In just a few short days the Hearthstone World Championship will commence, and players from all over the world will duel for a share of a $250,000 prize pool. The various regions are being represented by some of the most talented card-slingers around, and the Americas are no exception! We recently had the opportunity to talk to DTwo, Tarei, StrifeCro and Firebat, discussing the Road to BlizzCon, their most difficult opponents and, of course, favorite pizza flavors!
StrifeCro
Whirthun: Do you believe there’s any pressure to win the Hearthstone World Championship because of your stature in the community?
StrifeCro: I feel like there is some pressure on me to do well in the Hearthstone World Championship. I haven't been performing as well recently but I feel like I've come to some very startling conclusions about the current tournament format which will definitely affect how I will perform here.
W: Who was your toughest opponent on the Road to BlizzCon?
StrifeCro: I played Deathstarv3 twice on my Road to BlizzCon and they have always been a close series. The last game versus Stunner was probably the most important game I've ever played. If I lost that game, I would have been eliminated from the Road to BlizzCon even though it would have been my first series loss. I actually believe I could have lost at any other point and not have been eliminated.
W: What makes Druid such a strong class?
StrifeCro: Druid is almost never the strongest class in the format but because the class has a valid game plan against every class, it is very tuneable and has to potential to beat any class.
W: What’s your favorite type of pizza?
StrifeCro: I like pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, and red onions. I think it’s a good mix of meat and veggies.
W: What’s your favorite class?
StrifeCro: I like Mage the best. I had a level 80 Gnome Mage in World of Warcraft and this was my favorite dude I owned. I also like how it plays in Hearthstone (nerf Flare please).
W: If you were stranded on an island with only one movie, which one would it be?
StrifeCro: I'd take the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition so that I can have lots of hours of movies to watch.
StrifeCro can be found on both Twitter and Twitch!
Firebat
Whirthun: Explain the origin of the Firebat handle!
Firebat: I really enjoyed the antics of Firebathero and thought he was a great showman, and I feel there are not any players like that left so I wanted to bring that eSports presence back.
W: You qualified for the Americas Qualifier Tournament via the ladder, and not tournament play. You’ve done some community tournaments, but you’re not a regular fixture in invitationals. What’s it like, suddenly playing in one of the biggest Hearthstone tournaments in the world?
Firebat: It feels like I finally have a chance to prove myself. I want to get to a point to where I can be invited instead of playing the 12 hour long open brackets that are bo3 that have a lot of luck involved. But until then I will just keep qualifying for events like this one until people realize I am one of the best.
W: Explain the backstory behind the infamous Stonetusk Boar/Miracle Rogue deck incident.
Firebat: That lineup was designed to not include Hunter as an auto ban and in the Hunter matchup sometimes you rarely have time to dagger because the Hero Power is a value play. Turns 1-2-3-4 against hunter you are generally looking to just keep par for tempo and the Stonetusk Boar allows you to take out a Freezing Trap for 1 mana, giving you a mana swing without the requirement of the dagger. However, the Rogue had to lineup against the Warrior; a favored matchup for Rogue, but it turned out I was 1 damage off lethal in the end.
W: The Warlock class is currently perceived as being very strong in competitive play. Most players opt to utilize the Handlock build, however. What was your reasoning in bringing a “Zoo” deck to the Americas Championship?
Firebat: I think Zoo is one of the most consistent decks and will almost always do exactly the same thing because of the Hero Power and its low curve. In a game where matchups and lineups are so important, I like knowing my deck will behave exactly the way I want it to for a specific matchup so I can plan how to build my other decks around that.
W: If you win it all, what are your plans after? Is it right to the next tournament, or will you take some time off to enjoy your winnings?
Firebat: If I win, hopefully I will get invited to something so I can keep playing.Otherwise, I will just try and qualify for the next event. Also, I will be streaming at twitch.tv/hero_firebat everyday after BlizzCon.
W: Do you believe there’s any pressure to win the Hearthstone World Championship because of your stature in the community?
Firebat: There is no pressure. I believe I am one of the best and will prove it here, and if I don't there will be plenty more opportunities to prove it.
W: Who was your toughest opponent on the Road to BlizzCon?
Firebat: The only person I lost to was StrifeCro.
W: What’s your favorite type of pizza?
Firebat: All meat with garlic crust.
W: If you were stranded on an island with only one movie, which one would it be?
Firebat: Castaway sounds like it fits the theme.
Firebat can also be found on both Twitter and Twitch!