The top 8 players for the North American Collegiate Hearthstone Open are here! These talented college students have risen above the competition and are ready to square off against each other in a few epic rounds of Hearthstone at PAX Prime 2014! Learn more about these hometown Hearthstone heroes today and root for your favorite at the North American Collegiate Hearthstone Open Finals LIVE starting Monday, September 1st at 10:00 AM PDT, right here on Twitch!
Quickies
University: University of Nevada Las Vegas
Major: Electrical Engineering
Year: Junior
Hometown: Las Vegas
What’s your Battlecry?: PUT YOUR FAITH IN THE LIGHT!
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: In round 6 or 7 I was tied 1-1 playing Miracle Rogue vs. Handlock and it looked unwinnable. He had a Mountain Giant and Twilight Drake on board with 10 Mana. I had used both Saps. He somehow couldn't kill me and all 3 of his taunts were on the bottom 10 of his deck. I then top decked Shadowstep for exact lethal, exact mana!
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Spectral Knight
What are your post-college plans?: Military!
What is your greatest Hearthstone accomplishment?: Making top 8 in this!
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I won a $10,000 scholarship for fighting games, $3,000 from a racing game, and now hearthstone!
Teechu
University: University of Waterloo
Major: Business/Economics
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Toronto
What’s your Battlecry?: Teechu, I choose you!
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: In the quarterfinals of the winners bracket, I played against Nostam. After a winning out on a close Zoo mirror, I lost to his Hunter making the series 1-1. I was like OKAY YOLO BACKSPACE ROGUE but I misclicked and picked ramp Druid into Hunter. I was like "R.I.P. top 8" and proceeded to bang my face on my desk.
After being at sub 15 hp vs. a Hunter, my only chance to win was yolo Ragnaros and hope he doesn't draw into Hunter’s Mark for a few turns. After that, it was turns of Hero Power, Healing Touches, and being unable to attack due to him having lethal with Explosive Trap. Eeked out lethal on last turn at 3hp (vs Explosive Trap) with Hero Power, Swipe, and having 2 minions on board.
Hope to play Nostam in the Tourney again!
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Sludge Belcher
What are your post-college plans?: A. Find a long-term position in marketing/development in IT/game industry. B. Continue education and work towards MBA.
What card best represents you and why?: 1. Snipe because my Rag always hits.
2. The Beast cause I'm a beast.
3. Leeroy Jenkins because LEEROOOY JENKINS.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I got over my cynophobia (fear of dogs, for myself specifically huskies, pugs) when my roommate randomly decided to get a baby Siberian Husky without telling me and forced me to pet it AGAINST MY WILL.
Side - I go to the same university that Amaz did when he went to Canada years ago!
Nostam
University: SUNY Farmingdale
Major: Computer Science
Year: Freshman
Hometown: N. Massapequa
What’s your Battlecry?: Topdecking and wrecking
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: My closest game was in quarterfinals playing against Teechu in our third match. He played Ragnaros and had a 25% chance of hitting the correct target for him to stay in the game and he sniped it. Teechu ended up with a big comeback in that game to qualify and bump me down into the loser's bracket. I then defeated Azunyan in a very close series to qualify myself.
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Webspinner
What are your post-college plans?: I hope to use my degree to get a job involving e-sports or a gaming company.
What is your greatest Hearthstone accomplishment? Hitting Rank 4 Legend
What card best represents you and why?: Big Game Hunter because he takes out the big guys with ease.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I play the guitar.
Terrencem
University: College of Staten Island
Major: Accounting
Year: Junior
Hometown: Staten Island
What’s your Battlecry?: Leeeeeeroy Jenkins
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: I was in a really close Hunter mirror match in game 1 and used a Kill Command without a Beast on the board so I couldn’t destroy my opponent’s Leokk and that cost me.
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Loatheb
What are your post-college plans?: To get my CPA in accounting.
What is your greatest Hearthstone accomplishment? Ending Season 4 in 23rd place being 1 away from BlizzCon qualifiers and getting 2nd in Soulfire Wedsnesday.
What card best represents you and why?: Gadgetzan Auctioneer because I've got the best deals anywhere.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I’ve been playing card games for 13 years now.
SnipedAgain
University: UMass Amherst
Major: Computer Science/Economics
Year: Senior
Hometown: Lexington, MA
What’s your Battlecry?: Dump Salt
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: Every game I made a noticeable mistake, I lost so they were all close.
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Loatheb
What are your post-college plans?: Software Engineering/Finance, if I get to BlizzCon finals maybe more Hearthstone.
What is your greatest Hearthstone accomplishment? Qualified for Americas Qualifier
What card best represents you and why?: Leeroy Jenkins, just run in and never look back.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I'm pretty good at Ping Pong and Go.
Dominus
University: University of Western Ontario
Major: Life Sciences
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Toronto
What’s your Battlecry?: +1 Blessing from RnJesus
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: Winning a game 3 against Hunter with 1 Health. Can't get closer than that.
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Webspinner
What are your post-college plans?: Jobs and Money.
What is your greatest Hearthstone accomplishment? THIS
What card best represents you and why?: King Mukla - because I love bananas.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I've been skydiving in Israel.
DominosPizza
University: University of California, Davis
Major: Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Oakland
What’s your Battlecry?: Inner Rage ALL minions
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: I don't remember who was the opponent, but the most scary moment I had in the tournament was against him. During the late part of the game, I played a legendary (unknown) that won me the game since my opponent didn't have Humility/Aldor Peacekeeper and drew his Equality a turn too late.
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Loatheb
What are your post-college plans?: Pharmacy School
What is your greatest Hearthstone accomplishment? Being in Top 8
What card best represents you and why?: Sorcerer's Apprentice, because I am currently a college student.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I like durian.
Trollio
University: University of Georgia
Major: Infectious Disease
Year: First Year Graduate
Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA
What’s your Battlecry?: SIC 'EM!
Tell us about your closest call during the qualifier tournament!: During my final battle against LiHingKing, I was playing as a Hunter and he was playing as a Paladin. He was able to efficiently deal with my large creatures and heal himself to a stable life total throughout the game. As I was reaching the end of my deck, I stumbled upon my 2 Webspinners and decided to play them as a last ditch effort. Amazingly, I managed to catch TWO of The Beast and was able to overwhelm the board before he drew answers. Without the Webspinners, I would have lost the game.
What is your favorite Naxxramas card?: Haunted Creeper
What are your post-college plans?: Disease Research.
What is your greatest Hearthstone accomplishment? Beating zRusheR in the TeSPA tournament.
What card best represents you and why?: Starving Buzzard. A man's gotta eat.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself!: I have not spent any money on buying card packs for Hearthstone.
Best of luck to all of the North American Collegiate Hearthstone Open 2 participants, and we’ll see you at PAX Prime soon!