Team Rank 5 - Team Article

Congratulations to JesusC for redeeming this Team Article on Team Rank 5

When it comes to legacy and success within Team Hearth League, Not many teams are on par with Team Rank 5, Formed all the way back in Season Beta, TR5 are one of 2 oldest running teams in league. The other being Noob Central who were also formed in Beta

Mainge founded "Rank 5" Back in Season Beta. The season was a success.Team Rank 5 made the playoffs, losing in the Quarter Finals by just 1 point to the eventual champions: Gosu Casuals.

It was clear from the get-go that Team Rank 5 meant business. But Season Kappa saw them finish third in the Frankerz division, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. Also playing at the time was well known THL members Imbolc and CaptainMurdoc who ended up becoming one of the first lower seed player to ever hit legend in Team Hearth League's community.

Captain Mainge rebuilt the team for the future after missing the playoffs. Signing up real life friend JesusC along with lost soul Cassity14. Nobody expected JesusC to do as well as he did, but constant rumours of hard work and long days of practicing were true, He started to establish himself as a very very strong 5 seed. Team Rank 5 made an incredible run all the way to the Season 1 Finals. The run ended with a heartbreaking loss to Noob Central, It was intense but alot of credit goes to Josseroo who was known for his next level spreadsheets and preparation.

In Season 2, Team Rank 5 were determined to try again, They did very well by getting to the Semi Finals. JesusC put in a magnificent season performance that won him the MVP award for Season 2, despite huge competition from several other candidates. His influence to the team at this point was irreplacable, As was those mentoring him.

Season 4: Celebration was a very successful season. Team Rank 5 recruited THL's number 1 star, Slimsch. Along with LoadedLux and Roguejt. They finished the season unbeaten and Team Rank 5 won the championship! Not only that but Slimch went on to claim his 2nd THL championship and also his 2nd MVP award, If he was the most decorated player before Season 4, well this just took it way beyond that level.

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After the championship win, TR5 disbanded. I caught up with captain mainge to talk a bit about that among other memories of the past

Mainge is one of the most approachable members of the community, Being here since Season Beta and a board member for the 2 years. You can always catch him in the THL Discord, looking after the crazy community that we have. He is also known to sub in from time to time for his team and show everyone why he is the captain​

Mainge Interview
Known As: Mike Warner (Facebook)
Current Team: Team Rank 5
Current Seed: Non Player Captain
Notable Achievements:
Season 1: Roleplayer Award Runner Up
Season 2: Captain of The Season
Season 4: Championship Winner
Season 4: Captain of The Season Runner Up
Season 4: Loudest Player

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Slimsch is a guy that I think everyone should try to emulate when it comes to playing in the THL - Mainge

The Team Rank 5 Logo

Lets start talking about Team Rank 5 in Season 6, you guys are sitting quite comfortably at the top of Red Division. Do you think you guys can go all the way and win the championship?

Could TR5 go all the way? Sure. Hearthstone is a fickle mistress and sometimes the best team doesn't win. I would not bet on us though. There are a lot of very talented rosters in this league and we probably fall a bit short in that department. In the past, we made up for that with a lot of preparation and practice. We would record matches, talk through replays, practice and develop strategies for our individual matches every week. That's not the case any longer as hearthstone has taken a backseat for almost everyone on the team. There is almost zero prep for us. Most of our guys play their one league match per week and don't touch the game otherwise. We still love THL and the community, there's just a lot of hearthstone burn out. 

Team Rank 5 are one of the oldest teams in the league currently. With so many memories to look back on, What are some of your favourite moments in the last 2 years?

It has been 2 years, hasn't it? That's crazy. The first one that comes to mind is the unbelievable run we had in Season 1. We were a good team but certainly not a great one, and I don't think anyone of us thought we were a finals team. But the playoff run we had was amazing. We ended up playing Soupreme in round 1, who I believe lead the entire league in points. I got swept in 25 minutes by Deerjason but Cassity and Captainmurdoc took home big wins. And then Imbolc ended up beating MVParker to clinch the match. In his excitement, Imbolc came back to our Skype call and was shouting obscenities that would make his grandmother drop her jaw. After that we upset the Hairy Generals, mostly because JesusC upset Detrucci, who was probably one of the best 5 seeds in the league at that time. The Finals didn't go how we wanted them to but that season kind of opened my eyes to what we could accomplish. If I had a time machine that could go back to any season, that would be it.

And I don't need to mention how memorable season 4 is. Can't do much better than untied, undefeated and a championship. Maybe one day in a different interview, I can share some stories from that season because they are numerous.

Jesus C is a story within himself, Can you talk a little bit about him, his MVP award and his influence on the team.

