This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

　　

12th December, 2013

The power ranking series will run on a fortnightly basis looking back at the Dota 2 team's performance from the previous two weeks. This fortnight's Eastern Power Rankings have been provided by Dotaland.net's Lead Editor Josh 'AutumnWindz' Lee, home of the best Dota 2 Chinese coverage in the scene.

　　You can find our previous Western Power Rankings here.

　　

1. Vici Gaming

It seems that VG’s recent addition of Sylar has been a push that allowed them to make the next step. Having just booked their D2L S4 Finals ticket to Las Vegas in January, and coming off the back of an impressive title-winning run in the Sina Cup 2, VG looks to take Europe by storm next at the EMS One in Poland.

　　Having not originally been slated for Poland and comparably unfavored in both D2L S4 and Sina Cup 2, the Vengeance Gaming World Tour came unannounced. It will be fun to watch unfold, as storylines abound with this team: VG’s three core players in rOtk, Super, and Sylar, having been ousted from their long-standing teams just after TI3, are all playing like they have something to prove. Paired with talented yet oft-overlooked supports Fenrir and Fy, the team has fired on all cylinders in dominating wins over practically every other major team in the Chinese scene recently. LGD.cn, iG, and DK, none have been spared from VG’s aggressive team play and sub-20 minute GGs in favor of VG have been a common sight. Whether or not they’re here to stay as a top tier challenger remains to be seen… But a strong run in Poland at the EMS One that ended in a VG title win suggests that, in addition to their recent domestic scene dominance, VG is a contender on the world stage as well.

　　

2. LGD.cn

There’s a saying in Chinese Dota that LGD is “forever number 2”, alluding to the fact that they’re almost always strong, but almost always fall just a bit short of the top. In the past month or so, it looked like LGD.cn was the top dog in the increasingly intense Eastern scene, but unfortunately for them, just prior to this writing, Vici Gaming came, saw, and conquered, and thus LGD.cn will have to settle for number two again.

　　Prior to VG’s seemingly sudden outburst of dominance, LGD.cn looked to be the strongest team in the Eastern scene, or at least the most consistently high-performing in version 6.79. A first place finish at the NEST, a first place group finish and automatic Finals qualification in D2L S4; if LGD.cn had taken the Sina Cup 2 title then they would’ve doubtless been the top rank this time. That said, LGD.cn placed second at the Sina Cup 2, and VG’s dominance over them there cannot be understated: In a total of 5 games played over the WB Finals and the Grand Finals of the Sina Cup 2, VG went 5-0 over LGD.cn with the clean sweep, with the average game time for the 5 games coming out to under 20 minutes. That kind of VG dominance guarantees that, for now at least, LGD.cn is once again second.

　　A set of bad losses to iG in the opening G-League 2013 match puts LGD.cn’s place under more doubt. So, in reality, apart from VG holding a firm grip on first in the rankings, the other three teams in this top four are currently very close.

　　

3. Team DK

Many people may point to DK’s most recent performances in both the Sina Cup 2 and D2L S4 playoffs as disappointing at best, and outright unworthy of a number 3 ranking at worst. Combine that with their inconsistent overall performances on 6.79, and some may even question if they belong in the top 4.

　　The reason that DK is third here is that DK’s deep run and overall strong showing against many of the world’s top teams at MLG Columbus late last month should not be discounted. DK went deep on foreign soil in the biggest event outside of The International, taking powerful wins over current and former TI champions alike. That form alone demands a top 3 ranking. So far there’s nothing indicating that DK will be unable to build on their MLG showing, though after a powerful and bright ‘honeymoon’ period in which the new DK won everything, that shine may be wearing off and a renewed team-building process may be on the way. Whether DK goes up or down from here in the coming months remains to be seen.

　　

4. Invictus Gaming

A third place finish at Sina Cup 2, a second place finish at NEST, and a decent run in D2L S4… iG seems to be back, or at least, they’ve felt like a revitalized team compared to their massive slump in mid-2013. Nonetheless, this still feels like a team that’s getting to grips with 6.79 just as much as they’re still working out a more coherent draft and team style, one that they can comfortably call their own. Inconsistency in both drafts and overall team play seem to be a constant element recently with iG. When at their best, such as seen throughout WPC-ACE as well as in their opening G-League 2013 match against LGD.cn, iG belongs in the top level of Chinese Dota, but just as frequently lately they’ve also been prone to stumbling in spectacular fashion.