From a mixed performance in the DPC regular season to a top three finish at The International 2022, Tundra Esports really has come a long way from just missing out on qualifying for TI10. That improvement now includes a decisive 2-0 win over Team Aster that has put them just one win away from the TI11 grand finals.
If you look at every team playing at TI this year, most of them will have a few areas where they thrive, a massive combined hero pool, or something like high technical skill. Tundra is an outlier, as they don’t have the biggest hero pool, and they aren’t the most technical team overall, but they know what they are good at and will outwork you.
One common thread you will hear when analysts first see Tundra’s drafts is at least one pick looking like an outlier or something too good to be true. That’s because, while Tundra doesn’t have a wide pool of comfort heroes, they are willing to try weird things as long as it fits what they know. But that is probably a requirement for any team with 33 playing in their offlane.
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That drafting style shows that they not only believe in themselves but also that their playstyle speaks for itself in-game, which was on display in game one against Aster as they could play at their tempo the entire time. They only needed to take one real fight on the back of a skiter classic, Chaos Knight, before walking it home.
Even when Aster held a sizable lead in game two and Tundra was playing from behind, none of the players looked worried, and they just kept their eyes on what they needed to do next to win. Once they did reclaim the lead, it was that same simple approach that allowed them to execute the way they needed to to seal the 2-0.
Fans will have to wait until Oct. 28 to see Tundra play again, but when they do take the stage, it will be in the upper bracket finals to take on Team Secret to see who will be the first team locking in a spot in the TI11 grand finals. The last time these two teams played, Tundra handed Secret their only true loss on the group stage.
Meanwhile, Aster drops down into the lower bracket and will await the winner of beastcoast and PSG.LGD as they try to bounce back from their first loss on the main stage.