12 Days of Christmas December 13th, 2014 19:15 GMT Text by TL.net ESPORTS Graphics by shiroiusagi 12 Days of Christmas

Day 12 - A Cane



Previous Days





Everyone loves christmas and we on the LiquidDota staff are no different.  We all get that warm fuzzy feeling on christmas eve.  You know, the kind that you can only get from seeing a slightly drunk uncle handing out presents while trying to keep his $5 santa mask from falling off. 



Those of us lucky enough to have been kind all year also know how good it feels to receive presents on christmas day, but there is still something to be said about giving someone something you know they'll love and use for a long time.  So the LiquidDota staff sat down, put on "A Fairytale of New York" and thought of what we wanted to give to the people that make Dota 2 the game it is. 



Up until December 25th we will hand out one present a day to people you will most likely recognize.  And if you miss a day that's no big deal, at the end of this post all previous presents will be saved so you can get into the christmas spirit whenever you wish. 



Day 12 - A Cane



3 legends that retired this past year

Hey guys.  Take a seat.  I know, I know.  Time is money, specifically ¥300 a minute, but I promise it’s worth it. 



Well, you all decided to call it a shot this year.  13 years all combined is pretty solid, but god damn you guys are old.  Practically mummies at this rate.  Well, besides being ex-CityHunter, you’re all OldMen now. 



Keeping in line with respecting our elders, we got you some gifts.  You’ll find a nice cane in that there box, for getting around.  We also brought you custom NeedForSeat™ DXRacers™ that we stuffed with some of your stream money.  But most of all, we’d just like to say thank you.  Thank you for years of playing Dota and bringing this game to its fullest.  Thank you for pushing this game we love to new limits.  You showed off what is possible.  You inspired us to push ourselves, to strive for the next step up the ladder.  You made us shout and cheer.  You made us cry and grieve.  You showed us why we love this game so damn much.  Thank you for that. 



Happy holidays. 



Previous Days

+ Show Spoiler [Day 1] + Day 1 - A Dota 2 Team

Victor 'The Goose' Nazgul, on the first day of Christmas, we give thee a Dota 2 Team.  It's easy to see as a Liquid fan that something has been lacking around here, and it's clear that a part of you has been missing these past couple months.  We all obviously want to see you whole again, and so we are happy to give you the gift of a hard carry, a solo mid, an offlaner, and two supports that you can call your own.  If you've been really good, they might even pick Bloodseeker for you. 



And who knows, maybe this time they'll beat Arrow Gaming. 





Picture by: Zhang Jingna , on the first day of Christmas, we give thee.  It's easy to see as a Liquid fan that something has been lacking around here, and it's clear that a part of you has been missing these past couple months.  We all obviously want to see you whole again, and so we are happy to give you the gift of a hard carry, a solo mid, an offlaner, and two supports that you can call your own.  If you've been really good, they might even pick Bloodseeker for you. And who knows, maybe this time they'll beat Arrow Gaming. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 2] + Day 2 - A Flowchart



The only part of the flowchart we can legally show you

At The International, we all watched Vici Gaming roam the enemy jungle, run at enemy heroes, run at enemy towers, group up as five, death ball down a lane, hit enemy barracks, zone away defenders.  Like clockwork, Vici Gaming heroes acquired push sustaining items like meckansm and pipe for the inevitable high ground push.  It was as predictable as it was precise.  It won fast and often.  But should the Vici Gaming push ever get repelled, RotK, Super, Sylar, Fy, and Fenrir would regroup and do it all over again two minutes later.  The running joke was that Vici Gaming had a flowchart pointing out their most immediate objective every step of the way and Vici Gaming blindly followed the flowchart until their eventual victory or defeat. 



