How One 500 IQ Play Created Dota's Greatest Dynasty

What if I told you that the standout play from OG’s impossible run at TI8 went completely under the radar.

What if I told you that the coolest, craziest, most two-billion IQ thing anyone on that roster did to secure their first and most enduring International win was sell an item.

OG became Dota 2's most legendary team thanks to a secret brilliant, perfectly timed play from Ana, and almost no one realized what happened, not even his own teammates.

Music used under license from Associated Production Music LLC (”APM”).

[_tYu]

TI 8 was literally an anime, a historic story of E-Sport, a real life movie. Dang, that was the best TI ever

[TheDark]

the concept was "he had no buyback" and he was dying and if he dies and enemy pushes(which they did), he cannot be there to provide the hits/defend
* you cannot sell any items you have while dead
* you cannot sell any items if you are not close to a shop
and on top of all the macro things he had done. there was one other concept missing.
"he was building butterfly(core item) which is only missing 1 piece which is worth 900 gold"
when he was dying he was thinking if he has enough gold for buyback : the answer is no
he had 1k, does he buy the 900 gold item to complete the core item : the is answer is no (in which most people even in high level gameplay they will fumble and just buy the item before dying, coz dying will cost you gold aswell)
while thinking of those, he was trying to finish the creeps while running away, he was macroing an illusion, selling an item, checking if the gold was enough for him to buyback.

and he had to do it in just 1-2 seconds.

the best part about this story is that no one knew about it until the event was done. Some people on reddit posted about it as no one noticed it, not the pro players, not the casters. not even the very team itself. He just did it and thinking maybe it was just a normal day for him to do that. He wasn't even bragging about it. he just said "I got buyback. Sold some sh*t."

[dankvada]

that TI8 script couldnt have been written any better. most epic esports tournament

[rikisanity]

Ana will always be remembered as the best part timer in the world

[Mije-bzph]

The TI8 run was like a movie; the team was torn apart a little over two months before TI and had to rebuild. n0tail was washed, ceb hadn't played in years, ana was a young kid that choked under the pressure, topson was a high level pub player whose weird hero picks and item builds weren't supposed to work in tier 1. They had comeback after comeback against the best teams in the world, including a massive 25 to 7 kill differential, and thousands and thousands of gold deficit in game 5 of the grand final against a monstrously stacked Chinese team, and they overcame it all. The best story in esports history.

[invdem]

TI8 was like a 12 episode anime, and TI9 was just an OVA where the group just having fun and stomping everyone for the last time 😂

[seventhheaven]

everyone: ana 2 billion iq genius
ana: idk wtf is going on i cant even see my own hero💀

[valentjulioo]

wake up guys, another OG's TI8 TI9 runs video just dropped

[dabeeeeeed]

It has been more than 5 yrs since this play yet more videos are still being posted. Trully a legendary series. This OG roster is the best.

[jungLMAO]

Time to watch TI8 truesight for the nth time.

[toddtownsend]

Fun fact. Because the TI's were within a year of each other, Ana was the highest paid sportsman in Australia.

[elvere]

All though he had a short career compared to other players, I'm willing say Ana is the greatest player that has touched Dota 2 to this day. He peaked like nobody has and just walked out of the scene through the big door. Truly, an esports legend.

[coolgate]

I can feel the geekiness of Dimitri for dota on this video. I swear he's like my favorite guy on thescore esports to narrate anything especially if its something he is passionate about. Keep dota vids coming! and potentially DEADLOCK too ? in the near future?!

[perlitoavila]

Best and closest TI ever. The story and drama. The best friend betrayal. The team rebuilding. The unknown pubstar topson. The pro scene comeback of ana. The crawl from open qualis to close qualis to securing a spot. Fighting their way in groupstage to securing upper bracket. Going against rival EG with your 2 old teammates in which 1 is your best friend and winning the series with emotions high. Going against the favorites and surely the giants in psg.lgd and somehow upsetting the series. Then once again fighting for the aegis with that same giant in which are more prepared and compose. From making a comeback in that game 4 to even the series with clutch plays after plays then somewhat making another amazing comeback at game 5 after a team wipe at bottom lane in which ana made another clutch play by survivng with a TP to base before the curse killed him. Such a wonderful TI and series. OG really has a story to tell. That roster has their own individual story and them coming together was written in the stars. What a team.

[afterthought]

You know someone is a legend when we haven't heard from them in years.

[gamesnstuff]

Ana is one of the God's of DOTA 2. That whole tournament is worth going back and watching. It was the peak of TI. This video makes me nostalgic for DOTA, I don't play much anymore these days. It seems like DOTA 2 players have forgotten how to have fun, and are more worried about their teammates than they are playing the game, which curbed my enthusiasm for DOTA, but it will always be considered one of the best games of all time in my heart. Lakad matatag! normalin normalin.

[jwinterspring]

TI8 and 9 were peak. Especially 8.
All of them had their own spot light, one way or another.

Jerax's "Savior" moment,
the
ana's "500 IQ buyback"
Topson's overall performances (that Invo vs PL, the AW with Jerax on the defense, etc)
Notail's micro sacrifices (like that simple creep taunt for the backdoor protection).
You guys can comment more highlights.

I kept on coming back to those battles and learns something new that they did, even small things that still amazes me till now.

[klskl]

Ana will be remembered for selling his items, true carry

[martconrad]

It has been 6 years and this still gives me chills. TI8 is the best TI ever. Involving real life and in game sacrifices!

[TheAvengerShadow]

I find it interesting how some people think this is easy, but they don't realize what it's like to perform that move under high pressure with such high stakes.