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| 0s | [Music] |
|---|---|
| 761s | an Epic Quest has been |
| 765s | underway as the Festival of Legends |
| 767s | illuminated azero one headliner |
| 770s | delivered a finale for the ages there it |
| 772s | is levic is going to be your |
| 778s | champion |
| 779s | then above the Raging crowd the skies |
| 782s | burst |
| 784s | aunder the Titans once thought to be |
| 787s | myth descended to leave their mark on |
| 789s | the world amongst the masses two keepers |
| 793s | sought to forge their own destiny you is |
| 796s | the Master's tour summer Champion pocket |
| 798s | trade you are just seeing the emotion of |
| 801s | everything Dawn on this player these |
| 803s | three card slinging Champions are joined |
| 806s | by an imposing party tracked to the |
| 808s | Badland |
| 809s | the best in Hearthstone have come to |
| 811s | collect the ultimate Bounty the time for |
| 814s | the final showdown has arrived get amped |
| 818s | up for the performance of the ages the |
| 820s | pantheon of hearthstone world champions |
| 824s | [Music] |
| 832s | awaits hello everyone welcome to day |
| 835s | number two of the Hearthstone Grand |
| 838s | Masters World Championship to take you |
| 841s | through the beginning of our show I am |
| 843s | Dragon Rider joined by sdle how you |
| 846s | doing you're getting ready for day |
| 847s | number |
| 848s | two I am doing great um an hour before |
| 853s | the end of the broadcast last night I |
| 855s | thought I'd be coming in fresh and |
| 856s | rehabilitated you know there's six of us |
| 858s | here for this event we get to share the |
| 860s | workload a little bit and then whatever |
| 863s | you want to call last night happened uh |
| 865s | if you haven't seen the final game of |
| 867s | the day from last night genuine no |
| 869s | hyperbole an alltime game of competitive |
| 872s | Hearthstone people are already making |
| 874s | the the meme compilations and the clips |
| 876s | it's already hit in the YouTube um |
| 879s | upload compilations I know Clark has put |
| 880s | it in a highlights video as well |
| 882s | recently like it is an absurd game of |
| 884s | hearthstone that you owe it to yourself |
| 885s | to uh go back and watch but do that |
| 889s | after the next several hours of |
| 890s | competitive Hearthstone because |
| 891s | hopefully we can at least try and match |
| 894s | some of that level of hype today because |
| 895s | today we are going through our remaining |
| 897s | players and trying to Crown ourselves a |
| 899s | world champion for 2023 yes we are but |
| 903s | we have to talk about the way that |
| 905s | they'll be playing those matches in |
| 907s | order to get to that point so let's take |
| 909s | a look just once again to recap our |
| 911s | format for this tournament it is |
| 914s | Conquest as all of the tournaments this |
| 916s | year have been that means all of these |
| 918s | players have brought four decks and they |
| 921s | have to ban one of those decks can't win |
| 925s | with the same deck twice so you got to |
| 927s | get a win with each of those other three |
| 930s | decks in that best of five we have seen |
| 933s | the Spectrum I think of uh zero wins to |
| 939s | going all the way to game five so it's |
| 941s | going to be an interesting one but they |
| 943s | are playing those best of fives to get |
| 946s | all the way to the end sdle to get that |
| 949s | beautiful beautiful |
| 952s | trophy there it is that's what all of |
| 954s | these remaining players and the players |
| 956s | who were unfortunately un eliminated |
| 957s | yesterday were coming into to this |
| 959s | tournament looking to get their hands on |
| 961s | I think you are right I think there has |
| 963s | been a real uh lineup diff in this |
| 965s | tournament so far I think um just in STK |
| 968s | contrast to the series that myself and |
| 970s | Linda cast last night uh I know you had |
| 973s | the pleasure of just seeing one of those |
| 974s | Series where pocket train just goes no |
| 976s | no I'm just better than you and just |
| 978s | absolutely annihilates other people in |
| 980s | about half an hour total I think a huge |
| 983s | part of that is down to the lineup that |
| 985s | pocket and mey have put together they do |
| 987s | seem to have one of the strongest sets |
| 988s | of tools at their disposal yeah |
| 991s | definitely and we'll recap that day uh |
| 995s | yesterday but yeah like you said there |
| 997s | was this whole difference I I know for |
| 1000s | myself I was lying in bed thinking about |
| 1002s | this yesterday I I couldn't sleep very |
| 1005s | well last night either just thinking |
| 1007s | about all of this and thinking about |
| 1008s | that the deck differences as you |
| 1010s | mentioned right we kind of have this |
| 1012s | this uh really kind of one end to the |
| 1016s | other kind of spectrum in the |
| 1019s | the decks the play Styles and you see |
| 1023s | the even even the reactions honestly we |
| 1026s | we had the reactions as you just saw |
| 1027s | from recam of just saying I am so good |
| 1031s | at this and then on the other side |
| 1033s | pocket saying I'm so bad and just we had |
| 1036s | like the whole range yesterday it was |
| 1039s | absolutely amazing and I think really |
| 1041s | just kind of encapsulates the |
| 1044s | Hearthstone experience and the |
| 1045s | Hearthstone feel altogether I think it |
| 1047s | was an absolute amazing day number one |
| 1050s | for our world championship and there is |
| 1053s | our group a bracket that we did get to |
| 1056s | see the majority of yesterday and again |
| 1059s | after you saw that cheering re wam going |
| 1062s | ahead and taking it all the way through |
| 1064s | group a so he will be in our top four |
| 1067s | today but we are going to be having that |
| 1070s | decider match between Hemlock and gu uh |
| 1073s | which will be coming up next to see |
| 1075s | who's going to be up against Rec bam but |
| 1077s | subtle there's also another group yeah |
| 1080s | we have split up the format a little bit |
| 1081s | if you're a little confused as to why |
| 1083s | we're at this point in the brackets as |
| 1084s | we're looking at them we have held these |
| 1086s | last elimination decider matches uh to |
| 1089s | day two so we'll be going through um |
| 1091s | Hemlock versus gu and now in group b you |
| 1094s | can see where we'll be following this up |
| 1095s | with mey versus CJ Kaka to decide the |
| 1098s | last remaining members of the top four |
| 1099s | and then we'll be going straight through |
| 1101s | that top four to an eventual winner um |
| 1104s | by the end of the day but that group b |
| 1106s | was really so far dominated by uh that |
| 1109s | pocket train mey lineup right you saw um |
| 1111s | pocket train have a very easy run with |
| 1113s | his version of it and then mey playing |
| 1115s | the same decks got through as well and |
| 1117s | then it was only when those two lineups |
| 1118s | clashed with each other that suddenly we |
| 1120s | got a real nailbiter of a series that |
| 1122s | went all the way to game five because |
| 1123s | the power of the lineup kind of canceled |
| 1125s | each other out so now we get to see mey |
| 1127s | come back into The Fray in the second |
| 1130s | match of the day and see if he can get |
| 1132s | over the line with the strength of that |
| 1134s | lineup and of course his quality as a |
| 1135s | player as well but we are of course |
| 1138s | bringing back one of everyone's favorite |
| 1141s | features of the broadcast and certainly |
| 1143s | mine it is caster predictions so why |
| 1145s | don't you kick us off Dawn who you got |
| 1147s | you know I got to go with who I said |
| 1150s | yesterday I'm sticking with pocket train |
| 1153s | I I think he is kind of a champion of |
| 1155s | the people and I think he's going to be |
| 1157s | not only just a champion of the people |
| 1159s | he's going to be a champion of the game |
| 1161s | overall I think he's going to take it |
| 1162s | all the way today and one reason for |
| 1165s | that is the way that I saw him kind of |
| 1168s | and his attitude towards his misplays |
| 1171s | yesterday is also very reminiscent not |
| 1174s | only of firebat yeah very reminiscent of |
| 1179s | uh firebat back in 2014 winning worlds |
| 1182s | but also uh pocket Train's own |
| 1185s | performance back in the summer |
| 1187s | Championship when he ended up know kind |
| 1190s | of making a misplay uh and feeling just |
| 1192s | very down on himself and getting second |
| 1195s | place at that tournament which I think |
| 1197s | the majority of players would say is is |
| 1198s | still very very good and he turned that |
| 1202s | into uh a you know he turned it into a |
| 1205s | fall win so that's what I'm going for |
| 1208s | but what do you think sdle who you got I |
| 1212s | mean control C control V I am going with |
| 1215s | pocket train as well I think you've said |
| 1217s | it all I think pocket train is the best |
| 1219s | player in the world I think he has uh if |
| 1221s | not the best lineup in the tournament |
| 1223s | the second best lineup in the tournament |
| 1224s | I think when you put those two things |
| 1225s | together he's doing really well I think |
| 1227s | you'll see a fair few pocket train |
| 1228s | predictions unfortunately there's no Gia |
| 1231s | here to curse pocket Train by picking |
| 1233s | pocket train for predictions so it |
| 1234s | should still bode well for our hero yeah |
| 1238s | well as you said there are probably |
| 1240s | going to be a lot of other people saying |
| 1242s | pocket training as well but you know |
| 1244s | it's not just us through this broadcast |
| 1246s | today subtle we also have our fellow |
| 1248s | casters who will be joining throughout |
| 1251s | the broadcast so let's bring them in and |
| 1253s | also get to see their predictions as |
| 1256s | well welcome in everybody uh let's start |
| 1259s | with you Raven who do you got who you |
| 1262s | picking what do you think sorry I was |
| 1265s | just just distracted by uh something |
| 1267s | that flashed up on the screen there but |
| 1269s | we'll forget about that pretend it never |
| 1270s | happened uh for me I'm going to have to |
| 1273s | just join in with with you guys and just |
| 1274s | say pocket train once again I really and |
| 1277s | I generally try to look for someone a |
| 1279s | little bit different to pick maybe a |
| 1281s | different lineup but I just looked at |
| 1283s | pocket Train's lineup you know along |
| 1284s | with Mees of course and then just saw |
| 1287s | pocket Train play I spoke him this |
| 1289s | morning he said he didn't get too much |
| 1292s | sleep or as much sleep as he would have |
| 1293s | wanted but he's relying on the |
| 1294s | adrenaline to carry him through and I |
| 1296s | just have faith in his uh not only his |
| 1298s | lineup but his quality of play as well |
| 1300s | so it's h it's pocket train for |
| 1302s | me well anyone who knows me knows that I |
| 1305s | now cannot pick pocket train because |
| 1307s | everyone else is so I've gone ahead and |
| 1309s | gone with recfm thought about gu because |
| 1312s | I maybe like his lineup best but recam |
| 1314s | has already made it out of groups at the |
| 1315s | very least and you know still part of |
| 1318s | that same Practice Group but I was |
| 1321s | really impressed with his ability to |
| 1323s | take a lineup that that he didn't feel |
| 1325s | confident about going into the event and |
| 1327s | still manage to take those two uh wins |
| 1331s | and uh we'll see if maybe maybe he can |
| 1333s | go the full distance with that Warrior |
| 1334s | he certainly uh believes in himself like |
| 1337s | no one |
| 1340s | else my turn |
| 1343s | it's |
| 1345s | meat the meat |
| 1347s | man come on I mean you guys are all |
| 1350s | picking pocket train I'm kind of in a |
| 1352s | similar boat as adal Vice where I want |
| 1354s | to go against the grain just a little |
| 1356s | bit I mean M's got the same lineup |
| 1359s | they're from the same |
| 1361s | country they have okay they don't have |
| 1364s | SIM similar results for the year but I |
| 1368s | feel like meia is going to take it |
| 1369s | [Music] |
| 1371s | all wellow um nothing exciting to add |
| 1374s | really I don't think um we've been |
| 1377s | blessed in Hearthstone over the years |
| 1379s | with the world champion often being |
| 1380s | either the best or the second best like |
| 1382s | rated player amongst their peers pocket |
| 1384s | trains the player that everybody thinks |
| 1387s | should win the World Championship this |
| 1388s | year he's put the title on his back |
| 1390s | right from the start he's been doing the |
| 1391s | tweets telling everyone where everything |
| 1392s | is what everything's doing he's carrying |
| 1394s | this long and the the perfect ending is |
| 1396s | pocket train so yeah pocket train again |
| 1398s | I'm |
| 1401s | afraid well thank you so much for |
| 1404s | joining us and giving your predictions |
| 1405s | do you need closing |
| 1407s | thoughts I just like how Loreno is not |
| 1410s | even |
| 1411s | happy Neil's not even happy to pick |
| 1414s | pocket train he's like I guess you know |
| 1417s | I guess I'm just everybody else is doing |
| 1419s | it it's a good there we |
| 1424s | go and now there's no choice everyone |
| 1426s | has to pay pocket train well that's what |
| 1428s | you're going to get that's right yes |
| 1431s | well thank you again so much for joining |
| 1433s | us and I love hearing these predictions |
| 1435s | but we'll get to see all of you again |
| 1437s | throughout the broadcast brast so we'll |
| 1439s | see you all in a little |
| 1441s | while but let's go ahead and start |
| 1445s | talking about |
| 1449s | this uh SLE which is going to be Hemlock |
| 1453s | versus you and kind of talk about what |
| 1457s | we think is going to happen in this |
| 1458s | matchup we're going to talk about the |
| 1460s | players a little bit and talk about kind |
| 1463s | of their progression I guess from |
| 1465s | yesterday into |
| 1467s | today yeah so we can see some of |
| 1469s | hemlocks action here Hemlock actually |
| 1470s | got to play Paladin um moving into the |
| 1473s | side of the bracket that was leaving |
| 1475s | Paladin up uh which was a little bone of |
| 1477s | contention with some of the casters |
| 1478s | yesterday but I think some of these |
| 1479s | lineups have tilted in the uh the way of |
| 1482s | of letting Paladin go I talked a lot |
| 1485s | about um little individual card changes |
| 1487s | that levic has made to the various decks |
| 1489s | in his lineup to allow that Paladin to |
| 1490s | go through um but you can see here from |
| 1492s | hemlock in the end just about getting |
| 1494s | over the line against levik sending |
| 1496s | levik down into the lower bracket um |
| 1498s | we've chosen to look at the nature |
| 1500s | Sharman here because uh without a plague |
| 1503s | DK to dunon in this uh in this series D |
| 1506s | I think nature Sharman even though it's |
| 1508s | a deck I love it's a deck I believe in I |
| 1509s | think it's a deck with a real skill Edge |
| 1512s | and high degree of agency that you know |
| 1514s | arguably some of the best players in the |
| 1515s | world who are here should be able to use |
| 1517s | to the fullest it is a deck that can |
| 1519s | seem to struggle and has seemed to |
| 1521s | struggle once or twice uh in some of the |
| 1523s | early series that we saw yesterday even |
| 1526s | though uh we may have got distracted by |
| 1527s | some of the fireworks towards the end I |
| 1529s | think that was a big talking point early |
| 1531s | on was the performance of nature |
| 1533s | Shan yeah it's definitely an interesting |
| 1535s | one as well I know we talked about the |
| 1537s | kind of this is one of those Decks that |
| 1540s | we've kind of had throughout a majority |
| 1542s | of the year and it's not much different |
| 1546s | than it was there's a few little bit of |
| 1548s | changes know you mentioned uh yesterday |
| 1550s | talking about things of like no |
| 1553s | lightening storm inclusion U we now have |
| 1555s | Miracle salesman uh and yeah yeah it |
| 1558s | didn't perform Super well we're going to |
| 1559s | see though if maybe it's able to perform |
| 1563s | enough today and because it's Conquest |
| 1565s | even if it doesn't perform in all of the |
| 1568s | games it just needs to do well in one so |
| 1572s | there is a player on the other side |
| 1573s | though gu is going to be uh looking to |
| 1578s | see if he can actually beat this nature |
| 1581s | Shaman and secure his spot in the top |
| 1584s | four because as you mentioned earlier |
| 1586s | this is a deciders match |
| 1588s | so one of these players will be ending |
| 1591s | their Road here but this is how gu got |
| 1594s | here beating that nature Shaman versus |
| 1596s | reim yesterday see if you can do it |
| 1599s | again |
| 1600s | today yes indeed uh G not really putting |
| 1604s | in quite the level of performance |
| 1606s | yesterday that I say I've become used to |
| 1607s | over the course of the year um I'm |
| 1610s | taking Fury Hunter's word for this but |
| 1611s | there's a it's it's a good person's word |
| 1614s | to take there was an alleged Miss lethal |
| 1616s | in one of the earlier games with the |
| 1617s | nature ch |
| 1618s | um I believe in the opening mirror uh no |
| 1621s | sorry Chum versus Warrior against Rec |
| 1622s | bam in that series that we were just |
| 1624s | looking at but I think throughout the |
| 1627s | year gu has found a lot of Praise from |
| 1629s | commentators from viewers even from |
| 1631s | fellow Pros alike as just to how well he |
| 1634s | has performed uh in the Master's tours |
| 1636s | events and obviously in the ladder to |
| 1638s | qualify for them in the first place and |
| 1640s | I really like this lineup this is the |
| 1642s | closest lineup in the field to what I |
| 1645s | Theory crafted to bring to the |
| 1646s | tournament which was gu's lineup uh |
| 1649s | minus Tri Android plus Naga priest |
| 1651s | that's what I would have ended up |
| 1652s | bringing to this tournament so gu just |
| 1655s | naturally from being the the closest as |
| 1657s | to what I got to it's a lineup that I'm |
| 1659s | going to root for so uh you'll see I |
| 1661s | think mechro has the real potential to |
| 1663s | be a sleeper and really uh try and run |
| 1665s | through some of those Druids that we're |
| 1666s | seeing on the other side however no |
| 1668s | Druid to be seen from hemlock on the |
| 1670s | other side so this to me is a point |
| 1673s | where two slightly level two lineups are |
| 1677s | clashing with each other without that |
| 1678s | level one lineup to pre upon and it |
| 1680s | becomes a little bit awkward cuz they |
| 1682s | sort of cancel each other out to some |
| 1684s | degree so um there's going to be a lot |
| 1686s | of uh minua in the games I think none of |
| 1688s | these matchups are going to be super |
| 1689s | blowouts one time type of the other it's |
| 1691s | not like either lineup's Target strategy |
| 1693s | as like really landed in this series um |
| 1696s | it really is just going to be decided by |
| 1699s | a little bit of who can get the good |
| 1700s | draws a little bit of who can make the |
| 1701s | right decisions and based on what we saw |
| 1703s | yesterday who can keep their head in |
| 1706s | really incredibly high pressure |
| 1707s | situation right like that is what it's |
| 1709s | going to come down to a lot of the time |
| 1710s | I think yeah I I definitely think that |
| 1713s | last game of the day yesterday |
| 1714s | especially encapsulates that just kind |
| 1717s | of keeping your head in the game uh |
| 1719s | through whatever nonsense happens uh and |
| 1723s | and draws as well I I think that was one |
| 1725s | big kind of storyline that we saw a lot |
| 1728s | yesterday whether it was the nature |
| 1730s | Shaman whether it was uh the uh Demon |
| 1734s | Hunter especially a little bit in some |
| 1736s | of those rainbow Sith Mage games but |
| 1740s | there just wasn't the draws but we're |
| 1741s | going to see if these more uh maybe this |
| 1745s | more aggressive tree and Druid can get |
| 1747s | the draws and there is that Demon Hunter |
| 1749s | on the other side for our first game |
| 1751s | here so Hemlock coming in with the |
| 1755s | mistake do we have do we have to mention |
| 1756s | the turn one mistake |
| 1758s | sdle we don't no no no so what I what I |
| 1761s | will say is specifically obviously you |
| 1763s | can go check out um feno's Twitter if |
| 1765s | you want to see the clip that we're kind |
| 1766s | of uh referring to but I will point out |
| 1769s | as someone who also plays tyr's pre- |
| 1771s | skin of choice uh just cuz it was the |
| 1773s | first skin in the game that released |
| 1774s | that wasn't anduin so I just changed off |
| 1776s | anduin immediately and never went back |
| 1778s | um that is the tech that you need and I |
| 1781s | did verify with pocket as well that he |
| 1783s | specifically plays tyrer for that Tech |
| 1785s | of just literally saying a mistake every |
| 1788s | time that you say a mistake it's very |
| 1790s | important it is |
| 1794s | wonderful we are going to see Hemlock |
| 1796s | just choose to keep the frequency |
| 1798s | oscillator there which honestly seems |
| 1801s | like a pretty reasonable Choice also |
| 1803s | picking up the Slither spear which is |
| 1806s | another very good turn one but you off |
| 1809s | of the co Cactus construct pulling up a |
| 1812s | gold Panner that's going to get a lot of |
| 1814s | extra draw for this Triant aggr |
| 1818s | Druid oh yeah my face went panning |
| 1821s | that's what we |
| 1826s | need |
| 1830s | wow pick up of the the Wayward Sage for |
| 1834s | hemlock does allow him to get really |
| 1836s | good discounts on these |
| 1839s | nagas it's kind of interesting though I |
| 1842s | did have a consideration of did he just |
| 1844s | want to get uh that Sigil of time kind |
| 1848s | of moved over to the left to potentially |
| 1850s | save but at the same time because the |
| 1852s | Naga the the Wayward stage had just come |
| 1855s | into hand if you waited any longer to |
| 1857s | play it there it would have lost that |
| 1859s | Outcast effect so Hemlock kind of just |
| 1861s | had to go in on it I think it's a |
| 1864s | Temptation you're faced with in your |
| 1866s | early days of playing Decks that have |
| 1868s | way with sage in them even in decks with |
| 1870s | just still aari studies where you |
| 1871s | discover a way with sage sometimes it's |
| 1873s | okay if I can just like wait one or two |
| 1875s | turns and this really important card |
| 1877s | will move over to the far left and I've |
| 1879s | got so many cheap cards in my deck it'll |
| 1881s | be fine I'll be able to play way with |
| 1882s | sage from the right it'll be fine no it |
| 1885s | won't it's never fine it always gets |
| 1887s | stranded in the middle of your hand you |
| 1889s | just have to uh jam it in that Outcast |
| 1891s | position from the right as soon as you |
| 1892s | can in both |
| 1894s | scenarios |
| 1896s | yeah and emlock being able to clear up |
| 1900s | both of those gold yeah no good no more |
| 1903s | P Hemlock said no no we're not allowing |
| 1906s | this anymore but even regardless of |
| 1908s | being able to clear those now it did |
| 1910s | give Q multiple extra draws uh which |
| 1914s | unfortunately some of those draws were |
| 1915s | kind of the top end of the deck which |
| 1917s | he's going to be able to get to |
| 1920s | yet yeah it depends how much you want to |
| 1922s | glass half for that though right because |
| 1924s | in a lot of those situations when you |
| 1925s | draw a bunch of bonus cards and they end |
| 1927s | up being your top end you can just say |
| 1929s | to yourself well okay if I didn't just |
| 1931s | draw all of those bonus cards these |
| 1933s | would be the cards I was drawing for the |
| 1934s | next three or four turns of the game |
| 1936s | right and I'd end up doing nothing so |
| 1937s | now now I've got past that and now I'm |
| 1939s | drawing my splish Flash welps and |
| 1941s | everything is |
| 1942s | fantastic it is beautiful and those are |
| 1945s | buffed as well which does mean they a |
| 1947s | little bit more work for hemlock on the |
| 1949s | other side I think uh the decision here |
| 1951s | for GU is really if he does want to |
| 1953s | commit this inter vate to get one of |
| 1955s | those Splish Splash welps out uh which |
| 1959s | it's kind of like using that inter vate |
| 1960s | for the extra now uh to get the extra in |
| 1965s | in the future it's kind of a half you |
| 1969s | know half now half later kind of |
| 1972s | decision it feels like but I don't hate |
| 1975s | just going in on getting the splish |
| 1976s | flash wel out |
| 1978s | so the reason I think it was held there |
| 1980s | okay it looks a little bit sillier now |
| 1981s | that the second innovate was drawn but |
| 1983s | so firstly the 3 tws don't actually |
| 1985s | fight on the board particularly well |
| 1986s | right there's a two1 so it doesn't |
| 1988s | really compete for board that well and |
| 1990s | also this is a deck that really wants to |
| 1993s | hinge on using solar eclipse with |
| 1996s | potentially very expensive spells right |
| 1998s | so holding on to an innovate in your |
| 1999s | hand can actually make that happen very |
| 2002s | uh quickly very explosively in if the |
| 2005s | you do get to sticks and Minions on the |
| 2006s | board and quite often |
| 2008s | unless the Demon Hunter is going to go |
| 2010s | off with the super early pop off with |
| 2012s | the Sharpshooter you are going to have |
| 2013s | some form of Minion land on board so |
| 2015s | think with Topo with solar eclipse and |
| 2017s | the the buff spells as well like having |
| 2019s | those innovates available is a big deal |
| 2021s | like let's not forget Topo innovate |
| 2023s | kills a sharpshooter now right is an |
| 2025s | emergency situation if that's what you |
| 2027s | need to do later on in the |
| 2029s | game yep yeah this is a really |
| 2033s | interesting case too where I think a lot |
| 2035s | of the the decks or you might just want |
| 2038s | to look at this and say wow this this |
| 2040s | stuff costs a lot or I'm not really |
| 2042s | getting the value I necessarily want but |
| 2045s | it's that multi-turn planning and I I |
| 2047s | think that topor and the kind of context |
| 2049s | of his hand really also contributed to |
| 2051s | that decision and now we can see that |
| 2053s | topor coming down and as you mentioned |
| 2055s | that second inter vate draw that just |
| 2057s | allows this and also not even just being |
| 2060s | able to clear up a sharpshooter that's |
| 2062s | going to come |
| 2064s | down living Roots is so strong |
| 2068s | yeah that's another zero Mana 33 rusher |
| 2071s | on the board plus removal fantastic also |
| 2076s | it specifically kills the one minion |
| 2078s | that you couldn't value trade with this |
| 2080s | turn as well so it's such a monstrous |
| 2082s | swing in terms of stats on the board |
| 2086s | overall yeah good luck chew through that |
| 2088s | mate yeah yeah exactly the the added |
| 2091s | stats on the board as well the topor |
| 2093s | plus all of those spells the setup here |
| 2095s | that g went for uh kind of holding that |
| 2097s | welp and then get getting to just play |
| 2099s | them both the following turn really |
| 2101s | allowed for this and even as you |
| 2103s | mentioned like I said getting to clear |
| 2105s | the uh Sharpshooter yes but also all of |
| 2111s | the stats on the board now are just |
| 2114s | setting up for that Sharpshooter to |
| 2116s | actually not be quite as effective as |
| 2118s | what Hemlock would be looking for but |
| 2121s | it's turn five hemlocks getting to do |
| 2122s | his first pop off here he did find a lot |
| 2124s | of these resources and now it's a matter |
| 2128s | of can he keep that going and continue |
| 2130s | to find these and a wayward Sage pickup |
| 2133s | is not a bad option but I like this |
| 2135s | Desperado continue to build up that |
| 2137s | attack because he's going to push a lot |
| 2139s | of attack with his face here as well |
| 2141s | yeah for sure uh turn actually went |
| 2143s | really really great for hemlock with um |
| 2147s | double through the Felon Flames the |
| 2148s | first one coming early enough to be able |
| 2151s | to cleanly take three Health off the |
| 2152s | board before the minions had all absorb |
| 2154s | too many shots from the Sharpshooter and |
| 2157s | um the only way this could really have |
| 2158s | been a better outcome is if he just |
| 2160s | rolled a bunch of damage to face |
| 2162s | straight up because then as you were |
| 2164s | saying like with the the momentum draw |
| 2166s | double dispose in hand you only needed a |
| 2168s | few shots to go face in that spot and |
| 2170s | you might just be threatening lethal if |
| 2172s | you were then to pick up the second |
| 2173s | momentum alongside as |
| 2175s | well |
| 2179s | yeah even though G had a really great |
| 2182s | wide board turn last turn uh that board |
| 2186s | did get cleared up pretty nicely though |
| 2189s | from hemlock because of that amazing uh |
| 2192s | pop off turn as you mentioned just how |
| 2194s | smoothly it went and now G has to kind |
| 2196s | of answer this on on the other side but |
| 2200s | again because the setup now he has this |
| 2203s | really nice way to answer he's going to |
| 2205s | get some healing from the F pickup and |
| 2208s | again kind of reestablish that board |
| 2211s | State because of these welps off of the |
| 2213s | topor and nature |
| 2214s | spells yeah so all the way back up now |
| 2217s | to what's this functional 36 Health |
| 2220s | against Sharpshooter and the only way |
| 2223s | that you can kind of skip that and just |
| 2224s | say no you're at 18 I'm just going to do |
| 2225s | 18 direct damage to you is with face |
| 2228s | Toof face melee combat right which you |
| 2230s | can't do because of the F in the way so |
| 2232s | this would have had to have been like a |
| 2233s | tough crowd and then even then you're |
| 2235s | fishing for 18 damage of direct face in |
| 2238s | your deck which doesn't really exist at |
| 2240s | this point with one momentum being used |
| 2243s | uh so it looks like you is in an |
| 2244s | extremely dominant position here |
| 2250s | [Music] |
| 2253s | a lot of it does come down to that |
| 2255s | innovate hold right like just the the |
| 2257s | power of that turn due to having the |
| 2258s | double innovate and the amount of stats |
| 2260s | that were able to be dumped on |
| 2262s | [Music] |
| 2267s | board and stats over multiple turns too |
| 2269s | I think especially this uh yeah that |
| 2272s | that F coming down too it's so difficult |
| 2274s | as you said without something like uh |
| 2276s | the tough crowd to put that back in hand |
| 2279s | and yeah Hemlock recognized that went |
| 2281s | ahead and just threw out the concede so |
| 2283s | you is going to take that first game |
| 2287s | sdle how do you feel about uh the lineup |
| 2290s | now with that uh Druid getting that |
| 2293s | quick |
| 2294s | win yeah I mean I feel great about it |
| 2296s | right like the Druid to me is the one |
| 2298s | deck and honestly like I didn't test Tri |
| 2299s | and Druid it's not like something that I |
| 2301s | I tested out and then dismissed um but |
| 2304s | to me like this is the one deck that I'm |
| 2305s | not certain about cuz I hadn't put |
| 2307s | significant testing in it myself so if |
| 2309s | you're going to give me that same lineup |
| 2311s | and take the one deck that I'm not |
| 2312s | convinced about out of it yeah I'm |
| 2314s | feeling freaking great about this lineup |
| 2316s | now dawn like this has got just got the |
| 2317s | good decks left in it now as far as I'm |
| 2319s | concerned um but there are still of |
| 2321s | course uh questions over that nature |
| 2323s | Sharman which you know I have to do my |
| 2325s | due diligence and and point them out |
| 2327s | even though I am a big believer in the |
| 2328s | deck even though I have very high |
| 2330s | success rate with the deck um you know I |
| 2332s | do not necessarily play against the same |
| 2333s | caliber of players with the same |
| 2335s | regularity as these players players are |
| 2337s | playing against in the world |
| 2338s | championship so um nature Shaman has |
| 2341s | seemed a little bit exploitable in some |
| 2342s | spots and maybe that is a question that |
| 2344s | Still Remains to be answered as it is in |
| 2346s | both players |
| 2347s | lineups yeah and that is the kind of |
| 2351s | question I I'm curious to see here which |
| 2354s | deck comes up next for GU if it's going |
| 2356s | to be that Shaman or if it's going to be |
| 2359s | uh that Mech Rogue that we looked at |
| 2361s | there is always that debate in conquest |
| 2364s | of Q order and if it's random but these |
| 2367s | are both decently aggressive but if |
| 2369s | there is that consideration of uh the |
| 2372s | kind of question mark for the shaman I |
| 2375s | definitely can see it just say okay |
| 2378s | let's just queue up the the Rogue try to |
| 2380s | get a quick win with that and then feel |
| 2383s | even better going in at a two Z with |
| 2386s | that |
| 2387s | Shaman yeah I'm just kind of happy to |
| 2389s | see more mecro as well we haven't seen a |
| 2390s | great deal of it so far it's not a super |
| 2393s | common deck on ladder in my experience |
| 2396s | either but I do think I think it's a |
| 2397s | little bit under the radar in terms of |
| 2399s | not overall win rate I'm not saying it's |
| 2401s | a good ladder deck that going to you |
| 2402s | know climb to the Moon um on through the |
| 2406s | legend ranks but when it comes to |
| 2407s | serving a purpose in tournament in |
| 2410s | Conquest style tournaments when you're |
| 2411s | looking to Target particular other |
| 2413s | things make life as difficult as |
| 2415s | possible for individual decks I think |
| 2417s | Mech Rogue serves a very very useful |
| 2419s | purpose it doesn't really hit that |
| 2421s | purpose in this matchup against Hemlock |
| 2425s | uh or necessarily in this matchup |
| 2426s | against Demon Hunter um but I think with |
| 2429s | the amount of Druid that you'd be |
| 2430s | expecting on the other side for example |
| 2432s | like if you go Mech into coppertail |
| 2434s | Snoop into coin in like they're dead |
| 2436s | they just don't interact with that in |
| 2437s | any way they don't have the cards in |
| 2439s | their deck really to be able to interact |
| 2440s | with that so I definitely think there |
| 2442s | was a lot of Merit in this mecro bring |
| 2444s | and was a little surprised um to see as |
| 2447s | little of it as we did yeah I definitely |
| 2450s | also expected to see a at least a little |
| 2452s | bit more of it because it is still a |
| 2454s | very very solid deck and I think |
| 2456s | especially in in a format I know you all |
| 2459s | talked about it a lot at kind of the |
| 2460s | beginning of the day yesterday this |
| 2462s | format where you kind of know the other |
| 2465s | people that you're playing against |
| 2466s | you're very familiar with them and it is |
| 2468s | such a |
| 2470s | small uh |
| 2472s | player well maybe then uh the number of |
| 2475s | players impacts the Decks that you bring |
| 2477s | and if you're not expecting a lot of |
| 2478s | super slow decks you want to just get on |
| 2480s | the board and and start getting out with |
| 2483s | bodies start hitting them I think we s |
| 2485s | see that a lot in the priest we saw that |
| 2488s | with uh some of the I guess to an extent |
| 2491s | this Naga DH but yeah I kind of expected |
| 2494s | a little bit more of this Mech Rogue as |
| 2495s | well and we're seeing that immediate uh |
| 2498s | discount into the stronger minions as |
| 2500s | you were mentioning already |
| 2506s | taunt yeah not really the one you wanted |
| 2509s | here like this the start obviously |
| 2511s | discount into mimon was sick but the |
| 2513s | problem is gu's drawn all the weird |
| 2515s | clunky combo top end of his deck |
| 2517s | alongside that doesn't really have like |
| 2519s | the spark Bots or something to throw out |
| 2521s | alongside this merron to really go for |
| 2523s | max value so I'm imagining you're just |
| 2526s | going to end up dropping this to protect |
| 2527s | the mimon just put it on the the |
| 2529s | magnetic Mech instead yeah makes sense |
| 2531s | yeah I think stealth would have been |
| 2534s | amazing for him there it's also a little |
| 2536s | bit sad to see that thunderbrand when he |
| 2538s | actually kept that Scourge Illusionist |
| 2540s | in the Mulligan as well it's like that |
| 2543s | was the one card you didn't want to draw |
| 2546s | after specifically keeping the scourge |
| 2548s | Illusionist and this uh this discover |
| 2552s | Choice a lot of midnight wolf showed up |
| 2555s | yesterday but you also mentioned the |
| 2556s | tough crowd which tough crowd against |
| 2558s | some magnetized mechs especially could |
| 2561s | be very good as well and it's still |
| 2563s | pretty early in the game here yeah so |
| 2566s | you have to make a decision there right |
| 2568s | between fighting for board honestly |
| 2570s | which you could theoretically do you |
| 2573s | have vicious Slither Spears which are |
| 2574s | one of your best early board based cards |
| 2576s | one of your most most aggressive early |
| 2577s | cards or just focus on the actual combo |
| 2580s | turn right because you do have |
| 2581s | sharpshooter in hand already uh like |
| 2583s | tough crowd for two uh coin hero power |
| 2586s | for example like wins the board back |
| 2588s | definitively in this spot um but you'd |
| 2591s | be using a lot of fantastic resources |
| 2594s | you'd be using the coin you'd be |
| 2595s | skipping on a wayward Sage discount I |
| 2598s | think that's just too much uh cost to |
| 2601s | give away when you do already have that |
| 2602s | sharpshooter in |
| 2604s | hand oh hello |
| 2609s | let's do |
| 2611s | that do you know your colors doing it's |
| 2614s | been a little while they're uh they |
| 2617s | changed as well but uh they did change |
| 2620s | you know that just throws us all up uh I |
| 2624s | I'm not sure about the life steal here |
| 2627s | being uh very significant at least not |
| 2629s | well there's kind of smaller things on |
| 2631s | the board but there is going to be some |
| 2634s | added stats from these so just using two |
| 2637s | of them does add quite a bit of stats to |
| 2639s | the board and I do think the potential |
| 2642s | for things like uh top the tough crowd |
| 2646s | that you mentioned I do really like uh |
| 2648s | G's decision to just start splitting up |
| 2650s | these stats as well plus again it's kind |
| 2655s | of spreading those stats out on the |
| 2656s | board for that potential pop off |
| 2658s | especially after seeing uh that Sage |
