2015 is almost to an end and that only means one thing: GosuGamers Awards season! Our Heroes of the Storm section was created just this year, so many of our readers may not be familiar with this tradition. Time for a brief introduction:
The GosuAwards are a long standing tradition of our community, dating back almost a decade. Every year, teams, players, stories and personalities from the major eSports titles are nominated in several categories and the GosuGamers community gets to vote for who they think deserves the title. At the end of the year, during the official GosuAwards ceremony, the winners and runner-ups of each category will be announced. There will be two of those for each category: one awarded by the GosuCrew committee which is also the body that determines the nominations and another chosen by the community vote.
For our debut year in Heroes of the Storm, we've split the nominees in fourteen different categories. The polls will be open starting today until after the Christmas holidays. Before the end of 2015, the winners will be announced in a special GosuAwards 2015 article.
So, what are you waiting for? Relive an entire year of competitive Heroes, cast your vote and choose wisely (i.e. objectivism over fanboyism).
COGnitive Gaming vs compLexity Gaming – Gazlowe
There are not a whole lot of heroes yet in the game, but Blizzard has accomplished the incredible feat of making just about every single one of them viable. With the latest rework to early game leveling, even Nova and Thrall are often seen in the Nexus. Only Gazlowe hasn’t seen play in a long time, and probably for good reason. However, one of the coolest moments during the NA Road to Blizzcon featured the Gazlord in a match between complexity and COGnitive. COGnitive, known for their reliance on melee assassins, got outplayed hard on Sky Temple when coL’s Gazlowe turned every capture point into a hell for the quadruple melee composition from COG.
Cloud 9 stall composition vs 
DK
When TS was beating C9 every time they played, Cloud 9 had to think of new compositions that would be able to disrupt Tempo Storm’s solid lategame. This lead them to create possibly one of the most annoying compositions to play against: Murky, Abathur, Leoric, Brightwing and Tassadar. This combination of heroes, that are either unkillable or don’t care as much when they die, was eventually used first against Team DK in the Blizzcon semi-finals. Being respectful of the Koreans’ teamfight expertise, C9 annoyed and harassed DK for the whole game while Abathur’s push build allowed them to slowly but surely beat down DK’s structures. Fun fact: this composition was the reason Tempo Storm banned Murky a few times before Blizzcon because they found out that was the only way to counter this amazing (but annoying) strategy.
E.T.C. Bot
Technical issues are never fun, and before this moment we could have also added never a good thing. But one of the biggest viral moments of Heroes of the Storm was when C9’s KingCaffeine disconnected during a game, and a bot took over to play ETC in his stead. In a moment of perfect timing, the bot initiated a Mosh Pit that left the majority of the opponents stunned and available for a beating. Usually bots lose games, but in this game ETC bot was a real rockstar.
Na’Vi showcasing Mighty Gust + Lamb to the Slaughter synergy
During the European Regional Championships in Prague Na’Vi showed that there is still a lot of space to be innovative, especially when picking unexpected heroics. They used the synergy of keeping one player in place with Butcher’s Lamb to the Slaughter with Falstad’s Mighty Gust to keep the rest of the team away. This way they could start every fight with a hero advantage, and this strategy was a huge help in them winning the EU Championship.
Team Liquid vs Fnatic, DreamHack 2015
Team Liquid was of course the king of the EU scene for most of the year, but then they started losing their grip during the road to Blizzcon. Meanwhile, Fnatic is a team that went through a lot of changes and never quite made it to the top. With new rosters for both teams, and with DreamHack having a very stacked tournament, the DreamHack Winter finals were the battlegrounds that would identify the EU standings. Fnatic showed their strongest form in a while, and it seemed Breez has finally gotten the team he has always wanted.
Tempo Storm vs Cloud9 -Town Hall Heroes Invitational
TS vs C9, one of the biggest rivalries of the year. While C9 won most of their earlier encounters, for a period of a few months the deal was always: C9 and TS easily move through a tournament to the finals, where TS confidently takes care of C9. But winning the THH Invitational 3-2 with a 3-game winstreak gave C9 the big confidence boost they needed to eventually become BlizzCon champions.
