The Secret Strategies

There's a scent in the air, a familiar scent to esports fans everywhere, "new patch" smell. But this is bigger, more pervasive than that. This is "new game" smell. The smell of potential of new strategies waiting just around the corner to be discovered. Its an exciting time to witness any game. Its a chance to see the completely insane and ridiculous strategies that can only be pulled out in situations like this. Given the nature of the tournament, we're going to see things ranging from cleverly devised strategies that are designed to completely cripple an opponent to surprising and unexpected innovation designed to exploit angles we haven't even considered to potentially almost taunting drafts that enrage a team and push them to perform harder.

In the beta we've seen all kinds of strategies; from drafts that picked up Uther and Falstad to combine mass aoe with Falstad ultimate, to Zeratul builds that revolved around the usage of bombs and Void Prison to win teamfights while remaining mobile and difficult to bring down. We've seen Tyrael go from widely regarded as underpowered to first pick material. We've seen how in the span of a few days, strategies like two tank Malfurion have emerged and been countered. Now, in front of an audience of thousands, we are going to see the culmination of that metagame, the clash of time tested strategies and innovation. Things like a cheeky murky pickup are a definite possibility. As is a clever build combining Nova and Zeratul, especially now that Nova is much more viable as a competitive pick. We are going to have a chance to witness the birth of new strategies, and the success or failure of old ones. This is like the International, or the SC2 Beta, where every game you have a chance to see something completely new, off the wall and unexpected, and that element alone is exciting. We're going to get to see teams run Heroes that are difficult to play in ordinary circumstances, in compositions that have been carefully crafted. We're going to have a chance to see displays of unrivaled skill. The smell of potential, the secret strategies, a clash of ideologies, it all comes to a head at Blizzcon.

The Battle of the Esports

Being a fan of a game means, by its very nature, that you are invested in the players that play that game. Seeing them play Heroes is a new chance to cheer for people you've learned to love watching. In this particular tournament there are three distinct sides wanting to prove themselves. The first is the newbloods, players who never really rose to the top in other esports and that have been carving a name for themselves in alpha. They're hungry to prove that just because we don't recognize their names yet, doesn't mean that we won't soon enough. The second is the ex-sc2 pros, wanting to show that they still have what it takes to compete at the highest levels, in one of the most prestigious and watched events of the year, and event they might not have even reached as SC2 players. Names like IdrA, SaSe, Naniwa, Sheth, and LzGamer which should be familiar to anyone who's familiar with the history of the game. The third is the League of Legends players, players with a strong background in MOBAs, who've even managed to make a name for themselves, and in part, are here because they believe their foundations in LoL give them the edge to crush opponents who lack the same experience. Three types of backgrounds, for three different categories of fans. Enough to sate anyone. Four teams, well known names, organizations that fans know and have a stake in. One victor.

These undercurrents, the pull and tug of different backgrounds is going to flavor the competition, even for people who don't usually watch heroes, there's something there to root for. Something that can be appreciated without quite understanding the mechanics behind Abathur or how Chen works. Its a hook of irresistible competition, a promise of effort and challenge and high stakes. For a tournament with no prize pool, something intangible but almost more valuable than money is on the line. A confirmation that all that effort was worth it. Validation.

The return of old faces

It’s always nice to see a familiar face, whether on when you’re walking down the street or watching a tournament! Blizzcon has the familiar faces in droves, featuring recognizable names from both Starcraft 2 and League of Legends! There's of course Naniwa and Sase, two of the strongest SC2 players ever to grace the scene, but Fnatic also has some other names you may recognize if you have followed the League of legends scene. Lamia and Shushei are both former members of Fnatics LoL team and Lamia helped he team secure a win in the first ever World Championship! While both players haven’t been as active in the scene since 2012, their reputation precedes them as strong competitors and former champions. If you’re looking for players that have been active in the LoL scene more recently, then look no further than Cloud 9. Jintae and Zuna were both players in the NALCS and helped their teams achieve great success. Jintae played for the underdogs GGU as they made a surprising run to the 2013 LCS Spring finals. Zuna played for XDG as they placed third in the 2013 Summer Split and qualified for the World Championship. It will be interesting to see how his outspoken style transfers to another team based game. Bischu, Bobbyhankhill, and iDream are all former League players from the challenger scene. We’ll see how each of these established LoL professionals transfer their skills to a new game!


It’s not just former League of legends pros playing in this tournament, many former Starcraft players have made the transition to Heroes. LzGaMeR makes his triumphant return to EG as a Heroes player, leading his team to successful finishes throughout the Alpha so far. The captain of Team Liquid is none other than Sheth, who is well loved by his fans for his strong gameplay and good manner. One of the players for EG is fan favorite IdrA, who is well known for his strong gameplay and…other types of manner. Both IdrA and Sheth bring in large and dedicated fanbases to this new game. It will be intriguing to see how their vastly different pasts influence how they interact and play in this very team-oriented game.

