Hearthstone Trinity Series season 2 is a team league played in autumn 2017. The first stage of the tournament is a seven-week online round robin, after which the top four teams will compete in live finals. The prize pool of the tournament is $150,000.
In this post, I take a look at the sixth week of the round robin as well as some overall stats from all the rounds played so far.
Format and schedule
There are eight invited teams in the tournament. Each team consists of three players, and the players pilot the decks together – discussion on each move is allowed and encouraged, and stream viewers get to listen in on the players at times.
Each match is played in best-of-11 Last Hero Standing format: teams submit a deck for each of the nine classes, and ban two of the opponent’s decks. The teams then self-ban one of their remaining seven decks, leaving them with six decks for the match. The first team to reach six wins takes the match.
The round robin started on September 27th 2017 and continues until November 16th 2017 with two matches played each Wednesday and Thursday. The live finals take place from December 8th to December 10th 2017.
Prizes:
- 1st: $75,000
- 2nd: $30,000
- 3rd and 4th: $15,000
- 5th and 6th: $4,500
- 7th and 8th: $3,000
Official website: https://play.eslgaming.com/hearthstone/americas/major/trinity-season2
Stream and VODs: https://www.twitch.tv/esl_hearthstone
Week 6 direct links:
- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/188655765 (G2 Esports vs Team Liquid, Complexity vs Tempo Storm)
- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/188915458 (Misfits vs Virtus.pro, Planet Odd vs Team Love U Lots)
Teams and players
Complexity: Tyler, Crane, MrYagut
Tempo Storm: Trump, Eloise, JustSayian
Planet Odd: Xixo, Hoej, Surrender
G2 Esports: Rdu, Thijs, Neirea (Lothar played for G2 during weeks one and two before Neirea joined)
Misfits: StanCifka, Pokrovac, GeorgeC
Team Liquid: Dog, Sjow, Feno
Team Love U Lots: Chakki, Muzzy, Zalae
Virtus.pro: Casie, Naiman, Bunnyhoppor (DrHippi played for Virtus.pro on weeks one to four)
Week 6 results and stakes for the final week
G2 Esports vs Team Liquid 2-6
Complexity vs Tempo Storm 3-6
Misfits vs Virtus.pro 4-6
Planet Odd vs Team Love U Lots 6-3
Standings after week 6:
There is just one more round remaining in the round robin! In the final round, the matches will be:
- G2 Esports vs Virtus.pro
- Team Love U Lots vs Tempo Storm
- Misfits vs Planet Odd
- Complexity vs Team Liquid
While Team Liquid is in the lead, no one has guaranteed a top four finish and ticket to the finals yet.
Team Liquid can have a sure top four finish before their game if Tempo Storm wins against Team Love U Lots: in that case only four teams can finish at 4-3, ensuring Team Liquid’s spot even if they lose.
If Team Liquid wins against Complexity, they will finish first in round robin at 5-2 and any of the teams currently at 3-3 are in with a win. If Team Love U Lots also wins against Tempo Storm, all winners of the final round make it to the playoffs.
Things are also clear-cut if both Team Liquid and Team Love U Lots lose. In that case, it’s Team Liquid, Complexity and the winners of G2 Esports vs Virtus.pro and Planet Odd vs Misfits who go through.
Things get more complicated if those two key matches end differently.
If Team Liquid wins and Team Love U Lots loses, top four will consist of Team Liquid, the winners of G2 Esports vs Virtus.pro and Planet Odd vs Misfits, and one more team that is decided on tiebreakers between all four remaining teams as all of them will have a 3-4 record.
If Team Liquid loses and Team Love U Lots wins, there will be a five-way tie at 4-3 between Team Liquid, Team Love U Lots, Complexity, and the winners of G2 Esports vs Virtus.pro and Planet Odd vs Misfits. One of them will go home on tiebreakers, four will go to the LAN finals.
Week 6 known archetypes and performance
The ban game was mostly uniform. Every single team banned Priest and Druid and everyone else self-banned Hunter except for Complexity, who chose to self-ban Warrior this week.
There were no big sweeps this week. Tempo Rogue was finally able to find some footing with a 6-4 record: it is still 17-30 overall, but for the first time it caught up a little. Frost Lich Jaina Control Mages had overtaken the Pyroblast-loving Burn Mage in popularity again, but the lone Burn Mage put up 4-1 numbers to the table, taking that archetype to a 6-9 overall score.
