskar set the stage for Zai’s Io to shine, as he managed a clutch ultimate that ultimately saved Huskar’s life at the expense of his own.

With only one set of barracks left, Wings Gaming tried to pick off any hero they came across. The final push for EG forced Wings to commit everything they had, as Pudge’s hook snatched Huskar, only to realize he bit more than he could chew. The whole team descended upon Huskar, but his Satanic gave him the upper hand. Wings Gaming called GG.

TnC’s underwhelming performance – TnC [0:2] Alliance

Unfortunately, TnC didn’t stand a chance in the face of Alliance’s superior execution of “Rat Dota”. TnC opted for a greedy lineup right off the bat – a draft that fell short against Alliance’s Drow Ranger-Nature’s Prophet combo.  
Alchemist’s heavy farm reliance came to TnC’s detriment, as they were constantly scrambling to defend their towers, despite their early dominance. The tides suddenly turned in favor of Alliance and they became an unstoppable force that ultimately crushed TnC.

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Going into the second game, TnC opted for a push-heavy draft against the rat kings themselves. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for TnC and Alliance were able to steamroll from the very beginning.

Every time TnC managed to get a kill, Alliance would take tenfold, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Despite their poor performance, TnC managed to hold out considerably, as the final blow was delivered past the 40 minute mark.

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