Upsets abound!
The best teams in Europe and North Armerica fight it out in day 3 of the Heroes Global Championship, and while all teams show off how much they've practiced in the off-season, drafting around the power of Tassadar and Ragnaros show who has that winning edge.
Europe’s Team Expert versus Tricked eSport
Team Expert, formerly team Two Bees Determined, delivered exactly what they promised during the HGC qualifier when we interviewed them. Using high levels of coordination and a diverse drafting strategy, Team Expert showed us powerful drafts and excellent coordination, even when Tricked eSport picked up Ragnaros.
When interviewed about their strategy, Bad Benny, Team Expert’s shot-caller and co-captain said “We don't care about other teams, we care about us”, letting fans know, they play their own game. And what a game it is!
Europe’s Misfits vs Fnatic
The long awaited European rivalry finally arrives. Misfits and Fnatic, the two teams that battled furiously over the slot to Blizzcon 2016, met up again for the first time officially since Gamescom last year.
Fnatic takes game one on Tomb of the Spider Queen with Misfits seemingly out-drafted by a surprising Chromie last-pick, leaving Fnatic with no way to pull ahead or make plays in team fights. Misfits take game two on Sky Temple with the help of Ragnaros and Diablo.
Fnatic takes game three on Infernal Shrines with a cut-throat back and forth, closing out the last fight with a Tyrael Sanctification and Tychus’ Big Red Button. Misfits take game four on Dragonshire with a crazy, spider chucking, warrior melting, last-pick Nazeebo.
And lastly, Misfits take the tie-breaking game five on Cursed Hollow using a last-pick Lunara comp, exacting revenge for Gamescom and building upon one of the most heated rivalries in Heroes of the storm history. These games are some of the best you'll ever see.
North America’s B Step vs Team 8
Switching to North America, B Step manages to win a late-game team-fight into Team 8’s abusive Ragnaros, Azmodan, split-push comp for a close win in Game 1 on Cured Hollow.
Game 2 goes to Team 8 when B Step lets Team 8 draft Artanis, Diablo, Sylvanas, and Ragnaros on Battlefield of Eternity. One smart party bush leads to a ridiculous Sylvanas Immortal push for the win.
In game 3 on Tomb of the Spider Queen, Team 8 gets ahold of Ragnaros once again, defending against web weavers and boss pushes to great effect. Heroic Difficulty seals the deal, leaving Team 8 ahead.
Game 4 on Sky Temple favors Team 8 again, leaving Ragnaros and Zaria in the hands of Team 8 with King Caffein’s Leoric plays not pulling weight against Zarya’s shields and Ragnaros’ infamous Sulfurous Hammer. Did Ragnaros have anything to do with Team 8’s victory?
North America’s Gale Force Esports vs Naventic
In game 1 on Battlefield of Eternity, Gale Force Esports takes the win with a strong Tassadar, Tracer, comp, giving spectators a strong look at how well Equinox fits on this new roster, and in Game 2, GFE takes another win on Braxis holdout, despite Naventic drafting Ragnaros, GFE really coordinating for the win.
Game 3 on Towers of Doom goes down to the wire with GFE dominating Early and Naventic holding onto a one health core for a solid four minutes. Even with incredibly fierce rivalry, Bkid and GFE show each other respect as they B-Step at the final takedown.
Wrapping up
After experiencing a full weekend of Heroes of the Storm, I can tell you this; the view count, the drafting, the rivalries, and the plays have never been as intense as they are right now. With Valeera and Tassadar reworks just around the corner, we’re sure to see a whole new meta form right before our eyes, watching the best teams grow and strive for victory. It’s been said before; now is a great time to be a part of Heroes of the Storm.
