Sunday, January 29, 2017

What Did We Learn From #HGC Week 2 - Saturday

The sad part about Saturdays is that I am always going to miss the first game, at least, of the first EU match. The good thing, is that it really didn't matter. Week 2 in EU is devoid of prime match ups as none of the top four teams play each other, and only Dignitas plays twice. Saturday NA had two big matches and both were surprising in very different ways.

 EU Match 1 - Team Dignitas vs. Tricked Esport, 3-0

 Really not much to see here. Tricked look good in defeat last week, and their roster's only problem is how little time they have had to gel. AlexTheProG will eventually make Tricked a contender, but it isn't happening right now. Tricked didn't look bad, and they had their chances, but Dignitas is probably as good as it gets when playing with a lead and in playing as a team:




 It's hard to see Dignitas dropping a set to any team outside of the top four. Right now, we will not know much about EU until we start seeing the top teams playing each other more. Right now, we have only seen one game between the top four teams in EU, so none of them have really been tested. Meanwhile, Tricked, for as good as they have the potential to be, are staring at a relegation match if they do not figure it out.

 EU Match 2 - Misfits vs. Playing Ducks, 3-1 

 After their play on Friday, which probably surprised most people, all the Ducks needed to do was to have a decent showing against Misfits. No one expected them to win; they just needed to be in the game. Well, they did a little bit more than that. Taking one game from Misfits, Playing Ducks showed that they can find the cracks in the top teams. Now, Misfits is too good at this point for Playing Ducks to really be a threat, but I expected this to be a sweep. That said, Misfits looked dominant for most of the match:




 Misfits plays so well as a team, and HasuOrbs just continues to show amazing plays, and find the time to correct me when I don't credit enough of his teammates:



Ultimately, this was mostly as expected. Top 4 vs. Bottom 4, and the EU divide is real. The only question in EU right now is which of the top 4 teams won't be going to the Western Clash?

 Also, Trikslyr still can't get Playing Ducks out, and Kaelaris had a bit of a problem getting tongue tied when discussing map picks:


 NA Match 1 - Tempo Storm vs. BStep, 3-0

 OK, I get it, NA HotS fans - you are all still sad that Cloud 9 left the scene less than a year after winning a world championship. Fine. You want to throw your support behind BStep hoping they will help you relive the all-to-short days of NA global dominance? I understand that. I was high on Cloud 9, too. But BStep isn't Cloud 9, and Tempo Storm answered all of my questions in decisive fashion.
This was supposed to be a match of NA powerhouses, but only one of the teams really looked the part. BStep was in control for most of the 33 minute game 1 on Tomb of the Spider Queen. Yes. 33 minutes. It was crazy:


But being in control for MOST of a match doesn't matter when you lose it. BStep never recovered, and there is a serious question as to what they are doing in NA. After two straight 3-2 matches, Tempo Storm finally looks to be in control, where as BStep looks lost. BStep has talent on their team, but they just can't seem to get it together since the departure of Glaurung:
NA Match 2 - Naventic vs. No Tomorrow 3-2

 I used to get a lot of likes from Naventic's Twitter, but last week, I may have upset them when I openly was cheering for GFE. Still, I picked Naventic to sweep No Tomorrow because I do not think NT is ready for prime time. In the interviews, Naventic had positive, glowing things to say about No Tomorrow, and then proceeded to drop the first two games, leading to me saying things that probably had Naventic muting me:

The thing is, I wasn't alone! Lots of people were bagging on Naventic:


This did not look like a team that went to two globals last year. By the end of game 2, I just wanted No Tomorrow to finish the job and put Naventic down:
And now, I want everyone to learn a lesson: Naventic is a bear. Do NOT poke a bear.



So, Naventic started a comeback, and then, started getting crazy with the cheese wiz in their drafts!

At this point, I would like to apologize for all of the Tweets I'm embedding here, but this match was nuts! Naventic's comp in the last game looked like the HotS manifestation of Drunken Fist fighting style from a Kung Fu movie!


So, mean, nasty, and in control, Naventic completed the reverse sweep. This match was the best of the day by far! While in the bottom four of the standings, don't forget that Naventic had to play Tempo Storm and GFE in week 1, and they held their own with Tempo. Their early struggles against No Tomorrow show that Naventic has weaknesses, but their dominance in coming back shows that they can turn it on when they have to. 