ASU vs Berkeley - Heroes of the Dorm Grand Finals
Heroes of the Dorm was important in a number of ways. It was the first big Heroes LAN, it was broadcasted on ESPN on television and it set a great standard for event production. On top of that, the team from Berkeley won and provided team captain Fan with the opportunity to become a pro player at Cloud 9.
Team Liquid vs - Na'Vi ETS #2 Finals
With all odds stacked against them in game #2, Natus Vincere looked like they were beaten. A single favorable team fight, however, lead to one of the greatest comebacks in HoTS history, even more impressive against the scariest team in Europe at the time.
 Adrian "ADRD" WójcikADRD has bounced around from many different teams but one thing has remained the same; his impressive control over fragile heroes. Most known for his Kael'Thas, SGT.Hammer and Jaina play, ADRD is one player you don't want to lane against. |
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The original Illidan, iDream uses his immaculate hero control to consistently makes the big plays for Cloud9. Kerrigan, Kael'Thas, Illidan and The Lost Vikings allow iDream to have a large impact on the game and make use of his acute game sense. |
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Arthelon excels at unsafe heroes that, when played expertly, have huge payoffs. Think Raynor and Kael'thas and of course, Azmodan. Arthelon has been on the forefront of ranged assassin play and single handedly popularized the Azmodan Taste for Blood stacking strategy. |
| Ki-Soo "CrazymoviNG" Han Ranged Assasin for Team DK, CrazyMoving's Jaina and Valla play is remarkably aggressive. Excelling at skirmishes and winning the team fight through individual plays, CrazyMoving kites with confidence and leads his team through his plays. |
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When it comes to warrior players, KingCaffeine is a step above the rest. His patience is legendary, preferring to hide in bushes in predicting of the enemy teams movement. His Storm Bolts don't miss, his Mosh Pits win games, and his Leoric game is down right spooky. |
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VortiX is currently 47-6 in tournament games playing as The Lost Vikings. That insane fact aside, VortiX is one of the most flexible players on this list and his strategies lead Team Liquid through some of their most dominating tournament runs. |
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Melee Assassins owe a great deal to Glaurung. During a time where double warrior and double support ruled the meta, Glaurung made unconventional picks like Kerrigan and The Butcher seem viable through his strong early game performances. |
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Fnatic has been one of the most consistent teams in EU and a big part of that is thanks to Breez. A skilled Warrior player makes his squishies feel safe while always threatening the flank. Breez brings both.
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Pontus "
Making their initial debut as Team Bob?, Dignitas quickly captured the hearts of viewers with their unique play style, and their ability to topple then EU champion Team Liquid. Often credited as team that brought Kharazim to the meta, Dignitas rarely disappoints.
Every team in North America knows not to underestimate COGnitive. With Glaurung's natural draw towards heavy hitting melee assassins, COGnitive's drafts are aggressive, and often very unique. They stole the show at the NA Road to Blizzcon with their insane Illidan comps and high aggressive play.
Although a relatively new team, Team Blaze is always trying new. They were the first team to attempt solo support Tassadar in North America, as well as one of the first teams to play Rexxar. Sometimes considered borderline 'cheesy', Team Blaze is incredibly fun to watch.
The reigning world champions, Cloud 9 not only win, they win with style. Their engagements are coordinated, decisive, and highly tactical. Add on top of that their love of Murky and you've got a perfect formula of high-skilled entertainment.
In their prime, Team Liquid was the uncontested king of Europe. Favoring comfort picks over meta, TL consistently ran fan favorites such as Zeratul, SGT Hammer and The Lost Vikings. Any game involving the Spanish Armada was sure to be a joy to watch.
