One of TeamLiquid's many great traditions is ranking aspects of progaming. Whether it be SC2 games or BW progamers, it's something we have a long history of doing. Now that we're sailing towards the inevitable The International 3, it's time to start thinking about who the strongest are and who will be at the top of the pile come August.
Here's what we did. First we assembled a panel of the finest Dota 2 minds around: BlitzDota, LD, Kupon3ss, and Kipsate. Then we asked them to rank the teams in the order they saw fit, in terms of overall strength, separated by region to ensure the lists only include teams that play one another. We then aggregated the rankings to come up with the TeamLiquid Dota 2 Power Rank.
Meet the people who made this possible.
LD is someone everyone probably knows from his work on Beyond The Summit, casting any game he can get his hands on, from G-1 and G-League to StarLadder (when time permits). He has an intimate familiarity with Dota 2 from all sides of the world.
Blitz is one of today's premier streamers and competitive players, he has an understanding of many of the players and teams involved from spending hours sparring with them.
Kipsate is a staff writer at TeamLiquid who not only plays DotA well, but manages to watch every game for most of the leagues out there. His knowledge of teams tendencies and play styles is unparalleled.
Kupon3ss is our Chinese correspondent at TeamLiquid, and he knows the Chinese scene better than anyone and firmly believes in the study of the game in pursuit of an ever-deepening understanding.
Finally, I am Heyoka, Director of Dota 2 here at TL. Every month, I will poll community figures and compile a Power Rank so we can argue about it until the next one is released.
Enjoy what will be the first of many Dota 2 PRs.
China/SEA Power Rank
1. Invictus Gaming
Blitz: The defending champions of The International 2012 show no signs of slowing down, picking up a win in the all important G-League Season 2 Championships over LGD.int. Two flawless games led to two slightly messy ones, but the result, a 3-1 victory of the foreigners leave no question as to the defending champions dominance. They remain the favorites to win any tournament they take a part of barring any sort of drop in practice which seems unlikely with this group.
Kupon3ss: The undisputed top team in DotA, they possess superlative individual skill, are masters of all styles, and have unrivaled flexibility and adaptability. Every single player is arguably the #1 in the world in their respective position and has not seriously been challenged since the last G-1 League.
LD: The once and future kings. Don't be fooled because they dropped a game to Zenith in their G-1 bo3. No team is more reliable in the clutch than Chuan + 4.
Kipsate: Still untouchable, still the best, crushed Chain Stack, won G-league, what more is there to say?
Heyoka: Not shockingly this wasn't close for anyone, completely unanimous and probably obvious for anyone who watches any amount of Dota 2.
2. LGD.int
Blitz: A power rank is meant to see who would be the favorites in most games and the foreigners still rank up here for me. Despite dropping the G-League finals to iG, they had a fantastic showing, pushing the champions to 4 games and almost a 5th if not for some poor decision making in game 4. The foreigners have dropped a step losing to Orange as well recently, but would still remain the favorites by a small margin over any other team in China aside from iG. A tenuous placement though as they must show more to continue to justify such high placement.
Kupon3ss: The mixture of West and East, a bridge between worlds applying a distinctly Western style with a Chinese understanding and approach to the game. While they might be a bit lacking in the late-game, their early and mid-game aggression and pressure combine to form an excellently balanced style with plenty of room to grow.
Kipsate: Despite going out in GEST hard and losing to LGD.cn their LAN performance against iG was nothing but fantastic after the first two games. Has to be valued high as they are semi-finalists after all of G-league.
Heyoka: The battle between LGD.int and LGD.cn was a close one, but even with the CN side coming out on top in their most recent match it seems people still think INT is the more diverse and able team.
3. LGD.cn
Blitz: The bronze medal winners at the last International, LGD.cn have of late been up-staged by their international counterparts, but only just. Finishing 3rd in the G-League, winning the Asia, and in general doing decently in whatever they take place, LGD represents a team that seems to lag just a bit behind their chinese compatriots, iG. But fear not LGD.cn fans, as they aren't a tier 2 team. LGD represents excellence in team fighting coupled with a fantastic leader in Xiao8, we could very well see them usurp the throne.
Kupon3ss: Apparently equal in strength but often outshined by their foreigner counterpart, LGD.cn's cautious and calculated approach is extremely strong as long as the game follows the script of encounter. While lacking in adaptability, their standard game is the equal of any other team. Maturity and growth has been steady and the addition of LongDD will likely have positive effects in the long run.
LD: Don't underestimate Director8's ability to evolve. Like DK, a Chinese pillar who has received a lot of flak for being slow to adapt, but their 2-0 victory over Rattlesnake with a very modern style should be enough to quiet their critics.
Kipsate: After being beaten by their sister team, LGD then went on to beat LGD.Int. I have to say that one of these games Int picked Treant so yeaah....... small note: Not playing with full roster currently due to surgery.
