BibleThump Novella: What Makes THL Special

by Steven "Cassity14" Cassity

One THL player's journey took him from the brink of giving up to very nearly the mountain top. Along the way he found something even more valuable than a championship edition Hearthstone wallet. He found home. 

Chapter 1: SwiftRage

​We’ve finished up our first official season in THL—captains are building rosters, players are looking to get signed, personal ladder goals are being set and accomplished, and side chicks (both of the video game and human variety) are getting a bit more attention.

For me, the hurt is still too real. Competition is something that drives me in life. I’m the guy who traveled the country playing collegiate Dodgeball. I’m the guy who dives for loose balls at the rec. I’m the teacher who loves finding out that the kids in my school outperformed the rest of the district. You get the point. To get this close to winning anything, let alone THL’s Inception, and to come up so short takes something from you. We got to the biggest stage and were entirely outclassed. That unique cocktail of regret, disappointment, and rage can fuel you, but only if you allow yourself to be fueled.

I need to recharge. I need to reflect. I need to let this pissed off mood stay with me a bit. Maybe I need to grow a beard, chop wood, and pull sleds around a secluded cabin. But I will be back better than ever. That’s my offseason plan, and in coming up with it, I realized something …

I love this league.

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Looking at my involvement and role in THL now, it’s kind of surreal to remember how little I cared by the end of Season Beta. 

​Chapter 2: ResidentSleeper

​I can sit here and say I’ve loved it since Season Alpha, and that every season has been incredible, and that this was just another in the line of great seasons for my experience in THL, but to be candid, that would be a lie. I’ve been in undesirable positions, I’ve been a poor player who feels like they don’t have the same opportunity to get better as other guys in the league, and I’ve seen firsthand what it’s like to be a player in those struggling situations. And to be perfectly honest, by the end of season beta, I was ready to call it with THL and with playing Hearthstone seriously.

I had failed on multiple legend pushes, had not gotten to know very many people in the league, and had been on two massively underperforming teams. It wasn’t that we lost; it was that we couldn’t even finish a season as a functioning team. We all know the signs of a dysfunctional team: missed submission deadlines, guys quitting midseason, Kobe putting up way too many shots at an entirely unacceptable efficiency, etc.

Looking at my involvement and role in THL now, it’s kind of surreal to remember how little I cared by the end of Season Beta. Regardless, in the boredom of summer, and in the desire for at least a shred of continuity right before moving across the country to start a new life chapter, I figured I’d give it one more go. Man, am I glad I did.

I joined Noob Central and it was a revelation. I went from playing on teams where the only form of communication came from the occasional in-game pop-up to a team with practices, its own Facebook page, teammates who thrived with helping each other—the whole nine yards! Pacetry, Joss, Loefster, Silverwave, Joss’ incredible spreadsheets really were my saving light in THL. They know this.

Season Kappa was so much fun. Despite being in last place in our conference halfway through the season, we went on an incredible run in the second half, scoring over 20 points in something like four consecutive weeks. We ended up sneaking into the playoffs, and that was because we never stopped acting as a team. Even when we were losing, we kept talking and practicing. It was such a different experience than either time I had been in that position, and it really ignited my passion for THL. That version of Noob Central lost its playoff match against Xnergy, but the run that got us there was incredible.

In the offseason, I made a difficult decision to continue my journey around the league. After seeing a passionate team like Noob Central, I wanted to meet more members of the league, and starting as a first-year teacher, late night PST practices were no longer an option.

This is when I learned what THL is all about.

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Chapter 3: PogChamp

I found a home with Team Rank 5 and it’s exactly that—a home. I had been in on a few Skype calls with Mainge, Imbolc, and the gang as Season Kappa was wrapping up, and we had a ton of fun discussing the game, the league, sports, and everything about life. For some reason, even after hearing the stupid things I say on a daily basis, they offered me a spot on their team for Inception. I had never spent a season in the top seed, and my limited record in that spot was sketchy to say the least. A decent No. 2 wasn’t really needed on their roster, but they convinced me that everything from schedules to personalities to decks I understand made it a good fit. They were right about the first two.

​​We were considered a powerful contender from the outset of Inception, which I always found curious. When it came to PR, we were below average, and we had no clear top player. We were just a group of guys who enjoy playing Hearthstone and enjoy each other. That said, we made it our goal to win the whole thing. Team Rank 5 is interesting in that we don’t really have set “practices,” but rather we just sort of touch base almost daily. More often than not, there will be at least an hour of the day where four to five of us are in Skype (now Discord) together just because we happened to be online.​
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[Team Rank 5] created a dysfunctional, strange, and obnoxious family. Those four guys have become my friends.

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​Sometimes we’re discussing strategy, and sometimes we’re ladder coaching, but usually JesusC and Imbolc (now leashed) are whining at each other about things while Mainge and I debate the value of basketball statistics and Murdoc vigorously rips his vape hard enough to set the world on fire. It just works.

We didn’t accomplish our goal. As I mentioned in the beginning of this novella, that is eating at me. We did accomplish something else, however …

We created a dysfunctional, strange, and obnoxious family. Those four guys have become my friends and people I enjoy talking to or spending time with whether Hearthstone is involved or not.

Less than half a year ago, I could never imagine typing something like that previous paragraph. But for anyone else in this league who has experienced what it’s like to be on a team that simply belongs, simply works—it is simply the truth. Thanks Mainge.

​Conclusion: Kreygasm

​My passion and love for THL has grown exponentially over the last five or so months. I fell in love with casting enough to start up my own stream, and I look forward to being on Tavern Talk each week more than I look forward to Friday afternoon. Without the saving grace of Noob Central and the Animal House of Team Rank 5, none of that would have ever happened. It was only fitting that those were the teams left standing in the end, because to me, they are both a total embodiment of what Team Hearth League is all about.

To all of the players out there, first of all, thank you. It is so fun to interact with you guys all the time. Secondly, this is what you should be seeking. This is what being a part of a true team is. Find that situation that fits you both as a player and as a person. It makes the experience truly incredible.

To all of the captains and potential captains out there, this is your goal. This is what you sign up to build. This is the standard that I, as a league personality and board member, expect out of you. Is it fair? Maybe not. Is it unrealistic? Maybe a tad. Oh well.

We have something special here, fam. It took me longer than it should have to realize it. Let’s not keep it to ourselves, but continue to expand. I know we can.
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As always, put your faith in the light.

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We have something special here, fam. It took me longer than it should have to realize it. Let’s not keep it to ourselves, but continue to expand. I know we can.