With last minute changes coming to Greymane, and Tyrael, will one team be favored on the road to BlizzCon?
Here’s six things to consider:
Teams have less than a week to prepare for new patch
According to Blizzard's official twitter channel, @HeroesEsports, "The #HGC NA Fall Regional at PAX West will be played on this week's upcoming balance patch." This gives our North American teams less than 10 days to scrim and practice their winning strategies on the newest patch.
Tyrael changes may shift the draft meta
Ever since the Korean scene brought the hurt with Tyrael’s Sanctification plays, it has been a thing of fear. Will a 10 second longer cool-down on Sanctification bench everyone’s favorite arch angel? Maybe not. That being said, with eleven total changes made to his kit, Tyrael’s tweaks may be too much to adapt to in such a short amount of time, making room for another hero in that 1st pick 1st ban draft slot.
Greymane burst damage nerfed
With Razor Swipe’s damage reduced from 159 to 135 and Go for the Throat’s damage reduced from 420 to 355, every team’s favorite leap & murder assassin could be set aside for something more practiced. Greymane never works alone, and with a key pillar to burst, many teams may have to open up their rosters to new ideas.
iDream to Denial eSports
How will Denial eSports use their relatively new carry now that Greymane’s claws are a little less sharp? Look for strong Zagara play, or dare I say it, The Lost Vikings? We can only iDream. Will iDream and Glaurung synergy help Denial eSports pull ahead?
Fan to Gale Force eSports
Fan is considered by most to be the best all-around player in North America. Everywhere he goes, he performs powerfully, and consistently. Can Naventic really better off after losing such an asset? And will Gale Force change its style now with Fan on their side? Especially knowing Naventic’s ins and outs?
Murloc Geniuses dark horse for PAX
Murloc Geniuses have been underdogs for a long time now. Coming out of the NA Regionals, everyone on Murlocs looked strong, even their relatively new support Jun Jang. When asked about why NA prefers Uther or even Brightwing, he responded:
For making such an impressive showing at his first LAN event, Jun brings the roster diversity that Murlocs will need to pull ahead. Will Naventic, now without Fan, or Denial eSports with iDream, pose the same threat they did during the Fall Regionals?
The perfect storm
With all the changes in-game and between teams happening so fast, PAX and BlizzCon are bound to be some of the most exciting eSports viewing yet.
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