| 2660s | come down discount stuff you has to be |
| 2663s | expecting a lot of pop off here so |
| 2666s | putting that Divine Shield out to soak |
| 2668s | up another potential Sharpshooter hit |
| 2670s | seems like a very wise |
| 2673s | choice yeah it's such a massive draw |
| 2675s | though with the the Buffs and with the |
| 2678s | mimon on board I was just saying like |
| 2680s | the the tools weren't really there to |
| 2682s | take advantage of that to the fullest um |
| 2685s | but spark Bots are really the number one |
| 2686s | go-to in that spot but it looks like |
| 2689s | still even with the added stats on board |
| 2691s | that Hemlock is going to be able to pick |
| 2693s | this apart fairly effectively and this |
| 2695s | is what I was talking about right like |
| 2696s | sometimes this is just how Conquest is |
| 2698s | like I'm gassing up me Rogue as a deck |
| 2700s | because of how I feel it's positioned |
| 2702s | against one kind of lineup that people |
| 2704s | might bring but suddenly if it runs into |
| 2706s | this kind of spot it it cannot compete |
| 2708s | with this level of power that um that |
| 2711s | Nar Demon Hunter can throw out on turn |
| 2713s | four in this instance right as long as |
| 2715s | this gets a relatively effective clear |
| 2717s | which looks like it is going to do |
| 2720s | you're just how do you swing back |
| 2722s | against this now as the mech Rogue right |
| 2725s | and and that is one downside to a deck |
| 2727s | like this and some of these more kind of |
| 2730s | board-based aggressive Decks that we're |
| 2731s | seeing which is why we're also seeing a |
| 2733s | lot of people just Banning the Paladin |
| 2735s | right because the Paladin has that way |
| 2737s | of getting on the board and using things |
| 2740s | like The Showdown Prismatic beam to kind |
| 2743s | of get that swing back clear on the |
| 2745s | other side but the mech Rog doesn't have |
| 2747s | that ability the top deck bone spike is |
| 2750s | pretty good to be able to clear up that |
| 2751s | Sharpshooter amazing pick up there |
| 2753s | allows to at least kind of hope to stop |
| 2757s | the bleeding but also the second |
| 2759s | Sharpshooter was picked up and there's |
| 2761s | still a lot of stats on the board for |
| 2763s | hemlock as well yeah there's two Slither |
| 2766s | Spears left on the board as well which |
| 2767s | is never going to be a good |
| 2777s | time I'm not thrown away my |
| 2783s | shot thank you Alexander Hamilton |
| 2788s | yeah here we go second Sharpshooter |
| 2790s | coming down not playing in on the Finley |
| 2794s | playing all these other things to see |
| 2796s | what is drawn here is it a cheap spell |
| 2799s | NOP just the the Naga cuz the spell was |
| 2802s | played and unfortunately uh not enough |
| 2804s | Mana to play the Wayward Sage or the |
| 2807s | Desperado to be able to actually get the |
| 2810s | predation for free |
| 2811s | either yeah awkward uh draw step really |
| 2814s | the predation was drawn off the last |
| 2817s | Naga that was played from hand like the |
| 2818s | mistake was played and that Drew the |
| 2820s | predation off the Sharpshooter so it |
| 2822s | didn't get discounted so a little bit |
| 2823s | awkward |
| 2827s | overall but you're not super worried |
| 2830s | about doing incredible Sharpshooter |
| 2832s | chains here like that Sharpshooter just |
| 2833s | got played because it was the best Tempo |
| 2835s | card in your hand right you play that |
| 2836s | you play a couple of minions you get a |
| 2837s | little bit of extra damage ideally you |
| 2839s | would have had two shots go to the |
| 2841s | minion and then it would be a lot |
| 2842s | cleaner to be able to deal with it which |
| 2844s | has got a little bit awkward but still |
| 2846s | just it was the strongest Tempo turn |
| 2848s | that Hemlock was going to be able to |
| 2849s | achieve this turn so still seems like |
| 2850s | the correct thing to do |
| 2853s | yeah I I love hemlocks kind of reaction |
| 2858s | there which justes maybe not the the |
| 2859s | biggest like pop off reaction but almost |
| 2861s | that kind of Double Take of like oh oh |
| 2864s | wait nothing came out onto the board |
| 2867s | after I just cleared this oh |
| 2875s | okay |
| 2883s | there's just no hope at this point yeah |
| 2886s | I was like uh I mean I respect the |
| 2890s | effort of trying but at the same time |
| 2892s | that |
| 2893s | it it was that was over I think a couple |
| 2896s | of turns |
| 2900s | ago yeah pretty uh pretty miserable draw |
| 2903s | for the Rogue in the end as you said |
| 2905s | like keep keeping the uh the for Mana |
| 2908s | card and they just like we've seen build |
| 2911s | of Mech Rogue with and without that |
| 2912s | package in general right like it's one |
| 2914s | of those decks where you do make your |
| 2915s | deck a little bit more inconsistent um |
| 2917s | but you spike the top end of your draws |
| 2920s | way more than you lower the bottom end |
| 2922s | of your draws so overall um your win |
| 2924s | rate goes up but sometimes you do just |
| 2926s | get those miserable draws where yeah |
| 2928s | okay you've got Scourge Illusionist in |
| 2930s | your hand you draw the death rattle |
| 2931s | especially when you're playing so few |
| 2933s | death rattles in this case just the |
| 2934s | Thunder Brer to try and make some magic |
| 2936s | happen with neptulon and so on and yeah |
| 2939s | your opponent kills it nothing gets |
| 2940s | drawn they just sit and laugh at you |
| 2942s | because you've drawn your deck in the |
| 2943s | wrong order and when that is paired with |
| 2945s | a very very strong draw from the Naga |
| 2947s | Demon Hunter on the other side uh you're |
| 2949s | going to have a very very bad timeing |
| 2951s | what is a pretty tricky matchup at the |
| 2953s | best of times because even really if um |
| 2956s | Hemlock had to chew through the Thunder |
| 2958s | Brer taunt that turn that was pretty |
| 2960s | straightforward to do there anyway right |
| 2962s | like okay cool they then spawn the |
| 2964s | neptulon you ignore it you go face you |
| 2965s | kill them you know like that would have |
| 2967s | worked out fine in the end anyway so I |
| 2969s | think that draw from the Naga Demon |
| 2971s | Hunter would have ended up beating most |
| 2973s | draws from that Mech Rogue uh and |
| 2975s | unfortunately for G just did not quite |
| 2977s | get anything going in that early game |
| 2979s | really uh despite the draw of the uh the |
| 2982s | spark Bots bailing him out just a little |
| 2984s | bit in the mid game yeah there there was |
| 2987s | like a maybe one or turn two you know |
| 2989s | one or two turn hope there with |
| 2992s | withdrawing those but yeah just didn't |
| 2993s | end up being enough uh I'm I'm very |
| 2996s | curious as well the Demon Hunter was one |
| 2999s | that we kind of talked about along with |
| 3000s | this nature Shaman that we're now seeing |
| 3002s | Hemlock bring in those two decks did |
| 3005s | seem to struggle a bit yesterday and |
| 3007s | even though it feels like we just saw a |
| 3009s | powerful Demon Hunter showing in that |
| 3011s | game I think also it it did do well it |
| 3014s | did draw well as you mentioned but it |
| 3016s | also was just a lot of kind of |
| 3019s | sufferable really not handing out draws |
| 3022s | on the other side as well uh so is it |
| 3026s | going to happen again this game I don't |
| 3027s | know this hand looks much better for you |
| 3030s | in terms of trying to kind of get his |
| 3032s | game plan going there's some added uh |
| 3035s | Bots as you mentioned from the scrap |
| 3037s | Heap there is some draw potential uh the |
| 3039s | Snoop finally showing up he can get uh |
| 3042s | some coins to get a little bit more |
| 3044s | value on the board and start pushing a |
| 3046s | lot of that damage quickly but also on |
| 3049s | the other side Hemlock has the uh the |
| 3053s | fish yeah totem on two though not |
| 3056s | removing the first Mech uh with the |
| 3058s | Piranhas I was going to talk about this |
| 3060s | um like the draw of Mech into coin |
| 3062s | squirrel is huge it's one of the best |
| 3065s | openings that uh that mecro has access |
| 3067s | to and Shaman doesn't really interact |
| 3069s | with that particularly apart from the |
| 3070s | card schooling and that's true of so |
| 3072s | many things and I see so many people if |
| 3074s | you look at like tracking data for um |
| 3077s | for nature Sharman you'll see like this |
| 3079s | list with one or two cards different |
| 3081s | sometimes an overdraft sometimes a |
| 3083s | Radiance sometimes a thorum like those |
| 3085s | three cards sort of ating around at the |
| 3086s | core of this list and then you'll see |
| 3088s | various other lists where people just |
| 3090s | really work hard to want to cut |
| 3092s | schooling from the deck and I don't |
| 3094s | understand why it's such a uniquely |
| 3096s | purposed card for solving problems that |
| 3098s | you don't have answers to otherwise in |
| 3100s | the deck so um I as soon as I saw the |
| 3103s | schooling there I was like oh okay cool |
| 3105s | uh schooling to clear up the mech but |
| 3106s | actually Hemlock taking it a little bit |
| 3108s | slower and saying no you know what you |
| 3110s | can actually buff that first Mech a |
| 3111s | little bit and I still have six Powers |
| 3113s | worth of fish in my hand that I can take |
| 3116s | out after you've committed some of the |
| 3118s | magnetic minions to it which is a very |
| 3120s | uh Brave line to take from hemlock but I |
| 3122s | think something that might just end up |
| 3123s | working out |
| 3124s | here yeah now we see the next discover |
| 3127s | Choice as well another interesting one |
| 3130s | does he want to go for some board |
| 3131s | presence with the feral Spirits uh turn |
| 3134s | the tides can help with kind of removing |
| 3137s | that as well which turn the ties is |
| 3140s | another interesting one uh to clear up |
| 3143s | some of these minions and Save those |
| 3146s | piranhas to continue as you were |
| 3147s | mentioning but I do like the choice to |
| 3149s | just go for a future setup of I'm |
| 3152s | probably going to be committing these |
| 3154s | piranhas to clearing uh especially being |
| 3157s | able to play multiple of them in one |
| 3158s | turn so I will need some sort of |
| 3161s | followup to actually commit and put my |
| 3164s | own things on the board for when I have |
| 3167s | my big pop off |
| 3169s | turn and the stealth train has begun and |
| 3172s | I think that's part of the reasoning |
| 3173s | behind that feral Spirit as well where |
| 3176s | personally I think sight unseen against |
| 3178s | an average mecro hand I would rather |
| 3180s | have the rushing 3 three over the |
| 3182s | taunting 23s because you want to kill |
| 3185s | their mechs you don't just want to put |
| 3187s | things in the way right cuz that then |
| 3188s | allows them to attach wind Fury and |
| 3191s | coins and stealth and stuff to leave on |
| 3192s | the board you want to remove that board |
| 3194s | so they don't have that base of |
| 3196s | magnetics which makes the rush better |
| 3197s | but I think Hemlock looked at this |
| 3199s | situation and when two spark bots in |
| 3200s | hand haven't seen a spider yet pretty |
| 3203s | good chance that I'm seeing stealth come |
| 3205s | out on the following turn in which case |
| 3207s | having just blockers in the way to |
| 3209s | prevent massive face damage is going to |
| 3210s | be more useful to me than a Rush Minion |
| 3216s | yeah but now Hemlock is in the spot |
| 3220s | where okay he did see that stealth is he |
| 3223s | committing the taunts here it definitely |
| 3226s | seems reasonable uh but I think the |
| 3228s | question is does he want to be |
| 3230s | overloaded going into next turn what's |
| 3232s | his plan for next turn because if he's |
| 3235s | overloaded |
| 3236s | and he doesn't have enough to commit |
| 3238s | some of these he's going to have to play |
| 3239s | the thorum I'm not sure if that's what |
| 3241s | he wants to do quite |
| 3243s | yet he does have a lot of lowc cost |
| 3247s | Minions that he can just fill in next |
| 3250s | turn this is the kind of draw these are |
| 3253s | the kind of hands that you want as Mech |
| 3255s | Rogue so you being responsible here of |
| 3259s | course this is the world championship |
| 3260s | this is a decid this is an elimination |
| 3262s | game his entire Year's worth of work is |
| 3264s | on the line |
| 3266s | me I see an in I play an in okay no G's |
| 3269s | going to hold it back well he he doesn't |
| 3272s | have the Mana for it yet he's only on uh |
| 3274s | he does there there's a there's a coin |
| 3275s | in the attack right there's a there's a |
| 3277s | squirrel on the thing so you could have |
| 3278s | attacked played the thing get made the |
| 3280s | copy with the in gone from there I do |
| 3282s | wonder if he also wants to just keep it |
| 3286s | stealth uh and I don't know cuz if he |
| 3290s | plays the any he doesn't uh get the |
| 3292s | stealth as well true yeah no that's fair |
| 3295s | very fair well no that's actually no cuz |
| 3298s | you're copying you then have wind Fury |
| 3299s | Rush on a thing that also has coins |
| 3301s | right so you then have more coins |
| 3304s | available to be able to play the stealth |
| 3305s | Spar bot at the |
| 3309s | end so I think you could do it |
| 3314s | all thanks |
| 3316s | Bob wait it's not even Bob oh my God the |
| 3319s | BGR player |
| 3322s | again ah everyone's just called Bob now |
| 3324s | anyone that talks to you in hardstone is |
| 3326s | named Bob now just how it work it's all |
| 3328s | Bob yeah shut up Raven Raven's slating |
| 3332s | me for that now and fair |
| 3347s | enough it it's also very interesting |
| 3349s | watching this game both of these players |
| 3353s | are playing kind of very slowly they're |
| 3356s | very reserved they're really thinking |
| 3358s | through a lot of these lines even if it |
| 3360s | seems straightforward they're taking |
| 3362s | their time as you mentioned again this |
| 3364s | is that that deciders match if they |
| 3367s | don't win these games that's it that's |
| 3370s | the end of their world championship you |
| 3372s | know play so they are really looking to |
| 3376s | make the best decisions really thinking |
| 3378s | through these |
| 3381s | lines and we saw a lot of the opposite |
| 3384s | yesterday almost feel like yesterday |
| 3385s | there was so much very fast play from a |
| 3390s | lot of players and we might see that |
| 3391s | come in later but here we go now the |
| 3394s | innie is going to come down going to |
| 3397s | clear up with the uh rush now going to |
| 3401s | clear up the taunts and this allows G to |
| 3403s | be able to push the other minion that he |
| 3406s | buffed up last turn all into face if he |
| 3409s | wants to yeah and that's the Merit of |
| 3412s | doing it this way right like again I am |
| 3414s | in favor of just jamming the in on the |
| 3416s | previous turn using the coin and but by |
| 3418s | doing it this way you do preserve |
| 3420s | stealth as you were talking about and |
| 3422s | then that means you then use this Rush |
| 3424s | Minion to completely take out these two |
| 3425s | tauns whereas the other way around you'd |
| 3427s | have to attack into um one of the |
| 3429s | minions first right and then you |
| 3431s | wouldn't be able to D send this damage |
| 3432s | phase and then you have triple coin to |
| 3435s | be able to then Jam the stealth on |
| 3437s | presumably the wind Fury minion that you |
| 3439s | want to protect which is solo lethal so |
| 3441s | there is significant Merit to doing it |
| 3443s | this way and as I said these are the |
| 3445s | things that you have to think about |
| 3446s | whereas me playing on ladder seeing inie |
| 3448s | playing in it's as simple as that |
| 3450s | reflexes is the card oh it's hex but |
| 3452s | it's not primordial wave which is the |
| 3455s | absolute nuts all of this magnetization |
| 3458s | onto one drops in this position so |
| 3461s | primordial would have been the nuts and |
| 3462s | there's not even a Reby there's nothing |
| 3465s | cheap enough that you can |
| 3467s | play no and this is also potentially one |
| 3471s | of those punishes as we've seen the |
| 3475s | board just stay there for go and not |
| 3478s | only stay on board but also get larger |
| 3480s | over these last few turns for hemlock |
| 3483s | not going in early to just clear out |
| 3486s | that first Mech that landed on the board |
| 3488s | yeah fish still in hand yes it's very |
| 3490s | it's a great point it's worth pointing |
| 3492s | out that original click Locker could |
| 3493s | have been dealt with on turn two which |
| 3496s | means no magnetization which then means |
| 3498s | no squirrel which then means no any |
| 3500s | which then means no stealth like mecr |
| 3502s | snowballs that is really what it does |
| 3504s | and certainly my style of playing |
| 3505s | against this deck is see a Mech kill a |
| 3507s | Mech by basically any means |
| 3510s | necessary it's it's good logic and for |
| 3514s | good reason we're seeing the reasoning |
| 3516s | right |
| 3518s | here but additional taunts on the board |
| 3521s | for hemlock there's still more taunts in |
| 3524s | hand as well if Hemlock isn't able to do |
| 3528s | uh one of his big otk turns |
| 3531s | which are these taunts going to be |
| 3533s | enough |
| 3534s | though |
| 3535s | uh prep Pit Stop first right for Titan |
| 3540s | cuz Titan is lethal a lot of the time |
| 3545s | here and then you can gear shift if you |
| 3548s | don't hit it I think that's the right |
| 3551s | order it's actually a tough |
| 3554s | turn the prep coming into |
| 3557s | hand opened up several different |
| 3560s | possibilities to get this lethal |
| 3564s | yeah |
| 3569s | there is we are going to see the prep |
| 3571s | into the gear shift will he be able to |
| 3572s | find it shift okay |
| 3576s | okay oh I see arrows |
| 3579s | flying Bon right all right yep that'll |
| 3584s | work mhm see yeah bone Spike was there |
| 3588s | some sort of way to generate Rush spark |
| 3590s | B would have been great as well I think |
| 3592s | Titan with the four damage hitting to |
| 3594s | Mech was Lethal most of the time as well |
| 3596s | there was a lot of different outs that |
| 3598s | you could look for and a little lot of |
| 3600s | combinations of where you use the prep |
| 3602s | and which card get shuffled back into |
| 3603s | your hand with the gear shift and so on |
| 3605s | that had an effect on that uh so it's |
| 3607s | just one of those probability |
| 3608s | calculations that you have to run um |
| 3611s | that I don't think anyone necessarily |
| 3614s | gets 100% accurate while playing a game |
| 3616s | of hearthstone like I'm pretty good at |
| 3618s | mental probability calculations I'm sure |
| 3621s | there are people better than me but in |
| 3622s | spots like that you sort of pretend you |
| 3625s | no right you like oh this is definitely |
| 3627s | the best odds and you just play it but |
| 3628s | if someone asked you what the actual |
| 3629s | number was you wouldn't have a clue |
| 3631s | right it's just kind of a Vibe thing of |
| 3633s | what you um what you feel is the most |
| 3635s | likely out in those scenarios you picked |
| 3637s | one he committed to it hit the bone |
| 3638s | Spike more than good enough to get over |
| 3640s | the line there but I think bigger |
| 3641s | questions than that last turn um the one |
| 3645s | turn earlier inie which was a |
| 3647s | possibility which I think um I presented |
| 3649s | the arguments for and against but also |
| 3651s | the choice just not to use the fish |
| 3653s | which ended up getting fully stranded in |
| 3655s | hand for hemlock and not really having |
| 3657s | any impact on the game at all yeah I I'm |
| 3661s | definitely with you though I I feel like |
| 3663s | just committing those fish early trying |
| 3666s | to keep the Rogue off of the board as |
| 3668s | quickly and as consistently as you can |
| 3671s | uh especially when that's kind of their |
| 3674s | whole game plan right if they can ever |
| 3676s | stick aboard you don't even need to |
| 3679s | necessarily have a big turn where you |
| 3681s | push a ton of damage just kind of keep |
| 3682s | them off the board for a bit but but on |
| 3685s | the other side the other argument is |
| 3687s | because of the kind of variation in the |
| 3690s | deck list for the mech Rogue that you |
| 3691s | mentioned there is actually that top end |
| 3694s | so even if uh Hemlock were able to kind |
| 3696s | of come in and say okay I'm just going |
| 3698s | to keep your board clear because of the |
| 3701s | deck build it's a little bit different |
| 3703s | than what we've seen in the past with |
| 3705s | the kind of topping out at like six Mana |
| 3709s | uh so we'll see if that impacts the |
| 3712s | series overall but this time Hemlock |
| 3715s | bringing in the Mage Hemlock has not |
| 3717s | like stayed with uh these decks he's |
| 3720s | kind of switching off up the shaman |
| 3722s | didn't work okay I'm going to bring in |
| 3723s | this Mage now because I know gu has the |
| 3726s | shaman on the other |
| 3728s | side yeah he's gone Demon Hunter then |
| 3731s | Demon Hunter again then had to switch |
| 3732s | because the Demon Hunter won so was on |
| 3734s | Shaman and is now switched to Mage so |
| 3736s | has been a good amount of variation in |
| 3738s | his cues throughout the series so far |
| 3740s | but we now see the flip side of this uh |
| 3743s | schooling in opening hand again for GU |
| 3746s | on the other side as well and but this |
| 3748s | is a matchup that I became intimately |
| 3751s | familiar with I played an absolute ton |
| 3754s | of nature Shaman when it was first |
| 3756s | released um after the well during the |
| 3760s | time when the build was very very |
| 3761s | contested on I ended up you making one |
| 3764s | small card change to the deck which then |
| 3767s | has kind of evolved into what is this |
| 3769s | standard version of the deck that we see |
| 3770s | now but during that time if you queed |
| 3773s | ladder at high Legend you probably |
| 3775s | played some form of uh nature Shaman |
| 3778s | versus rainbow Mage at some point uh so |
| 3781s | this is a matchup I have played an |
| 3782s | enormous amount of times and it's one of |
| 3784s | those matchups that I think is tight |
| 3786s | enough where whichever side of it you |
| 3789s | have more experience with you feel is |
| 3791s | favored um a lot of matches I like that |
| 3794s | high level in competitive Hearthstone |
| 3796s | because there is so much skill |
| 3797s | expression in a lot of these decks we're |
| 3799s | like okay well if I've played like 300 |
| 3801s | games of uh of rainbow Mage then I feel |
| 3803s | like it's favored against those things |
| 3805s | right cuz I'm sick at that deck at that |
| 3806s | point so I think it is close enough |
| 3809s | between these two Decks that uh that is |
| 3811s | kind of where we |
| 3814s | are oh we didn't see Hemlock play the |
| 3818s | piranhas in the last game but you is |
| 3820s | going to go in on them here and notably |
| 3822s | Alo did get uh both Miracle salesman |
| 3825s | already plus schooling and now has the |
| 3827s | second schooling in hand uh so this hand |
| 3830s | is kind of building up to just be a bit |
| 3832s | of this early Tempo uh that Hemlock |
| 3835s | picking up the uh Cosmic keyboard kind |
| 3839s | of interesting as well to get to pick |
| 3841s | that up I think was that what he picked |
| 3842s | off of uh a discover or did he take that |
| 3847s | uh |
| 3850s | Prismatic uh I'm not sure actually I was |
| 3852s | too busy talking about matchup stuff on |
| 3853s | the previous turn to actually see what |
| 3855s | happened on hemlocks turn but it's very |
| 3857s | annoying to have come on turn three |
| 3858s | instead of turn two I can tell you that |
| 3860s | much because if it was equipped last |
| 3862s | turn it would have been coin Cold Case |
| 3863s | which is the absolute dream here but as |
| 3866s | it stands Hemlock is going to have to |
| 3867s | withstand a little bit of pressure which |
| 3869s | is very irritating like this is actually |
| 3871s | what Mage does to most other decks these |
| 3873s | days right is it just plays these |
| 3875s | irritating one and two drops and just |
| 3876s | chips away with six to eight damage at |
| 3878s | the start of the game and then follows |
| 3880s | that up with a little burst combo |
| 3881s | whereas nature Sharman G on nature |
| 3884s | Sharman really pulling a little bit of |
| 3886s | anything you can do I can do better |
| 3887s | right now and ancestral into Flow Rider |
| 3891s | is very very nice for keeping this on |
| 3893s | goinging |
| 3895s | into a reflexes as well I think so yeah |
| 3900s | yeah I I was actually going to mention |
| 3902s | before he drew into the uh ancestral |
| 3905s | knowledge that even though he did have |
| 3908s | that uh aggressive kind of early start |
| 3910s | he didn't really have a lot going on in |
| 3912s | his current hands and was probably going |
| 3914s | to have to rely on the tradable effect |
| 3917s | of those snake oils from Miracle |
| 3918s | salesman but yeah you trust you just |
| 3921s | trust he knows what he's doing he's just |
| 3923s | going to draw in to the draw draw into |
| 3925s | the good |
| 3927s | things okay so I was going to say |
| 3929s | apologies this may get a little deep so |
| 3931s | without the draw of the Flow Rider on |
| 3933s | this turn I was about to Advocate you |
| 3934s | could just open the lightning reflexes |
| 3936s | and look for a flash of lightning right |
| 3938s | because the rest of your hand is so |
| 3940s | bursty um but now hitting the Flow Rider |
| 3943s | you're now being off of that flash of |
| 3944s | lightning entirely naturally so you have |
| 3946s | to then look at your hand and go okay I |
| 3948s | get to have flash of lightning next turn |
| 3949s | and then under the flash I have an |
| 3950s | entire lightning reflexes I do have a |
| 3952s | bioluminescence I have some cheap |
| 3954s | minions I have a zero Mana lightning |
| 3955s | bolt and I have a crash which is |
| 3957s | definitely going to get down to zero |
| 3958s | Mana as well the problem with that is |
| 3960s | because your opponent played exactly uh |
| 3963s | keyboard Cold Case over the last two |
| 3965s | turns you're not necessarily going to be |
| 3967s | preserving this entire board state right |
| 3970s | whereas if they had not gone with the |
| 3971s | Cold Case you'd actually feel relatively |
| 3973s | confident outside of uh outside of the |
| 3977s | mech coming out from the Mage that you'd |
| 3978s | actually get to keep a couple of these |
| 3979s | minions maybe and that would be |
| 3981s | immediate lethal on the following turn I |
| 3983s | still think it's pick and it is what |
| 3985s | gu's gone for and actually finding feral |
| 3987s | Spirits off it is a really really nice |
| 3989s | pick up here for that extra minion base |
| 3992s | Hemlock might be in |
| 3994s | trouble yeah and I was going to say as |
| 3997s | well I think if it is the pick you |
| 3999s | absolutely just want to play it in that |
| 4001s | case as well like you pick it you play |
| 4002s | it the same turn which is what he went |
| 4004s | for uh and he's got the cards to kind of |
| 4009s | go in on a big turn if he wants to next |
| 4011s | turn but as you mentioned it's going to |
| 4013s | depend here on how how much of this uh |
| 4016s | changes on the side for hemlock as well |
| 4022s | Crescendo Crescendo kind of huge |
| 4025s | actually without some sort of clearing |
| 4027s | power you need both skeleton shots to |
| 4030s | hit minions with the trades to be able |
| 4032s | to clear this up unless you want to use |
| 4033s | the 44 to trade as well which ideally I |
| 4036s | think you'd like to send some of that |
| 4037s | damage |
| 4039s | base |
| 4043s | uhoh |
| 4047s | Crescendo again no go away we didn't |
| 4049s | want you the first |
| 4051s | time H I think just going in on the |
| 4054s | trades of the skeletons he just said I |
| 4056s | don't really need to go in on the |
| 4058s | crescendo I can make these trades and |
| 4060s | the Jazz base burned |
| 4062s | there it's a little little late almost |
| 4065s | at this point another flash of lightning |
| 4067s | and |
| 4068s | another it's going to go for the feral |
| 4071s | feral yeah you play that feral instead |
| 4072s | of the feral that you have in your hand |
| 4074s | or already none of these are extra |
| 4076s | damage okay so this is your lot at this |
| 4077s | point you can play one fish you can have |
| 4079s | the spell damage so plus four spell |
| 4081s | damage yeah it's easy lethal two snake |
| 4082s | oils yeah nature Shaman good deck yeah |
| 4086s | especially with the added uh Miracle |
| 4088s | salesman and getting to have additional |
| 4090s | Zer cost things that now have added |
| 4092s | spell damage and that again we're seeing |
| 4095s | kind of the power of some of these right |
| 4097s | he was able to kind of get a lot of that |
| 4099s | early chip damage that you talked about |
| 4101s | with those Miracle salesman and then |
| 4103s | finally just got to have some damage |
| 4105s | over the top didn't need to have a huge |
| 4108s | full Board of Minions that he gave uh |
| 4111s | the spell damage too he only had three |
| 4113s | minions and that was good enough yeah |
| 4116s | and the turn before right it's why I |
| 4119s | said you really had to keep an eye on |
| 4120s | that it was really simplified by that |
| 4122s | second Flow Rider draw into the flash I |
| 4124s | think that made it a very simple two |
| 4126s | turn lethal setup to see what would have |
| 4129s | been trickier and I'd love to have seen |
| 4130s | it just to like test you and see what he |
| 4132s | would have done in that kind of position |
| 4134s | is not had that draw into the natural |
| 4135s | Flash and whether the reflexes would |
| 4137s | have been opened um to look for that |
| 4139s | flash because you saw on that turn right |
| 4141s | the the actual cards from the lightning |
| 4143s | reflex did not really have any impact on |
| 4145s | that lethal the the feral Spirit got |
| 4147s | played to look at the other card but he |
| 4149s | already had a different feral spirit in |
| 4150s | his hand that he could have played |
| 4151s | anyway the only thing the lightning |
| 4153s | reflexes ended up doing was discounting |
| 4155s | the crash over the course of the term |
| 4156s | which could have then ended up being |
| 4158s | relevant without it but you can see here |
| 4161s | four Minions on board right that was the |
| 4162s | big deal so as the shaman player you |
| 4165s | kind of sense your opponent is damned if |
| 4167s | they do and damned if they don't in that |
| 4168s | spot CU if they don't kill the minions |
| 4170s | sweet two extra minions for me to jam my |
| 4172s | bioluminescence on on the following turn |
| 4174s | if they do kill the minions well two of |
| 4176s | them are salesman so I'm just getting |
| 4178s | zero amount of snake oils in my hand at |
| 4180s | the end of the turn which are going to |
| 4181s | help me get the lethal anyway so I think |
| 4183s | really smart spot there from gu to just |
| 4184s | say yeah yeah this is this is almost |
| 4186s | always lethal he got basically the worst |
| 4189s | case scenario off the reflexes zero |
| 4191s | damage and expensive cards that he had |
| 4193s | to pay Mana for as as well um and even |
| 4195s | through all that was able to get exact |
| 4196s | lethal with the two snake oils so really |
| 4199s | really clean performance from gu and |
| 4201s | happy to see that as well because as |
| 4203s | mentioned one or two accusations of some |
| 4205s | shakiness on day one I think you has |
| 4207s | been someone who's been a real credit to |
| 4210s | the Circuit this year with the level of |
| 4212s | play that he's put in the consistency of |
| 4213s | results that he's put in I think pocket |
| 4216s | has called him out as arguably like |
| 4217s | right under him in terms of overall |
| 4219s | performances so far in the year through |
| 4221s | the circuit so really happy to see you |
| 4223s | advancing through |
| 4224s | yeah I completely agree with you and I |
| 4226s | think a lot of us on the casting desk |
| 4228s | also very much like his lineup as well |
| 4232s | so to see that that good lineup from you |
| 4234s | that we kind of all really like in |
| 4237s | combination with the just very solid |
| 4239s | good plays uh seems like a good |
| 4243s | combination and maybe we'll see him go |
| 4246s | all the way to the finals uh but we're |
| 4249s | not quite there yet so let's take a look |
| 4251s | at uh what we have coming up next we did |
| 4254s | just see the hemlock versus gu group a |
| 4258s | decider uh unfortunately meaning Hemlock |
| 4261s | done for this tournament but next up |
| 4263s | we're going to have the group b decider |
| 4266s | between mey and CJ to see which of them |
| 4270s | will uh be done in the tournament and |
| 4273s | which one will move into the top |
| 4276s | four yeah or as uh TJ put it earlier me |
| 4280s | that's what we've got coming up um yeah |
| 4283s | it's going to be uh tough one for sure |
| 4285s | for both of these players they're both |
| 4287s | great players um CJ Kaka has to kind of |
| 4290s | put behind him everything that happened |
| 4293s | hopefully he was able to get a uh good |
| 4295s | night's rest previously but we are about |
| 4297s | to see um well a lot of people we talked |
| 4299s | about how we like this lineup from gu |
| 4301s | but I think overall the vibe is that mey |
| 4304s | and pocket train have the best lineup um |
| 4307s | in the tournament overall so we're about |
| 4308s | to see that come into play and see how |
| 4310s | it feels going up against a slightly |
| 4312s | different challenge with CJ Kaka as well |
| 4314s | but I think you are right to point out |
| 4316s | and we should highlight it a little bit |
| 4317s | more just before we uh we move on and go |
| 4319s | to that next series just say goodbye |
| 4321s | properly to Hemlock of course because he |
| 4322s | has just been eliminated these first two |
| 4324s | matches that you'll see today are |
| 4326s | elimination matches and again every |
| 4328s | player that got here has achieved a |
| 4330s | level of consistency and dedication and |
| 4333s | hard work and ability that very few |
| 4336s | people have ever achieved in competitive |
| 4338s | Hearthstone this is one of the most |
| 4340s | taxing competitive systems we've ever |
| 4342s | had and for a player to make it this far |
| 4344s | make it to the World Championships and |
| 4346s | then you know crash out early on in the |
| 4348s | tournament it's not what they would have |
| 4349s | been looking for but I think each and |
| 4350s | every one of these players Hemlock |
| 4352s | absolutely included have been a credit |
| 4353s | to the system this year and a credit to |
| 4355s | Hearthstone this year so well done to |
| 4357s | Hemlock um we will be uh you will be |
| 4360s | missed in the remainder of this |
| 4361s | tournament for sure yes I completely |
| 4364s | agree well said and as you mentioned we |
| 4368s | are going to be getting into that next |
| 4370s | match but before we do that we're going |
| 4372s | to get everything set up we're going to |
| 4374s | take a quick break and then we'll be |
| 4376s | right back for that group b decider |
| 4384s | [Music] |
| 4402s | match |
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| 4432s | you |
| 4434s | [Music] |
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| 4450s | [Music] |
| 4462s | I |
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| 4493s | he |
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| 4522s | d |
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| 4552s | he |
| 4567s | hello everyone and welcome back to the |
| 4569s | hstone world championship we are getting |
| 4571s | ready to get into our second match of |
| 4573s | the day I am Raven and joining me for |
| 4575s | this one is the one the only TJ Sanders |
| 4578s | how is it going my |
| 4579s | friend it's going good it's going good |
| 4582s | uh but it's the world championship so |
| 4585s | we're uh we're pushing through for some |
| 4588s | high quality Hearthstone and that's what |
| 4589s | I expect coming into this next match |
| 4592s | here Raven yeah we just saw um how much |
| 4594s | is on the line for the first two matches |
| 4596s | of the day especially cuz we're just |
| 4598s | finishing off those groups so these are |
| 4600s | of course elimination matches as well |
| 4601s | the rest of the matches effectively be |
| 4603s | for the day but just in case you've just |
| 4605s | tuned in and missed that one for this |
| 4607s | one coming up we are going to see of |
| 4609s | course mey versus CJ Kaka to see who's |
| 4612s | going to join pocket train out of group |
| 4614s | b and I think the main story for this |
| 4617s | group TJ at least as it stands now is |
| 4619s | pocket train and mey prep together they |
| 4622s | have the same lineup and they like mey |
| 4625s | lost to the mirror match right lost a |
| 4628s | pocket so in your opinion is mey favored |
| 4632s | I know you picked him in your prediction |
| 4633s | but do you think it's the strength of |
| 4635s | the lineup that this little uh Practice |
| 4637s | Group has created that is going to uh |
| 4639s | really favor mey in this |
| 4641s | one I would say so yeah um I I don't |
| 4644s | think the Demon Hunter which I believe |
| 4646s | to be the weak point in the lineup here |
| 4648s | for CJ has the the tech to be able to |
| 4651s | stand up to these like very heavy like |
| 4653s | board flood mid-range board flood kind |
| 4655s | of decks that Medi pocket train are uh |
| 4658s | bringing and also pocket train didn't |
| 4661s | just beat CJ right he three OED him in |
| 4664s | like 20 minutes sure um it didn't now I |
| 4669s | expect this to be a little bit uh |
| 4671s | potentially a little bit closer just |
| 4672s | because we did see the rough end of |
| 4675s | variant from the side of CJ in the |
| 4677s | previous series versus pocket train but |
| 4678s | I would say that and obviously more |
| 4681s | practice against the lineup yeah |
| 4683s | tournament yeah and we can see uh you |
| 4685s | know mey popping off on his performance |
| 4688s | a bit yesterday in his first match of |
| 4690s | course not so much against pocket train |
| 4692s | in which he lost um and we can see some |
| 4695s | updated information as ban Pon in all |
| 4698s | series so far this weekend I believe |
| 4700s | that has uh uh carried on as well |
| 4703s | through today um and there've been some |
| 4705s | close matches both 32s so mey not having |
| 4709s | the sort of easy go of it that pocket |
| 4711s | train had at least in their first match |
| 4713s | um how do you think me's feeling going |
| 4715s | into this because it's a weird situation |
