This isn’t a match between a Korean powerhouse and a NA underdog. You’ve heard of Team expert and you’ve definitely heard of Team Dignitas. This is a clash of the titans and these teams are very evenly matched. The wily, spirited Team expert meets the calm, calculating Team Dignitas.
It’s a chance for Team Dignitas to defend their place among the world’s best and a chance for Team expert to break into that upper echelon of esports teams. Get ready because this one will come down to the wire.
Sometimes You Know Your Enemies Even Better Than Your Friends
Game one is loaded in and the draft is completed. On Infernal Shrines, Team Dignitas brings; Leoric, Tyrael, Kharazim, Genji and Brightwing to the party. Team expert matches them with: Rehgar, Muradin, Li Ming, Sonya, and Tassadar.
Even though these compositions are within the normal meta, Team expert can be criticized or hailed for their unique compositions. That might surprise some teams out there but not Team Dignitas. These teams know each other like the back of their own hands and that was clear in the lead up to this first match between these two powerhouses.
The teams must have known we were experiencing technical difficulties. They just didn’t want us to miss any of the action and that’s why there was only one kill in the first 12 minutes of the match. That’s literally unheard of but it was clear both teams were entering into a game of cat and mouse.
If one team advanced, the other retreated and this continued even through the first team fights. Tyrael would fly in with vengeance, dropping holy ground and sanctification in an attempt to dominate the fight. Team expert would melt away quickly absorbing or retreating from the pressure. Muradin would leap in and Team Dignitas would scatter away from the pressure the same way.
Even with the first kill going to Team expert, the teams held no significant advantage over each other. With things even in terms of experience it was starting to look as though each team was hesitant because of their familiarity. This was true until a battle for the top shrine at level 17 turned the match up to eleven.
Team expert took control of a John Cena; I mean a punisher and sent Team Dignitas reeling. The momentum snowballed and soon after Team Dignitas was down 1-0 against an excited Team expert.
My MVP: Sonya
Don’t Hate On Towers Because It Allows For Games Like This
This game was something extra. A good kind of extra, in fact this game was flat out epic and it began with Team expert bringing out another eyebrow raising pick with: Tassadar, Varian, Rehgar, Tracer, and Leoric. That’s right love, it’s Tracer.
Team Dignitas brought out a classic comp in their time of greatest need: Abathur, Greymane, Muradin, Arthas, and Kharazim. It wasn’t a more aggressive lineup than before, but that’s how Team Dignitas approached the battle. Coming out with heightened aggression, they took the lead with the first kill.
Team Dignitas continued to push and attacked each tower effectively. Taking the bottom fort and even amassing 6 mercenaries in a powerful push early on; it appeared that Team expert were in trouble. Although a great rotation and a resolute defense saved any further damage to the core.
Team expert wasn’t completely unscathed though and Team Dignitas’ aggression moved them onward. It brought them to a 33 to 20 lead on Towers of Doom by level 11 and they weren’t done. The lead grew even larger, but even with Abathur the experience advantage remained with Team expert.
Excellent rotations, few deaths, and Leoric soaking literally the whole map is what brought them the XP lead. When it came time to fight, that’s when the whole match changed around. In every fight Team expert whittled away their opponents and used their experience advantage to start winning each altar. Coming back against all odds to win the game in phenomenal fashion and it was Leoric who delivered the final blow.
My MVP: Leoric
This game is an absolute must watch for any Heroes of the Storm fan.
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HGC Finals: Recap of Team Dignitas vs Team expert