Heroes Global Championship

Looking ahead to the

Western Clash

Written by: Rozai

After a two week rest from the HGC, the top four North American and top four European teams are due to duke it out at the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, CA. The Western Clash will host many familiar faces to HGC LAN events -- as well as a few new kids on the block -- and each will be competing for a prize pool of $100,000 and bragging rights until BlizzCon. These cross-regional events serve to test the mettle of each region and continue to push the game forward with each competition.

The event

This is the first clash on American soil, with most Blizzard fans accustomed to the finals taking place in Anaheim, California. Katowice, Poland has hosted the Phase 1 Western Clashes two years in a row, while last year’s Phase 2 Western Clash took place in Kiev, Ukraine. Whether the NA teams will feel more comfortable and less jet-lagged with the “home-court” advantage is certainly a worthwhile question, but the pedigree of the top EU teams remains a serious hurdle.
The tournament will take place over three days in a double elimination format. All teams start in the Upper Bracket and get pushed to the Lower Bracket upon their first series loss.

Day 1 will contain the four opening Upper Bracket matches and the two subsequent Lower Bracket matches, resulting in the elimination of two teams.
Day 2 will begin the Best of 5 format and will feature two Upper Bracket matches and two Lower Bracket matches.
Day 3 begins with the Upper Bracket semi-finals in a Best of 5, with the loser bumped down to await the winner of the Lower Bracket semi-finals.
The Grand Final will be a Best of 7 series between the Upper Bracket finalist and the winner of the Lower Bracket Final. The Upper Bracket finalist team begins the series with a one game advantage.

The legacy

Team Dignitas has the most Clash championship titles, winning the 2017 Phase 1 and 2018 Phase 1 tournaments. With Team Dignitas failing to qualify for the 2017 Phase 2 Western Clash, Fnatic found very little competition and easily took the trophy. As such, Europe is the long-standing top dog at the Western Clash. North America has consistently struggled to get a team into the top four, with Team 8 earning 4th place at 2017 Phase 1, Gale Force Esports earning 4th place at 2017 Phase 2, and Tempo Storm earning 3rd place at 2018 Phase 1. Mirroring Team Dignitas from a year ago, Fnatic did not qualify for this event, making this the first Western Clash and LAN event that they have not participated in since the inception of the HGC.

The teams

Leftovers

EU Standing: 4th Place
League Match Record: 4-3
League Game Record: 13-13

Leftovers had an outstanding start to Phase 2, managing not only to break out of the Crucible positions for the first time, but also qualifying for their first LAN event. Mopsio has done wonders for this team, bringing the frontline control and team leadership necessary for them to secure 4th place in the EU HGC. They go up against HeroesHearth on the first day, a difficult series for them. It is uncertain they will break into the top six at this event, but this team has the potential for an upset if they can maintain focus under pressure.

Method

EU Standing: 3rd Place
League Match Record: 5-2
League Game Record: 17-9

Method is no stranger to the rigor of LAN events, participating in two Western Clashes, the 2018 Mid-Season Brawl, and BlizzCon 2017. This team showed a great deal of innovation and ingenuity in the first phase of this year, but struggled when executing against the most elite teams. With the return of BadBenny and adrd, the BlizzCon 2017 roster that defeated Team Dignitas is back together once again. Their play so far has been clean and efficient, with a more standard style of play compared to Phase 1. The threat of adrd’s Medivh and Abathur continues to be a pressure point for many teams. Method is likely favored in their matchup against Tempo Storm on the first day of the competition, with much weighing on the performance of Tempo’s new player ViN. Method is a strong contender for the top four.

Team Dignitas

EU Standing: 1st Place
League Match Record: 7-0
League Game Record: 21-2

Dignitas is undoubtedly the favorite to win the Western Clash. The roster has performed in dominant fashion throughout the year and is nearly impossible to control through the draft. With a remarkable understanding of the macro game and an ability to dictate team fights with precision, there isn't much to be said about Dignitas that hasn't been mentioned already during their dominant run so far.

Team Liquid

EU Standing: 2nd Place
League Match Record: 6-1
League Game Record: 18-11

No one could have predicted that the role swap for Nurok to support would have gone so well. Team Liquid came with guns blazing in Phase 2, bringing on Arcaner from Method as the ranged carry. Arcaner’s performance in his new role has also been admirable, as he drew a lot from his experiences watching Rich at the Mid-Season Brawl. It could be argued that the meta has been favorable for Team Liquid, allowing HasuObs to play more specialists than what’s typically been deemed safe. They’ve performed strongly against the rest of EU, but their series against Team Dignitas left them disappointed and hungry for improvement. Team Liquid will certainly be a contender for the top four and has a solid chance of facing Team Dignitas in the final.