| 4717s | to have lost your sort of winning in for |
| 4720s | today really H to a mirror match with |
| 4723s | someone you prepared with do you think |
| 4725s | that makes you like more confident going |
| 4727s | into this match or do you think it's a |
| 4728s | bit of a knock that you lost the |
| 4730s | mirror yeah I think he he's probably |
| 4732s | feeling just fine to be quite honest the |
| 4734s | the series was close versus pocket train |
| 4736s | it's a mirror matchup um and you know it |
| 4740s | came down to the the weakest deck uh |
| 4743s | being played in a mirror match in in the |
| 4744s | last game of the uh the series so I feel |
| 4747s | like that's one of those games that |
| 4749s | could go in either direction we could be |
| 4752s | looking at pocket train here right now |
| 4753s | if a couple draws are different just in |
| 4755s | that final game because of the |
| 4756s | similarity between the decks so I think |
| 4758s | he's got to be feeling pretty good and I |
| 4759s | think he's got overall favored against |
| 4761s | CJ's lineup which should be making him |
| 4764s | relatively confident going into this |
| 4766s | match and one other thing to point out |
| 4767s | before we start talking about this Naga |
| 4769s | priest is because pocket train and media |
| 4770s | are coming from the same group if mey |
| 4773s | were to win the only other time he could |
| 4774s | face pocket train for the rest of the |
| 4776s | tournament would be in the finals uh |
| 4779s | which would be uh quite cool uh to see |
| 4783s | um since they split across into uh |
| 4785s | separate semi-finals when they come from |
| 4786s | the same group but there's anaga priest |
| 4789s | uh been playing this deck a lot I know |
| 4790s | saddle's been playing this deck a lot as |
| 4791s | well it's incredibly fun |
| 4794s | Raven's been playing the deck alot too I |
| 4796s | think everybody's been playing this deot |
| 4797s | it's tough but it's fun yeah I think |
| 4800s | it's that um I I touched on this a |
| 4801s | little bit yesterday but it's an |
| 4803s | archetype that's been on and off in the |
| 4805s | game for you know a fair while now |
| 4808s | actually for a few years and this style |
| 4810s | of priest overall in more just you know |
| 4812s | sticking early game minions and sort of |
| 4813s | beefing them up and then just winning |
| 4815s | through sheer power um but I do feel |
| 4818s | like maybe it's recency bias or anything |
| 4820s | but like I feel like this version of the |
| 4822s | deck feels like you've got so many |
| 4825s | options and so many routes like every |
| 4827s | single turn of the game and I I think |
| 4830s | that sort of goes back to what you just |
| 4831s | said where it it's very fun but also |
| 4834s | very difficult to execute well will this |
| 4837s | deck grab you some ranks on ladder if |
| 4838s | you just play okay yeah of course you |
| 4840s | make some big stuff it sticks you win |
| 4843s | done but if you really want to perform |
| 4845s | well with it I think it takes a lot of |
| 4846s | reps because just the amount of sort of |
| 4848s | little paths you can go down depending |
| 4851s | on your options uh are pretty broad |
| 4852s | honestly |
| 4854s | L yeah I feel like you if you just want |
| 4857s | to kind of Jam games and not think about |
| 4859s | it too much but still play some ngaga |
| 4861s | priest there are versions out there that |
| 4862s | are a little bit less complex that run |
| 4865s | more like Tempo instead of like combo |
| 4868s | esque um uh nagas basically to make it |
| 4873s | more a Naga priest rather than um like |
| 4876s | sort of this Naga combo uh priest with |
| 4880s | Pip um but uh talking about C a little |
| 4883s | bit it's an uphill battle for CJ ended |
| 4885s | the day yesterday with a crazy uh series |
| 4889s | very long crazy series it was one of |
| 4892s | those matches right cuz I was just sat |
| 4894s | watching obviously I was done working |
| 4896s | for the day let's say I had nothing else |
| 4898s | to cast and I was sat watch it I was |
| 4900s | like oh wow okay this okay this was |
| 4902s | crazy it's going to end in the next |
| 4904s | couple of minutes and it didn't TJ it |
| 4907s | kept going and going and going and it |
| 4910s | really did just I know salt talked about |
| 4911s | it at the top of the show but like it it |
| 4913s | really did transform itself into one of |
| 4915s | those extremely memorable games that I |
| 4918s | think will be talked about for quite a |
| 4921s | while in the future because the |
| 4923s | Ridiculousness just carried on carrying |
| 4926s | on right it was like stupid things |
| 4928s | happen turn after turn but I do think |
| 4931s | considering it was the end of the day it |
| 4934s | was the last game of a very tense series |
| 4937s | I think CJ Kaka really impressed me by |
| 4939s | just you know staying focused enough to |
| 4942s | have handle that crazy situation and |
| 4945s | getting the victory so even though the |
| 4947s | lineup may not go as well for him in |
| 4949s | this specific match up against me I |
| 4951s | think he impressed me yesterday with |
| 4953s | just keeping a um you know keeping Focus |
| 4956s | or at least as much Focus as you |
| 4957s | possibly can keep in that kind of |
| 4960s | scenario yeah but got an uphill climb |
| 4963s | right now you can see there one of the |
| 4964s | stats lost three straight games as Demon |
| 4966s | Hunter against pocket train and I |
| 4968s | mentioned earlier that it just feels |
| 4970s | like against this mey pocket train |
| 4972s | lineup |
| 4973s | CJ's Demon Hunter is an even more |
| 4975s | glaring weak point because it just |
| 4977s | doesn't have the tech that can help you |
| 4979s | a lot against those like tempos |
| 4981s | mid-range board base decks right we're |
| 4983s | looking at going down swinging uh as a |
| 4986s | big way to be able to clear off say |
| 4987s | dragon Golem against Druid yeah um even |
| 4990s | ferin just to be able to on four be able |
| 4993s | to have some tempo right that a lot of |
| 4995s | times you know if you get like security |
| 4997s | for instance allows you to kind of try |
| 4999s | and swing boards back or Draw through |
| 5001s | he's going for the more like con |
| 5003s | consistently uh find the the |
| 5005s | Sharpshooter type of build right um even |
| 5007s | playing like sir Finley seag guide to |
| 5009s | you know throw back a a bad hand uh uh |
| 5012s | into the deck and draw a good one with |
| 5015s | the the Sharpshooter but it it felt like |
| 5018s | it was getting outpa |
| 5020s | and oh jeez okay I was like why is Reno |
| 5024s | down there that's just the card yeah |
| 5026s | that is what does um I I do think yeah |
| 5029s | take a look at this Druid though |
| 5031s | obviously we'll find out how the demon |
| 5032s | to goes a little bit later on but just |
| 5034s | take a look at the deck on the screen I |
| 5035s | think for me this is close if not the |
| 5039s | build at least if we're talk in terms of |
| 5041s | how many two ofs uh you want to run in a |
| 5044s | Highlander Druid Deck this is what I |
| 5046s | would lean to if I was doing this style |
| 5048s | I personally like the two of dragon |
| 5050s | Druid I play it just the simple option |
| 5053s | um but the the welps of course |
| 5055s | absolutely fantastic one of the best |
| 5056s | cards in the game right now yes you can |
| 5058s | run two of those especially cuz you |
| 5060s | Mulligan for them and again I I can see |
| 5063s | the nourish right I can definitely see |
| 5064s | the value so at least for me TJ if you |
| 5067s | are going to play Highlander Druid this |
| 5069s | is what I think it should look |
| 5072s | like yeah um still obviously you know |
| 5077s | pre we both prefer the straight two ofs |
| 5082s | right uh if you're going to be playing |
| 5084s | Druid but this is as as good as you can |
| 5087s | get if you're going with the Highlander |
| 5089s | variation so and I'll tell you something |
| 5091s | you don't get games like we saw last |
| 5093s | night if you're playing the two of |
| 5094s | Druids so maybe the Highlander Druids |
| 5096s | the way to go just for style points and |
| 5099s | uh being memorable let's say because |
| 5101s | like I said that game was something it |
| 5104s | was something yeah the Highlander decks |
| 5106s | just tend to uh they've done that since |
| 5109s | the beginning of time you got to play |
| 5111s | some janky cards in the in the |
| 5113s | list and now the Highlander cards are |
| 5115s | just so high in power cuz the rest of |
| 5117s | the the decks in in the meta are so high |
| 5120s | in power you kind of have to order to |
| 5122s | just if I even playing Highlander but |
| 5125s | it's time to get into the series we're |
| 5126s | going to see Druid |
| 5128s | versus |
| 5130s | Mage uh to kick things off yep CJ Kaka |
| 5134s | on the bottom on that Mage uh going to |
| 5136s | be pretty interesting honestly because |
| 5139s | again like H how do you feel about this |
| 5140s | match up CU this is the two of Druid |
| 5142s | which s of we both said we prefer uh |
| 5144s | from mey H how do you feel like this is |
| 5147s | going against the Mage like does the |
| 5149s | Druid or can the Druid get enough out |
| 5151s | early enough that there's just not time |
| 5153s | to either defend or be able to burst him |
| 5155s | down from the |
| 5156s | Mage I mean with this hand yeah I mean |
| 5159s | if you're going to draw the literal best |
| 5161s | set of cards in the deck that's insane |
| 5165s | that's like the highest win rate cards |
| 5168s | in a nutshell right there that's uh |
| 5170s | pretty crazy going to be able to go |
| 5172s | Splish Splash WP yep um I was I was |
| 5175s | thinking if that was worth it instead of |
| 5177s | just playing on the curve and being able |
| 5178s | to coin out the dragon Golem but you'd |
| 5180s | be playing like off curve on like four |
| 5184s | cuz you'd want to play Snap Dragon |
| 5185s | whereas this allows you to just go coin |
| 5187s | two into |
| 5189s | three yeah and I think yesterday we saw |
| 5192s | um mey aggressively want to play |
| 5195s | Snapdragon like I think in the one of |
| 5197s | the games I was either watching or |
| 5198s | casting I can't remember now but it was |
| 5200s | just like coin Snap Dragon turn two I |
| 5202s | think even with a welp um CU I think he |
| 5205s | drew it on two so I think me just really |
| 5207s | wanting that that power Just already |
| 5209s | done and dusted and then the rest of the |
| 5211s | deck will curve out so I I don't mind |
| 5213s | this especially with these pickups right |
| 5215s | at worst there was the um uh the uh |
| 5220s | Proto Drake sorry I always forget the |
| 5221s | name of that one cuz I I always look at |
| 5222s | what that one generates and not the name |
| 5224s | of that one itself um but there's always |
| 5226s | the Proto Drake at worst and now we see |
| 5228s | the tail as well so there's um |
| 5231s | there's still good curve options and |
| 5233s | honestly Cactus construct is a heck of a |
| 5235s | card TJ I think if that was in the hand |
| 5237s | alone there'd still be a good chance for |
| 5239s | mey oh yeah this is an interesting |
| 5242s | scenario as well resistance Sora it is |
| 5246s | Holy |
| 5249s | um which is a spell school that's harder |
| 5251s | to find but there's not this deck just |
| 5254s | likes to play a lot of big minions they |
| 5256s | don't you know necessarily like to |
| 5259s | play yeah spells there's really not that |
| 5262s | many spells in the deck you're looking |
| 5264s | at like aquatic form innervate AAR |
| 5266s | Garden I think the biggest one is take |
| 5268s | to the skies right that's the one that |
| 5270s | would be good to H um just cuz that's |
| 5273s | one of the most expensive spells right |
| 5274s | so you make it more expensive for any |
| 5277s | given turn it's going to be that much |
| 5278s | more awkward but I think it was picked |
| 5280s | up because it was just cheap and easy to |
| 5281s | get |
| 5284s | out yeah right now mey is struggling |
| 5287s | with if he just continues to play on |
| 5289s | curve the dragon Golem's just not going |
| 5291s | to have enough juice um CJ does have a |
| 5294s | reasonable hand to fight back has Tempo |
| 5297s | disruption has the inquisitive creation |
| 5299s | which even on five Mana is |
| 5303s | usually good enough to be able to combat |
| 5306s | uh the at least the first dragon Golem |
| 5308s | and let you play for |
| 5310s | Tempo yeah and I like this for mey |
| 5312s | though I think um if you're going to be |
| 5314s | waiting and waiting to and and sort of |
| 5316s | do nothing to just get a dragon Golem |
| 5318s | out it sort of reduces the point of the |
| 5321s | Dragon Golem anyway right H oh okay this |
| 5324s | is pretty nice this is going to help |
| 5326s | yeah it's actually the perfect pick but |
| 5328s | yeah I think like if it was oh hold the |
| 5330s | dragon so the dragon Golem's bigger it's |
| 5333s | like well you'll be doing a bigger |
| 5334s | dragon Golem into a bigger board right |
| 5336s | so like it doesn't quite have the same |
| 5338s | power obviously now me's just got the |
| 5340s | best of both worlds so have been able to |
| 5342s | play out a pretty wide board and |
| 5343s | generate those dragons in |
| 5348s | hand yeah one of the well in this |
| 5351s | situation probably one of the best hits |
| 5353s | from the cactus construct oh yeah |
| 5357s | honestly I think a lot of the time it's |
| 5359s | one of it's even if you don't let's say |
| 5362s | need that outcome it's still very good |
| 5365s | right it's like you're never upset to |
| 5366s | see that on offer you never like oh no I |
| 5369s | wish that wasn't there right it's always |
| 5370s | a good choice and sometimes it's like |
| 5372s | you said in this situation it's arguably |
| 5375s | the best |
| 5379s | choice do you like the resistance Ora |
| 5381s | coming down this |
| 5383s | turn to stop and |
| 5386s | innovate um we'll see what he |
| 5391s | gets it's probably got to be |
| 5394s | metamorphosis it looks like this is just |
| 5396s | going to be a resistance Ora plus |
| 5397s | Miracle salesman turn just because |
| 5400s | that's really |
| 5401s | all P oh no going to Ping |
| 5404s | okay I just wanted to get the holy spell |
| 5406s | school out of the way and the thing is |
| 5409s | obviously we know right I can see the |
| 5412s | innovate in hand I can see the dragon |
| 5414s | Golem in hand so of course the |
| 5415s | resistance s would have been nice but |
| 5417s | I'm with you I think the main point of |
| 5419s | picking resistance Sor was to just get |
| 5420s | it played get it out the way and forget |
| 5423s | about it |
| 5423s | afterwards yeah cuz now this is this is |
| 5428s | the ultimate snowball turn right you get |
| 5430s | the dragon uh the dragon Golem down and |
| 5433s | if it's not got a great response okay |
| 5435s | the creation was four okay I thought it |
| 5436s | was at three so that's my bad but CJ has |
| 5439s | a good enough response there but that's |
| 5441s | one creation already gone so meting now |
| 5445s | is one last thing to worry |
| 5447s | about that's a pretty good refill as |
| 5450s | well |
| 5451s | actually |
| 5453s | [Music] |
| 5454s | yeah it's not too |
| 5457s | bad ideally mey would want to follow up |
| 5460s | with a big Tempo board here which is |
| 5461s | still possible it's just he'd be |
| 5464s | completely out of resources after this |
| 5466s | turn mhm I think you do it though right |
| 5468s | do you not just play everything except |
| 5470s | for Alex tra yeah because if not then |
| 5474s | well what else are you doing right like |
| 5476s | you've just seen the creation this is |
| 5478s | now just go all in with everything |
| 5480s | you've got and hope for the best yeah |
| 5483s | sounds like a bit of a simple plan TJ |
| 5485s | but I'm a bit of a simple guy |
| 5492s | so see stats play |
| 5494s | stats yeah I mean uh in case of a uh |
| 5498s | golum pickup I suppose would be yeah I |
| 5502s | just think it's a one in 21 chance right |
| 5506s | like I guess wanting 20 chance cuz you |
| 5509s | know what the bottom card of the deck is |
| 5511s | uh but yeah other than that that it's a |
| 5513s | one in 20 to get exactly Golem just get |
| 5515s | those two threes on the board and also |
| 5517s | very good that it was buffed because |
| 5519s | consecration would have done a lot more |
| 5521s | work if not |
| 5525s | yep I |
| 5531s | wonder and this is the problem right |
| 5533s | like kunk's okay but CJ needs something |
| 5537s | bigger because this board isn't going to |
| 5540s | go away anytime soon clear off the two |
| 5543s | little dragons but those are effectively |
| 5545s | bonus minions for mey |
| 5551s | right here comes the resistance |
| 5558s | a yeah it's a little bit awkward now |
| 5561s | because it there's not really any spells |
| 5563s | at hand plent be right well he played |
| 5568s | the consecration already in that turn oh |
| 5569s | sorry yeah he played con didn't he I |
| 5571s | forgot K yeah so some of the Paladin |
| 5573s | spells always throw me off because some |
| 5575s | of them I think Are Holy aren't and then |
| 5578s | some of them that I think aren't |
| 5580s | are did get the dragon oh yeah got the |
| 5583s | dragon Golem from the from the draw okay |
| 5587s | yeah I can see this just being Alex on |
| 5589s | curve though and just go all in and just |
| 5591s | say this is it you have to do this |
| 5593s | sometimes with this deck right |
| 5597s | yep big draw coming out from CJ now oh |
| 5600s | Reverb is a good pickup |
| 5602s | a really good |
| 5608s | pickup still looking at a lot of power |
| 5610s | though to have to fight |
| 5612s | against it is but the Reverb can do a |
| 5616s | huge job right Reverb plus ping just |
| 5618s | kills two of the three Minions on board |
| 5620s | like that's pretty good yep it's the one |
| 5624s | way I've seen fire like nicely dealt |
| 5626s | with it's just a Reverb GG also you |
| 5630s | gained some life out of it too which |
| 5632s | which is yeah |
| 5635s | huge very huge this allows for a fullard |
| 5639s | clear hug yeah yeah cuz you can fit in |
| 5641s | the |
| 5643s | Ping at the very end as well so back up |
| 5646s | to 23 media's got minimal resources in |
| 5653s | hand now here's the |
| 5655s | question is it Alex straza the one one |
| 5658s | I'm joking of |
| 5660s | course |
| 5664s | just cuz he knows the Fireballs in hand |
| 5666s | right although wait Al is buffed is |
| 5669s | isn't it cuz the gardens yep yeah okay |
| 5672s | never mind then it's |
| 5685s | [Music] |
| 5687s | fine is it too late to play a f flower |
| 5690s | child or |
| 5692s | there's nothing left right that's Dragon |
| 5696s | Golem to isn't it yeah mind nothing |
| 5701s | yeah |
| 5704s | it's cuz of the snap dragon |
| 5710s | but honestly it's just got to be Alex |
| 5713s | yeah yeah Alex and go y I like |
| 5717s | it oh second Reverb off the top |
| 5725s | and there's a world way he doesn't even |
| 5726s | have to use it |
| 5728s | right so why I like this first just |
| 5730s | discover the Spells trade see what else |
| 5733s | is on |
| 5741s | offer this is big though because once |
| 5744s | you've seen F Alex and then the hands |
| 5747s | small enough that Dragon Golem isn't |
| 5749s | scary there's not that much left in the |
| 5752s | deck is there on a on a sort of one card |
| 5754s | by one card |
| 5756s | basis and to kill this Alex me is going |
| 5759s | to need something with Rush or the uh |
| 5761s | damage proc or just to face tank it |
| 5764s | which is uh likely going to be the |
| 5769s | option y let take the |
| 5773s | turn and now with the now with the |
| 5776s | dragon Golem number two |
| 5779s | gone there are very few things that are |
| 5781s | even going to remotely scar CJ Kaka |
| 5783s | right |
| 5787s | now and there's all this value still |
| 5789s | left TJ the uh Infiniti as well Cold |
| 5793s | Case being picked |
| 5795s | up I think it's slipping away for the |
| 5798s | meat |
| 5799s | man yep more draw more |
| 5810s | value those reverbs they got a lot to |
| 5813s | answer for |
| 5816s | TJ came at the perfect time yeah really |
| 5820s | strong lady Nar as well is um |
| 5826s | Arcane picked up yeah |
| 5830s | yep right it looks like there's a a bit |
| 5833s | of damage there TJ yeah it's a million |
| 5837s | it's one two three 1 million okay yeah |
| 5841s | got it yeah was it |
| 5844s | plus missing we're missing like fil even |
| 5847s | can use a flame guys cuz why not uh to |
| 5850s | be able to clear this off the board yeah |
| 5852s | cuz just with snake oil flame geyser and |
| 5854s | Fireball it's enough yeah and also as |
| 5857s | well you add on the fact that there's no |
| 5859s | Alex stza now for mey to say say self |
| 5862s | heal apologies out of any again if the |
| 5865s | range was difficult there's no way re to |
| 5868s | gain armor no way to heal again this |
| 5870s | deck becomes very very very honest uh |
| 5873s | when you at this point in the game as |
| 5874s | the dragon Druid it's just I can play |
| 5877s | some stats and mey throwing the hands up |
| 5879s | I think think he knows five cards left |
| 5881s | for CJ just saw the Arcane come down |
| 5885s | Sith is going to end it and it looks |
| 5887s | like game one is going to be going to CJ |
| 5889s | with Mage getting it |
| 5891s | done yeah very nicely done I like C CJ |
| 5895s | in the match up versus pocket train just |
| 5897s | queed Demon Hunter first and kept |
| 5899s | queuing Demon Hunter knowing that's the |
| 5900s | toughest match up but I do like going |
| 5902s | for |
| 5903s | momentum do are you like an emotional |
| 5907s | player would you say TJ like do you |
| 5908s | think that would you would do this to |
| 5910s | give yourself a sort of mental boost |
| 5912s | going into the game I'm personally am |
| 5915s | not an emotional player but I know there |
| 5917s | are many out there um and you might be |
| 5921s | able to say that mey is a more emotional |
| 5924s | player than pocket train for instance |
| 5926s | and so pocket Train's never going to let |
| 5929s | like a loss in the series get get him |
| 5931s | down because he can step back and look |
| 5934s | at the bigger picture and maybe CJ just |
| 5937s | thinks that mey might um tilt a little |
| 5941s | bit more uh if uh he's able to rack up |
| 5943s | some some early wins cuz we're looking |
| 5945s | at close matchups across the |
| 5947s | board until we get to the the Demon |
| 5950s | Hunter I feel so yeah and we and we can |
| 5953s | see here that you know the creation able |
| 5956s | to wipe the first the the only really |
| 5958s | big dragon Golem push and then this turn |
| 5961s | now this was the second wave from mey |
| 5964s | looked really good for me here with all |
| 5966s | this power on board but then the Reverb |
| 5968s | number one and then Reverb number two to |
| 5970s | deal with the Alex trazza and once that |
| 5972s | happens there's such a lack of card draw |
| 5976s | in the Druid Deck and such an abundance |
| 5978s | of maybe not card draw but card |
| 5980s | generation and card draw in the mage |
| 5982s | deck that these sort of uh last gasp |
| 5985s | kind of fights always favor the Mage as |
| 5988s | long as they have a turn or so to |
| 5989s | generate some cards so CJ just did |
| 5992s | exactly what he needed to hang on there |
| 5994s | pushed mey back and like you said it |
| 5995s | means that he's just got this Highlander |
| 5997s | Druid and the Demon Hunter left but uh I |
| 6000s | I am with you I think it's this thing we |
| 6002s | talk about all the time especially in |
| 6004s | Conquest is great win for CJ of course |
| 6007s | but there is still Highlander Druid and |
| 6009s | the Demon Hunter to get over the line |
| 6011s | right this is by no means uh done and |
| 6013s | dusted for mey the light shall bring |
| 6016s | absolutely not I must protect and now |
| 6018s | we're going to get into again holding |
| 6020s | holding off |
| 6022s | on the Demon Hunter so we are going to |
| 6023s | see the priest um midi we saw in the |
| 6027s | stats earlier that meidi had queued |
| 6029s | priest in game one of his previous uh |
| 6032s | two series um that's what he did |
| 6035s | wrong that's well I mean he did lose |
| 6039s | one maybe not but you could be thinking |
| 6044s | that very much so but we'll see if CJ |
| 6048s | Kaka is going to be able to get it done |
| 6049s | I this opening hand is all right there's |
| 6052s | a wild growth which is a big deal and |
| 6055s | some some |
| 6057s | Tempo uh with the the the two dragons |
| 6061s | yeah as long as CJ can pick up another |
| 6063s | Dragon right that that's the ultimate |
| 6065s | plan here and like coin wild growth in |
| 6068s | into uh nest and then into um into spine |
| 6072s | tail then this should be okay uh there |
| 6074s | is a worst case option here of now |
| 6078s | this's tape to the skies so CJ could |
| 6080s | have to take could turn off to draw them |
| 6082s | but really H there's a lot of tempo on |
| 6084s | the ground here but Crimson clergy times |
| 6087s | two along with the Slither Spear and a |
| 6090s | funnel cake for some extra draws going |
| 6092s | to be looking real nice it's so good |
| 6095s | it's so good he even throw in the dream |
| 6098s | boat there for a good amount of stats as |
| 6101s | well as some additional card draw we're |
| 6104s | looking |
| 6105s | fantastic now this is where it gets |
| 6107s | interesting here and this is something |
| 6109s | I've struggled with when I've been been |
| 6111s | playing the game |
| 6113s | is the when to use or trade Shard of the |
| 6117s | Naru um because whenever I've traded it |
| 6120s | away it feels like the next turn I want |
| 6123s | it I wish I had it in hand to use it but |
| 6125s | again I think at this point here for mey |
| 6127s | with being able to build up this board |
| 6129s | you want to keep ping on actual stat |
| 6131s | pressure and and try and get that Shard |
| 6134s | of the narrow back if it comes to a sort |
| 6136s | of a dragon Golem or something awkward |
| 6139s | to deal with a little bit later on but |
| 6140s | for now |
| 6142s | CJ does have the um the the double uh |
| 6146s | does he have it oh no he's actually not |
| 6148s | able to play both here can still play |
| 6151s | the taunt out and maybe draw the dragons |
| 6154s | as well that might be the best option |
| 6155s | but no going to respect it with the |
| 6157s | spine tail and just kill off the uh the |
| 6159s | dream |
| 6162s | boat now me is going to be looking to |
| 6166s | probably get this Pelos down just got to |
| 6169s | work out how to make the trade actually |
| 6173s | okay going to take a turn off this does |
| 6175s | make sense actually cuz playing Pelos |
| 6177s | without a buff um into this spine T is |
| 6180s | going to be a bit of a |
| 6184s | problem no |
| 6186s | heals |
| 6187s | [Music] |
| 6195s | yeah Mana 66 yeah |
| 6200s | yeah |
| 6205s | oh now that's a lot of value but he's |
| 6209s | going to take a lot of damage it's |
| 6211s | possible that he even dies it's like |
| 6213s | that's the thing is it's like ooh this |
| 6214s | would be a good hand if I wasn't against |
| 6216s | this |
| 6217s | priest yep okay there we go got the ramp |
| 6221s | as well as the dragon Golem however |
| 6223s | there's only one other dragon in hand CJ |
| 6227s | already shaking his head thinking uh |
| 6230s | it's all ogre |
| 6233s | no Buffs though for |
| 6237s | mey just a a little bit awkward here not |
| 6241s | hitting any of the um the the Spells |
| 6244s | basically yes there's a mind here of |
| 6246s | course but in general H you want you |
| 6248s | know at least a wig that there's there's |
| 6250s | other options obviously aren't aren't as |
| 6252s | good but not bad uh like you said even |
| 6255s | the uh The Shard would be okay to just |
| 6257s | trade it but hits the Naga |
| 6260s | again |
| 6261s | yeah that is a that's the turn that CJ's |
| 6264s | dreamt of for this turn I |
| 6271s | think now here's the question TJ do you |
| 6274s | even think it's Dragon Golem next turn |
| 6276s | or do you think it's just going to be |
| 6281s | F cuz it gets F down the turn before |
| 6285s | amthal right yeah yeah I like this |
| 6289s | basically try and get two heals from F |
| 6291s | and two and some trades of course as |
| 6293s | well and it's just very difficult |
| 6296s | outside of uh Shard of the Naru for mey |
| 6299s | to deal |
| 6300s | with and the power synchronized not |
| 6303s | fantastic but does have a draw lined up |
| 6305s | with the |
| 6306s | cathedral okay there's a wig |
| 6309s | okay things can now be played |
| 6313s | yeah can you synchronize the F it would |
| 6317s | cost seven I've I've got a weird |
| 6320s | question okay what's your question what |
| 6323s | if me just doesn't attack this |
| 6328s | turn's I will find the truth me done as |
| 6332s | I I'm trying to work out how worth it is |
| 6336s | like attacking at |
| 6338s | [Music] |
| 6340s | all this could be synchronized |
| 6342s | on oh okay it's going to go wig |
| 6346s | interesting because this is just healing |
| 6349s | right isn't this just going to heal he |
| 6351s | the F more when he could just arm and th |
| 6353s | next |
| 6356s | turn maybe he wants to hold on to the |
| 6359s | amol these are pretty clean trades cuz |
| 6360s | it's a value trade with the first fish |
| 6362s | is guo sticks |
| 6365s | onto not |
| 6369s | active we're looking at nourish see I gu |
| 6373s | CJ's look at the deck list thinking what |
| 6375s | but it is it's just nourish I believe |
| 6379s | yep cuz one split Splash was played |
| 6381s | earlier |
| 6382s | right yep not that it' even be the play |
| 6386s | this turn um cuz there's so much |
| 6389s | potential damage sitting on the other |
| 6390s | side I guess the serpent wig was played |
| 6392s | unactivated so wouldn't be too worried |
| 6395s | about |
| 6397s | that Weise to the war okay it's unforged |
| 6405s | oh |
| 6409s | okay |
| 6411s | I mean there's no way you're not doing |
| 6413s | this |
| 6415s | right yeah it doesn't kill the Pelos but |
| 6419s | it kills everything |
| 6421s | else |
| 6422s | yeah the other option is like what hero |
| 6427s | power power |
| 6430s | really so CJ's hoping to like the Pelos |
| 6434s | will get buff next turn and then gets to |
| 6436s | clear it but this is pretty dangerous |
| 6440s | yeah |
| 6442s | yeah I guess is he just assuming like he |
| 6446s | knows there's no wigs in |
| 6448s | hand so he's not bothered about that |
| 6451s | like he thinks the hand's bad I don't |
| 6455s | know these are some very good |
| 6459s | pickups yeah dream boolt there to |
| 6461s | activate that wig that's just in hand |
| 6465s | now could also go like dream dream boo |
| 6469s | uh or thir dream Boo and then H |
| 6474s | synchronize could synchronize the |
| 6478s | Pelos I think you want more value out of |
| 6481s | the synchronize I'm not sure but it |
| 6482s | looks like he's going to just go |
| 6485s | Dreamboat |
| 6490s | synchronize there's also the argument to |
| 6492s | synchronize the dream boat to just have |
| 6494s | another Naga to use another wig again I |
| 6497s | I I want mind I want a dream boat or |
| 6505s | just wait |
| 6506s | till yeah this is enough |
| 6511s | power light bomb will take out nearly |
| 6514s | everything with the hero power will take |
| 6515s | out |
| 6518s | everything yeah I was going to say |
| 6519s | where's me's reaction to that light bomb |
| 6521s | cuz I'd be annoyed and then there was a |
| 6523s | bit of a face pull there after we s that |
| 6528s | yeah oh Doom say it |
| 6531s | you could just AR andth it away right |
| 6534s | yeah but that's H you can AR andth you |
| 6537s | get silence and then oh he can he can |
| 6539s | silence now oh no no no you don't use |
| 6541s | the silence right surely you just am |
| 6544s | andol it away ah yeah I guess the uh |
| 6548s | with Liv steel is uh not great at this |
| 6551s | [Music] |
| 6554s | point oh he's going to silence it okay |
| 6557s | Max Tempo it depends on the okay yeah |
| 6561s | yeah trying to think about what minions |
| 6563s | he could get that could change it o is |
| 6565s | aase |
| 6568s | active |
| 6571s | uh yeah Miracle |
| 6574s | salesman I think has not been played |
| 6577s | right that's the only one I think |
| 6579s | there's just two Miracle salesman in the |
| 6585s | deck like is that even that good just |
| 6587s | making some four fours yeah I was going |
| 6589s | to say isn't like just glug or whatever |
| 6591s | else was offered by |
| 6593s | Leviathan yeah glug |
| 6596s | is it's glug |
| 6603s | yeah something pretty |
| 6606s | big we'll be able to with a |
| 6616s | now and now this is where what just glug |
| 6619s | synchronize go |
| 6628s | and this is the strange thing I found |
| 6630s | when I was practicing this deck is that |
| 6632s | you can get in situations where suddenly |
| 6634s | you're just playing like a weird late |
| 6636s | game priest and it kind of works right |
| 6639s | like you can get so much value from |
| 6641s | these |
| 6643s | pickups yeah these are not the best in |
| 6646s | terms of uh legendary options I mean can |
| 6650s | you |
| 6651s | get spur |
| 6655s | Fang got some Buffs on it TJ got to okay |
| 6659s | yeah get a king |
| 6661s | Crush rock you just need to find two |
| 6664s | more uh class cards but yeah spur Fang |
| 6668s | is the the best yeah there the |
| 6672s | synchronize now we're in this strange |
| 6675s | late game do you think me is still |
| 6676s | looking good here I think me is looking |
| 6679s | good this is a lot of |
| 6681s | Tempo and again just not that many |
| 6684s | dragons yeah |
| 6689s | yeah it is uh pretty impressive how |
| 6693s | different yeah or the difference in |
| 6696s | power of the Dragon Golem in Highlander |
| 6699s | Druid than it is in like Dragon Druid |
| 6701s | it's suddenly just like oh it's it's a |
| 6704s | couple of taunts sometimes and that's |
| 6706s | kind of it |
| 6709s | yeah in the ETC is uh thear steam |
| 6713s | cleaner forbidden |
| 6714s | fruit so thear is the only thing that |
| 6717s | makes sense in in here but not at the |
| 6720s | moment maybe as a desperation play who |
| 6723s | knows but right now CJ just has to worry |
| 6725s | about |
| 6726s | surviving yeah I think it would be way |
| 6728s | more playable if this level of pressure |
| 6730s | wasn't here you know to try and get the |
| 6731s | arm andth um would be pretty good |
| 6735s | but just going to go maximum defense |
| 6739s | yeah basically looking for REO right now |
| 6741s | is the only yeah and it would be active |
| 6745s | as the nourish was picked |
| 6751s | up so just trying to hard |
| 6755s | cycle to the |
| 6759s | Reno so copy is the |
| 6766s | only yeah yeah it's the only ability |
| 6769s | left that Cathedral start though oh okay |
| 6773s | I like this gonna B trade into it yeah |
| 6776s | trade into it and then copy the |
| 6779s | glug and it also just makes some room on |
| 6781s | board right yeah but I don't think mey |
| 6784s | wants to extend here because he knows |
| 6786s | that CJ is just looking for Reno and has |
| 6789s | seen the two duplicates right so he's |
| 6791s | just going to get the legendary from the |
| 6794s | final I'm a dual activation and |
| 6799s | hold |
| 6802s | together in |
| 6804s | harmony oh that holiday yeah |
| 6808s | yeah |
| 6812s | wait |
| 6814s | what what's up |
| 6822s | te are you |
| 6824s | okay |
| 6826s | yeah talk to |
| 6829s | me oh there's Reno |
| 6838s | though okay so Reno huge pickup you can |
| 6843s | now get rid of it |
| 6846s | here I was thinking uh um I was mixing |
| 6850s | up colossal with |
| 6854s | Titan all right okay oh you're wondering |
| 6857s | why it summoned more okay I'm with yeah |
| 6859s | yeah yeah yeah okay yeah yeah well |
| 6862s | either way they're all gone now but me |
| 6866s | does have a pretty solid uh followup |
| 6868s | here get that weapon equipped |
| 6874s | yeah a curse |
| 6877s | of start |
| 6881s | swinging do get the uh minion from it |
| 6884s | obviously but has plenty of follow to |
| 6887s | this yeah if you're not going to get one |
| 6889s | the first one's the best best one to not |
| 6891s | get |
| 6893s | absolutely oh the rust drop Viper |
| 6896s | straight off the |
| 6897s | top oh |
| 6899s | no and he can get some ignis value as |
| 6903s | well which is pretty |
| 6905s | huge m is running out of cards and |
| 6908s | there's just not enough nagas left to |
| 6910s | really uh utilize these serpent wings |
| 6913s | with say like spur |
| 6917s | Fang oh this is the opp opposite of the |
| 6921s | turn me he wants to see right now cuz |
| 6923s | that weapon like that pickup um of the |
| 6925s | weapon was fantastic right cuz that is |
| 6928s | so much continued just sort of |
| 6930s | Relentless pressure uh with the arm and |
| 6932s | th to back it up back the frogs up and |
| 6934s | now that's just gone CJ is just starting |
| 6936s | to build up the aelo now and there's a |
| 6939s | weapon already in hand with poison on it |
| 6941s | like this is brutal because even amthal |
| 6944s | just isn't that impressive anymore right |
| 6948s | it's not it's not bad but it's it's not |
| 6951s | it's nowhere near as good as it would be |
| 6953s | if it wasn't staring down this weapon |
| 6954s | for |
| 6955s | example yeah the |
| 6958s | um maybe there's some type of legendary |
| 6961s | that mey can get I'm sure there's always |
| 6966s | something there's always something well |
| 6969s | there so many dead cards in the hand the |
| 6970s | miracle salesmen are just not doing |
| 6972s | anything handmaiden not doing anything |
| 6975s | I'm still on get a king Crush plan if |
| 6976s | that's still possible but I don't think |
| 6978s | there's enough Buffs |
| 6981s | there's like no Buffs water swe there a |
| 6986s | wig need to generate a million Naga yeah |
| 6989s | you just use like a a |
| 6993s | nonactivated handmaiden in order to make |
| 6995s | it happen oh you pip for the other um |
| 6999s | other wig yep so you handmaid in what |
| 7002s | handmaid in double wig I don't |
| 7008s | know well either way |
| 7011s | or just go wide is likely to be one of |
| 7013s | the finest uh final pushes |
| 7017s | yep any problem it's a whole sales team |
| 7024s | oh and there's POG on yeah but which |
| 7031s | one well I don't know how long have we |
| 7033s | got TJ |
| 7035s | because if we want to mimic what |
| 7037s | happened last night then we could be |
| 7039s | here for a while |
| 7050s | Madness will consume |
| 7055s | you |
| 7059s | uh-oh is that |
| 7063s | okay not the worst |
| 7068s | no burn here slight F that CJ has to |
| 7072s | worry about some random legendaries |
| 7074s | right like that's the only real F CJ has |
| 7077s | right |
| 7079s | now Aero poal okay so he's going to nope |
| 7084s | the uh the yoga |
| 7091s | imagine World cleans of evil |
| 7096s | [Music] |
| 7098s | uh all those seem |
| 7102s | terrible yeah two of them seem extra |
| 7106s | terrible |