Wade "Dreadnaught" Penfold
Dreadnaught's shotcalling and strategy was a huge part of Tempo Storm's meteoric rise and 30+ game match streak. Cool under pressure and always available for an illuminating post-game interview, Dreadnaught is the real deal with the support play to match.
Derek "DunkTrain" Arabian
DunkTrain is one of the most iconic faces of NA heroes. Team captain and main support of Cloud9, the world champions wouldn't be where they are without him and his legendary beard.
James "Bakery" Baker
The team Bob? was lead by Bakery to eventually be picked up by Dignitas. Since then, Bakery's leadership and state of the art support strategy has propelled the team to the upper levels of EU play.
Lee "Sake" Huk
Sake doesn't play support and he doesn't shotcall. Instead, as Team Captain of MVP Black, his main focus is keeping the team calm and prepared for the next match. MVP Black dominated the first international heroes tournament (MSI MGA 2015) and their steady domination has Sake written all over it.
This one is a no-brainer. The current world champs and the scariest team in North America, Cloud 9 is more a force of nature than a competitive team. Crowning moment? Winning Blizzcon of course.
There was a time not too long ago where going up against Team Liquid was a confirmed death sentence. The first team to look like professionals, TL's legacy lives on to this day. Crowning moment? Dominating Europe for the better half of a year.
With their innovative strategies, Na'Vi are no easy opponent, something the teams of the EU Road to Blizzcon know all too well. Cutting through the competition with the Butcher and Falstad, they made it look easy. Crowning Moment? the EU Road to Blizzcon clean sweep.
China has one of the strongest, yet most region locked Heroes of the Storm scenes, and at the top sits eStar. With the same roster since early summer, eStar has had huge amounts of practice together and it doesn't look like they'll fall any time soon. Crowning moment? Reigning supreme in an unforgiving region.
We all knew Korea was strong, but their complete annihilation of MSI MGA was nothing less than spectacular. MVP Black barely even broke a sweat as they carved a path through Europe and North America's best teams. Crowning moment? Putting everyone in their place.
Tempo Storm completely slaughtered North America during the summer. Nobody was even close to taking them on in a match through out the beginnings of the NA Road to Blizzcon. Crowning moment? A 34 game win streak.
Babael
Everyones favorite Singaporean, Babael is a ball of energy on the mic. His use of silly expressions, confidence, and consistent pump-up attitude make him a fan favorite.
Gillyweed
Gilly always has a smile on her face, bringing an upbeat charm to her casting. Her superior analytical ability and wonderful catchphrases (Indeed!) make her a versatile caster - both loveable and knowledgeable. Watching a match with Gilly casting will always leave you smiling.
SolidJake
Jake’s confidence is unmatched in the Heroes casting scene. His ability to both analyze and play-by-play a teamfight flawlessly make him a casting gem, and a joy to watch. Not to mention his endurance! Jake frequently casts tournaments for hours and hours, while remaining just as strong on the mic.
Khaldor
Often seen as the “lone warrior” caster of the Heroes scene, Khaldor is unique in that he casts often from the comfort of his own home – and often by himself! His stream is one of the biggest Heroes streams on Twitch. Khaldor incorporates both professionalism and entertainment into his casting, showing matches with intermissions accompanied by popular hard rock music.
Kaelaris
One of the most prominent European casters, Kaelaris is a powerhouse on the mic. Always joking with his fellow casters, Kaelaris makes a match fun. He is also the most knowledgeable about Blizzard lore, often telling stories of the characters in the match.
Tetcher
Tetcher is the Robin to Khaldor’s Batman, often appearing as the secondary caster on Khaldor’s stream. His British wit and expansive game knowledge make him a blast to watch, and an under appreciated caster in the Heroes scene.
Grubby
Grubby’s knowledge of the game is unparalleled in the Heroes casting scene. His stream highlights his high level play, and he brings that into his casting He is able to pinpoint even the subtlest strategies during matches, and explain them in a way that any Heroes player could understand.
