With just half a week left in the first round of the playoffs, it's almost time to see who will be heading into round two, and who will be posting epic Facebook rants about topdecks, eSportals, and lucky juggles.

If there's any one team that has cast itself as favorites and who carry themselves as if they have already won Season Inception, it's this one. The team everyone loves to hate, and hates how much we can't help loving them. In our final playoff preview, we take a look at the squad that has hit our league like a THL Nino, Archon Storm.

(You may have noticed no Noob Central. I'm guessing the team had already descended into their mountain bunker for the entirety of the playoffs, and I wasn't able to raise the captain.)

THL: Describe season Inception from Archon's point of view, what was the secret to your team's success?

Viridae: We went into Inception looking to defend our title. Picking up Dlineman and n00basaurus added to our already considerable confidence. Obviously, I won’t give away our main secret, which involves genetic splicing and stealing Kolento’s hair.

​However, I will say that I am confident no team prepares as much as we do. In addition, we have a skilled programmer in the form of HertzDonut who has designed our very own THL meta database, allowing us to track and reference stats, giving us the ability to bring optimal lineups. It is pretty slick, think of it as if Optimus Prime and Skynet had a baby.
 

​THL: Who's your team MVP and why?

V: This is a much harder question to answer than it may appear on the surface. It goes to HertzDonut, who brings a ‘too cool for school’ vibe to the team while going undefeated and having the overall best W/L record in the league (also currently on a 3 game 3-0 streak). However, n00b has been a powerhouse late season, he’s on a win streak that should scare any #5 in the league. Kappa’s MVP ClarkKent quietly rocked out the #1 spot with a fantastic record and many commanding wins. Finally, Dlineman has been such a pleasure on the team and a really good sport. He’s just too damn pretty to stay mad at.
 
THL: Archon Storm got off to a slow start, but has now rattled off four straight wins, ends the season with THL's highest PR, and has to be considered the favorite. Do you guys feel like this is yours to lose?

V: You can’t spell Hubris without Archon Storm. We definitely see this as ours to lose. Dlineman has been awoken, the rest of the team has been crushing all season. We are hitting our stride just as playoffs start. Our PR is so stacked it would make Steinbrenner jealous. I think Kanye West said it best (while at a recent Archon Storm party) when he said, “No group has had such a concentration of skill and good looks since the days of  NSYNC”.
 
THL: The core of Archon—yourself, ClarkKent, and HertzDonut—has been together for three seasons now. What advantage does this familiarity give you guys?

V: When we grabbed Lifecoach’s younger brother (ClarkKent) in Archon Storm’s first season we knew this squad was going to roll up and stack dem trophies. The most important thing is these guys put up with my antics and haven’t blocked my email address, despite my constant flow of 11 page weekly prep emails … which they quickly mark as spam. I love this group. We are able to have fun while getting down to business. In a way we are a lot like the hit 1976 TV series Charlie’s Angels (I am like so totally Sabrina).

THL: Say I'm a brand new captain in Season Two (I'm assuming we're getting a cooler name), and I look starry-eyed at the dynastic Archon Storm. What are your tips for being a success in THL?

V: Build a team of guys who are involved and loyal. I will take a guy who can’t get past rank 10, but who is willing to learn and stay involved over a legend player any day. So when you are starting a new team, look for those types of players. Skill is something that can be attained, but having a good personality and the ability to work on a team is something far more valuable and rare.

Archon Storm uses a very intense selection process when looking at a new addition to the team. It is basically like joining The League of Shadows, but in a far warmer climate … and far less goats. Some goats? Yes. Just less.

Merry Christmas to all of you in TeamHearthLeague,

Welcome to Week 5 of THL's blog series "What Would You Do?"


Our one and only streamed match of late is AndyRogers vs Slimsch. So I picked out some scenarios specifically from that match up. The scenarios will be where instead of the player on the stream playing, we are going to give our plays for the upcoming turn instead. We will also be giving you some helpful tips to aid in your decision.

As Always, we have our rules!
Our Rules:

• We become the player on the bottom of the screen and we decide what we would do next in the upcoming turn.
• Opponents cards are blanked out as well as anything that could give you the answer.
• 5 pieces of helpful information will be given to you in order to help you decide your turn.
• Use facebook to tell us what you would do.
• Have fun and try to explain your decision for the newbies out there.

Slimsch (The Gosu Casuals) vs AndyRogers (The Hairy Generals)
Its playoffs time and we got the luxury of witnessing 2 of the strongest players in the entire league go head to head.
We will be playing the role of Slimsch
It's all important first match up and we happen to be playing Malylock. We are up against one of those pesky paladin decks who think they can dominate the board? well maybe we can make them think again!


Here are some things to consider:

• The opponent currently has 0 cards in hand!
• The coin was played by us on turn 3 to coin out a Twilight Drake
• Malygos is on the board and available to show you why he is the essence of magic!
• Tirion Fordring has already been played by the opponent!
• Darkbomb looks flashy right now, but damn those blackwing corruptors and the no synergy.