These days, Team Tinker look like a strategic mess.  Their laning stage is decently strong.  The individual skill is perfectly adequate for the professional level.  Their tempo is just all out of whack.  As the Team Tinker geared up to fight, one hero would pick up a farming item.  As Team Tinker controlled the map, they would ease off the pressure and farm another five minutes.  As Team Tinker are hitting high ground tower, a few heroes would dive all the way past tier four towers looking for a singular kill.  As a viewer, you never know what idea might strike a fancy in Team Tinker and pull them away from their objective of winning the game.  So today, we would like to present Vici Gaming’s easy step-by-step flowchart of how to play a professional Dota 2 game to Team Tinker.  At The International, we all watched Vici Gaming roam the enemy jungle, run at enemy heroes, run at enemy towers, group up as five, death ball down a lane, hit enemy barracks, zone away defenders.  Like clockwork, Vici Gaming heroes acquired push sustaining items like meckansm and pipe for the inevitable high ground push.  It was as predictable as it was precise.  It won fast and often.  But should the Vici Gaming push ever get repelled, RotK, Super, Sylar, Fy, and Fenrir would regroup and do it all over again two minutes later.  The running joke was that Vici Gaming had a flowchart pointing out their most immediate objective every step of the way and Vici Gaming blindly followed the flowchart until their eventual victory or defeat. These days, Team Tinker look like a strategic mess.  Their laning stage is decently strong.  The individual skill is perfectly adequate for the professional level.  Their tempo is just all out of whack.  As the Team Tinker geared up to fight, one hero would pick up a farming item.  As Team Tinker controlled the map, they would ease off the pressure and farm another five minutes.  As Team Tinker are hitting high ground tower, a few heroes would dive all the way past tier four towers looking for a singular kill.  As a viewer, you never know what idea might strike a fancy in Team Tinker and pull them away from their objective of winning the game.  So today, we would like to present Vici Gaming’s easy step-by-step flowchart of how to play a professional Dota 2 game to Team Tinker. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 3] + Day 3 - A Makeover





When you are God in the flesh, the Lord of Heaven with lightning at your fingertips, you can certainly get away with making a fashion statement.  You can get away with a big Mario mustache, giant mutton chop sideburns, a pronounced widow’s peak and a gaudy blue and white uniform.  You could be modeling that mad-scientist super-villain look.  You could be playing that eccentric old uncle that everyone has in their family.  You could be trying to popularize the elderly plumber look.  You could be doing all of that, but you certainly shouldn’t have to look this that way all of the time. 



We know that bystanders have been politely quiet on the matter, avoiding the issue in fear of offending your sensibilities.  But today, LiquidDota staff have a present that we know you will love, a complete makeover!  We’ll be trimming up that mustache, cleaning up the sideburns, fixing the haircut, and providing multiple outfits befitting a living God from head to toe.  You will still have the choice to look like an old uncle, mad scientist, or a plumber, but you will also have the choice to look divine. 

When you are God in the flesh, the Lord of Heaven with lightning at your fingertips, you can certainly get away with making a fashion statement.  You can get away with a big Mario mustache, giant mutton chop sideburns, a pronounced widow’s peak and a gaudy blue and white uniform.  You could be modeling that mad-scientist super-villain look.  You could be playing that eccentric old uncle that everyone has in their family.  You could be trying to popularize the elderly plumber look.  You could be doing all of that, but you certainly shouldn’t have to look this that way all of the time. We know that bystanders have been politely quiet on the matter, avoiding the issue in fear of offending your sensibilities.  But today, LiquidDota staff have a present that we know you will love, a complete makeover!  We’ll be trimming up that mustache, cleaning up the sideburns, fixing the haircut, and providing multiple outfits befitting a living God from head to toe.  You will still have the choice to look like an old uncle, mad scientist, or a plumber, but you will also have the choice to look divine. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 4] + Day 4 - Visas

And for this day of Christmas we give to the scene - Visas for every Team (and an extra one for Bone7)



In an increasingly globalized world of Dota we find an odd exception to everything becoming closer and closer together.  Over the course of 2014 we saw drama after drama follow each other as international travel was denied to various teams and individuals.  Even The International this year was not free from such travails as team CIS’s players found themselves unsure of their presence in Seattle mere weeks before the grand tournament. 



