Hearthstone Championship Tour 2017 Americas Summer Playoffs were played on 16th and 17th September 2017 in multiple locations across North America and South America. 70 players had qualified for and participated in the tournament that consisted of seven rounds of Swiss followed by single-elimination top-8 playoffs.
In this post, I take a look at the decks and results of the tournament, including class distribution, archetypes, and archetype performance.
Results
The event was played in a best-of-five Conquest format with one ban.
First, the 70 players went through seven rounds of Swiss to determine the top-8 cut for single-elimination playoffs. After those seven rounds, Purple was the #1 seed as the only undefeated player. Three players finished with a 6-1 record – Luker, Amnesiac, and Ike – and 10 finished at 5-2, so a look at the tiebreaker scores was needed. Four players made it in to the top-8 through tiebreakers: Empanizado, YAYtears, Nalguidan, and DPacman.
In the single-elimination playoffs, the main importance was on the first round: the top-4 players would secure their spots in the global Summer Championships.
Here is the playoff bracket and results:
The Americas region’s representatives for the Summer Championships 2017 are Purple, Empanizado, Nalguidan, and YAYtears, with Purple crowned as the Americas Summer Champion!
Class distribution in the tournament and in top-8
Blizzard sends out the decklists of the event to players and selected media sources, which usually publish some of them. This time, several sites published all the decks. You can find them here, for example.
Classes in the entire tournament from the most popular to the least popular:
- Druid: 70 – one Quest Druid and 69 Jade Druids
- Priest: 66
- Warrior: 40
- Paladin: 37
- Mage: 20
- Warlock: 19
- Shaman: 18
- Rogue: 6
- Hunter: 4
Compared to the previous Playoffs from other regions, Druid retained its 100% representation. Aggro Druids have not been seen since Europe, but a single Quest Druid broke the otherwise solid line of Jade Druids. Priest retained its clear spot as the second-most popular class, followed by Warrior and Paladin, as in the previous tournaments.
Shaman recovered slightly, but nowhere near the level of play it saw in Europe. Surprisingly, Rogue and Hunter also recovered, and all classes were again present in the tournament. Alas, only six classes made it to the top-8, and those may not be the ones you expected!
Classes in the top-8 from the most popular to the least popular:
- Druid: 8
- Priest: 8
- Paladin: 5
- Warrior: 5
- Warlock: 2
- Hunter: 2
- Shaman: 2
- Mage: 0
- Rogue: 0
OK, so maybe some of those were exactly the ones you expected in that Druid and Priest were part of every top-8 lineup. Not only that, but they were Jade Druid and Kazakus Priest in each and every case.
Then for the surprise part: two Hunters out of four made it to the top-8! Not only that, but both of those Hunters also made it to the top four! Even the meta most dominated by two archetypes in recent Hearthstone history can hold some surprises when it comes to full tournament lineups.
It was close that we would have had all classes in the top-8: three Rogues and four Mages fell short in tiebreakers, so those classes had plenty of representation near the top, even though it is not obvious from just looking at the top-8.
Archetype distribution by class and archetype performance in top-8
The most popular archetypes in the entire tournament:
- 69 Jade Druids
- 58 Kazakus Priests
- 34 Murloc Paladins
- 28 Pirate Warriors
- 17 Evolve Shamans
- 15 Handlocks
- 12 Exodia Mages
- 8 Taunt Warriors
- 6 Quest Rogues
- 5 Big Priests
Full archetype distribution in the entire tournament:
Paladin
- 34 Murloc Paladins
- 3 Control Paladins
Warrior
- 28 Pirate Warriors
- 8 Taunt Warriors
- 3 N’Zoth Control Warriors
- 1 Fatigue Warrior
Druid
- 69 Jade Druids
- 1 Quest Druid
Mage
- 12 Exodia Mages
- 4 Freeze Mages
- 2 Control Mages
- 1 Secret Mage
- 1 Hybrid Secret Mage
Rogue
- 6 Quest Rogues
Shaman
- 17 Evolve Shamans
- 1 Midrange Shaman
Priest
- 58 Kazakus Priests
- 5 Big Priests
- 3 Silence Priests
Warlock
- 15 Handlocks
- 3 Kazakus Warlocks
- 1 Control Warlock
Hunter
- 4 Midrange Hunters
There are no deck-specific winrates available from the Swiss portion of the tournament, but we can estimate relative performance by comparing how well lineups that included specific decks performed.
