A tribute to Ceb’s Windranger from the ESL One Stockholm Major

There have been a great number of phenomenal hero-player combos throughout Dota 2's history. Any average Dota 2 fan would know the iconic Dendi-Pudge, Miracle-Invoker, Collapse-Magnus and so many more. The recently concluded ESL One Stockholm Major saw the birth of a hero-player combo. It is non-other than the notorious Ceb Windranger.

In the latest Valve Major, OG once again proved its magic. The team had a huge challenge ahead of the Stockholm Major when its team captain and coach, Misha and chuvash, couldn't attend due to VISA issues. Ultimately, Sébastien "Ceb" Debs, who is retired, and Johan "N0tail" Sundstein, who is on a break, filled in at the last minute. What sounds like a disastrous incident quickly turned into a historical championship - arguably at the hands of a really powerful Windranger.

*All stats are referred from Spectral Stats.

During the Group Stage, OG was a little off-balance. But after an adjustment, in which Ceb swapped roles with Taiga, they quickly found their footing. Throughout the tournament, OG's favorite pick was the Pos 4 Windranger. This pick has been a nightmare for OG's opponents despite it being an unconventional hero in the patch.

Yes, of course, Windranger has a total of 83% win rate over a total of 17 picks at the Stockholm Major. But 13 of them were actually played by Ceb. So technically, he owns the hero. He had a 92% win rate with 12 wins and only 1 loss against TSM at the Grand Final. But what made his Windranger insanely intimidating was his consistency at Shackles.

Let's take a look at his best Shackles of the Stockholm Major.

OG faced the champions of Gamers Galaxy Dubai Invitational, BOOM Esports at the Lower Bracket. In the elimination series, OG delivered a stomp and Ceb's Windranger pulled off some stunning Shackles.

In the final moments of game 1, Ceb did a sick Gale Force into a Double Shackle.

He then closed the game with a double Shackle onto the double core heroes of BOOM Esports.

The deciding match between Fnatic and OG was one of the most thrilling games of the Stockholm Major. Fnatic completely owned the game with a strong CK-KOTL core combination and they led the game with an 18K net worth difference. However, OG held on to the late game where their draft holds the upper hand. In one of the crucial Roshan fights, Ceb's Windranger pulled off another insane double Shackle.

OG faced the top dog of South America, Thunder Awaken. In this series, OG read and outplayed their opponents to earn a convincing 2-0 sweep. In one teamfight, Ceb's Windranger did a back-to-back Shackle to lockdown a Faceless Void.

OG squared off against WEU's former top seed. Gaimin Gladiators was the #1 team of Group B at the Stockholm Major as well, but they ultimately crumbled in the hands of OG.

Ceb on his Windranger executed one of the best Shackles of the game, securing a kill onto the enemy's carry.

Another incredible Shackle was seen in a teamfight in the Dire triangle.

OG stepped closer to the Grand Finals facing one of the tournament favorites, Tundra Esports. Tundra seemed incredibly strong coming into the tournament, smashing every series until their first loss against TSM. They also couldn't handle the strong momentum from OG, who had been surfing through the Lower Bracket and improving in every step.

During the laning phase of Game 1, Ceb's Windranger made an incredible play, punishing his opponent's greed.

Deep into the game, Ceb Shackled a slippery Visage who was flying around with free-pathing and used his Gale Force to re-position the enemy. With that, OG managed to secure a valuable kill.

During the Grand Finals, Ceb faced his first loss as Windranger in the brutal first game. However, OG quickly recuperated and read TSM's gameplay to deliver an amazing comeback into the series.

Well, this one might not be a Shackle play. But this stunning Powershot snipe deserves a massive highlight. OG attempted a pick-off onto a slippery Puck and he escaped with a small HP. But Ceb's Windranger was aiming his Powershot from afar to secure a successful snipe.

This isn't the first time Ceb made a roaring impact on stage. Of course, we remember his legendary Axe Call which led to a popular chat wheel. And now, everytime Ceb makes an incredible play, the chat goes crazy and spams CEEEEEEEEEB endlessly.

One thing is for sure, right after the Stockholm Major, don't be surprised when your pubs are spammed with Support Windrangers!

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