Hearthpwn

Blizzcon takes place November 7th and 8th and it will be hosting the very first Hearthstone World Championship.

Unlike the Innkeeper's Invitational at Blizzcon 2013, the 2014 event consists of sixteen of the best players in the world, each of whom had to earn their spot into the tournament. No invites.

To determine the favourites a number of factors have to be examined. Past tournament performance. The size and importance of those past tournaments. Past records against other tournament participants. Consistency. And then there are the intangibles like nerves, which will factor when $100,000 is up for grabs.

Kolento (Europe) 5-1
There's no question that Kolento is the best Hearthstone player in the world going into Blizzcon. He's currently the most consistent tournament player, and has a number of high pressure events under his belt. An inventive player, Kolento is going to be the player to beat.

Strifecro (North America) 6-1
Arguably the best player currently in North America, Strifecro falls somewhat shy of Kolento's credentials. He has shown that the pressure can get to him, and it has affected his performance consistency somewhat.

Tarei (North America) 8-1
Has shown strong and consistent play as of late, especially at the most recent North American qualifier.

Greensheep (Europe) 8-1
The European darkhorse. Had the second best record at the European qualifier. Showed a lot of poise and control during that qualification tournament, so nerves might not be as large a factor as many would expect come Blizzcon.

Nicolas (China) 10-1
The best player in China. Their most consistent player. Unlike most of players from the Chinese servers, he's not as prone to poor play or poor meta choices.

Firebat (North America) 10-1
Although a very strong ladder player, Firebat suffers from inconsistency and nerves in large tournaments. He may prove to be his own opponent. Has a notable 1-3 record versus Strifecro in tournament play.

Numberguy (Europe) 12-1
Has quite a bit of tournament experience, but with an up-and-down record. Won't finish at the bottom, but neither will he finish at the top.

dtwo (North America) 15-1
A strong showing at the North American Blizzcon qualifier, with his only significant loss coming to Tarei. An inconsistent record, and the inability to build off wins, means he's unlikely to get past the round of eight.

RenieHouR (Korea) 15-1
While generally a solid player, Renie's weakness lies with the speed at which he plays. Playing as fast as he does, he makes the obvious plays, while often missing far subtler yet stronger plays. Also prone to misplays due to the speed at which he plays.

Tiddler Celestial/小鱼鱼大仙人 (China) 20-1
Although he finished second at the WCA, his play was mostly characterised by very fortunate draws and many misplays. Unless his lucky streak continues, he should not be a concern for the majority of the sixteen at Blizzcon.

Kaor (Europe) 20-1
Has very little known tournament experience. Nerves likely to be a major factor of his play. His significant loss at the European Blizzcon qualifier was against Numberguy.

RunAndGun (China) 30-1
Another Chinese player characterized most by odd deck choices, a lack of understanding of the tournament meta, and misplays.



Little is known about the following players. There is very little tournament experience between them.

Kranich (Korea) 50-1
Lack of success at the China vs Korea Masters 2. Very little tournament history on record.

Qiruo/七若 (China) 60-1
Lost to RenieHouR at the China vs Korean Master 2 tournament. Definitely the weakest of the Chinese players participating, and with the least amount of tournament experience.

Tom60229 (Taiwan) 60-1
His only known tournament experience is the Taiwan qualifier for Blizzcon. No solid opponent history to know for sure his strength as a player. As an unknown he might surprise.

FrozenIce (Taiwan) 75-1
Tried to qualify for Seat Story Cup 2, but was unsuccessful. His only other known tournament experience was the Taiwan qualifier for Blizzcon. Lack of serious tournament experience makes his chances slim to none.

(original article: http://hearthpoe.blogspot.ca/2014/10/who-are-favourites-going-into.html)