What it's Like to be a Captain with Khell, Featuring Sage and Jammies

Khell sits down with two of our league's top captains to see what goes into leading a THL team.

 Sage - Captain of Hearthstone Academy and the Jumbo Skrimps in Ragnaros

Khell: What made you want to be a captain?

Sage: I wanted to experience a competitive environment in Hearthstone, and had a lot of leadership experience from countless raids throughout a decade of WoW. While I was hesitant to commit to being a captain at first, the board finally just asked me if I wanted to or not and I impulsively committed to the responsibility.

K: Do you think people treat you differently because you're a captain? 

S: I've actually had a new player tell me they were being nice and kissing my ass before. I don't remember who, but I thought it was good that they were being so polite until they turned into a jerk cause I wasn't going to recruit them. I'd prefer people just be their truest self.

K: As a successful captain, what are you expecting from your players each week?

S: Use the team discord. Discuss your match and make a matchup matrix using your preferred source of matchup data (not hard to do!). Practice with a teammate or practice buddy at least once a week. Don't miss your deadlines, and don't be vague when scheduling your match. Don't be toxic. Have a love for the game, and commit to your team.

K: What’s the hardest decision you’ve have to make as captain?

S: Oh this is tough. All of season 6 was very hard on me as a captain. I've had some decisions that were difficult because of being so pressing yet were so important that I didn't want to just take the first warm body to respond (picking a sub for season 6 finals). Generally the hardest decisions you'll have to make as a captain is being forced to cut a good player. I don't regret cutting Brewski, I'm happy with the results, and I'm happy he found such a great group to take him in after playing for me. But the hardest decision I ever made was in planning for season 6, I knew Skritch would need replaced a couple weeks before playoffs, and I found Zimas to take his spot. However, I was worried that Zimas would not be quite ready for playoffs with only a week or 2 of experience in the league, and decided to ask Skritch to voluntarily vacate his seed so that Zimas could be ready. Made even harder by the fact Skritch was doing extremely well that season. I think that one nearly destroyed HSA.

K: Is there anything in particular you look for when recruiting for a new season?

S: First thing I look for in recruits is that they have a love for the game. Second is a good attitude. Then I'll consider their ability to play and strategize for their matches.

K: Is there anything THL can do to make being a captain easier?

S: I'm not sure. Being a captain isn't really hard if you're having fun. I suppose I'd say making the rules easier to digest and search through for specific things would help, but that's already being worked on. I'd really like for there to be a dedicated place for interested Free Agents to make a post for captains to look through for recruiting/subs that specifically isn't the THL Facebook page.

K: Lastly any advice for new/prospective captains out there?

S: To prospective captains, don't be afraid to commit to the responsibility! To new captains, bear in mind that this is all based on what I've learned during my time in the league. When I was a rookie, all I asked of my players was to commit to the team. You get to decide how your team is run. You're in control of your player's THL experience. So talk to them as often as you can, and be supportive and understanding when they lose. Be hard on DQs; aim to not have any at all. Don't be afraid to ask the DoLA for assistance. And most importantly, have fun!

Jammies - Captain of Ragnaros Season 9 champions Team Next Level (and the slightly less impressive Sylvanas Team Next Level!)

Khell: What made you want to be a captain?

Jammies: I started out in Sylvanas league for a season. Our captain at the time (Mozzy) was stepping away from the game and I wanted to keep the team together. I had a lot of fun and wanted to make a Ragnaros team as well.

K: Do you think people treat you differently because you're a captain?

J: I think people treat you different during the off-season and early in the season. Sometimes you're just getting to know these people and the captain is the point person for the team, so they want you to like them. I don't like forcing people to play certain decks or classes, but that's because I recruit guys that I trust to make the best decisions.

K: As a successful team captain, what are you expecting from your players on a weekly basis?

J: We have "mandatory" meetings we hold once a week. We talk about what we want to do for that particular week and we let each other know our availability. I make sure to remind my teammates every week to email their opponents and submit classes. Other than that, just being active in the team discord is all I expect in a week-to-week basis.

K: What’s he hardest decision you’ve had to make as captain?

J: Turning people away. There's so much interest to play in the league, but there's only 5 spots to work with. I know there are a lot of good players and a lot of them are underseeded, but you have to go with your best team composition.

K: Is there anything in particular you look for when recruiting for a new season?

J: How active someone is on discord, with how much detail they answer my interview questions and how well do they think out of the box. We really showcased that last point this season and it really paid off well for us.

K: Is there anything THL could do to make being a captain easier?

J: I've suggested this once, but I think making a channel that's exclusively for captains would really help. That way newer captains can ask veteran captains for advice or tips without having to seek us out individually.

K: Lastly, any advice for new/prospective captains out there?

J: Its not that difficult to be a captain. The most difficult part is recruiting the right guys. Not only do they have to be a good player, they also have to communicate effectively because of the weekly deadlines for this league.