The Hearthstone Americas Championship Qualifier Tournament is fast approaching, and qualified card-slingers will soon be dueling for the chance to head to the Hearthstone World Championship at BlizzCon 2014, where they’ll compete for glory and a $250,000 prize pool.
The players that will be competing in the Championship Qualifier have earned their spots in a variety of ways, such as winning invitational tournaments, conquering community tournaments, or exhibiting excellence in ranked play.
Each one of these worthy competitors has victory on their minds, but each of them also brings their own unique spark to the journey as well! Join us as we get to know the people behind the decks: Their stories, their favorite decks, how they convince Ragnaros to hit their intended target, and more!
LBEYAK
Lbeyak is a talented card-slinger who enjoys making intelligent plays with complicated control decks. His road to the Americas Championship Qualifier began with his victory at a Fireside Gathering open tournament in July, but he's also reached Legend in more than one season and performed well in National Electronic Sports League contests. Now he has the chance to truly prove himself against a field of equally fierce competitors. Lbeyak has a meticulous nature, fitting for a duelist who enjoys decks like Handlock and Control Warrior.
What is your favorite deck to play?
I like control decks. My favorites are Ramp Druid, Handlock, and Control Warrior.
What’s your favorite/craziest play you’ve ever made in Hearthstone?
I was playing Ramp Druid versus a Mage. I managed to Faceless Manipulator the Mage’s Archmage Antonidas, play some cheap spells and clear their board. The next turn I used Faceless Manipulator on the Antonidas, and started slinging Fireballs. I ended up winning the game with four Fireballs in hand, both Antonidas’ on board, and the Mage had no choice but to Pyroblast themselves in the face.
What’s your process for testing decks? When does a deck officially become a success?
I put together a deck that I think should be ok, and play it on casual for a bit. If I am losing in casual, it usually means the deck isn’t working. If I am winning in casual, I make adjustments to the deck to improve it. When I feel it is ready, I try it out on the ranked ladder. It is a success if I can improve my rank consistently with it on ladder.
If you could design a card, what would it be?
A 4 Mana Mage spell called Cerebral Invasion. When played, the caster would view two cards from the opponent’s hand. Cerebral Invasion’s audio would be "Your mind betrays you!"
Are there any players you’re looking forward to or nervous about playing against?
Looking forward to playing against Forsen to see what kind of wacky decks he has up his sleeve with the new Curse of Naxxramas cards.
If you could make Polymorph turn a minion into something other than a sheep, what would it be?
A pig or rabbit.
How does one go about making a deal with Ragnaros?
You cannot make a deal with the Firelord. You should use his talents when a good outcome is certain. YOLO Raggin' is not recommended.
What are you passionate about outside of Hearthstone and other video games?
I am a lover of racquet sports (tennis, squash), hiking, film, and computers.