EPT
Tournament Preview:
European Spring Regionals
By: EsportsJohn
The European Championship for the Heroes Spring Season is finally here, with a total of $100,000 up for grabs. Eight of the top teams, some with big names and some with undiscovered talent, will be competing for a chance to walk home with a gold medal and a trip to Seoul, Korea for the Global Championship.
The Spring Season has been nothing but surprising; from the sudden roster changes of all the top teams in Europe in mid-January, to goofy team names like Monkeys of the Storm, 4 and A Half Muradin, and The Sandwich Monkeys, to the upstart performances of GoogleIshetZont and Pigs in Blankets. Almost nothing has gone as expected, but without a doubt, Europe has gifted the Heroes scene with some of the highest quality games to date as they stumbled through weekly patches and an ever-changing meta.
The tournament is divided into two parts. Teams will compete with Bo3 matches in a dual tournament style Group Stage, four teams per group. The top two teams from each group will move on to play Bo3 series in a single elimination playoff bracket, with the Grand Finals being a Bo5. The first place winner grabs a $25,000 prize, and the top two spots earn a trip to Seoul to compete for even greater prizes on the road to victory!
Check the Brackets and Schedules Here
Stream Links:
- ESL Twitch (ENG)
- ESL Polish Twitch (POL)
- ESL French Twitch (FR)
Article Outline
- Team Snapshots
Epsilon eSports (GoogleIshetZont)
Google Seeks Umbrella
In true breakout fashion, the oddly named GoogleIshetZont (literally “Google Seeks Umbrella”) broke through the first qualifier, destroying their opponents with the recently buffed Stitches and proving themselves to be masters of the sudden meta shift. Nonetheless, they’re no one-trick pony. Moving forward from their immense success in the qualifiers, they have continued to put on a good showing in ZOTAC, Go4Heroes, and Enter The Storm Cups. Carry player AndyLendi and Support player Unnstable emerge from the ashes of the old Virtus.Pro as the backbone of Epsilon. Team Captain and Tank player stalk provides a nearly unkillable front line while Flex player and former Kiev 6-1 player Sphyxi dishes out serious damage on Ranged Assassins or Specialists. After the recent departure of Mopsio, Shtyr now fills in the gaps as a Flex player, typically in a melee role. There is no lack of raw talent on the team, but they’ll need to play at their best if they want to compete with the big names at Katowice.
Team Liquid
The Hype Train
The tried and true blue and white banner, Team Liquid rolls into Katowice with a ton of momentum. Despite swapping out their entire roster since last year’s EU Championship, the team has stood solid and lived up to its name as the prestigious golden child of Europe. Team Liquid isn’t afraid to mix it up and try some crazy compositions like Haymaker Muradin, Illidan, or even Cho’Gall, and their flexible style makes them one of the best contenders to wade through the sea of talent at Katowice. The front line of the team comprises of Tank player Jowe and Bruiser player Lowell. Behind them, you’ll find Gerdamherd on Support and Cris typically on a ranged Assassin. Spanish player Shad rounds out the composition with a unique set of Heroes including Abathur, The Lost Vikings, and Tyrande. Assuming that everyone playing at their best, Team Liquid is likely to make it to the Top Four.
Team Dignitas
In-Your-Face Aggressors
Dignitas has seen perhaps the most abrupt change in playstyle out of any EU team since BlizzCon, going from control-oriented Double Warrior compositions to a much more aggressive, in-your-face playstyle. After their solid second place finish at BlizzCon, they underwent drastic roster changes during the off season, trading out Atheroangel and scHwimpi for Swedish veteran Wubby and French player Ménè. The English duo of Bakery and Snitch remain at the heart of the team playing their classic roles of Support and Ranged Carry, as expected. JayPL, primarily known as a Ranged Carry, has swapped over to the Tank role with Wubby and Ménè filling in the Carry space he left behind. The aggression that Wubby brings combined with the already daring play of Bakery, JayPL, and Snitch has turned them into a dangerous force ready to punish the slightest mistake. Compared to many of the other teams, Dignitas has perhaps the least solidified roster; nonetheless, they are strong players, and innate synergy might be key to their success at Katowice.
