The VGVN Naxxramas Release #2 – Results and Recap
by JR Cook - 10 years ago show comments
After a dominant run through the opposition, Aleksandr “Kolento” Malsh is crowned VGVN #2 champion. The Ukrainian went 3-0 in the group stage then scored a cumulative 8-2 in the playoffs to take home the lion’s share of the $2,500 prize pool. Denied the Millenium M-House Cup trophy in late June by Amaz, Kolento finally claimed his first ever tournament win on Sunday August 31st. Placed in Group B with Trump, Xixo and Realz, Kolento finished with a score of 3-0 (9-2 in games), and entered the playoffs as a top seed. A decisive victory against ThijsNL (4-1) in the Semifinals on the back of his Druid and Shaman decks, set the stage for the grand finals against Hyped. Just as his competitor fell before him, Hyped was dealt a 1-4 defeat leaving Kolento with a 17-4 record over the 3 day tournament.
Two of the top ranked players in Europe and North America, Kolento and Hyped are each seeded top 16 for the upcoming BlizzCon Qualifiers and their match up in the VGVN Finals felt like it could be a little preview of the BlizzCon World Championship. Each player demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship and brought their own builds to the tournament, demonstrating just what it takes to be at the top of the game. Overall the VGVN tournament had excellent production values. The only really noticeable issue being the occasional dropping of Frodan, but Gnimsh did a great job of holding down the fort until he was able to reconnect. The addition of player webcams and the decision to prerecord the games contributed to excellent casting and provided a fantastic viewing experience. If you missed out on the excitement or want to show off your Hearthstone skills, there will be an open qualifier bracket for your chance to participate in the next VGVN Tournament #3 coming up on September 12th.
Game 1: Druid vs Druid
Kolento Hyped
Game one opens with Druid versus Druid but it’s not quite a mirror match. Both decks are very similar using 2 copies of the Force of Nature / Savage Roar combo and sticky early game minions like Echoing Ooze, Haunted Creeper, Harvest Golem and Shade of Naxxramas, but Hyped’s deck is slightly more “techy” with the addition of cards like Big Game Hunter, Mark of the Wild and The Black Knight in place of less situational and more powerful minions like the Defender of Argus and Cairne Bloodhoof that Kolento chose. Kolento’s reliable Druid opened strong and while Hyped had decent draws, he was unable to keep up with the pressure from Kolento’s aggression and Game 1 ends on turn 10.
Game 2: Druid vs Warrior
Having seen what Kolento’s Druid is capable of, Hyped opts for his Control Warrior deck to try to take down the deck, hoping that his powerful mid to late game will carry him to a win. Game two opens with Kolento Innervating a Harvest Golem on turn 1 and by turn 8, the one sided match has snowballed into a decisive win for Kolento’s Druid.
Game 3: Druid vs Rogue
Going into game 3 and down by 2, Hyped chooses to play the deck that he’s probably most comfortable with, his Rogue. At this point Hyped has seen most of Kolent’s Druid deck and he’s hoping that in true miracle form, he will be able to have the right answers to Kolento’s threats. Hyped has The Coin and mulligans into a near perfect opening hand including his Gadgetzan Auctioneer, Backstab, Preparation and SI:7 Agent. Kolento is able to Innervate out a Spectral Knight on turn 3 and, with a hand full of spells and no board control to remove the minion, Hyped takes a relentless beating from the Spectral Knight. Kolento quickly beats Hyped down to 1 heath before he has a chance to miracle up a comeback and the Rogue succumbs to the Druid on Turn 8.
Game 4: Druid vs Mage
20 minutes after the finals have started, Hyped finds himself relying on his final deck, hoping that his Mage will now be able to carry him to 4 wins against Kolento. The deck is reminiscent of the Freeze Giants build that was popular on the ladder and in tournaments a few months ago. Hyped has a lot of late game cards and only the Sludge Belchers for taunt in his deck so he’s hoping his early game removal and freezes will stall Kolento long enough to see him through to a victory.
After the mulligan, Hyped is faced with the worst case scenario for his hand – all mid to late game cards. A huge turn 6 Blizzard manages to reduce Kolento’s board to a 2/1 Damaged Golem and it’s obvious Kolento was not expecting the spell or he wouldn’t have left such a vulnerable board at the end of turn 5. Kolento manages to claw back board control but gets caught off guard by double Molten Giants and a Frost Nova on turn 9, leaving him with no option but to double Swipe one of the giants. With an Ice Block in place and 10 health points, Hyped gains control of the board and goes on the offensive with a Water Elemental and Twilight Drake. With his minions frozen, Kolento is unable to clean Hyped’s board. Kolento plays Spectral Knight and Loatheb but doesn’t expect Hyped to have a Cone of Cold in his hand so he positions his minions poorly, allowing Hyped to clear and freeze the remaining 3 minions on Kolento’s side. With his entire board frozen, including his Hero, Kolento top decks a Savage Roar and has no choice but to Shapeshift to gain one armor and pass the turn. After a hard fought battle, Hyped’s Mage manages to take down Kolento’s seemingly unstoppable Druid and avoids the 4-0 loss.
Game 5: Shaman vs Mage
Knowing that Hyped is running Twilight Drakes and Molten Giants, Kolento hopes he has the perfect answer with Shaman’s Earth Shock & Hexes. In a true control match up, Game 5 has some fantastic back and forth minion trading and huge momentum swings. In a fitting end to the tournament, the game goes on long enough for both players to draw through their entire decks and Hyped finally commits Honorable Seppuku by casting one of his final spells, Arcane Intellect, to draw his last card and take the 1 damage needed to die from fatigue. Kolento wins the VGVN Naxxramas Release #2 and seals his position as one of the top players in the world.
