Multiplay's Insomnia 49 - Ones to watch.
Dota 2 in UK | 22 August 2013, 19:50 | By w'll
Today we'll be looking at the 'Ones to watch' and our pundits' opinions on what we think their final standings will be when the smoke clears on Monday.
against All authority
SEVtm, BanZ, SpidaH, Sky & VladTepez.
The French, returning to the UK again as they had for epicTEN where they won the whole event losing only one game. Formerely imaGinary Gaming, they've been picked up by the stalwart organisation against All authority after qualifying for EMS One's Summer Season. Taking games off of teams like Quantic on LAN in Poland, these guys are the real deal.
Prediction: 1st.
Reason Gaming
DreadKnight, 1cHiGo_, Antab, Infernokoi & Mute242.
Dreads Jabroni's, the result of what happens when you combine the fatal mix of too much dungeons and dragons with daily scrimmage. The winners of the UK online qualifer have more than earned their stripes in recent weeks, managing to complete the tournament without their captain, who when needed was working on his tan for upcoming extracurricular shennanigans this weekend. The UK side to take this LAN event or the UK side to let us down vs the French again.
Prediction: 2nd.
SmackDownSyndrome (SdS)
Simba, Geid, Mike, PuK & Steve.
SdS won the first prized Insomnia event for Heroes of Newerth, now they're back for Insomnias first prized event for Dota 2. Having put in a frightfully good performance in the online qualifiers they'll be in this for the gold. One of the most capable sides attending the event but one of the least practiced. Simba's pride could possibly be let down in the later stages of the tournament by their discipline.
Prediction: 3rd.
TmF Gaming
NepaliiJesus, Koyukai, Peo, ioN & Betu.KS.
The Nepalese return after their perfect win recently at epicELEVEN, another long standing UK side, they've definately got the talent, the experience and the track record now. Sadly Nepalii's Gurkhas lack a certain je ne sais quoi in online events only securing the win in one of our competitions. They've had their own run of bad luck in the past being swindled out of Dotatalks LAN group stages in January and having to default out of the Online qualifier due to being busy becoming the second team to take home a UK LAN title. TmF have only lost one game on LAN over two events.
Prediction: 4th.
Karnage eSports
Youth, Dawgnuts, Pote, Razyni & Snackish.
Karnage's first LAN together as this team but not their first LAN as friends, these guys are stalwarts of Insomnia summer events and with some lack lustre results in recent events they'll be out with something to prove. Can Youths experience bring in the results?
Prediction: 5th.
BBQ Chicken E-Sports (BCE)
Tyrox, Cook, Elya, tone & Richie.
A newer set of players on the block, BCE have been putting in the work, of all the UK entrants BCE got the furthest in the recent EIZO Cup. They're more than capable but I don't think experience favours their cause, it's your mission to prove me wrong (and let Cook have a game on Invoker!)
Prediction: 6th.
Honorable mentions:
#sowarcraft3
PaulGG, Alex, Craig, Luke & Zied.
Currently in the lower bracket final of the GAMEFACE opening league as 'What Would Chuan Do', the salve ferry master's boys are keen to go to work at their first LAN event, dispondent with their preformance & quick exit in the group stages of the online qualifier. They've been back in action this past week raking the hours in and could quite easly go on to write an underdog story suitable for American day time TV if the LAN pressure doesn't get to them.
DENCH
Dokii, Jethro, MesmerizE, Sahtyre & King Dave.
The Denchmen are practically an institution in UKDota, a lovely set of chaps who've been about since our inception. I'm led to believe this is their last hoorah as a team as they will be wandering off into the sunset shortly after this LAN. They're without Hadz for this event who pulled out of the runnings and have picked up our resident wife beater, King Dave himself, to fill the boots of the carry position. Sadly DENCH haven't been putting the hours in as they're more than capable lads and they've got an upset or two up their sleeve, depending on whether Daves not arrested for indecent exposure on Friday.
All pre-grand final Dota 2 from this weekend will be streamed here.
Disagree with the predictions? Let us know in the comments below.