After the Global Games in August, Blizzard is now directly announcing the next Hearthstone tournament. Of course, the Hearthstone Champion Tour, or HCT, also features a “Choose Your Champion” event. We have some tips on who has the best chances of earning you free packs.
During this year’s summer tournament, the Hearthstone HCT 2017, Blizzard is allowing players to earn card packs again. With the “Choose Your Champion” event (in original “Wählt Euren Champion”), fans can select a player from whose victories they will benefit.
Unlike the Global Games, no team is chosen for the HCT. As in most previous “Choose Your Champion” events, fans must focus on a single player. Choosing the champion is not easy.
Hearthstone Choose Your Champion – The Rewards
Once a champion has been chosen, it’s time to wait and cheer for the favorite.
The group stage matches start on Friday, October 13 and end on the following Sunday, October 15, 2017. Every victory of the champion also means a victory for the fans: With each match won by the favorite, you receive a free card pack from the Frozen Throne expansion.
Until Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 08:59 AM CET, you can still make a selection. Once a champion is chosen, this choice cannot be changed!
The Players
In the HCT, 16 players from around the world compete in four groups. Many well-known faces are participating, including the current World Champion Pavel from Russia.
Choose Your Champion – But Which One?
The question of which player will win this tournament has been circulating for some time in posts on reddit. The majority of players rely on their gut feeling and will likely choose the world champion Pavel.
User Reelox14, however, has put in a bit more effort and analyzed the participants individually and conducted thousands of simulations.
According to the calculations of the Reddit user, the top 4, Tom60229, Uya, Surrender, and Empanizado have a slightly higher probability of winning than their competitors. According to the simulation, Tom60229 has the highest probability of winning.
All are playing with the “Holy Trinity” of decks: Jade Druid, Razakus Priest, and Tempo Rogue. The fourth deck for Empanizado and Surrender is Murloc Paladin, for Uya it is a Keleseth Zoo Warlock, and Tom60229 plays a Highlander Control Mage.
The composition of the decks is important, as a veto can ban a player’s strongest deck, which levels the playing field.
It is also important to note that OldBoy and Amkys are playing rather unusual and weak lists with Control Paladin, Quest Warrior, and N’Zoth Control Warrior. With the element of surprise, they might snag a few unexpected victories.
The Match Schedule
To get a better idea of who might advance, the match schedule is also important. As mentioned above, the participants play in four groups of four players each. The four players with the highest chance of winning are all in different groups, affirming their status as favorites. Only in Group D could the balance shift, as Pavel is in this group.
You can choose your champion directly on the official website for the “Choose Your Champion” event!
Benedict says: It is really hard to make a selection here. The numbers are even tighter than at the Global Games. The consensus from reddit is to choose Pavel because he can rely on experience and enjoys a certain status as the world champion. However, I would lean more towards the mathematics that make Tom60229 the favorite. I am, however, sure that neither champion will leave you empty-handed.
