The International 2018 (TI8) is upon us. Actually, it’s approaching us like we’re a battered Ancient in the end game–we’re about to be taken over and we’re powerless to stop it. It is going to be epic.
All the teams who are heading to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena are talented. The eight teams who got in by direct invitation earned their respect. The same goes for every member of the group of ten teams who had to qualify.
There is no team that doesn’t deserve to be there.
But the team who will win it are the unfancied qualifiers who were nearly eliminated and came back from the dead!
Read Also: TNC Predator Secured Last SEA Slot For The Internationals 8
Can Raven (Marc Fausto), newest member Armel (Armel Paul Tabios), Sam_H (Sam Hidalgo), Tims (Timothy Randrup) and former mid-laner and now team captain Kuku (Carlo Palad) succeed in taking down the title at TI8?
Yes, they can.
I think TNC Predator have what it takes to be crowned TI8 champions!
If you don’t believe me, then I’d say you haven’t been a Dota2 fan for very long at all. You can’t have seen TI6 for a start. I have never seen a crowd go as nuts as they did when TNC Predator beat OG. The OG fans were mad as hell – their team was one of the favourites, but they went down so easily. The celebrations were crazy – and I spilled my popcorn I was jumping around so much!
I remember watching the match at home, like thousands of streamers. That match made me fall in love with Dota2 more than ever, and the game has always paid me back for the hours of sleep I’ve lost! I thought TNC Predator would go on to win the tournament, I really did. But even though they worked together so well in the next stage, they still went out. To me it didn’t matter though. And it matters even less now, because TI8 is here and they’ll be back.
They won my heart in TI6 and they’ve kept hold of it ever since. They never battle alone, it’s all about the teamwork. Filipino teams aren’t often the favourites to win in Dota2, especially at such a high level, but this squad had something that has made a lot of noise in the Dota2 community.
What TNC have is special, but hard to describe.
[It has won them fans, maybe even helped them meet girls, but it’s a secret, hidden talent.]
In a way, it’s a poison they’ve forced their rivals to swallow. This mysterious tool became their totem, advancing them through every qualifier and reaching the position they now hold in the game. Maybe because they haven’t won the title yet, they might think no-one has seen their secret power. But I have, and when I tell you about it, you’ll wonder how you missed it.
The team’s evolution has been a rollercoaster ride for TNC Predator. When DeMoN, the team’s leader, abandoned the crew, as well as 1437, I lost the hope I’d had for the team. A lot of fans felt the same – where was the identity that had been built up over that time? But the group now has an exclusively Filipino roster after the addition of Armel. And this is going to be unstoppable.
If you’re sitting there and just spat out a sip of your third energy drink, then pipe down. That’s not the only reason TNC Predator is going to crush at TI8. They flex in so many ways you haven’t thought of and their team intelligence is just one of them. Game theory is all very well, but on its own, it’s as much use as an inflatable dartboard. It will blow up in your face.
This all-Filipino group is so woke it’s not even a joke.
They rely entirely on team fights, creating different strategies with a single purpose, which is to always target their enemies with surprise attacks and defeating each opponent one by one. It’s crucial to their success and I’ve seen them do it hundreds of times.
TNC Predator also know elite game mechanics, like a lot of Asian squads. Don’t worry if you don’t know the technicalities of top-level Dota2 combat. One of the main weaknesses that Predator players pounce on is when players have one of the worst individual attacks between the professional circle and losing almost every one-on-one encounter. Predator move together as a tight unit around the map, handing out maximum damage wherever they are found. If you see one member of TNC Predator in the screen, be sure that they won’t be on their own and vulnerable.
The other attribute that makes TNC super smart at Dota2 is the ability they to see mistakes from their rivals like they’re wearing X-Ray specs. This isn’t just my opinion. There’s proof, and it’s solid gold. TNC has one of the highest winning percentages in the last three years, getting the victory in almost 70% of their matches. Yeah, yeah, I know, numbers don’t win games on their own, but all signs point to this special team being unstoppable. While other teams have superstars, TNC are an amazing team. If you have pride, they’ll attack like a pride of lions. They’ll rip you to pieces when you’re on your own. They’ll defend as a pack, too.
‘Is that it?’ I hear you ask.
Sure, TNC are a good team, maybe even a great one. Well, there are two dozen great teams descending on Vancouver in a few weeks’ time. They set upon each member of an opposing team. But those traits aren’t the secret on their own. The key ingredient is what makes their teamwork and technical skill second to none. TNC’s ability to create draft synergy is very strong, and with legendary players such as Tims on point. In-game, any missed chances are capitalised on and TNC Predator are really quick to get a turnaround kill.
Missed Armel’s double rampage? See it here! ?
Go #AllOut with us as we face Team Liquid at the #SuperMajor UB playoffs! Show starts soon!
?? https://t.co/lUdoL7EtGN
?? https://t.co/U7u8DgQvj4#SummonYourStrength #Niugame #TNCDota2 #RiseofthePhoenix #WeartheColorsProud pic.twitter.com/cFkuMSyDVs
— TNC Predator (@TNCPredator) June 4, 2018
Here’s the hush-hush. They’re fast as hell and they can swipe up opposing teams quicker than your Mom can find your missing socks.
Speed is everything in Dota2, and if it acts as a combo with all of their skills. Just like the sum of their parts is greater than any single individual in TNC Predator. Speed makes all their parts stronger, every skill intensified by the sheer pace at which it is exhibited.
TNC Predator’s strategy can put their own base at risk of attack. It can leave them vulnerable to other team’s strategies if they are a close match, as some teams do have talented players who can hurt anyone. But TNC’s ‘roadrunner’ method of game attack has the power to dominate games, win from losing positions and if they can keep their heads in Vancouver, could be the start of an era of speed-led attack strategies in Dota2.
If one can win while keeping their chill, it’s TNC Predator. If you get behind them now, you get to be at the party when they are crowned champion Pro Team in TI8.