As esports becomes more and more mainstream and accepted, so too should the professionalism of various organizations in handling the bureaucracy that governs the passage between nations.  Teams with International aspirations should not feel strapped to spend the thousand or so dollars required to preemptively procure passports for their players and with this gift organizations won’t need to.  At the end of the day the scene that claims to be on the technological edge now won’t even need to handle the basic paperwork required to avoid being a complete laughingstock in the grander scope of things. 

And for this day of Christmas we give to the scene - Visas for every Team (and an extra one for Bone7)In an increasingly globalized world of Dota we find an odd exception to everything becoming closer and closer together.  Over the course of 2014 we saw drama after drama follow each other as international travel was denied to various teams and individuals.  Even The International this year was not free from such travails as team CIS’s players found themselves unsure of their presence in Seattle mere weeks before the grand tournament. As esports becomes more and more mainstream and accepted, so too should the professionalism of various organizations in handling the bureaucracy that governs the passage between nations.  Teams with International aspirations should not feel strapped to spend the thousand or so dollars required to preemptively procure passports for their players and with this gift organizations won’t need to.  At the end of the day the scene that claims to be on the technological edge now won’t even need to handle the basic paperwork required to avoid being a complete laughingstock in the grander scope of things. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 5] + Day 5 - A 1st place medal



We give to you Jacky Mao… a 1st place finish. 

Unto you, Jacky Mao, we bestow a 1st place medal.  The object of your desires, that which you’ve striven for this entire year.  We here at LiquidDota believe that hard work ought to be rewarded (just not paid) and as such, we’ve held the 1st Annual LiquidDota “Do You Have a Pulse” invitational.  Using your recent tweets as evidence that you are indeed alive, you’ve won!  A successful first place finish over Team Liquid.  Congratulations.  There is a slight hitch however.  It’s not a gold medal.  Your Terrorblade gave us no farm priority whatsoever, so we’ve had to resort to using silver.  But it’s really nice silver.  We promise. 



Just remember, much as its not the gift but the thought that matters, your hard work and dedication is more important than any title.  Show me one person who remembers Sync and not YellOw. 



Merry Christmas Jacky. 

Unto you, Jacky Mao, we bestow a 1st place medal.  The object of your desires, that which you’ve striven for this entire year.  We here at LiquidDota believe that hard work ought to be rewarded (just not paid) and as such, we’ve held the 1st Annual LiquidDota “Do You Have a Pulse” invitational.  Using your recent tweets as evidence that you are indeed alive, you’ve won!  A successful first place finish over Team Liquid.  Congratulations.  There is a slight hitch however.  It’s not a gold medal.  Your Terrorblade gave us no farm priority whatsoever, so we’ve had to resort to using silver.  But it’s really nice silver.  We promise. Just remember, much as its not the gift but the thought that matters, your hard work and dedication is more important than any title.  Show me one person who remembers Sync and not YellOw. Merry Christmas Jacky. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 6] + Day 6 - (New) Admins



It's no secret that DreamLeague had its share of problems throughout Season 2.  The mismanagement and ensuing controversy bubbled out onto twitter and reddit for everyone to enjoy and admire.  Not only were their admins not able to tell what week of the month it was, they didn’t even manage to directly notify all EU qualifier teams which day it was supposed to start, nor were they able to secure Visas for the Chinese teams that qualified. 



That is why for Christmas this year, we here at Liquid Dota would like to give DreamHack some new administrators to handle the running of their leagues.  These administrators come equipped with novel technology such as calendars and are fully prepared to handle almost every situation that can arise when hosting a tournament, be it getting two teams to agree to the rescheduling of a game or making it so that teams can play with as few stand-ins as possible or even notifying teams of the correct schedule weeks beforehand so they don’t have to pull out of a league.  These administrators will also be able to make a ruling on a remake, just to make sure that the Sigma incident in Season 1 doesn’t happen again. 