| 7110s | yeah I was going to say you just take |
| 7112s | the 32 right it's just as a playable |
| 7116s | card oh there R stza you say that was |
| 7119s | shuffled in |
| 7123s | earlier so this H uh he's got to tank |
| 7127s | the |
| 7128s | four that's it's |
| 7133s | fine uh yes I can't see any other way |
| 7137s | out of that yeah isn't it this is the |
| 7139s | armor bullet isn't it yeah that's not |
| 7140s | too bad just gets it back in armor like |
| 7142s | it's okay uh fatigue is kicking in now |
| 7145s | of course but uh there is going to be |
| 7146s | snapshot shuffled in to help him with |
| 7148s | one of those fatigue procs and also |
| 7150s | there's this Etc coming down as well |
| 7154s | from all |
| 7155s | pressure oh forbidden fruit love |
| 7158s | it |
| 7161s | easier to draw which actually sets up |
| 7163s | for a lethal |
| 7170s | mhm okay here we go there is the uh |
| 7174s | poison okay never |
| 7176s | [Music] |
| 7188s | mind |
| 7190s | right yeah it's funny yeah yeah yeah I |
| 7193s | think so CU like weirdly kind of bad |
| 7196s | that it got Divine Shield I think but |
| 7197s | yeah that should be |
| 7201s | enough |
| 7202s | forbidden yeah just like thatc coming in |
| 7207s | clutch and CJ taking win I believe win |
| 7211s | number two there so suddenly he's in a |
| 7214s | position to just take this series 3 0 |
| 7217s | and mey H he's in a bit of a danger |
| 7219s | dangerous spot but we did talk about the |
| 7221s | Demon Hunter earlier on right and like |
| 7224s | that being maybe the sticking point for |
| 7226s | CJ that being the deck that H he really |
| 7229s | needs to get over the line really to to |
| 7231s | feel comfortable and it's even more true |
| 7234s | now is if he gets over the line with the |
| 7236s | Demon Hunter then that will mean he's |
| 7237s | won the series and moved on H into the |
| 7240s | uh the top cut so a really really tense |
| 7243s | game really tense series for CJ overall |
| 7245s | but it's been going well so |
| 7248s | far yeah it's it's been going quite well |
| 7251s | but this is where it's going to hit the |
| 7253s | roadblock um I feel but has three |
| 7256s | chances to get it over the line and I |
| 7259s | feel like it just takes that one game |
| 7262s | that one set of draws uh to get there |
| 7265s | but that was a long game that was a |
| 7267s | grueling one that one had like three |
| 7268s | different stages it had the hper tempo |
| 7271s | early then the light bomb and both |
| 7273s | players trying to rebuild back up board |
| 7275s | and |
| 7276s | resources romly generated L game |
| 7279s | effectively |
| 7280s | I think that's what surprised me the |
| 7282s | most with this priest is how well it can |
| 7284s | fight late game because if you think |
| 7286s | about it right like this style of priest |
| 7288s | goes up against Highlander deck if its |
| 7290s | first few pushes get cleared you would |
| 7293s | just say oh well you probably just lose |
| 7295s | right because one Highlander is |
| 7296s | naturally a high value based deck um |
| 7299s | obviously a bit less consistent but high |
| 7301s | value um and the priest you just think |
| 7303s | of oh early minions get big punch face |
| 7306s | if that doesn't work game but just |
| 7309s | amthal and I guess synchronized as well |
| 7311s | of course helps out massively with that |
| 7313s | is enough to just flip it and say okay I |
| 7316s | obviously can't match a Reno deck in |
| 7319s | terms of it's like true late game value |
| 7321s | but you can keep playing for a decent |
| 7323s | amount of time we saw it go to fatigue |
| 7325s | there effectively H for both players and |
| 7327s | you can still keep you know trying and |
| 7329s | getting there and it's not just all over |
| 7331s | if your board gets wiped and I think |
| 7332s | that's one of that sort of like extra |
| 7334s | little bit of value that this priest |
| 7336s | deck offers but as we said mey in in a |
| 7340s | tough spot your pick TJ may not be uh |
| 7343s | looking good for too long ah we'll see I |
| 7346s | got faith told me me told me said he's |
| 7351s | not going to let me down today |
| 7353s | so oh well there you go then that's it |
| 7356s | that's all you need to know TJ a very |
| 7358s | trustworthy person just just saying well |
| 7361s | he said it'll be fine so it's okay a |
| 7363s | trusted |
| 7365s | doctors so that's why I have to I and |
| 7369s | innate trust for |
| 7371s | mey um but even though it's a an easy |
| 7375s | matchup I mean we've talked about this |
| 7376s | many many times on Hearthstone cast in |
| 7378s | the past it's just even if you're you're |
| 7381s | looking at favored matchups across the |
| 7383s | board if you have to win three times in |
| 7385s | a row your actual percentage chance to |
| 7389s | win just |
| 7391s | plummets um you're still unfavored to |
| 7394s | win the series even if you have three |
| 7395s | 70% matchups uh if you have to do it |
| 7398s | three times in a row |
| 7400s | so um it's going to be rough but uh in |
| 7404s | the lineup has done it before pocket |
| 7406s | train with the exact same lineup as mey |
| 7408s | different different pilot of the deck |
| 7409s | but they play test together they should |
| 7410s | have rubbed off on each other was able |
| 7413s | to three this Demon Hunter specifically |
| 7416s | uh from CG so now it's time to see if me |
| 7418s | is going to be able to do the same |
| 7420s | thing it's always scary as well though |
| 7423s | because maybe this is just a me thing |
| 7424s | but I just I would go into this uh as |
| 7427s | meting just say oh it is Demon Hunter |
| 7430s | though and it just needs that one like |
| 7433s | pop off and it's just game over right so |
| 7436s | it's very very scary indeed CJ just |
| 7438s | needs to win one more game to move on to |
| 7442s | that top four uh mey on the other hand |
| 7445s | has quite the journey to take it getting |
| 7447s | a rid of the Snapdragon as well H in |
| 7450s | that Mulligan so we'll see how this pays |
| 7453s | off does have Cactus so that is a you |
| 7455s | know something as a silver lining here |
| 7458s | for mey |
| 7462s | get back okay oh just needs a welp and |
| 7466s | it's all good sketchy |
| 7473s | stranger looks like the best one to |
| 7481s | me time wait for No |
| 7488s | One could be pretty impactful |
| 7492s | here and that's if he ends up playing it |
| 7494s | or like when he ends up playing it right |
| 7496s | cuz it's not like it's going to overly |
| 7499s | fit the curve cuz I imagine mey will |
| 7501s | still want to coin Snap Dragon into take |
| 7503s | to the skies as he's sort of plan |
| 7505s | a |
| 7508s | yeah CJ just saying tempo attack go oh |
| 7512s | SN SN |
| 7514s | Dragon here's a question though TJ does |
| 7517s | matey need double snaping snap uh sorry |
| 7520s | snap snap with the hand it it actually |
| 7523s | seems really good right um cuz you go |
| 7526s | snap into snap and then probably take to |
| 7529s | the skies and then flower child and if |
| 7531s | you hit Dragon Golem off of the finaled |
| 7533s | flower child you're cooking cuz then you |
| 7535s | just roll right into that you're just |
| 7537s | giving up a lot in the meantime of uh |
| 7539s | Tempo but Snapdragon still comes with a |
| 7542s | reasonably sized body but that's going |
| 7543s | to be a free well not free in the sense |
| 7547s | that was on in his deck to be in with |
| 7549s | but I was just wondering the upside of |
| 7552s | obviously depends on what the draw is |
| 7553s | next turn but going take to the sky next |
| 7555s | turn to try and get like the free |
| 7558s | dragons instead or you know hit |
| 7560s | something like that uh so you have that |
| 7562s | turn to sort of try and secure the board |
| 7564s | on turn four then you play flowerchild |
| 7565s | and go sort of go in that direction um |
| 7568s | does depend what he's going to draw of |
| 7569s | course but just potential options for |
| 7573s | mey and now we now he also has cactus in |
| 7576s | secret yeah I like the take to the guys |
| 7578s | though being able to have the option for |
| 7580s | Tempo next |
| 7581s | turn is quite good |
| 7589s | oh that's the rush if you have no |
| 7592s | Minions on |
| 7595s | board is that what that |
| 7597s | is um I'm going to choose to believe you |
| 7601s | I'm going to trust you you're the doctor |
| 7603s | today |
| 7605s | TJ is this really better than nothing |
| 7612s | but CJ going for the uh raw |
| 7615s | Tempo only really what one Dragon he's |
| 7619s | scared no two dragons he's scared of |
| 7621s | right um any of the deal damage from |
| 7623s | hand dragons |
| 7625s | but this is a |
| 7631s | rough oh there's the stereo |
| 7634s | totem yeah great but not at this point |
| 7638s | yeah |
| 7640s | yeah this is not looking good for mey to |
| 7642s | be honest it's really not and I think |
| 7644s | me's face sums it up right he's just |
| 7647s | wincing every single turn he's like like |
| 7650s | there's not much he can really |
| 7654s | do he even went digging for the dragons |
| 7656s | with tap to the skies but just missed on |
| 7659s | any of the ones that deal damage from |
| 7660s | hand whether it was uh spine tail um or |
| 7664s | even missed on the uh the uh the nest |
| 7668s | The Nest m there's the Amber welp you |
| 7670s | know there maton at least to put more |
| 7672s | stats on the board right to refresh that |
| 7674s | Mana so those were some of the worst |
| 7677s | dragon draws he could have got in this |
| 7678s | specific |
| 7680s | situation there's |
| 7683s | predation gets mistake as |
| 7686s | well now can momentum like how much |
| 7689s | damage is |
| 7693s | this 7 eight one |
| 7697s | off oh my I was wondering them for just |
| 7700s | a second whether there was ever like |
| 7702s | second Sharpshooter options for CJ |
| 7707s | but and I think that's it right there's |
| 7711s | nothing that muty can do and you can |
| 7714s | look how rough it is because fire is |
| 7716s | still nine like this is not this is not |
| 7719s | how you want the dragon truid to go on |
| 7722s | turn five you've not ramped and th is |
| 7725s | full full uh uh full |
| 7727s | Mana so 7 seven there's three four five |
| 7731s | six yeah that's not enough and that just |
| 7733s | like that CJ almost can't believe it |
| 7736s | just like that that's going to be 3 0 CJ |
| 7740s | is going to be moving on and mey is done |
| 7743s | not only for the day but for the world |
| 7745s | championship huge congratulations you |
| 7747s | can see there you know tense up until |
| 7750s | the very last moment TJ wasn't over till |
| 7753s | it was over in CJ's mind but what a |
| 7756s | victory to kick off the day at the |
| 7758s | beginning of today CJ knew he was in a |
| 7761s | rough spot in a sort of losing position |
| 7763s | from yesterday had all the work in the |
| 7765s | world to do but what a way to start |
| 7768s | three your opponent and now you're on |
| 7770s | Level Playing Field with everyone who |
| 7771s | went 20 out of the group yeah it's |
| 7774s | basically like a reset right so uh very |
| 7777s | well done and that was just playing for |
| 7780s | the tempo with the Deep Hunter right |
| 7782s | just damage you know straight up put on |
| 7785s | the pressure instead of trying to hold |
| 7786s | off for like big a big Sharpshooter com |
| 7789s | combo um yeah and I think it was really |
| 7792s | seeing that you know see what me's first |
| 7794s | couple of turns were with no ramp and |
| 7797s | then no particular minion pressure that |
| 7799s | couldn't be dealt with from the |
| 7800s | Sharpshooter one CJ was like yeah let's |
| 7803s | go let's go full Temple like you said |
| 7805s | and it massively paid off with mey |
| 7807s | missing those key dragons on the |
| 7811s | draw yeah fire still crossing nine as |
| 7813s | you mentioned that's not what you want |
| 7815s | to |
| 7815s | see uh in these matchups the I mean the |
| 7818s | early hand didn't look terrible |
| 7820s | obviously the cactus constructs weren't |
| 7822s | fantastic uh no welp uh in the opening |
| 7825s | hand and then the tick to the skies was |
| 7827s | just atrocious so despite having a |
| 7830s | reasonable curve the we just skyrockets |
| 7833s | your your yeah just especially against |
| 7836s | the deck that's as can be as fast as the |
| 7838s | Demon Hunter is just too too tough to |
| 7842s | overcome and um yeah my prediction is is |
| 7846s | out as is tradition I don't think I've |
| 7848s | ever correct corrected correctly |
| 7849s | predicted a world championship |
| 7852s | outcome um having cast it for what 8 |
| 7856s | many years yeah I was going to say many |
| 7859s | years now yeah yeah let's take a look at |
| 7862s | the bracket and see how this one's ended |
| 7864s | now and how everything's going to be |
| 7865s | looking going forward so yeah in |
| 7867s | opposite Fashions here pocket train sort |
| 7869s | of smooth sailed straight out of the |
| 7871s | group um and CJ Kaka is going to be the |
| 7874s | player that joins him now in that top |
| 7876s | cut with a really impressive win over me |
| 7880s | so let's take a look at the top four and |
| 7881s | see what the rest of the day is going to |
| 7883s | look like TJ we've got recam versus CJ |
| 7886s | on one side and pocket train versus you |
| 7890s | on another um I'll give you a an |
| 7893s | unofficial second chance here TJ out of |
| 7895s | the top |
| 7896s | four who are you putting your money |
| 7899s | on oh I might need some time to mle this |
| 7903s | one over I just don't want to follow the |
| 7905s | the bandwagon here and go with pocket |
| 7907s | train I might have to go with |
| 7909s | gu okay um but we'll see um I think I uh |
| 7915s | have a little bit of time let me see |
| 7917s | like just the first couple turns of the |
| 7919s | next match and I'll give you a decision |
| 7920s | how about that I was just about to say |
| 7922s | truer words have never been said because |
| 7924s | we will in fact see who is going to win |
| 7927s | because that's the day we're going to be |
| 7929s | crowning a world champion before the day |
| 7932s | is out uh but what a match for that 3 |
| 7936s | really incredible there uh Victory but |
| 7938s | as I said we've got plenty more |
| 7939s | Hearthstone coming up we're going to go |
| 7941s | to a quick break while we set up the |
| 7942s | first semi-final of the Hearthstone |
| 7945s | World Championship don't go anywhere |
| 7947s | we'll be right |
| 7967s | back |
| 7973s | [Music] |
| 7995s | [Music] |
| 7997s | up |
| 8001s | [Music] |
| 8012s | [Music] |
| 8017s | [Music] |
| 8022s | [Music] |
| 8027s | yeah |
| 8047s | [Music] |
| 8053s | [Music] |
| 8057s | SC |
| 8064s | [Music] |
| 8069s | [Music] |
| 8080s | [Music] |
| 8087s | up |
| 8105s | [Music] |
| 8127s | [Music] |
| 8147s | he |
| 8148s | [Music] |
| 8165s | [Music] |
| 8177s | three |
| 8178s | [Music] |
| 8207s | go |
| 8212s | [Music] |
| 8230s | [Music] |
| 8237s | one |
| 8240s | [Music] |
| 8251s | [Music] |
| 8256s | hello everyone welcome back to day two |
| 8259s | of the Hearthstone Masters T World |
| 8262s | Championship we are just partway through |
| 8266s | today we still have several more matches |
| 8270s | to go uh so to bring you our next match |
| 8273s | I am Dragon Rider joined This Time by |
| 8275s | adal Vice and adal vice yeah we've got |
| 8279s | some top four action coming up |
| 8282s | next yeah very excited to see this how |
| 8287s | this all plays out uh of course we no |
| 8289s | longer have the perfect play group of |
| 8292s | recam pocket train mey with mey taking |
| 8295s | the 03 to CJ as pocket 3 CJ earlier so |
| 8299s | uh I think CJ's feeling a little bit uh |
| 8303s | better you know with the momentum behind |
| 8305s | him now uh but uh raken you know the one |
| 8309s | of that play group who who did opt for a |
| 8311s | different lineup just because he was |
| 8313s | worried about getting targeted in groups |
| 8315s | and uh has got this uh Warrior that |
| 8318s | could be a kind of sticking point for |
| 8321s | him uh there is a possibility going up |
| 8324s | against CJ that he could once again sort |
| 8326s | of out Armour the Mages |
| 8328s | uh potential |
| 8330s | damage but uh yeah we see here just you |
| 8334s | know he's got that nature Shaman which |
| 8336s | has been a sticking point for some as |
| 8338s | well as the Demon Hunter that has been a |
| 8340s | sticking point for others so might |
| 8342s | struggle a little bit but uh you know I |
| 8344s | think he was feeling very good after the |
| 8347s | the group stage and I'm hoping he can |
| 8348s | kind of keep that energy going through |
| 8350s | the rest of |
| 8352s | today yeah it's definitely going to be |
| 8354s | uh a little bit interesting to see kind |
| 8357s | of how these |
| 8358s | different lineups pair up here uh we |
| 8362s | have seen so far ream go six and four in |
| 8366s | games this weekend so even if there is |
| 8370s | maybe some potential sticking points uh |
| 8373s | we were kind of talking about maybe one |
| 8375s | of these decks does struggle overall he |
| 8378s | has had a very good win rate went 20 |
| 8382s | with the warrior so far was able to kind |
| 8384s | of cruise through that upper bracket so |
| 8387s | we'll see if that Warrior continues in |
| 8389s | that Trend uh I am very curious to see |
| 8393s | the warrior specifically myself so uh |
| 8396s | let's take a look at that Warrior deck |
| 8399s | and look at uh the I guess one of the uh |
| 8405s | talking points that we've had a lot over |
| 8407s | this weekend and yesterday especially |
| 8410s | was this kind of Reno deck in the |
| 8412s | inclusion of duplicates how many |
| 8414s | duplicates is is ideal what do play want |
| 8418s | and I think here uh recam really has |
| 8421s | gone for some of these just absolute |
| 8424s | best tools as duplicates trial by fire I |
| 8428s | think specifically one of them um but |
| 8431s | prison of yageron and Reno have been |
| 8434s | some very |
| 8435s | interesting uh cards that have kind of |
| 8438s | been showcased a lot yesterday so I'm |
| 8443s | curious to see if that also Trends in |
| 8446s | this match yeah we see he's gone for you |
| 8450s | know two of for shield block which at |
| 8451s | least draws blad storm which is one of |
| 8453s | the cheaper but powerful removals |
| 8456s | bellowing Flames just I think one of the |
| 8458s | best cards available to control Warrior |
| 8460s | presently and of course Craftsman's |
| 8462s | Hammer great uh for for early board |
| 8465s | control or once you have Odin going try |
| 8467s | by fire since the buff has been a |
| 8470s | completely insane card so I can |
| 8473s | definitely respect having two of all of |
| 8475s | these I just was surprised that we |
| 8477s | weren't in enti deck of two of that |
| 8478s | you'd bother going for Reno at all but |
| 8481s | uh Ream's kind of Prov the point like |
| 8484s | hey you know it's it's not a Reno class |
| 8488s | Baseline uh it doesn't have you know a a |
| 8490s | warrior legendary dependent on |
| 8493s | Highlander so you don't need the hero |
| 8496s | online immediately and sometimes Finley |
| 8499s | can help you to sort of write the ship a |
| 8501s | bit and while this Warrior seems like it |
| 8505s | would be one of the harder decks to to |
| 8507s | get through he's managed to go 20 with |
| 8509s | it |
| 8510s | so yeah well uh I know somebody else |
| 8514s | that might uh want to challenge this |
| 8517s | Warrior deck and that is CJ who we're |
| 8520s | going to see on the other side uh |
| 8523s | because we have really kind of seen his |
| 8526s | more Reno style decks uh and that Mage |
| 8529s | that you mentioned earlier kind of be uh |
| 8533s | powerhouses almost in yesterday's |
| 8536s | matches and he obviously did also do |
| 8539s | very well in the previous uh series that |
| 8541s | we just saw so taking out uh mey in that |
| 8547s | decider match to move into this match |
| 8550s | here as we see uh wow I I am actually |
| 8555s | really excited for this match because I |
| 8557s | I feel like the uh the kind of |
| 8561s | trajectory that reim was on yesterday |
| 8565s | could continue today but also I I think |
| 8570s | the trajectory that CJ has had through |
| 8573s | yesterday and then today he's kind of |
| 8575s | has the momentum in his favor I feel |
| 8578s | like so I'm really curious to see this |
| 8581s | and on the other side this Highlander |
| 8584s | Reno ruid deck that we are looking at |
| 8587s | for CJ uh that definitely was part of |
| 8591s | that amazing final game |
| 8594s | yesterday do you think it's going to |
| 8596s | come down to one of these like |
| 8598s | Highlander decks like we just showcased |
| 8600s | adal Vice or is it going to be maybe the |
| 8604s | Demon Hunter or the shaman that become |
| 8606s | more of a sticking point that uh CJ just |
| 8610s | has to get through those so uh for CJ |
| 8614s | you know the Demon Hunter has actually |
| 8616s | been banned so he's working with the the |
| 8618s | Druid rainbow Mage and pure palad and I |
| 8622s | think you know reim maybe just not |
| 8626s | wanting to deal with potential early |
| 8629s | blowouts available to the Demon Hunter |
| 8631s | and uh since his Warrior it you know can |
| 8635s | take a little bit of time to get on its |
| 8636s | feet feeling like he has a bit more |
| 8638s | chance against the Paladin uh I was you |
| 8641s | know maybe a little surprised to see |
| 8644s | this Druid uh going through because I |
| 8647s | would think that would be the tougher |
| 8649s | deck for a deck like reims |
| 8652s | Warrior it we could have a long one |
| 8655s | basically if it if it comes down to you |
| 8656s | know Warrior versus the Highlander Druid |
| 8659s | I think we we could be in this for quite |
| 8660s | some time uh just because there's a lot |
| 8663s | of back and forth tech cards you know |
| 8666s | you can get a big ignis weapon but then |
| 8667s | it gets vpered away of course the |
| 8670s | Highlander Druid can you know play |
| 8672s | fizzle to shuffle in all of its high |
| 8676s | power cards and uh you know sometimes |
| 8679s | prison of yron just take things into a a |
| 8683s | very strange Direction so uh it should |
| 8686s | be a very EXC fighting series but it |
| 8689s | could honestly Go in all kinds of |
| 8692s | directions if it really comes down to |
| 8695s | those highlighter |
| 8697s | lists yeah it it's definitely going to |
| 8699s | be an interesting one as we are getting |
| 8702s | ready to get into game number one here |
| 8705s | again ream versus CJ this is our first |
| 8709s | semi-final match our first top four and |
| 8713s | we are not going to be seeing either of |
| 8715s | those Highlander decks to start CJ is |
| 8719s | bringing in that Paladin first which I I |
| 8722s | don't know exactly how these players are |
| 8725s | queuing but if he decided to just pick |
| 8727s | that then this seems like a good choice |
| 8730s | the Paladin has been banned across a lot |
| 8733s | of games this weekend so just bringing |
| 8735s | that in to start seems solid and he's |
| 8738s | got a pretty solid hand as well to go |
| 8741s | into this can coin into a high ho Silver |
| 8744s | Wing and then follow up with hand of a |
| 8746s | doll if he wants to but recommend get re |
| 8749s | them getting that turn one mistake and |
| 8752s | also has a sharpshooter in |
| 8755s | hand yeah I mean I think if someone |
| 8757s | leaves you a paladin available you just |
| 8760s | play the Paladin that's sort of how it |
| 8762s | goes this weekend uh pointing out this |
| 8764s | higho Silver Wing I think is in fact |
| 8767s | because CJ would like it to die and |
| 8769s | bring up possibility of pulling boogie |
| 8772s | down which is just an excellent Tempo |
| 8774s | Tool uh we've heard it likened to uh |
| 8778s | things such |
| 8780s | as oh gosh blanking on card games now |
| 8783s | used to cost four Mana then cost five |
| 8785s | recruited three two drop minions uh help |
| 8788s | me out |
| 8790s | here uh yeah you you got me like as as |
| 8795s | soon as cards go to Wild they're they're |
| 8797s | out of my brain |
| 8800s | uh I know exactly what you're talking |
| 8802s | about and that that's all we need we |
| 8804s | just need the description it's fine uh I |
| 8807s | I I certainly agree though and I'd like |
| 8809s | the follow-up play by CJ as well of just |
| 8812s | saying yeah okay well even if I did want |
| 8816s | the high ho Silver Wing to uh die draw |
| 8819s | into show or uh draw into that uh boogie |
| 8823s | down no it didn't happen that's |
| 8826s | perfectly fine I'll just play the second |
| 8828s | one and on the other side we did see |
| 8830s | ream get to uh have a little bit of |
| 8833s | discover there the uh glaive Smith to be |
| 8837s | able to provide a little bit of armor |
| 8839s | and it's not a Naga though I I think one |
| 8843s | of the best discover options could |
| 8845s | definitely be uh one of those uh sages |
| 8849s | to provide some discounts provide a Naga |
| 8852s | but unfortunately not going to find it |
| 8854s | and still no other Naga coming into hand |
| 8856s | for reim as |
| 8858s | well yeah I think if you either get your |
| 8862s | uh you know two Mana discounting Naga or |
| 8865s | the uh two on outcast that reduces the |
| 8868s | cost of your next Outcast those can both |
| 8870s | help you on that uh eventual pop off |
| 8873s | turn and uh yeah we're doing great on |
| 8875s | card names we remember what cards do but |
| 8878s | uh rarely the names I have checked |
| 8880s | though Call to Arms was the one I was |
| 8882s | thinking of earlier Call to Arms Of |
| 8884s | course Staple in even Paladin back in |
| 8887s | the day but eventually got nerfed to |
| 8889s | five Mana a pulled three two Mana |
| 8892s | minions out of your deck Poky down |
| 8895s | somewhat similar comes down to turn |
| 8896s | early |
| 8898s | three Mana pulls out to one cost minions |
| 8901s | from your deck so uh it it's been you |
| 8904s | know pretty insane power level for as |
| 8906s | long as it's been available with Paladin |
| 8910s | basically hanging on to six one Mana |
| 8913s | minions in you know all of its pure |
| 8916s | lists uh because of boogie |
| 8919s | down yeah boogie down very strong card |
| 8922s | uh and I think especially in combination |
| 8924s | with a lot of the other tools that |
| 8926s | Paladin has like this deputization Aura |
| 8928s | that's on the board already as well uh |
| 8931s | and in combination with things like the |
| 8933s | keeper strengths or just these other |
| 8935s | Buffs but still not finding it and |
| 8939s | instead CJ just had to kind of go in go |
| 8941s | for a hero power get something on the |
| 8943s | board and now we're seeing ream being |
| 8946s | able to go in on the uh Sharpshooter |
| 8949s | turn because he finally Drew another |
| 8952s | Naga so he can go in on that here start |
| 8956s | popping off with this turn and for Wam |
| 8959s | not much on the other side of the board |
| 8962s | so this Sharpshooter turn has been able |
| 8964s | to start to deal a lot of damage so far |
| 8966s | cleared off the couple of Minions that |
| 8968s | were on the board and wow he picked that |
| 8971s | so quickly from the dispose we didn't |
| 8973s | even get to see uh the actual animation |
| 8976s | come up of discover was the sigil which |
| 8981s | you know while a card that can be great |
| 8983s | for refill I think recam recognizes that |
| 8986s | like hey it's an expensive card it's a |
| 8988s | slow card and I'm going to need to end |
| 8991s | this as quickly as possible if I want to |
| 8993s | have a shot here uh unfortunately CJ has |
| 8997s | Paladin's perfect response here in |
| 9000s | Showdown plus uh Prismatic uh can |
| 9004s | even you know take the opportunity to |
| 9008s | trade into three attack minion with the |
| 9010s | deputization aura here before playing |
| 9014s | the second Showdown just to be able to |
| 9016s | gain more life from that |
| 9025s | aura and I I really like this kind of |
| 9028s | slow methodical just thinking through |
| 9030s | these |
| 9032s | decisions yeah and definitely uh doing |
| 9035s | that play that you suggested going in |
| 9037s | taking advantage of this deputization |
| 9039s | Aura and I know deputization Ora is also |
| 9041s | another one that uh players have talked |
| 9043s | about a lot in terms of the strength of |
| 9046s | that card as as well and even though |
| 9048s | we've talked a lot about boogie down and |
| 9050s | the value that that adds to the Paladin |
| 9053s | list it adds to the board and the |
| 9055s | consistency of the deck perhaps uh it's |
| 9058s | panning out pretty well for CJ |
| 9060s | regardless without even having that |
| 9062s | because of the other tools he's been |
| 9064s | able to to put together in his hand now |
| 9067s | this I actually find kind of interesting |
| 9069s | CJ has held back the second copy of |
| 9072s | Showdown rather than opting to just jam |
| 9075s | it out discount the |
| 9077s | uh beam second beam or sorry one beam |
| 9081s | there were two showdowns one beam uh and |
| 9084s | has just paid the extra Mana for the |
| 9087s | beam to hold on to The |
| 9088s | Showdown |
| 9090s | um I'm not entirely |
| 9093s | sure what that's nod to maybe the the |
| 9096s | potential of if there were another |
| 9098s | Sharpshooter turn then at least Showdown |
| 9100s | would be something that could be used |
| 9102s | you know in combination with the keeper |
| 9103s | strength for a board clear but tier of |
| 9106s | course is decent enough |
| 9108s | refill getting another high Silver Wing |
| 9110s | and one of those |
| 9113s | Outlaws yeah I do also wonder if maybe |
| 9117s | uh CJ's felt potentially a little bit |
| 9120s | safer uh because he had capitalized on |
| 9122s | so much of that healing from the |
| 9124s | deputization aura that saying maybe I |
| 9126s | don't need to commit that Showdown and I |
| 9128s | can save it for that second Sharpshooter |
| 9131s | as you mentioned um there's no longer a |
| 9134s | prismatic beam to pair with it in hand |
| 9136s | unless he can draw into that but there |
| 9138s | is also the keeper strength so uh The |
| 9141s | Showdown and keeper strength can kind of |
| 9143s | do a little bit if he really needs to |
| 9145s | clear up some extra health nagas or |
| 9147s | something as well |
| 9149s | but I don't know I think he might have |
| 9152s | felt a little bit a little bit more more |
| 9155s | safe and feeling like he needs to kind |
| 9157s | of reserve some of these tools after uh |
| 9160s | the previous turn well and this is the |
| 9162s | major reason right had he just gone full |
| 9165s | Jam the second Showdown those three |
| 9168s | threes would have trivially died to the |
| 9171s | going down swinging so that's a bit of a |
| 9174s | a difference between CJ kaka's Steven |
| 9177s | Hunter which got banned and the one that |
| 9178s | recam is playing is there is a bit this |
| 9180s | ability in the mid game to say okay my |
| 9182s | opponent made a board after my one |
| 9184s | Sharpshooter turn I'm going to you know |
| 9187s | clear some things away with going down |
| 9189s | swinging that being said of course CJ |
| 9192s | able to now with the discounted Gardens |
| 9194s | Grace just get a massive refill of stats |
| 9197s | and in particular taunts in the way with |
| 9200s | the finale from boogie down uh if that |
| 9204s | Jitterbug doesn't die early on in the |
| 9206s | sequence uh either then he's going to be |
| 9208s | drawing quite a few cards here I see |
| 9212s | yeah lots of draw for both of the |
| 9214s | players |
| 9216s | um and this is uh one of the points that |
| 9220s | you were talking about as well where |
| 9222s | because of that boogie down he was able |
| 9225s | to kind of combo a lot of stuff in the |
| 9226s | same turn put a lot of stats on the |
| 9229s | board |
| 9231s | and reim has to work through a lot of |
| 9235s | this here on the other side even still |
| 9239s | trying to work through all of this after |
| 9240s | playing so many cards a lot on the board |
| 9244s | for reim now that uh CJ can come back |
| 9247s | with but there's nothing left on CJ's |
| 9250s | board |
| 9251s | now and that's kind of what the Paladin |
| 9253s | wants with uh another or the keeper |
| 9256s | strength and the other Gardens Grace in |
| 9257s | hand you ideally would have liked at |
| 9259s | least one minion to live to send all of |
| 9262s | that into that minion and be able to |
| 9264s | push for lethal but it's not going to |
| 9268s | happen yeah CJ looking at the horn draw |
| 9271s | and feeling know so close but with just |
| 9274s | two damage off and and no ways of |
| 9277s | buffing his character as a hack attack |
| 9279s | it is going to be just the hero power |
| 9282s | Gardens |
| 9283s | Grace uh and of course |
| 9287s | card everybody loves keeper strength |
| 9289s | which has uh certainly been a powerful |
| 9293s | tool in Paladin's kit making it possible |
| 9296s | to swing the board multiple times |
| 9299s | between Showdown beam and the keeper |
| 9302s | strength so fer in the Forgotten going |
| 9304s | to have to pull something big here and |
| 9306s | uh it doesn't don't even get to see ream |
| 9309s | saw and ter was not good |
| 9311s | enough yeah as you mentioned a couple of |
| 9314s | the cards that are different between |
| 9317s | uh the Demon Hunter list that uh reim |
| 9320s | pocket train and mey all brought is they |
| 9323s | have those added draw mechanics they do |
| 9326s | have that ferin and the going down |
| 9327s | swinging but still even with added draw |
| 9332s | with added discover with added |
| 9334s | generation not enough to combat this |
| 9337s | Paladin but I don't think any of us are |
| 9340s | really surprised at this point right we |
| 9342s | kind of just if the Paladin's up we're |
| 9343s | going to expect it to get played and |
| 9345s | we're going to expect it to probably get |
| 9347s | a pretty quick win so uh even though the |
| 9352s | maybe beginning or or mid of the game |
| 9354s | didn't necessarily go how CJ may have |
| 9357s | wanted with not finding the kind of |
| 9360s | early boogie down he still was able to |
| 9362s | put a lot together was able to uh save |
| 9365s | off a lot of that damage from both of |
| 9367s | the Sharpshooter turns and then clear |
| 9369s | the board afterwards both times so it |
| 9373s | just kind of came to well at this point |
| 9376s | I don't need even need to push tons of |
| 9377s | damage with a big minion I can just stop |
| 9380s | what my opponent is doing and now the |
| 9382s | demon Hunters run out of resources and |
| 9385s | it really comes down to that one of |
| 9387s | deputization aura that acts with |
| 9389s | Showdown as a full heal for the pallad |
| 9392s | and know I think had that not been the |
| 9394s | case then even with all those board |
| 9396s | clears reim could just get over the |
| 9398s | Finish Line with damage from hand but uh |
| 9402s | with you know Showdown deputy just |
| 9405s | acting as a a former Reno Jackson effect |
| 9408s | sort of healing CJ almost almost |
| 9410s | entirely up to full life at that point |
| 9412s | it's very challenging for the Demon |
| 9414s | Hunter to you know push through without |
| 9418s | getting additional damage from board and |
| 9419s | CJ was just clearing turn after |
| 9424s | turn well that |
| 9429s | does |
| 9431s | well oh we just we just got some added |
| 9434s | info adal visce that |
| 9437s | five games of |
| 9439s | Paladin no not not of Paladin just five |
| 9442s | games that CJ has won in a row yeah uh |
| 9446s | some of which were quite grueling from |
| 9448s | last night so uh I believe it was a |
| 9452s | 22 Series last night before that final |
| 9456s | you know hourong uh Druid game which |
| 9459s | means that CJ reverse or nearly reverse |
| 9464s | swept his opponent and then had three |
| 9466s | wins today is that right not |
| 9470s | quite think that means |
| 9473s | two well he yeah he three OED or he |
| 9478s | three Ed mey then this win and then the |
| 9480s | win at the end of last series correct |
| 9482s | yes so very impressive 50 streak uh you |
| 9485s | talked about momentum that's about as |
| 9488s | good as it gets when it comes to |
| 9489s | momentum going in today too um you know |
| 9492s | reim I think getting to have the the |
| 9496s | relaxation the break of not having been |
| 9498s | playing as many games as recently as CJ |
| 9502s | but uh yeah I mean sometimes when you |
| 9505s | just feel like you're on a rooll that |
| 9507s | can be you know just as powerful as |
| 9509s | being |
| 9510s | refreshed yeah it can also uh |
| 9513s | potentially lead to mistakes too if you |
| 9515s | feel too confident uh there can be that |
| 9519s | kind of playing too quickly or just kind |
| 9521s | of committing to things and that's why I |
| 9523s | think that CJ is actually in a really |
| 9525s | good spot I talked about this in in uh |
| 9528s | one of the other games that we've |
| 9529s | already seen right CJ's just kind of |
| 9531s | even with that momentum he has to be |
| 9534s | feeling pretty good but he's still |
| 9536s | taking a lot of his decisions pretty |
| 9537s | slowly thinking through things and I |
| 9540s | think that that's going to be incredibly |
| 9542s | helpful for him but we're also at the |
| 9545s | world championship so these players are |
| 9548s | no stranger to multi-day events long |
| 9551s | hours to having momentum or not and I'm |
| 9555s | definitely not counting rack them out |
| 9557s | either uh especially with a pretty |
| 9560s | decent start here with being able to get |
| 9562s | the uh the mech down early here that's |
| 9566s | going to continue to get some discounts |
| 9569s | maybe not the uh most powerful or |
| 9572s | discounted hand currently for reim but |
| 9575s | some tools that he can work towards you |
| 9577s | mentioned already that going down |
| 9578s | swinging and just drawing immediately |
| 9581s | right into sigle of time on curve well |
| 9584s | that's that's gonna help |
| 9589s | yeah and if uh not enough you know great |
| 9592s | tools are drawn it may just be the ferin |
| 9595s | next turn for rfam this is something |
| 9597s | that the pocket mey recam list has that |
| 9601s | differentiates them from the rest of the |
| 9603s | field here in their Demon Hunter is the |
| 9605s | ability to just sort of play other stuff |
| 9608s | in the mid game when you don't have your |
| 9611s | Sharpshooter so if we get no card draw |
| 9615s | that would have been nice to be able to |
| 9616s | play both of those momentums |
| 9618s | potentially uh but very notably this |
| 9623s | wolf discounted and in Outcast position |
| 9627s | ready for next turn and uh you know |
| 9630s | that's just a ton of stats to be getting |
| 9633s | down on turn five yeah and especially |
| 9636s | right after we just saw the uh the top |
| 9639s | deck Cold Case coming down on the other |
| 9642s | side as well because that's a lot of |
| 9644s | stats that now uh ream can say okay well |
| 9647s | I'm going to trade into these skeletons |