HeroesHearth

NA Standing: 1st Place
League Match Record: 7-0
League Game Record: 21-3

The sweethearts of NA, HeroesHearth has developed a strong fan base with their 2018 run. They’ve managed to qualify for every LAN event in 2018 and did not lose a league match in Phase 1 Part 2 nor Phase 2 Part 1. They, much like the Fnatic and Dignitas rosters of old, are proof of the strength acquired through keeping a roster together. They’ve yet to achieve much success at LAN events however, while looking stronger each time. Their worst showings at the Mid-Season Brawl had Arthelon in the off-lane and McIntyre flexing. I personally believe the team is at its best with McIntyre controlling the off-lane, allowing Arthelon to bring his unique style of play in the flex role. If they can play to their strengths, then the home-court advantage may push HHE to the Grand Final.

Tempo Storm

NA Standing: 2nd Place
League Match Record: 6-1
League Game Record: 18-7

Tempo Storm, compared to their strong showing in Phase 1, is the wildcard of the tournament. Their raw skill and experience is a non-issue, however the loss of Psalm is certainly weighing on the minds of Tempo Storm fans. ViN has done a remarkable job filling in, with the team’s synergy looking better each week. Despite the changes, Tempo Storm still managed to dominate in the first part of Phase 2. Unfortunately, their performance against HeroesHearth left much to be desired, resulting in a 0-3 loss. The quality is there, so it is up to Tempo Storm to rally the troops and support ViN in his first LAN event.

Team Freedom

NA Standing: 3rd Place
League Match Record: 5-2
League Game Record: 16-11

Team Freedom has consistently challenged the top ranked NA teams, but has yet to secure the top spot. They are no strangers to LAN events either, competing at multiple Western Clashes and BlizzCon. Having kept the roster together throughout 2018, they excel at manipulating the map, but will likely struggle team fighting against the top EU teams that match their macro. Their first match is against Team Liquid, who is likely the favored to win. If Team Freedom can squeeze the hero pools of HasuObs and Arcaner, forcing them to play standard, they may be able to even the playing field.

Team Octalysis

NA Standing: 4th Place
League Match Record: 3-4
League Game Record: 15-14

Team Octalysis has experienced many ups and downs since their famous 2017 run as Roll20. Phase 2 brought them three five-game series, all of which resulted in losses (some as reverse sweeps). This is a team that is also steeped in experience, but seems to lack the focus to close out long series. Compared to the teams of HeroesHearth and Tempo Storm, the individual players of Octalysis lack consistency in their specific roles. Goku, while being one of the most respected melee players in NA, will go up against Dignitas’s Wubby in their first match. He and the rest of Octalysis are going to need to bring their best versions of themselves if they are to topple the European giants.

Predictions

This Western Clash can go one of two ways. A handful of teams are either coming off of roster swaps or experiencing their first LAN events, meaning that this could be a lackluster tournament with predictable winners (Dignitas). On the other hand, HeroesHearth and Tempo Storm carry the greatest potential in the history of the HGC for NA to take a Clash win. The home court advantage may play a role, and HeroesHearth in particular is operating at optimal capacity. The bottom four teams are more easily identifiable, while the top four are more in debate. But, if the Zealots taught us anything at the previous Western Clash, underdogs can rise to take on the strongest teams at any time.

Prediction:

1st: Team Dignitas
2nd: HeroesHearth
3rd:Team Liquid
4th: Method

5th: Tempo Storm
6th: Team Freedom
7th: Team Octalysis
8th: Leftovers

Be sure to tune in to the Western Clash this Friday, August 10th, starting at 9:00 PST!

Check out our latest articles:
Interview with LFM Esports
Who Cares About Whitemane?
In Defense of Quick Match
Lore of the Nexus: Yrel
Music of the Storm: Sky Temple

Follow us on Twitter!

Rozai is a music educator and HoTS enthusiast. He follows the HGC intimately and strives to cover aspects of the game that are generally overlooked. His “Music of the Storm” investigates the science behind the Heroes of the Storm soundtrack. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @Rozai_HoTS for interviews, hero spotlights, and more.

[HGC] Looking ahead to the Western Clash