JesusC is my best friend in the world. I think if you were to ask any of his teammates, they would tell you he's their favorite teammate. He keeps the team environment loose and everyone on their toes. You actually don't know what the hell is going to come out of his mouth next. When it comes to hearthstone, I don't know that I would rather have anyone else up to bat on the team with the match on the line. Against Temporal Legends, he came up short in that scenario, but I bet if you went through the history of the league, you'd find Jesus closes the match for us more times than not.

The MVP Award he earned was special because it was a culmination of all of the hardwork he put into getting better. The number of hours that myself, Imbolc, Captanmurdoc, and Cassity put in to help him improve because he wanted to get better are countless. It started to show in Season 1, but he really took off in Season 2 when he won the award. I know it meant a lot to him 

You guys took a season off during Season 5, what was the reasoning behind that and then what made you re-form the team?

I took a season off because I was completely burned out on it. Being a captain in THL is damn near never ending, always recruiting, building teams, practicing, prepping. At that point I had been captaining for something like 19 straight months.I knew by the time Season 4 playoffs came around, I was done. When season 6 came around, I had an itch to try again. I thought in Season 5 that the overall quality of teams was lower than in seasons past, with only Aeon and HSA being great teams, so I thought there was opportunity to make some noise. So I approached a few different players and thought that I had built a team that would be very, very strong. Ultimately though, those plans fell through and I didn't think I was going to captain this season.

In the end, MVParker and Cassity approached me to captain this roster of players. I said yes because all 5 of them are good friends and I figured it'd be fun, if nothing else. And it has been fun! I love these guys and I love playing games with them that aren't hearthstone. It's hard to say what will happen but there's a chance that Team Rank 5 is done for good after this season. I kind of want to explore a different role within THL.

Speaking of the that particular time, Jesus took a bit of a dip on form after TR5 disbanded throughout Season 5. How has he been for the team this season now that he is back in the family?

Jesus is great. I don't think his season is anything to write home about but it's nice to have him back home.

Your friendship with your fellow teammates is one of the most attractive things about Team Rank 5 as a squad, How important has that been for TR5. To add on that, will we be seeing the Cainge reports during off season?

It's everything at this point. We started all the way back in Season Beta as just 6 friends that loved hearthstone and that has mostly carried on every season. JesusC and Captanmurdoc were IRL friend of mine. We picked up Imbolc on the way and ever since we've kind of picked up more and more on the way. Imbolc has turned into close friend and confidant. I feel like Cassity is pretty much exactly like me with far worse taste in sports  teams. I don't think I have ever met anyone with more personality traits that I dislike than MVParker, but I love him anyway. Rogue is like a little brother to me, he actually came over to my house to meet a few weeks ago, and he, Jesus and I all got wings and played VR Resident Evil. No one makes me laugh out loud more often than SmokedSalmon, except for maybe Slimsch who is incredibly low key funny. These guys mean a lot to me and THL wouldn't be so special without them.

We will see about the #Cainge report.

Last question: Looking for some advice to new members of THL, Who are some of the biggest influences in THL to learn from and try to team up with, either individually or as part of their team.

Slimsch is a guy that I think everyone should try to emulate when it comes to playing in the THL. He is always prepared, always willing to help his teammates whether in practice or preparation. He's not the most accomplished hearthstone player this league has ever seen but he's played against them all and he's kicked their asses anyway. Slimsch will be the first ever THL Hall of Famer one day and it's because he outworks everyone. He's the consummate teammate.

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I don't think that it is coincidence that Team Rank 5's most successful seasons have come when JesusC has put in a dominant season. He beats his opponents while playing playstation at the same time, how does he do it???
Ofcourse this article would not be complete without an interview with the Friday Night Fight:Team Article redeemer himself!

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JesusC Interview
Known As: JesusC, The Peoples Champion (Facebook)
Current Team: Team Rank 5
Current Seed: 4 Seed
Notable Achievements: 
Season 1: Roleplayer Award Runner Up
Season 2 MVP Award
Season 2: All Star 
Season 4: Championship Winner

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You’re not going to win the title alone it takes everyone doing their part and a bit of luck to make happen - JesusC

Season 4 Winners Poster

When you first joined Team Rank 5, you were very new to the game, can you tell us a bit about your story and background of coming into THL.
I was new to the game. I had heard about the game but never really gave it the time of day. I’ve known Mike who most of you know as Mainge since middle school. So, one day going over his house to play some PlayStation he asked me if I would be interested in playing hearthstone on a team as a part of a league that he had found. By now most of the league knows that I spend most of my free time playing PlayStation so the idea of me playing a game that I don’t really know a pc that I didn’t often use had me skeptical to say the least. Mike assured me that it was just for fun and the rest is history.