| 9650s | and if the damage goes into these other |
| 9652s | stats H that's fine but there's a lot of |
| 9655s | stats to potentially soak up these |
| 9657s | skeleton hits and still keep a decent |
| 9660s | sized board as well yeah he really |
| 9662s | almost you know wants the damage to go |
| 9664s | face to keep these healthy yeah um I |
| 9668s | think it's just wondering you know do I |
| 9670s | play aaga here and predation this last |
| 9672s | one to keep the other wolf healthier uh |
| 9676s | what resources sort of worth using or |
| 9678s | not using here I think when you don't |
| 9680s | have the Sharpshooter you're always sort |
| 9682s | of loath to play dispose of evidence |
| 9685s | because uh it can shuffles another card |
| 9688s | in your deck that is not Sharpshooter to |
| 9690s | top deck so just opting to use the sther |
| 9693s | spear and predation to take out that |
| 9696s | last 2 two and and spread the damage out |
| 9698s | here |
| 9699s | somewhat yeah and it it almost feels |
| 9702s | unfortunate for recm that he played that |
| 9705s | slyther Spear and then the immediate |
| 9707s | skeleton death rattle damage went right |
| 9710s | into it uh but he does at least have the |
| 9714s | Wolves which are good damage but the |
| 9715s | Slither Spears can just add and stack so |
| 9719s | much with all of the spells that can |
| 9721s | potentially be played in one turn that |
| 9722s | they can outpace the six uh attack so |
| 9726s | it's potentially uh pretty unfortunate |
| 9731s | for him that he did get that but uh CJ |
| 9734s | has a very nice clear for those wolves |
| 9739s | uh but not really developing anything |
| 9741s | and not really doing a whole ton in |
| 9745s | terms of uh working towards creating his |
| 9747s | own Tempo and that does mean that ream |
| 9750s | could potentially do whatever he wants |
| 9752s | on his turn which what he wants is |
| 9756s | Sharpshooter and it is still not |
| 9759s | there yeah I think question here of hero |
| 9761s | power versus the the minion and recem at |
| 9766s | this point sort of knows okay you know |
| 9768s | my my deck has forsaken me a bit I need |
| 9771s | to eek out every little point of damage |
| 9773s | that I can squeezing in the hero power |
| 9775s | got a lot of fromand damage here have |
| 9778s | the potential for you know going down |
| 9780s | swinging to to keep him from getting |
| 9782s | counter pressured so it's just going to |
| 9785s | know try and go the distance uh |
| 9789s | with you know the damage that he knows |
| 9792s | he has access to or solid Alibi is going |
| 9795s | to throw a wrench into those plans |
| 9799s | somewhat 100% and not just the solid |
| 9803s | Alibi that got immediately casted but |
| 9806s | also a solid Alibi that gets put into |
| 9809s | hand as well uh healing water yeah I I I |
| 9816s | really don't know how reim can come back |
| 9819s | from this game unless he gets a massive |
| 9822s | pop off turn but it's going to be |
| 9825s | several turn still it's going to have to |
| 9827s | be very delayed and not on a turn that a |
| 9830s | solid Alibi is up and at that point the |
| 9833s | Mage is happy I think the longer this |
| 9836s | game goes the longer that CJ can find |
| 9838s | tools like solid Alibi and generate |
| 9840s | healing uh and kind of force reim to use |
| 9844s | a lot of those resources before |
| 9846s | potential pop off turns and this is |
| 9848s | where you know I feel like I must have |
| 9851s | cast a curs or something because just |
| 9852s | looking how this is playing out I mean |
| 9854s | uh discovering the healing uh even a |
| 9857s | solar to potentially use with the |
| 9859s | healing but that's not even necessary |
| 9861s | all this armor off of the artificer uh |
| 9865s | and and just you know no end to |
| 9867s | resources Insight not even applying that |
| 9870s | additional Alibi just yet CJ I think at |
| 9873s | this point when it's turn seven you have |
| 9874s | the read that your opponent would have |
| 9876s | to top deck Sharpshooter because they |
| 9878s | don't have it in hand so just you know |
| 9881s | playing out more stuff and reim has to |
| 9883s | deal with this artificer and uh that |
| 9887s | might mean that a going down swinging is |
| 9889s | actually coming out now yeah I mean the |
| 9891s | hero power going down swinging does |
| 9894s | answer it but H he at the at the same |
| 9898s | time there's uh another there's a secret |
| 9901s | now does he have to play around this |
| 9904s | what is his game plan with uh the rest |
| 9907s | of his Mana outside of that is it really |
| 9911s | the the turn he wants to commit the |
| 9913s | going down swinging because also so |
| 9916s | there there is a momentum in hand there |
| 9918s | is other damage as well and does he |
| 9921s | actually have to save some of that I |
| 9924s | guess stronger uh attack plus the going |
| 9927s | down swinging for a turn where CJ is |
| 9929s | going to fill the board with |
| 9932s | Elementals yeah I mean that is the thing |
| 9934s | about CJ's list versus some of the other |
| 9935s | Mages we saw there's no excavates it's |
| 9937s | just sort of the the old fashioned you |
| 9940s | know keyboard and Elemental inspiration |
| 9942s | list so I think the going down swing is |
| 9945s | being reserved for that Elemental |
| 9947s | inspiration uh just to be able to deal |
| 9948s | with those four FS I think some relief |
| 9951s | here seeing no reborn or Divine Shields |
| 9955s | so it is going to be just you know |
| 9958s | momentum and going down swinging could |
| 9960s | take this down I wonder if he |
| 9963s | even tries to go for uh the Naga pop off |
| 9967s | turn at the same time maybe not |
| 9971s | no no I don't just take this clear yeah |
| 9975s | I I think the clear is just too clean |
| 9978s | and removing all of this off of the |
| 9980s | board should allow his Sharpshooter turn |
| 9983s | to be a little bit more damage towards |
| 9985s | face is is the kind of game plan right |
| 9988s | that he's aiming for going to clear this |
| 9990s | now and then I can do a sharpshooter |
| 9992s | turn just pop off next turn I'll have |
| 9995s | the uh full 10 Mana that I can |
| 9997s | capitalize on he's got zero Mana |
| 10000s | mistakes and he can kind of just go in |
| 10001s | on it next turn but this turn he gets to |
| 10003s | clear he gets to just to make sure that |
| 10006s | he's also not dead because that was a |
| 10008s | lot of attack on the other side but yeah |
| 10011s | there's a there's solar here and some |
| 10014s | snake |
| 10016s | oils and uh as well as the natural |
| 10019s | causes and that sift top Tech is just |
| 10021s | going to end it I do wonder if there was |
| 10023s | potential to sort of start the turn with |
| 10025s | dispose of evidence for rec fem and and |
| 10028s | then do that into the going down |
| 10030s | swinging if you are able to throw back |
| 10032s | one of the mistakes uh or even the |
| 10034s | momentum honestly then you can do your |
| 10037s | Sharpshooter pop off after you have |
| 10041s | destroyed the entire enemy board so you |
| 10043s | know you've got a clean board everything |
| 10044s | is going to be going face probably just |
| 10046s | seemed a little bit too risky with you |
| 10049s | know the Mana being sunk into the going |
| 10051s | down swinging thought that might have |
| 10053s | been a potential lethal if rfam had |
| 10058s | decided to sort of risk it for the |
| 10059s | biscuits on the |
| 10061s | dispose yeah and uh okay we just talked |
| 10065s | after that last game about it being uh |
| 10069s | five games well that is now six games |
| 10071s | that CJ is at and we're going to see if |
| 10073s | he can make it seven it's going to come |
| 10075s | down to his Druid at this point and uh |
| 10079s | as uh Raven and TJ were talking about in |
| 10082s | the last series if it does uh at this |
| 10086s | point is is reim going to be able to |
| 10089s | actually win three games in a row to |
| 10091s | complete a reverse sweep here and even |
| 10094s | if he can I mean the the odds are |
| 10096s | stacked against him so it's going to be |
| 10099s | a huge uphill battle and uh you can see |
| 10102s | there this all of the the impressive |
| 10105s | finds that CJ was able to get in that |
| 10107s | game to just keep stopping Rim's game |
| 10110s | plan and and uh on the other side I'm |
| 10114s | sure CJ feels great but reim probably |
| 10117s | not so much these last couple of games |
| 10120s | have felt quite rough for him the deck |
| 10123s | really not working for him as well as he |
| 10125s | wants and even though there's maybe not |
| 10128s | the most ideal draws on the other side |
| 10130s | from CJ again this is Worlds CJ is |
| 10133s | clearly showing he knows how to play |
| 10135s | these decks he knows uh to make what |
| 10138s | choices he wants to make even if he |
| 10140s | doesn't find the optimal cards or |
| 10144s | options that you know you can say I I |
| 10146s | think you and uh sdle talked about that |
| 10150s | yesterday in terms of like Splish Splash |
| 10152s | well right yes it's a great card it's a |
| 10155s | great Mulligan option but what happens |
| 10157s | if you don't find it and we might see |
| 10160s | that happen in this next game because CJ |
| 10162s | does have to play that Druid but man |
| 10165s | being down two Z and having to fight |
| 10169s | against this uh has to feel |
| 10174s | rough yeah and this is where you just |
| 10176s | got to you know take it one game at a |
| 10178s | time uh I think Ram deciding well let me |
| 10181s | get the hardest matchup out of the way |
| 10183s | first here at least in in my my mind |
| 10186s | that's uh how I would think of this one |
| 10188s | because this certainly going to be the |
| 10190s | longest one and while the other decks |
| 10193s | can you know potentially get some quick |
| 10196s | wins or potentially lose to themselves |
| 10199s | this |
| 10200s | one intends to go a long game and Druid |
| 10202s | is good at the long game so uh we uh we |
| 10206s | may be here a while Don yeah we might we |
| 10209s | might that is for sure but at the same |
| 10212s | time I also see a coin splish flash WEP |
| 10215s | into some other uh kind of midgame |
| 10217s | minions and that might provide a lot of |
| 10222s | initial damage if reim can't find enough |
| 10225s | to stop a lot of that damage from |
| 10230s | happening we of course I think upwards |
| 10233s | of 60% in win rate and uh you know take |
| 10237s | to the sky is a great tool to follow up |
| 10241s | with the draw I think the only thing CJ |
| 10244s | wishes he had here was more ramp but |
| 10246s | summerflower child the number two win R |
| 10248s | card in uh in Druids for the most part |
| 10251s | Rec FM I it does get to |
| 10255s | Discount the trial by fire which is |
| 10258s | pretty huge as I imagine that's going to |
| 10259s | be his big clear going for next turn uh |
| 10263s | they are Undead so if any of them stick |
| 10265s | around he'll be able to draw two cards |
| 10267s | off of the rowing |
| 10270s | Applause and I know you talked a lot |
| 10273s | yesterday too about this fizzle we |
| 10275s | really saw the fizzle in that last game |
| 10278s | and those those photographs uh it gets |
| 10281s | picked up here while there's a rraa in |
| 10283s | hand while there's a discounted I don't |
| 10285s | know if it keeps the discount actually |
| 10287s | but the the anr in hand the prison of |
| 10290s | Yer on there's a ton of value and a ton |
| 10294s | of different things that can happen with |
| 10296s | this hand here for CJ and picking up the |
| 10298s | fizzle just adds to that uh yeah going |
| 10301s | for that thear here wow yeah and recam |
| 10306s | doesn't have too many cards in hand |
| 10308s | there is no Odin I think that's the |
| 10310s | number one thing that CJ is worried |
| 10312s | about is should things go into a longer |
| 10314s | game and ream does have Odin that could |
| 10317s | present a problem you know possibilities |
| 10320s | of ignis giving a wind Fury weapon and |
| 10323s | the Odin armor just creating an |
| 10325s | otk uh |
| 10328s | but not in the hand presently for recam |
| 10331s | a lot of times if you don't have it as a |
| 10333s | warrior what you'll actually do is on |
| 10335s | turn nine play Finley to sort of flip |
| 10337s | your hand upside down and uh hope that |
| 10339s | you can play the Odin on the other |
| 10342s | side so I'll be curious to see what |
| 10346s | CJ would steal although you kind of have |
| 10349s | to deal with this Titan |
| 10351s | first yeah uh but he's not he's actually |
| 10356s | just going to put something on board and |
| 10359s | RAM can continue to use that Titan now |
| 10362s | uh but I I I don't know if there |
| 10365s | necessarily |
| 10366s | was uh the greatest I I I guess CJ would |
| 10372s | have had to kind of commit the FI to |
| 10374s | clear that which is that something that |
| 10376s | he wants to use later uh when he |
| 10379s | actually does want some |
| 10381s | healing I don't know I I agree with you |
| 10384s | though I kind of feel like trying to |
| 10386s | clear off the uh Titan probably was good |
| 10390s | and here we |
| 10392s | go all right |
| 10396s | so wanting to make sure the Titan's |
| 10397s | removed and so actually targeting it |
| 10400s | instead of targeting face uh there's one |
| 10402s | more shot here and that's not going to |
| 10405s | do it but the one damage is just enough |
| 10407s | for fi to finish it off not with too |
| 10410s | much health remaining though and I think |
| 10412s | this actually this gives ream the luxury |
| 10415s | of playing the Odin on eight I think |
| 10418s | that's one of the strengths of you know |
| 10419s | trial by fire and having Titan other |
| 10422s | stuff doesn't go for it though I'm a |
| 10425s | little surprised to be |
| 10430s | honest I I do wonder if he just kind of |
| 10433s | wants to to clear that board uh but are |
| 10437s | we are we going to see a Theo for a |
| 10439s | Theo oh this is why the SEC it wouldn't |
| 10442s | be the first time so the ETC was |
| 10444s | checking for objection |
| 10447s | right |
| 10449s | right uh also to note as well if anybody |
| 10453s | didn't catch it that prison of yageron |
| 10456s | did cast Order in the Court so it did |
| 10459s | put CJ's deck in that highest to lowest |
| 10463s | uh which is why now we're immediately |
| 10464s | seeing the yog being drawn it's oh which |
| 10467s | one does he take does he just take the |
| 10469s | thear or does he actually want to go for |
| 10472s | taking this Odin I think you get it out |
| 10475s | of the way right I mean so there's the |
| 10477s | possibility of it getting stolen back |
| 10478s | with the thear right but CJ has the |
| 10481s | board right you know with the anr |
| 10483s | refresh play from that Order in the |
| 10486s | Court it it really puts reim in a |
| 10488s | position where he he can't afford to to |
| 10492s | play a thear so I I wonder if maybe he |
| 10494s | should have taken the Odin right away |
| 10497s | cuz now recam Anar doesn't deal five |
| 10501s | damage itself so he could just play the |
| 10503s | Odin and use the weapon to clear up the |
| 10507s | 55 take the additional seven hope that |
| 10510s | the location doesn't kill him and uh you |
| 10513s | know try and stabilize from there |
| 10515s | sanitize plus Shield Block in hand so |
| 10517s | there is an ability to clear the |
| 10520s | follow-up |
| 10522s | turn just has to be willing to leave up |
| 10524s | an anr for another turn I do say I seem |
| 10527s | to the |
| 10530s | wow |
| 10533s | okay so we've tucked Odin |
| 10542s | now and activated REO not to remove rra |
| 10548s | location but it will |
| 10550s | remove the |
| 10552s | prison okay oh this ah I wanted to bring |
| 10555s | this up I'm so sorry like I was just |
| 10557s | looking at the deck list thinking okay |
| 10560s | there is multiple Highlander cards in |
| 10563s | hand that are not active for |
| 10565s | CJ how many of the rest of the cards |
| 10569s | have been drawn because the only |
| 10570s | duplicate now for CJ uh there's there's |
| 10573s | only the two cop copies of duplicates |
| 10576s | right there's two Splish Splash welps |
| 10577s | and two nourish which we saw the Splish |
| 10579s | Splash welp early on and yeah a lot of |
| 10583s | the higher top end has already been |
| 10585s | drawn for CJ so the immediate next draw |
| 10587s | is that second copy of nourish which |
| 10590s | does mean that those uh Highlander cards |
| 10593s | are active now uh which is pretty |
| 10596s | important because if uh if there were |
| 10599s | more like six seven cost things it would |
| 10602s | be a while before |
| 10605s | uh CJ were able to use those but at this |
| 10609s | point does CJ actually need to commit to |
| 10613s | some of these things I I think maybe yog |
| 10615s | this other thear might be more uh more |
| 10620s | resources that he can use sooner and |
| 10623s | kind of wait on those Highlander |
| 10625s | cards maybe but I I mean r estraza is |
| 10629s | just a ton of value over time you know |
| 10632s | people joke that it always gives you |
| 10634s | Alex draw the lifebinder for that extra |
| 10636s | damage and now he knows that Odin has |
| 10639s | been put on the bottom of Ream's deck so |
| 10643s | he isn't going to have to worry about |
| 10644s | that clock has just seen Reno and I |
| 10647s | think there's no potential for Ream to |
| 10650s | get a second Reno so the portal is going |
| 10651s | to be |
| 10656s | safe just trying to create as much |
| 10659s | pressure as possible to dissuade |
| 10661s | something like Ry estraza but that just |
| 10663s | means I think we're about to see the |
| 10666s | counter Reno coming |
| 10668s | down yeah and it's it's uh a really |
| 10671s | interesting uh turn sequence here as |
| 10674s | well because if he goes for the Reno as |
| 10675s | you mentioned not getting the race draza |
| 10677s | down uh but because the aalor |
| 10680s | specifically as well if like you don't |
| 10684s | want to play Reno on the turn where |
| 10687s | they're going to play that final piece |
| 10688s | of aelor as the only body on board if |
| 10690s | you don't have anything on board uh so |
| 10693s | he could have gone for the know there |
| 10695s | removing everything and him not having |
| 10697s | his own board but ream just having to |
| 10700s | play that second asore piece but instead |
| 10703s | yeah going for that added value of the |
| 10706s | purified |
| 10708s | Nest yeah and I I really respect that I |
| 10710s | mean CJ just saying okay I know this |
| 10713s | can't get renowned away I'm just going |
| 10714s | to jam it you know this isn't that much |
| 10716s | damage you have in play it's honestly |
| 10718s | sort of what I would have liked to have |
| 10720s | seen from recam when CJ went for |
| 10723s | stealing the thear instead of stealing |
| 10724s | the Odin is uh you know if Rim just gets |
| 10727s | that Odin down and it means the times |
| 10730s | when he is you know gaming armor to |
| 10732s | stabilize or to play |
| 10733s | sanitize uh he can be pushing damage |
| 10736s | face |
| 10738s | so we'll have to see how this ends up |
| 10740s | playing out getting the aelor 5 in place |
| 10743s | does mean that if ream is Reno now he's |
| 10746s | able to just play asor H which is kind |
| 10749s | of exactly the thing you want in that |
| 10751s | situation right yeah and that's why I |
| 10753s | was kind of in maybe the camp of going |
| 10756s | for the Reno the previous turn instead |
| 10758s | of waiting till now ream has that exact |
| 10762s | scenario |
| 10763s | but I there is still the yson as well so |
| 10768s | I I guess if CJ wanted another potential |
| 10770s | board clear you could just go for that |
| 10772s | he's not dead to the aelor either here |
| 10775s | so even if uh reim just goes ahead and |
| 10777s | goes for the aelor now uh all face right |
| 10782s | CJ still has some life to work work with |
| 10785s | and there's this forbidden fruit there's |
| 10787s | armor from the frost Lotus uh |
| 10790s | potentially more armor or life gain from |
| 10793s | this ignis that's been picked up |
| 10796s | so maybe maybe it's okay now if uh reim |
| 10800s | just wants to go for the |
| 10801s | aelor and one nice thing about uh going |
| 10805s | for this sequencing you know even though |
| 10808s | that zero Mana refresh for crystals |
| 10809s | could have been really nice for CJ he's |
| 10811s | just throwing it out here as five |
| 10813s | additional Health to to soak from the |
| 10816s | aelor and he's got the yuron followup to |
| 10819s | now steal this aelor and uh and present |
| 10824s | you know a ton of counter pressure |
| 10825s | there's the snapshot um which is just |
| 10828s | filled with you know very very uh high |
| 10833s | value cards that uh is you know part of |
| 10836s | that reason that I I really felt like we |
| 10839s | needed to put the pedal on the gas uh as |
| 10843s | the warrior and try and |
| 10845s | start getting those attacks |
| 10847s | in and the cage head sure I mean why not |
| 10852s | at add more yeah like uh let's let's |
| 10855s | just go for this uh it's a really |
| 10858s | interesting um death rattle though |
| 10860s | because this kind of limits reim a |
| 10862s | little bit in the terms of what removal |
| 10865s | he wants to go for now because if he |
| 10868s | just tries to go for removing the |
| 10870s | smallest thing and then going for |
| 10873s | Bladestorm |
| 10875s | maybe that answers but is that enough in |
| 10877s | conjunction with whatever else he has I |
| 10880s | do like the line of maybe just clearing |
| 10883s | that does he have to commit a lot of |
| 10888s | these resources though for all of this |
| 10890s | board cuz it's going to be a lot of |
| 10891s | stats he has to chew through |
| 10893s | here yeah I mean the minion that comes |
| 10897s | out of cage head is a |
| 10899s | 99 uh that you know charge won't be |
| 10902s | relevant because it'll be Ream's turn |
| 10903s | but |
| 10905s | yeah going to have to know hero power it |
| 10907s | down and then follow up with I think |
| 10911s | it's got to be the saniti there really |
| 10912s | nothing else will'll do |
| 10914s | here uh reinforce plating uh pulls a |
| 10918s | rock and then sanitize clears up the |
| 10921s | board clears up his own Minion that got |
| 10924s | summoned and |
| 10927s | uh yeah being on the defensive is not |
| 10931s | really where you want to be when your |
| 10933s | opponent just has pretty much Limitless |
| 10937s | value |
| 10938s | yeah and the poison or the life steal we |
| 10942s | saw there in the options for CJ uh the |
| 10947s | the secondary options maybe not the |
| 10948s | greatest but now we're seeing this |
| 10950s | stolen thear coming down to uh steal |
| 10955s | else |
| 10956s | here yes after last night yes of course |
| 10959s | he does he |
| 10961s | does uh notably I think what CJ was |
| 10964s | looking for with taking a one Mana |
| 10966s | weapon there instead of a high value 10 |
| 10968s | Mana weapon was uh to combine with this |
| 10972s | forbidden fruit here the the zero Mana |
| 10974s | spend the rest of your Mana crystals |
| 10977s | gain that much attack or twice as much |
| 10979s | armor can be combined with a wind Fury |
| 10983s | weapon for just 22 attack out of nowhere |
| 10986s | uh so pretty notable that CJ did whiff |
| 10989s | on the Wind Fury for that one Mana |
| 10992s | weapon yeah |
| 10994s | and then on the other side we also saw |
| 10996s | ream just top deck finally get back to |
| 10999s | that Odin that he put in the bottom |
| 11001s | earlier uh so if there is now some uh |
| 11005s | armor generation that could be a lot of |
| 11009s | damage that ream can still put together |
| 11011s | as long as he's not dead but the poison |
| 11016s | going to quickly and easily clear up the |
| 11018s | Odin itself so that does also mean ream |
| 11021s | has to find more of that armor more of |
| 11024s | these tools and continue to rely on uh |
| 11029s | these kind of additional things in hand |
| 11032s | that he has but as you said there's also |
| 11034s | just so much value for CJ in the cards |
| 11037s | that he had already the cards now he's |
| 11040s | taken from the double thear he's now got |
| 11043s | his own aelor he's working on I I just |
| 11047s | there's so much going on for CJ or in |
| 11049s | CJ's favor that this has this has really |
| 11052s | kind of just felt like an incredible |
| 11055s | struggle for |
| 11057s | reim yeah and you know one of the |
| 11059s | disadvantages to being this sort of |
| 11062s | mildly Highlander version of the deck is |
| 11065s | that ream has used his only sanitize |
| 11068s | which is one of the better removal tools |
| 11071s | available to Warrior uh there is a copy |
| 11074s | of baral sort of standing in for that |
| 11077s | other five Mana board clear but uh not |
| 11080s | in hand presently could be trading for |
| 11082s | it but one minion still going to remain |
| 11084s | up and you've got an aelor 8 headed your |
| 11088s | way for 14 damage so I think he's going |
| 11090s | to be wondering like hey do I have to |
| 11092s | just go for you know a life steal weapon |
| 11095s | off of the ignis can I try and you know |
| 11100s | pick up wind Fury and do something crazy |
| 11104s | there uh just how is he going to be able |
| 11107s | to piece together a clear there is a a |
| 11110s | potential for rock on the tutu and then |
| 11114s | blad |
| 11115s | storm uh would clear up a fair bit or |
| 11117s | sorry or the free hero power and then |
| 11123s | Bladestorm yeah and then it is going to |
| 11125s | be that trial by fire build up some |
| 11127s | stats to soak the potential astore |
| 11132s | 8 yeah and I think uh another potential |
| 11136s | argument for kind of just working |
| 11138s | towards a game plan like this and not |
| 11141s | going in on the ignis uh quite yet but |
| 11143s | or at least something that both players |
| 11146s | have to consider is both players are |
| 11147s | running a copy of rot Viper in their |
| 11150s | decks so if Reen wants to try to go for |
| 11153s | that game plan of okay I've got the Odin |
| 11156s | played now I can try to go for an ignis |
| 11159s | maybe get that wind Fury weapon you were |
| 11160s | talking about uh the chances at this |
| 11163s | point in the game with how large the |
| 11166s | hand size is how close to the end of the |
| 11167s | decks they are that the Viper is just |
| 11169s | sitting there waiting for that weapon to |
| 11171s | come down are incredibly large |
| 11174s | so ream has to have all of the set up |
| 11178s | with being able to play the ignis play |
| 11181s | the weapon and potentially have armor |
| 11183s | stuff ready to go in the same turn and |
| 11186s | that feels uh difficult yeah and we see |
| 11190s | here um CJ just still playing the aelor |
| 11193s | 8 alongside all these you know free four |
| 11196s | Mana dragons he's been trending towards |
| 11199s | the low end of manac cost just so he can |
| 11201s | play other stuff during his turn and to |
| 11203s | have free stats to put in play uh just |
| 11206s | anything to force reim to focus on |
| 11209s | clearing rather than actually pushing |
| 11212s | any damage uh there is the brawl now |
| 11214s | available but potential to get you know |
| 11217s | unlucky in terms of the the hit of of |
| 11221s | what survives no blade storm to kind of |
| 11223s | make up the |
| 11226s | difference you know I actually I I've |
| 11228s | really like that point you bring up and |
| 11230s | I think that kind of just speaks to |
| 11232s | almost like just fundamentals of of |
| 11236s | hearthstone of card games of like |
| 11238s | matchups where wow that is so |
| 11242s | unfortunate for re definitely not the |
| 11244s | one he wanted to live there now has to |
| 11246s | commit an additional uh additional |
| 11249s | removal there on a single |
| 11252s | Minion had it been you know the best |
| 11255s | case scenario the three four he could |
| 11257s | have at least equipped the Craftsman's |
| 11259s | hammer and started attacking face but |
| 11262s | it's always Alex the lifebinder you know |
| 11265s | that final discover to end the game and |
| 11268s | uh I feel bad I feel like a bit of |
| 11270s | Caster Cur but you know CJ just the |
| 11273s | momentum is insane that is now back to |
| 11276s | back 3 me against mey 3 against recam CJ |
| 11281s | is just coming back with avengeance |
| 11285s | against this uh play test group uh you |
| 11288s | know after losing to pocket 3 the |
| 11290s | previous day I think he's maybe sort of |
| 11293s | just got their number |
| 11295s | now yeah I I am very excited to see uh |
| 11300s | how it's going to play out for the rest |
| 11302s | of this now but congratulations to CJ uh |
| 11306s | on that pretty decisive win there and I |
| 11309s | I think he just played it incredibly |
| 11311s | well too uh again as we were kind of |
| 11314s | talking about at the end of that matchup |
| 11316s | uh CJ just kind of recognized that he |
| 11320s | was in the driver seat of that game that |
| 11322s | he was moving with the uh not only the |
| 11327s | the cards that were given to him but |
| 11328s | kind of just that game plan of hey this |
| 11332s | Warrior will have to make a lot of |
| 11334s | decisions of that that uh can I clear |
| 11339s | everything and do my own game plan |
| 11342s | probably not most turns are going to be |
| 11344s | one or the other and I think CJ had a |
| 11346s | lot of turns that he just capitalized on |
| 11348s | that and said well I'm going to uh do my |
| 11351s | own thing I'm going to force you to have |
| 11353s | to just keep uh my board under control |
| 11357s | and not do your own game plan and I |
| 11359s | think he also had that same recognition |
| 11361s | uh in the Demon Hunter as well so seems |
| 11364s | like CJ like you said kind of has it on |
| 11366s | lock very uh very well played and even |
| 11370s | though reim really did try to uh keep |
| 11375s | those boards under control he played as |
| 11377s | best he could with the cards that were |
| 11380s | given to him also that Demon Hunter just |
| 11383s | not working for him uh we have uh an |
| 11387s | amazing update here as well with some of |
| 11390s | these class stats atal Demon Hunter now |
| 11393s | is a |
| 11395s | 39.13% win rate in this tournament this |
| 11400s | weekend that is second most brought deck |
| 11404s | as |
| 11404s | well right with Paladin being uh number |
| 11407s | one uh Demon Hunter is the number two I |
| 11410s | I think you know it's tied classwise |
| 11413s | with Druid but the demon Hunters are you |
| 11415s | know much more similar to each other |
| 11416s | than The Druids so that's really |
| 11420s | something where I wonder if players are |
| 11422s | you know maybe regretting the decision |
| 11424s | to to bring this deck just because it |
| 11426s | has that potential to lose to itself I |
| 11430s | don't |
| 11431s | know yeah I I have a little bit more |
| 11434s | hope for like Reen's list and pocket |
| 11437s | trains myself |
| 11439s | but it's it that that can only go so far |
| 11443s | that that hope that it's only going to |
| 11445s | last for a little bit and uh let's go |
| 11448s | ahead and look at what else we have here |
| 11451s | for today so we have seen these decider |
| 11454s | matches we have seen now CJ taking |
| 11458s | another decisive 3 in that first |
| 11461s | semi-final uh we still have one |
| 11463s | semi-final to go and we'll be finding |
| 11466s | out who will be facing into CJ in that |
| 11471s | grand finals match match uh so still a |
| 11475s | few more games to go I can't wait to see |
| 11480s | the uh the pocket gu game I don't know |
| 11483s | about you |
| 11484s | Hal oh yeah I mean you know gu is I |
| 11487s | think my favorite lineup wise in this |
| 11490s | event it just sort of has the most |
| 11492s | streamlined game plan you know where |
| 11494s | we're aggro he sticking to what he knows |
| 11497s | a little surprised see he didn't bring |
| 11498s | in Rage Warrior perhaps you know instead |
| 11501s | of Demon Hunter based on what we've been |
| 11502s | seeing but uh it's it's very wellb built |
| 11507s | but you know if I have to do a Reby on |
| 11509s | my pick here with ream now eliminated |
| 11511s | I'm kind of I'm kind of pulling for CJ |
| 11513s | cuz he's just riding that momentum high |
| 11516s | and I I think that smile on his face |
| 11519s | there was just the realization of oh |
| 11521s | that was the semi-final I'm now in the |
| 11524s | grand finals it's first or second from |
| 11526s | here on out uh and and that's you know a |
| 11528s | little bit faster than some of our |
| 11529s | previous World Championships that might |
| 11531s | have had know 16 players here you know |
| 11534s | it was a long day yesterday for CJ |
| 11537s | especially and to then go 3 030 and |
| 11540s | realize oh my god I've done it I'm in |
| 11542s | the Grand Final I mean what could be |
| 11544s | better than |
| 11545s | that yes well we have one more |
| 11549s | semi-finals to go before we get to that |
| 11552s | amazing Grand Final so these matches are |
| 11555s | just getting even more intense you |
| 11558s | definitely don't want to miss these so |
| 11560s | don't go anywhere we will be right back |
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| 11752s | hello everybody and welcome back to the |
| 11753s | Hearthstone World Championship I'm TJ |
| 11756s | joined by Neil Linda Bond and we are |
| 11759s | about to jump into the second semi-final |
| 11761s | we only have two matches left on the |
| 11763s | year for competitive Hearthstone lenda |
| 11766s | how you feeling absolutely hyped uh |
| 11769s | watching CJ kaka's story unfold through |
| 11772s | this tournament after what happened |
| 11773s | yesterday and then we've got this match |
| 11776s | which is so important not just cuz it's |
| 11778s | a semi-final but it's a rematch of the |
| 11780s | summer finals which gu won which sent |
| 11782s | pocket train to ladder for three more |
| 11785s | months so it's not just about reaching |
| 11786s | the World Finals but there's a bit of |
| 11788s | Revenge on the line as well because |
| 11790s | pocket train had to keep grinding for |
| 11793s | three months longer and G got to put his |
| 11794s | feet |
| 11795s | up yeah and uh that's a pretty big deal |
| 11798s | in the gr scheme of things to have to |
| 11800s | put that much more effort in in order to |
| 11802s | make it but it also made pocket train |
| 11805s | that much stronger of a player just kept |
| 11807s | getting better throughout the year and |
| 11808s | if that Trend continues it's going to |
| 11810s | keep getting better across the world |
| 11812s | championship with the lineup um but we |
| 11815s | have the grand finals at least the first |
| 11817s | player in the Grand Final set for after |
| 11820s | this it is CJ and then the player that |
| 11823s | will be joining them will be either |
| 11826s | pocket train or you but before we jump |
| 11830s | in we did want to kind of highight like |
| 11833s | uh one of the players that did |
| 11834s | participate uh in the world championship |
| 11837s | that has now been |
| 11838s | eliminated um and has also as of not |
| 11842s | even that long ago announced we'll see |
| 11846s | if it's |
| 11847s | definitive uh that he will be retiring |
| 11850s | from competitive Hearthstone and that |
| 11851s | would be mey and there it is yeah um I |
| 11854s | think mey brought us uh uh a lot of |
| 11858s | entertaining matches throughout the year |
| 11860s | he's a character in and of himself |
| 11863s | yeah absolutely and he streamed the |
| 11864s | entire year like he was streaming not |
| 11866s | just to stream but he you know we got to |
| 11868s | see mey's path to the World Championship |
| 11871s | live on air every day you know the UPS |
| 11874s | some of the Downs as well because you |
| 11876s | can't play for nine months solidly and |
| 11877s | not have a few moments of of Anguish and |
| 11880s | saltiness it's going to happen to |
| 11881s | anybody and we got to see you know he he |
| 11884s | showed himself to us all the way through |
| 11886s | the year and we got to go on his journey |
| 11888s | with him always take with a i me I'm not |
| 11890s | going to put words in his mouth but |
| 11891s | always take with a slight pinch of salt |
| 11892s | things that people post immediately |
| 11894s | after getting knocked out of a world |
| 11895s | championship but you know he says he's |
| 11897s | going to end competitive he's going to |
| 11898s | carry on streaming that's possibly a |
| 11900s | premeditated decision we'll we'll find |
| 11902s | out as time goes by but either way he's |
| 11905s | brought a lot of people a lot of |
| 11906s | entertainment and a lot of fun this year |
| 11908s | so thanks to mey for everything he's |
| 11909s | done for the |
| 11910s | game hey sometimes just following along |
| 11914s | with uh a streaming career in |
| 11915s | Hearthstone just accidentally qualifies |
| 11918s | you to things we've seen that happen for |
| 11920s | some players in the past if they're good |
| 11922s | enough enough and obviously uh mey with |
| 11925s | you know that top five top six at the |
| 11927s | world |
| 11927s | championship um is good enough we'll see |
| 11931s | uh what happens uh next year but I |
| 11934s | definitely played it well and was a |
| 11935s | victim of the uh CJ Saga uh that we've |
| 11939s | seen thus far in this world |
| 11941s | championship it's like the match |
| 11943s | yesterday just powered him up because he |
| 11946s | hasn't lost since that match hasn't lost |
| 11949s | a game of |
| 11950s | hearthstone so yog just discarded his |
| 11954s | hand and he says nobody discards CJ |
| 11956s | kaka's hand ever this is what I'm going |
| 11959s | to show you now I don't need a hand to |
| 11960s | win half so much I'm just going to win |
| 11962s | on Raw willpower and yeah just winning |
| 11965s | every single game now um but we are |
| 11968s | match we got pocket train who's got the |
| 11970s | same lineup as mey uh obviously working |
| 11973s | together on that deck along with recam |
| 11975s | and yeah like I said there's revenge on |
| 11977s | the line it was 22 when they played last |
| 11980s | time around in the summer Champs and |
| 11983s | pocket train was under a flash with his |
| 11985s | charman deck and gu found a way to clear |
| 11989s | using double jam session and there's a |
| 11991s | massive Amon on the |
| 11993s | bo Pock had an in his hand we'll never |
| 11997s | know what was in |
| 12002s | it um but yeah here we are |
| 12008s | ler with this absolutely obliterating |
| 12012s | people with this won't be a grindy match |
| 12014s | there's a lot of aggro in these two |
| 12018s | lineups yeah absolutely and uh you can |
| 12021s | see some of pocket train stats 20 with |
| 12023s | both Druid and Priest The Demon Hunter |
| 12026s | is the only deck that seems to be giving |