And in case of emergency, they can help out the CS:GO division as well.  It's no secret that DreamLeague had its share of problems throughout Season 2.  The mismanagement and ensuing controversy bubbled out onto twitter and reddit for everyone to enjoy and admire.  Not only were their admins not able to tell what week of the month it was, they didn’t even manage to directly notify all EU qualifier teams which day it was supposed to start, nor were they able to secure Visas for the Chinese teams that qualified. That is why for Christmas this year, we here at Liquid Dota would like to give DreamHack some new administrators to handle the running of their leagues.  These administrators come equipped with novel technology such as calendars and are fully prepared to handle almost every situation that can arise when hosting a tournament, be it getting two teams to agree to the rescheduling of a game or making it so that teams can play with as few stand-ins as possible or even notifying teams of the correct schedule weeks beforehand so they don’t have to pull out of a league.  These administrators will also be able to make a ruling on a remake, just to make sure that the Sigma incident in Season 1 doesn’t happen again. And in case of emergency, they can help out the CS:GO division as well. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 7] + Day 7 - Get out of jail free-card



It's been a hard year for those of us who were fans of Arrow, Mineski, and MSI but I think we have something that will make you feel a bit better.  I'm sure a few of you (at least one of you) have fond memories of getting together with family over the Christmas Holidays and playing Monopoly.  This gave us an idea and with the help of one Mr. Vallejos we managed to stack both decks and only draw Get Out Of Jail Free cards for everybody.  We asked Mr. Vallejos what he wanted for his help but he declined saying he just wanted to be the SaviOr of our generation. 



As for Solo don't you worry, we haven't forgotten about you.  With the help of some Christmas magic we'll make sure your party never ends by making you relive christmas eve for 322 days.  Groundhog Day style. 



Footnote: Apparently one of Santa's little elves leaked the good news to the ex-Arrow Gaming squad who decided to use their card right away.  It's been a hard year for those of us who were fans of Arrow, Mineski, and MSI but I think we have something that will make you feel a bit better.  I'm sure a few of you (at least one of you) have fond memories of getting together with family over the Christmas Holidays and playing Monopoly.  This gave us an idea and with the help of one Mr. Vallejos we managed to stack both decks and only draw Get Out Of Jail Free cards for everybody.  We asked Mr. Vallejos what he wanted for his help but he declined saying he just wanted to be the SaviOr of our generation. As for Solo don't you worry, we haven't forgotten about you.  With the help of some Christmas magic we'll make sure your party never ends by making you relive christmas eve for 322 days.  Groundhog Day style. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 8] + Day 8 - Get well soon-card



Scenes we hope to see again

Never before has the scene witnessed such a fall from dominance like the one Alliance suffered this year.  After the departure of S4 and EGM the team has just not looked and acted the same.  Instead of the amazing Akke we've seen someone who looks more like Isai vs. Captain Jack.  AdmiralBulldog has seemingly lost his spirit animal and even the ever so stable Loda looks more like a hobbit than a ruler of Gondor.  The incredible moments we got used to seeing during their rise to dominance have all been replaced by a lack of synergy that has some people questioning if they can be called a Tier 1 team these days. 



During their prime, Alliance had to withstand massive criticism for their style of play.  At the same time no one can deny that they revolutionized how Dota was played with their innovative strategies and great individual plays.  That's the Alliance we want to see on the field of battle again.  Hopes have been raised after rumours about a new lineup being announced in the beginning of January.  So to wish Alliance good luck on their journey back into the spotlight of Dota we present you with the best thing we could come up with while stopping at the local gas-station; A "get well soon"-card.  You're welcome!  Never before has the scene witnessed such a fall from dominance like the one Alliance suffered this year.  After the departure of S4 and EGM the team has just not looked and acted the same.  Instead of the amazing Akke we've seen someone who looks more like Isai vs. Captain Jack.  AdmiralBulldog has seemingly lost his spirit animal and even the ever so stable Loda looks more like a hobbit than a ruler of Gondor.  The incredible moments we got used to seeing during their rise to dominance have all been replaced by a lack of synergy that has some people questioning if they can be called a Tier 1 team these days. During their prime, Alliance had to withstand massive criticism for their style of play.  At the same time no one can deny that they revolutionized how Dota was played with their innovative strategies and great individual plays.  That's the Alliance we want to see on the field of battle again.  Hopes have been raised after rumours about a new lineup being announced in the beginning of January.  So to wish Alliance good luck on their journey back into the spotlight of Dota we present you with the best thing we could come up with while stopping at the local gas-station; A "get well soon"-card.  You're welcome! 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 9] + Day 9 - Free MMR! 

