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  1. #21
    The Insane apepi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ryme View Post
    Genuinely think I'm going to have to go into work to watch this
    Yeah, I am going to miss Fridays games most likely, I might be able to watch them a little.
    Time...line? Time isn't made out of lines. It is made out of circles. That is why clocks are round. ~ Caboose

  2. #22
    Source: http://us.heroesofthestorm.com/espor...-western-clash

    Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment

    Lessons from the Western Clash

    With 46 Battlegrounds played at the Western Clash, there are a lot of statistics and trends to discuss courtesy of our North American and European matches in Katowice. The stats don’t tell the tale of Team Dignitas’ rally from the lower bracket or Team 8’s triumph over Tempo Storm, though. Let’s look at the outcomes from the Western Clash:

    Team Dignitas is back


    Heading into the Western Clash, the only thing expected from Team Dignitas was to beat every team that wasn’t European. Outside of maybe taking a few maps, no one expected them to take the trophy home — especially after barely qualifying for the event in the first place.

    Something changed within them during the second game against Misfits in the loser’s finals. Joshua ‘Snitch’ Bennett and company went for a failed Core rush that seemed to be the exact test of their limits that Dignitas needed to unleash their final form. This was the Dignitas we saw last year at Katowice — the same team we saw become the runner up at BlizzCon 2015. Team Dignitas completed the reverse sweep and eliminated Misfits, who were the #1 seed going into the tournament.

    It was incredible watching them team transform on Sunday. They nearly dropped two maps to Team 8 in the morning, but by midnight, Dignitas was an unstoppable force of nature. In the grand finals they looked like they were just having fun.

    Team 8 are true contenders


    Managing to do what no other North American team has done in almost a year, Team 8 won a map against a European team. The game they won facing Team Dignitas wasn’t exactly clean, but it was a statement that North America is finally back on the path of improvement.

    While they were shut out by Team Dignitas when they had their lower bracket rematch on Sunday, they were the only North American team to make the top four, beating Tempo Storm in Game 5 on Saturday night. This is the team everyone expected to be in 7th/8th place after being the last roster to qualify for HGC and losing one member before the regular season even began.

    Nomia, an admirable underdog


    Posting the best result Australia & New Zealand has ever had, Nomia are officially the biggest wildcard at any event they attend from this point forward. The very first match of the event Nomia took a game off Misfits, the tournament favorites, and managed the same in the lower bracket against Team 8.

    There is no way around it, Nomia is a good team. These are scene veterans who spent more time at Katowice practicing than any other team in attendance. You can expect this roster of five to stick together — you don’t change a thing with results like that. Hopefully Nomia will qualify for the Mid-Season Brawl, and we will see then if their performance at the Western Clash was a fluke or a true indication of skill.

    Misfits have a rough Sunday


    The only team with an undefeated record in the regular season so far, Misfits was a little out of sorts at IEM from the outset. They dropped their first Battleground to Nomia, but managed to make it through to championship Sunday after that stumble with no problem.

    Going up against Fnatic and Team Dignitas was a tall order, but these are two teams that Misfits defeated in the regular season. What happened in Poland that prevented them from making a repeat performance?

    It seems more likely than not that they let their guard down. In terms of draft Misfits didn’t seem to consider Chromie’s place, while regional rivals Fnatic and Team Dignitas showed her viability time and time again. They also failed to capitalize on the few opportunities they had when gifted Tassadar in team compositions.

    A few fumbled executions and oversights can't take away from Misfits immaculate HGC season thus far. Expect to see them grow from this loss.

    Gale Force eSports had it rough off the bat


    With arguably the toughest road in the bracket, Gale Force was put to the test right away with their match against Fnatic. Their loss was not surprising, it’s how they lost that has many scratching their heads.

    In their second match against Fnatic, the Americans drafted Medic, Tassadar, Zarya, Dehaka, and Sgt. Hammer on Braxis Holdout. The idea was to get ahead early — the idea for most of Gale Force’s cheese compositions — and while the Assassin-less composition worked in theory (and maybe in scrims) it certainly did not work in practice. Fnatic won the game in under 13 minutes with the kill score reading 13-3. It was the only Battleground in which Sgt. Hammer was played the entire tournament.

    On a stage like this, it’s best to stick with what you know, but even in the series where their drafts weren’t as funky, their opponents won handily. This team still needs work before they can contend with the rest of the world.

    Tempo Storm did not perform


    Tempo Storm met a similar fate against Fnatic in the semifinals, losing 3-0. Afterwards, they were eliminated by Team 8 in a tense five game series. Tempo was the only team to defeat Team 8 in the regular season. Losing to them on stage when they themselves are the North American team with the most experience on LAN is worrisome.

