TI9 Groups Day 2 - The role of Io

Io has been one of most feared heroes in competitive dota for years. While it has been the target of a lot of changes, it still remains a hero that allows for incredible mobility with the relocate and helps whoever is being tethered stay alive and deal damage.

In the first two days of TI9 Io has been picked 8 times and banned 15 times. Out of the 8 games played the team with Io has won 5. Unlike TI8, Io hasn’t been among the most contested picks. In this post we’ll look at which teams are still utilizing the hero and what they are doing with it.

Games with Io picked or banned on days 1 and 2 of groups

Match ID Radiant Dire
4969674124
Team Liquid
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
PSG.LGD
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4969568760
Team Liquid
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
PSG.LGD
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4969485474
Ninjas in Pyjamas
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
OG
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4969405883
Ninjas in Pyjamas
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
OG
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4969351370
Team Liquid
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Mineski
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4969348313
KEEN GAMING
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Team Secret
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4969319314
Newbee
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
PSG.LGD
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4969295489
Team Liquid
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Mineski
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4969292028
Team Secret
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
KEEN GAMING
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4969274267
Newbee
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
PSG.LGD
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4969248720
Ninjas in Pyjamas
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Fnatic
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4969186537
Fnatic
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Ninjas in Pyjamas
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4969185780
Vici Gaming
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Virtus.pro
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4968169805
Team Secret
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Team Liquid
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4968051649
Virtus.pro
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Royal Never Give Up
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4967996576
Newbee
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Team Secret
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4967956396
Royal Never Give Up
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Virtus.pro
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4967897880
Team Liquid
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Chaos Esports Club
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4967821629
Team Liquid
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Chaos Esports Club
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4967770591
Ninjas in Pyjamas
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
Virtus.pro
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
4967701639
Virtus.pro
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Ninjas in Pyjamas
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4967654870
Newbee
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Team Liquid
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20
4967601727
Team Liquid
8
9
15
17
22

2
4
6
12
14
19
Newbee
7
10
16
18
21

1
3
5
11
13
20

A few observations:

  • Many teams are banning Io in the first phase against Liquid.
  • Chinese and South East Asian teams haven’t picked it yet.
  • Gyrocopter is still the preferred partner for support Io. When Io has been picked on the absolute 1st pick of the draft, the other team has taken Gyro as a block pick. Other partners have been seen only when Gyro isn’t available.
  • Despite other teams thinking of them as an Io team, Liquid wasn’t willing to take 1st pick Io in their opening series against Newbee. That could indicate that even Liquid only like it with Gyro.

The notable exception to all of this is OG in their series against NiP. In both games they picked Io late in the draft, and Ana played it as a safelane farmer. Despite NiP being ahead in gold in both games, the faster levels and items on the Io allowed OG to hit a devastating timing with Io getting an Aghanim’s Scepter and the level 15 damage talent on Spirits soon after. In both games OG’s play changed from being relatively split up to looking for fights together right after getting the Aghanim’s.

The first clip shows a common sight early in both games: NiP putting down vision to keep tabs on Ana’s jungling and trying to slow him down. NiP clearly was aware what would happen if they allowed the Io to farm freely in the jungle.

NiP - OG 4969405883

9
2
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In both games the game turning fights ended up happening when NiP was the aggressor and OG was well positioned and ready to respond. Below is an example of how one of the crucial fights was set up in the second game. NiP tries to wrap around on OG but OG is sitting together around their own vision with some players smoked behind. NiP in the end runs out of steam due to the saves and sustain coming from OG’s lineup.

NiP - OG 4969485474

23
11
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Going forward it will be interesting to see if this sort of Io will pop up again. Even with OG, the question remains when they are willing to pick it. Is it just a late pick for them if it suits the game or will they even 1st phase it in the future, keeping in mind the option of playing Io as a support. In both of the NiP games OG had a lot of sustain and counter initiation coming from early picks like Shadow Demon, Treant, Earthshaker and Elder Titan, which made it incredibly hard for the enemy team to even attempt bursting down the Io or its companion.

It’s worth noting that OG haven’t yet played support Io and they 1st phase banned Gyro in both of the NiP games (as well as in the Royal Never Give Up series straight after). That could suggest that OG doesn’t really like the idea of Io+Gyro being in the pool, but is happy to leave Io itself if they are one of the few teams able to play it differently with success.