Cooby
Cooby brings both humor and knowledge to his casting. He is able to analyze and play-by-play gracefully, while still staying entertaining. Chances are most all of us has learned at least one thing from a Cooby cast.
FourCourtJester
Jester is one of the more dominant casters in both the amateur and pro Heroes scene, bringing a level of analytical skill that you wouldn’t expect. Matches that he casts are enthralling, as he backs up his analysis with loony antics.
Zoia
Zoia is unique in that he is a team manager and a caster. This skillset means he is familiar not only with game mechanics, but with team chemistry. He brings this to the table with force, highlighting all aspects of a match, both in actual play and in how a team works together.
Tempo Storm vs. Cloud9
With 2015 being the year of the first Heroes of the Storm World Championship all of North America was rooting for BOTH Tempo Storm and Cloud9. We all know who grabbed the crown but this rivalry goes longer and deeper than that. The Tempo Storm roster was originally Symbiote Gaming but as Tempo Storm, they first met Cloud9 at Kings of the Storm V back in January. The rivalry for 2015 was heavily one sided in Tempo Storms favor, but always an intense battle of the best in North America.
China has a seriously strong meta, so there’s no surprise that these two teams are against each other at just about any tournament they attend. eStar is a bit older and more seasoned than EDG with a higher win rate along with the #2 world ranking spot. The biggest defeat came at the China Championship where not only did eStar take the #1 spot, but EDG fell to the 4th place and was then unable to make it to BlizzCon. Regardless, it’s always enjoyable to watch the best in Chinese meta battle each other.
While the top stop in Europe belongs to Team Liquid (for now) the Fnatic and Na’vi rivalry has to be the most intense European rivalry. They’re both two of the strongest European teams and they’re constantly trading tournament wins. The rivalry goes well into roster trades as well with Wubby and Breez both leaving Fnatic to play for Na’Vi. Although Na’Vi made it to BlizzCon, Fnatic is still able to hold the #4 global rank over Na’Vi who holds the #5 spot.
By now we know what a force Cloud9 is to be reckoned with and the only other NA team that has even had a chance at taking them down (besides Tempo Storm) is COGnitive. COG has regularly gotten right to the point where they can dominate C9 but were just unable to reach over and take the win.
Team Liquid vs. Europe
Team Liquid has had a struggle against European teams lately but still retain the #1 European spot and #2 global ranking. Even though they have an 82% all time win rate the TL surprisingly weren’t able to clinch a spot going into BlizzCon. TL might be at the top right now but they have teams like Fnatic and Na’Vi coming up on their tails looking to take lead
NA vs. EU
The more HoTS gains popularity the more that region rivalries are going to spring up. NA vs. EU is an obvious one considering the amount of teams there are on both sides and the fact that they compete against each other in virtually every global tournament. If you compare the play with the rankings EU is the dominant region. Even though North America rules the top spot with the world champs Cloud9, there is only one other American team in the top ten compared to 5 European teams. 2016 is a new year, Europe or Asia could come up to dominate as the next head region.
Dreadnaught_heroes
The Dreadnauti club is all about razor sharp play and constant commentary. Dreadnaught narrates his play constantly, describing what goes right and what goes wrong. The best place to learn how a Heroes team "should" be playing.
FollowGrubby
Grubby is a seasoned progamer that is always looking for a new way to play the game. He doesn't stick to the meta and is confident with virtually every hero. The always friendly carry, Grubby proves that it is possible to not only win as a solo queue'er, but make it look fun while doing it.
ZP_TV
ZP plays a lot of Heroes of the Storm and, as a result, can explain almost every reason as to why his team has lost or won. If you want to learn the standard builds and optimal play patterns of every hero in the game, ZP is where you can star.
GoSuZuna
Zuna's stream has been home to some of the most illuminating stream moments in Heroes history. Hyper critical of his own play while casually 1v2'ing his opponents, Zuna's mechanical skill in combination with his quick commentary is a strategy gold mine.
