Third time definitely seems to be the charm for TNC Pro Team‘s Rizal-based trio of Eyyou, Sam H, and Teehee.
After twice falling in the grand finals of the Mineski Pro-Gaming League, the boys in Orange were finally able to claim their first proper PH crown, as they swept Kim0’s Execration squad 3-0 in one of the most underwhelming finals in MPGL history. The aforementioned trio, who have been teammates in various teams back in the days of WC3 DotA, are the last remaining players from the TNC team that made waves summer of 2015, when they came out of nowhere in order to rival local giants Mski-Dota.
Coming into tonight’s finals, may had expected TNC’s newest acquisition, 15 y/o WinterGSmallSon to be the team’s make-or-break factor, making his debut in perhaps the grandest stage for local Dota. And while the rookie support played nothing less than solid in his three Vengeful Spirit games, it was the team’s core trio that would shine, as together they finally claimed the title that had, until tonight, proved to be most elusive.
GAME 1
The series opened with TNC easily claiming three quick kills at top lane, with their offensive trilane effectively contesting and slowing down Nando’s farm. However, the key point in the early game would be Teehee’s utter domination over Shanks in the midlane, as the former would find his Viper having 20 more denies than his lane opponent’s Invoker had last hits 12 minutes into the game.
TNC would easily raise ahead thanks to winning two of their lanes, and practically breaking even down at botlane where offlane juggernauts Sam H and BYB would duke it out, mano-a-mano. Despite the two-time runner-ups’ heavy advantage, their decision to pick up four Midases, along with pristine Ravage control by BYB would allow Execration to extend the game.
However, not even a 3-0 exchange into an easy rosh would be enough to hand Beho’s boys the game, as TNC’s economic advantage heading into the early-late game would prove too much, allowing them to lead 1-0 for the first time in their three successive trips to the finals.
GAME 2
Execration hoped to bounce back in the second game, as they went for a hybrid global-deathball lineup. They would get off to a better start this time around, as BYB once again showcased his finesse, with his Furion converting successful ganks all over the map, preventing TNC’s initial gameplan to go super greedy with their 4-position Tidehunter.
The Cavite-based squad’s fragile early game would begin to unravel after Sam H not only managed to elude a 3-man gank-down bot lane, but kept them preoccupied for almost two whole minutes, leaving the top duo of Drow Ranger and Vengeful Spirit to work their auras towards a quick push. This early tower grabs not only allowed TNC’s lineup to come online faster but also paved the way for Eyyou’s 13-minute dagger on his tidehunter.
Not even a miraculous Rosh-snipe by a lone BYB treant could slow down TNC’s rapid march down midlane after they secured aegis, leaving them just one win away from the title.
GAME 3
Sensing blood in the water, TNC went in for the kill by picking up the recently-nerfed-but-still-kinda-op Earth Spirit for their flexibly captain Eyyou, who quickly went to work with the hero, setting the pace of the early game.
Meanwhile, having been so easily thwarted in the first two outings, Execration looked lost in the third and final game, with their early Enchantress pickup not providing enough pressure to allow their offense to collapse on TNC’s early game. Despite a valiant effort to exchange towers using Rr’s Mass Serpent Wards, as well as Nando’s well-farmed Juggernaut, there was no stopping TNC’s victory roll towards the top of the MPGL, as they eventually forced the gg 24 minutes into the game, shortly after claiming their first lane of raxes just around the 20-minute mark.
With the win, TNC become the last MPGL champions of the season, a well-deserved victory for a group of guys who, despite falling at the final frontier in two straight legs, persevered and fought for their dreams.
Meanwhile, Season 8 is just around the corner, so make sure to keep on checking Mineski.net for updates on that. You
MPGL Season 7 – Leg 4
Related Post: 6.86e released to address Earth Spirit, Lone Druid
