Hearthstone HCT Toronto March 2018 Tour Stop was played from 9th March to 11th March 2018 at the EGLX in Toronto, Canada. It was an open Hearthstone Championship Tour Stop, where 185 players competed for a $15,000 USD prize pool and HCT points.
In this post, I take a look at the decks and results of the tournament, including class distribution, archetypes, and lineups.
Results
The event was played in a best-of-five Conquest format with one ban. It started with eight rounds of Swiss followed by a top-8 cut for single-elimination playoffs.
Swiss results (players with a 6-2 record or better, top-8 to playoffs):
| 1st | Hunterace | 8-0 |
| 2nd | Kalàxz | 7-1 |
| 3rd | Odemian | 7-1 |
| 4th | Gallon | 7-1 |
| 5th | Ouate | 7-1 |
| 6th | Seiko | 7-1 |
| 7th | AKAWonder | 7-1 |
| 8th | SilentStorm | 6-2 |
| 9th | Chakki | 6-2 |
| 10th | Windello | 6-2 |
| 11th | DrJikininki | 6-2 |
| 12th | Chinoize | 6-2 |
| 13th | Pandaboy | 6-2 |
| 14th | Seohyun628 | 6-2 |
| 15th | Purple | 6-2 |
| 16th | Teebs | 6-2 |
| 17th | Conrad | 6-2 |
| 18th | Toastmonster | 6-2 |
| 19th | Kranich | 6-2 |
| 20th | yoitsflo | 6-2 |
| 21st | Alan870806 | 6-2 |
| 22nd | Ike | 6-2 |
| 23rd | cheesus | 6-2 |
| 24th | Maverick | 6-2 |
| 25th | Vinz | 6-2 |
| 26th | SwaggyG | 6-2 |
Single-elimination playoff bracket:
Final results:
| 1st | Odemian | $5,000 + 15 HCT points |
| 2nd | Hunterace | $3,000 + 12 HCT points |
| 3rd – 4th | Kalàxz
Gallon |
$1,500 + 10 HCT points |
| 5th – 8th | Silentstorm
Ouate AKAWonder Seiko |
$600 + 8 HCT points |
| 9th – 16th | Chakki
Windello DrJikininki Chinoize Pandaboy Seohyun628 Purple Teebs |
$100 + 6 HCT points |
| 17th – 32nd | Conrad
Toastmonster Kranich yoitsflo Alan870806 Ike cheesus Maverick Vinz SwaggyG Muzzy Fallen Fibonacci richwebz JSM Tarei |
$50 + 4 HCT points |
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Class distribution
The decklists are integrated into the smash platform: https://smash.gg/tournament/hct-toronto-at-eglx-2018-1/events/hct-toronto-at-eglx-2018/overview
Classes in the entire tournament from the most popular to the least popular:
- Warlock: 170
- Priest: 168
- Paladin: 153
- Mage: 110
- Hunter: 56
- Druid: 36
- Rogue: 31
- Warrior: 9
- Shaman: 7
Classes in the top-8:
- Warlock: 8
- Priest: 8
- Paladin: 5
- Druid: 3
- Mage: 3
- Warrior: 3
- Hunter: 2
- Rogue: 0
- Shaman: 0
The unholy trinity that dominates the ladder remains the most popular in tournament play as well: Warlock, Priest, and Paladin are the main choices to bring – especially Warlock and Priest. There were some surprises in the lineups that made it to the top-8 though, most notably the presence of three Warrior decks – every third Warrior made it to the top-8!
Archetypes
Warlock was the most popular class, and within Warlock, Cubelock was by far the most popular archetype with a whopping 117 Cubelocks in the tournament. However, only two of them made it to the top-8! Meanwhile, four Control Warlocks out of 27 made it to the top-8 alongside two Zoolocks out of 26. Warlock was brought by almost everyone, it was banned a lot, but even when it wasn’t, it had a decent performance with a 51% win rate overall (archetype-level win rates are not available).
