TI13 Talon Esports team profile: The return of Iron Talon

Talon Esports  were by far the best Southeast Asia team last year. They brought the best results for SEA in years and were heading to TI12 with high hopes. After a top 3 Major finish and a top 3 at Riyadh Masters 2023, disaster struck in Seattle at The International and a disappointing early exit in the 9th-12th place led to Talon Esports losing their entire roster.

While four of the five former Talon members reunited for the new season under the Aurora banner, Talon had to start afresh. They looked at who were the up-and-coming players in the SEA region and started to build a new roster from there. It took them a few months before finding a group that would synergise in the game and outside of it. By the end of the 2023 year, they had the roster locked and in January they added a seasoned veteran from Western Europe in the coaching role to guide the team. Talon represents the first foray as a coach for Johan "pieliedie" Åström, who in under five months has taken the SEA youngsters from zero and got them as far as The International.

Talon Esports  roster

Eljohn “Akashi” Andales 
Rafli Fathur “Mikoto” Rahman 
Chung “Ws`” Wei Shen 
Tri “Jhocam” Kuncoro 
Pang Sze “ponyo” Xuan

^{photo courtesy of Talon Esports via x.com}

Mikoto is the most experienced player on the Talon line-up. He returned to the team only a couple of weeks before the TI13 regional qualifiers, and his vast understanding of Aurora , basically his former Talon teammates, made the difference at the most crucial moment. He also brought a new energy to the team, he reinvigorated the spirits, and with him in the mid lane, Talon managed to take down Aurora for the first time in the regional qualifiers for the pinnacle Dota 2 tournament of the year. Fortunately, SEA got two qualifier spots and the Talon vs Aurora saga will continue at TI13.

Unlike Aurora , who are having some of the most experienced players to rely on in Copenhagen next month, Talon are going to TI13 with players who barely breached 200 hours of official games.

Akashi, their carry player made his competitive debut in 2021. But despite his young age, he shows great confidence in his playstyle and in what he wants to do in a game. He does have a deep hero pool, but his comfort picks are Faceless Void, Templar Assassin and Naga Siren, while his most played hero this year is Morphling.

Akashi himself places Windranger as his most underrated hero, and heading into TI it won’t be surprising to see him changing gears from heavy farm oriented carries, to something like WR and Lina, who are suited for constant aggression.  Despite being just 21 years old, Akashi is not the youngest on the team.

Ws, Talon’s offlaner, is just 19 years old and he is regarded by all his teammates as their little brother. His youth translates perfectly into his playstyle. He is a fearless type of player, in many aspects resembling ATF. Perhaps not by coincidence, his top picks are Timbersaw and Mars, on which he is extremely proficient. On his LAN debut, at ESL One Birmingham, he was the key factor in Talon’s success over G2.iG , delivering clutch plays on Timber by successfully taking a 1v3 fight for instance.

Talon's most successful hero pairings before TI13

Overall, the Talon roster is quite versatile and unpredictable for their adversaries. They are not afraid to try new things, especially when cornered. Unlike many of the seasoned veterans who tend to resort to comfort picks when the situation is dire, Talon does the opposite and will try to bring the element of surprise. For example, a position 5 Riki can pop up from ponyo even if that’s no way near a meta pick.

About two weeks before TI13, both of Talon’s supports are busy testing new heroes for their positions. Besides the infamous Tinker support, they also have pub games on support Naga Siren, Leshrac and Ember Spirit.

Talon has no other official matches on their schedule before The International 2024 and that might help them prepare some of the craziest pocket strats. Fueled by a boiling regional rivalry, they are for sure one of the biggest wildcards at TI13. So make sure to tune in, beginning September 4, to follow their story unfolding at the most important tournament of the year.