Chu8
From his love-hatred of Gazlowe, to his insane Thrall play, chu8's stream showcases high level play with plenty of silliness. Just remember, why go support when you could go #1 player killer hero in the game.
Mcintyre
High MMR player and war paint advocate extraordinaire, Bob Ross Fan Club's very own Mcintyre shows us all how it's done. A little bit of try hard, a little bit of weirdness, and a pinch of salt make Mcintyre stand out from the rest.
FollowGrubby
A low sodium, high commentary stream, Grubby spends most of his time interacting with chat and informing his viewers on the ways he likes to play. In his own words 'I was dank as a baby and so now I'm a memer'. Grubby always keeps his spirits high and the good times rolling.
Mewnfare
Chu8's partner in crime has a refreshing stream dynamic. With a dry wit and a razor sharp criticism of his own play and others, you can never quite tell when he's kidding. Mewnfare takes very little seriously, including himself and his stream.
Trikslyr
A Blizzard community manager who rivals Grubby in cheery attitude. Trikslyr has a special place in his heart for the underused, under appreciated heroes who aren't taken seriously. Number one supporter of Murloc rights, he is a hero to us all.
Tempo Storm/Zoia on Townhall Heroes
After a fairly awful run of tournament performances, fans of Tempo Storm could tell something was going on within the team. Team manager Jared “Zoia” Eggleston laid out the facts on Town Hall Heroes saying that there was vast amount of internal conflict between players even stating that “Half the team hates each other”. However, due to the roster lock rules laid out for BlizzCon, no changes could be made after they qualified. The team went to BlizzCon with their full roster, lost in the group stages and almost immediately after that Zuna and Arthelon left the team.
323
It was game one in the semifinals of The Americas Championship for Blizzcon between COGnitive and Cloud9. COGnitive had gained momentum and a strong lead against Cloud9 when all of a sudden on the screen you see in the allied chat a vast amount of spaces being typed along with “323” then a game pause by the observer. The pause only lasted about 30 seconds and play commenced. Then another pause by the observer. This pause lasted over five minutes delaying play. After the game resumed COG took a tumble and Cloud9 ending up winning that and the next game, cutting COGnitive out of any Blizzcon hopes. There are a decent amount of conspiracy theories that the pause was planned by Cloud9 to throw COG off their game and ultimately take the win.
Almost immediately after losing Dreamhack All-Stars Summer to Team Liquid, Breez and Wubby both leave Na’vi to fill Fnatic’s open positions. Neither party was candid about the decision. Breez stated that “I used to play for Natus Vincere at the top of the HoTS EU scene, but we were never able to reach #1 which is my one goal.” Ethernal and JayPL from Fnatic turned around and stated, “We are lucky Breez left for Fnatic. We are playing better with Alex.”
Ign 6.5/10
IGN’s first rating of Heroes of the Storm during Beta is 6.5 stating “Heroes of the Storm is a flawed, varied MOBA with terrific team fighting and poor objectives". Naturally fans of Heroes, Blizzard and MOBAs in general don’t take too kindly to his rating. The review was insanely critical and some of it looked like the writer was either misinformed, or had just never played a MOBA before.
Kotaku's discovery of Zeratul
Kotaku put out a small blurb about Blizzard releasing new missions to a Starcraft expansion that tells the story of “Zeratul, a character we’ve only met through Heroes of the Storm.” Much research was obviously put into said blurb. Their mistake grew frustration throughout the Heroes community and made everyone question the validity of any type of gaming journalism that came from Kotaku.
Tychus' Cigar
Once Blizzard put out its “Enter the Nexus” promo for Heroes of the Storm fans were noticing an integral piece of a certain character was missing. Tychus’ cigar. This brought out an outrage in the Blizzard/Starcraft community. One fan suggested “It’s not Blizzard’s job to make sure we don’t do it anyway. It’s an iconic part of the Tychus character.” Blizzard’s response was that the game has a teen rating and that “there are regions where he wouldn’t be allowed to smoke.” Their only options were to make two versions, smoking and non-smoking, or remove the cigar completely and they obviously chose the latter.