Slimsch (The Gosu Casuals) vs AndyRogers (The Hairy Generals)
Its playoffs time and we got the luxury of witnessing 2 of the strongest players in the entire league go head to head.
We will be playing the role of Slimsch
Our second scenario is actually in the exact same game :) Just more earlier into it.


Here are some things to consider:

• The opponent currently has 4 cards in hand!
• The coin was played by us on turn 3 to coin out a Twilight Drake
• Every card in hand is green and we have lots of options
• Healbot is available, as is mortal coil and Ironbeak Owl
• Emperor Thaurissian is green and would create a big discount.

If your holidays have been anything like mine, one game has seriously butted into your Hearthstone time. Fallout 4? HotS? No, we're talking the ageless pasttime of puzzles. Young or old, bloated or hungover, we all enjoy a good puzzle around the holidays. It's the perfect communal experience that requires no eye contact or conversation—the two items at the top of my personal list for multi-generational family fun.

And there's no feeling quite like finding that last piece and snapping it into place. Faced, Nana! Faced.

Kyle "Killajive" Stewart got that feeling early this year when he brought Supersam into the Angry Chicken Fan Club. Sam proved to be the exact piece the Club needed to propel itself into the playoffs, and a first round matchup against the perennial contender, Xnergy, helmed by Zakary "VendiClique" Miller-Granger.

Will the Red Division powerhouse face a first-round upset? Do Supersam and company have any heroics left? If you're getting up can you freshen my nog and find me some Advil?

THL: Describe Season Inception from Xnergy's POV, what was the secret to your team's success?

VendiClique: Season Inception has been a bit of a roller coaster for us, after starting off very strong we have faltered a bit these last few weeks. Despite that, this season has been very successful for us, with the No. 2 seed going into playoffs. Our key to success is just good old teamwork and hard work. We put plenty of time into practicing our decks and choosing wisely, and communicate daily on class selections, strategies, and tech choices. 

THL: Who was your team MVP and why?

VC: Team MVP is hands down Catota. I don't know if I speak for all captains when I say this, but those No. 1 seed matchups are crazy and stressful. Being able to consistently see him post in chat that he won his match with no sweat, or, even when he loses, hearing him be calm and collected about it has a positive impact on the rest of the team going into our matches.

THL: No team got a hotter start than Xnergy, but you ended the season with two ties and two loses. Where is the team's confidence level heading into the playoffs?

VC: Our confidence level is as high as it has ever been. Despite the losses and ties, we've really pulled through with getting a good portion of match losses with two wins. Our last three weeks have been against very tough and competitive opponents, and while those matches didn't end the way we had hoped, we have time to prepare for the playoffs—and get those match wins all the way to the title of champions.

​
THL: Xnergy made it to the finals during Season Kappa, but let's face it wallets were not on the line back then. Is there a different feeling coming into the postseason this time around in THL's first official season?

VC: The feeling is very different, but in an overall positive way. In season Kappa, none of us really knew each other too well, though the team construction was well thought out, and we were all obviously strong players. To reach the finals while we learned how we worked together, to become friends in the process, was amazing, and this season was very comfortable for us all.

Though we did have the advantage of being overlooked last season for awhile. This season, after nearly taking the title, I feel we've had a target on our backs in our conference.

THL: You're one of the THLers with some competitive CCG playing outside of Hearthstone. How would you compare THL with this previous experience? 

VC: Hearthstone isn't too unlike Magic in its basic principles, but THL is like nothing I've ever done before. This league is so amazing, and supportive, and just simply fun. While the matches require decision making, patience, and intelligence like any other CCG, outside of the game play, THL is the most amazing, educational group I've had the privilege to partake in. Between the streaming, the friendly chatting, these amazing player profiles and WWYD posts, and yes, even the memes, this is the most enjoyable CCG experience I've had. Regardless of how this season ends for us, I, and Xnergy as a whole, thank everyone for the THL and this wonderful season.

THL: Describe Season Inception from Angry Chicken's POV, what was the secret to your team's success?

KJ: A lot of our teams success is credited to SuperSam and his amazing team coaching as many would suspect, but I also believe that another large portion of our success comes from other teams underestimating our own. When you look at TACFC it is one of the lowest PR teams in the league, and we weren't anything special last season. I personally tried to capitalize on this a lot during the season and it has won me a few games.

THL: It sounds like having the lowest PR in the postseason is a point of pride for TACFC, is it going to be a source of motivation as you prepare?

KJ: Our low PR has definitely become a motivation for us since its a unique feature to our team, I'd like to think of it like the The Angry Chicken card. The Angry Chicken card is a mere 1-1 but with the use of other cards it can gain its enrage mechanic. Our team may have weak PRs but together we've pulled out our "enrage mechanic" and pulled ahead of other teams.

THL: Who was your team MVP and why?

KJ: Our team MVP has to be Sam hands down, his coaching and overall knowledge of the game was invaluable to the team, we're going to miss him BibleThump.

THL: Sam is leaving the Fan Club?

KJ: Sam will be making his own team and be inviting some of his other friends to join him on his team, and would recommend some of his guys to our team if we need replacements.

THL: The ACFC was one of the more improved teams between Kappa and this season, what do you credit this bump in the standings?