…And the emergence of new ones

While many of the players might be familiar to you whether or not you have watched heroes before, there are also a lot of new faces that have not been in the spotlight in any previous esport. These players have a lot to prove, and will gain a new fanbase with their stellar play at Blizzcon. In particular, the rosters of Team Liquid and EG feature many strong players from the Alpha that haven’t gotten exposure before now. DunkTrain is not only one of the best players in the alpha, but also an avid streamer and commentator. Known for his stellar specialist play, you will always know when TL picks up a win when #CHOO # CHOO pops up all over your twitter feed. With the help of Sheth, Liquid was able to find three other great players who have been playing seriously in the alpha for some time. Biceps, Pithx, and Caffiene have shown that they mesh well with Sheth and Dunktrain and have already helped put Liquid as one of the frontrunners to win Blizzcon.

Evil Geniuses, the team formerly known as Team Snowflake, have been competing in tournaments for many months now. While the team itself is one of the more experienced organizations going to Blizzcon, they have had a number of roster switches that have previously prevented them from achieving consistency. With a core group of IdrA, LzGaMeR, and Keylax, Snowflake picked up Faye and Chillatech more recently to round out their lineup. Aside form the IdrA, and Lz, these names won’t be familiar to many of you, but they certainly will be after Blizzcon. Faye is considered to be one of the most mechanically gifted players in the alpha, consistently landing difficult skillshots that lead into big plays for her team. Keylax and Chillatech have swapped roles back and forth to find the best fit for their team, and now with Keylax on support and Chillatech leading the team as the tank line, they’ve gotten EG back to the top of the alpha. While you may be excited to watch players you recognize, don’t sleep on these new faces as they write their own legacies in this new game.

Everything is bigger at Blizzcon

No matter what Blizzard game you watch or play, Blizzcon is the highlight of the year for them all. This is the Super Bowl. This is the World Series. This is whatever the championship of Premier League is called. Every year tens of thousands of gamers flock to Anaheim, California and hundreds of thousands watch online as Blizzard showcases the best that its games have to offer. People make the trip or tune in for different reasons. Some want to hear about upcoming titles or expansions and others go for the community. This year, some people may tune in to watch Metallica close out the weekend with the concert finale. The huge crowds, the cosplayers, the panels, the announcements, and the atmosphere all serve to create an incredible viewer experience and generate excitement for the main event, the tournaments.

This year Blizzcon features huge tournaments for Starcraft 2, Hearthstone, and World of Warcraft as the culmination of this year’s competition in each of those respective sports. For these players and tournament spectators alike Blizzcon is the ultimate prize at the end of the marathon of events that took place throughout 2014. While not all the Heroes of the Storm teams featured in the Blizzcon exhibition are those that have been competing throughout the year, it showcases the potential of the competitive scene on the biggest stage in all of Blizzard esports. The Heroes of the Storm stage is at the heart of the Convention Center, nestled between the Hearthstone and Starcraft 2 areas. Here is the battleground on which these storied organizations and famous players will duke it out to become Blizzcon champions. At Blizzcon, the lights are brighter, the crowds are bigger, and the stakes are higher. No matter what you’ve seen from a game at other tournaments, Blizzcon always brings a new level of passion and excitement to the table that can’t be matched anywhere else. This year’s Heroes of the Storm tournament will be no different.

Watch a new esport explode into the limelight

It’s a rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a game, to be invested as a spectator as you watch a game in its infancy come of age in a big way. When a game is just beginning to take hold, the excitement builds dramatically and provides viewers with an amazing experience. Some, or even most, of TL did not have this opportunity with games like Starcraft, Dota, or Super Smash Brothers, but this year at Blizzcon is your chance to see the first time Heroes of the Storm takes to the big competitive stage. Over the course of the past year the Heroes community has been a “grassroots” style movement aided by a variety of figures from within the ever-growing scene. Multiple tournaments were held, podcasts were made, and articles were written. Despite all of this a lot of the competitive arenas of Heroes have remained largely in the dark to most, and a big part of that is because the game is still in its Technical Alpha stage. But at Blizzcon, Blizzard is casting a light over everything that all these community figures have been doing for the past year, and showing the gaming community at large what the game is truly capable of. This time, the audience won’t just be hardcore fans or those who have already been invited to test the game, but anyone who wants to see an exciting new title emerging into the spotlight. The game will be exposed to new eyes, and hopefully soon, new players. With new spectators and new players the professional scene, and the game itself, will evolve at an unprecedented pace. This event is both the celebration of what has been done so far for the game and a new beginning, to which we say, bring it on.

