Today, Hearthstone will find its world champion at the finals of the HCT World Championship. During the tournament, one match particularly stood out, which initially seemed like a clear case. It was an unexpected mirror universe of hungry water elementals!
In the quarter-finals of the HCT World Championships, American Fr0zen faced off against German Sintolol. A match in which Fr0zen entered with some pessimism. In the preceding press conference, he admitted he didn’t give himself much of a chance.
His decks were too geared towards aggro decks, which Sintolol does not cater to. Fr0zen did not expect to win even one of the games – and yet, Fr0zen made it to the fifth and decisive match against his opponent. It was all or nothing.
Check out one of the craziest Hearthstone matches of all time
The Clear – Wrath of the Dragon as RNG Board Clear
Sintolol’s “Dragon Combo Priest” and Fr0zen’s “Control Mage” faced each other. As expected, Sintolol was able to deploy his creatures and continuously strengthen them.
It could have indeed been a clear case – if Fr0zen hadn’t been able to cast two high-value spells from his deck precisely thanks to “Wrath of the Dragon”. That’s the kind of “high-mana” spells that Wrath of the Dragon needs to show effect. And he hit the 7-mana spell “Portal to the Firelands”.
This allowed him to deal significant damage to the servants and clear opponents from the field. Twice, mind you.
Admittedly, Fr0zen had already played most of the smaller spells or had them in hand, but if he had drawn just one of his 3-point spells instead of “Portal: Firelands”, the game would have looked quite different, and Sintolol could have strengthened and, above all, retained his servants.
“Who is the Mage now?!” – Jaina vs. Jaina
The real madness began later. With the “Draconid Agent”, Sintolol copied a “Frost Lich Jaina” from Fr0zen’s deck. She turns her own hero into the Death Knight Mage Frost Lich Jaina. With her, an army of water elementals with lifesteal can be summoned.
Suddenly, Sintolol, originally started as a priest, tried to become an undead mage in the creation of a mini army of water elementals to regain control over the opponent’s threat. However, Fr0zen drew his Jaina just two rounds later – and the icy duel could begin!
Neither side gave anything in the true sense of the word. Both had to be careful to use the destructive spells skillfully so that not a single servant with just one health point was left behind – the danger of a new water elemental was too great. Because Frost Lich Jaina can deal one damage point with her hero power and thus create a new water elemental with lifesteal if the servant dies from that damage point.
Sintos problem: At that time he already had fewer cards than Fr0zen and hardly any servants left. It became a race against time, a game that could ultimately only be decided by the elementals – and only through that one copied Jaina. In the end, he went “all in”.
The elemental battle was eventually won by Fr0zen, thanks to “Portal: Firelands”, which had already helped him twice in the game. It not only dealt reliable damage but also summoned a 4/4 elemental. This finally eliminated Sintolol in the fun game of the lifestealing elementals.
While @Fr0zen_hs and @Sintolol play on the mainstage, the Tavern is hosting another type of game! #HCTAmsterdam https://t.co/SWPQb7Syil pic.twitter.com/9pdyeAKNTn
— Hearthstone Esports (@HSesports) January 20, 2018
The Show must go on!
It was certainly one of the most unusual games in HTC history and definitely the most challenging game of Fr0zen’s career so far, as he recounts in the thrill of victory after the match. While Sintolol now goes home with $50,000, Fr0zen is allowed to continue fighting.
Today at 16:00 he will face JasonZhou in the semifinals. The water elementals are surely already at the starting line.