| 12029s | uh pocket train any |
| 12031s | trouble and like you mentioned lost two |
| 12034s | three against SK the last time they |
| 12036s | played which was in the summer Master |
| 12038s | tore |
| 12038s | finals um which made pocket train have |
| 12042s | to keep keep grinding but it also that |
| 12044s | practice was probably a big contributor |
| 12048s | in his win in the in Fall so um we'll |
| 12052s | see if uh going to be able to carry that |
| 12054s | momentum because pocket train has a lot |
| 12058s | of momentum currently um maybe not as |
| 12061s | much as CJ but in terms of like |
| 12064s | throughout the year leading up to this |
| 12066s | point pocket train just seems like the |
| 12069s | player that's the |
| 12070s | most going to be going up against gu and |
| 12073s | gu has a |
| 12075s | lineup Neil yeah he a |
| 12083s | lineup um pretty weak if you look at any |
| 12086s | stats on that deck um anywhere then it's |
| 12089s | pretty weak but let's have a quick look |
| 12090s | at this this Naga piece first I guess as |
| 12092s | it's on the screen I should probably |
| 12093s | talk about what's on the screen once |
| 12095s | this year |
| 12097s | um this deck is a lot of fun to play and |
| 12100s | it is incredibly explosive you can get |
| 12102s | some turn one turn two boards that are |
| 12103s | just unclearable right |
| 12105s | TJ yeah it's it it can really push Tempo |
| 12110s | very quickly in the game and it can |
| 12111s | snowball board States incredibly quickly |
| 12114s | with the Mana cheet of like funnel cake |
| 12116s | um and the ability to get thirsty |
| 12118s | Drifter out incredibly early in the game |
| 12120s | and even copy them with uh power cord |
| 12122s | synchronized so um one thing we've |
| 12125s | noticed though thus far across the |
| 12126s | weekend is that it unlike you know Naga |
| 12129s | Priests of old or even other Decks that |
| 12132s | fill a similar role as this deck which |
| 12135s | is these sort of like board-based aggro |
| 12139s | mid have some potency in the late game |
| 12142s | in the form of alondu and uh you can |
| 12144s | even copy alondu with power power cord |
| 12147s | synchronize if need be and that can lead |
| 12150s | to some late game Shenanigans and you |
| 12152s | can never really count the deck out |
| 12155s | because it does have uh Power at each |
| 12157s | stage of the game pocket train doing a |
| 12160s | couple slaps getting himself ready |
| 12163s | yeah he looks ready if every man looked |
| 12165s | ready it's pocket train look at him how |
| 12167s | ready he looks uh the amthal as well |
| 12169s | you're talking about like a lot of the |
| 12170s | times these decks have one power card at |
| 12172s | the top of the curve but because this |
| 12175s | deck draws through its deck so quickly |
| 12177s | you do tend to get it if the game goes |
| 12179s | long you're going to have a fairly early |
| 12180s | amthor often on curve um and carry on |
| 12184s | whatever you started uh there's not many |
| 12187s | whiffs in the opening hand there's some |
| 12188s | slightly Slow Hands and you if you get |
| 12190s | one of those you just don't do anything |
| 12192s | for the game uh but that priest deck the |
| 12195s | bring of the tournament I think it's |
| 12196s | it's not necessarily the best performing |
| 12198s | deck obviously Paladin is the few people |
| 12200s | who for some reason chose to let Paladin |
| 12203s | play have have lost to Paladin it's four |
| 12205s | and one in this |
| 12206s | tournament um 4- one in the tournament |
| 12209s | and the people leaving it up are |
| 12212s | relatively confident in their ability to |
| 12214s | beat Paladin so that win rate is in |
| 12217s | should be inflated even further because |
| 12220s | of that fact so uh but take you chosen |
| 12223s | to leave it there knowing that everyone |
| 12225s | else is Bandit you've chosen to play |
| 12227s | against this deck that is a formidable |
| 12230s | Force you should beat it more than 20% |
| 12233s | of the time you would |
| 12235s | hope apparently you |
| 12238s | don't yep but take a look at some of |
| 12241s | guo's highlights um uh with the shaman |
| 12246s | uh still in the lineup I I believe the |
| 12248s | only player left remaining out of the |
| 12250s | three uh with sham in the lineup um the |
| 12254s | only player with Rogue as well Rogue and |
| 12256s | Shaman both not performing fantastically |
| 12259s | across the weekend but gu has been |
| 12262s | performing fantastically you look at his |
| 12264s | lineup and you're like how do these |
| 12266s | matchups work you know you look across |
| 12268s | the board he seems like slightly |
| 12270s | unfavored in every series that he goes |
| 12271s | into but then he wins so you know what |
| 12275s | are you going to do um and three uh with |
| 12279s | Druid so far this weekend with the |
| 12284s | uh TR Dragon Triant Druid hybrid it |
| 12289s | really doesn't play many dragons it just |
| 12291s | plays the tutor with topor and the welps |
| 12293s | but um those are the strong ones |
| 12296s | specifically in this deck topor is uh |
| 12299s | quite good and with the tutor |
| 12303s | effects to get it like take to the skies |
| 12306s | becomes so so important in this uh uh |
| 12311s | with this deck because you're getting |
| 12314s | the most powerful cards nearly |
| 12317s | guaranteed yeah it's a lovely |
| 12319s | constructed deck as well life from Death |
| 12321s | just adding a load of card draw um |
| 12324s | obviously Finley for those disaster |
| 12326s | draws where you just want to do it all |
| 12327s | again or when your hand's full of Buffs |
| 12329s | and you haven't got any minions or the |
| 12330s | other way around you know it's just |
| 12333s | stuff |
| 12334s | basically |
| 12336s | um by Buffs I mean cultivation Sol of |
| 12338s | the forest um solar eclipse allowing |
| 12342s | that life and death to draw a million |
| 12343s | cards or cultivation to go twice there's |
| 12346s | just so much going on in this |
| 12349s | deck but it's still just a pile of |
| 12352s | Minion cards that come down early and |
| 12354s | hope to kill you it's going to be very |
| 12356s | interesting to see this deck once |
| 12358s | again doesn't feel |
| 12361s | like wow it's it's doing the job so far |
| 12365s | absolutely and um I'm excited to see it |
| 12368s | to be quite honest a little bit of |
| 12369s | changer Pace from the normal Dragon Dr |
| 12371s | that we've been seeing and it so just |
| 12374s | has the powerful Druid cards right |
| 12375s | Cactus construct on one into well Bon |
| 12377s | two is always going to be good the |
| 12379s | problem with this deck at times is that |
| 12382s | sometimes you can have wellon to but no |
| 12383s | dragon right yeah um in the deck and |
| 12388s | that's a downside you're you're willing |
| 12390s | to take um and that's why you do have |
| 12393s | the the double take to the skies in |
| 12394s | there uh to be able to tutor them out |
| 12396s | the awkward part is if you draw all your |
| 12398s | dragons before the take to the skies |
| 12400s | that's a problem that I ran into when I |
| 12402s | was practicing this deck right that |
| 12405s | makes sense on the other side of it this |
| 12407s | deck um it doesn't need the ramp it |
| 12409s | doesn't rely on the ramp as much as most |
| 12410s | Druid decks it can just spew ones and |
| 12413s | twos all over the board and then buff |
| 12414s | them up and you know just hit you so it |
| 12417s | is still a body on the board okay it's a |
| 12419s | terrible one it's a two one for for two |
| 12422s | you don't want that but with all the |
| 12422s | other one drops in the deck you know if |
| 12425s | you ramp on turn five so be it that's |
| 12427s | that's it's not fine but you'll take |
| 12429s | that as a worst |
| 12430s | case |
| 12434s | all right priest |
| 12436s | first to kick things |
| 12439s | off all about the start right all about |
| 12442s | this early game pocket train on the play |
| 12446s | with a very good curve um Slither spear |
| 12449s | with wig in hand and even a dream |
| 12453s | boat could even Tempo out the |
| 12455s | synchronize that I just saw picked up |
| 12456s | off the top it all depends on what the |
| 12458s | play is here from |
| 12460s | gu it's going to be a story of wide |
| 12464s | versus |
| 12465s | tall which one do you prefer |
| 12469s | Tj going wide we're going usually |
| 12471s | against Rogue |
| 12474s | wide but the rogue's going to go tall |
| 12477s | real |
| 12478s | to yeah Rogue can also go wide at times |
| 12482s | as well we got the scourge Illusionist |
| 12484s | in the opening hand too and a serrated |
| 12487s | bone Spike which is actually |
| 12490s | fantastic those when I was a young lad I |
| 12493s | was taught to ignore the Savannah High |
| 12495s | Main and hit them in the head |
| 12497s | TJ that's what I was |
| 12500s | taught that's what you T yeah they |
| 12503s | taught her that at |
| 12506s | school somebody the Savannah High Mains |
| 12508s | they all magnetize onto each other and |
| 12510s | get real big real quick |
| 12519s | yeah both it's just going to clear it |
| 12523s | yeah I was going to say like just ditch |
| 12525s | the |
| 12526s | wig power or power cord synchronize on a |
| 12529s | miracle salesman's not the best but it's |
| 12531s | all about the tempo |
| 12534s | here yeah monsters beneath |
| 12539s | you yeah both these decks are very tough |
| 12541s | to play for the first four or five turns |
| 12543s | in |
| 12545s | particular um I think they both get a |
| 12547s | bad reputation for not being that tough |
| 12548s | to play especially the miracle Rogue if |
| 12550s | you make any akes early on you're in |
| 12552s | trouble but yeah we see now pocket train |
| 12554s | how he set this up wasting in air quotes |
| 12558s | the wig and look at the board it's made |
| 12560s | him yeah quite |
| 12563s | strong and it's just going to go face |
| 12566s | the trades on the board for the scourge |
| 12567s | illusionists actually aren't too |
| 12570s | terrible um just because um pocket |
| 12573s | Train's fine with the value trades um |
| 12576s | because that means that the scourge |
| 12577s | Illusionist is not dying yet you can |
| 12579s | have a little bit more 's turn is really |
| 12584s | not that good and he's already got |
| 12586s | neptulon and thunderbrand which is not |
| 12589s | good uh with The Illusionist I guess |
| 12591s | it's not the worst thing in the world |
| 12593s | but neptulon |
| 12597s | specifically actually it is the worst |
| 12599s | thing in the world it is the worst thing |
| 12600s | in the world yeah I was trying to work |
| 12601s | out how it's not the worst thing in the |
| 12603s | world but I think I think yeah cuz the |
| 12604s | scourge illusionists will just pull the |
| 12606s | second Scourge |
| 12607s | Illusionist |
| 12609s | War for some reason thought he was |
| 12612s | playing two Thunder brers for a second |
| 12613s | but |
| 12615s | nope no that' be that would be um |
| 12617s | awkward have to have a |
| 12620s | recount yeah this is brutal yeah it |
| 12623s | looks like gu is going to flop here in |
| 12627s | game pocket train playing for Max |
| 12631s | Tempo it's looking quite good all back |
| 12634s | to that weak play that you highlighted |
| 12635s | on turn three |
| 12639s | yep you can see pocket has nothing left |
| 12642s | going on in this hand at all it's all |
| 12644s | over but doesn't matter or probably |
| 12647s | doesn't matter just being careful with |
| 12648s | that course you know saying games are |
| 12651s | over doesn't always work out well TJ I |
| 12654s | learned |
| 12664s | yesterday I just got to take as much |
| 12666s | damage off the board as possible |
| 12668s | here yep I guess the slyther spear |
| 12673s | does present sometimes as much power as |
| 12677s | the miracle salesman and you get another |
| 12679s | trade with it next turn it's really |
| 12682s | awkward cuz the salesman gives a |
| 12683s | tradeable card when pocket Train's got |
| 12685s | one killing the Slither spear puts mine |
| 12687s | SE into play which is extra damage yeah |
| 12690s | um so either way he sort of had to |
| 12693s | struggle there I agree with the choice |
| 12695s | though um slyther spear being pretty |
| 12698s | scary against a couple of spells |
| 12700s | there |
| 12704s | oh yeah it doesn't do |
| 12711s | anything decision time for pocket |
| 12718s | though |
| 12720s | yeah ignore the high main TJ that's what |
| 12723s | we were taught at |
| 12724s | school a little risky when you're |
| 12726s | dealing with a magnetic deck it's just |
| 12728s | one spoter right |
| 12737s | fet tra with that Scourge Illusionist |
| 12739s | kill also got a ton of information with |
| 12741s | how the hands looking so that is also |
| 12743s | why he decided to go face I think |
| 12745s | because he knows two of the cards or a |
| 12748s | card in the |
| 12751s | [Music] |
| 12753s | hand nothing |
| 12760s | here much more fun |
| 12770s | to Hero just like that uh pocket train |
| 12773s | series have all been incredibly quick |
| 12775s | even the 3-2 against mey wasn't exactly |
| 12777s | a long series of PA St |
| 12779s | so no it was back and forth but they |
| 12782s | were some pretty fast action |
| 12785s | games um and I feel like that's what |
| 12788s | we're going to we should expect with |
| 12789s | this series as well |
| 12792s | especially with the pace of play we go |
| 12793s | for but a great start for pocket train a |
| 12796s | very unfortunate hand |
| 12799s | for uh for G in that one drawing the |
| 12803s | Thunderburg Illusionist shut it off |
| 12807s | completely and even if he had been able |
| 12810s | to pull the |
| 12811s | thunderbrand was also drawn uh in the |
| 12815s | hand as well so it wouldn't have been |
| 12816s | nearly as powerful but um it's just the |
| 12820s | way the crumbles there Neil and we're |
| 12823s | going into game number two here |
| 12825s | shortly yeah game number two already |
| 12828s | |
| 12828s | train I don't know if you'll be relieved |
| 12831s | to get the priest out you're always |
| 12832s | relieved to win the first game obviously |
| 12834s | but I don't know how much Faith people |
| 12835s | have in the priest how much they don't |
| 12837s | but because the priest has that |
| 12839s | capability to just have slower starts |
| 12841s | kind of like the mechro it is nice to |
| 12843s | just get it done I think whereas the |
| 12845s | other two decks a little bit more |
| 12847s | consistent I |
| 12849s | feel with uh the card draw if the priest |
| 12852s | doesn't get its early card draw weird |
| 12854s | things can happen to |
| 12855s | it |
| 12857s | yep but now we got Demon Hunter and the |
| 12860s | Druid left uh for pocket train once |
| 12863s | again I think the Demon Hunter is the |
| 12864s | deck that you sort of have to keep an |
| 12866s | eye on um in this one all of gu's decks |
| 12870s | have this like insane highroll potential |
| 12873s | right all of G's the the Rogue Shaman |
| 12876s | and the Druid all have these |
| 12879s | openings and like up to to like |
| 12882s | turn blowout games against just about |
| 12885s | any deck so even though we can look at |
| 12889s | match up look at matchup data um in |
| 12892s | terms of just like raw power in a single |
| 12896s | game Ed decks have a |
| 12900s | very um so we'll see any still Anything |
| 12904s | could happen I would consider pocket |
| 12906s | train a favor from this point being one |
| 12907s | Zer up and having the priest out of the |
| 12909s | way is going to move to the Druid next |
| 12911s | next off against this Mech |
| 12914s | Rogue again the deck going for |
| 12916s | consistency not necessarily absolute raw |
| 12920s | power uh the Druid the two of deck the |
| 12923s | dragon Druid the the the piper version |
| 12926s | of the Dragon Druid make your Golems big |
| 12929s | play a lot of them wide Board of big |
| 12932s | tauny things win the game against a lot |
| 12935s | of |
| 12936s | decks uh without the Drake though on two |
| 12940s | things can get a little bit |
| 12942s | slow um but there's so much other good |
| 12945s | stuff going on in the deck so much |
| 12947s | removal and so much taunt that g is |
| 12950s | going to need a good start and he's got |
| 12958s | one |
| 12967s | very |
| 12970s | yeah |
| 12972s | Rockets all set up with the big stuff |
| 12974s | but the big stuff now needs to actually |
| 12977s | appear in his |
| 12979s | hand yep has like the super combo for |
| 12983s | buffing up minions uh with the gardens |
| 12986s | and Aquatic form uh but needs the |
| 12989s | minions as |
| 12991s | well take advantage of those Buffs and |
| 12994s | gu is going to explode onto this board |
| 12998s | here uh good pickup with gear shift as |
| 13000s | well to be able to uh uh dump these |
| 13004s | spark Bots and gear shift potentially |
| 13007s | next turn to just kind of |
| 13013s | reset many |
| 13016s | options V setting |
| 13019s | though next |
| 13028s | turn |
| 13029s | yeah |
| 13032s | he's just trying to work out exactly |
| 13033s | where he wants all this to |
| 13036s | go it's just not clear |
| 13042s | right and he wants to push face yep I |
| 13046s | like it set up awkward trades with the |
| 13049s | taunt and keep like the stealth as like |
| 13052s | a utility card oh that is |
| 13054s | a uh quite a good pickup but can't use |
| 13057s | it cuz wouldn't have the second dragon |
| 13060s | uh to activate but this does provide a |
| 13062s | good amount of tempo |
| 13064s | here uh for pocket train just getting a |
| 13068s | dragon to go into his hand that allowed |
| 13069s | this to kill the biggest minion on the |
| 13071s | board is a massive deal yeah unlucky |
| 13074s | that he didn't have another Dragon to be |
| 13077s | able to go full tempo |
| 13079s | right oh that would that would have been |
| 13081s | absolutely nutty of course yes |
| 13083s | but yeah he's such an unlucky player |
| 13088s | uh-huh yeah I'm feeling pretty unlucky |
| 13091s | right now if I'm pocket train one zero |
| 13093s | up in the semi-final of the World |
| 13095s | Championships after a year of qualifying |
| 13097s | in in second |
| 13098s | place so many options behind week |
| 13109s | you this is not a good turn he can like |
| 13112s | double spark bot trade and |
| 13115s | then hero |
| 13117s | power I wonder if he's temp to just a |
| 13119s | gear shift and start a G or yeah Pit |
| 13121s | Stop first I guess |
| 13127s | but because he is expecting to get miles |
| 13131s | behind any second now as it happens |
| 13133s | pocket Train's a little bit away from |
| 13135s | being able to do anything too |
| 13139s | exciting you you're having to trade as |
| 13141s | Rogue you never like that early on it's |
| 13144s | not what you're destined to do yeah oh I |
| 13148s | guess ju does just want to dump I was |
| 13151s | thinking hero power might be better cuz |
| 13152s | you wouldn't be giving over a free trade |
| 13153s | onto the |
| 13155s | oscillator but gu's mind is on the gear |
| 13157s | shift next turn so wants to be able to |
| 13159s | use those High uh value |
| 13163s | cards um before he's shuffling them back |
| 13168s | with the gear shift so empty the hand |
| 13173s | instead so pocket train whiffing on the |
| 13175s | Aquatic form having to actually draw a |
| 13177s | card next turn it is going to be the |
| 13178s | flower child um there's two two dragon |
| 13181s | golems that will get reduced to six or |
| 13183s | one Alex razza uh sorry one five Alex |
| 13185s | Raza in hand so he will hit a dragon |
| 13188s | Golem that he can play on six but it's |
| 13190s | not going to be very big it's only going |
| 13192s | to make two minions but two fairly big |
| 13195s | taunts against um |
| 13200s | oh oh my yeah the in off the top is |
| 13205s | massive and I kind of want to well I |
| 13208s | don't know it's the argument of whether |
| 13210s | or not you want keep |
| 13211s | the push four damage face right |
| 13216s | now you know deck right he knows what's |
| 13220s | on top of the deck unless unless |
| 13221s | pocket's holding double innovate he |
| 13222s | knows that pocket's taking a flowerchild |
| 13224s | here so you keep net four more damage |
| 13228s | they B three could be weren't drawn |
| 13232s | yeah oh no took the five took the fire |
| 13236s | cuz now he can yeah now he can take the |
| 13237s | flower chard and draw it I guess yeah |
| 13240s | this also tutors the deck |
| 13243s | slightly one of the uh six or more cards |
| 13247s | it means that he can narrow the pool for |
| 13250s | what he actually wants to use but is |
| 13252s | just going |
| 13253s | to |
| 13255s | O set up for AI next turn and just try |
| 13259s | to keep the board under control but |
| 13260s | there's a gear shift in hand for |
| 13266s | goo and a mimon to be able to just throw |
| 13269s | on the board prior to the gear shift |
| 13270s | this is looking quite good |
| 13273s | o |
| 13276s | ooh I don't know TJ it looks powerful |
| 13279s | from the Rogue but I buffed yeah fire is |
| 13285s | not buffed |
| 13288s | so it's not really doing much right now |
| 13290s | against this |
| 13297s | Memon just going to card in snap dragon |
| 13302s | and just throw out a hero power and set |
| 13304s | up for the FI going into the next turn |
| 13307s | this does not feel |
| 13310s | great |
| 13313s | perspective your's turn looked fairly |
| 13315s | straightforward now he got to actually |
| 13316s | think about |
| 13327s | it |
| 13329s | yeah stealthy boy and some |
| 13340s | coins just so much damage now |
| 13346s | yep and Tempo too just going to hit him |
| 13350s | yep put him down to |
| 13355s | two ah no put him down to three and get |
| 13357s | rid of this snap |
| 13359s | dragon |
| 13360s | the FI will come in here |
| 13364s | but okay that actually that's a pretty |
| 13367s | big draw because it still allows him to |
| 13369s | fit in the F and he can curve into Alex |
| 13371s | straza next turn but it's too little too |
| 13375s | late it is it we have the rewinder in |
| 13379s | hand best he could do but rough go for |
| 13382s | pocket train and you going to get across |
| 13386s | the Rogue tie the series up bring us to |
| 13388s | effectively a best of three to determine |
| 13391s | who's going to be facing off against CJ |
| 13393s | ker in the |
| 13394s | finals yeah going to go close again just |
| 13397s | like they did last time around so pocket |
| 13400s | train did have a choice there for the |
| 13401s | flower child to to play a girl of on six |
| 13404s | um it would only have been a two minion |
| 13408s | unbuffed Golem I don't think Pocky train |
| 13410s | fancy that he went for the F which is a |
| 13412s | lot of Health on board if your opponent |
| 13414s | doesn't get MIM run basically and a lot |
| 13417s | of healing by yourself the time to do |
| 13419s | the other things I think it made sense |
| 13421s | uh but it certainly didn't work out very |
| 13423s | well for him there and gu had more to |
| 13425s | come he was about to start doing |
| 13427s | the the horse part of the deck as |
| 13429s | opposed to the mech part of the deck |
| 13432s | so |
| 13433s | horse it's a horse it is a horse ringing |
| 13438s | the |
| 13439s | Thunder uh but yeah um Mech Rogue kind |
| 13443s | of showing off uh in that game and |
| 13446s | obviously this isn't the kind of hand |
| 13448s | you want pocket train was a f actively |
| 13450s | play off the top for the whole game um |
| 13454s | which is not where you want to be in |
| 13456s | this deck you want to be able to plan |
| 13458s | your turns ahead and having the double |
| 13461s | dredge and a Shon Gardens in the opening |
| 13463s | hand but with no |
| 13465s | minions couldn't make use of the |
| 13467s | powerful combo to be able to buff up the |
| 13470s | hand and never saw a dragon Golem the |
| 13472s | whole game yeah the equ form you giving |
| 13475s | you three cards out of your you already |
| 13477s | got six in your deck that cost more than |
| 13479s | four |
| 13481s | giving you three of those nothing to |
| 13483s | even just draw to to just get rid of the |
| 13485s | Clutter now you've got to put a card on |
| 13486s | the top of your deck you don't really |
| 13487s | want on the top of your deck um sort of |
| 13491s | an own goal for the deck in that one and |
| 13493s | it's very very unlikely to happen again |
| 13495s | only six minions are believe cost more |
| 13496s | than four in that deck so just one of |
| 13499s | those games to pocket train um but |
| 13501s | that's fair you had one of those games |
| 13502s | in game one so now we're we're playing |
| 13504s | on a Le Level Playing Field have much to |
| 13506s | answer and enter the Demon Hunter that |
| 13508s | is 9 and 14 in this tournament it has |
| 13511s | not been performing particularly well |
| 13514s | and pocket Train's going to need to get |
| 13516s | through a lot of small minions with |
| 13518s | it Yep this is a pretty good start for G |
| 13522s | though has the we plus the take to the |
| 13525s | skies and even a cactus construct to |
| 13527s | start things off |
| 13530s | o |
| 13533s | oh is it the mine it it shouldn't be but |
| 13537s | is it it's got to be Celestial |
| 13539s | projection |
| 13540s | right I think so I think so there's a |
| 13544s | lot of uses for the projectionist in |
| 13546s | this actually no this is not Dragon |
| 13551s | Druid um this is the trian Druid so not |
| 13553s | as many uses for the projectionist |
| 13558s | but I still feel like that has the most |
| 13561s | use cases the mine does eight damage |
| 13564s | TJ because Demon Hunter can't notar it |
| 13568s | sure yeah yeah yeah |
| 13571s | eight points slap yeah you right you |
| 13574s | right my Bloods for |
| 13578s | war yeah bam clear a minion take four I |
| 13581s | mean I I don't know if I'd have had the |
| 13583s | guts to take it but it's a lot of damage |
| 13585s | your de is trying to damage people |
| 13587s | quick oh did he saw Dragon oh Hew a |
| 13592s | dragon I'm not thrown away my |
| 13595s | sh know how monst that is just straight |
| 13598s | up deal with this in the deck out side |
| 13600s | of |
| 13602s | Wrath and gu's going to look for it with |
| 13605s | the Aquatic form doesn't find it but |
| 13607s | finds the other Aquatic |
| 13610s | form Vivo yeah but he only gets one |
| 13614s | additional option here and it's Cactus |
| 13615s | construct but can still get the uh |
| 13617s | Rolling |
| 13619s | Stone uh from Cactus construct but Ops |
| 13621s | to go for |
| 13623s | inter Sharpshooter staying |
| 13627s | up uh but topor can come out NE next |
| 13631s | turn still next |
| 13633s | turn uh with the |
| 13635s | welping |
| 13637s | yeah I'm not throwing away my sh oh |
| 13641s | no what's |
| 13647s | happening |
| 13649s | [Music] |
| 13650s | oh |
| 13657s | um |
| 13659s | just |
| 13660s | there's the Wrath but do you want the |
| 13662s | topio |
| 13663s | instead or the F oh so many choices here |
| 13666s | now to get rid of one of these I think |
| 13669s | you go with the F here yes me |
| 13673s | too it eats up so many shots it also |
| 13676s | forces your opponent to do something |
| 13678s | about |
| 13679s | it I |
| 13682s | wonder he just windmill slam that second |
| 13684s | Sharpshooter but it was the only NGA |
| 13686s | left so and if I can't after the first |
| 13695s | if he had hit a one Mana Naga off of |
| 13697s | that then and then like zero man of |
| 13699s | spell like dispos of |
| 13701s | evidence the momentums would have been |
| 13703s | playable and that would have been a ton |
| 13704s | of |
| 13705s | damage not sure if it would have been |
| 13707s | lethal damage but it would have been a |
| 13709s | ton actually I think it might have been |
| 13710s | lethal damage because that so many |
| 13711s | spells played for the Slither |
| 13715s | spear there's the FI and this has to be |
| 13717s | a big pop off turn for pocket train |
| 13723s | that's a |
| 13732s | mistake |
| 13737s | o might have to part ways with the |
| 13739s | momentum |
| 13741s | here yeah you can't let this thing sit |
| 13743s | here well it's just more Mana efficient |
| 13746s | because then you're going to |
| 13747s | play cheep Naga and then the uh |
| 13750s | predation is going to be |
| 13752s | free ends up being about the same cuz |
| 13754s | You' get keep getting the discounts |
| 13761s | but everything in his power not to use |
| 13763s | any of this life |
| 13769s | stealer got a momentum and then |
| 13774s | swing likely |
| 13776s | yeah |
| 13777s | orally more efficient damage cuz you get |
| 13780s | an extra |
| 13782s | shot and it might actually if that shot |
| 13784s | went in might have just traded in the |
| 13786s | Slither |
| 13787s | spear nah it's only four health so just |
| 13791s | push it through and I don't think topor |
| 13793s | topor is going to is uh enough just |
| 13795s | staring at least on the board would |
| 13796s | leave up a |
| 13798s | sharpshooter so you kind of have to |
| 13801s | lifebinder gift right and then yeah hope |
| 13804s | you find a second removal spell to go |
| 13806s | along with the Wrath take out the |
| 13807s | Sharpshooter |
| 13808s | and |
| 13812s | uh the uh Slither spear |
| 13814s | potentially what to |
| 13817s | do yep and you've seen the double |
| 13820s | momentum go so that limits some of the |
| 13823s | damage from hand I mean you say that |
| 13824s | against Demon Hunter they've always got |
| 13825s | infinite damage from hand but you know |
| 13827s | oh zap |
| 13838s | zap |
| 13853s | I believe only one of these Desperados |
| 13855s | is active cuz the second one was picked |
| 13857s | off picked up on the last uh draw |
| 13860s | sequence |
| 13863s | okay yeah that makes |
| 13866s | sense and this is rough because if you |
| 13869s | just take out the Slither spear now yeah |
| 13872s | with the zap you miss out on a |
| 13876s | potential |
| 13878s | um topor Dragon but it's just going to |
| 13882s | put stuff on the |
| 13883s | board and we're looking at four five six |
| 13888s | I |
| 13890s | you |
| 13893s | seven 14 that's exact |
| 13897s | right I trust you TJ I trust you you've |
| 13899s | never let me down before I think it's |
| 13908s | exact yep yeah cam desync there I that's |
| 13911s | pocket counting the lethal yep there it |
| 13917s | is |
| 13921s | very cuz that was it for pocket the |
| 13924s | second Desperado was |
| 13926s | inactive also needed a way to have |
| 13930s | additional Mana Crystal as well for the |
| 13932s | hero |
| 13933s | power so the uh greedy partner just |
| 13936s | ended up being the perfect draw off the |
| 13939s | top and uh the Demon Hunter out of the |
| 13941s | way now after a close one a tough turn |
| 13945s | three but this deck doesn't have a lot |
| 13947s | of answers just had to play a inade out |
| 13950s | of seven Mana f it was dealt with with |
| 13953s | the Sharpshooter on board and then just |
| 13955s | couldn't find a way out from there |
| 13958s | couldn't never got the the topor down |
| 13960s | despite the double |
| 13962s | ramp yeah he never established any sort |
| 13964s | of minions right his his removal is |
| 13966s | having things on the board to hit your |
| 13968s | things with and he never got that |
| 13970s | established missed on the Wrath when he |
| 13972s | went for the double Aquatic and just |
| 13975s | couldn't quite get rolling the cactus |
| 13977s | construct didn't give him a a very good |
| 13979s | selection of minions you know the naval |
| 13981s | m is exciting CU he does eight against |
| 13983s | this deck if if they start sharp |
| 13985s | shooting you they're going to hit a mine |
| 13986s | at some point and and kill it but never |
| 13989s | got a big thing down to to challenge the |
| 13991s | board and when a sharpshooter |
| 13993s | sticks oh bad things happen to |
| 13997s | you yeah not just the damage in |
| 14000s | the generation right it's a pretty big |
| 14004s | deal and a very nice spot there from |
| 14006s | pocket train on the lethal at the end I |
| 14009s | mean I think everything was going face |
| 14010s | there anyway |
| 14012s | but spotted that incredibly quickly so |
| 14015s | now it's just the Druid left remaining |
| 14018s | for pocket train |
| 14020s | and this this uh hasn't been the best |
| 14021s | performing deck in his lineup but it |
| 14023s | also |
| 14024s | has in his lineup the best performing |
| 14027s | just fine it's two OBS it's solid we saw |
| 14031s | what happened to mey he couldn't quite |
| 14032s | get good things going um and that can |
| 14035s | happen but this this lineup is a very |
| 14038s | consistent lineup with card draw or with |
| 14043s | just |
| 14043s | things expected to be played on curve |
| 14046s | and expect to be done as they are the |
| 14047s | only one that's not so consistent is the |
| 14049s | priest but it's very powerful and I mean |
| 14051s | pocket at the start of the tournament he |
| 14052s | wasn't |
| 14054s | particularly excited about his lineup I |
| 14056s | think that's because it is just solid |
| 14059s | and not flashy although he's doing |
| 14060s | flashy things with the priest and the |
| 14063s | the Demon Hunter I it's just not a |
| 14065s | pocket train deck this Druid Deck but |
| 14067s | it's just good it's just going to be |
| 14069s | solid and it should get the job done but |
| 14071s | if it's going to lose Triant Druid and a |
| 14075s | Mech Rogue are two of the decks could |
| 14076s | definitely take it |
| 14078s | down |
| 14080s | yeah I'm worried about the shaman for H |
| 14082s | freak you getting that across the board |
| 14084s | but ooh pocket |
| 14088s | train quite a good |
| 14093s | opening just missing a cactus |
| 14097s | construct but it's okay gu's got |
| 14100s | one yes that's okay yeah at least at |
| 14103s | least one of us has got one he'll be |
| 14104s | happy about that yeah it's |
| 14108s | Pro |
| 14110s | [Music] |
| 14112s | again this is the tree and Druid so even |
| 14114s | though the welps from the welp Wrangler |
| 14116s | do have Synergy with the |
| 14119s | five it's not the uh end all Beall |
| 14124s | strategy so yeah just go for the cycle |
| 14127s | try and find the welp with already |
| 14128s | having a dragon in hand |
| 14131s | so double am here is is huge for pocket |
| 14134s | by the way as well cuz it's just make a |
| 14136s | thing kill your thing which is a very |
| 14138s | good way to beat aggressive |
| 14140s | decks |
| 14149s | yeah okay no |
| 14152s | welp from the side of |
| 14154s | Goo that allows pocket train to do this |
| 14158s | which is not what you want pocket train |
| 14159s | to be doing look at that hand he's going |
| 14161s | to have a wall four sixes across the |
| 14168s | board |
| 14177s | oh |
| 14181s | um you go pounds for immediate Tempo |
| 14184s | rehydrates a nature |
| 14190s | spell yeah for topi are down the line |
| 14193s | but that is down the line and sunwell I |
| 14195s | feel it's just too clunky I mean sunwell |
| 14197s | is awful but also how does he assess |
| 14200s | where he is in the game I don't think |
| 14201s | good players take sunwell almost |
| 14204s | ever but is this almost |
| 14207s | ever no just take the good |
| 14217s | card I mean with planted evidence |
| 14221s | rehydrate regain two Mana |
| 14225s | but the state of this turn |
| 14233s | you |
| 14236s | go and it doesn't stop |
| 14239s | there |
| 14244s | doesn't and this is all because he was |
| 14246s | able to play ter take disguise on three |
| 14249s | um because there's no pressure coming |
| 14253s | in and he had a wel obviously which |
| 14258s | helps |
| 14264s | I what do you even |
| 14266s | do um you fill the board with |
| 14269s | welps or not with welps with |
| 14272s | Triant like what's your wi condition in |
| 14275s | this position like something how how do |
| 14277s | you get to Topo how do you you D do you |
| 14280s | cycle a wrath and try and hit a welp are |
| 14282s | you that desperate I think you have to |
| 14283s | kill a three3 in the real world but |
| 14288s | maybe |
| 14292s | yeah I think he thought that welp into |
| 14293s | Topo just before he dies was kind of his |
| 14296s | out there with these nature spells in |
| 14300s | hand still what if you try and hit what |
| 14303s | if you try and hit wild growth from |
| 14304s | planet |
| 14311s | evidence yeah that might be slightly |
| 14314s | more |
| 14318s | likely |
| 14326s | such a good draw in this situation |
| 14328s | doesn't even matter what it picks up |
| 14329s | it's just two |
| 14330s | dragons all right that's pretty |
| 14334s | good let's go and Max stats here is this |
| 14338s | spine tail Draco I thought it was |
| 14342s | buffed eh it's Max stats in away because |
| 14346s | it's minimal dragons play which means |
| 14348s | you get play maximum Dragon Golem if |
| 14351s | even needed ever yeah I mean there's 16 |
| 14355s | damage on board and Amber WS in hand may |
| 14357s | not even |
| 14360s | matter I think we're looking at the |
| 14362s | beginning of the end here for |
| 14365s | Q ah fire |
| 14369s | is |
| 14374s | forecast uh Mar wouldn't draw it anyway |
| 14377s | you spent the whole game trying to find |
| 14379s | this dragon and it's here to taunt him |
| 14380s | now at the end |
| 14388s | yeah Battle of the Champions gear pocket |
| 14391s | train summer winner fall |
| 14394s | winner G got the first win but this is |
| 14397s | the big win |
| 14399s | TJ that is lethal damage for pocket |
| 14402s | train he's going to the World |
| 14404s | Championship final we've been waiting to |
| 14406s | say that all year and here it is |
| 14410s | one more match for pocket train against |
| 14412s | CJ Kaka to become the world champion |
| 14415s | just continuing to |
| 14417s | improve each and every time we see him |
| 14420s | and yeah yeah that's mhm just |
| 14425s | hide that's just relief right there is |
| 14427s | what it is right it's just one more |
| 14429s | match and if we remember back to what |
| 14433s | happened the last time those two played |
| 14436s | pocket train and CJ |
| 14440s | it did not go well for CJ |
| 14443s | so we'll see if that's going to be a |
| 14445s | repeat as you can see pocket train going |
| 14449s | through the final moments of that game |
| 14450s | realizing that uh that he's won and |
| 14454s | there's the mini pocket CHP pop up one |
| 14455s | more one more all it takes one |
| 14459s | more one more but CJ hasn't lost a game |
| 14464s | since he got his hand removed by prison |
| 14466s | of yeron he's won in a row he's like yog |
| 14470s | get back in your prison I'm going to win |
| 14472s | seven games in a row and if he can make |
| 14474s | that 10 he'll be the world champion that |
| 14477s | I don't know how he could play half |
| 14479s | after that last night I had to take |
| 14480s | three games off this morning to recover |
| 14484s | like how is he doing this is is his name |
| 14487s | on the cup as we say in the |
| 14490s | UK |
| 14491s | uh like that to be quite honest I mean |
| 14495s | hasn't lost a game today which |
