HCT Philadelphia is the first tour stop after the release of the Rastakhan’s Rumble expansion. We are still in an experimental phase, and this stop should be a really fun spectacle. As we are also nearing the end of the competitive year, all of the top players are coming out to earn their points to qualify for their chance at the World Championship. Here is our HCT Philadelphia talent overview.
Brian “bloodyface” Eason recently nabbed a seat at the World Championship in the Fall Championship. His last tournament appearance was at HCT Atlanta, where he finished 6-3, missing the top 16. He only missed it by a single game, so he will definitely be one to watch to make the top 16 in Philadelphia.
Bloodyface via his twitter
Torben “Viper” Wahl qualified for the World Championship back in July. Since then, he has yet to make a really strong showing at a Tour Stop. A strong showing in Philadelphia would definitely help build some confidence and experience as the World Championship draws nearer.
David “killinallday” Acosta earned his seat at the World Championship alongside Viper in the Summer Championship. Since then, he really hasn’t made any tournament appearances. It will be interesting to see what he decides to bring to the table in Philadelphia. One of his favorite decks is Quest Rogue, though with all the nerfs it has suffered he might opt out of bringing it this time around.
Jon “Orange” Westberg has built up a strong resume in the year of 2018. Finishing in the top 4 at both SeatStory Cup and the China vs. Europe Championship, he has also been attending more Tour Stops as of late. He came in the top 16 at Montreal, Atlanta and Dreamhack Winter, and will more than likely do the same in Philadelphia.
Seohyun(left) with Sintolol(right)
Elias “Bozzzton” Sibelius, like Orange, hails from Sweden and is also a strong candidate to make the top 16 in Philadelphia. He made top 16 in HCT Orange County, and the top four in Dreamhack Winter. A tour stop win in Philadelphia would round out his strong year as he seeks a seat at the World Championship.
A lot of attention has been shifted towards Eddie “Seohyun628” Lui. As one of our players to look out for at HCT Atlanta, he went on to win that Tour Stop. A lot of pressure will be on him to at least make it out of the group stages and into the top 16 in Philadelphia.
It’s been over a month since Kevin “Casie” Eberlein has made an appearance at a Tour Stop. He will be attending HCT Philadelphia, and he is likely one of the leading names to take home first place. Boasting multiple top 16 finishes throughout the year and back-to-back top four finishes before Philadelphia, the only thing he has yet to do is win a Tour Stop.
Some players do not attend a lot of tournaments or have a big online following, but they are just as skilled as the rest of the pack. Don’t be surprised if one or two of these names make the top 16.
Fei “ETC” Liang might be remembered by some from the HCT Americas Fall Playoffs where he met an
ETC via his twitter
unfortunate end, getting swept twice in the top 8. He also very narrowly missed top 16 at HCT Montreal, but continues to make top 10, even number one on asia, ladder finishes.
Felix “Fenom” Mak is another name that often hangs just outside the cusp of the top. Coming off of one of the strongest showings of this year by making top 16 in Atlanta, he is hoping he can pull together a run for a seat at the World Championship.
“Gallon” is another name that is right in the shadow of some of the top players. He has made top four twice in Tour Stops this year, where he would lose to two of the biggest names in Hearthstone right now, Casper “Hunterace” Notto, and David “Justsaiyan” Shan. Coming off of top 16 in Atlanta, he looks to make a push for this season’s playoffs and on to the World Championship.
Images courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment via their official website.
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