KJ: Besides Sam our teams increased improvement has to come from our teams overall willingness to improve, last season our team was in the league for fun and weren't really trying that hard. This season our team has changed completely, practicing constantly and trying to make sure we can win every week.

If you've ever had the experience of being the new guy or girl somewhere you know how difficult it can be. You don't know anyone's name, you don't know your way around, you're hoping desperately for someone, anyone, to take you under their wing and show you how it's done. It's an unavoidably awkward situation that is only made better through time—you'll be in the know eventually, but there's going to be some bumps and scrapes along the way.

Or you can do what Team Soupreme does, and start immediately taking everyone's lunch money.

The THL rooks have been a force this season, and now in the first round they take on the veteran heavy Team Rank 5. With multiple legendary players and some serious tournament experience in the mix, this promises to be a classic. The captains catch us up on how they got here, and why they're going farther than round one.

THL: This was Soupreme's first year in THL, and you guys killed it. Describe Season Inception from Soupreme's POV, and how did you build such a powerhouse?

DeerJason: For other teams, the first season of the THL may just seem like any other season. For Team Soupreme, it's a completely new experience. Even though our team had a great year, it was an incredible tough ride along the way. Without any veterans in this league, the first couple weeks were a battle against this season's format. We barely won 3-2 for our early matches against Entropy and Archon Storm. For example, many of us brought freeze mage thinking we could win at least one game with it. However, because of the capability to counter it, if you lose the first game then you should expect Kezan Mystics in the future.

​Even with this, we still won every single one of our early team matches. We were the only one to beat Archon Storm. This was largely due to the team effort we put in. Once we got used to the format, we completely dominated our opponents. This is due to our team significance. We lose as a team and we win as a team. For our weaker players, like Grim, I personally did a successful arena run together and worked on decklists to use. We use each of our varying strengths to help one another. As a captain, my experiences in barely missing Blizzcon in 2014 (Top 8 Americas) and 2015 (Final Round in Last Chance) have taught me the significance of adapting to my mistakes. My team doesn't rely on RNG, we rely on ourselves. This has helped me become a better captain that has experience in high-pressure situations.

THL: Who was your team's MVP this season?

DJ: Unlike other teams, my team doesn't have a clear MVP. We win as a team and lose as one. If your talking about win/loss ratio, me and MVParker are tied at 1 loss each. If your talking about the most improved award, that would have to go to Prometheus for coming back from his 2 losses in the beginning. If you had to go with the person that has the biggest potential, that would be Moo. However, if I had to choose an MVP other than myself, Grim would be it. Even though his skill level may be one of the lowest in the league, his determination is one of the highest. At the end of the day, determination equals success.

THL: One of the trademarks of Soupreme is some very interesting lineups, sometimes featuring all nine classes. How much of this is planned or is most of the team just very comfortable playing a variety of classes?

DJ: Team Soupreme is surrounded with variety. The players on my team have different tastes and excel in different areas. This results in a varied lineup that changes week to week. If we have a new decklist we like, we are not afraid to test it in a match. The impact this has on our opponents is tremendous. Our team is an unpredictable bunch of players. It is troubling for our opponent to practice playing against us. A helpful note to make is how Arena correlates with a varied skill set. The members on Team Soupreme constantly do Arenas as a way to develop a card collection while improving their overall skill levels. I've told all the members of the significance of this Arena game mode, and it has helped us a lot. Most of the other teams in the league mainly focus on Ranked instead of Arena, likely putting us on top in the variety aspect.

​THL: You've quietly put together a very dominant season, winning five straight with multiple sweeps. Where does your THL experience fit in among other competitive Hearthstone arenas?

DJ: The atmosphere of THL is completely different than standard tournaments. MVParker and I, especially, have participated in any online tournament we could get a hand on. However, this doesn't necessarily equate to success in THL. What's different with THL, other than the format, is the preparation. You know what lineup you're going to face, so you tech against it. My team does a lot of discussion on what decks counter an opponent's most likely pick. For the sixth week, having secured a playoff position, I allowed all my players to set up everything individually to test their ability to play without any outside help. As it turns out, our preparation is the key to our success.

THL: What's your prediction for your team's first run in the playoffs?

​
DJ: Being completely new, getting to the playoffs is an incredible feat for any team in their first season. This also leads to our team being relatively unknown in our capabilities. The Gosu Casuals and Archon Storm are clearly the favorites. However, you shouldn't forget the new team on the block. Team Soupreme could strike at any second. This may be a heavy statement, but I believe that we are the most likely team to win the playoffs.

Learning from our mistakes earlier this season, Team Soupreme has become one of the top teams in the league. Now that we are skilled in THL's season one format, we will likely become unstoppable. Compared to other teams, we spend more time for preparation and communication. The individual members of team Soupreme are likely worse off than other teams, but collectively, they grow at a ridiculous rate. I believe if we do win this season, THL's second season will be full of weekly team meetings and a collective atmosphere for every single team. Enjoy a bowl of soup from Team Soupreme, the most dynamic team in THL. (I think I just jinxed my team :D)

THL: Describe Season Inception from Team Rank 5's point of view, what was the secret to your team's success?

