The Rematch at the Finals of the Razer NEXT Season 2 Finals: Execration versus Arcanys
For the finals of the Razer NEXT Season 2 online tournament, there could have been no better matchup than to pit what I suspect would be a premium rivalry in Philippine Dota 2.
Execration, the first Philippine team to make into the LAN finals of the StarLadder, cut a fiery swath across the Northern Conference of the Razer NEXT online tournament. Along the way, they faced other up-and-coming names in Skyville and Minerva. Soon, the team from Cavite found themselves within striking distance of the finals as one more team stood in their way.
In the end, Wake Up Girls — the feisty Bacolod team known for having talented hero killers and flashy engage lineups — couldn’t stop Execration. Execration simply moved too fast, too aggressively and too focused for the young Bacolod team to beat.
This was an Execration team on a mission. Their target: one of the few teams in the Philippines to hand them a loss at the Mineski Pro Gaming League (MPGL) Season 6 Southeast Asian Grand Finals — Arcanys.
Arcanys’ story is the classic foil to Execration. As the winner of the last Razer NEXT online tournament, Arcanys IS the top dog of the Philippine online tourney circuit. The team from Visayas and Mindanao play a lot like a classic video game end-boss.
Their games against Minerva in the semi-finals showed Arcanys’ signature late-game inevitability. This was a team, after all, who became endeared to Philippine fans for their creative use of late-game dominating support heroes such as Earthshaker and Vengeful Spirit to back up their unstoppable late-game carries in Medusa and Phantom Assassin.
And so, we find ourselves here at the finals of the Razer NEXT Season 2 finals with a classic showdown and the beginnings of a classic rivalry. Arcanys versus Execration. The last time these two teams faced each other, Execration dazzled Arcanys with their trademark early-game rotations and aggressive tower dives to secure kills on key heroes from Arcanys.
Even as Execration competed against the best European and American teams in StarLadder, the world took notice of Execration’s unceasing attacks across the map. Back in MPGL, Execration thoroughly dominated Arcanys in their first game. This was a team that properly identified that Arcanys was a squad that felt comfortable in the late-game. Will they apply the same strategies against their rivals this weekend?
In contrast, Arcanys eventually did shove off from Execration’s pressure by playing safer and actively dragging the match to a point where their superior late-game mechanics and decision-making eventually overwhelmed Execration. For Arcanys to prevail, they will need to survive the opening volley of attacks from Execration and look to make their rotations unfavorable. Arcanys will have to look to their talented support and middle-lane cast to mitigate the damage done by the team from Cavite and extend the game to the point of no return.
Ultimately, the battle will showcase a clash of Dota 2 fundamentals: the early-game versus the late-game; engagements versus counter-engagements; offense versus defense.
Who will win the Razer NEXT Season 2 finals this Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015? Join us at www.twitch.tv/kaeliu and watch these two great teams go head-to-head for the title.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