Here’s the table, sorted by win percentage (byes excluded):
| Deck | Count | Lineup wins | Lineup losses | Win percentage |
| Hybrid Secret Mage | 1 | 5 | 2 | 71.43% |
| Midrange Hunter | 4 | 16 | 10 | 61.54% |
| N’Zoth Control Warrior | 3 | 9 | 6 | 60.00% |
| Quest Rogue | 6 | 18 | 13 | 58.06% |
| Kazakus Warlock | 3 | 11 | 8 | 57.89% |
| Big Priest | 5 | 16 | 13 | 55.17% |
| Exodia Mage | 12 | 31 | 29 | 51.67% |
| Kazakus Priest | 58 | 147 | 141 | 51.04% |
| Pirate Warrior | 28 | 71 | 69 | 50.71% |
| Jade Druid | 69 | 171 | 170 | 50.15% |
| Control Paladin | 3 | 7 | 7 | 50.00% |
| Handlock | 15 | 35 | 36 | 49.30% |
| Murloc Paladin | 34 | 79 | 84 | 48.47% |
| Evolve Shaman | 17 | 37 | 41 | 47.44% |
| Control Warlock | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40.00% |
| Midrange Shaman | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40.00% |
| Secret Mage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40.00% |
| Freeze Mage | 4 | 7 | 11 | 38.89% |
| Control Mage | 2 | 3 | 5 | 37.50% |
| Taunt Warrior | 8 | 13 | 22 | 37.14% |
| Silence Priest | 3 | 4 | 7 | 36.36% |
| Quest Druid | 1 | 1 | 2 | 33.33% |
| Fatigue Warrior | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25.00% |
Now, it’s important to be clear about what we can and what we cannot determine based on this table. First of all, for decks that were rarely brought, the table tells next to nothing. Was that one deck the reason a lineup succeeded or failed? With a sample size of maybe just 3 matches? There is no way to tell.
Things become more interesting when we look at decks that were brought by multiple players.
Jade Druid, for example, is extremely popular and lineups with Jade Druid in them sit comfortably at around 50% win rate. These two facts combined tell us that Jade Druid is very strong – it was brought by almost everyone – and that Jade Druid is not a deck that makes a difference. It just is. You almost need to bring it. It does not make you succeed nor does it prevent you from succeeding.
Kazakus Priest was also brought by almost everyone, but not quite everyone. At 51.04%, lineups featuring Kazakus Priest were a slightly above average choice. Therefore, those few people who did not bring it, performed worse on average, and we can see that Silence Priest lineups were not performing at all. Interestingly enough, Big Priest lineups did perform better on average than Kazakus Priest lineups.
Big Priest was combined with Quest Rogue for a lineup that targets Jade Druid and Kazakus Priest, and Quest Rogue also performed better than average. Was this a good lineup, then? Either that or it had excellent pilots. Either way, both Killinallday and PNC finished 5-2 and missed the top cut on tiebreakers with the lineup. Tarei ran with Kazakus Priest and Quest Rogue and also finished 5-2.
Killinallday, PNC, and Tarei all also had Exodia Mage in their lineups. There were 12 Exodia Mages this time! It performed slightly above average overall, and had especially good synergy with Big Priest or Kazakus Priest and Quest Rogue. Silence Priest and Murloc Paladin did not prove to be strong partners for the deck.