Mainge: I would describe our season Inception as somewhat disappointing. We felt like we were the favorites on our side of the league and while we had a nice season, it seemed like we were always a tiny step off from where we wanted to be each week. The beauty of the playoffs though is that you get to toss all of that out of the window and have a chance to make a deep run. The secret to our success is that we're very well prepared, very well practiced, and we have a bunch of damn good Hearthstone players on our squad (and also Bryan.)

THL: Who's your team MVP and why?

M: This one is tough, but at the end of the day, it has to go to JesusC. Bryan (Imbolc) had a very good season in his own right and exorcised some demons that had been plaguing him in Season Beta and Kappa, but JesusC was our rock all season long. Every big win the team had came on the back of a big win from JesusC. Beyond results, he is very much the life of our Skype calls. Cassity has already publicly stated that Jesus is his favorite teammate and I am positive that the rest us would agree. He is the backbone of our team and there is no Team Rank 5 without him.

​
THL: There's an outside chance that a playoff run could include this season's third different No. 1 for TR5. Is this crazy Cerberus at the top of the lineup a strength or weakness for you guys?

M: Both, probably. We have lost every single matchup in the No. 1 spot, so it's hard to spin that fact into a positive. However, we have made up for that by being quite a deep team. It makes practices and scrims super interesting with the fact that anyone of us can beat the other and it's not at all a surprise. We've had some epic in-house tournaments (that have ended with some epic salt.) I think our team is unique in the way it's constructed. Being able to scrimmage so often against people close in skill level is really nice and has resulted in improvement from all of us across the board. A rising tide lifts all boats kind of deal.

THL: You're going up against the rookies, Soupreme. As a team with quite a few THL vets, what's it like facing a team without an extensive league track record?

M: Beating the new guys, beating Archon Storm, it's all the same to us. We know we have our work cut out for us, but we'll be ready. But what I want to know is if I get his Blizzcon points after I beat Deerjason. Someone ask Ben Brode.

THL: My favorite TR5 fact—you only had one sweep against you all year long. I don't want to call that player out, because it could be embarrassing for JesusC. Is this grinding, never-say-die attitude something TR5 takes pride in?

M: ​If anyone has had the absolute pleasure of being in a Skype call with JesusC, they know he is unabashed and shameless. I don't know that embarrassment is possible for him. We do take pride in how well prepared and practiced we are, which is probably the biggest contributing factor to that stat. 

THL: Judging from the friends list, Team Rank 5 has been playing a lot of HotS lately. Have you noticed any difference in your team's play since entering the Storm? Who's the jerk who plays Nova all the time, there's got to be one, right?

M: If you go back to Season Beta when we first entered THL, the only game we really played was hearthstone. That just so happened to be our worst season in the THL by far. We all got really into HotS in between Beta and Kappa to the point where we were playing more HotS than Hearthstone by the time Kappa was rolling around and that was our best season by far. Coincidence? Doubtful.

​In all honesty, HotS is a great way to mindlessly unwind from Hearthstone and also has been a great way to connect with other members of the THL. Entropy's Jaxox, Archon Storm's Hertzdonut and Viridae, The Dream Team's Warmonks, League Troll Brunson and the The Angry Chicken Fan Club's Supersam and Killajive regularly join us in the Nexus. JoshSampson and I played our match this season and then immediately jumped on to HotS afterward and discussed our match while destroying noobs. If you see one of us playing HotS, send us a message and get in there. The more the merrier.

Welcome to another edition of THL's blog series "What Would You Do?"


Here we pick a few scenarios from the latest streamed THL matches. The scenarios will be where instead of the player on the stream playing, we are going to give our plays for the upcoming turn instead. We will also be giving you some helpful tips to aid in your decision.
As Always, we have our rules!
Our Rules:

• We become the player on the bottom of the screen and we decide what we would do next in the upcoming turn.
  
• Opponents cards are blanked out as well as anything that could give you the answer.
  
• 5 pieces of helpful information will be given to you in order to help you decide your turn.
  
• Do not look at the stream beforehand, we will post what actually happened within the next 48 hours.
  
• Use facebook to tell us what you would do.
  

Markshire (Entropy) vs BoomBoomHall (The Hairy Generals)

Entropy vs The Hairy Generals was a very important match in Week 6, especially as both were fighting for a 4th playoff spot and were sitting side by side in the league table. 
We will be playing the role of Markshire
Right now we are down 0-2 So far this matchup and game 3 is not going well, it seems all our plays have been answered so far and we have a huge game on our hands. Baron Geddon just wiped our entire board aside from our lonely little Zombie Chow. We have well maybe a few options in hand but what can we do to have a chance of winning?


Here are some things to consider:

• The opponent currently has 6 cards in hand
• The coin was played by the opponent on turn 6 to play Dr Boom
• Hex was played on a sludge belcher for tempo, Acolyte of Pain and cruel Taskmaster were used in previous turns to kill a Piloted shredder along with a Fiery War Axe in the early game
• Dr Boom is green and available
• Bloodlust & Flametongue can kill the Baron Geddon

What would you do?

