Strafe logo
Nisha is the best midlaner in BetBoom Dacha Dubai

Nisha is the best midlaner in BetBoom Dacha Dubai

Dota 2
11 Feb
Otomo

BetBoom Dacha Dubai featured the biggest  Solo competition with a USD $100,000 prize pool. Team Liquid's Michał "Nisha" Jankowski was crowned as the winner of the event and took home the title of best midlaner in the world.

The event featured 40 players from different teams, roles, and even some coaches.  In the best-of-five grand final, Nisha took down Xtreme Gaming's Guo "Xm" Hongcheng 3-1 to win the event.

Nisha focused on stats to win the tournament

Meepo Crystal Scavenger Stats all the way. (Credit: Valve)

In the grand finals, Nisha opted to go for stat-heavy item builds to maximize his health and damage.

In the first game, both players took Mirana and Nisha opted for three Bracers and a Magic Wand while Xm stuck to two Bracers and no Magic Stick. The two players also had different approaches to their skill build, as Nisha maxed out Starstorm and Leap, while Xm took a value point in Sacred Arrow, hoping to land a lucky shot and win the game.

Nisha's more stable approach won the game and that trend continued throughout the series. During the Marci match-up, the Polish star again opted for double Bracers, while Xm preferred to buy more regeneration.

The same thing happened with their skill build, Liquid's midlaner maxed out Dispose, an impossible skill to mess up, while Xm preferred Rebound, a spell that deals more damage and stuns, but can be dodged, ultimately costing him the game.

This emphasis on stats is the same reason Danil "gpk" Skutin won the event last year. These 1 vs 1 mid-matchs will often end in less than 10 minutes, so having a couple of extra stat points over the mirror match goes a long way to securing victory.

Nisha: "It was very stressful, much more than a 5v5 for sure"

Nisha wins the Solo Tournament Not a bad haul for one day of work. (Credit: Fissure)

After winning the event and taking home USD $50,000 and a trophy, Nisha had a post-match interview with the hosts to celebrate his victory.

While the games were quite short, they were very intense and that took a toll on the players. Nisha was asked if he enjoyed the event and said, "I did, but it was very stressful, much more than a 5v5 for sure."

The grand final wasn't a one-sided stomp, Xm won the second game, and watching the other mid rack up creeps was frustrating for the eventual champion. The Liquid mid stated that one death made him want to quit the game.

"I don't want to play it anymore, if I have buyback then that's helpful but if you need to watch him play and you're dead, it's so depressing."

Nisha ended his speech by thanking the fans for their support and reiterating that this wasn't a solo effort by him to win.

"I want to thank the fans and I'm glad it's not second place cuz it's not me, it's still Liquid. We won, not me"

The Solo Tournament is over but the main event continues on February 11th. Catch all the action live on Twitch.

READ MORE: Ceb hints at changes to OG's roster

Featured Image Source: Team Liquid

Comments (1)

Log in to comment on this match
No comments yet

Log in and be the first to start the conversation!

Show more comments