Posted on by GameGnome

HGC – First Round Matchups: Eastern Clash Edition

Dylan Walker, Blizzard Entertainment

Sun-baked Taiwan will play host to the Eastern Clash this coming weekend, with a slew of high-octane series on the slate. Here is what you need to know for each of the first-round matchups at the Eastern Clash.

Tempest vs. Team LM—Thursday, March 15 at 10:40 p.m. PDT / 7:40 a.m. CEST

As the lone representatives from Taiwan, Team LM will be the only roster playing in front of their home crowd. It’s unlikely, though, that they’ll be able to make much headway against Tempest, the number-one seed from Korea. Tempest have been on a tear since returning from the HGC Finals and retooling their roster—adding Ju Dalm “dami” Park and Sung Hyun “Good” Moon (formerly of Mighty). They’ve been looking as strong, if not stronger than they did when they took the trophy home at the Summer Championship in 2016.

Their opponent, Team LM, impressed in the Eastern Clash qualifiers. To clinch their spot, they defeated Soul Torturers—the Taiwanese team that represented the region at every international event last year. Defeating Tempest would require some real trickery from LM, but they’ve had ample time now to prepare for this best-of-three opener.

TheOne vs. KSV Black—Friday, March 16 at 12:30 a.m. PDT / 10:30 a.m. CEST

KSV Black, the champions of the HGC Finals and the Gold Club World Championship (GCWC), are likely the most feared team in the world right now. That said, they are only the third seed from Korea at the Eastern Clash, behind Tempest and Ballistix thanks to some missteps in the first part of Phase 1. Regardless of the seeding, folks, this is KSV Black. These guys are here to take your lunch money.

Up against the odds are TheOne from China, who made a miracle run through the region’s stepladder bracket after returning from the Lunar New Year break. This will be the first time the team has had the chance to compete at an international LAN event. TheOne have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this trial by fire.

Super Perfect Team vs. Team BlossoM—Friday, March 16 at 2:20 a.m. PDT / 12:20 p.m. CEST

Team BlossoM have been around since HGC Korea began, and have had varying degrees of success in the standings, usually hovering around the bottom or middle of the pack. Western fans who have been following the Heroes esports scene for some time may recognize flex player Hae Joon “Wiz” Lee, who coached Naventic during 2016’s Spring Championship. Considering this is BlossoM’s first ever LAN event, they are not favored in this matchup. Lucky for them, their first-round opponent is playing with a sub.

Unfortunately, Super Perfect Team’s Li “qianxiao” Qian will not attend the Eastern Clash due to wrist surgery. We wish him a speedy recovery. In his place will be Yiyang “moli” Gao of Start Over Again. Moli played with Beyond the Game at the HGC Finals, taking a 2-1 series over ANZ’s Dark Sided and a single Battleground off Team Freedom before they were eliminated in groups. Even with the substitute, Super Perfect Team are still one of the most threatening Chinese teams at the Clash, but all things considered, this series could easily go both ways.

Ballistix vs. CE—Friday, March 16 at 4:00 a.m. PDT / 1:00 p.m. CEST

Returning Eastern Clash champions Ballistix are back in Taipei to defend their title. Last season, this event was the debut for Jong Hoon “Hooligan” Park, whose aggressive playstyle has come to define the modern iteration of the roster. While they’re behind Tempest at the moment, placing third at both the HGC Finals and GCWC is a clear indication that Ballistix are a stone’s throw from the top. Since these events, the team has added Jin Hwan “Magi” Kim and maintained a similar level of success.

On the other side of the aisle we have ChallEnge, who were defeated by TheOne in China’s stepladder bracket, dropping them down to third seed for this event. CE are no pushovers, having taken Battlegrounds off Team Dignitas, and series from both Team Twelve and Tempo Storm, at the HGC Finals and GCWC respectively. While Ballistix is still favored here, CE are a major wildcard at this tournament.

Check back here at playheroes.com/esports when the games go live this weekend,.

Watch live video from Heroes of the Storm on www.twitch.tv

Related Articles:

  1. Heroes of the Storm returns to Katowice with the Western Clash this March ESL Gaming We are happy to announce that Heroes of the Storm® will make its third appearance at the IEM EXPO during Intel® Extreme Masters World Championship taking place beginning March 2! The very best teams from Europe and North...
  2. Focus Down HGC Week 3: The New Opposition Dylan Walker, Blizzard Entertainment This past weekend was chock full of upset wins, with teams in nearly every region taking Battlegrounds and series off veteran teams who have held onto their spots at the top of the standings for the...
  3. Heroes Of The Dorm 2018: Caster Reveal Blizzard Entertainment The broadcast lineup for Heroes of the Dorm 2018 is set, as Halorin, InVerum, and TheSource are back to cast every round of the tournament including the Heroic Four. This year, the desk will feature a rotation of...
  4. HGC Week 4: Versatility of Team Dignitas Aaron Blackman Blizzard Entertainment Last Saturday marked a turning point for HGC Europe, as Team Dignitas and Fnatic—two titans of the region—clashed for first place. On paper, this looked to be the marquee match of the weekend, but Team Dignitas...
  5. HGC – Destination: Katowice Blizzard Entertainment The Western Clash is returning to the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice, with $100,000 USD up for grabs. Team Dignitas have taken the trophy two years running, and looking to threepeat after a strong showing in the first...
  6. Heroes of the Dorm – Regional Play Week 2 Blizzard Entertainment On February 14, teams took on regional rivals for the second week of Heroes of the Dorm. The competition was fierce, but here are some main games to call out from Week 2. [Florida State University] (FSU) def....
  7. HGC China: The Road to the Eastern Clash Fernando Rojas, Blizzard Entertainment HGC China’s playoffs are fast approaching. Super Perfect Team and ChallEnge have already qualified for the Eastern Clash, but the playoffs will decide their seeding and which team will earn the coveted third spot. The playoffs...
  8. HGC ANZ Premier Survival Guide Blizzard Entertainment As the inaugural phase of HGC ANZ Premier rapidly approaches, it an ideal time to gather all the important info in one place. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming ANZ Premier division. Preseason Qualifiers Recap...
  9. HGC – First Round Matchups: Western Clash Dylan Walker, Blizzard Entertainment the Western Clash will pit the four best teams from North America and Europe against each other in the first round. Each of these best-of-five series has a $2,500 prize bump attached to it (in addition...
  10. Heroes of the Dorm – Regional Play Week 3 Blizzard Entertainment As Heroes of the Dorm continues, teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Take a look at the results from the key matchups of Week 3. [University of Utah] (Utah) def. [Utah Valley University] (UVU) 2-1...