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24.01 - GosuCup SEA #13
31.01 - GosuCup SEA #14 Budget
07.02 - GosuCup SEA #15
14.02 - Gosucup SEA #16 Budget
After taking a long, long break from competitive Hearthstone, one Genji "Genji27" Saclolo entered last weekend's GosuCup SEA to emerge victorious. Slicing through opponents from all the major countries in SEA and riding an unusual budget mill Mage as well as his trusty Shaman, Genji27 secured his spot in the grand finals at the end of February.
Unlike most aspiring Hearthstone players, however, Genji has no intention of going pro, he says during our interview. With a university degree in finance, the Filipino player's goal is to build himself as a successful businessman and help the scene from the other side, by investing in it and helping it grow.
Winners' decklists:
Genji27: Shaman • Mill Mage
Exclusiveeee: Mech Mage • Zoo • Shaman
To start it all off - well played on winning GosuCup #12! Tell us about the experience.
Thank you! First of all, thank you so much for having me. Also, I really want to thank you guys for organizing tournaments such as these. This is really helping the Hearthstone SEA community become more recognized, which I believe has top-tier players that can compete with relatively more known players. As for the experience, it was really fun since I felt closer with the players because they're in the same region as me.
I know you participated in one of the earlierst GosuCups, the second one, but then you took a big break. Any particular reason? Were you taking a break from Hearthstone or just from playng it competitively?
Yeah, that was because there were two major local LAN tourneys here during that time. I was focusing more on that and so I was not able to participate in GosuCup again until recently. After losing both those local tourneys, I decided to take a break from playing Hearthstone competitively. But then, my nephew gave me an iPad as a Christmas gift a few weeks ago that sort of reignited the fuel in me to join tournaments again since I can play Hearthstone wherever, whenever.
I wish I had a nephew like this. Maybe I could meet yours...
Ahahaha, yeah, he's really generous.
Let's talk more about the tournament. You had to play a lot of players from a lot of differnet countries - in fact, all of the major ones in the region. How much do the player styles vary from country to country (if at all)?
Well, from my experience, I don't think the styles varied that much. In both the budget and non-budget GosuCups, I think the decks are pretty much similar.
If there were differences in the way we play, maybe Vietnam and the Philippines commit less misplays and that's why we're the leading countries.
So I gather the semis against Zadkiel were tougher than the finals against Exlusivee from Thailand?
I think my final match was still tougher than the semis against Zadkiel, although I must admit that I was more nervous playing against him than Exlusiveee since he's a friend of mine and I know he's a really strong player. Added to that, I think he never made a single loss before our semis round so I got more nervous.
Are you practicing with any of the big names in the Philippines?
I practice mostly with Ozzy. But actually, I also practice with anyone who's available before tournaments like Pompi and Coldznap.
"The SEA scene would be globally recognized had Chalk and Staz's VISAs been approved."
There are other big names from the Pihlippines in the grand finals like WaningMoon, Havatite and Ferdzm. How much do you know about them?
I got to know WaningMoon and Havatite because of those local LAN tourneys I mentioned. I don't really talk to WaningMoon that much (and we're not friends on Facebook yet). Havatite, however, I think I'm closer with. He even praised me for using Fatigue Mage in the tourney. As to Ferdzm, I’ve never met him.
Do you think your country has the best shot at the cup? Because Vietnam is coming for you it seems, and they do have the most GosuCup champions so far.
Yes, of course. I do believe that there are strong players in SEA, especially in the Philippines. Sorry if it's biased, but I think Sjow will agree! I mean, SEA is sharing the same server with NA, and two of our representatives got in the Top16 Blizzcon qualifiers, beating other NA and SEA people. I think that pretty much says a lot about how strong the HSPH community is. I actually think that the scene here would be more recognized globally had Chalk and Staz's VISAs been approved.
What's that about Sjow? Why would he agree in particular?
Because he's Filipino as well!
Whaaat? Didn't know that.
Haha now you know, I guess.
Indeed!
Let's talk decks. Now, I've seen lots of Shaman in budget cups but that's the first time ever I see a budget mill mage... How does that even work?
