EPT
Preview
Since the end of the Technical Alpha phase of the game, the eSports scene has been, for the most part, segregated. Teams have battled against each other within their home regions for dominance, but they have rarely had any contact with other players from around the world.
Because of this lack of cross-regional play, each one of the regions has given birth to a different meta independent from the others. From the bursty comps of the West to the double warrior meta from Korea, each region has developed it’s own playstyle. The fact that five different regions, with the same hero and map pools, have been able to develop five different metas is a testament to the strategic depth of the game.
On every server, as the players battle against each other, there have been teams which have stood out above the rest. These teams have shown time and time again that they are the kings in their region, but as with any competitive eSport there is always the question: Which region is better? Who would win if they faced off against each other?
The time has come to answer that question. This weekend at PAX, the most dominant teams in the world will face against each other in the Masters Gaming Arena, the first major international tournament since the release of the game. This Friday, all the questions about who between North America, Europe or Asia is better will finally be put to rest.
The road will not be easy for any of the teams. No matter how dominant they are in their region, anything could happen. Going into the tournament you might think one team is the most dominant and likely to win, only for them to be eliminated in the first round. The play styles and team compositions couldn’t be more different between the teams. Focus, pressure management, and adaptability to different strategies will be the key to succeed in this first clash of the titans.
Since we’re venturing into a brave new world let's take some time to learn more about each one of the teams vying for the MGA crown:
Keeping the Tempo
When you talk about the best teams in the world there is always one that stands out for its consistency: Tempo Storm. Since their inception as Symbiote Gaming, the team has always stood up over the rest. As of April, Tempo Storm has placed in the top two of every single tournament they have participated in, establishing themselves as the most reliable and dominant team in this tournament. Tempo Storm excels in coordination and good decision making. Whatever the situation may be, they always seem to be patient and make the right choice. In a game as strategic as Heroes of the Storm it is no wonder they do so well.
In the past, Tempo Storm has called themselves the best team in the world. The time has come to stand behind their words.
The Black Knight
Standing in the corner is MVP Black, the Korean gatekeeper of the East. Korea has always stood as the paradigm for judgment and the crusher of foreign hopes. We have not yet seen a conclusive East-Meets-West showdown in Heroes of the Storm, so we have no idea how the likes of Tempo Storm and Team Liquid, the frontrunners in America and Europe respectively, stand against the strategic precision of the Koreans, but MSI offers us this chance. MVP Black drafts a variety of compositions but always centers around beefy, upfront fights which they force their opponents into, and they’re not afraid to just go all-in when the timings line up. In particular, they often do triple warrior compositions and run their opponents over with good positioning and well-timed dives.
The Shining Stars
Somewhere in the East, near the Mecca of eSports, emerges another team with a completely different mindset and understanding of the game. In stark contrast to the upfront, direct style of MVP Black, eStar Gaming (and in fact most of the Chinese scene) tends toward chaotic, scattered fights all around the map. Instead of pressuring one objective at a time with the entire team, eStar tends to apply pressure everywhere on the map in an attempt to slowly smother their opponents and force errors. While they often seem to lack the precision for straight up 5v5 team fights, they make up for it with excellent individual skill and mechanics, allowing them to dominate the laning phase and make the most of scrappy situations where other teams can’t.
The Under(water)dogs
The SEA teams are perhaps the least known or understood teams of all. Firstly, it’s very difficult to find professional SEA VoDs for Heroes of the Storm. Secondly, when you watch the games, you’re confounded by the early middle lane 5-stack. myRevenge is definitely the underdog coming into this compared to well-known teams like Tempo Storm, Team Liquid, and even MVP Black. However, it’s myR’s unique playstyle that may get them far into the tournament. myR tends to focus on double specialist push compositions, almost always splitting the lanes 1-1-3 after the first creep waves meet and getting ahead with powerful early pushes to secure a comfortable mid to late game.
A Legacy of Victory
Team Liquid has always been known for its competitive eSports scene in practically every game, and was one of the first organizations to sign a Heroes of the Storm team, El Nexo. The Spanish team that includes former StarCraft 2 players LucifroN and VortiX has seen dominating results since, setting themselves up as the best European team out there; however, with Tempo Storm right at their heels and MVP Black looming in the background, the pressure is on for Team Liquid to continue their legacy of greatness. Team Liquid boasts extreme versatility, and are able to pull off extremely tanky lineups, push comps, and dangerous Assassin squads. On top of that, each TL player holds a variety of scary pocket picks, including Blackscorp’s Illidan and Zeratul and Vortix’s The Lost Vikings. The team's strong Starcraft background also makes them excellent at assessing the map and calling shots instantly and accurately.