Yuri Yuri vs Slimsch, the biggest match of the season so far and the perfect headliner for our final Salty Saturday match of regular season. It did not let down and everyone in THL got to witness someone lose their undefeated streak this season.
We will be playing the role of YuriYuri
With so so many scenarios to pick from this week, our 2nd scenario is going to be this absolutely confusing turn. There is just SO many options and I think many players could possibly make the wrong play here.  But what can we play in this turn that is going to get us back in this game?

I do appologise about this photo not being clear as my laptop started going weird and it wouldn't let me go into full screen mode.


Here are some things to consider:

• The opponent has 9 cards in his hand
• The Coin was used by the opponent
• Death's bite has been played, along with a stolen Death's bite by the opponent through Thoughtsteal, The last play was a Sneeds old Shredder which was then entombed by the opponent
• Emperor would give a HUGE discount
• Dr Boom is green, as is Alexstrazsa, Sylvanas, Baron Geddon, Sludge Belcher and brawl

What will you remember from Season Inception?

Maybe there was an individual THL matchup that ended in a fatigue war that was, and will always be, your personal Greatest Game of Heathstone.

Maybe the encouragement of your teammates and the inspiration from the THL community pushed you to new heights on the ladder.

Maybe, just maybe, an introduction to one of these profiles moved you in ways that were entirely unforeseeable, provoked feelings inside yourself that you long thought Face Hunters eradicated, and nudged you to unlock the phone and call that estranged family member, who you will be breaking bread with for the first time in years, perhaps decades, this holiday season.

Maybe is a powerful idea. For the eight teams who find themselves in the postseason, that word—those two syllables with all the possibility in the world—will be followed by the phrase: become the first champion in TeamHearthLeague history.

Michael "Jingbudda" Johnson of The Gosu Causuals and Rich "JediNinja" Staub of The Hairy Generals breakdown their respective seasons that now find the two longtime captains squaring off in round one. Also, keep refreshing the blog maniacally over the next two weeks, we have three more matches to go!

THL: Describe Season Inception from The Gosu Casuals POV, what was the secret to your success?
​
Jingbudda: This season, The Gosu Casuals were placed into the Red Division with a bunch of really strong teams. Getting to face our rivals in week 1 was a great start to the season for us. We managed to win that match, and every one subsequent. Slimsch, Adam, Leumer, and I had played together before, but Mykel was new to our team. A lot of effort from all four of us went into scouting and drafting Mykel, and I think getting him on board really pushed us over the top this season.

THL: Who was your team MVP?

J: Slimsch was 100% our team's MVP, and for those of you who watched his match vs. YuruYuri, I think it is safe to say he's currently the league's MVP. His mentoring and, more specifically, all the time he put into coaching, planning, and practicing with the team really allowed us to bring our best each week. When you combine that with his undefeated regular season finish, Slimsch was the driving force that propelled this team to the top of our division.

I would also like to recognize the contribution of the other members of our team. Mykel and Leumer both went 3–1 this season, and Adam (who went 4–2) has been on a three-week win streak. I can say with confidence that The Gosu Casuals are a tough team to beat!

​THL: This season, some people might have slept on Gosu. After all, you may have missed the playoffs last season, but you guys were Season Beta champs. Was there a sense entering Inception that you had something to prove?

J: ​Last season we missed the playoffs by six points, and our final match was against Noob Central, who beat us 5–0. That was a disappointing loss, but after making the finals in Season Alpha, winning it all in Season Beta, and coming as close as we did in Season Kappa, I was totally confident that we would have the talent to make the playoffs this season. The only time I felt we had something to prove was in our first match against "Those Filthy Casuals." We had a bet going that the losing team would have to drop the "Casuals" moniker from their name for next season, and none of us Gosu's were about to let that happen!
​
​THL: Similar to a few playoff teams, you have a core that has been in place for multiple seasons, what advantage does this give Gosu?

J: I think knowing the guys on your team allows you to trust them, and trust is key when we are expected to bring our best week-in and week-out. The members of my team have proven that they plan ahead, do not forfeit games, and prepare for their opponents. When I've recruited players, my goal has always been to build a team that's interested in the strategy of tournament play, where every member brings their best each week. After that, the most important aspect of the players I recruit is not their card collection, or their ladder rank, but rather their willingness to communicate openly with the team. I firmly believe that every member brings something unique to the group that helps us all improve as we work together.

THL: Following his match-up with YuruYuri, Slimsch mentioned trying to punish players who may bring the same decks week in, week out. Is class versatility a strength of Gosu and something you guys work on?

J: This question is tough to answer without divulging too many of our strategic considerations. What I can say is that we all will bring the classes we think have the highest likelihood of winning each week—not necessarily the same classes over and over, or different classes every time. Now, I do absolutely believe that there is value in being unpredictable in Hearthstone—but that goes above and beyond class selection.

THL: What's it going to take for The Gosu Casuals to go far in the postseason?

J: ​The postseason is always tough. With the variability inherent to the game, it can be difficult to beat RNG, and have the better players and teams win out every time in a single elimination format. That said, we are going to bring our best, and we are planning to put up wins just as effectively as we did in the regular season. I believe that we have talent, drive, and experience which rivals that of any team in the league ... and ... we keep it casual. 8-)

​​
​THL: Describe Season Inception from The Hairy General's POV, what was the secret to your success?