 No Tomorrow, on the other hand, has not lived up to the hype. They had Naventic on the ropes, and instead of a knock out, Naventic looked like Ali to NT's Foreman, and got rope-a-doped. At 0-3, I do not see No Tomorrow avoiding a relegation match.
Posted by at No comments:

What Did We Learn From #HGC Week 2 - Friday

Because Saturdays are full work days for me, this post is always going to be late. The intent is to recap the matches and talk about what they told us about the teams, hopefully giving everyone a sense of where the teams are standing (aside from the raw numbers of the standings).

 EU Match 1 - Team Dignitas vs. Synergy, 3-0

 Dignitas had a rough week 1 match up against a very motivated Misfits team that swept them, so for Dig to turn around and sweep a very game Synergy bodes well for their place at the the top of EU. Synergy was in every game, and at times, looked like they had Dig's number. Even when Dig was doing well and in control, Synergy was very close to being able to take the game:




Game 2 was strong for Synergy as they had the lead in tower shots, but even with a lead late into the game, the team play of Dignitas got them a wipe on Synergy and that was the theme of the match. Whenever Synergy was doing well, Dignitas had the answer.

 At the end, Dignitas solidifies their position in the top four of EU with Misfits, Expert, and FNATIC, but Synergy's play shows that they are very close to being contenders, despite the sweep.

 EU Match 2 - Playing Ducks vs. Be Genius, 3-1

 Formerly Diamond Skin, Playing Ducks were signed between weeks 1 and 2, and that happened with a loss in week 1. They must have impressed the sponsors in some way, because that loss was a sweep by a very dominant Team Expert, and I said in my predictions that the sponsors wouldn't have signed them if they didn't see something. Well, there was something. The Ducks turned in a dominant performance on the Geniuses, and the match on Cursed Hallow showed just how dominant when the Ducks managed to get the first five tributes, dominate with Medivh play, and then win taking two bosses at once:




SportBily's Lay Line Boss steal here, led to a wipe, and ended the game. Even though Be Geniuses took a game in this series, they never felt in it. Playing Ducks look positioned to be in the 5/6 spot in EU, and should avoid relegation matches. If Be Geniuses don't figure something out and soon, they will be heading to a relegation match.

 All this combined with the fact that Playing Ducks over came caster Trikslyr not being able to get their name right:



Maybe it will be worked out by the next cast.

NA Match 1 - Tempo Storm vs. Team Freedom, 3-2

 Team Freedom came in confident and basically called Tempo Storm out in the interview. It was shocking:



But what was more shocking was that they backed it up. At least early on. TF took game 1 in under 9 minutes and demonstrated that they were ready for Tempo, and reminder, TF looked like they couldn't handle Superstars, let alone the defending NA champions, last week:




 To their credit, Tempo Storm figured it out, as they usually do, and stormed right back, getting games 2 and 3. What is troubling is that Freedom got game 4 and sent this to 5. If Tempo Storm expects to remain at the top, then they cannot have heart attack games like this against teams they are supposed to be beating. Right now, Tempo Storm is a top NA team, but they do not look as strong as the other undefeateds. Team Freedom, on the other hand, a team that looked ready for relegation last week, now looks like they might slot into the 5/6 slot in NA and avoid that fate, if they can beat the teams they are supposed to beat.

 NA Match 2 - Superstars vs. No Tomorrow, 3-1

 It's not a secret that I am a huge fan of Superstars; I have made that plain. This match was exactly as expected. It took two games for Srey to figure out exactly what No Tomorrow was up to, including a loss in game 1, but games 3 and 4, Superstars looked dominant. No Tomorrow is a team that a lot of other teams are high on, and for good reason, but it almost seems like everyone forgets about Superstars. The dominance for Superstars started in game 2 when they turned around early, and Goku, Faye, and Hosty just started racking up the kills and staggering NT:





The match just looked bad for No Tomorrow from that point on. Srey's moshes in game 3 just made it even worse:




 Quietly, and without a lot of fanfare from anyone, Superstars is solidifying their place in NA top 4. Granted, beating TF last week and NT this week are matches they are supposed to win, but considering how much people were touting NT as contenders, why aren't more people on board with Superstars? Everyone should be much higher on Superstars and bring their expectations for No Tomorrow down a few notches. If No Tomorrow continues to play like this, they are heading for a relegation match. Superstars' core members, Srey, Iakona, and Faye, might be on their way to their first international event if this keeps up.
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Predictions for Week 2 #HGC NA Jan 27-29, 2017

