The Hearthstone Americas Championship Qualifier Tournament is fast approaching, and qualified card-slingers will soon be dueling for the chance to head to the Hearthstone World Championship at BlizzCon 2014, where they’ll compete for glory and a $250,000 prize pool.
The players that will be competing in the Championship Qualifier have earned their spots in a variety of ways, such as winning invitational tournaments, conquering community tournaments, or exhibiting excellence in ranked play.
Each one of these worthy competitors has victory on their minds, but each of them also brings their own unique spark to the journey as well! Join us as we get to know the people behind the decks: Their stories, their favorite decks, how they convince Ragnaros to hit their intended target, and more!
THEDAVID
The victor at multiple Hearthstone tournaments, TheDavid approaches competitive play with a unique perspective. Rather than spending hours practicing specific builds, TheDavid enters tournaments with decks he’s never before played, gauging their strength based on his success. It might seem crazy, but this laidback style has earned him a spot on the Road to BlizzCon. The question isn’t what deck he’s been practicing with, but rather, which decks he hasn’t been practicing with.
What is your favorite deck to play?
The kind where I let the computer pick every card in a deck, then play it against a friend who did the same thing.
What’s your favorite/craziest play you’ve ever made in Hearthstone?
The only specific play I can remember is that in the first ranked game I ever played, I Dennised a turn-one arcane missiles to the face. I blame Reynad for telling me to always use all of my mana.
What’s your process for testing decks? When does a deck officially become a success?
I like to YOLO a brand-new deck before a tournament and then trust in the heart of the cards. If it wins, then it's a success. I won the Fireside Gathering with a Handlock deck despite never playing Handlock before, then qualified from ZOTAC playing Warrior for the first time.
If you could design a card, what would it be?
A neutral minion that destroys secrets. Every class should at least give you the option to counter anything played against you.
Are there any players you’re looking forward to or nervous about playing against?
I would probably insta-concede to Hyped.
If you could make Polymorph turn a minion into something other than a sheep, what would it be?
A penguin.
How does one go about making a deal with Ragnaros?
Offer two Major League-ready prospects and a player to be named later.
What are you passionate about outside of Hearthstone and other video games?
America and Chick-fil-A sandwiches.