Today we come bearing a gift everybody wants.  We all know that what matters isn’t truly how good you are, it's more about how bad everybody around you is.  It's youre teammates who's keeping you stuck at 2000 MMR.  Because who picks 4 more carries after you already picked a Terrorblade?  Anyway we realized how to solve the issue for everybody, we just need to give people MMR!  Feel like you should be 8k?  Now you are!  Always wanted to be higher than your 6k friend who will not stop bragging about it?  You got it.  Wonder what it’s like at 600 because of some weird experiment you’ve been planning?  Have fun I guess but be careful I heard they actually bite down there.  It’s true that this might not actually improve your skills in the game, but lets be real it’s not the skill that matters its the size of the number that counts. 



Not only will this make us normal mortals happier.  It will also help the pro-scene.  No longer will professional players have to complain about their teammates being so far beneath them in MMR.  By raising the average MMR of their team they will now have to find other reasons to explain that 10 loss streak. 



We here at LiquidDota wish you luck in your ladder matches over the Christmas Holidays and hope you hit whatever that magic number is that you’re aiming for. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 10] + Day 10 - New PCs (for tournament organizers)

Ever since the beginning of esports there has been one thing that, over all others, been the bane of a tournament organizer's day: failing PCs.  They force schedules to be changed and viewers, as well as players, have to stand by for what can become hour long breaks.  This year we’ve seen computer issues ruin schedules and anger players at tournaments like WCA and, even worse, well run tournaments such as ESL One New York.  These days a LAN without technical difficulties is nearly impossible to find, which is funny seeing as how most computers are sponsored these days.  You would think the sponsor would send the best thing they have, instead of 10 so-so computers. 



While it is true that all PR is good PR, we here at LiquidDota have gotten a bit sick of all the PR tournament organizers have gotten from failing PCs and think it’s time for everyone to step their game up.  So for Christmas this year we are giving the tournament organizers PCs that have actually been tested in a 5v5 game. 

+ Show Spoiler [Day 11] + Day 11 - An RPG



After returning to China, victorious at The International 2014, NewBee disregarded Dota 2 play and practice.  Instead they began to stacke various RPG games non-stop.  Whether because of fatigue from playing the game non-stop for four months or general burnout from playing as professionals, the four players of the championship NewBee squad lost interest in professional Dota 2 and found passion in roleplaying in a virtualised world.  A short burst in practice saw them win WCA, but in general, the lack of motivation has been immensely disappointing to Rabbit, who unlike his millionaire teammates has not won The International and only managed to bank 100k USD as his share of the LGD prize. 



This got us thinking at LiquidDota about a perfect gift for players that already have reached the pinnacle of their profession, with enthusiasm for RPGs, and need something to spice up the grind of a Dota 2 professional career.  For Hao, Mu, Sansheng, and Banana, LiquidDota brings you SimDota2, a game where you can roleplay an inspiring Dota 2 amateur with ambitions of breaking into the scene and winning The International.  In the game, you have to fight to get your teammates Hu, Wood, Hans Engs, and Apple motivated to practise once again.  SimDota2 lets you become a 16-year old, starry-eyed teenager living the excitement of playing against established Dota2 stars.  You can see your skill ratings improve after long practice sessions.  You can see trust rating improve after proving yourself in games to skeptical teammates and managers.  You can see fame ratings improve as you attract more attention from fans, and you can see achievement ratings go up after winning those first few tournaments.  SimDota2 has plenty of replayability, as you can always start over and explore other paths to success and failure.  And in playing the game, you can gain the perspective of less successful Dota 2 professionals such as your teammate and lend moral support by playing out his struggles in a virtualised setting. 