Back on Cloud 9
Just behind Tempo Storm, Cloud9 has proved to be one of the most consistent teams in the scene, as they have placed in the top two in 23 of the 28 tournaments they have participated in. While it is true that roster changes have affected the performance of this team before, with the recent addition of Fan “Fan” Yang they have been able to eliminate their main weaknesses and become more versatile. Furthermore, the team is said to have prepared some special strategies for this tournament, so they may very well surprise everyone this time.
The Reckless Bears
Virtus.Pro is an European team formerly known as Team ASH (ArthasStroitHram). Since the early days of the Beta, they have showed their skill by competing and consistently winning in the most competitive region in the world.
While there is a lot of debate surrounding which team is truly the best in the world, there is no doubt that Europe is the region with the strongest competitive scene. Every single one of its top teams has beaten another out at least once in recent tournaments. This immediately places Virtus.pro as one of the teams to look out for in the tournament.
Setting the Gears in Motion
COGnitive Gaming comes into the tournament as a replacement for the Chinese team, EDward Gaming. As one of the top three teams in North America, they are without a doubt worthy of playing in this ultimate showdown. With only one player left from the team's distant roots, Vivid Gaming, COGnitive has been a team building from the ground up leading into this tournament. After only playing together for a single month, their current line-up found themselves taking games off teams like Cloud9. COGnitive shines when they are able to have a strong melee-centered composition, showcasing their talent in the July North American Open where they placed third. With another month of practice under their feet, all eyes are on COGnitive to see how far they've come and how well they will fare against international competition.
Recap of the Qualifiers:
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/images/forum/wiki_icon.png)
Check the Bracket here
While this tournament is a great opportunity for COGnitive, they have the misfortune of being matched against Tempo Storm, the best North American team at the moment. COGnitive players aren’t bad, but Tempo Storm is simply outstanding. If you add to it the fact that COGnitive's players have almost zero experience at live tournaments, it is hard to bet in their favor.
Tempo Storm 2 - 1 COGnitive
Cloud9 is another behemoth from the Americas, but they aren’t facing any pushovers. Much as Cloud9 in North America, eStar Gaming is one of the most dominant teams in Asia. While the meta from these two regions is pretty different and in a way makes the games unpredictable, it is hard to bet against the consistency of Cloud9.
eStar Gaming 1 - 2 Cloud9
Virtus Pro is one of the top teams in Europe since their beginning as Team ASH but they are facing off against MVP Black, arguably the best Korean team at the moment. There is not a lot of information about the Korean teams here in the West and because of that people tend to massively downplay their skill, but we believe more than one viewer will be surprised by their level of play.
MVP Black 2 - 0 Virtus Pro
Team Liquid is one of the best european teams at the moment, and although myRevenge.Vs is also one of the South-East of Asia, the individual skill and adaptability of Team Liquid to strange drafts and situations should help them overcome this match without much trouble.
Team Liquid 2 - 0 MyRevenge.VS
Join SolidJake, TheCooby & Teknolink at PAX Prime, Seattle on August 28 and 29 starting at 11am PST to see which team can prevail against the toughest competition ever seen at a Heroes tournament!
Because of this lack of cross-regional play, each one of the regions has given birth to a different meta independent from the others. From the bursty comps of the West to the double warrior meta from Korea, each region has developed it’s own playstyle. The fact that five different regions, with the same hero and map pools, have been able to develop five different metas is a testament to the strategic depth of the game.
On every server, as the players battle against each other, there have been teams which have stood out above the rest. These teams have shown time and time again that they are the kings in their region, but as with any competitive eSport there is always the question: Which region is better? Who would win if they faced off against each other?
The time has come to answer that question. This weekend at PAX, the most dominant teams in the world will face against each other in the Masters Gaming Arena, the first major international tournament since the release of the game. This Friday, all the questions about who between North America, Europe or Asia is better will finally be put to rest.
