This year, the fantasy league for The International is significantly different from previous ones. While we used to assemble a full team of five players, now the roster consists of only three: Core, Mid, and Support. The usual player cards have also disappeared—now we work with War Banners, which can be upgraded using titles and emblems. The system is quite complicated, so let's break it down step by step.

Overview of the Mechanics

• War Banner is the "card" of a player. It consists of the chosen player + titles (prefix + suffix) + emblems (red/green/blue).
• Titles (Prefix/Suffix) multiply the final result of the War Banner. The prefix provides a stronger conditional bonus for certain situations (e.g., a bonus for a specific hero type), while the suffix usually activates more frequently and consistently.
• Emblems are the main source of points: they provide percentage bonuses to specific stats (GPM, Creeps, Wards, Teamfights, etc.). There are three colors of emblems: red (Red—for Core/Mid), blue (Blue—for Mid/Support), and green (Green—universal). Emblems have tiers—the higher the tier, the greater the bonus.
• Emblem properties are additional boosts (vampiric, charitable, friendly, etc.). They are rare and provide a "bonus to the bonus," but it's usually not worth spending too many rerolls searching for them.
• Rerolls are resources for refreshing emblems and titles. The main rule: don't spend all your rerolls trying to catch the "perfect" title—emblems provide more stable points.

Step 1. Choosing Players

Choosing players is fundamental. For fantasy, the most stable points come from the carry, so for the Core position, we typically pick a player with high farm and participation in fights. In Mid, you need an active player with a strong hero pool, and for Support, someone who places a lot of wards and performs other "dirty" tasks (stacks, smokes, runes).

Recommended examples:

• Core — Yatoro, Satanic, Nightfall: stable farm, many last hits, and high GPM.
• Mid — bzm, No[o]ne, Malr1ne: high activity, kills, and farm.
• Support — Boxi, Miposhka, Whitemon: significant contribution to warding and stacks.

Carries provide the most stable points for creeps and GPM; mids for runes/kills/team fights; supports for warding, stacks, smokes, and control.

Step 2. Titles

• Suffix is generally more reliable and gives bonuses more frequently. For example, “of the Octopus” activates often—a good choice for Support or where stability is important.
• Prefix can give a large percentage (e.g., a bonus for playing a certain type of hero). For Core and Mid, the prefix is more important as it provides a significant multiplier in the right situations.

Tip: don't spend too many rerolls on the perfect title; it's better to invest resources in emblems. Keep 5–7 rerolls for titles before the group stage starts; there's a chance to find something useful, but it's low.

Step 3. Emblems

The main mechanic of Fantasy 2025 is emblems. They are what bring points, so most rerolls should be spent here.

Core

• Red: GPM > Creeps > Deaths (in exceptional cases) > Runes/Fragments.
• Green: Teamfight > Tormentor (up to Roshan) > Stuns (optional).
• Blue: usually secondary for carries.

Carries best bring stable points through farming. Teamfights provide a big bonus but depend on the team's style.

Mid

• Red: Deaths, GPM, or Creeps.
• Green: Teamfight > Stuns (for mids with a hero pool that includes many control heroes).
• Blue: Runes—a very useful option for mids.

Mids vary—some bring points through farming, others through kills/runes. Choose emblems based on the player's pool.

Support

• Blue: Wards > Lotuses > Smokes.
• Red: Stacks.
• Green: Teamfight > Stuns.

Supports consistently bring points for warding and participating in teamfights; if your support has a large control pool, that's an additional plus.

Emblem and Title Properties — How to Handle Them

• Properties can make an emblem very strong, but they are rare. Don't hinder yourself—don't chase two unique properties at once.
• Vampiric properties are better placed in the outer slots, charitable ones in the central—but this is more fine-tuning for those with many rerolls.

Tips Before the Start

• Focus on emblems—this is the most stable path to points.
• Don't spend all rerolls on titles; save some for the last moment.
• Consider the player's pool: if a player often picks heroes with control, the Stuns emblem can turn the tide.
• Approach risk with discipline: sometimes it's better to have an average but functional setup than to chase perfection and be left without rerolls.