In addition to Tempo Rogue, we got to see one heavy Elemental Rogue build from G2 Esports: no Prince Keleseth, double Blazecaller, that sort of stuff. With a 1-1 performance, it did not quite find a breakout performance.
In interesting decks front, the Murloc Paladin unity cracked a little bit with Planet Odd bringing a pure Control Paladin to the field and Team Love U Lots bringing a heavy Midrange Paladin build – which they called Just the Good Stuff Paladin – still running the Murloc core but including some old Midrange Paladin classics such as The Curator, Primordial Drake, Ragnaros Lightlord, and even Uther of the Ebon Blade. The entire deck was seen on stream, so here’s the deck code for you: AAECAZ8FDK8H5q4CubIC474CucECm8ICiMcCyccCyssCps4Cws4CjtMCCdsD3AP0BacIjwnTqgLZrgKdwgKxwgIA
Warrior is a contest of various control archetypes. This week we saw three Taunt Warriors (2-3), two N’Zoth Control Warriors (1-2), and Misfits’ Fatigue Warrior (2-1) – which succeeded in winning two games for the first time bringing its overall score for Misfits to 6-6. All varieties of Control Warrior are able to win some games, but none of them are really able to dominate. N’Zoth Control Warrior had a good start, but it has fallen off to a steadily mediocre performance.
As for Warlock, Zoolock and Control Warlock were equally popular this week with three teams playing each. Zoo is taking over performance-wise with 4-3 this week (20-13 overall) compared to Control Warlock’s 1-3 this week (19-15 overall).
Archetype performance excluding mirror matches on week 6 and overall in Trinity Series:
Paladin 5-5 (39-28 overall)
- 5 Murloc Paladins 3-4 (31-23 overall)
- 1 Control Paladins 1-0 (5-2 overall)
- 1 Midrange Paladins 1-1 (3-2 overall)
- 0 Aggro Paladins (0-1 overall)
Warrior 5-6 (28-31 overall)
- 3 Taunt Warriors 2-3 (7-11 overall)
- 2 N’Zoth Control Warrior 1-2 (11-9 overall)
- 1 Fatigue Warrior 2-1 (6-8 overall)
- 0 Pirate Warriors (4-3 overall)
Druid
- 0 Jade Druids (5-5 overall)
Mage 6-5 (27-33 overall)
- 5 Control Mages 2-4 (13-13 overall)
- 1 Burn Mages 4-1 (6-9 overall)
- 0 Giants Mages (1-1 overall)
- 0 Exodia Mages (6-4 overall)
- 0 Freeze Mages (0-2 overall)
- 0 Secret Mages (1-4 overall)
Rogue
- 6 Tempo Rogues 6-4 (17-30 overall)
- 1 Elemental Rogue 1-1 (1-2 overall)
Shaman
- 6 Evolve Shamans 3-4 (28-28 overall)
Hunter
- 1 Midrange Hunters 1-1 (7-10 overall)
Priest
- 0 Kazakus Priests (1-1 overall)
Warlock 5-6 (44-30 overall)
- 3 Zoolocks 4-3 (20-13 overall)
- 3 Control Warlocks 1-3 (19-15 overall)
- 0 Handlocks (5-2 overall)
Week 6 known decks
Decklists are not public, so we only have information on the decks that were seen on stream.