The road will not be easy for any of the teams. No matter how dominant they are in their region, anything could happen. Going into the tournament you might think one team is the most dominant and likely to win, only for them to be eliminated in the first round. The play styles and team compositions couldn’t be more different between the teams. Focus, pressure management, and adaptability to different strategies will be the key to succeed in this first clash of the titans.
Since we’re venturing into a brave new world let's take some time to learn more about each one of the teams vying for the MGA crown:
Tempo Storm
Keeping the TempoWhen you talk about the best teams in the world there is always one that stands out for its consistency: Tempo Storm. Since their inception as Symbiote Gaming, the team has always stood up over the rest. As of April, Tempo Storm has placed in the top two of every single tournament they have participated in, establishing themselves as the most reliable and dominant team in this tournament. Tempo Storm excels in coordination and good decision making. Whatever the situation may be, they always seem to be patient and make the right choice. In a game as strategic as Heroes of the Storm it is no wonder they do so well.
In the past, Tempo Storm has called themselves the best team in the world. The time has come to stand behind their words.
- The “Zuna Factor”.
- Known for strong rotations and strong laning phase
- Multitude of strategies
- Outstanding decision making
- Favorite heroes: Jaina, Reghar, Azmodan
MVP Black
The Black KnightStanding in the corner is MVP Black, the Korean gatekeeper of the East. Korea has always stood as the paradigm for judgment and the crusher of foreign hopes. We have not yet seen a conclusive East-Meets-West showdown in Heroes of the Storm, so we have no idea how the likes of Tempo Storm and Team Liquid, the frontrunners in America and Europe respectively, stand against the strategic precision of the Koreans, but MSI offers us this chance. MVP Black drafts a variety of compositions but always centers around beefy, upfront fights which they force their opponents into, and they’re not afraid to just go all-in when the timings line up. In particular, they often do triple warrior compositions and run their opponents over with good positioning and well-timed dives.
- Loves double and triple warrior compositions
- Typically melee heavy compositions
- Control side lanes well while posturing for fights
- Willing to break down walls and snipe keeps while ignoring towers
- Favorite heroes: Tyreal, Reghar, Kael’Thas
eStar Gaming
The Shining StarsSomewhere in the East, near the Mecca of eSports, emerges another team with a completely different mindset and understanding of the game. In stark contrast to the upfront, direct style of MVP Black, eStar Gaming (and in fact most of the Chinese scene) tends toward chaotic, scattered fights all around the map. Instead of pressuring one objective at a time with the entire team, eStar tends to apply pressure everywhere on the map in an attempt to slowly smother their opponents and force errors. While they often seem to lack the precision for straight up 5v5 team fights, they make up for it with excellent individual skill and mechanics, allowing them to dominate the laning phase and make the most of scrappy situations where other teams can’t.
- Global presence and lane soaking
- Strong laners/duelists
- eStar Gaming is the team with most winnings so far, with more than $150,000 dollars won.
- Thrive in fragmented fights
- Favorite heroes: Brightwing, Valla, Zeratul
myRevenge.vs
The Under(water)dogsThe SEA teams are perhaps the least known or understood teams of all. Firstly, it’s very difficult to find professional SEA VoDs for Heroes of the Storm. Secondly, when you watch the games, you’re confounded by the early middle lane 5-stack. myRevenge is definitely the underdog coming into this compared to well-known teams like Tempo Storm, Team Liquid, and even MVP Black. However, it’s myR’s unique playstyle that may get them far into the tournament. myR tends to focus on double specialist push compositions, almost always splitting the lanes 1-1-3 after the first creep waves meet and getting ahead with powerful early pushes to secure a comfortable mid to late game.
- Push comps/double specialist
- Unique 5v5 start in mid lane on all maps
- Push one lane hard while tank and support usually take other lanes
- Use early pushing power to get ahead in mid/late game
- Favorite heroes: Zagara, Muradin, Jaina
Team Liquid
A Legacy of VictoryTeam Liquid has always been known for its competitive eSports scene in practically every game, and was one of the first organizations to sign a Heroes of the Storm team, El Nexo. The Spanish team that includes former StarCraft 2 players LucifroN and VortiX has seen dominating results since, setting themselves up as the best European team out there; however, with Tempo Storm right at their heels and MVP Black looming in the background, the pressure is on for Team Liquid to continue their legacy of greatness. Team Liquid boasts extreme versatility, and are able to pull off extremely tanky lineups, push comps, and dangerous Assassin squads. On top of that, each TL player holds a variety of scary pocket picks, including Blackscorp’s Illidan and Zeratul and Vortix’s The Lost Vikings. The team's strong Starcraft background also makes them excellent at assessing the map and calling shots instantly and accurately.
