BLAST SLAM VIII: Team Nemesis edge out 2:1, Xtreme Gaming sweep 2:0

Today at BLAST SLAM VIII, I’d single out two series that looked very different on the map: Team Nemesis edged out Natus Vincere 2:1, while Xtreme Gaming took down Level UP esports 2:0. On paper, those are just two wins, but the numbers and the flow of the games tell a different story: one series went to a nervy third map with constant skirmishing and huge GPM on the key cores, while the other turned into a long, almost draining 66-minute second game, where everything came down to a thin lead and a mistake that could no longer be recovered from.

Team Nemesis — Natus Vincere 2:1

For me, the most notable thing here is not so much the 2:1 result, but how the teams changed pace from game to game. Team Nemesis took the first and third games, Natus Vincere won the second, and the kill counts and game lengths make it clear this was a series with constant momentum swings rather than clean, controlled play from one side.

• Game 1: Team Nemesis won in 41:46, kill score 32:20.
• Game 2: Natus Vincere responded in 32:07, kill score 13:24.
• Game 3: Team Nemesis closed it out in 43:10, kill score 35:23.

Looking only at the numbers, I’d highlight how confidently Team Nemesis played through its own tempo in the first and third maps: 32 kills in the opener and 35 in the decider is not an accident, it’s the ability to force fights and turn them into hero takedowns. At the same time, the second map showed that Natus Vincere can quickly flip the rhythm of a series if it gets a cleaner opening to the game.

Game 1: Team Nemesis squeezed the tempo through Io and Timbersaw

The first map lasted 41:46 and ended 32:20 in kills for Team Nemesis. The drafts immediately stand out as an aggressive setup: Witch Doctor, Io, Clockwerk, Ember Spirit and Timbersaw for Team Nemesis against Brewmaster, Mirana, Lina, Tusk and Necrophos for Natus Vincere.

• Team Nemesis: Witch Doctor, Io, Clockwerk, Ember Spirit, Timbersaw.
• Natus Vincere: Brewmaster, Mirana, Lina, Tusk, Necrophos.
• Top KDA for Team Nemesis: J on Timbersaw — 8/1/10, GPM 624; JACKBOYS on Io — 6/2/17, GPM 743.
• Top KDA for Natus Vincere: pma on Brewmaster — 2/1/7, GPM 390; Niku on Lina — 8/6/5, GPM 516.

I especially like that Io for Team Nemesis did not look like a purely utility hero here: 743 GPM on JACKBOYS is a serious economic contribution for a support, and numbers like that usually mean the team was not just hunting kills, but also farming the map well. J on Timbersaw, with 8/1/10, also looks like the center of pressure: a hero with that statline usually doesn’t let the opponent comfortably build out a frontline. For Natus Vincere, by contrast, Brewmaster and Lina never really turned their windows into stable map control — 390 GPM on pma’s Brewmaster looks too modest for a game where they needed to hold the tempo.

Game 2: Natus Vincere tied it up in 32 minutes

In the second game, Natus Vincere answered in a much more composed way: 24:13 in kills and only 32:07 in time. This is the kind of map where the numbers point to tighter control than the short duration might suggest. Team Nemesis drafted Hoodwink, Pangolier, Rubick, Lifestealer and Timbersaw, while Natus Vincere answered with Dark Willow, Doom, Bane, Terrorblade and Lina.

• Team Nemesis: Hoodwink, Pangolier, Rubick, Lifestealer, Timbersaw.
• Natus Vincere: Dark Willow, Doom, Bane, Terrorblade, Lina.
• Top KDA for Team Nemesis: J on Timbersaw — 4/3/6, GPM 604; NARMAN on Hoodwink — 2/4/9, GPM 264.
• Top KDA for Natus Vincere: pma on Doom — 6/1/16, GPM 692; Niku on Lina — 10/0/9, GPM 790.

To me, the key marker here is Niku’s near-perfect Lina performance: 10/0/9 and 790 GPM. That’s not just a strong game, it’s the kind of performance where one hero becomes the tempo engine and gives the opponent no opening for a comeback. pma’s Doom also looks very convincing: 6/1/16 and 692 GPM is a strong package for a hero meant to break key fights. For Team Nemesis, by contrast, several heroes had a very low economic ceiling in this game, and NARMAN’s 264 GPM on Hoodwink almost underlines that the team couldn’t gather enough resources around its ideas.

Game 3: the decider turned into total Team Nemesis pressure

The third game lasted 43:10 and finished 35:23 in kills for Team Nemesis. By then, both teams had moved into more explosive drafts: Team Nemesis had Bounty Hunter, Lina, Techies, Tiny and Necrophos, while Natus Vincere picked Ember Spirit, Mirana, Rubick, Axe and Shadow Fiend.

• Team Nemesis: Bounty Hunter, Lina, Techies, Tiny, Necrophos.
• Natus Vincere: Ember Spirit, Mirana, Rubick, Axe, Shadow Fiend.
• Top KDA for Team Nemesis: J on Necrophos — 15/1/12, GPM 851; JACKBOYS on Tiny — 8/1/11, GPM 740.
• Top KDA for Natus Vincere: Niku on Ember Spirit — 8/5/10, GPM 567; pma on Axe — 9/8/9, GPM 558.

