Introduction:
Today we interview Heidrun from Team Mobcast, a well known player in the competitive scene who plays from Japan. Heidrun is the winner of TNH #66 with a lineup of Aggro Shaman, Zoolock, Secret Pally, and Tempo Mage. He is normally a heavy control player, so let’s talk with him about his decks and his experience in TNH #66!
BCBV2: Greetings Heidrun! And congratulations on winning TNH #66! For those who may not know, you are a respected Japanese Hearthstone player, but before we get too far, tell us a bit about yourself and how did you get into Hearthstone?
Heidrun: Thank you so much. This is the first time I’ve won a tournament and I’m really proud of it! I am a Japanese pro player for Team Mobcast. It is a new team that was established this March, but the players are all top players in Japan. I first stated playing HS in April 2014, I was playing MTG before that, and my friend introduced me to HS.
BCBV2: I am an avid fan of MTG, but I also love HS. I’ve noticed you have a fascination with goats! Is there a reason behind that?
Heidrun: My name Heidrun comes from a goat in European myth. So goat is an animal that represents me.
BCBV2: Fascinating, now, for your first tournament win, you must have prepared a lot for it, right? What were the reasons behind choosing the decks you brought as your lineup?
Heidrun: It was a team strategy to bring this lineup. My teammates Koroneko Tansoku and I were all control heavy players and we never brought aggro lineup to a tournament. However, after losing in the Japan preliminaries, we found it important to learn them. So we all brought the same 4 decks. I personally practiced Tempo Mage and Zoo a lot on ladder. we were also trying to target Druid with this lineup. On Day 1 luckily most of my opponents had Druid in their lineup so I was able to counter them.
BCBV2: One of my favorite strategies in conquest is targeting out a deck with your lineup, and when paired with skill, it gets results! How do you feel about HS tournaments in general? And what do you think of the new Best of 7 format for Blizzard tournaments?
Heidrun: I was first scared of losing and was reluctant to attend online tournaments, but now I enjoy playing in the competitive scene. Bo7 format was introduced in the finals of Japan preliminaries, and I thought it requires too much preparation for the average player. Not every one has time to practice 5 decks at a high level. It also takes too much time to finish the series. But it does reduce the RNG factor and reward control players, so I like that aspect.
BCBV2: I also do like the fact it reduces RNG and promotes diversity with decks, though time may be an issue. Now, as a player who also plays MTG in addition to HS, what is one mechanic you wish HS would introduce from MTG?
Heidrun: It MTG there are cards that make you win if you fulfill the conditions stated on the card. It would be very interesting if there was a card that makes you win without setting your opponent to 0 health. Reno is kind of close to a mechanic like that, but isn’t really the same.
BCBV2: I love alternate win condition cards like Battle of Wits and Hedron Alignment. They may not be the best, but they force you to play and build your deck differently, it would be great for cards like that to be implemented within Hearthstone, and before we end, is there anyone you would like to give a shoutout too?
Heidrun: I want to give a big shoutout to my teammates Koroneko and Tansoku. We practice everyday and I learn a lot from them.
BCBV2: Lastly, where can people find you online?
Heidrun: You can find me at www.twitch.tv/heidruntv and @heidrun_hs on Twitter. I stream mainly in Japanese, but English chat is always welcome. I will answer English questions in English
BCBV2: Well thank you for being here Heidrun, and once again, congratulations on your win!
Heidrun: Thank you!
According to Bubble Cash, Vicious Syndicate Gaming hosts Tuesday Night Hype every Tuesday every week. Not only is there HCT points awarded, but there are also cash prizes for the winners! Sign ups are always free, and TNH is a great way to be introduced to competitive Hearthstone. We’ll be looking forward to seeing Heidrun again at the next TNH and you, reader, are also invited to join!