JediNinja: To be honest, this was a rough season for us. I take responsibility for that because I wasn't able to make the time to lead properly. I think every player on the team is disappointed with their their performance in at least part of the season. As for the secret to our success? Success will be beating the Gosu Casuals, so I'm keeping that secret under wraps.

THL: Who was your team MVP and why?

JN: Detrucci. Not only did he have the best win-rate on the team, but he was constantly nagging us to practice and prepare more. When this team needs a kick in the ass, he delivers. Runner-up honors to AndyRogers who did a fine job coaching our team.

THL: This is the first time in the playoffs for The Hairy Generals, are you guys changing up the approach at all for the big dance?

JN: Check your facts, son. [Disclaimer: No facts have been, nor ever will be, checked on these posts. —ed.] The Hairy Generals were the Season Alpha champions. In fact, we were so dominant that we were broken apart, Ma Bell style, into multiple teams. Our spawn, Archon Storm won Season Kappa and is cleaning up in Season 1. We're proud of our protege but the original Generals will return to dominance in time. We also made it to the playoffs in Season Beta.

​​
​THL: One of the cool subplots to this first round matchup is a rematch between Slimsch and AndyRogers, who met all the way back in the finals to Season Beta. Despite a sweep by Andy, Gosu topped Team Andy—is this week all about long-waited, exquisitely crafted revenge for The Hairy General's No. 1?

JN: There's no one in this league as confident as Andy. I know he has been disappointed with his results this season and is eager to show the league that he's still a top player. I'm certain that he's thrilled to have the chance to knock the Bearded Wonder off his undefeated pedestal.
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THL: As the founder of THL, how do you feel about how Season Inception unfolded, and what do you hope to build on for Season Two?

JN: Our #1 goal in Season One was to have fewer disqualifications and we were very successful in that area. What I didn't expect was this explosion of content coming from our members. These profiles, Tavern Talk, and the What Would You Do? series blow me away with how great they are. When I watch these things and streams happening without my involvement, it makes me so proud. 

In Season Two, we're going to continue to extend the League's presence into the larger Hearthstone community with events like out match against Viscious Syndicate and the Golder Wisp team (shout out to Alec!). We're going to continue to expand out streaming efforts and we're going to add more events for our community, especially our growing number of free agents. We'll continue to refine our process, both with the rule set and technology, and we'll have more memes than ever before (shout out to Viridae!).

THL: Making sure to avoid spoilers, which character from The Force Awakens do you feel best captures The Hairy Generals?

JN: Snoke. That's all I'll say about that.

Ahhh, now that's what a one spot profile screen should look like. Equal mastery on ladder or in the arena, a rightful disdain for Rogue, win totals that would not look out of place at any major tournament. If you want a blueprint of an undefeated season, look no further.

YuriYuru is one of the longest tenured members of THL, and I imagine in a few decades when the league finally gets around to building that Hall of Fame we're always talking about, he's on pace to be a first-ballot inductee. He also might be playing the biggest game of his THL career this week, going up against Slimsch in a match of the two undefeated No. 1's in the Red Division.

Both have held down their team's top spot all season and have handled all comers with Yuri holding a slight advantage in dropping two fewer games than Slimsch. As if this tilt couldn't get any tastier, The Gosu Casuals is maintaining a slim division lead and Pure Strategy is clinging to Red's final playoff spot, so there's huge fallout for both teams as well.

Here's YuruYuri, crusher of dreams.



THL: How did you hear about THL and why did you join? 

YuruYuri: Many months ago Crypt0, who had added me after being impressed with my level of BM on ladder (fake missed lethal as a result of too much BM misclick into last second real lethal) asked me to join the league to fill out his team. Sounded cool so I said sure. Life got in the way of HS for him a while back but I've stuck around.

THL: What’s your history with Collectible Card Games? Is Hearthstone your first? Do you have an all-time favorite? 

YY: Started with Yugioh, then got into Magic, even played some Pokemon. I couldn't really say I have a favorite.

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​THL: Pure Strategy is hanging onto the last playoff spot and could make a return to the postseason for the first time since Season Beta, describe the team's journey over the last three seasons.

YY: Crypt0 initially put the team together, and when he suddenly had to step down, I wasn't sure if we would be able to continue. Luckily Hambowen stepped up and guided us through to where we are today.

THL: Both you and Slimsch have had magical seasons, going undefeated in the one spot. Now, you face off in the last week of the season in a battle that could very well decide the league MVP. How bad do you want to crush his dreams?

YY: Well, the thing about me and online gaming is that I don't play to win, I play to make the other guy lose. So, I guess for me this game is all about crushing dreams.

THL: As a longtime member of THL, where do you see the league heading in the future?

YY: I think there are a lot of great personalities that come through on the streams and Tavern Talks and such, and the league has a solid template to work off of. I think at this point if it continues to grow and we start to see more prizes on the line it could really take off.

THL: League of Explorers is in the rearview mirror, what's your opinion on the impact it had on Hearthstone?
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YY: To be honest I still haven't completed the final wing and I haven't even updated most of my decks since TGT. Reno Jackson is the only card I have used but I do think that made a big swing in favor of slower control decks. Other than that, I'm glad to see Murlocks getting some cool new cards!