Back in the early seasons you used to be told that you couldn't play certain decks, is that still the case now or have you managed to succeed past that stage in the eyes of Captain Mainge?
I play mostly control decks now. I prefer to play control decks. I would like to think that I can play whatever I want but no matter how much I succeed I will never earn the approval of the dictator known as Mainge to be able to play what I would like.

What was it like leaving Team Rank 5 for the 1 season, being on another team. Was there alot of differences in the team style?
It was a bit weird to be honest. TR5 was the only team I had ever known and I was jumping into the unknown for the first time. Defias was great. Comp did everything he could to help me feel comfortable on the team. As far as team style they were different because TR5 has always been full of head cases. I started playing hearthstone almost every day to show my commitment to the new team. In the end, I think the reason we didn’t live up to our lofty expectations last year falls on me. I had a very terrible season and became unreliable as a player which is completely different from when I was on TR5 where if we needed a win I knew I could get it done.

In terms of achievements, You are definitely a very successful player. Winning both MVP in season 2 and the THL Championship in season 4, can you talk a bit about how you achieved those and maybe give some words of wisdom to the newer players within the league hoping to achieve success.
I’ve been in the league for what seems like an eternity now. The biggest things that I can attribute to my success as an individual player in the league is my team and the players who have been willing to teach me. Mainge, MVParker, Cassity, Imbolc, and countless others have all help me become the player I am today. Winning the MVP was always a secondary goal for me. The championship was always what I wanted. Winning both of those takes a team effort. You’re not going to win the title alone it takes everyone doing their part and a bit of luck to make happen. I would have never won the MVP without the help of my team. The preparation that they gave me going into matches was second to none. My only job was to go out there and win. If you’re new to the league and trying to succeed just be willing to learn from those around you most are willing to help even if you aren’t apart of their respective teams. Most of all do what works best for you. I myself don’t really play hearthstone until match day and that’s been working for me which is great I also tend to play PlayStation at the same time as I play my matches.

Team Rank 5 this season are sitting top of the Red Division despite having some shaky results, do you think it is possible for TR5 to go all the way to another championship?
I think anything is possible. At the end of the day hearthstone is a random game where things happen. So yeah, I can see us winning it all again.

With WOW being a big thing currently. Who currently in TR5 is putting in the most work towards prep for their matches?
MVParker and Mainge are tied for sure everyone else just plays WoW except for me because it’s not on PlayStation lol. I know Mainge and MVParker always have game plans ready for everyone. They both argue till some sort of consensus is reached and that usually leads to wins for the team.

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Season 6: Eruption

Team Rank 5 have a legacy full of awards and success. But it wasn't always successful and everyone on the team will not hesitate to tell you that it is journey and friendships made along the way where the real victories were won, 
Season 6 sees TR5 at the top of Red Division 10 points clear of Initium Novum. But the season is far from over as this week they play third place Aeon and then the final week they will face off against division rivals Initium Novum in the ultimate battle for #1 Playoff seed.
They will tell you that they shouldn't be doing as well as they are due to lack of hearthstone practice, But don't let that fool you, 2 years of playing in this league you learn alot of tricks and experience that help you deal with matches in ways new teams will take several seasons to figure out.
For Team Rank 5 in Season 6, their season could be just getting started as they realise its time to make a push for a 2nd championship win.


Team Hearth League has always been the best kept secret in Hearthstone and 100% of that is due to the amazing community we have, It's not just a random hearthstone league. Those that join, are joining a family of friends who have been playing competitively, memeing eachother to extreme levels and just enjoying all the fun that happens every week. Team Rank 5 have been an indespensible to all of that and the team's members will continue to be just some of the amazing cornerstones that Team Hearth League now stands on. Each team has it's own story, but only some will have a legacy that stands regardless of the future.

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If you liked this article, make sure you show your support but giving it a like on facebook and leave a comment with your thoughts.
Also if you are interested in having a Team Article written about the team of your choice, make sure you tune in to Friday Night Fight (Next episode is on the 30th June 2017) where we have some exciting rewards on display, including the chance to be a guest on Tavern Talk alongside some of our favourite Team Rank 5 members and fantastic community members: MVParker, Cassity14 and Mainge.

Author - Detrucci ​

This article was written and created by Detrucci - Captain of Aeon, Season 2 champion, Producer of Friday Night Fight, SHL Board member and Graphic Designer

This Article is part of the Friday Night Fight THL Team Article reward that was redeemed on the 12th June 2017 by JesusC