During the off-season, competitive DotA with top teams is more of a rarity than a standard procedure. It is not so easy to see the best representatives of the titular regions, such as China, Western or Eastern Europe, in action, but we will see. Although without China, but with the 2021 world champions and Tier-1 clubs in Europe.
The BetBoom Xmas Show brought together 14 teams of different sizes and performance levels. There were 8 of them left at the playoff stage, and 8 made it to this stage, which is good. It will be more interesting to watch.
In the match of the second round of the playoffs, HellRaisers will play with Nemiga Gaming in a duel for life. The format of the meeting is bo3.
Both clubs showed a very interesting DotA at the BetBoom Xmas Show. This is primarily due to the recent global reshuffles within the teams. Nevertheless, it is interesting to watch the game of both teams.
The excitement of the match is added by the fact that the teams just recently faced each other head-on in the group stage. Then HR suffered an insulting defeat and will now crave revenge. Whether he succeeds or not is the question to which we are trying to find an answer.
HellRaisers form
We start the review with the HellRaisers team. In this match, HellRaisers are in the status of a favorite.
The bookmaker evaluates the chance of winning with HR odds around 1.6. It is not difficult to agree with such a pre-match balance of power.
HR held a cardinal reshuffle enlisting the support of an experienced captain Solo, who gathered around him a squad of combat-ready performers. However, they are far from the status of undisputed leaders and this is not news.
HellRaisers roster
A major reshuffle in HellRaisers happened quite recently. After qualifiers for The International 2022 and satisfactory results at local tournaments, HR decided to change the development vector of the Dota 2 division. The new roster includes:
- Daxak
- depressed kid
- MieRo`
- Antares
- Solo
Of the young and hot hardline duo here, MieRo` and Antares, but the rest of the trio have already set their teeth on edge at games in competitive DotA. And in the case of HellRaisers, there is no certainty that a lot of experience will be useful.
HellRaisers performance
Looking at HR's previous season, one wonders why the club resorted to such a drastic reshuffling. Before the big reshuffle, then with Malady and other young and promising HR, they won Last-Last Chance.
Before that, there was a performance in the second division of Eastern Europe, where HellRaisers went after relegation from the elite echelon, but later successfully got out.
BetBoom Xmas Show HellRaisers started from the group stage. Once in Group A, they faced teams like Monaspa, YNT, RISE and Nemiga Gaming.
Objectively speaking, it would be good for a team with big names and title players to close such a group without a chance, however, they managed to give the series to Nemiga Gaming, but advanced to the playoffs from the second place.
At the main stage, HR was a pleasant surprise. In the first match, they beat Nigma Galaxy, who were considered favorites, without much chance, and in the match for reaching the finals of the winners, they squeezed a card from Team Spirit, another team nominally stronger than HR.
Heroes HellRaisers
HellRaisers have the freshest game already within the BetBoom Xmas Show. They played differently.
The most picked heroes by HellRaisers were: Enchantress (4 matches, 75% wins), Tusk (4 matches, 75% wins), Alchemist (3 matches, 100% wins), Crystal Maiden (3 matches, 100% wins), Legion Commander (3 matches, 100% wins).
Uniform Nemiga Gaming
Let's continue the review of the match with an analysis of Nemiga Gaming's form. In this match, they will play in the status of catching up.
The chance of a club from Eastern Europe winning is estimated at around 2.2. You can understand this opinion of bookmakers.
Although the Nemiga Gaming club has played together and have been playing together since May of this year, this does not give them the opportunity to be called an unconditional favorite.
Composition of Nemiga
Since we started talking about the composition, it would be worth continuing. As paradoxical as it may sound, Nemiga Gaming is the most played and stable roster at the BetBoom Xmas Show. The team plays:
- Kiritych
- Malr1ne
- Vazya
- hellscream
- so bad
The team was stitched together in May of this year. Since then, she has acquired a coach in the person of j4, who joined the club in August this year.
However, although the stamina of the team is commendable, this does not add to Nemiga's effectiveness. The team is still at the Tier-2 level, if not lower.
Performance of Nemiga Gaming
Since the roster has been holding since May of this year, the results of the team in the context of different events are quite indicative. And they are so-so.
In the 2022 season, Nemiga played as part of the second division of the DPC EEU. In the first round, the team stopped a step away from a critical point, taking 6th place and retaining a slot in the ecosystem, but already in the next round they left the second division.
It was possible to return back almost immediately, already in a new format with an updated roster. Nemiga went through open qualifiers and continued to play within the DPC EEU - Division II with a new fuse. This paid off and after the third round, taking 2nd place, Nemiga earned a place in the first league.
Before the start of the BetBoom Xmas Show, Nemiga managed to play at several local events. The last was Last-Last Chance, where the team finished in the TOP-6.
At the BetBoom Xmas Show, Nemiga Gaming started their group stage performance. There Monaspa, YNT, RISE Esports and Hellraisers became their rivals, among others.
They managed to finish Group A in first place, which guaranteed a place in the upper bracket of the playoffs. In the first round of the main stage, Nemiga crashed against the Gladiators, losing it 0-2.
In the losers bracket, the first opponent of Nemiga Gaming was the renewed PuckChamp roster. Kiritych and the company did not experience any particular problems - 2-0 in favor of Nemiga.
Heroes of Nemiga Gaming
Timbersaw remains Nemiga Gaming's most beloved character. The team chose him 5 times, and the hero won all his matches.
Next come Rubick with 5 matches and 80% win rate, Silincer with 4 appearances and wins in all, Monkey King with 4 matches and 75% win rate, and Pangolier with Magnus who won 2 of 4 maps.
History of personal confrontations
Previously, the clubs managed to cross paths in the group stage. In the Group A match at the BetBoom Xmas Show, Nemiga Gaming turned out to be stronger, outplaying their counterparts with a score of 2-1.
The outcome of the fight
In this match, I expect an approximately equal game, as it was in the group stage. The only difference, as for me, will be the outcome of the match.
HellRaisers is a team that needs a boost, first of all, morally. They got it in the duel against Nigma Galaxy and will continue to build on their success.
Outcome: victory for HellRaisers.