- Extreme versatility of strategies and compositions
- Several dangerous back pocket hero picks that make drafting phase difficult for the other team
- Favorite heroes: The Lost Vikings, Illidan/Zeratul, Abathur
Cloud9
Back on Cloud 9Just behind Tempo Storm, Cloud9 has proved to be one of the most consistent teams in the scene, as they have placed in the top two in 23 of the 28 tournaments they have participated in. While it is true that roster changes have affected the performance of this team before, with the recent addition of Fan “Fan” Yang they have been able to eliminate their main weaknesses and become more versatile. Furthermore, the team is said to have prepared some special strategies for this tournament, so they may very well surprise everyone this time.
- KingCaffeine is arguably the best Warrior player in the game
- Due to their high individual skill, each member can play a variety of roles
- Many veteran MOBA players; experience is key
- Favorite heroes: Johanna, Sylvanas, Zagara
Virtus.pro
The Reckless BearsVirtus.Pro is an European team formerly known as Team ASH (ArthasStroitHram). Since the early days of the Beta, they have showed their skill by competing and consistently winning in the most competitive region in the world.
While there is a lot of debate surrounding which team is truly the best in the world, there is no doubt that Europe is the region with the strongest competitive scene. Every single one of its top teams has beaten another out at least once in recent tournaments. This immediately places Virtus.pro as one of the teams to look out for in the tournament.
- Most recent international experience, facing MVP Black in the Finals of the IEM Shenzhen this past July
- Qualified for the EU Championship
- Favorite heroes: Anub’Arak, Rehgar, Nazeebo
COGnitive Gaming
Setting the Gears in MotionCOGnitive Gaming comes into the tournament as a replacement for the Chinese team, EDward Gaming. As one of the top three teams in North America, they are without a doubt worthy of playing in this ultimate showdown. With only one player left from the team's distant roots, Vivid Gaming, COGnitive has been a team building from the ground up leading into this tournament. After only playing together for a single month, their current line-up found themselves taking games off teams like Cloud9. COGnitive shines when they are able to have a strong melee-centered composition, showcasing their talent in the July North American Open where they placed third. With another month of practice under their feet, all eyes are on COGnitive to see how far they've come and how well they will fare against international competition.
- Favors an aggressive playstyle
- Started from the bottom, but rapidly became a top team
- Favorite heroes: Jaina, Kerrigan, Rehgar
Predictions:
Check the Bracket hereCOGnitive vs Tempo Storm
While this tournament is a great opportunity for COGnitive, they have the misfortune of being matched against Tempo Storm, the best North American team at the moment. COGnitive players aren’t bad, but Tempo Storm is simply outstanding. If you add to it the fact that COGnitive's players have almost zero experience at live tournaments, it is hard to bet in their favor.
Tempo Storm 2 - 1 COGnitive
eStar Gaming vs Cloud9
Cloud9 is another behemoth from the Americas, but they aren’t facing any pushovers. Much as Cloud9 in North America, eStar Gaming is one of the most dominant teams in Asia. While the meta from these two regions is pretty different and in a way makes the games unpredictable, it is hard to bet against the consistency of Cloud9.
eStar Gaming 1 - 2 Cloud9
MVP Black vs Virtus Pro
Virtus Pro is one of the top teams in Europe since their beginning as Team ASH but they are facing off against MVP Black, arguably the best Korean team at the moment. There is not a lot of information about the Korean teams here in the West and because of that people tend to massively downplay their skill, but we believe more than one viewer will be surprised by their level of play.
MVP Black 2 - 0 Virtus Pro
Team Liquid vs myRevenge.VS
Team Liquid is one of the best european teams at the moment, and although myRevenge.Vs is also one of the South-East of Asia, the individual skill and adaptability of Team Liquid to strange drafts and situations should help them overcome this match without much trouble.
Team Liquid 2 - 0 MyRevenge.VS
Join SolidJake, TheCooby & Teknolink at PAX Prime, Seattle on August 28 and 29 starting at 11am PST to see which team can prevail against the toughest competition ever seen at a Heroes tournament!