Lineups that included Handlock, Murloc Paladin, or Evolve Shaman all performed slightly below average. Interesting anecdote: Purple was interviewed after one of his wins, and he said he was struggling with Handlock and hoped he had brought Pirate Warrior instead.
Things really went wrong for lineups with Freeze Mage or Taunt Warrior in them. Those lineups just did not perform in this tournament meta.
What else performed, then? Midrange Hunter and N’Zoth Control Warrior. Those two were the off-meta choices for successful lineups in addition to Quest Rogue. All the signs were there already before the tournament. TerrenceM’s deep Dreamhack run with N’Zoth Control Warrior. Tournament meta of Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Handlock, and Exodia Mage, all of which Hunter can challenge. Two Hunter players out of four in the top-8. That’s something. N’Zoth Control Warrior not in the top-8, but yet again, Squid piloted a lineup including the list to a 5-2 record while Fishyyy went 4-2. Those are some solid performances.
Honorable mention to Secret Mage as well. There were only two in the tournament, and I categorized them differently, as one was an aggressive list and the other was a far slower midrange build. Pksnow’s slower list took him all the way to a 5-2 finish, missing out on top-8 cut on tiebreakers. Icer did not do as well, but Secret Mage was one of his best-performing decks.
Obviously, things are about to change any moment now, as the awaited nerfs will become live today. This tournament was the swansong of the Druid/Priest meta, about to be replaced with, well, probably another Druid/Priest meta, but a different one. It is notable that some of the more off-meta good performers, Midrange Hunter and Secret Mage, are not going to be hit by the nerfs at all. Interesting times.
Archetype distribution and performance in the top-8 playoffs (excluding mirror matches):
Paladin
- 4 Murloc Paladins 4-3
- 1 Control Paladin
Warrior
- 5 Pirate Warriors 3-6
Druid
- 8 Jade Druids – always banned
Mage
- No Mages – 4 Mages missed out on tiebreakers (Three Exodia Mages and one Hybrid Secret Mage)
Rogue
- No Rogues – 3 Quest Rogues missed out on tiebreakers
Shaman
- 2 Evolve Shamans 1-3
Priest
- 8 Kazakus Priests 5-4
Warlock
- 2 Handlocks 3-1
Hunter:
- 2 Midrange Hunters 3-2
There are not enough games in the top-8 to draw good conclusions. Everyone banned Druid there, but most people did that anyway, save for the few who targeted the class.
Lineup details
With all deck information available, we can also take a look at the full lineups that players brought.
Jade Druid + Kazakus Priest + Pirate Warrior + Murloc Paladin was still the standard lineup, brought by 15 players out of 70. Overall, two aggro decks in addition to Jade Druid and Kazakus Priest was the most common lineup choice, and one that carried five players to the top-8. Solid decks and solid piloting can still go a long way, even with no tricks attached.
Bringing the standard lineup places emphasis on piloting skills, and to an extent pure luck. Overall, Jade Druid + Kazakus Priest + Pirate Warrior + Murloc Paladin reached a 49% match win rate in the Swiss, but some players piloted it all the way to a 6-1 record. When two equally skilled players face each other in a full mirror, well, the odds to win are not that great. It is still a solid lineup, and especially if you believe you have an edge over other players in skill level, it can be the most solid choice.
It might not show in the top-8, but targeting Priest/Druid also remained a viable strategy. Three players with Quest Rogue + Exodia Mage lineups finished 5-2, but all of them missed out on top-8 on tiebreakers.
Some of the most successful lineups in the tournament included Quest Rogue, Exodia Mage, N’Zoth Control Warrior, Control Paladin, or Midrange Hunter. This demonstrates that it is possible to gain an edge over other players also through lineup building. Targeting Priest/Druid was one way, but some off-meta lineups also banned Druid and focused on targeting Priest and looking for small advantages in the other matchups.