    After all, Tempo Storm is the team that won both the Fall Regionals, and represented North America at both BlizzCon and the Gold Club World Championship last year. You would think they could maintain some consistency against Team 8’s roster, who haven’t had nearly as much time to mesh.

    While there is no doubt that they are leagues ahead of many other teams in the North America HGC, a little more was expected when facing off against international opponents.

    Overall, it was close


    While some teams headed to Katowice were given a little edge, it was much safer to assume that Europe would shut out North America, and that ANZ and LatAm would go home without winning a map. The HGC format clearly raised the skill ceiling of every region and thus, the matches at Katowice were much closer than anticipated. It’s safe to say the Western Clash delivered. Maybe the Chinese or Taiwanese teams will show up on stage at the Eastern Clash the same way that North America and ANZ showed up in Katowice?

    Team Dignitas’ win in Katowice is the small beacon of hope for the West now. They managed to overcome their underdog status and remind everyone that Team Dignitas on LAN is a force to be reckoned with. This is a team whose cohesion can fluctuate wildly. They are now the best hope for the West looking ahead to the Mid-Season Brawl.

    It’s entirely possible they don’t even qualify. Fnatic, Misfits, and Team expert will use this opportunity to prove that Team Dignitas is a team that can only perform miracles in the offline environment. James ‘Bakery’ Baker and crew must remain diligent and keep their fingers on the pulse of the competitive meta if they wish to make an appearance on the world stage in June.

    Coming up next in HGC:

    Eastern Clash in Shanghai, begins March 17th
    At the Eastern Clash, the top teams from China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan will engage in a battle for Heroes supremacy in Asia. The loud, impassioned fans at Gold Series Stadium are as quick to reward nifty moves as they are to punish blunders. With the double-elimination format, heavyweight teams and untested rosters alike will have plenty of chances to hear it all from the crowd. The team left standing when it’s all said and done will hold HGC bragging rights over their half of the world.

    1st place: $30,000 | 2nd place: $20,000 | 3rd place: $15,000

    Casters:
    Wolf, JHow, Trikslyr, Dreadnaught, Gillyweed
    Last edited by Ryme; 2017-03-10 at 08:57 AM.
    I am the lucid dream
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  3. #23
    The Insane apepi's Avatar
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    VOD to the first day of the Eastern Clash if anyone was wondering.
    Time...line? Time isn't made out of lines. It is made out of circles. That is why clocks are round. ~ Caboose

  4. #24
    Games are back on starting tomorrow! They'll be playing on the March 28th patch for the next three weeks.

  5. #25
    Deleted
    Watching Tempest vs MVP Black and the difference between these games and even high-level EU games, say HGC open bracket qualifiers, is staggering. When I expect EU players to die, they die. These guys often still get away; as if they had the next three or four seconds of a team fight pre-planned.

  6. #26
    Genuinely 6.5/10 epic game on the TL vs Ducks series right now!

    I didn't realise some of these defences were even possible lol

    - - - Updated - - -

    Video for the game, well worth a watch

    I am the lucid dream
    Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh


  7. #27
    Deleted
    Worth staying up for this. Confirmed: Bots > NA

  8. #28
    Warchief Muis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thevoicefromwithin View Post
    Worth staying up for this. Confirmed: Bots > NA
    NA bots are actually pretty good too ! Muradin Bot atleast won NT the game (series) vs GFE

  9. #29
    Epic game between Team Liquid and Team Dignitas right now!
    I am the lucid dream
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  10. #30
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    There have been some pretty decent games. The final fight in the middle of the map on Battlefield of Eternity between Team 8 and Superstars were really nice to behold (here's a link to the game so you know what I am talking about).



    Also, pretty happy that my home team Fnatic won out in the end against Team Liquid. Great games overall.

  11. #31
    HGC is being moved up to 2.0 this week!

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nerraw View Post
    HGC is being moved up to 2.0 this week!
    Still a Cassia patch no?

    It is weird, Chinese are playing second week on that patch already. Next week they might even play with Genji.

  13. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by RH92 View Post
    Still a Cassia patch no?

    It is weird, Chinese are playing second week on that patch already. Next week they might even play with Genji.
    It will include Cassia too from what I've heard.

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nerraw View Post
    It will include Cassia too from what I've heard.
    Still an outdated patch, but better than nothing.

  15. #35
    Details! HGC moving to the Genji patch, with Genji disabled for now: https://twitter.com/BlizzMilkfat/sta...57904418422784

  16. #36
    Pit Lord RH92's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nerraw View Post
    Details! HGC moving to the Genji patch, with Genji disabled for now: https://twitter.com/BlizzMilkfat/sta...57904418422784
    Great to hear! Chinese already played with new Uther yesterday, also Cassia was picked (And lost).