This is the map that feels most telling for the whole series. J’s 15/1/12 on Necrophos and 851 GPM is not just a good carry game, it’s almost a showcase of how to win through constant pressure and a huge personal tempo. JACKBOYS’ Tiny, with 8/1/11 and 740 GPM, fits that story perfectly too: when two heroes are both posting strong KDA and economy, it becomes very hard for the opponent to find a window to swing the game back. Natus Vincere, judging by the stats, got workable moments out of Ember Spirit and Axe, but it wasn’t enough to stop Team Nemesis from snowballing.

Xtreme Gaming — Level UP esports 2:0

In the second series of the day, Xtreme Gaming took it 2:0, but it felt anything but easy. The first map lasted 46:15 and was relatively close in kills, while the second went all the way to 66:06 and ended literally with a one-kill margin. For me, series like this are always more interesting than a clean 2:0: when one side can close out both a short map and a very long one, that usually says a lot about tempo control and late-game understanding.

• Game 1: Xtreme Gaming won in 46:15, kill score 29:24.
• Game 2: Xtreme Gaming won in 66:06, kill score 42:41.

Here I’d especially point out the difference between the first and second maps. In the first, Xtreme Gaming won at a relatively manageable pace, while the second became a real test of endurance: almost even in kills, very long, and with every mistake carrying a completely different weight. Maps like that usually show better than any log how well a team can keep its grip on the game at 50 and 60 minutes.

Game 1: Xtreme Gaming won through cleaner teamfights

In the first map, Xtreme Gaming picked Brewmaster, Witch Doctor, Rubick, Slark and Phantom Lancer, while Level UP esports responded with Hoodwink, Techies, Lycan, Ember Spirit and Bloodseeker. The game ended in 46:15 with a 29:24 kill score.

• Xtreme Gaming: Brewmaster, Witch Doctor, Rubick, Slark, Phantom Lancer.
• Level UP esports: Hoodwink, Techies, Lycan, Ember Spirit, Bloodseeker.
• Top KDA for Xtreme Gaming: zeal on Brewmaster — 8/2/15, GPM 650; MooN on Slark — 7/4/15, GPM 582.
• Top KDA for Level UP esports: darkniA on Ember Spirit — 5/2/11, GPM 599; bb3px on Lycan — 3/3/18, GPM 624.

By the numbers, this looks like a game where Xtreme Gaming set its priorities in fights more cleanly. zeal’s Brewmaster at 8/2/15 and 650 GPM is a very solid foundation for team trades, and MooN’s Slark with 7/4/15 adds threat in extended skirmishes. Level UP esports certainly has strong stats from bb3px on Lycan — 3/3/18 and 624 GPM, meaning the hero was clearly involved in a huge number of moments, but that still wasn’t enough to swing the game in its favor. I think Xtreme Gaming distributed the load between its frontline and the heroes who cleaned up kills after the initiation a little better here.

Game 2: a 66-minute war decided at the very edge

The second map of the series was the toughest by duration: 66:06 and a final 42:41 kill score in Xtreme Gaming’s favor. The draft was packed: Xtreme Gaming had Doom, Mirana, Enchantress, Monkey King and Dragon Knight, while Level UP esports had Brewmaster, Techies, Rubick, Clinkz and Pangolier.

• Xtreme Gaming: Doom, Mirana, Enchantress, Monkey King, Dragon Knight.
• Level UP esports: Brewmaster, Techies, Rubick, Clinkz, Pangolier.
• Top KDA for Xtreme Gaming: XinQ on Mirana — 7/3/30, GPM 500; Ame on Monkey King — 16/8/16, GPM 866.
• Top KDA for Level UP esports: darkniA on Pangolier — 8/3/28, GPM 765; bb3px on Brewmaster — 12/4/22, GPM 603.

What stands out most to me here is the fight participation: 30 assists on XinQ’s Mirana and 28 on darkniA’s Pangolier. That’s almost a textbook example of how many moments ran through both the four and five positions in a very long game. Ame’s Monkey King with 16/8/16 and 866 GPM is almost its own reason Xtreme Gaming was able to close the map: that kind of economic acceleration in a 66-minute game usually means the team managed to keep its main damage source at a very high level all the way to the end. bb3px on Brewmaster also looks respectable for Level UP esports, but over the full distance they just fell short on the finishing edge — the classic case where good stats don’t always turn into a win.

Day summary

Looking at the day as a whole, I’m left with the feeling of two very telling Bo3s: Team Nemesis won off higher tempo and huge individual games from J and JACKBOYS, while Xtreme Gaming showed it can win both relatively quick trades and nearly hour-long marathons. I think it was a good day for viewers: plenty of kills, plenty of long games, and enough numbers to avoid reducing everything to a simple “someone was stronger.” What I’d watch for next is whether these teams can maintain the same level of control in drawn-out series, because that’s usually where the real difference between merely stable play and the ability to close difficult matches shows up.

Source: OpenDota.

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