[deck linked style=float:right;margin-right:-30px;margin-left:15px;margin-bottom:10px;]312[/deck]After the NESL King of the Hill crown rested comfortably on the head of ROOT Gaming's Amaz for three weeks, the reign came to an end yesterday. NESL Preseason #11 Champion Twisted not only eliminated the king himself, but also fan favorite Savjz on his way to climb on the throne.
It was a star-studded event on Wednesday evening with the three-time reigning King of the event Amaz trying to extend his reign for a fourth time against DogeHouse ace Savjz and NESL Preseason #11 champion Twisted.
It would be whole ten games before the Canadian could overtake the throne. Both his Hunter and his Druid were massacred by Savjz' Rogue. As desperation crawled to Twisted's face, he pulled out the only deck left in his arsenal - a beefy Handlock.
The luck of the draw gave Twisted both good starting hands and all the necessary answers to make a 3-2 comeback against Savjz. A Hellfire into Soulfire finish ended the Rogue win streak and a double Molten Giant swing after a Hellfire clear disposed of his Druid. A control Warrior was Savjz's last choice but an Alexstrasza to the face followed by a giant attack took him out: Twisted would now challenge Amaz for the crown.
The NESL King of the Hill for this week was thus down to Twisted and three-times King Amaz. Knowing the ROOT player's defensive skills, Twisted chose to not bring his Hunter deck which he used against Savjz and replace it with a Shaman. Ealy success validated that decision and Amaz's winning Druid from last week fell in the series opener. For the first time since NESL #3, Amaz had to switch decks.
Pulling out a Priest would be considered unorthodox in tournament by Amaz made it work. A board clear with Wild Pyromancer was followed by game-swinging cards like Crazed Alchemist and Cabal Shadow Priest stealing a Mana Tide Totem, which paved the way to a Ragnaros finish.
The match was on and the successful Handlock by Twisted came out to play once again. Once again Twisted had the right Giants sitting and waiting in his hand from the get-go and he was up for an explosive finish. He was able to play Twilight Drake into Mountain Giant into a Faceless Manipulator, giving him the firepower needed to force out a concede from Amaz by T7.
The reigning king had his back against the wall, down to his last deck - the somewhat forgotten Giants Paladin control. It worked out fairly well against the Handlock and a Holy Wrath for 4 came in to finish Gul'Dan - a play which might seem as RNG luck but which was actually well calculated, having in mind that Warlock had only four health left, the lack of 1-drops in the Paladin deck and the enough excess mana to follow the Wrath with a Consecration of need be. One last, fifth game was to be played for the crown, a Druid/Paladin match-up.
MORE: Amaz becomes NESL King for the third time after blanking Alchemixt
At first it appeared that Twisted was on the verge of tilting, making a very weird play running a Chillwind Yeti into a Guardian of Kings, leaving Amaz, the stream and the casters puzzled about that. The reaction on the webcam and the explanation of him to Amaz in chat told the story of Twisted temporarily losing his cool, something he reclaimed later on.
After forcing out most of Amaz's board clear, Twisted was able to build up an impressive wall with two Ancient Watchers and the remains of Cairne Bloodhoof sitting on the board. Amaz countered that with a Molten Giant barricade, only to see one of those getting carved up by a Black Knight. The finishing touch came one turn later with Force of Nature and Savage Roar once again showcasing their lethal ability, crowning their master Twisted the king and pushing Amaz away from ruling the NESL country.
Twisted is not only the first one in three weeks to get past Amaz, but also the first player to claim the throne coming from the pre-season tournament.
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As the new king gets comfortable on his throne, the chase for a potential successor will start again on Sunday. The 13th iteration of the NESL Preseason cup will bring the winner directly into the play-in matches, with the chance to face Twisted and cash in on $500 USD. Sign up here.