In week one, NA saw the fall of giants, and the rise of a new team. A Chu8-less Team 8 shocked me, and made me wrong twice, ruining my otherwise perfect record. Led by Glaurung and some stellar play on Medivh that led to respect bans, Team 8 made fellow new team No Tomorrow look like they didn't belong, and Blizzcon attendees BStep (formerly Denial, Crescendo, Cloud 9) look to be in serious danger of relegation. Team 8's matches were unreal to watch, mostly because no one expected it, and their dismantling of BStep is required viewing:



Similarly, Gale Force eSports had a hard fought 3-2 series against BStep in the NA match of the week, which bodes well for BStep, but they, in Michael Udall's own words, "dumpstered" Naventic, 3-0.

The new Tempo Storm (formerly Astral Authority, Murloc Geniuses) looked strong against Naventic, but had to go to five games. Superstars round out the top four, as they made Team Freedom look ready for relegation, 3-1.

Note: I am much more familiar with the names of players and team histories in NA. It's my region. I will attempt to get as familiar with EU in the future.

I went 4-2 last week, because I picked against Team 8 twice. Let's see if I learned my lesson:

Friday, January 27th

 Match 1: Tempo Storm vs Team Freedom
Tempo Storm is the best team in NA until someone beats them. They dominated the Fall 2016 season, and they made NA Heroes fun to watch again. Team Freedom got one win off a bad draft from Superstars, but otherwise was unimpressive. CauthonLuck and Pslam are too much for TF, and it's a sweep. Tempo Storm 3-0. 

 Match 2: No Tomorrow vs Superstars
If you don't know Superstars, you should. The best team not signed, the core of the team Srey, Faye, and Iakona, are responsible for running Cloud 9 out of competitive Heroes (see my favorite match from 2016):


No Tomorrow looked good in qualifiers, but they looked out-matched last week. Superstars is a super strong team, and Goku and Hosty make this team a contender to return to top 4 form. Superstars 3-1. 

Saturday, January 28th

Match 1: Tempo Storm vs BStep
Tempo Storm and BStep (as Astral Authority and Denial eSports) were the Blizzcon NA teams in 2016. But, without Glaurung, BStep looks a lot less formidable. Still, BStep is full of veterans who know how to play this game, but there is a serious question as to whether or not they are ready for this meta. I don't think BStep is as bad as their record, but they will be 0-3 at the end of this weekend. Tempo Storm 3-1. 

 Match 2: Naventic vs No Tomorrow
After losing both the trash talk and the match to GFE, Naventic is on the warpath. Too bad for No Tomorrow. They join BStep at 0-3, and Naventic gets their first win in a sweep. Naventic 3-0. 

 Sunday, January 29th

 Match 1: Gale Force eSports vs. Team Freedom
I questioned last week if GFE was a team and not a collection of five amazing players. The choice to not have roles, except for akaface (whose support play was often the highlight of their matches), and to have all of the other players switching up, makes them dangerous in a draft. Seeing Fan and Khroen tanking, and doing it well, was a little mind blowing. Team Freedom also sinks to 0-3 as the bottom of NA gets a little crowded. GFE 3-0.

 Match 2: Team 8 vs. Superstars
This is the match of the week, and the fact that it's on last is pretty damned awesome. Before they qualified, Superstars kicked Prismaticism and picked up Hosty from Vox. Glaurung was a part of Brain Power, and before that Cognitive, with Faye, Srey, and Iakona (yes, I know, Srey was never on COG, only on BP). They all know each other very well, and they have all the reason in the world to fight to the last. Glau needs to prove his decision to leave for Crescendo (Denial, now BStep), was right and that he can continue to lead this new team. Prismat has been kicked by quite a few teams and has to prove he can play when he risks being tilted. Srey (whose tier lists help everyone understand the meta) has to prove he can lead his team against a strong opponent. Faye and Iakona have to show that they can overcome the loss of their aggressive teammate who was so much of the personality behind their former teams. There is a lot going on here, and this series promises to be insane and go the distance. I have gone back and forth on this a lot, but I am a HUGE fan of Superstars, and I would rather be wrong picking them then right picking against them. Superstars 3-2. 