Complexity:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Jade Druid | Jade Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Midrange Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Midrange Hunter |
| Control Mage | Control Mage | Mage | Burn Mage | Burn Mage | Control Mage |
| Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin |
| Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Rogue | Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue |
| Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman |
| Handlock | Warlock | Warlock | Handlock | Zoolock | Control Warlock |
| Warrior | Warrior | Warrior | N’Zoth Warrior | Taunt Warrior | Warrior |
Tempo Storm:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Midrange Hunter | Midrange Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter |
| Exodia Mage | Mage | Mage | Burn Mage | Burn Mage | Mage |
| Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin |
| Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue (Elementals) | Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue |
| Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Shaman |
| Zoolock | Control Warlock | Warlock | Zoolock | Zoolock | Zoolock |
| Fatigue Warrior | N’Zoth Control Warrior | Warrior | N’Zoth Warrior | Taunt Warrior | Taunt Warrior |
Planet Odd:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Druid | Jade Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter |
| Secret Mage | Secret Mage | Secret Mage | Burn Mage | Mage | Mage |
| Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Control Paladin |
| Kazakus Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Tempo Rogue | Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Rogue | Tempo Rogue |
| Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Shaman | Evolve Shaman |
| Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Zoolock | Zoolock | Zoolock | Warlock |
| Fatigue Warrior | Pirate Warrior | Taunt Warrior | Taunt Warrior | Warrior | Taunt Warrior |
G2 Esports:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Midrange Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter |
| Exodia Mage | Control Mage | Control Mage | Burn Mage | Control Mage | Control Mage |
| Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Murloc Paladin |
| Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Elemental Rogue |
| Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Shaman | Evolve Shaman |
| Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Control Warlock |
| Warrior | Warrior | Warrior | N’Zoth Warrior | Warrior | Taunt Warrior |
Misfits:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Druid | Druid | Jade Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Midrange Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter |
| Mage | Exodia Mage | Control Mage | Mage | Burn Mage | Control Mage |
| Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Control Paladin | Murloc Paladin |
| Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Rogue | Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue |
| Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman |
| Warlock | Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Handlock | Handlock | Control Warlock |
| Fatigue Warrior | Fatigue Warrior | Fatigue Warrior | Fatigue Warrior | Fatigue Warrior | Fatigue Warrior |
Team Liquid:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Midrange Hunter | Midrange Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter |
| Mage | Freeze Mage | Mage | Burn Mage | Control Mage | Burn Mage |
| Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Paladin |
| Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue |
| Shaman | Shaman | Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Shaman |
| Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Warlock | Zoolock | Zoolock | Zoolock |
| Warrior | Warrior | Warrior | Taunt Warrior | Taunt Warrior | Warrior |
Team Love U Lots:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Druid | Jade Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Midrange Hunter | Hunter | Hunter |
| Control Mage | Control Mage | Secret Mage | Mage | Control Mage | Control Mage |
| Aggro Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Midrange Paladin | Paladin | Paladin | Midrange Paladin |
| Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue (Elementals) | Tempo Rogue | Rogue | Elemental Rogue | Tempo Rogue |
| Evolve Shaman | Shaman | Shaman | Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman |
| Control Warlock | Control Warlock | Zoolock | Control Warlock | Zoolock | Zoolock |
| Pirate Warrior | Pirate Warrior | Taunt Warrior | Warrior | Warrior | N’Zoth Warrior |
Virtus.pro:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
| Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid | Druid |
| Midrange Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter | Hunter |