It’s a MOBA like you’ve never seen before

The term MOBA, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, is a rapidly expanding game archetype in the competitive scene. Obviously at the forefront of these types of games are League of Legends and Dota 2. When you hear that Heroes of the Storm is a MOBA or as Blizzard likes to call it, a “hero brawler,” you may have preconceived notions for what that means. But I’m here to tell you that heroes offers both a player and viewer experience that is different than anything you’ve seen from other games in the genre. Here a few key differences you’ll see at Blizzcon:

1. Different Maps – The first and perhaps most important difference between Heroes and other MOBAs is the map pool. There are five different maps within Heroes, all with unique objectives and layouts that challenge teams to vary their hero picks and strategies to adapt to these new situations. We get to see how certain teams deal with map mechanics that change from game to game, keeping the game fresh and exciting no matter how many games you’ve watched.
2. Teamfights – While the maps are all different, they do share a common trait. All of them actively encourage roaming and teamfighting from the get go. The laning phase of Heroes is very short almost nonexistent, and this results in constant clashes across the map. The game never settles down, as a fight could perhaps break out at any moment when an important objective is in play.
3. Team Experience – In Heroes, teams level up as a group, accessing new talents and higher stats together by gathering experience from a variety of sources. That means when you get a kill, score an important objective, or even just force your opponent out of lane, you are generating an advantage not just for yourself, but for your whole team. This new mechanic forces teams to really focus on grabbing experience wherever they can.
4. The Talent System – There are no items to buy in heroes. Instead, variance in what a hero can do as the game progresses come from talents that can be selected at various level milestones. Players can even choose between two Heroic Abilities (“ultimates” for you LoL and Dota fans). This is exciting because heroes can be played in vastly different ways depending on their talent choices. Teams make different talent decisions based on personal preference, their own composition, their opponent’s composition, or even the current state of the game. These fast-paced adaptations keep the players and viewers on their toes.
These are just a few of the many key differences between Heroes of the Storm and its peers. If you’ve never gotten into MOBA-style games before, or want to check out something exciting and new, Heroes has you covered.

The Rivalries

EG vs TL. If you've followed esports for any appreciable length of time, that statement means something. It speaks of an ancient rivalry that has lasted thought many games and many events. It brings back memories of games where more than victory was at stake. It reminds you of HuK vs IdrA. It calls back to countless clashes in countless tournaments, be it a five on five clash in the international, with Demon just recently having replaced Fluff, or single clashes of star players, scattered across MLGs and Dreamhacks. Seeing those two logos, displayed proudly on opposite sides of the battlefield, well, its a promise that neither side has given up yet, and that this next clash will be another chance to prove who the better team is. If we were only witness to that one rivalry, that should be enough to rivet our eyes to the stage, but it isn't. We also have C9 vs Fnatic, a much younger, but still very real rivalry. One that can be traced back to C9's relative period of ascendancy, and culminating in them clashing at worlds in 2013. These two teams might not have a rivalry as long lived as EG vs TL, but it seems like its every bit as fierce.

Rivalries are a reason to show up, a reason to look on and to cheer. They bring joy in victory and despair in defeat, and the make a match go from interesting to intense. All four organizations have tangled before be it in Dota, League or SC2 and indubitably fans will remember old wounds, crushing victories, and narrow defeats as they look at these matches. As important, if not more, are the emerging rivalries, between teams and between players, while this might be an old dance for EG and TL, and the clash between Sheth and Idra is hardly a new match-up, these games might be the seeds of a new legacy of opposition. Perhaps, in months to come, we'll remember C9 vs TL as the first clash in a battle that would span the history of heroes. First blood among new rivals.

Heroes of the Storm

There's one more reason to watch. Beyond the "esports". Beyond the names. Beyond the passion of the scene. There's a legitimately good game here. There's a competitive, intense, objective based game that is worth watching. There's a game that is graphically gratifying, full of small, enjoyable details, little graphical touches that add to the charm of the game. Its a chance to see heroes you may only half remember from stories you played though and enjoyed. There's a basic primal joy in hearing Illidan speak once again, or seeing Nova gunning down opponents with glee. Hearing Sgt Hammer belt out lines from the second best unit in SC:BW, watching Diablo firestomp, its evocative of games that form part of our collective experience, and its an absolute joy to watch. The soundtracks, like the WC3 Humans music playing in the background of Blackhart Bay, and countless new tracks, pull at the nostalgia a lot of us feel for a simpler time. The voice work, the meticulous details, the tiny little things that tell us that this game is a labor of love.

The biggest, the best reason, you should watch this tournament, is because Heroes of the Storm is a game that is deserving of the Blizzard legacy. A game brimming with potential, with passion. A game that is actually fun, that recreates that feeling I had when SC2 was in beta, when playing WC3 against people for the first time, when starting the SC:BW campaign. There is a fun, exciting, legitimately enjoyable game there that deserves our attention. If for no other reason than our testament that this game is fun, you should tune in. Watch players you know and players you don't know, fighting with new and bizarre strategies, in a game that is being born, on the biggest stage it's ever been on, with the assurance that, yes, this is a game worth your attention, a game worth watching, playing and cheering for.


All pictures property of their respective owners

Brought to you by the Heroes of the Storm Team
Writers: GMarshal, Yorkie
Graphics: shiroiusagi
Editors: GMarshal, NovemberstOrm
Special Thanks: KadaverBB, Heyoka, Jer99