THL: You're playing one game of Hearthstone for your soul. You have no idea what you're queuing into, what deck do you bring and why?

YY: Fatigue Warrior, at least if I lose I get to prolong the final moments that I still have my soul.

THL: Finally, do you stream? If so how can people find you and why should they watch?

​YY: I don't think I play consistently enough to mess with streaming.

Welcome to another edition of What Would You Do? Here we have our 3rd week blog for you guys.
But since we had a lack of stream content last week, This blog will be a little bit different. Hopefully we can return to our original content next week when our weekend streams resume.

​This week however, we have been required for assistance...

 Jaina hasn't been doing to well in Hearthstone lately. Freeze Mage aside, she is regularly avoided at tournaments and is asking you for help.
Jaina has found herself up against the ever impressive supreme overlord JED1NINJA!. She has 3 decks available to her in Freeze Mage, Tempo Mage and Mech Mage. But she will only use 2 of those. She wants to bring something that is NEW and UNEXPECTED that can DEFEAT him.

She has challenged us at THL to create a brand new Mage archtype so that she can once again become a dominant force within Hearthstone and defeat the Burning Legion

BUT as always with What Would You Do? - There are certain rules you must follow.

• You cannot use a current archtype unless there are significant changes
• You may name your brand new archtype anything you want.
• It must have the ability to be semi successful in either ladder or THL

As always in What Would You Do?...We have 5 Helpful tips for you to help your creative mind build your decks

1. Rhonin has some great synergies with the mage cards
2. Animated Armor hasn't been built around yet
3. Ethereal Arcanist is a bit like a mage's Holy Champion and "we have many secrets"
4. Mages love elements - They have cards that use fire and cards that use ice
5. Not all mage decks have to be filled with low cost spells and minions :)

I hope you guys enjoy this and remember, if this isn't to your liking then next week we will be back to our scenario fun where you get to help us make the correct plays.
But remember that Jaina needs your help defeating Jed1Ninja and your creative genius is important.

Please post any deck discussions, lists or general feedback for the blog in our Facebook discussion page.

Welcome to the 2nd edition of our new THL blog series "What Would You Do?"



For those of you that are new, this is a blog where we will pick a few scenarios from the latest streamed THL matches. The scenarios will be where instead of the player on the stream playing, we are going to give our plays for the upcoming turn instead. If you can give an explanatio as to why you chose such a play, it will help out the newer players in the league understand your way of thinking. We will also give you some helpful tips to aid in your decision.


Our Rules:

• We become the player on the bottom of the screen and we decide what we would do next in the upcoming turn.
• Opponents cards are blanked out as well as anything that could give you the answer.
• 5 pieces of helpful information will be given to you in order to help you decide your turn.
• Use facebook to tell us what you would do.

So now that you know the rules, lets bring our first Scenario

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N00basaurus (Archon Storm) vs Jaxox (Entropy)


This was definitely a highly anticipated match up. Archon Storm vs Entropy has been no stranger to the schedule in recent seasons and even though Entropy are likely to see it as more of a rivalry than Archon Storm, they are here to upset the party at the top of the blue league table.
We will be playing the role of N00basaurus
We have placed into the hands of the famous Secret Paladin.Secret Paladin is hated on for being a cancer deck, but can be surprisingly difficult to play sometimes. With so many early game cards in possession and against such a board controlling deck, can we maximize our next turn so that it sets us up for the rest of the game on a better standing?


Here are 5 helpful hints to consider:

1. The opponent has 3 cards in hand
2. the coin is available
3. The voidwalker is proving a formidable 1 drop and saves his minions this turn
4. Shielded Minibot is regarded as one of the best 2 drops in the game
5. Knife Juggler can combo with Haunted Creeper or Muster for Battle next turn.

What Would You Do?

Sargeanthendog99 (Angry Chicken Fan Club) vs grim (Team Soupreme)


Angry Chicken Fan Club and Team Soupreme are 2 teams that were predicted great things of back in pre season Tavern Talk. Now they get to square off in what is essentially, a huge war for a playoff spot.
We will be playing the role of Sargeanthendog99
So in this match we are up against a high board swinging mech shaman deck and we dont actually have board control right now, but we do have some options that can turn the game in our favour. But we do need to be careful because our life is getting low and Mech decks love to prey on the weak.


Here are 5 helpful hints to consider:

• The opponent has 3 cards in hand
• The opponent used the coin on turn 1 and played a 2 mana cost Annoy-o-Tron
• Direwolf Alpha was played recently in order to turn our Nerubian Egg into a 4/4
• Loatheb is available and is guarenteed a 2 for 1 trade
• Bane of Doom has been known to produce some game changing minions (Malganis)

What would you do?

Big thank you to Slimsch for giving me the Twitch timestamp technique.