Now that we think of it, SimDota2 would be an excellent gift for someone like a disillusioned EternalEnvy, players going through their mid-Dota 2-life crisis, and any player wondering, “What are we doing with our lives?”  After returning to China, victorious at The International 2014, NewBee disregarded Dota 2 play and practice.  Instead they began to stacke various RPG games non-stop.  Whether because of fatigue from playing the game non-stop for four months or general burnout from playing as professionals, the four players of the championship NewBee squad lost interest in professional Dota 2 and found passion in roleplaying in a virtualised world.  A short burst in practice saw them win WCA, but in general, the lack of motivation has been immensely disappointing to Rabbit, who unlike his millionaire teammates has not won The International and only managed to bank 100k USD as his share of the LGD prize. This got us thinking at LiquidDota about a perfect gift for players that already have reached the pinnacle of their profession, with enthusiasm for RPGs, and need something to spice up the grind of a Dota 2 professional career.  For Hao, Mu, Sansheng, and Banana, LiquidDota brings you SimDota2, a game where you can roleplay an inspiring Dota 2 amateur with ambitions of breaking into the scene and winning The International.  In the game, you have to fight to get your teammates Hu, Wood, Hans Engs, and Apple motivated to practise once again.  SimDota2 lets you become a 16-year old, starry-eyed teenager living the excitement of playing against established Dota2 stars.  You can see your skill ratings improve after long practice sessions.  You can see trust rating improve after proving yourself in games to skeptical teammates and managers.  You can see fame ratings improve as you attract more attention from fans, and you can see achievement ratings go up after winning those first few tournaments.  SimDota2 has plenty of replayability, as you can always start over and explore other paths to success and failure.  And in playing the game, you can gain the perspective of less successful Dota 2 professionals such as your teammate and lend moral support by playing out his struggles in a virtualised setting. Now that we think of it, SimDota2 would be an excellent gift for someone like a disillusioned EternalEnvy, players going through their mid-Dota 2-life crisis, and any player wondering, “What are we doing with our lives?” 







Writers: Tephus, TanGeng, Peanuts, Jinxed, OmniEulogy

GFX: Shiroiusagi

Editing: Sn0_Man, TanGeng



Everyone loves christmas and we on the LiquidDota staff are no different.  We all get that warm fuzzy feeling on christmas eve.  You know, the kind that you can only get from seeing a slightly drunk uncle handing out presents while trying to keep his $5 santa mask from falling off. Those of us lucky enough to have been kind all year also know how good it feels to receive presents on christmas day, but there is still something to be said about giving someone something you know they'll love and use for a long time.  So the LiquidDota staff sat down, put on "A Fairytale of New York" and thought of what we wanted to give to the people that make Dota 2 the game it is. Up until December 25th we will hand out one present a day to people you will most likely recognize.  And if you miss a day that's no big deal, at the end of this post all previous presents will be saved so you can get into the christmas spirit whenever you wish. Hey guys.  Take a seat.  I know, I know.  Time is money, specifically ¥300 a minute, but I promise it’s worth it. Well, you all decided to call it a shot this year.  13 years all combined is pretty solid, but god damn you guys are old.  Practically mummies at this rate.  Well, besides being ex-CityHunter, you’re all OldMen now. Keeping in line with respecting our elders, we got you some gifts.  You’ll find a nice cane in that there box, for getting around.  We also brought you custom NeedForSeat™ DXRacers™ that we stuffed with some of your stream money.  But most of all, we’d just like to say thank you.  Thank you for years of playing Dota and bringing this game to its fullest.  Thank you for pushing this game we love to new limits.  You showed off what is possible.  You inspired us to push ourselves, to strive for the next step up the ladder.  You made us shout and cheer.  You made us cry and grieve.  You showed us why we love this game so damn much.  Thank you for that.