Maphacking
Hacking, in general, is nothing new to eSports. Companies are trying to combat it but hackers will always find away. Proof came out of a HoTS maphacking with Nova sniping opponent heroes when there was no possible way she could have had sight of them. Considering Blizzard uses the Starcraft 2 engine for HoTS and it was never fixed, there’s no telling if this could be either, other than reporting it. Thankfully it’s not THAT common, and non-existent in the eSports scene.
Virtus.Pro choosing no Li li talents
Virtus.Pro went into game 2 of a BO3 against LGA eSports in the Stormgrounds Invitational ready to win. Although VP was obviously superior from the beginning, they took it to a new level by choosing a trolly team comp and playing Lili with absolutely no talents throughout the game. An entire lack of sportsmanship all around.
Double/Triple Warrior
Popularized by Korea, the general thinking here was 'what if we just CCed forever and never died'. Well turns out that works pretty well. Multiple warrior comps live on to this day and are extremely standard.
Double Support
There was a time where retribution Uther was not only picked, it was always picked. With enough healing between them, two supports were often picked more for their sustained damage capabilities than their supporting ones. What resulted was the 'Great Poke Comp Wars' of Spring '15.
Jaina/Kael'thas
A song of fire and ice... and pain and death. If they weren't straight up banned, Jaina and Kael'thas sat at the top of the Assassin throne. Terrifying alone, they were nigh unbeatable when paired together.
Roam Squads
Get ahead, and stay ahead. Early game roam squads are still going strong today, but they pale in comparison to the Arthas - Kerrigan combos of old. No bush is safe from the early game predators.
Judgment Pickoffs
North American viewers may know this as the 'Crispy Taco'. Tyrael picks a target, and suddenly they are no more. This pairs best with Falstad's Hinterland Blast, but can be used with any heavy burst ability.
Illidan Comps
Illidan, Rehgar, Abathur, with their powers combined, they are stronger than you could possible imagine. Toss a Tassadar into the mix and you've got an unstoppable flurry of warglaives and hatred.
Ban or Pick Zeratul
Have you ever wanted a team to just hold still for a bit? Zeratul sure has. With his extreme burst damage and survivability, Zeratul was a meta favorite for much of the year. Whenever he wasn't instantly banned out, you can be sure he was picked.
Leoric
The spooklord himself was a major threat upon his release. Able push better than any specialist, self heal forever, come back 100% faster from death, and do more damage than most assassins, he was quickly (and rightfully) nerfed.
Johanna
Stuns and shields and shields and stuns, Johanna could not only control a battlefield, she was almost impossible to kill. A stalwart defender, Johanna's release shifted the tank meta from soaking damage, to holding a lane for all eternity.
Kael'thas
Chunking people to half health from a screen away may seem cheap... well it was. Kael'thas was one of the most highly valued assassins on his release due to his extreme damage and safety. By the time you could get to him, it was already too late.
Thrall
Never has a hero been so benefited by battle momentum than Thrall. With windfury providing five extra hits, his only realistic limit to damage was how much mana he could spend. For a short time, he reigned as king.
The Lost Vikings
Only a select few were brave enough to try this extremely high skill cap hero. Those that did were greatly rewarded. Soak in all three lanes and one of the highest damage ults made the Vikings an incredibly frustrating foe to deal with.
Sylvanas
Before the Envenom and Blood for Blood changes, Sylvanas was almost impossible to take on in a 1v1. That coupled with the fact that she could destroy your structures in the blink of an eye made her a valuable asset for almost every team.
GosuAwards 2015 committee
Jacob "ManMode" Godfrey
Nick "Dorazion" D'Orazio
Robbert "Broeder" Troost
Conrad "ConicSonic5" Buys
Lydia "lideyuh" Mitrevski