Scenario 1 Results
N00basaurus vs Jaxox
Here is the link to Scenario 1 VOD so that you can see exactly what happened:
http://www.twitch.tv/teamhearthleague/v/28503238?t=0h45m25s


So what ends up happening is that N00basaurus plays Knife Juggler. This just spells disaster for the beginning of the game for him as the next turn Jaxox throws down a Nerubian Egg and an abusive seargant that empowers the haunted creeper. The creeper kills the Knife Juggler and Jaxox has 5 minions on the board. N00b goes up against this big board with no consecration in his hand and still no real clean way to kill the void walker. He uses Muster but it sets Jaxox to go far ahead in board control, which is exactly what a Zoolock loves. Consecration never comes and Jaxox wins the game.

This is another perfect example of how 1 misplay can cost you to go way behind, regardless of if its turn 1, 2 or 10.

Scenario 2 Results
SergeantHenDog99 vs Grim
Here is the link to Scenario 1 VOD so that you can see exactly what happened:
http://www.twitch.tv/teamhearthleague/v/28503238?t=1h34m32s

The discussion on facebook went in the right direction here I feel. As this play does actually involve bane of doom as he runs the 4/4 into the spider tank, leaving him with 1 health and uses bane of doom on the mechwarper. Cogmaster is returned to 1/2 as there are no mechs on the board but SgtHendog99 is rewarded nicely as a 5/4 voidcrusher comes out. So effectively he removes all mech synergy and still has 2 minions on the board. Grim does not have an answer to this and the game gets completely turned around. SGTHD99 wins from here on out and gets to curve out into his super big minions.

Last week's Turf Wars did not disappoint, and the headline match between Archon Storm and Xnergy lived up to the hype. The difference maker came from Storm's five spot, as n00basaurus pulled out his first victory of the season at the most clutch moment possible—taking a 3-0 set that gave the defending champs the series win. This also pulled them into a tie with Xnergy for the overall THL points lead. While we may not see these two juggernauts face off again for some time, the latest chapter in their rivalry was a classic—and underscores just how important an entire team's lineup is.

We reached out to the first-year player following his win to find out more about the man behind the less and less appropriate battletag.

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THL: What’s your history with Collectible Card Games?

nOObasaurus: I played Yugioh growing up and then transitioned into Magic in high school and college. Never competed in any tournaments; just casually with friends and drafts at local game stores.


THL: How did you hear about THL and why did you join?
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n: I started playing Hearthstone actively this past summer and was recruited by my good friend John aka Viridae. He claimed that they needed to round out their line up. I discovered in the email thread that their PR was pretty much maxed out and they needed (and I quote) “a potato”.

THL: You started the season out with a pair of 2–3 heartbreakers, but you came up huge last week, sealing a win for Archon Storm. Overall, how do you feel about your first season in THL?

n: I’m feeling great and learning all the time. When I joined my goal was to score games here and there and so far I’ve been able to do that. THL’s a great community and it's nice to compete with friends in a non-toxic environment. Helping to seal a rivalry game was pretty cool too.

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​THL: There’s been a lot of discussion about “the new player experience” in the Hearthstone community. Some say the game is getting too expensive for newcomers, some people think that’s just natural with collectible card games. As a self-proclaimed n00b, how would you describe your experience with Hearthstone?

n: As a Hearthstone n00b but an avid Blizzard fan I've tried and failed to get friends to play HS. Unfortunately collectible card games do suffer from an increasingly high barrier of entry and I don’t see that ending any time soon in HS. I’ve been lucky to have friends to practice and discuss the game with but for someone playing without a community I can only see it becoming more daunting. There’s a lot of great online Hearthstone content like tournaments and streamers like Kripparrian and Disguised Toast. I’m essentially the Questing Adventurer of Archon Storm, every time I practice or experiment I get a little bit better.

THL: What’s been your most embarrassing Hearthstone misplay?

n: I’ve used a Circle of Healing to try and get a huge draw with Northshire Cleric—forgetting to trade in my Auchenai Soulpriest first. Ending up wiping my entire board. Game over.

THL: What’s your favorite board to play on, and do you have an interaction that you compulsively tinker with?

n: Goblins & Gnomes: always go face with the laser beam. I used to love the teleporter but then I saw the fish flop out, which was a little bit upsetting. I haven't been able to use it since. That being said I loved the LoX Excavation site and hope it becomes regularly playable!



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​THL: What’s your all-time favorite game and why? No restrictions video, board, whatever.

n: Civilization 5: Brave New World. I’ve spent hours playing single and multiplayer campaigns. Sending emails with screenshots and in depth descriptions of my empire’s history, military campaigns, and culture. It also kept me in touch with friends like John (Viridae) after I moved to Boston.

THL: What’s the best card art in Hearthstone? 

n: I’ve seen a lot more golden cards recently practicing with people and Priest has it best. Voljin, Confessor Paletress, and Cabal Shadow Priest are gorgeous cards. I’ve got to give a shout out to Brann Bronzebeard though, his vine swinging animation is hilarious and he won me a game this past week.

THL: Favorite way to play Hearthstone: PC, tablet, or phone? If you’re on mobile, what’s the most unusual place you’ve gotten a game in?

n: Tablet, specifically iPad. A co-worker witnessed me (drunkenly) falling asleep playing Hearthstone in my hotel room at a conference.

THL: Do you stream or produce HS content? 

n: I’m just a fan boy. :)