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.
These worthy competitors each have victory on their minds, but they also bring 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!
BLACKOUT
Blackout is one of the youngest individuals competing for a chance to duel at the Hearthstone World Championship. The 17 year old from Stockport, England, has compiled an impressive list of victories across multiple community tournaments. He has also finished top 50 in each of the first four ladder seasons. Blackout is a proud member of Team Dignitas and a fierce competitor. He is partial to aggressive Rogue decks, testing decks with his teammates, and soccer!
What is your favorite deck to play?
Aggro Rogue.
What’s your favorite/craziest play you’ve ever made in Hearthstone?
Probably when I played a Crazed Alchemist and Cabal Shadow Priest on a Magma Rager.
What’s your process for testing decks? When does a deck officially become a success?
I play 50 games with it/against the meta decks with my practice partners, and if it has a good enough win rate, I'll use it until the win rate changes.
If you could design a card, what would it be?
A four-mana 4/4 that reads: Spells cannot target anything but this minion while it exists on the board.
Are there any players you’re looking forward to or nervous about playing against?
I’m looking forward to practicing with Xixo and Ostkaka—two of my practice partners—as well as Realz and Chakki.
If you could make Polymorph turn a minion into something other than a sheep, what would it be?
A black cat.
How does one go about making a deal with Ragnaros?
Ask Amaz.
What are you passionate about outside of Hearthstone and other video games?
I’m passionate about football (soccer to Americans) and watching TV.
Blackout can be found discussing Hearthstone and more on Twitter.