 If I'm wrong about this pick, screen shot this, and send it to Glau. I said I was done picking against Team 8, but I cannot bring myself to pick against Superstars.

NA has two really good matches in Tempo Storm vs. BStep and Team 8 vs Superstars. The other four should be pretty lopsided. Overall, week two will not be nearly as exciting as week one.
Posted by at No comments:

Predictions for Week 2 #HGC EU Jan 27-29, 2017

Last week, with the start of the 2017 season, two teams stormed to the top of the standings in Misfits and Team Expert. Misfits, who lost a tiebreaker to FNATIC to make it to 2016's Blizzcon, took out both EU's Blizzcon representatives, by sweeping Team Dignitas 3-0 and getting their revenge on FNATIC 3-2. The match between Misfits and FNATIC was easily the match of the weekend, check the video below if you missed it:



Team Expert (formerly Two Bees Determined, aka best team name EU), pushed themselves into the top three conversation by dominating Playing Ducks (formerly Diamond Skin) and Tricked eSports, both in sweeps, 3-0.

Last week, I was perfect in calling EU (not so in NA... we'll get to that), so, here's what is going to happen in week 2:



Friday, January 27th

Match 1: Dignitas vs Synergy 
In their only match of week one, Team Dignitas were swept by Misfits. Meanwhile, Synergy took a 3-1 off Be Geniuses. Not a lot to learn about Synergy, but the safe bet is on Dignitas. Expect the sweep, Dignitas 3-0. 

 Match 2: Playing Ducks vs Be Genius 
Playing Ducks lost their opening match in a sweep AND picked up a sponsor in week one. Be Geniuses hung in a little with Synergy, but the match was never very close. I think the sponsor knows something: Playing Ducks 3-2.

 Saturday, January 28th

 Match 1: Dignitas vs Tricked eSports
If a team can look good losing five games in two matches and only winning one, it's Tricked eSports. Taking a game off of FNATIC and being swept by Misfits is nothing to be ashamed of right now. It is, however, not enough. Dignitas 3-1. 

 Match 2: Misfits vs Playing Ducks
Simply put, Misfits is the strongest team in EU and they proved it last week by taking down what most considered to be the top two teams. It's Duck season, not Rabbit season, and expect HasuObs and Nurok to have a field day. The match will resemble a game of Duck Hunt. Misfits 3-0. 

 Sunday, January 29th

 Match 1: FNATIC vs Synergy 
I feel really bad for Synergy, a team with a lot of potential. They drew Dig and FNATIC in the same weekend. It's another sweep. FNATIC rebounds after the Misfits loss. FNATIC 3-0.

 Match 2: Team Expert vs Be Genius
Be Genius is a good team. In fact, all of the EU teams are strong and have a lot of potential. It doesn't matter. Team Expert expects to break into the top 3 and make the Western Clash. They don't drop a game and move to 3-0 in matches, 9-0 in games played. Team Expert 3-0. 

 With four sweeps, this week for EU will not be nearly as exciting as it was last week. You will see good play and lots of great strategies, but the top four in EU seems pretty set with Misfits, Experts, FNATIC, and Dignitas. Until the other teams prove that they belong in the conversation, EU is a four team race.
Posted by at No comments:

So, this had to happen.

As much as I would like it to be my everything, Twitter has increasingly become insufficient for containing my Heroes of the Storm eSports comments, thoughts, analysis, obsession, stalking... you get the point.

So, here's a blog.

This blog will focus on the on going EU and NA HGC scenes, and if you do not know what those are, then perhaps you ended up here by mistake? I don't know. Were you searching for porn and made it to my blog? If so, what porn. I need to know.

Anyway...

I will be using this to discuss HGC, the teams, the standings, who I think matters, archiving clips of play, recapping matches, and doing a ton of things that I think the scene needs that no one is really doing very well. If you are an obsessive HGC fan, then please, share this blog, add your thoughts in the comments to posts, and ask me about submitting articles to it.

Also, I apologize for the shoddy design. I made this on a whim and I have no idea if this will continue to be something I want to sink time into. For now, I really want to do this, and not to call anyone out, but pretty much every outlet covering Heroes eSports is letting me down, so I will do it myself.

Hope you like!
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)