Priest was much more evenly divided between Combo Priest (62), Spiteful Priest (54), and Control Priest (49). Throw in a couple of Big Priests, and that’s the class for you. The three most popular Priest archetypes all found their way into the top-8 as well. Priest as a class ended up with a 50% win rate.
Paladin remains a contest between Silver Hand (74) and Murloc (68). Both archetypes also made it to the top-8, alongside a single N’Zoth Paladin! Overall, there were 10 Control Paladin decks in the tournament, of either Beardo OTK or N’Zoth variety. Overall Paladin win rate of 48% was the second-worst in the tournament though, as the class – at least its more popular aggressive archetypes – were heavily targeted.
Secret Mage was the most popular Mage archetype by far at 78, but while two of them made it to the top-8, AKAWonder (a top-8 finisher) tweeted that his Secret Mage was his worst deck. The overall performance statistics also indicate that Mage was struggling in this tournament with a 48% win rate overall, tied with Paladin for the second-to-last spot. There were also 24 Big Spell Mages, one of whom made it to the top-8, and a few combo Mages with Quest or Leyline, but those did not finish at the top.
Hunter rose to prominence in this tournament. 50 players brought Spell Hunter, and two of them reached the top-8. Hunter was also the highest win rate class in the tournament at 55%.
Druid was more of a niche choice for this tournament. It came with an impressive variety of archetypes though: Spiteful Druid (14), Jade Druid (14), Aggro Druid (4), Quest Druid (2), and N’Zoth Druid (2). Two Jade Druids and a Spiteful Druid managed to reach top-8 as well. The overall win rate of the class was 50%.
A few people still believed in Rogue. There were 21 Quest Rogues, 5 Miracle Rogues, and 5 Kingsbane Rogues in the tournament, but the class’s performance was abysmal. 47% win rate and not a single Rogue made it to the top-8.
Warrior, on the other hand, was the big deal this time. Only 9 players believed, and all of them believed in Fatigue Warrior. Three of them made it to the top-8, and Warrior’s win rate of 54% was the second-highest in the tournament.
As for Shaman, well. Seven people believed, but none of them made it to the top with Shaman’s 49% win rate.
In this tournament, if you had a lineup that beats aggressive Paladin archetypes and Secret Mage, you were in a good spot. Most players brought at least one of the two, but if you chose to bring both, you were in trouble. Still, AKAWonder made it to the top-8 despite bringing both, so individual success can be found even when archetypes are targeted on a general level.
The ten most popular archetypes in the entire tournament:
- 117 Cubelocks
- 78 Secret Mages
- 74 Silver Hand Paladins
- 68 Murloc Paladins
- 62 Combo Priests
- 54 Spiteful Priests
- 50 Spell Hunters
- 49 Control Priests
- 27 Control Warlocks
- 26 Zoolocks
All archetypes by class:
Warlock
- 117 Cubelocks
- 27 Control Warlocks
- 26 Zoolocks
Priest
- 62 Combo Priests
- 54 Spiteful Priests
- 49 Control Priests
- 2 Big Priests
- 1 Velen Big Priest
Paladin
- 74 Silver Hand Paladins
- 68 Murloc Paladins
- 7 Beardo Paladins
- 3 N’Zoth Paladins
- 1 Handbuff Paladin
Mage
- 78 Secret Mages
- 24 Big Spell Mages
- 3 Exodia Mages
- 2 N’Zoth Mages
- 2 Leyline Mages
- 1 Control Mage
Hunter
- 50 Spell Hunters
- 2 Aggro Hunters
- 2 Big Hunters
- 2 Secret Hunters
Druid
- 14 Spiteful Druids
- 14 Jade Druids
- 4 Aggro Druids
- 2 Quest Druids
- 2 N’Zoth Druids
Rogue
- 21 Quest Rogues
- 5 Miracle Rogues
- 5 Kingsbane Rogues
Warrior
- 9 Fatigue Warriors
Shaman
- 4 Evolve Shamans
- 3 Jade Shamans
Archetypes in the top-8:
Warlock
- 4 Control Warlocks
- 2 Cubelocks
- 2 Zoolocks
Priest
- 4 Control Priests
- 3 Combo Priests
- 1 Spiteful Priests
Paladin
- 3 Silver Hand Paladins
- 1 Murloc Paladins
- 1 N’Zoth Paladins
Mage
- 2 Secret Mages
- 1 Big Spell Mages
Hunter
- 2 Spell Hunters
Druid
- 2 Jade Druids
- 1 Spiteful Druids
Warrior
- 3 Fatigue Warriors
Looking for a specific deck list? Here are all the archetypes by player: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oZHOZHxQadwn1eV-8V6n7_HUJrgftzzDX1h2H5Wvh18/edit?usp=sharing – with them you can find the right deck list from Smash site.