| 14497s | is uh pretty impressive and you know you |
| 14500s | got to give a big shout out to gu gu has |
| 14502s | had uh an incredible year MH um for |
| 14506s | competitive |
| 14507s | Hearthstone I I feel like continuously |
| 14510s | underrated just |
| 14513s | because not as like popular uh in terms |
| 14517s | of |
| 14518s | following and audience as uh some of the |
| 14521s | uh bigger names throughout the field but |
| 14524s | consistently does his own thing and does |
| 14527s | it well right and I have a lot of |
| 14529s | respect uh for GU as a player because of |
| 14532s | that coming in with a very unique lineup |
| 14534s | for the |
| 14535s | field uh in this top eight at the world |
| 14537s | championship and uh coming this far and |
| 14541s | the truid couldn't get across the line |
| 14543s | there at the end uh rough hand rough |
| 14545s | ShakeOut um but uh if you're going to |
| 14549s | lose to anybody I feel like pocket train |
| 14551s | is probably the player that You' choose |
| 14552s | out of any player in this field yeah I |
| 14555s | think I think pocket train is kind of |
| 14556s | the Player's Choice if it's not there |
| 14558s | themselves um we've seen that sentiment |
| 14560s | echoed quite a lot of times guo finished |
| 14563s | top 32 in the in the fall season when he |
| 14566s | was already qualified for this |
| 14568s | tournament just top 32 just just |
| 14570s | practicing playing some Hearthstone just |
| 14571s | jamming along you know presumably not |
| 14574s | going Full Tilt cuz why would you burn |
| 14576s | yourself out before the World |
| 14577s | Championships if you didn't have to |
| 14578s | still finish top 32 just because why |
| 14581s | not yeah I mean you got to keep that |
| 14584s | that practice up that momentum up right |
| 14587s | um I feel like a lot of players have |
| 14588s | fallen into this trap where they qualify |
| 14591s | for the World Championship relatively |
| 14593s | early GES wasn't that early right um |
| 14596s | couple months uh but we've had |
| 14599s | situations in the past where we've had |
| 14601s | players qualify and then |
| 14604s | not ractice but it looks like we have a |
| 14607s | special treat in store uh for everybody |
| 14610s | here we actually have pocket |
| 14613s | train at the end of his uh semi-final |
| 14616s | win so let's see if we can uh |
| 14620s | get him in here to ask him a few |
| 14621s | questions about how he feels going into |
| 14623s | the finals pocket train can you hear |
| 14625s | us yep can indeed uh |
| 14628s | hello hello first off congratulations |
| 14632s | World Finals yes we can hear you um so |
| 14636s | you gave the one more at the end is was |
| 14639s | this match kind of just like a stepping |
| 14641s | stone in your mind obviously not the |
| 14642s | ultimate goal you have your mind on one |
| 14644s | thing and that's winning the whole |
| 14646s | thing yeah um so I I was not that |
| 14650s | relaxed because I in my head I thought |
| 14652s | if I don't win re vam wins and re vam is |
| 14655s | I think criminally underrated and uh |
| 14658s | would yeah he was my pick to win I think |
| 14660s | if if I didn't and then he lost and then |
| 14662s | the nerves set in so I thought okay I it |
| 14665s | needs to be me now um so uh yeah one |
| 14669s | more job's not |
| 14671s | done well you're GNA be going up against |
| 14674s | CJ in the finals |
| 14677s | and |
| 14679s | against CJ went quite well I'd say all |
| 14682s | things considered however we just saw |
| 14684s | mey uh same lineup as you fall pretty |
| 14689s | handedly uh to the lineup of CJ so how |
| 14691s | you feel going against uh that in the |
| 14693s | finals after you know your history in |
| 14695s | this tournament with him I'm definitely |
| 14698s | very favored me I mean I saw his games |
| 14702s | it was crazy how unlucky he had to get I |
| 14704s | think to to lose those games the the the |
| 14706s | the things that had to happen from to |
| 14708s | lose to lose all of those it was uh just |
| 14711s | very unfortunate I think most of the |
| 14713s | times most of the time he wins that and |
| 14715s | yeah I just hope that doesn't happen to |
| 14717s | me CJ seems like the chosen one ever |
| 14718s | since his uh last game yesterday so I'm |
| 14721s | a bit worried but uh I guess it's a |
| 14723s | fitting |
| 14725s | final it is the rematch uh Neil any |
| 14728s | questions uh from your end before we uh |
| 14730s | let pocket TR go we don't want to take |
| 14732s | too much time no I don't I don't want to |
| 14733s | take pocket Train's time at the moment |
| 14735s | it's nice to hear from your pocket good |
| 14736s | luck in the final but yeah have a great |
| 14737s | one we won't thank you very much hope I |
| 14739s | can talk to you guys |
| 14741s | later yeah yeah yeah double interview |
| 14743s | all right thanks pet train and uh rest |
| 14746s | up in the next 10 minutes or whatever it |
| 14747s | is see you |
| 14749s | later yeah yeah I'd like how about about |
| 14753s | a couple of things with it being the |
| 14755s | rematch but he's clearly a little |
| 14757s | nervous don't blaming me for that final |
| 14759s | so let's let him go and do his thing um |
| 14763s | interesting like this is the logic of |
| 14765s | pocket train he wasn't scared to say |
| 14767s | that he's very favored like it's not |
| 14768s | just confidence that's just the maths |
| 14770s | he's done before the tournament and a |
| 14772s | lot of players are like oh I don't don't |
| 14774s | want to put my name on the line say I'm |
| 14775s | favored and lose but he's just willing |
| 14776s | to go out and say well I've done the M |
| 14778s | I'm Favored Me was unlucky let's get on |
| 14779s | with it yeah and I mean everybody that |
| 14783s | sees the decks in the matchups can see |
| 14786s | that we're coming down to a grand final |
| 14788s | it's just one match right if it can |
| 14790s | happen to mey it can happen to pocket |
| 14791s | train as well if uh um CJ just takes the |
| 14795s | opportunities that he's given which he |
| 14797s | did in the series versus versus mey we |
| 14799s | could be looking at a much closer series |
| 14801s | than the one uh where these two players |
| 14804s | first met at the very beginning of |
| 14805s | yesterday so um yeah how do you beat a |
| 14810s | man who doesn't need cards TJ he doesn't |
| 14813s | need cards in his hand to beat people |
| 14815s | that's how good CJ kako is pocket train |
| 14817s | might have his work cut out yeah he |
| 14820s | certainly does but you know we only have |
| 14822s | one more match uh left on the day um and |
| 14825s | there it is the of the 2023 harstone |
| 14830s | World Championship it is going to be CJ |
| 14832s | Kaka versus pocket train the plot armor |
| 14836s | for both of these players seems thick uh |
| 14841s | CJ feels like he can't lose a game today |
| 14843s | pocket train feels like he can't lose a |
| 14846s | series so when both of those things come |
| 14850s | against each other who's the going to be |
| 14851s | the one that comes out on |
| 14853s | top uh that's a a tough thing to say |
| 14857s | guess we'll have to keep watching |
| 14858s | watching to find out won't we |
| 14860s | TJ we will have to keep |
| 14863s | watching |
| 14864s | uh um |
| 14867s | but uh sorry I lost my train of |
| 14870s | thought um how about we get some more |
| 14874s | people in here to fill the time while |
| 14876s | Pocky trains getting his analysis |
| 14880s | done yeah well I think we're going to |
| 14883s | get more people in here very shortly is |
| 14885s | uh what we're going to do so uh we do |
| 14887s | have to give pocket train a little bit |
| 14888s | of time since he just played uh his |
| 14891s | match uh to let him prepare rest hydrate |
| 14895s | uh get some water in him get set up for |
| 14897s | his finals so before we jump into a |
| 14899s | little more coverage for the grand |
| 14901s | finals and then ultimately the final |
| 14903s | Grand finals match we're going to have |
| 14904s | to go to a quick break but don't go |
| 14905s | anywhere the conclusion to the 2023 |
| 14908s | Hearthstone World Championship right |
| 14910s | after |
| 14917s | this |
| 14919s | [Music] |
| 14928s | [Music] |
| 14944s | [Music] |
| 14947s | by |
| 14965s | [Music] |
| 14980s | [Music] |
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| 15043s | [Music] |
| 15066s | [Music] |
| 15071s | [Music] |
| 15077s | [Music] |
| 15083s | [Music] |
| 15088s | [Music] |
| 15093s | [Music] |
| 15096s | he |
| 15118s | [Music] |
| 15124s | [Music] |
| 15127s | SC |
| 15137s | [Music] |
| 15139s | Hello everybody welcome back to the |
| 15140s | Hearthstone world |
| 15142s | champion adce Linda and Dragon Rider uh |
| 15147s | AKA Dawn we're going to give you some uh |
| 15149s | pre-finals analysis as pocket train get |
| 15153s | sem final going to give him a little bit |
| 15155s | of a break to kind of refresh it up uh |
| 15158s | but ad of ice me and Neil were obviously |
| 15160s | on on the broadcast but how are you |
| 15162s | feeling uh coming into this uh this |
| 15164s | Grand Final well it was nice to hear |
| 15166s | that at least pocket was with me that |
| 15168s | reim was sort of the number two right |
| 15170s | that if we weren't going to go for the |
| 15172s | the clear protagonist of pocket train |
| 15174s | that recam was number two so I feel good |
| 15176s | about that pick if if it didn't turn out |
| 15178s | in the end uh it just seems like we've |
| 15180s | got protagonist energy coming from two |
| 15182s | directions with CJ streak so uh maybe Le |
| 15188s | pocket just because of that 3 earlier in |
| 15190s | the day and he feels pretty confident |
| 15192s | but I don't know CJ's feeling a little |
| 15194s | Unstoppable right |
| 15196s | now yeah and and Don you were uh on the |
| 15199s | bandwagon from the get-go one of the |
| 15201s | forecasters to originally pick pocket |
| 15204s | trade to win after seeing this play out |
| 15206s | seeing CJ's run thus far and feeling |
| 15210s | Unstoppable today are you still |
| 15211s | confident uh in your pick with uh pocket |
| 15214s | train taking it in the Grand |
| 15216s | Final like look I can't bet against the |
| 15219s | pocket all right we we got to stick with |
| 15222s | it uh I I was a little nervous I I'll be |
| 15225s | honest in that last match though when I |
| 15227s | saw it was one and one I went oh no I |
| 15230s | just and and I'm going to come on record |
| 15232s | and say I kind of called you guys out in |
| 15235s | our Discord and was like no we can't |
| 15238s | change the predictions okay you made |
| 15240s | that bed you're going to lay in it now |
| 15242s | uh and I I I was I was getting a little |
| 15244s | nervous like oh no now watch pocket's |
| 15246s | going to lose that's going to be sad and |
| 15249s | I I was going to stick with it uh but |
| 15253s | yeah I I'm sticking with |
| 15254s | pocket yeah well a lot of players I |
| 15257s | think are are on that mindset uh but |
| 15260s | we're going to take a look at uh some |
| 15262s | highlights uh from these players from uh |
| 15274s | throughout these big surprises over the |
| 15277s | the course of the the tournament |
| 15279s | field terms of like Decks that |
| 15282s | overperform based off of expectations or |
| 15284s | Decks that underperformed based off |
| 15289s | [Music] |
| 15304s | [Music] |
| 15306s | expectations |
| 15309s | [Music] |
| 15312s | he had some he had some great points |
| 15314s | notably the priest and the Druid so well |
| 15316s | done here Neil as he tries to figure |
| 15317s | that out uh but adice I I guess I'll |
| 15320s | pose the same question to you uh knowing |
| 15323s | what we know now with the results you |
| 15325s | can feel free to be completely results |
| 15326s | oriented in your analysis here as his |
| 15329s | tradition in |
| 15330s | Hearthstone yeah AB absolutely in terms |
| 15332s | of popularity and how they |
| 15334s | performed I mean this priest is the |
| 15337s | highest win rate deck you know not a |
| 15339s | large sample size because it was only |
| 15342s | brought in the two lineups mey and |
| 15344s | pocket but it's gone five and one uh |
| 15348s | second only to Paladin which has been |
| 15350s | banned 85% of the time but then 80% win |
| 15353s | rate at four wins one loss so priest |
| 15356s | really seems like the the sort of metab |
| 15358s | breaker read that these players had and |
| 15361s | uh even though ream wasn't able to move |
| 15363s | on the warrior did pretty well for |
| 15365s | itself again you know small samples |
| 15367s | since he was the only warrior in the |
| 15369s | tournament uh Demon Hunter I think was |
| 15373s | the biggest surprise for me seeing how |
| 15375s | poorly it has done because I really |
| 15377s | expected a lot more out of the Demon |
| 15379s | Hunter yeah and yeah I don't know Demon |
| 15382s | Hunter it felt like like the the very |
| 15384s | few amount of tech inclusions that you |
| 15386s | can include in the deck made a huge |
| 15387s | difference in a lot of the |
| 15389s | matchups um but uh definitely a weak |
| 15391s | point but now sort of looking forward uh |
| 15394s | to this Grand finals um you talked about |
| 15397s | it a little bit Dawn but um like what |
| 15401s | does CJ obviously lost 30-0 to pocket |
| 15404s | train uh in one of their first matchups |
| 15406s | of the tournament what does cj8 need to |
| 15409s | do in order to win is it just repeat |
| 15411s | what he did with mey which is |
| 15414s | capital um is maybe pocket trade not as |
| 15416s | favored on paper as everybody's been |
| 15420s | saying I yeah it's it's going to be a |
| 15423s | combination of some of those I think the |
| 15425s | cues depending on on how that works but |
| 15428s | I think in a way that the uh mindset is |
| 15432s | actually going to be something that's |
| 15433s | very important for these players as well |
| 15435s | we saw in that last interview and we've |
| 15437s | seen in previous tournaments like that |
| 15440s | summer Championship uh with pocket train |
| 15442s | getting into the finals but only getting |
| 15444s | second uh that sometimes those nerves |
| 15447s | can get to him or he can kind of get |
| 15448s | inside of his own head and that |
| 15451s | potentially could be a hindrance for him |
| 15453s | but on the other side CJ has built up |
| 15456s | that momentum he is on a role and I |
| 15459s | think that if he kind of capitalizes on |
| 15461s | that feels good and continues to make |
| 15463s | those solid plays without you know |
| 15465s | overextending into the the overconfident |
| 15467s | side of things uh I think that's where |
| 15469s | we're going to see a difference in how |
| 15472s | uh these players kind |
| 15473s | of react or uh change their plays based |
| 15478s | on those draws or the Decks that they |
| 15480s | get queued |
| 15482s | into yeah Neil uh I'm going to come to |
| 15485s | you again this is a huge risk right now |
| 15487s | um sure it is I I heard that we'll see |
| 15490s | if the audience at home heard that sure |
| 15493s | is uh but what do you think is the uh |
| 15495s | the weak spot here for pocket train cuz |
| 15497s | also um everybody's talking about pocket |
| 15501s | train obviously being the favorite |
| 15502s | what's the weak spot I mean he said |
| 15504s | after he won the previous tournament |
| 15506s | that he was so relaxed because he knew |
| 15508s | he had qualified for worlds person we |
| 15510s | just spoke to a moment ago was not a |
| 15512s | relaxed human being um he's very nervous |
| 15516s | and although he should still get get it |
| 15517s | done that's the weak spot if he can't |
| 15519s | control those nerves you don't know how |
| 15521s | you're going to react when you put in |
| 15522s | those spots like you just don't you |
| 15525s | you're never there before you don't know |
| 15526s | how you're going to react you're playing |
| 15527s | for the world championship he could |
| 15529s | unrelax and CJ will punish any mistakes |
| 15532s | that pocket makes we saw that |
| 15535s | yesterday is um from your perspective it |
| 15538s | advice does CJ seem relaxed it seems |
| 15541s | like more relaxed today than yesterday |
| 15543s | would you agree yeah I mean when you've |
| 15545s | been you know through uh the fire and |
| 15549s | and come out the other side like last |
| 15551s | night just that marathon of a game the |
| 15554s | the mental fortitude did not just Rage |
| 15558s | Quit after you know discarding your hand |
| 15561s | shuffling into your deck and and and |
| 15563s | then to come back and win you know that |
| 15565s | game that series and go you know 60 |
| 15569s | today I think just really puts CJ in in |
| 15572s | such a great position mentally it'll |
| 15574s | just come down to like Don was saying |
| 15576s | whether or not it |
| 15577s | goes to his head too much but so far I |
| 15580s | mean I think CJ has just really shown an |
| 15583s | incredible fortitude uh for you know |
| 15586s | even weathering bad beats and then |
| 15589s | coming through on the other |
| 15591s | side yeah it's been uh um really cuz |
| 15595s | he's also had to play another an |
| 15597s | additional match and longer matches |
| 15599s | pocket trains matches have been |
| 15601s | lightning round right three 0 to start |
| 15603s | things off very quick matches fast deck |
| 15605s | fast lineup and uh CJ a little bit |
| 15608s | quicker today because he's had three O's |
| 15610s | but he's had some bangers of gam right |
| 15613s | looking back to the series against ream |
| 15615s | with the Highlander Druid verse Warrior |
| 15618s | um and sort speaking |
| 15620s | of um Dawn you are you have been dubbed |
| 15624s | uh the Highlander |
| 15626s | Druid uh expert here right now um |
| 15629s | Highlander Druid I have been incredibly |
| 15633s | impressed by it I thought we were going |
| 15634s | to see two of dragon Druids do and |
| 15637s | obviously we have seen that cuz pocket |
| 15638s | train has his his lineup but um are you |
| 15642s | a are you a Highlander Druid gamer now |
| 15645s | after seeing uh CJ just dominate with it |
| 15647s | thus far a forbidden fruit gamer even |
| 15649s | perhaps okay I will say to my credit I |
| 15653s | did Theory craft Highlander Druid that |
| 15655s | included forbidden fruit I'm a fan of it |
| 15658s | I love it and I I do want to see that |
| 15661s | win I'm glad it's been going there but I |
| 15664s | I don't know I this |
| 15667s | the the thing here for me is those |
| 15670s | aggressive decks on the other side from |
| 15672s | pocket train I mean if uh if there's a |
| 15676s | kind of heavy hand if uh CJ isn't able |
| 15678s | to find some of those uh answers in the |
| 15682s | in that Highlander deck it feels like it |
| 15685s | can get steamrolled a bit by those uh |
| 15687s | pretty fast |
| 15689s | decks yeah and that's where that's where |
| 15692s | we've seen the big losses uh for CJ but |
| 15694s | I have faith I have faith but I feel |
| 15696s | feel like we've uh done quite a bit of |
| 15698s | analysis on the decks and we are |
| 15700s | actually going to go ahead and revisit |
| 15702s | our |
| 15703s | predictions uh from the very start uh of |
| 15706s | the broadcast |
| 15708s | um uh yep that's this is 100% |
| 15713s | correct NE did position there yep Neil |
| 15717s | did pick um and I |
| 15721s | uh can't get away with anything these |
| 15723s | days uh yes I did pick mey uh adal Vice |
| 15726s | did pick ream uh who are now eliminated |
| 15729s | from the tournament but I feel like we |
| 15730s | were Justified right uh adal Vice ream |
| 15734s | even pocket train said it and if |
| 15735s | everybody else is picking pocket train |
| 15737s | and pocket train said it that kind of |
| 15739s | counts as a pocket train pick right yeah |
| 15741s | that's how that works but notably all |
| 15743s | the same play group The Only Reason ream |
| 15745s | had different lists than mey and pocket |
| 15748s | is because of the way the group groups |
| 15750s | lined up so uh you know they all done |
| 15754s | incredibly well uh to to to make it as |
| 15757s | far as they did and uh just you know |
| 15761s | we've been surprised by CJ seemingly |
| 15763s | comeback King |
| 15765s | here yeah and uh I won't begin to |
| 15768s | justify the mey pick outside of saying |
| 15771s | it could have been |
| 15772s | pocket and being eliminated with the |
| 15774s | tough draws against CJ early on in the |
| 15777s | tournament same exact lineup and uh I |
| 15780s | don't want to say similar results but |
| 15781s | that's it but um those are those were |
| 15783s | our |
| 15784s | predictions um and uh thank you very |
| 15788s | much adice Linda and Dawn for providing |
| 15791s | analysis in this break uh we are there |
| 15795s | we |
| 15796s | are we have pocket train versus CJ which |
| 15799s | is going to be the last match of the |
| 15801s | competitive hearstone year the last |
| 15803s | match uh to finish off the 2023 |
| 15805s | hearstone world champion uh Championship |
| 15808s | but before we get into that one we're |
| 15809s | going to have to go to one last Quick |
| 15810s | break so don't go anywhere the |
| 15811s | conclusion is the hearstone world |
| 15813s | championship right after |
| 15815s | this |
| 15820s | [Music] |
| 15831s | [Music] |
| 15845s | he |
| 15856s | [Music] |
| 15878s | [Music] |
| 15899s | [Music] |
| 15917s | [Music] |
| 15935s | 3 |
| 15941s | hello everyone and welcome back to the |
| 15943s | Hearthstone World Championship it's that |
| 15946s | time we've spent all year getting to |
| 15949s | this point and it is time for the finals |
| 15953s | in just a short few games of hearthstone |
| 15956s | we will be crowning our |
| 15958s | 2023 world champion I'm Raven of course |
| 15961s | joining me as you can see is sttle and |
| 15964s | uh so are you ready as we take a look at |
| 15967s | the |
| 15968s | [Music] |
| 15978s | bracket thank you uh I will start that |
| 15981s | again go again my friend good start good |
| 15983s | more than excited yeah we're kicking |
| 15985s | things off as we mean to continue of |
| 15987s | course um hey look we are doing |
| 15989s | something entirely different with a |
| 15990s | whole four boox thing going on to fill |
| 15992s | the time while we had a break before |
| 15993s | worlds there's a there's all sorts of |
| 15995s | technical limitations going on this is |
| 15997s | not my fault okay uh anyway it's been a |
| 15999s | fantastic script I think you'll be you |
| 16001s | will agree where we're seeing poget |
| 16003s | train of course who has been the |
| 16005s | protagonist of the TV show Hearthstone |
| 16007s | during 2023 making it all the way |
| 16009s | through to finals but I feel like |
| 16012s | there's one thing that's missing from |
| 16014s | pocket train story it's a little bit of |
| 16016s | adversity don't think he's faced enough |
| 16018s | because yes he had that disappointment |
| 16020s | where gu stopped him at the first point |
| 16022s | of the call when he made it to the final |
| 16024s | in the second Master's tour didn't quite |
| 16026s | make the can't have to come back and win |
| 16027s | the third yeah sure but it's all seemed |
| 16029s | a little bit too easy for him outside of |
| 16031s | that right so what he needs is to go up |
| 16035s | against some sort of unkillable super |
| 16038s | boss and I think that's what we found |
| 16041s | here with CJ Kaka on the other side |
| 16043s | because I don't know how you're supposed |
| 16046s | to make this person lose a series of |
| 16048s | hearthstone based on what we have seen |
| 16049s | through this tournament so far no it has |
| 16052s | definitely been something hasn't it not |
| 16054s | only the you know the shenanigans that |
| 16056s | went down yesterday but again I uh |
| 16058s | pocket mentioned it in his interview we |
| 16061s | were talking about it beforehand as well |
| 16063s | um is that this matchup you can see now |
| 16065s | that happened before CJ versus mey mey |
| 16068s | has pocket trains lineup they're the |
| 16070s | same decks yet CJ on on paper should not |
| 16074s | have won that right is that fair to say |
| 16076s | in terms of just pure matchups into |
| 16078s | matchups so um CJ has been doing some |
| 16082s | incredible things and I think it really |
| 16084s | shows the uh the difference of the sort |
| 16086s | of uncontrollable wild card that CJ has |
| 16090s | seemingly turned into going up against |
| 16093s | the sort of uh consistently strong |
| 16096s | pocket train I do agree I think it is |
| 16098s | going to be quite the final and as we |
| 16100s | take a look at this rainbow Mage all I |
| 16102s | think there's one important factor that |
| 16104s | could really uh just finish off this |
| 16106s | year with quite the Rarity this world |
| 16110s | championship predictions could be the |
| 16113s | most successful Caster predictions that |
| 16116s | have ever happened in hearthstone's |
| 16118s | history cuz what is there four of us |
| 16120s | that have predicted pocket to win Worlds |
| 16122s | and there's a there's a pretty good |
| 16124s | chany will that's good that's that's |
| 16126s | pretty crazy do you know what else I |
| 16128s | want to throw out there Raven uh World |
| 16131s | Championship final eight decks we're |
| 16133s | looking at the Mage right now but there |
| 16134s | are eight decks in this final none of |
| 16137s | them are |
| 16138s | rogue oh that okay that's a good one I |
| 16141s | kind of didn't think about the whole |
| 16142s | class thing and two of them are Paladin |
| 16145s | if you know you by the way I'm not even |
| 16147s | going to go all the way deep into that |
| 16148s | but yeah so we are looking at CJ kaka's |
| 16150s | rainbow Mage here I chose to highlight |
| 16151s | this one because Mage is a deck that's |
| 16153s | been ubiquitous in the in top level |
| 16156s | Hearthstone High Legend Hearthstone |
| 16158s | competitive Hearthstone and really |
| 16159s | across the whole of ladder and |
| 16160s | everywhere else for quite some |
| 16163s | time so to see such a sparing amount of |
| 16167s | that Mage in this tournament has caught |
| 16169s | me a little bit by surprise um and CJ |
| 16172s | Kaka being one of the ones that brought |
| 16173s | it who is making it all the way through |
| 16175s | to the finals um I think is a super |
| 16177s | interesting little Wrinkle in this and |
| 16179s | yes the rainbow Mage I think is actually |
| 16181s | one of the Decks that is somewhat well |
| 16183s | positioned to pick up a win here or |
| 16185s | there in this tournament because as you |
| 16186s | sorry in this matchup because as you |
| 16188s | said um CJ Kaka against this lineup so |
| 16192s | against mey previously and now against |
| 16194s | pocket train he's not supposed to win um |
| 16197s | you said it pocket train even said it |
| 16198s | himself after his semi-finals interview |
| 16201s | but I think pocket train even being so |
| 16203s | bold as to go and say that right before |
| 16205s | going to play a final which a lot of |
| 16207s | people wouldn't dare to do I think he |
| 16209s | was still underselling it like CJ's |
| 16211s | lineup not CJ the person not CJ the |
| 16214s | player but CJ's lineup is monumentally |
| 16217s | unfavored in this series I would say |
| 16220s | however probably less unfavored than you |
| 16223s | are when you discard your entire hand in |
| 16226s | the middle of a druid mirror and he |
| 16228s | still managed to win that somehow so |
| 16230s | there is no way you can possibly count |
| 16232s | this person now yep just because the |
| 16234s | lineup's not great doesn't mean it's not |
| 16237s | winnable H his opponent of course is |
| 16239s | going to be pocket train a player I feel |
| 16242s | like we've just been speaking about all |
| 16244s | year I think that's reasonably fair to |
| 16246s | say because we kind of just have um |
| 16249s | really really you know top of the game |
| 16251s | right now in competitive host we know |
| 16253s | this we it's what we've been talking |
| 16254s | about for so long and the fact that he |
| 16256s | has made it all the way to the finals is |
| 16259s | just truly impressive and he's |
| 16261s | definitely one of if not the standout |
| 16264s | Player of the Year at least for me |
| 16266s | um a and like we've just talked about |
| 16269s | but on on the other side of things where |
| 16271s | things are going his way right not only |
| 16275s | not only is sorry that threw me off |
| 16277s | there for a second um not only is his |
| 16279s | lineup seemingly you know quite strong I |
| 16281s | think especially this priest I think me |
| 16284s | and TJ talked about this earli I think |
| 16285s | we spoke about this yesterday but I do |
| 16287s | feel like the priest I don't know feels |
| 16289s | like The X Factor deck of the tournament |
| 16292s | for me um and and I think all the pocket |
| 16295s | has to do now is just |
| 16299s | focus try and relax even though that's |
| 16301s | impossible and just get the job done |
| 16304s | because he said to me earlier this |
| 16305s | morning when I asked him how he was |
| 16306s | doing he was like well I've not really |
| 16308s | slept much but I I'm just hoping the |
| 16310s | adrenaline gets me through this and well |
| 16313s | he's got what an hour or so left let's |
| 16315s | say roughly to be able to get the job |
| 16317s | done and for the adrenaline to carry so |
| 16320s | everything on the line for both of these |
| 16322s | players because even though getting to |
| 16325s | top get into Worlds get into top four |
| 16328s | get in second place they're all |
| 16330s | incredible Feats but without sounding |
| 16332s | harsh none of them matter compared to |
| 16335s | winning the World Championship yeah I |
| 16338s | mean right like name every Hearthstone |
| 16340s | world champion in order we can both do |
| 16342s | that in our sleep name every runner up |
| 16344s | like we'll both probably get there |
| 16346s | because it's our job and we're supposed |
| 16348s | to but like to the average member of the |
| 16350s | public no one is remembering second |
| 16352s | place coming into this but I fully agree |
| 16355s | and I think it's a really interesting |
| 16356s | ing point you make there about channel |
| 16358s | the nerves channel the anxiety a little |
| 16359s | bit because watching pocket play in |
| 16361s | these really um crucial moments he does |
| 16364s | remind me a lot of myself in similar |
| 16366s | situations like I have uh like I've had |
| 16370s | stage fright and performance anxiety |
| 16372s | throughout like my entire life and spent |
| 16374s | most of it performing on stage in front |
| 16376s | of people which is a really weird |
| 16378s | combination of things to do like |
| 16380s | competitive yo-yoing multiple different |
| 16382s | competitive games even like just casting |
| 16384s | in front of live audiences right and you |
| 16385s | have to to learn that if you are that |
| 16387s | kind of person that does get that sort |
| 16389s | of stage pright performance anxiety |
| 16390s | heightened anxiety intense situations |
| 16393s | it's never going to go away so you just |
| 16395s | have to learn to channel that's the key |
| 16397s | right it's like you have to learn to be |
| 16399s | comfortable with that feeling when it |
| 16400s | comes on and understand how to channel |
| 16402s | that in the right direction and that to |
| 16404s | me seems like where pocket trains at |
| 16406s | because I think you could see in his |
| 16407s | body and his body language and his |
| 16408s | mannerisms even in that short interview |
| 16410s | when he was on camera with with TJ and |
| 16412s | Linder after the game like clearly he |
| 16414s | was pretty at that point in time right |
| 16417s | so um I think that is going to be very |
| 16420s | very key if this was an anime like |
| 16423s | energy would be crackling from his body |
| 16425s | at that point I think so well without |
| 16428s | further all Ado we're a couple of turns |
| 16430s | in but this is the first game of the |
| 16432s | finals of the world championship pocket |
| 16434s | train on the bottom on the Demon Hunter |
| 16436s | getting off to a fairly quick start with |
| 16439s | the help of a wayward Sage CJ Kaka going |
| 16441s | to be on that Mage we went in depth with |
| 16443s | just a little bit earlier on so sof |
| 16446s | especially after this opening what does |
| 16448s | CJ Kaka have to do is getting over the |
| 16451s | first hurdle of this push enough based |
| 16453s | on this hand from pocket I mean of |
| 16456s | course depends as to how soon the |
| 16458s | Sharpshooter will join the party but |
| 16460s | certainly this is an aggressive enough |
| 16462s | start that you're at least putting the |
| 16464s | check on your opponent to have Cold Case |
| 16468s | or to have uh creation on on curve right |
| 16471s | to be able to put something up that |
| 16473s | resists this board going back the other |
| 16475s | way because pocket has gone extremely |
| 16477s | high pressure and extremely high Tempo |
| 16479s | with the opening Kaka does have the Cold |
| 16481s | Case though which will be uh very bad |
| 16484s | news for pocket train yeah he is going |
| 16486s | to use the coin and there's no you know |
| 16488s | glowing followup here um after this but |
| 16492s | as you mentioned just the Cold Case in |
| 16494s | itself is about as big a hurdle as can |
| 16496s | possibly be managed at this point way |
| 16499s | would Sage nothing too crazy is um is |
| 16502s | pocket really just looking for a Sigil |
| 16504s | is that the kind of best draw he's |
| 16506s | looking at right now as this game seems |
| 16508s | to be speeding by yeah sigil or just uh |
| 16511s | straight up Sharpshooter off the top at |
| 16512s | this point you see holding onto the sage |
| 16514s | does not just want to waste the sage |
| 16516s | which is one of the most powerful combo |
| 16518s | cards available in the deck uh on a |
| 16521s | momentum which is a card that can end up |
| 16522s | being cast for zero as well as soon as |
| 16524s | the game starts going well so just |
| 16526s | holding on to that Sage for a little bit |
| 16528s | of greed if at all possible CJ able to |
| 16531s | pick up some a little bit more cheap |
| 16533s | removal which is useful these uh |
| 16536s | these Demon Hunter minions are not the |
| 16538s | the most durable let's say in general |
| 16541s | they're all uh pretty pretty killable |
| 16543s | even from the small tools so pocket is |
| 16546s | going to play one of the sages obviously |
| 16548s | just give CJ something to remove flame |
| 16550s | guys he's going to be able to clean this |
| 16552s | up no problem but still there pocket has |
| 16555s | time even though this isn't looking |
| 16557s | great there's still a few turns right at |
| 16559s | least there's nothing uh nothing too |
| 16562s | crazy that's really going to come out |
| 16563s | from CJ yes there's the um |
| 16566s | the creation but it's not like the game |
| 16568s | will end for pocket in the next turn |
| 16573s | also oh CJ light it burns more cheap |
| 16576s | removal it's really nice pickup honestly |
| 16578s | just just if pocket is stuck on this |
| 16580s | Player thing hero power pass Player |
| 16583s | thing hero power pass yeah light it |
| 16585s | burns is about as good as it's going to |
| 16587s | get |
| 16588s | honestly |
| 16590s | ohyo as well obviously the issue with oh |
| 16595s | never mind the issue with lighted Burns |
| 16597s | is that you can't use it to answer a |
| 16599s | sharpshooter which obviously is the |
| 16601s | premium Target that you have to have uh |
| 16604s | when going up against these decks |
| 16607s | but it's still fantastic removal against |
| 16610s | most things and he does have the |
| 16612s | creation in hand to be able to clear |
| 16613s | this up but zero dispose off the top is |
| 16617s | so |
| 16619s | unbelievably perfect any other spell in |
| 16621s | the deck I'm not sure how many others |
| 16623s | were remaining at that point but oh my |
| 16626s | God have you seen this script it is a |
| 16630s | doozy did you see like we're looking at |
| 16633s | pocket now but I ask everyone to just |
| 16637s | you know rewind go watch the VOD |
| 16638s | whatever it takes to just look at CJ's |
| 16643s | face on that last like sort of turn and |
| 16645s | a half or so right just you know the the |
| 16648s | raised eyebrows that the wait what whoa |
| 16650s | whoa they're still playing things wait |
| 16652s | what because again dispose what the only |
| 16656s | card I think oh and the other um uh I |
| 16660s | forgot the name of the card now the |
| 16661s | other plus attack card is like the only |
| 16663s | things that you could have drawn yeah |
| 16664s | momentum sorry yeah uh the only things |
| 16665s | that he could have drawn to you know |
| 16667s | keep that chain going just enough for |
| 16669s | that little bit extra but wow that was |
| 16672s | just on the edge of pocket train not |
| 16675s | being able to hold on there and not be |
| 16677s | able to put enough damage in because CJ |
| 16679s | was a turn or so of just not taking a |
| 16682s | million damage away from saying well |
| 16684s | yeah pocket your top deck and again |
| 16686s | unless it's sort of chain draw you've |
| 16687s | got nothing and just a sharpshooter with |
| 16690s | the bare minimum stacked up enough |
| 16692s | damage to catch up cuz what was it about |
| 16694s | 15 Health when it started and it had to |
| 16697s | take a seven attack at the end so it's |
| 16698s | like so much damage from that sharp |
| 16700s | shooter really if they had obviously |
| 16703s | momentum was in the hand part of the |
| 16705s | reason why the the mid game the mid game |
| 16707s | of that incredibly short game was uh |
| 16710s | slightly irritating from pocket is |
| 16712s | because that momentum was stuck far left |
| 16713s | at the hand the entire game but |
| 16715s | if it there wasn't a momentum and a |
| 16717s | dispose played on that turn um then I |
| 16720s | was just talking about it creation was |
| 16722s | in hand right for Kaka so he just clears |
| 16723s | the whole board no big deal whatsoever |
| 16725s | still has 69 Health left to play with |
| 16728s | which might as well be a million in that |
| 16729s | position when the Demon Hunter is is top |
| 16731s | decking one one card at a time so it's a |
| 16734s | pretty pretty important draw for pocket |
| 16737s | he found the Sharpshooter within the |
| 16739s | first 10 cards of the deck which I think |
| 16741s | if you end up doing that with nagad |
| 16743s | Demon Hunter you're in a pretty good |
| 16744s | place in matchs overall but yeah pocket |
| 16748s | went for that super heavy aggressive |
| 16749s | opener was met with the cold case I |
| 16751s | don't mind the threat check though right |
| 16753s | because that game could have been over |
| 16755s | if Kaka didn't go coin Cold Case exactly |
| 16758s | in that spot he just kind of died to the |
