Na`Vi take DH Leipzig over LG

The final pitted Luminosity Gaming and Natus Vincere in a replay of the group match we saw last week in Minsk where the Brazilian squad took a 2-0 victory in style to qualify first out of the group stage and get a BYE in their quarterfinal match. 

 
A strong start to the year for Na`Vi, runners up and winners after two events

This time, however, the match was for keeps as the winner would go on to take the lion's share of the $100,000 prize pool. The first round on de_train saw Na`Vi jump straight out of the gate with a terrorist side pistol win and a full rifle buy in the next. 

Gabriel "⁠FalleN⁠" Toledo got his hands an AWP on the first buy round resulting in the first two frags of the round after an aggressive play in ivy. Paired with a double by Lincoln "⁠fnx⁠" Lau, LG got their first round on the board.

With the score tied 3-3, Na`Vi broke LG’s momentum taking the 7th round with slow methodical play, the Brazilians falling one by one, with none able to even save a rifle. FalleN then came in huge for his team with a three kill retake in an after plant situation in B, which LG won after defusing the bomb bringing the game back to a 4-4 tie.

Luminosity, playing an aggressive CT side, were able to keep Na`Vi from pulling off many executes and prompting Na`Vi to use their tactical pause to try and shift momentum back their way.

It seemed the Na`Vi timeout was going to have a big impact as they won the first round after the pause, bringing the score to 7-5, but LG were quick to stop them on their tracks trading rounds until the scoreline was 9-6 at the half.

FalleN and Ladislav "⁠GuardiaN⁠" Kovács, the AWP duelists

The second pistol round of the map went to Na`Vi again, picking off the LG players and defusing the bomb. Again, Na`Vi went for a no frills rifle heavy buy in the second round.

With the match tied up at 9-9, Luminosity picked off player after player and planted on A to take the round as Egor "⁠flamie⁠" Vasilyev, the lone survivor for Na`Vi, saved a rifle. A double entry on ivy by flamie stopped LG’s push on its tracks, keeping the game a back and forth contest all the way into the 20th round.

Na`Vi saved two AWPs in the 23rd round, and got the two opening frags with them in the 24th courtesy of Denis "⁠seized⁠" Kostin and GuardiaN, allowing the CIS team to pick up an incredibly important round to keep it close at 13-11.

Luminosity won the next round, however, putting Na`Vi against the ropes in an eco, with only GuardiaN holding a saved AWP. An AWP which would give Na`Vi the round since GuardiaN managed to take down three and start to come alive.

With the win two rounds away for LG, the Brazilians called for their tactical pause in hopes of shaking things up. Na`Vi, however, tied the game 14-14 by making LG play defensive and take duels which they eventually lost, putting LG into an eco.

Armed only with pistols, Luminosity executed on A to take the round unexpectedly and assure at least an overtime. An overtime which would come after Na`Vi won the next round by stopping Luminosity mindlessly pushing into B through smoke. 

With LG against the ropes after losing the first round of overtime, FalleN came out huge winning a 1v3 clutch with his trusty AWP to keep both teams neck and neck. As GuardiaN and flamie warmed up and started making the difference in the late game, though, Na`Vi managed to fly past LG in the last couple rounds to take the first map 16-19.

FalleN went big on de_train, but his team still couldn’t manage come out on top

Luminosity won their T side pistol round on de_cobblestone with flamie having to run away from the bomb with no time to defuse. The first buy round went Na`Vi’s way, but Epitacio "⁠TACO⁠" de Melo came in huge in the 5th round with three entry kills to keep his team solidly in the lead and forcing Na`Vi into a double eco.

Danylo "⁠Zeus⁠" Teslenko was quick to open the up the play in the 8th round with his team behind by 5, and flamie closed it with a three kill from chicken coop to prevent his team from falling into further financial turmoil.

With 4-7 on the board for Luminosity coming into the 12th round, a lost forcebuy put the CIS team in dire straits for the rest of the half, which Luminosity went on to win 10-5 despite giving away the last round to an eco.

Na`Vi then took the fourth pistol round of the match, which was crucial if they wanted to keep their options alive. Na`Vi lost the first buy round of the half, but still managed to grind rounds all the way to an 11-11 tie.

Luminosity weren’t having it though, and managed to link two rounds in a row for the first time this half to stay ahead 13-11 coming into the final stretch of the map. seized came in huge to bring the match back to a tie at 13-13 with an impressive 4k, and forcing LG between a rock and a hard place having to hard eco.

flamie put in an MVP performance during today's final

With the game coming down to the wire and 14-14 on the board, Na`Vi decided to call their timeout, during which coaches and players could be seen effusively discussing the play. After two rounds, however, the second map was going the way of the first—into overtime.

Na`Vi won the first overtime round, and then the second, forcing LG who had made very expensive buys into an eco and third round loss. Na`Vi went into the second half of the overtime with a three round advantage. Luminosity held on by taking the first round, but would eventually fall to Na`Vi, the DreamHack ZOWIE Open Leipzig champions.

Broken tag

Broken tag

DreamHack ZOWIE Open Leipzig 2016 final standings:

1. Null element Natus Vincere - $50,000
2. Luminosity - $20,000
3-4. Astralis - $10,000
3-4. dignitas - $10,000
5-6. mousesports - $3,000
5-6. FaZe - $3,000
7-8. SK Gaming - $2,000
7-8. Virtus.pro - $2,000