Here are all lineups and lineup performance in order of popularity:
| Deck 1 | Deck 2 | Deck 3 | Deck 4 | Count | Wins | Losses | Win % |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Murloc Paladin | 15 | 35 | 36 | 49% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Evolve Shaman | Murloc Paladin | 6 | 10 | 15 | 40% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Handlock | Evolve Shaman | 4 | 15 | 9 | 63% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Midrange Hunter | 4 | 16 | 10 | 62% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Handlock | 3 | 9 | 8 | 53% |
| Jade Druid | Big Priest | Exodia Mage | Murloc Paladin | 3 | 7 | 9 | 44% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Handlock | Murloc Paladin | 2 | 9 | 3 | 75% |
| Jade Druid | Big Priest | Exodia Mage | Quest Rogue | 2 | 9 | 4 | 69% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Taunt Warrior | Murloc Paladin | 2 | 5 | 5 | 50% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Taunt Warrior | Evolve Shaman | 2 | 4 | 6 | 40% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Evolve Shaman | 2 | 2 | 4 | 33% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Taunt Warrior | Handlock | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Evolve Shaman | Control Paladin | 1 | 5 | 2 | 71% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Kazakus Warlock | Hybrid Secret Mage | 1 | 5 | 2 | 71% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | N’Zoth Control Warrior | Murloc Paladin | 1 | 5 | 2 | 71% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Quest Rogue | Exodia Mage | 1 | 5 | 2 | 71% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | N’Zoth Control Warrior | Exodia Mage | 1 | 4 | 2 | 67% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Kazakus Warlock | Murloc Paladin | 1 | 3 | 3 | 50% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Freeze Mage | 1 | 3 | 3 | 50% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Kazakus Warlock | 1 | 3 | 3 | 50% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Taunt Warrior | Control Mage | 1 | 3 | 3 | 50% |
| Jade Druid | Silence Priest | Quest Rogue | Exodia Mage | 1 | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Control Warlock | Freeze Mage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Midrange Shaman | Control Paladin | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40% |
| Jade Druid | Secret Mage | Pirate Warrior | Murloc Paladin | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Exodia Mage | 1 | 1 | 2 | 33% |
| Jade Druid | Freeze Mage | Taunt Warrior | Murloc Paladin | 1 | 1 | 2 | 33% |
| Quest Druid | Silence Priest | Quest Rogue | Exodia Mage | 1 | 1 | 2 | 33% |
| Jade Druid | Evolve Shaman | Handlock | Murloc Paladin | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Handlock | Freeze Mage | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| Jade Druid | Silence Priest | Fatigue Warrior | Exodia Mage | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| Jade Druid | Quest Rogue | Exodia Mage | Murloc Paladin | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Evolve Shaman | Control Mage | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Handlock | Control Paladin | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | N’Zoth Control Warrior | Handlock | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
Lineups that reached the top-8 were:
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Murloc Paladin | 3 |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Pirate Warrior | Midrange Hunter | 2 |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Handlock | Murloc Paladin | 1 |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Handlock | Evolve Shaman | 1 |
| Jade Druid | Kazakus Priest | Control Paladin | Evolve Shaman | 1 |
Deck spotlights
This time, many of the most interesting decks were to be found outside the top-8. Numerous players with interesting decks missed out on tiebreakers, and then there was Monsanto. He was supposed to bring balance to the meta, but despite his Quest Druid rolling over Jade Druids, the rest of his lineup did not work quite as well. Those Quest Druid vs Jade Druid games are a sight to behold though, you can find links to them in the deck spotlight below.
Nalguidan’s and YAYtears’ Midrange Hunters
The arguments raged all over Twitter prior to the tournament on whether Hunter was going to be good or not. OK, it was more of friendly banter, really, but on a fundamental level the pro community was divided between the believers and the status quo.
Four players brought Hunter to the tournament. Their Swiss scores: 5-2, 5-2, 4-3, and 2-3 for a combined Swiss score of 16-10 (62%), and a place among the most successful lineups.
As for performance of Hunter in their lineups in particular, