Rave Advances, TNC Gaming Gets Eliminated From The TI5 SEA Qualifiers
The International 5 Southeast Asia Qualifier playoffs has commenced with MVP.HOT6ix duking it out with sister team MVP.Phoenix in the upper bracket,, with the winner guaranteed a trip to Seattle and the loser going to the lower bracket (LB) final. On the other hand, the two Filipino representatives in the form of TNC Gaming and Rave are to sweat it out in the lower bracket, with the winner going forward and the loser being eliminated from TI 5.
Four teams remain. Two PH teams stand in this match. Who goes on?
Game 1: Clinkz and Weaver: The Runner Show
The two Philippine representatives decide to go all-out against each other in the first game of the TI 5 SEA lower bracket. While TNC gets a mobility draft in the form of Timbersaw and Clinkz, along with a Gyrocopter as a third core, Rave decide to go for a solid triple core strategy with picks such as Weaver, Leshrac and Bristleback.
TNC decided to go for the extremely aggressive plays, relying on the initiation provided by Nico “Eyyou” Barcelon’s Earthshaker as well as clash disruption tactics provided by Jhonel Jay “Seven” Maguddayao’s Undying as well as Sam “Sam” Enojosa Hidalgo’s Timbersaw.
Rave did whatever they could in order to keep themselves in the game, whether it be by pushing towers, applying pressure on the map or farming as safely as possible. Still, it was not enough to stave out the teamfight prowess that TNC showed throughout the duration of the match.
By the 30th minute mark, Rave just tapped out after losing a teamfight inside the Dire base. With that, TNC are now up 1-0 against Rave.
Game 2: Tit for Tat
Both teams pick up extremely aggressive lineups, with TNC picking up signature heroes in the form of Bloodseeker, Disruptor and Queen of Pain, while Rave gets their high-damage lineup in the form of Shadow Fiend, Leshrac and Lion.
Similar to the first match, TNC start off with their high-tempo play when John Linuel “Teehee” Abanto’s Bloodseeker gets an initial solo kill on Jio “Jeyo” Madayag’s SF. While TNC controlled the flow of the early game for the most part, Rave are able to give answers to the chaotic aggression that TNC shows this time around as they trade in clashes efficiently.
However, by the 20th minute onwards, Rave took the driver’s seat away from TNC, winning clashes convincingly and getting whatever objectives are there on the map.
The game ended at the 38th minute when Rave just rolled all over the TNC base and thus, the Korean-based Filipino squad brings it to a third game.
Game 3: Do or Die!
While Game 1 was a bloodbath and Game 2 was all about cohesion, Game 3 is all about options as both teams pick the heroes that they are most comfortable with.
Unlike in the previous games, both teams decided to lower down the tempo and rely instead on methodical plays, along with pick-off plays from both sides. The first blood of the game happens when three of TNC’s heroes gang up on Ryo “ryOyr” Hasegawa’s Broodmother on the top lane.
Chrissy’s AEGIS Snatch
Everything seemed to be relatively silent until the 18th minute when Djardel Jicko b. “Chrissy” Mampusti’s Ember Spirit snatched the Aegis from the TNC side, ryOyr almost pushed through TNC’s top tier three tower and Rave got a clash outside the Roshan pit.
However, the TNC side bounced back within the next five minutes, getting towers and heroes all over the map. At the 30th minute mark, the game is pretty much even in map control and kills for both sides with a 2000 gold advantage for Rave.
Still, it did not prove to be enough as the Rave lineup just rolled all over the TNC base, getting mega creeps in 38 minutes. A few seconds later, TNC taps out and Rave wins, 2-1.
At the end of the day, Rave advances to the lower bracket finals to face arch-rivals MVP.Phoenix in a best-of-three matchup. The winner of this match will go on to face MVP.HOT6ix in the grand finals of the qualifier in order to determine who gets the main event slot and who gets the wildcard slot, while the loser of this match will be eliminated from the TI5 SEA Qualifiers. Meanwhile, TNC Gaming gets a respectable fourth place finish after a very good run in the group stages of the qualifiers.
The SEA road to The International 5 continues!
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