  17. #37
    I'm also curious to see Li Li's pickrate now. Seeing Li Li in competitive will be something.

  18. #38
    Pit Lord RH92's Avatar
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    The only chance for Li Li to appear in competitive is double support composition and against specific team composition.

    She has pretty decent kit, can work in solo lane and has Cleanse which is helpful in current meta where Lucio is prevalent. She is not bad, just niche.

  19. #39
    I think it's possible we'll be seeing a stronger push to double support meta with the Genji patch, I think damage Li Li has a strong case in such a meta against a team that lists something like Valla, Greymane or Sonya which are fairly common.
    I am the lucid dream
    Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh


  20. #40
    The road to the mid-season Brawl (Europe and North America)


    We will soon be heading to the mid-season Brawl, which is the biggest HotS esport event outside of the finals at Blizzcon. Twelve teams from around the world will battle it out with a $250,000 prize pool at steak.

    Before that, however, we have an intense month ahead.

    The Playoffs

    The second through sixth place teams from the regular season compete in a stepladder format - in each round, lower-seeded teams battle each other for the chance to play a higher-seeded team. The playoff winner joins the first-place team from the regular season at the Mid-Season Brawl.

    So, places 5th and 6th fight. The winner plays the team in 4th place, the winner plays 3rd, winner plays 2nd and winner goes through the mid-season brawl.


    The Crucible

    This the mechanic that allows teams in the open division to progress into the HGC league. The top two teams from the open division will play the bottom two teams from the regional league in a seven-game series. The winner of each matchup continues in the HGC.

    ------------------

    HGC Week 10 - the last week before playoffs

    North America

    Friday May 12th: Team Freedom (6th, 5-8) v Gale Force eSports (2nd, 9-4)
    Team Freedom is secure in 6th place, even a loss to GFE and a win from their closest rival isn't enough to drop them down. However, GFE will be looking for a win here to put them ahead of their rival Team 8. The team in second place only has to win a single series in the playoffs, and third will need to win two.

    Saturday May 13th: Team Naventic (8th, 2-11) v Superstars (4th, 6-7) | B-Step (4th, 6-7) v Tempostorm (1st, 12-1)
    Naventic have had a rough start, with 2-11 win record they currently have no hope of attending the mid-season brawl and are also guarenteed to be fighting for their right to play in the HGC in the Crucible. Superstars, however, are playing to keep their 4th spot against B-Step to ensure their ride through the playoffs is as easy as possible.

    Tempostorm have had an incredible run at 12-1, they are through to the Brawl and no result will mean they go through the playoffs. B-Step, however, like Superstars are playing for 4th place and an easier time in the playoffs.

    Sunday May 14th: No Tomorrow (7th, 3-10) v Team 8 (2nd, 9-4)
    No Tomorrow, like Team Naventic, are definitely heading to the Crucible to fight for their right to stay in the HGC. Team 8, however has a lot to play for. As joint 2nd place with GFE, a win here could secure their second place going into the playoffs.


    Europe

    Friday May 12th: Synergy (7th, 2-11) v Fnatic (1st, 12-1) | Team Liquid (2nd, 10-3) v beGenius (8th, 2-11)
    Fnatic have had a monster of a season, losing only a single match they are gaurenteed to go to the Brawl. Sadly, on the other end of the scale no result for Synergy keeps them from going to the Crucible to fight to stay in the HGC. With very little on the line here, there's a good chance we'll see some funky comps and stats in this match.

    Team Liquid is currently joint 2nd with Dignitas and will be fighting hard to secure that from them. beGenius sadly also has no way out from the Crucible - expect a short and painful match, sorry BG.

    Saturday May 13th: Tricked esport (6th, 4-9) v Team Dignitas (2nd, 10-3) | Playing Ducks (5th, 5-8) v Team expert (4th, 7-6)

    Tricked v Dig has a lot to play for. For Tricked, a win here may provide just enough to get them over Playing Ducks in the league and an all important higher place going into playoffs. Similarly, Dig will be looking to get the win here to secure 2nd place.

    As above, if Ducks win their game over expert they secure 5th place - a loss and they risk falling to 6th. Expert are currently secure in 4th place and no result shifts them.

    - - - Updated - - -

    https://twitter.com/Glaurung_tv/stat...21286759137281

    Dryus now playing with Team 8 during the HGC!

    - - - Updated - - -

    https://twitter.com/CyaSteve/status/862359041586089984

    Playoffs will be on current patch.
    I am the lucid dream
    Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh


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