TnC were formed in 2013, but didn’t hit the radars of many people until their breakthrough at The International 6 last year. Their achievement at TI6 was even more notable as they had to participate from the SEA Open Qualifiers just to get to the main event.
Much of the team’s success at TI6 was attributed to the arrival of Jimmy “DeMoN” Ho, who assumed the leadership role. With many predicting a lowly finish, TnC turned into one of the surprises of the tournament by eliminating heavy favourites OG and finishing 7-8th, bagging over $500,000 in the process.
Following their amazing performance, three of their players – DeMoN, Raven and eyyou – were immediately snatched by Fnatic so TnC were forced to rebuild. Ryo “ryOyr” Hasegawa from Rave was added to the lineup in September and Marc Polo “Raven” Luis Fausto returned in November after things in Fnatic did not work out. The final addition was Timothy “Tims” Randrup, who arrived from Rave in December.
Thus going into the World Electronic Cyber Games, three of their TI6 heroes were on the roster – Raven, Kuku and Sam_H. The team chemistry has been formed not only by professionalism, but also through a spirit of genuine camaraderie. The players have shared responsibility regarding the approach they take in each game, along with their hero choices and in-game decisions. The combination is a winning one as they secured their very first LAN – the World Electronic Cyber Games – while representing the Philippines. This saw them win $800,000 and catapulted them to stratospheric fame.
Who’s who?
Apart from playing well as a team, the five boys share an inspirational rags-to-riches story. Let’s take a look at who’s who.
Marc Polo “Raven” Luis Fausto (carry)
The TnC carry did not have an easy childhood as despite being an excellent student, he had to stop going to school to help his mother, who had lost her job. However, this hardship only strengthened his connection with her. Alongside communication issues and an inability to adapt at Fnatic, being away from home and specifically his mother was one of the reasons for his return to TnC.
Before appearing on the TnC roster during TI6, Raven had some experience on the Philippines Dota 2 stage with teams such as Click ‘N Search, Mineski and MSI-EvoGT.
As a carry, his preferred play style is fighting rather than farming, and the heroes with whom he has been most impressive include Luna, Weaver and Lone Druid.
Carlo “Kuku” Palad (mid)
Prior to joining TnC, Kuku had been playing with Mineski for a little over a year and was not unknown in the scene. As is the case with quite a few pro-gamers, he met strong resistance from his parents towards his chosen career path. Kuku did not abandon his dreams though and decided to run away from home. As the real world is not an easy place for an inexperienced teenager, he got mugged and had to return, but the incident did highlight to his parents just how determined he was to play Dota.
Kuku has a wide hero pool and has recently proven that he can decide games on his own. In the WESG final against Cloud9, Kuku turned the tides of battle in the last game with his Blade Mail Queen of Pain just when things had turned sour and defeat seemed likely. He was also part of the TI6 squad and his Huskar versus OG was one of the most memorable hero plays in the clash.
Samson Solomon “Sam_H” Enojosa Hidalgo (offlane)
Sam_H had humble beginnings and with money being tight, he would often find himself watching in the cyber café rather than playing. However, with the support of his friends and mother, he was given the opportunity to play Dota and this enabled him to turn pro.
TnC is Sam_H’s first pro team in Dota 2 and he was part of the TI6 run. He is undoubtedly one of the most exciting offlaners in the SEA scene, especially when he is playing Dark Seer or Sand King. Being elusive, timely disables and initiating just when it has the most impact on the team fight are the features that make him stand out.
Ryo “ryOyr” Hasegawa (support)
ryOyr is one of the more experienced players in the squad. His expertise was honed while on the rosters of teams such as EoT Hammer, MSI-EvoGT, Rave and Mineski. Poverty was something that his family had to deal with as well, and RyOyr’s mother was forced to work abroad in order to support the family.
Although he has played as an offlaner in the past, he is currently playing as a position 5 support. Capable of handling various heroes, he is most efficient with lane supports that babysit carries such as Crystal Maiden and Dazzle. When using heroes with powerful ultimates, his team depend on him landing the perfect one to win the team fight.
Timothy “Tims” Randrup (support)
Tims is one of the SEA players who captivated the fans in 2016. Tims also endured strong anti-Dota feeling from his family apart from his grandmother, who was the one who encouraged him to follow his dreams and continue playing.
He began his pro career with Execration last year. The team made it to TI6 through the SEA qualifiers, but could not advance past the wildcard stage to the main event. Still, they eliminated compLexity in a memorable series, giving the fans a lot to talk about. Eventually, Tims’s talent was spotted and he joined TnC last December.
As a player, Tims is a great position 4 support on the Ogre Magi and Slardar, but the hero with whom he has had the most impact in recent times is the Earth Spirit. Apart from making ganks happen around the map, his presence is felt considerably at team fights as he seems to know the right moment to land an ultimate so as to generate the most impact. His skills are so impressive that he rates alongside top Earth Spirit players such as JerAx and Cr1t-.
TnC’s heartwarming story will surely resonate with many aspiring and current Dota pro players. Success was not served to them on a platter, but through hard work, dedication and learning from their mistakes, TnC became a strong team. And through these same virtues, they could achieve a lot more in the future.
