BB Dacha Belgrade: Watson’s first tournament with GG is over

The city of Belgrade hosted one of the most unexpected upsets of the year in front of around four thousand Dota 2 fans. Gaimin Gladiators, this year's TI runner-up team, suffered an early elimination despite featuring Watson, their new hard carry, during the BetBoom Dacha.

To make things more complicated for them, their executioner was the SEA representatives, Aurora. Despite being a very promising team, Aurora didn't get any top placement this year; and failed to qualify to multiple international tournaments, including The International 13.

While this is great news for the SEA fans, it's still shocking to see the dominant GG stuck with a 7th-8th placement. Fortunately for Watson and the Gaimin Gladiators fans, the team will be soon playing again, as the DreamLeague S24 begins in Oct 27—just a day after BB Dacha is over.

For the first draft, GG tried to play in the comfort zone: Watson's Shadow Fiend and Ace's Slardar. Their aim was to go for the pick-offs and early pushing, but Aurora had a draft to play around this idea. Bristleback to control Quinn's spiders, and Muerta as the glass cannon that will let them fight in GG's same tempo.

Even though it seemed like a draft thought to boost the Alchemist pick, it was all the way around. Alchemist's fast itemization was a space-creator for Aurora.

Gaimin Gladiators tried a crucial team fight with Watson's farmed SF, but they were not able to win their first BetBoom Dacha match. Unfortunately for them, trying to burst the Alchemist was everything Aurora needed for Muerta and Bristle to kill the backlane heroes.

Gaimin Gladiator's second game at the BetBoom Dacha looked promising, as Watson's Luna was getting quickly farmed. But even when Aurora looked so far behind, they had two powerful tools to work with: Abed and TA2000.

Aurora was dealing massive amounts of damage with their Gyrocopter, and the Void Spirit was able to punish the backlane thanks to his Aghanim's build. GG had the networth advantage for a large margin, but most fights were even when the SEA team showed initiative.

Despite their biggest efforts, Quinn got to a point where his Storm Spirit was enabling the Luna during the high ground push. It was a matter of time before the item difference came into place.

Aurora is the team that has played the most amount of Void Spirit games during the BB Dacha Belgrade 2024. However, out of the five times they tried it, they only won two. This was their sixth attempt, and they picked it without fearing their previous defeat.

When we interviewed the team's coach, SunBhie, was conclusive: "Sh*t, I don't even know if I like the hero [laughs]. I think we are force to pick it because we're forced to pick it." And he is right.

Void Spirit ranks among the best burst damage midlaners, despite holding only a 41% win rate at the tournament (and closer to 34% before this series). Gaimin Gladiators' pick for Watson was a Morphling for this third game of the BB Dacha. And we all know how much the hero struggles against bursting heroes.

But GG's strategy had its strong points too. Just like the casters said, Morph becomes a "better Timbersaw at some point." He just needs the right opportunity, and enough space to farm the items that will enable him.

The moment never came for Watson's Morphling, and after a short twenty-nine-minutes game, Gaimin Gladitors were eliminated from the BB Dacha Belgrade. Aurora's next opponent will be Team Spirit, the local team; and their worst nightmare. Just days ago, they lost 2-0 against them during the Group Stage.

We're covering the BetBoom Dacha 2024 live from Belgrade! To read all of our exclusive interviews, don't forget to check our Dota 2 section.