The Hearthstone Championship Tour is back for 2017, bringing new decks, rivalries and excitement for E-sports fans.
The Hearthstone Championship Tour (HCT) is epic. Anyone who watched last years finals knows that anything can happen, and it’s not over until the final point of damage is dealt. With the 2017 Tour underway, and thousands of players looking to be crowned the next Champion, Gamersdecide.com is here with all the information you need to compete for the big prize.
The Grimy Goons are excited for HCT 2017, you should be too
What is Hearthstone Championship Tour and how does it work?
HCT is Hearthstone’s official E-sports platform. Players compete in various Standard tournaments throughout the year, accumulating points which are used to qualify for the Seasonal Playoff tournaments held in each region (Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and China). The top four players from each regions Playoffs will advance to the Season Championships, and the top four players from each regions Championships as well as the top HCT Points earner from each region will advance to the World Championship Tournament held in January 2018.
What are HCT Points and How do I get them?
HCT Points are awarded to players based on their success in Standard Ranked Play mode each season and through playing in official Blizzard sanctioned tournaments.
Ranked play points are awarded based on your Legend Rank at the end of each monthly season, and sites such as Strivewire.com host monthly “Cup” tournaments that award HCT points to the top 8 finishing players.
Ranked Play and Monthly Cup point structure
Players also earn points based on their finish in larger Blizzard sanctioned tournaments known as “Majors”. The Seasonal Playoff and Championship Tournaments are considered Major tournaments, as well as the World Championship Tournament.
Major Tournament Point Structure
Players can also participate in Tavern Hero qualifier tournaments, which are tournaments held at your local Fireside Gatherings. Winners of official Tavern Hero Qualifiers go on to the Tavern Hero tournament held before each seasonal playoff, with the top 8 players qualifying for a spot in that regions Seasonal Playoffs. With so many ways to earn points and qualify, this years HCT is the most accessible one yet.
When and where is the next Major HCT Tournament?
The next Major HCT tournament takes place from March 23-26 at the Melia Nassau Beach All-Inclusive in The Bahamas. Players are competing for a $250000 prize pool, and you can watch all the action on the official Hearthstone Twitch Channel. The format is Standard, with each player selecting 5 decks from different heroes to bring to the tournament. Rounds are best of seven, with each player getting to ban one opposing heroes deck.
Don’t let winter get you down, the Winter Championships will be held in the sunny Bahamas
Who is participating in the Winter Championship Tournament?
The top four players from each regions playoffs are competing in Nassau for the title of Winter Champion. Last years World Champion Pavel will be there representing Europe, as well as Hearthstone pros Greensheep, ShtanUdachi, and Neirea. Americas will be represented by DrJikininki, DocPwn, Tarei and Fr0zen. China is represented by OmegaZero, Xhope,LovelyChook, and Lvge, and Asia-Pacific will be represented byb787, palmblad, yulsic, and SamuelTsao. Many experts are predicting that Pavel will continue his reign, but with such a high level of competition it is really anyone’s tournament.
What decks will be played at the Winter Championships?
The Hearthstone scene has been dominated by jade decks, aggro decks and Reno Jackson decks since the beginning of the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan expansion. While the recent nerf to Small-Time Buccaneer and spirit claws has shaken up the meta-game a bit, expect to see a lot of Pirate Warrior, Aggro Shaman, Renolock, and Jade Shaman decks. Aggro rogue is a new deck on the ladder that has climbed to tier one, it will be interesting to see if people favour it over the slower, more skill intensive Miracle Rogue deck. One thing is for sure though, don’t expect to see a lot of Hunter or Paladin decks at this event.
Pirate Warrior VS. Pirate Warrior is a common matchup on the ladder
HCT 2016 Recap
I mentioned at the beginning of the article the epic match between Pavel and DrHippi at last years World Championship. If this years tour is anything like last years, strap yourself in for a wild ride. Pavel beat DrHippi by a final score of 4-2, with both players choosing to ban the Shaman class. Pavel brought Malygos Druid, Tempo mage, Miracle Rogue, and C’Thun Warrior, while DrHippi played Malygos/Yogg Druid, Tempo Mage, Zoolock, and Dragon Warrior. You can find the deck lists here, just remember that this tournament took place before Mean Streets of Gadgetzan was released.
After missing Blizzcon 2015 after a critical misplay, Pavel completed his redemption story with a 4-2 win over DrHippi at the World Championships
The epic match between Pavel and DrHippi at Blizzcon 2016
Conclusion
This years HCT promises to be the most exciting Tour yet, with more ways to qualify and bigger prize pools. Whether you’re a hardcore tournament player, or just a fan of E-sports and Hearthstone, there will be plenty of action to get you through the year.