4. Zenith
Blitz: A slightly difficult team to rank, but they place here mainly from taking a game off iG in the G-1 League. The supremely talented Zenith are currently 2nd in their group and look good enough to warrant this spot. With recent wins over DK, Neolution, For.Love, Chains, and Rising Stars, and dropping a single best-of-3 in which they took a game off of iG, Zenith looks like a tier above everyone else but just below a top 3 spot. Still, with the amount of talent they are anchored by, it seems a matter of time before they challenge the status quo.
Kupon3ss: A gathering of the top talents, and 3 of the 5 members of the Orange that was the last team to best iG in a series. Strong points are flexibility and the mid=game with ice3 and YamateH being solid anchors to build the team around, seeming invincible online but still plagued with doubts as to their LAN potential.
LD: With xy-, they're one of the top 5 teams in the world. Without him, they're still a top contender in the Asia region. They still have to prove they can put it all together in the big spotlight at a major LAN, but the potential is there.
Kipsate: Zenith can go anywhere from 2 to 4 depending on much you value online performance. Splendid performance from Zenith, crushed DK, some nice IceIceIce Invoker usage. Could honestly put Zenith over LGD.cn too, LGD.int has the LAN edge which Zenith historically always had problems with.
Heyoka: With the top 3 spots of Chinese DotA fairly locked in, the battle for #4 is surprisingly close (despite what I wrote above regarding DK). Zenith gets the edge for not only besting DK fairly recently, but having a string of impressive matches following.
5. Team DK
Blitz: This position is a bit of a drop off for a team that sports such amazing talent, especially with legendary captain BurNIng, DK is a team that disappoints in this spot. They look on paper, good enough to contend with any top team in the world and yet they come just short of this. Whether it be a lag in play style or game sense, or simply a bad streak, DK needs to get their footing back if they hope to hold on to even a 5th place spot. With talent such as theirs, it simply comes off as a disappointment.
Kupon3ss: A bit of a relic of a bygone era, we've only seen their games against Zenith as of late and while being defeated, DK did not look particularly "bad". BurNIng is still one of the best carries in the world even if it seems he's making more unforced errors and the team still plays a very solid and focused game.
LD: Despite their disappointing performance so far in the G-1 League, DK showed promise in Game 2 vs iG, and that they are the most individually talented team in China after iG. Don't be fooled by DK's recent struggles; they are the sleeping giant of Asia.
Heyoka: Interestingly they came in at exactly #5 for nearly everyone. They seem to be the team of late that everyone knows is capable, but just can't quite put the pieces together to elevate their play at crucial moments.
European/North American Power Rank
1. No Tidehunter
Blitz: No Tidehunter feel like placeholders for a team like Na`Vi, but still they remain the cream of the crop in Europe as of this moment. With wins over every single top team in the West at some point or another, NTH hasn't lost a step since picking up former Pulse player EGM. Wth a win in the Eizo Cup, first place in StarLadder, and a great showing in the DH invitational and the RD2L, NTH look like a sure lock to get an invite to the next International which is all that matters.
Kupon3ss: Stronger than ever, they seem to be the only team with a consistent plan and a reasonable amount of stability at the highest skill-level. A combination of some of the most experienced players in the game and the best talent of recent years, with excellent chemistry, seems to be a winning one. Despite a few rough edges, NTH is solid, adaptable, and innovative in a consistent way no other Western is at the moment, with all of its members at the top of their game.
LD: S4 DotA, best DotA. This team was put to the question after EE was unceremoniously dumped from the roster, but they silenced their critics with an impressive run at the StarLadder LAN finals this weekend. Meanwhile, EGM/Akke have quietly emerged as one of the strongest support duos in the West.
Heyoka:Even when we discussed this before StarLadder, NTH was at the top of most lists. A fitting win at a big offline event only cements their place as a current top team in NA/EU.
2. Natus Vincere
Blitz: The most surprising placement out of any team on this list, NaVi, 2nd place at the most recent international had a huge shakeup, replacing all star LightofHeaven and stalwart Ars-Art with Funn1k and Kuroky, two players of fantastic individual skill. While Ars-Art and LoH represent stability, Funn1k and Kuroky represent the ability of big star making plays. While they might suffer in consistency a bit, NaVi is a team that has enough talent and most importantly this is a team that has that special quality that enables them to win against any sort of odds.
Kupon3ss: Yeah okay they might not win everything, yeah Xbox is pretty mediocre, yeah the team hasn't fully jelled with the new roster and there are probably problems with Puppey’s attitude and Kuroky's lack of Russian. But would I take any other Western team over Na`Vi if there was a million dollars on the line? No.
LD: Success breeds complacency. NaVi needed a major change to shake off their malaise a few months ago. Adding the most explosive offlaner in the world in Funn1k and a grizzled German vet in Kuroky who's aged like a fine wine certainly qualifies as such. Despite their somewhat underwhelming results as of late, NaVi has Captain Puppey at the helm, and thus it's only a matter of time until they're back on top.
