Virtus Pro Dominates Nigma in ESL One Los Angeles Online Group Stage
Virtus Pro (VP) and Nigma faced off in the group stage of the ESL One Los Angeles Online tournament today. However, it was VP who came out on top with a convincing 2-0 victory in the Dota 2 series.
Despite both teams having a challenging season, VP has been on fire since acquiring iLTW and Zayac. These new additions have brought fresh perspectives to their drafting strategies, showcasing their playmaking abilities. Although it’s still early days, VP’s aggressive and fast-paced gameplay is reminiscent of their dominating presence in the pro scene two years ago.
A Glimpse of Brilliance from Nigma
On the other hand, Nigma showed brief flashes of brilliance that reminded fans of their performance in The International 2019, where they finished as runners-up. However, these moments of brilliance have been too fleeting, and they have struggled to establish a strong foothold. In the series against VP, Nigma once again started off with weak laning stages in both games.
In the first game, Nigma relied on a four-protect-one strategy centered around Miracle-‘s Naga Siren as the hard carry. VP’s draft, on the other hand, focused on teamfight and area-of-effect damage, including a position four Enigma. VP’s decision to leave Resolut1on’s Pangolier alone while Zayac farmed up went unpunished. As a result, VP entered the mid game with four cores compared to Nigma’s one. Despite Miracle-‘s impressive farm, VP’s mobile heroes constantly picked off his allies with the help of Zeus’ additional damage. While Miracle- managed to escape ganks, his significant net worth worked against Nigma as VP easily steamrolled over the rest of the team once Miracle- was taken down.
In the second game, Nigma opted for the Alchemist, a hero that has seen a resurgence in the meta. However, VP continued to dominate, with each core winning their respective lanes. Nigma tried to mount a comeback, but Alchemist’s numerous deaths and late Radiance diminished their chances of turning the game around.
VP’s Unstoppable Streak
This victory marked VP’s sixth consecutive series win. Alongside Team Secret in the other group, these two titans remain undefeated in the tournament. Their dominance has remained unchallenged so far, and with their playoff spots practically secured, fans can look forward to more exciting Dota 2 matches as the competition progresses.
Virtus Pro, Nigma, ESL One Los Angeles Online, Dota 2, Group Stage, iLTW, Zayac, drafting strategies, aggressive gameplay, The International 2019 runners-up, laning stages, four-protect-one strategy, Miracle-, Naga Siren, VP’s draft, teamfight, area-of-effect damage, Resolut1on, Pangolier, Miracle-‘s farm, Zeus, Alchemist, comeback, Radiance, Team Secret, dominance, playoff spots