Lineups
Players brought more than 100 unique lineups to the tournament. The lineups that were brought by four players or more were:
| Deck 1 | Deck 2 | Deck 3 | Deck 4 | Count | Match Win rate |
| Cubelock | Control Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Spell Hunter | 15 | 63% |
| Cubelock | Spiteful Priest | Murloc Paladin | Secret Mage | 11 | 48% |
| Cubelock | Combo Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Spell Hunter | 9 | 53% |
| Zoolock | Spiteful Priest | Murloc Paladin | Secret Mage | 8 | 47% |
| Cubelock | Spiteful Priest | Murloc Paladin | Quest Rogue | 5 | 58% |
| Cubelock | Spiteful Priest | Murloc Paladin | Big Spell Mage | 5 | 45% |
| Cubelock | Combo Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Big Spell Mage | 4 | 66% |
| Zoolock | Spiteful Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Spiteful Druid | 4 | 64% |
| Cubelock | Combo Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Secret Mage | 4 | 42% |
| Cubelock | Combo Priest | Quest Rogue | Secret Mage | 4 | 36% |
Examining these win rates shows a general trend: if you brought an aggressive Paladin archetype and Secret Mage, you were in trouble.
Each of the players who reached the top-8 brought a different lineup:
| Odemian | Control Warlock | Control Priest | Spell Hunter | Fatigue Warrior |
| Hunterace | Control Warlock | Combo Priest | Jade Druid | Big Spell Mage |
| Kalàxz | Zoolock | Combo Priest | Fatigue Warrior | Secret Mage |
| Gallon | Cubelock | Control Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Spell Hunter |
| Ouate | Zoolock | Spiteful Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Spiteful Druid |
| Seiko | Control Warlock | Control Priest | N’Zoth Paladin | Jade Druid |
| AKAWonder | Control Warlock | Combo Priest | Murloc Paladin | Secret Mage |
| SilentStorm | Cubelock | Control Priest | Silver Hand Paladin | Fatigue Warrior |
Many of these lineups shine against Paladin and Mage. Alas, the meta for the next tournament may be different as players study the results of this one.
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Deck spotlights
There were lots of different decks in the tournament, even at the very top. Here are some of the most interesting ones.
Odemian’s / Fibonacci’s Fatigue Warrior
It is impossible to talk about HCT Toronto without mentioning Fatigue Warrior. The deck excelled at beating Paladin to pulp, and on stream it was also shown to be able to take on Warlock in competent hands.
Players had slightly different takes on the archetype, this is the version brought by Odemian and Fibonacci. Kalàxz had chosen to cut one Whirlwind for a Skulking Geist for the tournament, and Fibonacci has been seen on ladder running just one Brawl and a Skulking Geist – a list brought to this tournament by SilentStorm. Alas, the decks were very similar overall.