Kipsate: Despite having a really strong roster and a good start they have fallen, they are currently not what people expect them to be. They dropped out of SL after losing to Mouz, they lost Techlabs to Empire/ICCup, and they lost Eizo to NTH. Still, the potential of this team is high and they can probably beat anyone if they put their mind to it.
Heyoka: This one turned out to be the most diverse team in the rank - appearing in spots all over. It's fitting given their recent play, they could really be anywhere from the best to just some team on any given day, depending on how seriously they feel like taking it.
3. Fnatic.eu
Blitz: The HoN standouts look as if they legitimately have a chance to take a game off anyone. With a fast paced game style focused on split pushing and a 3 core lineup that utilizes the strength of their individual skill, Fnatic.EU are close to a coinflip with NTH. With a stellar showing at the recent StarLadder finals picking up a silver, Fnatic looks like a team that showcases individual skill with top notch mechanics.
LD: Hontrash. Rat dota. Say what you will about Fnatic, they play to win, and they win a lot. The undisputed best team from HoN has now become one of Europe's finest in Dota 2. Fly won't be playing with the team regularly until mid-May, but once they're back at full-strength, they'll be a perennial powerhouse.
Kupon3ss: A team that was regarded as little more than a joke is now among the top tier teams in the West without sacrificing their unique style, with a tighter dynamic than almost any other team on the scene. While they are extremely strong with the right lineups, they often lapse into the chronic malady of "picking 5 good heroes and 1 awful lineup" and are somewhat unstable.
Kipsate: They lost the finals of The Defense 3 and have been looking a bit shaky. Fly has been off for a while so they will need to get back into shape presumably. The woes of Boots of Travel and greedy play continues.
4. Virtus.pro
Blitz: The Russians feel as though they aren't a very public team, not really getting enough of the attention they should warrant, but don't mistake a lack of publicity for a lack of skill. With a top 4 finish at the recent StarLadder, coupled with top 5 finishes in virtually every tournament they participate in, VP manages to rank just outside the top 3, but only just. A strong play style, coupled with the captaining of NS, and the recent acquisition of Na`Vi standout Ars-Art, the Russian stars look to move further up the rankings.
Kipsate: They won the Defense and overall have had a pretty nice performance, sometimes a bit unstable but with the addition of AA, they have turned into a monster of a CIS team.
Kupon3ss: The addition of AA seems to have brought fire to the Russian bear. Their play has become tighter and stronger under the guidance of NS and AA but they are also plagued by the twin problems of over-aggression and inconsistency, especially when Airman plays a carry outside of his relatively narrow pool of heroes.
5. Team Liquid
Blitz: The team of all-stars lead the way for America (sorry TC) as of yet, getting second in the Eizo cup, and before that leading quite the impressive win streak before dropping a set to Mouz. Liquid burst onto the scene with much fanfare before disappointing and being unable to translate their talent into anything much, but after the initial phase of getting to know each other and learning a play style that suits them, Liquid looks like a team that is finally showing why they came onto the scene with such hype. With 1st place in the BTS Weekend cup, 2nd in the Bigpoint Battle for February, 4th in the Defense, and 2nd in the Eizo cup, Liquid seems secure in their spot.
LD: A team still in search of an identity. It's hard to deny they're a rag-tag band (how cerebral players like Fluff & TC got mixed up with the likes of boisterous Bulba, flashy Korok, & master troll(?) ixmike, we'll never know), but despite its dubious recipe, the formula seems to work. With no major tournament titles or LANs to their name, Liquid has by far the most to prove of the top Western teams, but all the pieces are there.
Kipsate: A bit torn on this, between Liquid and Empire, but will have to give the edge to Liquid. Somewhat shaky for a while, they have been doing well recently.
Y ahora doy mi opinión sobre el ranking, estaría bien que alguno mas dierais vuestra opinion xD
En el ranking de European/North American estoy prácticamente de acuerdo aunque yo personalmente pondría por delante en el tercer puesto a VP y en el cuarto a Fnatic, para mi VP actualmente están mejor aunque ambos equipos están muy parejos y acepto que les pongan terceros, vamos que lo dejaría tal que así
1 NTH
2 Navi
3 VP
4 Fnatic
5 Liquid
En el ranking de China/SEA Power Rank me sorprende y no logro entender para nada como puede estar DK en el puesto quinto y Orange ni siquiera aparecer cuando es actualmente uno de los mejores teams de esta zona para mi personalmente el segundo mejor equipo.
Yo pondría a Orange en el segundo puesto y a LGD.cn por delante de sus compañeros ya que creo ( y espero) que están recuperando su nivel, a Zenith lo pongo quinto porque no les e visto demasiado y no creo que pueda opinar con tanta perspectiva como el resto de teams, y DK para mi estaría en un sexto puesto y que aprendan a jugar algo mas del 4-1 porque sino ya veo al VG de ZSMJ y Cty adelantadolos.
1 IG
2 Orange
3 LGD.cn
4 LGD.int
5 Zenith