| 16760s | Minions that pocket had played in the |
| 16762s | early game so that was threat check |
| 16764s | number one and you just have to have |
| 16765s | that Faith sometimes when you're playing |
| 16767s | a deck like this of like the deck is |
| 16768s | built well it's built as consistently as |
| 16771s | it possibly can me and mey have made |
| 16773s | good choices to make the deck a little |
| 16774s | bit more consistent overall in terms of |
| 16776s | little tweaks just trust the deck play |
| 16778s | properly trust the deck play properly |
| 16780s | trust the deck and eventually uh the |
| 16783s | numbers will average out on your side if |
| 16785s | you are doing that every single game but |
| 16787s | when it comes to a small sample of well |
| 16789s | it has to happen now in this one game |
| 16790s | because this one game is the freaking |
| 16793s | world championship that's when it can |
| 16795s | become a little bit difficult to keep |
| 16796s | the faith but pocket I think executed |
| 16798s | very very well there yeah uh really good |
| 16801s | one cuz that as as I think we touched on |
| 16803s | just before we got going with the the |
| 16804s | first game that was one of the trickier |
| 16807s | matchups on paper right is the Mage |
| 16810s | versus the demon because some of the um |
| 16812s | the the things you mentioned about not |
| 16813s | only cold case but just the fact that |
| 16815s | the sheer volume of removal sort of |
| 16818s | makes the Demon Hunter have to combo the |
| 16820s | Mage in general to be able to push the |
| 16822s | damage or the sustain just ends up being |
| 16823s | there from the mes side so that was one |
| 16825s | where CJ could have just yed a quick win |
| 16828s | and started to gain some momentum |
| 16829s | himself in the series and even then the |
| 16832s | Mage can find counterplay Rees you can |
| 16834s | discover solid Al |
| 16835s | you can get freeze effects for example |
| 16838s | so the the face attack con yeah |
| 16840s | artificer can stack massive amounts of |
| 16842s | armor not to mention if you just get |
| 16843s | keyboard early in the game like the |
| 16846s | board that you build is monstrous before |
| 16848s | they even get to the point of playing |
| 16850s | Sharpshooter so yeah I think Kaka will |
| 16852s | be uh he would have felt bad going into |
| 16854s | the series I think lineup wise I think |
| 16856s | having lost that particular matchup he |
| 16858s | might be uh suffering even harder but |
| 16860s | now Raven we're on to the real deck of |
| 16863s | Champions the Naga |
| 16865s | it's really funny because over the many |
| 16868s | years we've been casting and your |
| 16870s | playing |
| 16871s | Hearthstone there's not that many times |
| 16873s | where we both Vibe with the same deck I |
| 16876s | do feel like we are different sides of |
| 16878s | the the same coin in terms of meta and |
| 16880s | such but this one deck we're both just |
| 16882s | like it's just good and it's just fun |
| 16885s | and then you've seen some of the power |
| 16886s | plays coming out here um pocket already |
| 16890s | Ping On the pressure making CJ have some |
| 16893s | kind of answer here and it's just going |
| 16894s | to be a few imps which honestly |
| 16897s | depending on what was in hand could have |
| 16898s | ended up helping pocket and be able to |
| 16900s | just Farm some heals |
| 16902s | here I want to talk about the play that |
| 16904s | pocket made though where he went um |
| 16907s | Priestess just to refresh one um and |
| 16909s | then dro the dream boat just to get an |
| 16911s | extra one one on the dream on the dream |
| 16912s | booat part of the reason why I like this |
| 16914s | deck so much is I've been playing it |
| 16916s | pretty consistently for the last two day |
| 16918s | like in all of my breaks and worlds I've |
| 16920s | been watching and playing this deck um |
| 16922s | and then I tested it once the lineups |
| 16924s | come came out cuz it was n something um |
| 16926s | that I tested extensively um Naga priest |
| 16929s | as soon as I saw everyone else's lineup |
| 16931s | I was like oh okay that's what was |
| 16932s | missing from my lineup is actually |
| 16934s | believing donkey that Naga priest was |
| 16936s | absolutely the nuts because yes it is |
| 16938s | but like every 10 games or so I play I |
| 16941s | feel like I'm doing turns and I'm like |
| 16943s | okay 10 games ago I would have played |
| 16944s | this turn a lot lot worse and that's one |
| 16947s | of the things that I discovered fairly |
| 16949s | early on as like if you have felich in |
| 16951s | hand and you can use it to do something |
| 16953s | in the early game um you should do it a |
| 16956s | lot of the time in a lot of matchups |
| 16958s | because you can snowball so heavily just |
| 16960s | as long as you stick some sort of base |
| 16963s | of a minion early on in the game it's |
| 16964s | very similar to Mech Rogue in that |
| 16965s | regard right where you never want to be |
| 16968s | blitzed off board completely you always |
| 16971s | want something hanging around on board |
| 16973s | as an activator for your wigs for your |
| 16975s | funnel cakes for pal cord synchronize |
| 16977s | all of this stuff you have available to |
| 16979s | you right and look at this pocket again |
| 16981s | just continuing to build on the board is |
| 16983s | going to get a little bit of extra draw |
| 16985s | with the funnel cake there and with the |
| 16986s | second clergy in hand is going to be uh |
| 16989s | going to start stacking some of this |
| 16991s | draw as well Cathedral also available |
| 16993s | for this turn M SE is a pretty solid |
| 16996s | pickup honestly and this is the |
| 16997s | frustration isn't it for for CJ I |
| 16999s | imagine where the this damage is |
| 17002s | actually potentially just more annoying |
| 17005s | right like the damage from the skeletons |
| 17006s | hitting the minions is like oh they get |
| 17008s | to utilize |
| 17012s | this yeah M was the perfect draw cuz you |
| 17015s | needed some way to spend one Mana before |
| 17017s | like you had the you had PRI and heel |
| 17019s | right you were always going to do that |
| 17020s | but that only spends two mana and it |
| 17022s | refreshes three so you wanted something |
| 17024s | else to spend one mana on |
| 17027s | first second Cathedral coming out for |
| 17029s | pocket means he will have at least |
| 17031s | options for very solid card draw for |
| 17033s | what I'm not going to say what will be |
| 17035s | the rest of the game cuz we've seen how |
| 17037s | long these priest games can actually go |
| 17039s | with Amon Thor uh but in general uh the |
| 17042s | plan will be here to then start to stack |
| 17044s | this card draw and really pile on the |
| 17046s | pressure because right now there's a |
| 17049s | whole lot of nothing coming out from |
| 17050s | this Mage side a colossal stack of |
| 17053s | nothing yeah yeah I've never seen so |
| 17055s | much nothing in all my |
| 17059s | life but there is a lot of value so as |
| 17062s | long as pocket doesn't end the game in |
| 17064s | the next what turn that there's world |
| 17068s | right with double wisdom in the hand |
| 17070s | there for CJ being able to draw a ton of |
| 17071s | cards maybe there's a hope that he holds |
| 17073s | on but the Pelos plus multiple Buffs |
| 17077s | coming out if he wants them okay I'm |
| 17079s | just going to go for the one is a lot of |
| 17082s | damage effectively setting up two turn |
| 17083s | lethal yeah and I think crucially here |
| 17086s | six Health minion and a seven Health |
| 17087s | minion has not seen a creation yet but |
| 17090s | you can see from the wisdoms costing one |
| 17093s | uh that uh four sculls have been played |
| 17095s | so he needs to get minions above that |
| 17097s | five Health total to drops the Pelos |
| 17099s | down with six gets the Dreamboat up to |
| 17101s | seven which means even if this is card |
| 17103s | draw into creation he's still has those |
| 17105s | two huge minions to uh threaten lethal |
| 17108s | with and yes pelagos right now is a one |
| 17109s | attack minion but if it lives it's a |
| 17112s | huge minion it doesn't matter what size |
| 17114s | you put it to after the fact yeah and CJ |
| 17117s | has this knowledge right he knows there |
| 17119s | a wig there he as a 100% fact so he has |
| 17122s | to factor this in he does have a a |
| 17125s | Reverb in hand |
| 17127s | but it's going to need a lot and you can |
| 17130s | see pocket just praying like just just |
| 17133s | let this go creation comes out but |
| 17136s | there's still what seven eight damage |
| 17138s | there's going to be the cathedral as |
| 17139s | well that's lethal right you can just m |
| 17142s | see your own Minion doesn't that do the |
| 17145s | remainder you need yeah it's just lethal |
| 17147s | with the cards in hand you just heal the |
| 17149s | pelagos serpent wig the pelagos M see |
| 17151s | your own Minion I mean that what what |
| 17154s | what |
| 17158s | wait still work okay this still works |
| 17160s | yeah yeah yeah sure sure sure you can |
| 17161s | just do on the yeah with the m yeah yeah |
| 17163s | okay okay no wait wait wait wait wait |
| 17164s | wait wait wait wait wait wait wait okay |
| 17166s | that's fine yes yes yes does his own |
| 17168s | menu yeah |
| 17170s | okay okay that's fine that was so I I |
| 17173s | feel in my head that's a such a more |
| 17175s | complicated way of doing it no no no |
| 17177s | okay no no no no no that is the correct |
| 17179s | way of doing it because if you did it |
| 17180s | the other way the pelagos effect kicks |
| 17182s | in as you try and shoot your 72 and then |
| 17184s | it sets the health to seven which is the |
| 17186s | larger of the two cuz it actually works |
| 17188s | the other way around as well right so it |
| 17190s | wouldn't have actually worked in that |
| 17192s | scenario I think if you done it the |
| 17193s | other way around so pocket actually |
| 17194s | catching on and doing it the correct way |
| 17196s | in the end really really good stuff from |
| 17198s | well either way all that matters is just |
| 17203s | this might be a pretty fast one Saul but |
| 17206s | just like that pocket train is leading |
| 17210s | to0 in the finals of the world |
| 17212s | championship and you can see he he's |
| 17215s | it's probably I can just imagine it's |
| 17217s | that line and he's right on the line of |
| 17220s | hyped he's 20 up that's incredible |
| 17223s | especially a player that good right that |
| 17224s | feels like you're so favored to win the |
| 17226s | series but on the other side he must |
| 17228s | just be thinking it's well it's not over |
| 17230s | till it's over right you haven't won |
| 17232s | until the match is over and done and you |
| 17234s | have that trophy so I can only imagine |
| 17237s | what pocket Train's going through right |
| 17238s | now and the same can be said for CJ SLE |
| 17241s | because having this start of a fairly |
| 17243s | rapid getting two OED so far is not how |
| 17247s | you want it to go on his end no but um |
| 17250s | reminder that this is a repeat match up |
| 17252s | from earlier in the tournament and this |
| 17254s | is largely how it went in that original |
| 17257s | matchup between the two of them so uh |
| 17259s | pocket just to show you now I made this |
| 17261s | point at the start I think you know |
| 17263s | people keep saying oh he's really |
| 17265s | favored but honestly like he is |
| 17267s | overwhelmingly favored lineup wise and |
| 17269s | if we do get to talk to him afterwards |
| 17271s | um it will be one of the first topics we |
| 17273s | have of like I really want to dig dig |
| 17276s | deep into his preparation for this |
| 17277s | tournament because him and mey have |
| 17279s | managed to come in with such a lineup |
| 17281s | advantage over the rest of the field as |
| 17282s | the way that I view it that that really |
| 17284s | has to be the big talking point of how |
| 17286s | they got there what their preparation |
| 17287s | looked like but um just because you are |
| 17290s | overwhelmingly favored going in does not |
| 17292s | mean that things are a formality like |
| 17294s | yes you're favored on paper Hearthstone |
| 17297s | is not played on paper Hearthstone is |
| 17299s | played on line through the inter tubes |
| 17303s | which is entirely different yeah um I |
| 17306s | will say as well one thing I've noticed |
| 17307s | a lot about pocket is hydration is a key |
| 17311s | factor I feel like every time we see him |
| 17313s | you know on on big camera let's say it's |
| 17315s | like this thing of water whatever that |
| 17317s | drink was you know constantly uh keeping |
| 17320s | hydrated which I've heard helps a lot uh |
| 17322s | with Focus so we'll see after if it pays |
| 17324s | off um here we are going to be getting |
| 17328s | into what could be the final game of |
| 17332s | this series and of the world |
| 17335s | championship pocket train on the two of |
| 17338s | full Dragon Druid there's the water |
| 17340s | again uh CJ going to be sticking to the |
| 17342s | Mage and you can hear sutle weird oo |
| 17345s | noises in the background and that is |
| 17347s | because this is called a good opening |
| 17350s | from pocket this is called being a 70% |
| 17353s | win rate gamer Raven that's what this is |
| 17355s | being oh there oh oh it just went up |
| 17358s | it's going up it's now |
| 17362s | 71 my radi welp into welp |
| 17368s | is probably the one thing CJ would not |
| 17373s | want to see if he could pick one thing |
| 17376s | we didn't want to happen yeah if he |
| 17379s | could pick one th one opening that |
| 17380s | pocket wouldn't have in this match up it |
| 17382s | would be this opening oh it's not even |
| 17385s | welp into welp it's welp into Nest |
| 17388s | matron plus second welp like it's so |
| 17391s | disgusting or just another four drop |
| 17393s | Dragon like why not yeah he might Tempo |
| 17396s | honestly that's a lot of tempo |
| 17397s | absolutely would not hate the tempo yeah |
| 17400s | I like it cuz then there Snap Dragon we |
| 17402s | up next turn right yeah yeah yeah seems |
| 17405s | fine yeah mhm yeah I like this one extra |
| 17408s | attack over dealing with a 1 three I |
| 17410s | think that's absolutely fine you open |
| 17411s | yourself up to reverb but I don't think |
| 17413s | you're upset if your opponent's turn is |
| 17414s | Reverb here so I think this is |
| 17429s | fine |
| 17431s | okay you also opened yourself up to lay |
| 17433s | down the L apparently but I don't think |
| 17435s | that's something you're ever supposed to |
| 17436s | play around yeah CJ again no doubt like |
| 17440s | not happy with what he's seeing right |
| 17442s | now but is fighting for it right is |
| 17444s | managing to hold on to an extent but the |
| 17447s | Snapdragon and the second welp it is |
| 17449s | just putting pocket so far ahead the one |
| 17453s | thing I will say is if pocket doesn't |
| 17456s | get hold of |
| 17457s | any generation card draw you know |
| 17461s | anything along those lines then he the |
| 17464s | there's a world where CJ CJ just holds |
| 17466s | him off and then just overwhelms him cuz |
| 17468s | we've seen Dragon Druid just run a |
| 17470s | little bit dry on the card draw scenario |
| 17473s | yeah yeah for |
| 17475s | sure great pick up off the void |
| 17477s | scripture finding the |
| 17481s | objection does look like uh I think we |
| 17483s | got CJ did or does have should I say |
| 17487s | objection up yes oh what was I saying |
| 17490s | about running a bit dry on card |
| 17492s | s oh my just rips it gets the excellent |
| 17496s | news that it's not counter spell so but |
| 17498s | now he he is in a bit of a sticky spot |
| 17500s | because if he plays this and it's |
| 17501s | objection okay yes it is well great now |
| 17503s | I get to play Dragon Golem next turn but |
| 17505s | you know you don't right because you |
| 17507s | know that that came from void scripture |
| 17509s | so you know there's a second one in the |
| 17510s | hand now which is going to be very very |
| 17513s | problematic and slow you down |
| 17515s | significantly Kaka is doing a great job |
| 17519s | of stalling this one out yeah does have |
| 17521s | Amber welp into spine tail if he wants |
| 17523s | to that much you know to get through the |
| 17526s | objection yeah you got to do it right |
| 17529s | well it's |
| 17531s | interesting debating using the spine |
| 17533s | tail which I do actually respect just |
| 17535s | because of the uh the Amber wp's ability |
| 17537s | to uh be more flexible in terms of face |
| 17539s | damage as well well that's the |
| 17541s | interesting part right because on one |
| 17542s | hand you think oh the the dragon Golem's |
| 17545s | getting worse but you need to play |
| 17547s | something to open it up and also we can |
| 17550s | see two Creations in hand still for CJ |
| 17553s | so |
| 17554s | this which is why I think it's why |
| 17556s | pocket's like having the backup plan of |
| 17559s | face damage right where he's saying okay |
| 17561s | if Kaka has Creation in hand probably |
| 17563s | not going to Creation this board because |
| 17565s | they'll want to save the creation for my |
| 17566s | dragon Golem which I probably have at |
| 17568s | this point especially having drawn |
| 17569s | dragons um so if they're going to have |
| 17572s | that creation and commit it to my dragon |
| 17573s | Golem ball well I can just hit them with |
| 17575s | my 65 and then just burst them down with |
| 17577s | Alex drazer and any other damage that I |
| 17580s | can put together you know I think it's a |
| 17581s | pretty smart way of doing |
| 17583s | yeah |
| 17599s | okay brilliant I'm assuming this has to |
| 17603s | be an Arcane bolt right you can't just |
| 17604s | take arane yeah surely yeah there we go |
| 17609s | okay well there are the Creations |
| 17612s | there's the snake oil in hand as well |
| 17614s | for some level of |
| 17616s | cycle death wi than very much yeah I |
| 17619s | mean okay C it wasn't even really the |
| 17622s | Deathwing it's just he managed to draw |
| 17623s | two dragons off one draw for his Dragon |
| 17626s | Golem which was kind of absurd well I I |
| 17627s | was also just thinking of like well Alex |
| 17629s | stza if that doesn't finish them well |
| 17632s | just slam a 12 12 right that's going to |
| 17634s | be pretty difficult to deal |
| 17636s | with no those aren't |
| 17639s | cards not only are they not cards |
| 17641s | they're not even cards that are cheap |
| 17643s | enough they're not even cards that are |
| 17645s | cheap enough to play with the creation |
| 17647s | they're just nor |
| 17650s | cards is there anything he can draw |
| 17653s | there's a snake oil |
| 17655s | tradeable but six six health so is a lot |
| 17659s | yeah if he like he anything he trades |
| 17661s | into it can't discover blizzard he could |
| 17664s | like trade into |
| 17665s | infinitize for a solid Alibi which then |
| 17669s | buys you a |
| 17670s | turn no that's not |
| 17672s | it |
| 17675s | this could be the moment it looks like |
| 17677s | CJ has a whole lot of nothing to do here |
| 17680s | and we might be just moments away pocket |
| 17683s | train knows it a ton of dragons on board |
| 17687s | threatening a ton of damage and there is |
| 17691s | nothing I can see that CJ Kaka can do |
| 17694s | about it and with a bit of a shake of |
| 17696s | the head and a smile I think he knows it |
| 17698s | as |
| 17699s | well going to be M moments away from |
| 17702s | pocket train not only winning this game |
| 17706s | but winning this match and also becoming |
| 17709s | your |
| 17710s | 2023 he Stone World Champion just like |
| 17715s | that all it's over he does it once again |
| 17718s | another 30 for pocket train and that is |
| 17723s | it Raven I what no it's too soon can we |
| 17728s | play another hour of hearthstone please |
| 17730s | like it would this was supposed to be an |
| 17732s | epic go again |
| 17734s | oh my good pocket train absolutely |
| 17737s | decimating everything put before him the |
| 17739s | only thing that could put up a fight |
| 17742s | against him in this entire tournament |
| 17744s | was the lineup that he himself had a |
| 17746s | hand in creating when he went up against |
| 17749s | mey and even then his superiority was |
| 17751s | shown but honestly what words can I |
| 17755s | possibly add to this that say more than |
| 17757s | that reaction do right there you don't |
| 17760s | even need to see him on screen to know |
| 17762s | how he's feeling what a journey this has |
| 17765s | been through 2023 for pocket train and |
| 17769s | the most deserving of hardstone world |
| 17773s | champions honestly just seeing his |
| 17776s | reaction because we've seen it time and |
| 17778s | time again he's been on camera enough |
| 17780s | this year we've seen what he feels like |
| 17782s | when he wins when that final moment |
| 17784s | kicks in of the hard work paying off |
| 17788s | and there's nothing more than this one |
| 17790s | moment for him because not only is it |
| 17793s | you know the excitement I imagine of |
| 17795s | just you know becoming the world |
| 17796s | champion but I also can imagine the |
| 17798s | relief as well of just thinking all the |
| 17801s | work was worth it it paid off it's done |
| 17806s | he is the Hearthstone world champion and |
| 17809s | what a way to not only end that match |
| 17812s | but end the day and end the year subtle |
| 17814s | because pocket train simply dominated I |
| 17818s | don't think there's any other real way |
| 17819s | to say it no sometimes right like the |
| 17823s | way Hearthstone works if you're going to |
| 17826s | win major tournaments you're going to |
| 17829s | have the best of one to two of three |
| 17833s | things right you're either going to be |
| 17835s | the best player you're going to have the |
| 17838s | best lineup or you're going to get the |
| 17839s | luckiest throughout the tournament right |
| 17841s | like two of those three things will |
| 17843s | normally line up you could argue that in |
| 17845s | this tournament Pockets had all three of |
| 17847s | them he is probably the best player in |
| 17849s | the tournament he absolutely has the |
| 17851s | best lineup but he's also running hot |
| 17854s | right like I think he absolutely could |
| 17857s | have dominated this tournament um with |
| 17859s | some 3 tws and 3 ones here and there but |
| 17861s | honestly the name just seemed written in |
| 17863s | the stars to an extent and it has done |
| 17866s | for quite some time to this point like |
| 17869s | this is a person that we've seen their |
| 17870s | Journey they' sort of pocket streamed |
| 17873s | and then he's not streamed and then he's |
| 17874s | been okay I need to I'm going to stream |
| 17876s | to keep me sane I'm enjoying Hearthstone |
| 17878s | okay I need to not stream so I can focus |
| 17880s | on getting this rank one finish that I |
| 17882s | need okay I've got that now I need to |
| 17884s | focus on the Master's tour now I'm going |
| 17886s | through this period of like feeling very |
| 17887s | jaded about the fact that I've been |
| 17889s | playing 16 hours of hearthstone a day |
| 17891s | every single day for the entire year you |
| 17893s | know this journey has been very well |
| 17896s | documented but at this point right now |
| 17898s | in this moment he will probably tell you |
| 17900s | that it's been worth it yeah just a huge |
| 17903s | congratulations to pocket train like you |
| 17905s | said we've followed him all year we've |
| 17907s | seen the performance we've seen the hard |
| 17910s | work obviously not only from him but |
| 17911s | from all of the players who have made it |
| 17913s | to worlds this year was incredibly |
| 17916s | difficult so you know just again before |
| 17918s | we continue talking about pocket for the |
| 17920s | rest of the show just a shout out to all |
| 17922s | the players who made it and all the |
| 17924s | players who got close as well because |
| 17926s | competing at this level basically all |
| 17928s | year for the majority of those players |
| 17931s | was incredibly hard time consuming and |
| 17934s | just so difficult so a huge shout out to |
| 17936s | all of those but as I said we're going |
| 17938s | to get back and talk not only about but |
| 17941s | also tup pocket as I believe he is ready |
| 17943s | to join for his winners interview pocket |
| 17946s | are you there and can you hear me I can |
| 17949s | hear you very well can you hear me yeah |
| 17951s | we can hear you first off just huge |
| 17954s | congratulations we could see it as soon |
| 17956s | as the uh the match ended and obviously |
| 17959s | you know you were on camera we could see |
| 17960s | the emotion so before we get into all |
| 17963s | the decks and plays and all those sorts |
| 17965s | of questions just do you want to just |
| 17967s | tell us how it feels after a year of of |
| 17969s | hard work to be the Hearthstone 2023 |
| 17973s | world |
| 17975s | champion I'm I'm I'm scared to go to |
| 17977s | sleep because I'll wake up and it won't |
| 17979s | be real it's um I've I've played so much |
| 17982s | Hearthstone this year thought so much |
| 17984s | about worlds I've I've had every dream |
| 17986s | about worlds I've had Vivid vivid dreams |
| 17989s | like play bypl Losing like go 02 play |
| 17993s | byplay winning and then I wake up the |
| 17996s | next day and none of it was real um so |
| 17999s | so this one this one is is is crazy |
| 18001s | right now uh I I |
| 18005s | I I don't know I'm a bit of a mess right |
| 18007s | now but brilliant a brilliant mess |
| 18010s | um well I hope it's not a dream because |
| 18013s | that means we're just figments of your |
| 18015s | imagination which would uh would suck a |
| 18017s | little bit would be awkward even in your |
| 18019s | dreamcap did you imagine |
| 18021s | anything okay that is good point even in |
| 18023s | your Dreamscape though did you imagine |
| 18024s | anything as wild as that CJ ker versus |
| 18026s | weu game that we |
| 18028s | saw no that was crazy I I thought I |
| 18031s | thought he was I I yeah I thought um it |
| 18035s | was over week you had won and |
| 18038s | then like I I I don't know it just kept |
| 18041s | going kept going kept going everyone's |
| 18043s | saying it's over it's over it's done uh |
| 18045s | I was too tired cuz I just played and I |
| 18048s | not a not a clue what was going on like |
| 18050s | I was too tired to see who was doing |
| 18052s | what and the game just never ended and |
| 18054s | then uh yeah from that point I thought |
| 18056s | okay well CJ C CJ's got something he's |
| 18061s | uh when I saw it was me against him in |
| 18063s | the fin like I knew I I knew that this |
| 18067s | was the guy this this was the guy that |
| 18068s | that could have the have the story line |
| 18071s | yeah yeah there's a slight fear that you |
| 18073s | might have finally met someone with |
| 18074s | greater plot armor than you right in |
| 18076s | this in this year's tournament like that |
| 18078s | you it might turn out you're not the |
| 18080s | protagonist after all um but despite |
| 18082s | what Raven said I do want to talk to you |
| 18084s | about your lineup because you can go |
| 18086s | ahead and disagree with me here if you |
| 18087s | want I think that's the number one |
| 18089s | factor of why you are here right now as |
| 18091s | the champ like your lineup just seems |
| 18093s | seemed above and beyond everyone else to |
| 18095s | me so I think it would be important for |
| 18097s | the viewers to understand exactly what |
| 18099s | goes into making a lineup for a |
| 18100s | tournament like this and it's not just |
| 18102s | picking some Decks that you like that |
| 18103s | are good and putting them together like |
| 18105s | how did you and mey end up where you |
| 18107s | ended up what were some of the mistakes |
| 18108s | that you avoided and why do you think |
| 18110s | everyone else's lineups were so strange |
| 18113s | as well because I think some of them |
| 18114s | really |
| 18115s | were it was odd yeah so I I want to |
| 18119s | throw ream in there as well like he |
| 18121s | didn't bring the lineup because he think |
| 18123s | in his group but he did a lot of the |
| 18125s | heavy lifting a lot of it like he was |
| 18127s | responsible for Pelos he was responsible |
| 18129s | for going down swinging he was |
| 18131s | responsible for sort of Naga priest on |
| 18132s | the whole um and um he just thought he |
| 18136s | couldn't bring it into his group he was |
| 18138s | scared goo would bring control or yeah |
| 18140s | stuff like that um but we were thinking |
| 18143s | specifically like in our group weu loved |
| 18148s | um Naga Demon Hunter so we thought okay |
| 18151s | what's good against nag Naga Demon |
| 18152s | Hunter we've got Paladin everyone's got |
| 18155s | to bring Paladin unless there's a lineup |
| 18157s | That No One seemed to find that could |
| 18158s | Target it so so we just bit the bullet |
| 18161s | and went okay if they figured it out |
| 18162s | they win um no one figured it out |
| 18165s | because it can't be done I think um and |
| 18167s | then n Demon Hunter ourselves we thought |
| 18169s | it was just too good to not bring like |
| 18171s | it beats the it beats the slow decks |
| 18175s | like all of them and then it it doesn't |
| 18177s | have any miserable matchups apart from |
| 18178s | apart from the dragon Druid which we |
| 18180s | brought and then um uh the priest the pr |
| 18184s | yeah the priest was the um like the |
| 18187s | secret deck sort of but we did think at |
| 18189s | least someone was going to be on it |
| 18191s | apart from apart from us we we thought |
| 18193s | there were going to be a couple more in |
| 18195s | the tournament because it's got great |
| 18196s | great great stats um but just not that |
| 18198s | tested but every time we tested it we |
| 18200s | just went okay this deck is real this |
| 18201s | deck is |
| 18202s | ridiculous and yeah it just beats |
| 18204s | everything that doesn't run heavy |
| 18206s | removal so like a control lineup with |
| 18209s | like the warrior Rec van brought that |
| 18211s | would have been awful for me I would |
| 18212s | have had to ban that if I played against |
| 18213s | him which is |
| 18215s | ridiculous um and we were scared of |
| 18218s | something like a control priest but |
| 18220s | unlikely um or |
| 18223s | something yeah that there's not really |
| 18225s | anything else apart from that so when |
| 18227s | you start listing the things that your |
| 18228s | lineup is scared of and then there |
| 18230s | aren't many and those few things are |
| 18233s | awful awful decks I mean re FS Warrior |
| 18236s | is kind of good but like it doesn't fit |
| 18237s | a lot of lineups um but yeah when the |
| 18241s | things you're weak to are awful Decks |
| 18242s | that you don't think anyone will bring |
| 18243s | then your lineup's probably quite sound |
| 18245s | and then you got good Targets on stuff |
| 18246s | like play death knight uh solid into |
| 18249s | Naga Demon Hunter that was yeah everyone |
| 18251s | else was basically ban Paladin lose to |
| 18254s | ngaga Demon Hunter or ban NGA Demon |
| 18256s | Hunter and lose to |
| 18257s | Paladin um so we just went okay we'll |
| 18260s | ban one and we don't actually want to |
| 18262s | lose the lose to the other one so let's |
| 18263s | let's make our lineup good against it |
| 18264s | and then yeah it worked |
| 18267s | out okay well go on go um I was just |
| 18270s | going to say like you had we talked |
| 18272s | about preparation for this tournament |
| 18273s | but obviously this has been a yearlong |
| 18275s | process at this point and you've sort of |
| 18277s | streamed and tweeted about and been very |
| 18279s | vocal about the process through and you |
| 18281s | know been through various breakdowns |
| 18282s | along the way and with all the stress |
| 18284s | and so on that's happened like at this |
| 18286s | moment now 21 minutes past n 17th of |
| 18290s | December 2023 was it all worth |
| 18293s | it yeah yeah yeah no I do it again the |
| 18296s | moment I made worlds I went yeah I mean |
| 18299s | I'm not sure I would do it again like |
| 18302s | having already done this but if I could |
| 18304s | go back in time and do it again if that |
| 18306s | makes sense then I yeah I would I would |
| 18308s | I would or tell myself I wouldn't |
| 18309s | dissuade myself but yeah I'm not sure I |
| 18311s | could do this more than once I don't |
| 18313s | have to anyway |
| 18316s | um there nothing more to |
| 18320s | do okay well before we um we we we let |
| 18323s | you go and not sleep by the sounds of it |
| 18326s | h just any any final words to your you |
| 18329s | know many many fans that you know we've |
| 18331s | obviously seen in the chat on Twitter |
| 18333s | and so on H and anyone you want to thank |
| 18335s | you know anything else you want to say |
| 18337s | before we let you go I have a ridiculous |
| 18339s | amount of thank yous so Rec van mey |
| 18342s | obviously prep with me incredible |
| 18344s | incredible practice Partners as as |
| 18346s | committed to it as me we're like 247 |
| 18349s | basically someone's always around to |
| 18350s | prep with we had um quite an extensive |
| 18353s | group this time we had pascoa coming |
| 18355s | back for for helping with um some stats |
| 18358s | work we had Tic Tac wira Fury Hunter |
| 18361s | otuna |
| 18364s | um yeah that was our core practice group |
| 18366s | but I had a little word with MCB face |
| 18368s | and Bunny Hopper as well it's great to |
| 18369s | get advice from people who already in |
| 18371s | Worlds and um also a few years ago when |
| 18374s | I started I I I don't want to like go on |
| 18377s | but this is important to me um when I |
| 18380s | started I was kind of a no one and then |
| 18381s | jambre reached out to me and said do you |
| 18383s | want to join our Practice Group for this |
| 18384s | Master's tour and like it was a bunch of |
| 18387s | big names I was scared I didn't join the |
| 18388s | voice calls or whatever I think noan |
| 18390s | gameer was in there and stuff this was |
| 18391s | like three years notoriously scary no |
| 18394s | hands gamer no no no I was just like |
| 18397s | intimidated because there people that I |
| 18399s | knew of who didn't know me and then yeah |
| 18401s | a few years later that kind of blossomed |
| 18403s | into me knowing people and it went from |
| 18406s | there so jambre I have so much thanks |
| 18408s | for because yeah I I wouldn't have known |
| 18411s | people and I wouldn't been able to build |
| 18413s | a network without him doing that in the |
| 18414s | first place and um the main one my |
| 18418s | parents it's ridiculous how much they've |
| 18421s | supported me playing playing a playing |
| 18422s | hard game just like for a living and my |
| 18425s | my mom in particular she watches all of |
| 18427s | my matches doesn't have a clue what's |
| 18429s | going on but she watches all of |
| 18431s | them um it's yeah she's always like I |
| 18435s | I've had to I had to update her before |
| 18437s | because she's uh yeah she she wants |
| 18439s | updates because it's too stressful |
| 18441s | apparently yeah um but yeah she's been |
| 18444s | incredibly supportive throughout and |
| 18445s | it's yeah it's just been brilliant um |
| 18447s | having that kind of support let me do |
| 18450s | this um yeah that those are the main |
| 18454s | ones okay well again we just a huge |
| 18458s | congratulations well deserved a |
| 18460s | fantastic run in this tournament and we |
| 18463s | will let you go and either wind down or |
| 18465s | stay up all night and celebrate whatever |
| 18467s | you want to do you earn it thanks pocket |
| 18470s | training congratulations once |
| 18472s | again thank you very |
| 18475s | much and there it is the world champion |
| 18479s | for |
| 18480s | 2023 pocket train what a tournament what |
| 18484s | a set of matches and just what a |
| 18486s | performance |
| 18488s | subtle yeah I mean what more is there to |
| 18490s | be said at this point I guess thank you |
| 18492s | to pocket for not starting crying during |
| 18494s | the interview because he probably would |
| 18495s | have set me off I haven't cried on |
| 18497s | camera since lion I'd like to keep that |
| 18499s | streak going I think for a while still |
| 18502s | um what a player what a guy I mean he |
| 18505s | he's he lad his is everything out he's |
| 18507s | all been visible he's worn his heart on |
| 18509s | his sleeve from from day one this year |
| 18511s | and I think you can see just with how |
| 18514s | wholesome and heartfelt all of that was |
| 18516s | you know even saying oh sorry I'm going |
| 18518s | on like no you know what you think this |
| 18520s | is the game awards we're not going to |
| 18521s | play you off cuz you're taking too long |
| 18523s | don't worry you've got all the time in |
| 18525s | the world mate like we literally cannot |
| 18527s | hold up a sign he will see to tell him |
| 18529s | to be quiet and go so it's fine um and |
| 18532s | you know the world champion yes is it's |
| 18536s | um it's a mark of the the best player in |
| 18538s | the world and it's a Prestige right but |
| 18540s | it's also an ambassador and a |
| 18543s | representative for the game and by that |
| 18546s | degree like yes pocket is arguably the |
| 18548s | best player in the world and so having |
| 18550s | him have the title of world championship |
| 18551s | for that world champion for that is very |
| 18553s | fitting but also it's someone that you |
| 18555s | want to hold up that people can aspire |
| 18557s | to that other competitive players can |
| 18559s | look up to there can be a role model and |
| 18561s | a source of inspiration in the community |
| 18563s | and I think pocket FS that as much as |
| 18567s | anyone else does that I can think of in |
| 18569s | Hearthstone so for that congratulations |
| 18571s | to pocket train as well yeah couldn't |
| 18573s | agree more but just like that the |
| 18576s | competitive Hearthstone year is over so |
| 18579s | you know as is often the case I'd like |
| 18581s | to throw a few thank yous out there |
| 18583s | myself huge thank you to everyone in |
| 18586s | production who's helped make this show |
| 18587s | happen this year thank you to all of my |
| 18589s | fellow casters sole Dragon Rider Idol |
| 18591s | Vice Linda TJ and uh thank you to all |
| 18594s | the players and all you viewers that |
| 18597s | have hopefully enjoyed the show we've |
| 18598s | put on this year and also a special |
| 18600s | extra thank you to pocket train |
| 18602s | amazingly supportive parents keep keep |
| 18605s | doing the good work but thanks a lot for |
| 18607s | watching we really hope you enjoyed it |
| 18609s | and we will see you next |
| 18621s | [Music] |
| 18631s | time |
| 18638s | [Music] |
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| 18671s | [Music] |
| 18691s | w |
| 18695s | [Music] |
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