Right after winning PGL Wallachia Season 4, Team Liquid have already been eliminated from BLAST Slam 3 in last place. The boys in blue were handed a 1-2 loss against Team Spirit in the first round of the Playoffs.

From First Place To Last – Team Liquid Eliminated From BLAST Slam 3

Game 1 – A Throw That’ll Come To Bite Back

I thought Team Liquid had the superior draft in the first game, and it was showing. Liquid stomped the laning stage and eventually built up an 8,000 net worth lead at the 17-minute mark.

However, after taking firm control of the game, they got carried away and started playing sloppily. A pickoff on miCKe farming in the enemy triangle gave Spirit a window back into the game, and we’re talking about the best team that can play from behind. 

Team Spirit played the macro game surgically and got more pickoffs, eventually pulling off an immaculate comeback off the back of Raddan’s Troll Warlord to steal the map. 

Game 2 – miCKe’s Nature’s Prophet Masterclass

Team Spirit let Nature’s Prophet slip into the draft, allowing Team Liquid to pick the hero that won them TI. miCKe’s Nature’s Prophet was paired with Insania’s Tinker and dominated the bottom lane, ensuring Collapse’s Beastmaster had no game. 

While the bottom lane was going according to plan, Nisha’s Primal Beast made things even easier, as he began running around the map and trampling Spirit heroes before they even hit level six. Game 2 was an utter stomp in favor of Team Liquid, with miCKe’s Furion ending the map 17/1/12, dealing 29,000 hero damage in a 23-minute game. 

Game 3 – An Anti-Climactic Ending

Team Liquid ran it back once again with the Nature’s Prophet and Tinker lane, but you can’t simply beat Team Spirit twice with the same strategy. The two-time TI winners quickly adapted with Slardar and Snapfire, which provided them with the gap close they were missing from the previous game. 

Larl’s Storm Spirit was also having an easier time in the mid lane compared to the previous game, allowing the team to create space for Raddan’s Medusa to free farm. Team Spirit finally had a good early game, and I mean, if they can make a 10,000 gold deficit look like an even game, a clean 35-minute decider is what they can accomplish if they start the game ahead.

With this result, Team Liquid have been sent home in dead last, taking home $30,000 for two days of gameplay. This just shows how unforgiving the BLAST Slam 3 format is – having an off day could ultimately lead you to play Team Spirit in an elimination match for last place. 

As for Team Spirit, we’ve seen what these guys can do from the Lower Bracket. They went on a run at The International 10, evolving after every series to win $18,000,000. Though I’d normally put money on them making a deep run, their next opponent is PARIVISION, arguably the strongest team at the event – things don’t necessarily get easier.