Looking for advice on who to pick in the ONE Esports Fantasy TI10 challenge? Here’s some help from Dota 2 pro player and analyst, Dominik “Black^” Reitmeier, who has revealed his TI10 Power Rankings for the tournament.
Here’s how he ranked the top ten teams.
1. PSG.LGD
With their recent success not only at the last Major, but also in other tournaments this year, PSG.LGD have to be the favorites coming into TI.
The fact that they had Zhang “xiao8” Ning stand-in, and it looked like it hardly affected them at all, very much speaks volumes about the quality of the squad.
They are very innovative and have a lot of strategic depth, making it very hard to prepare for them. Additionally, they have one of the best coaches in all of DotA 2 and a squad full of veterans, TI winners and TI runner-ups.
2. Evil Geniuses
EG is the obvious choice for the second slot on these TI10 Power Rankings, just behind PSG.LGD. In fact, if these rankings were just about overall performance throughout the DPC this year, one could argue that they even deserve the top spot.
With the newest addition of Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang, this team looks amazing and have been getting better and better every month.
The only reason why I haven’t put them at number one is because they failed to close out the Grand Final of not one, but two, Majors this year, first in Singapore, and then in Kiev.
Additionally, there are still some questions surrounding the team, as there is very limited data on them outside of DPC tournaments. Still, with strong strategies and amazing individual skill, this team could easily go all the way at TI10.
3. Vici Gaming
Vici Gaming has certainly had its ups and downs throughout the DPC season, but the team has made tremendous progress overall under the guidance of coach Fenrir.
The big question mark this year was how well Yang “poyoyo” Shaohanwould fit into the squad, as a new and untested player.
This worry was unwarranted though, as he has performed above expectations and together with the rest of the squad has proven that he can compete with the top teams.
Stability is the name of the game for this team and you almost never see them throw an advantage away. If they can get off to a strong start, look for them to build momentum as the tournament progresses.
4. Virtus.pro
Despite a disappointing performance at the Animajor, I do believe VP’s mix of promising young players and veterans has everything it needs to make a deep run at TI.
Dominating the CIS region with ease saw them cruise to this year’s TI, and they have some of the most talented and hungry players in the region all gathered under one squad.
Aggression is what fuels this team, so expect to see a lot of it at TI.
5. OG
For me personally, OG is still the most entertaining team to watch, even if they had a much tougher road to TI this time around, just narrowly clinching a 3-2 nailbiter against Tundra.
That being said though, they didn’t have a whole lot of time to prepare with their newest addition, Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan, but still displayed the teamwork they’re famous for.
Now after a couple more months of practice and given the time to gel properly, I expect great things from this team once again. What a storyline it would be for them to win TI thrice in a row.
It’s going to be more challenging than ever, although this is exactly the environment that OG has always thrived in. On top of that Topias Miikka “Topson” Taavitsainen, has said that this might be his last TI, so I am 100% sure that they will give it their all. Never count out the champs.
6. Team Aster
While they didn’t win a Major this year like fellow Chinese teams, IG and PSG.LGD, this squad has all it needs to succeed.
They have been dominant in the China DPC but that hasn’t translated that into tournament wins just yet.
Having said that, they have steadily been improving and under the leadership of coach LaNm, and you can tell their strategies and game plans are very well thought out.
Perhaps one thing to note is that they haven’t had a whole lot of LAN experience prior to the Majors, which could affect their performance at TI. Nevertheless, I do believe that this team has a lot of potential and hope that they can live up to it at TI10.
7. Team Secret
I had a very hard time deciding where to place Team Secret on these TI10 Power Rankings. They are undoubtedly one of the top ten teams at TI, and were dominant early in the season, but have been struggling in the second half of the year.
They haven’t played a whole lot outside of the DPC, so it’s very hard to get a read on their current level of gameplay compared to the teams that have been more actively competing.
They have all the pieces they need in order to win TI10 and personally I hope they can perform to their maximum and go all out. Clement “Puppey” Ivanov is the only player to have attended every single TI and for good reason – he is a masterclass captain and will have done the best he can in order to get the team ready for this year’s tournament.
If they get their momentum going at TI10 it’s going to be very hard to stop the strong duo of Matu and Nisha.
8. Invictus Gaming
Despite winning the Singapore Major, IG’s recent performances have been worrying. It’s possible that after winning the Major they were taking a more laid-back approach, but they have been struggling recently to secure themselves wins.
Having said that though, there is a reason this team won the first Major of the year to begin with. Incredible individual skill paired up with one of the most experienced coaches in China in Su “super” Peng, IG is always a scary team to face, no matter who you are.
On top of that, they have already shown that they can deal with pressure well, pulling off one of the most incredible 3-2 reverse sweeps of all time against EG at the Singapore Major.
9. T1
T1’s ceiling is incredibly high, but the reason why I’ve placed them this low on my TI10 Power Rankings is a problem that has plagued them for quite a while: inconsistency.
One day they are the best team in the world and the next they might end up losing to a team that has no business beating them. They’ve had a lot of time to prepare though and coach March is exceptional. If they can put together a consistent run, I wouldn’t be surprised if they can take the whole tournament!
After adding Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon to their roster, this team’s playstyle has been pure aggression. If you can’t contain them quickly, this team will run all over you and force an early victory.
10. Elephant
To me, this last slot was the hardest to pick. It was between Elephant, Quincy Crew, and Alliance, but ultimately I ended up going with Elephant for the simple reason that with the players on this roster they should easily be one of the best teams in the tournament.
Unfortunately, reality is oftentimes disappointing, and so far that’s been the case here. Although a superstar team on paper, they’ve been struggling in the China DPC and haven’t lived up to their potential yet.
That being said though, if they can put everything together for TI, this team has all the parts to make a deep run. With all the expectations this team had coming into the year, it’s now or never for them to show the world what they’re capable of.
Hungry for more Dota 2? Check out the Heroes of the Game documentary presented by foodpanda.
READ MORE: Play the ONE Esports Fantasy TI10 Challenge and win up to US$500 Steam vouchers