I came up with this deck the night before the tournament. Ozzy, one of my relatively closer friends in the HSPH community, asked me if this can be viable since [card]Doomsayers[/card] and [card]Echo of Medivh[/card]s are not allowed. He actually has a point, but then, I also thought, "How many threats can a budget deck put on the board if there are no epics / legendaries?" That's when I predicted that maybe this deck can outlast most, if not all, budget decks. Fortunately, my prediction was correct! You basically just kill the big threats with Fireballs and Polymorphs and AOE the smaller minions.
Your opponent will fatigue first because of [card]Deathlord[/card]s and his/her cantrips. You just have to survive before fatigue hits.
How many games did it win for you? And is it a good deck to bring on ladder, at least in the lower ranks?
It went 9-1 in the tourney. My only loss was from the finals round with Exlusiveee's Zoolock. But then, I used this deck again to beat his Zoolock and eventually 3-1 him. As for it being a good deck on ladder, I actually think it is. I was winning against non-budget decks around ranks 7-8.
I think it was really a good call to bring this deck since everyone's bringing budget midrange Shaman decks, which I think this deck eats for breakfast.
"My budget fatigue Mage went 9-1 tourney and it's a good deck to bring to ladder."
Was their any other weird decks you encountered along the way? Or was it mostly shaman, zoo and hunter?
Yeah, it was mostly those three. I think in the earlier rounds I fought against a Warlock which was really weird, with [card]Ancient Watcher[/card]s and stuff. I had no idea what that deck was. Probably a budget handlock with no giants.
That probably didn't work at all.
Yeah, not at all.
Before we wrap this up, tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do besides Hearthstone?
Sure! I'm a recent college grad in Finance, graduated last June. I think WaningMoon and I graduated from the same university, haha. I used to play guitar in an orchestra, so I really love music a lot, although I stopped playing when I started to focus on my studies.
I'm currently working under my cousin and her husband's company. I wish to become a successful businessman in the future. That's about it. Maybe if I become successful one day, I can support the e-sport scene in our country and invest in it so it will be more recognized and more players will be enticed to go pro.
Oh, so you don't want to go Hearthstone full time? Many of our winners do pursue an eSports career.
I see myself more of a casual player. I can't imagine myself becoming a professional gamer, just because I'm pretty sure I can't make a living off of it. I don't want to sound greedy, but we have to live, man! I mean even the more known players are struggling to earn money by playing Hearthstone competitively, so what’s left for the lesser known players? Unless the e-sport scene here becomes an actual thing and more people become interested in it and more investors will invest in it, then I don't see myself going pro.
"I can't imagine myself becoming a professional gamer, just because I'm pretty sure I can't make a living off of it."
You speak of investing in the scene. Do you think it can grow to a point where dedicated eSports organizers in the SEA can make a business out of it, with the scene being relatively small?
That's essentially the problem, the scene is relatively small, that's why it's not gaining the much needed exposure. But of course, I still believe that dedicated people can make things happen. If organizers are dedicated enough, I believe they can make this really big. Even if I don't become a pro gamer, I will always support this community. Maybe one day I'd become one of those organizers, who knows.
So, we have the vicious circle of the scene being small -> no investors -> the scene remains small -> no investors?
Yeah, I think that's what's happening right now.
Hopefully someone finds a way to break it... Maybe the dedicated Asian circuit for 2015 World Championship will help.
Hopefully!
Alright man. Any final words to our camera?
I would like to give a big shoutout to my boss, Bren2005, who always plays Hearthstone with me in his free time and actually offered to sponsor my entrances fees, if there are any, in the tournaments that I will be joining. And of course, my friends from the HSPH community who continuously make me a better player: Ozzy, Pompi, Chalk, Coldznap, HAVATITE, Zadkiel, Staz, and others. More power to GosuGamers, more power to Hearthstone SEA, and more power to Hearthstone Philippines!
So how does GosuCup SEA and the Asia rankings look after Charge's victory? 24 out of 32 players are already known!
And here are the Asia rankings.
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