Gaming
It’s transfer time in Dota 2, and we’ve dreamed up a super team to dominate the Shanghai major.
After OG’s incredible run at the first ever Frankfurt Major last month, the world of competitive Dota 2 has fixed its gaze on the Winter Major, which is due to be held in Shanghai next March. Over the last couple of weeks, teams have been shuffling their rosters to try to build the strongest roster they can, in the hopes of receiving a direct invite to the event or one of the regional qualifiers. And that got us thinking: which seven players would make up the ultimate Dota 2 squad right now? A team made up only of the best in each position, which would systematically destroy anyone unlucky enough to face them, and look good doing it too?
Who makes the list? Read on to find out our picks for the Shanghai Major dream team.
Carry – Xu 'BurNIng' Zhilei
Despite being one of the oldest and most experienced carries in the world, Xu 'BurNIng' Zhilei may not have been the most obvious choice for the team. Other players may have more star power, or regularly feature on highlight reels; Zhilei is not that guy, but he just constantly makes the right choices. Rarely will you see Zhilei feed away kills or be significantly behind on last hits, and even when he does get shut down, he often manages to find a way back into the game.
After coming out of retirement for the Dota Asia Championships earlier this year, Zhilei has regained his place as the best carry in the east, with incredible performances for both Invictus Gaming and ViCi Gaming. While IG had a disappointing time at TI5, finishing joint-ninth, Zhilei managed to secure himself a spot on ViCi after the event, and they went on to finish fifth at the Frankfurt Major. What he needs right now is a team that matches his consistency – something that was lacking at IG – so we think being a part of this dream team would see him return to his absolute best.
Midlane – Amer 'Miracle-' al-Barqawi
If you haven’t paid attention to competitive Dota since The International 5, you could be forgiven for not knowing who Amer 'Miracle-' al-Barqawi is. Apart from a brief stint with Balkan Bears at the beginning of the year, al-Barqawi had been teamless until joining (monkey) Business during the post-TI5 shuffle. Prior to joining the team that would eventually become OG, al-Barqawi was best known for having the highest MMR (Matchmaking Rating) in Europe and being one of the first players to break the 8K MMR barrier.
While al-Barqawi has some serious competition from fellow pub star and Team Secret mid-laner Aliwi 'w33' Omar, it was his performance at the Frankfurt Major that gave him a spot on this dream team. He won his lane comfortably in almost every game, and thanks to OG’s consistent Tiny Wisp threat, he proved to the world that his Shadow Fiend is a serious threat to anyone.
Offlane – Saahil 'UNiVeRsE' Arora
When it comes to the best offlaner of 2015, you simply cannot look past the man who hit the six-million-dollar echo slam. Saahil 'UNiVeRsE' Arora had the tournament of his life at The International 5 back in August, helping Evil Geniuses to take home first place and a cool US$6.6 million. He made play after play at the event, constantly outplaying opponents and turning fights on his way to our MVP award. Sure, he might not have hit those incredibly high levels in recent months, but there’s little argument that he remains one of the best offlaners in the world, and it’s still impossible not to include him after seeing what he was capable of at TI5.
It wasn’t just that performance that secured him this spot, though. Arora is as decorated as anyone in Dota 2 competitive play, and is one of only two people in the entirety of eSports to have won over US$2m in prize money. You just can’t overlook that sort of experience, and that seals the deal for Arora in our dream team.
Roaming Support – Clement 'Puppey' Ivanov
He may be only 25 years old, but Clement 'Puppey' Ivanov is one of the most experienced Dota players ever, having started playing at a competitive level way back in 2007. His career really took off after winning The International back in 2011, as a part of the Na’Vi team that famously only got access to Dota 2 three weeks before the tournament. Since then he has grown into one of the best captains in the world, occupying both roaming and hard-support roles across many Na’Vi teams. After TI4 he left Natus Vincere to form Team Secret, and has enjoyed a lot of success over the past 12 months, winning multiple LANs and taking second place at the Frankfurt Major.
Many consider Ivanov to be best as a hard support, but if his performances with Team Secret are anything to go by, he’s a threat with virtually any hero. Often he will deal a ton of damage to opponents during the fight, stopping at the last second to make sure that the hard carry or ganker secures the kill and the extra gold. His economy management is second-to-none, and as a result he’s our roaming support for the Shanghai dream team.
Support – Peter 'ppd' Dager
Peter 'ppd' Dager could quite easily be considered the single best captain in Dota 2. He has led Evil Geniuses to multiple first places in major tournaments, and this year alone they have taken home over a million dollars in prize money, having won both the Dota 2 Asia Championships and The International 5. Previously a pro Heroes of Newerth player, Dager was fairly late to the Dota 2 scene, arriving in late-2013. Along with other former HoN players like David ‘MoonMeander’ Tan, he adapted quickly, and was snapped up by Evil Geniuses.
Dager is a true position-five support, constantly buying wards, dust, smoke and other consumable items to help out the team, often at the expense of getting some marquee items for himself. He would also be our in-game shot caller and primary drafter (with a fair amount of help from Puppey of course), thanks to his unique drafting style, which often sees him bring out non-meta heroes.
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