Fatigue Warrior removes everything the opponent can play and eventually goes infinite with two copies of Dead Man’s Hand. The win condition is to fatigue the opponent, and Coldlight Oracle is the key tool to achieve that in addition to Dead Man’s Hand: the Warrior keeps shuffling cards into their deck and forcing both players to draw cards with Coldlight Oracle, thus fatiguing the opponent in short order. Well, that happens very late in the game, so short might not exactly be the word for it, but at least it’s faster than if the opponent drew just one card each turn.
Deck code: AAECAQcCn9MCkAcO8dMCjs4CzM0C/ASRBv8HogSyCPsM+AdL38QCxsMCz+cCAA==
Odemian’s Spell Hunter
Spell Hunter was highly successful in the tournament and was also part of Odemian’s winning lineup. Grievous Bite finally has a use in this archetype!
It is ironic that this build uses neither of the cards that require you to have no minions – Barnes and Y’Shaarj are simply stronger. You don’t even need Rhok’delar to play Spell Hunter.
While the archetype is often seen as a Barnes highroll deck, there are more ways to win games with Spell Hunter than just Barnes. Lesser Emerald Spellstone is the second big win condition the deck has, and it can also win games with just aggressive hunter pressure with Eaglehorn Bow, secrets, and Kill Command. Deathstalker Rexxar is one final chance to win games, even though most of the time the correct choice is to not play it, because Hunter Hero Power gives you important reach.
Deck code: AAECAR8EhtMCqKsChbgChsMCDe0GjQGXCLUDqALJBP4M2wn4sQLh4wLf0gLd0gLj0gIA
Kalàxz’s Fungalmancer Zoolock
Two Zoolock decks reached the top-8. Ouate brought the Elemental Zoo with Prince Keleseth and Blazecallers, whereas Kalàxz opted to return to the roots: no Prince, no fancy Elementals, and no cards that cost more than five mana.
Demons, demon buffs, fast plays, and two copies of both Spellbreaker and Fungalmancer are the tools this deck uses to climb to the top.
Deck code: AAECAf0GApfBAt7TAg73zQLOBzDCCPYI8gX3BLSsAry2Asm7Ase7AvLQAvHQAtHhAgA=
Seiko’s Kabal Trafficker Control Warlock
Seiko brought a bit of a different take of Control Warlock to the tournament. Kabal Trafficker is a card that has seen some play in the archetype recently, but Seiko took the new threat approach to the maximum with two Kabal Traffickers, Skull of the Man’ari, and Medivh the Guardian in the deck.
Bonus points for Ironbeak Owl as the silence effect of choice, giving an additional Defile target for the deck. Again, it is not unheard of, but seeing all of these pieces combined in a single build really makes this deck a bit different than the most common takes of the archetype.
Deck code: AAECAf0GCqDOApfTAsQIogLgrAKhtwLKwwL85QLb6QLY5wIK58sCtgeKAdsG3sQC7L8C+NAC8tACiNIC6OcCAA==
Seiko’s N’Zoth Paladin
Bringing a pure N’Zoth Paladin to a tournament is already quite something. Piloting it to the top-8 is something else entirely. Control Paladin usually struggles to defeat other control decks, especially without the Beardo OTK combo, but it can be a strong choice against aggro. Use with caution.
Deck code: AAECAZ8FDKDOAo7TAo8JpAP6BoquAoivAuauAuCsAtPFAojHArnBAgncA/QF+wH2B9muAt/EApvCAurmAvjSAgA=
Chakki’s Aggro Druid
There was a time when no one would have been surprised, much less impressed, by an Aggro Druid. Alas, in the current meta, Chakki’s choice to bring Aggro Druid to the tournament was unexpected at the very least. Turns out, the deck can still deliver as shown by Chakki’s #9 finish!
Deck code: AAECAZICAkCRvAIOm80CkdAC1QHmBeUHuwP3A8GrArazAs27AuvCAq/CAobBAovlAgA=