| Exodia Mage | Control Mage | Freeze Mage | Giants Mage | Burn Mage | Control Mage |
| Control Paladin | Paladin | Control Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin | Murloc Paladin |
| Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest | Priest |
| Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue | Tempo Rogue |
| Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman | Evolve Shaman |
| Warlock | Warlock | Zoolock | Zoolock | Zoolock | Warlock |
| Warrior | N’Zoth Control Warrior | Taunt Warrior | N’Zoth Warrior | N’Zoth Warrior | N’Zoth Warrior |
Overall team statistics
Complexity:
- Murloc Paladin 8-4
- Control Mage 4-2
- Evolve Shaman 5-4
- Handlock 1-2
- Jade Druid 1-2
- Midrange Hunter 1-2
- N’Zoth Control Warrior 0-1
- Control Warloc 0-1
- Zoolock 0-1
- Taunt Warrior 0-1
- Tempo Rogue 2-4
- Burn Mage 0-2
Tempo Storm:
- Zoolock 5-4
- N’Zoth Control Warrior 2-1
- Evolve Shaman 3-3
- Exodia Mage 1-1
- Tempo Rogue 5-6
- Murloc Paladin 4-5
- Control Warlock 1-2
- Fatigue Warrior 0-1
- N’Zoth Control Warrior 0-1
- Midrange Hunter 1-3
- Taunt Warrior 1-3
- Burn Mage 0-2
Planet Odd:
- Zoolock 8-2
- Taunt Warrior 5-3
- Pirate Warrior 2-1
- Control Paladin 1-0
- Tempo Rogue 4-4
- Murloc Paladin 3-3
- Control Warlock 2-2
- Kazakus Priest 1-1
- Jade Druid 1-1
- Fatigue Warrior 0-1
- Burn Mage 0-1
- Evolve Shaman 2-4
- Secret Mage 1-3
G2 Esports:
- Control Warlock 10-4
- Murloc Paladin 6-3
- Exodia Mage 3-1
- Elemental Rogue 1-1
- Midrange Hunter 0-1
- Taunt Warrior 0-1
- N’Zoth Control Warrior 0-1
- Burn Mage 0-1
- Control Mage 2-4
- Evolve Shaman 2-4
- Tempo Rogue 2-5
Misfits:
- Handlock 4-0
- Murloc Paladin 6-3
- Jade Druid 2-1
- Fatigue Warrior 6-6
- Control Mage 2-2
- Exodia Mage 1-1
- Control Paladin 1-1
- Tempo Rogue 2-3
- Control Warlock 2-3
- Midrange Hunter 0-1
- Burn Mage 0-1
- Evolve Shaman 3-5
Team Liquid:
- Burn Mage 5-2
- N’Zoth Control Warrior 4-1
- Evolve Shaman 4-3
- Zoolock 4-3
- Control Warlock 2-1
- Murloc Paladin 4-4
- Control Mage 1-1
- Taunt Warrior 2-2
- Tempo Rogue 4-5
- Midrange Hunter 1-2
- Freeze Mage 0-1
Team Love U Lots:
- Zoolock 4-1
- Midrange Hunter 3-0
- Evolve Shaman 4-3
- Midrange Paladin 3-2
- Control Mage 4-4
- Control Warlock 3-3
- Pirate Warrior 2-2
- Jade Druid 1-1
- Murloc Paladin 1-1
- Taunt Warrior 0-1
- N’Zoth Warrior 0-1
- Secret Mage 0-1
- Aggro Paladin 0-1
- Elemental Rogue 0-1
- Tempo Rogue 2-4
Virtus.pro:
- Evolve Shaman 9-5
- N’Zoth Control Warrior 4-1
- Control Paladin 3-1
- Control Mage 2-2
- Midrange Hunter 1-1
- Exodia Mage 1-1
- Giants Mage 1-1
- Murloc Paladin 2-3
- N’Zoth Control Warrior 1-2
- Freeze Mage 0-1
- Burn Mage 0-1
- Taunt Warrior 0-1
- Tempo Rogue 3-6
- Zoolock 0-3
Week 6 matches
G2 Esports vs Team Liquid
Bans: G2 Esports banned Priest and Druid and Team Liquid banned Priest and Druid.
Self-bans: G2 Esports chose to not use Hunter and Team Liquid chose to not use Hunter.
Games:
Control Mage loses to Zoolock
Elemental Rogue wins against Zoolock
Elemental Rogue loses to Burn Mage
Taunt Warrior loses to Burn Mage
Control Warlock loses to Burn Mage
Murloc Paladin loses to Burn Mage
Evolve Shaman wins against Burn Mage
Evolve Shaman loses to Tempo Rogue
G2 Esports 2 – Team Liquid 6.
Complexity vs Tempo Storm
Bans: Complexity banned Priest and Druid and Tempo Storm banned Priest and Druid.
Self-bans: Complexity chose to not use Warrior and Tempo Storm chose to not use Hunter.
Games:
Tempo Rogue (no Keleseth) loses to Taunt Warrior
Murloc Paladin wins against Taunt Warrior
Murloc Paladin loses to Zoolock
Control Warlock loses to Zoolock
Evolve Shaman loses to Zoolock
Midrange Hunter wins against Zoolock
Midrange Hunter loses to Tempo Rogue
Control Mage wins against Tempo Rogue
Control Mage loses to Murloc Paladin
Complexity 3 – Tempo Storm 6.
Misfits vs Virtus.pro
Bans: Misfits banned Priest and Druid and Virtus.pro banned Priest and Druid.
Self-bans: Misfits chose to not use Hunter and Virtus.pro chose to not use Hunter.
Games:
Control Mage loses to Control Mage
Fatigue Warrior wins against Control Mage
Fatigue Warrior wins against Murloc Paladin
Fatigue Warrior loses to Tempo Rogue
Tempo Rogue loses to Tempo Rogue
Control Warlock wins against Tempo Rogue
Control Warlock loses to N’Zoth Warrior
Murloc Paladin wins against N’Zoth Warrior
Murloc Paladin loses to Evolve Shaman
Evolve Shaman loses to Evolve Shaman
Misfits 4 – Virtus.pro 6.
Planet Odd vs Team Love U Lots
Bans: Planet Odd banned Priest and Druid and Team Love U Lots banned Priest and Druid.
Self-bans: Planet Odd chose to not use Hunter and Team Love U Lots chose to not use Hunter.
Games:
Evolve Shaman wins against Zoolock
Evolve Shaman loses to Control Mage
Taunt Warrior wins against Control Mage
Taunt Warrior loses to Midrange Paladin
Tempo Rogue wins against Midrange Paladin
Tempo Rogue wins against Evolve Shaman
Tempo Rogue wins against N’Zoth Warrior
Tempo Rogue loses to Tempo Rogue
Control Paladin wins against Tempo Rogue
Planet Odd 6 – Team Love U Lots 3.