Fnatic
The Dynamic Pirates in Pyjamas
What a powerhouse. When Fnatic first split down the middle with Kesil, Wubby, and Team Captain Lowell leaving, things looked grim for them. However, the surprising acquisition of former Pirates in Pyjamas (PiP) players Smexystyle and Quackniix catapulted the team to the top in no time with a relentlessly sharp and creative playstyle. Having two Tank players on the team, Breez and Atheroangel, Fnatic is perfectly capable of running solid Double Warrior compositions. Backed up by the variety of picks from Flex players Quackniix and scHwimpi and the solid healing from Support player Smexystyle, Fnatic has all the tools necessary to make any composition work in their favor (including Atheroangel’s special pocket pick Murky). Expect some dynamic games from these guys, and be on the lookout for Breez’s enthusiastic shotcalling during games -- you won’t want to miss it.
Natus Vincere
Stars Beginning to Shine
Na`Vi has always been a particular hot team in the Heroes scene, but the acquisition of Support player GranPkt and Carry player Crozzby have put them over the top. Both players were considered above average on their former teams (Team Liquid and mYinsanity, respectively) but didn’t shine until they started playing for Na`Vi, and now this train looks unstoppable. Despite not qualifying for Katowice until the third qualifier, the team is looking stronger and more dangerous than ever heading to Poland. Watch out for AlexTheProG’s Bruiser-esque playstyle supplemented by the continual damage output of Flex player ethernal and Crozzby. Flex player Danatan is currently subbing for the team and may end up officially on the roster if things go well. All in all, the team is looking strong and very likely to head into the Top Four.
Virtus.Pro
Death was Merely a Setback
What the heck happened? In harrowing news two months ago, Virtus.Pro announced the release of their entire roster excluding CEBKAJE, and the team looked all but dead after their recent lukewarm results. The players all went separate ways, two to other teams (The Sandwich Monkey and GoogleIshetZont) and Tank Player PowerOfDream sticking around Virtus.Pro, and all of those teams quickly became some of the best teams in Europe. It’s indescribable what talent this team held onto for so long, and the split brought out the best in every single player. Nonetheless, the new lineup for Virtus.Pro is equally impressive. Support player Lunarn hails from the now-defunct Russian team Kiev 6-1. Not much is known about Carry player Neon, but his performance on Ranged Assassins like Li-Ming and Falstad has been impressive. Carry player bkbgrnrjefek (“bkb” for short) is subbing at the last minute on his old team in place of Toxical, boasting some of the most impressive mechanics in the world. Look out also for CEBKAJE’s terrifying Zeratul, especially now that he’s on the rise in the meta.
Reason Gaming
Pigs in Blankets No Longer
At first look, Reason Gaming looks like a bunch of unknowns, but almost everyone has been lurking around the scene for a while. Ranged Carry player Nic and Flex player WolfJoe come into the scene as rookies, formerly on Team Makziboys and frequent competitors in weekly Go4Heroes and the ZOTAC Cups. Support player Linked has had a long past in Heroes, including experience on the original rosters of SK Gaming and Dignitas. On the other hand, Team Captain and Tank player bLaDe has a short but notable career in professional play on Meet Your Makers (mYm), one of the breakout EU teams in last year’s EU Opens. The Flex player zwHydra spent some time on Kiev 6-1, but unfortunately cannot make play this weekend due to sickness. In his stead, Zarmony will be subbing in and providing a well of experience and wisdom for the relatively rookie team.
mYinsanity
Striking from the Shadows
Though it’s not readily obvious, mYinsanity (mYi) has actually been lurking around the scene for a while. The original mYi team formed in late 2014 and was released to Fnatic only a few months later, and the mYi Heroes division sat empty for most of 2015. They made a resurgence back into the scene when they picked up well-known and successful Team Spartanien, the remnants of Team Alternate Fancy. After a decent performance at Dreamhack, the team struggled to find the perfect synergy before finally signing Flex player HasuObs and former Na`Vi Support player Splendour, both of whom have a huge amount of experience on the big stage at tournaments. Backed up by the insane skillsets of Flex player Nurok and Carry player Darkmok as well as the steadfast Tank player Blumbi, mYinsanity has a really strong lineup right now. They are probably best known for their exploits into unique drafting including Cho’Gall, Greymane, and solo healer Tyrande compositions. It’s hard to tell where they will place, but their recent performances have proven them to be top tier material in any meta.
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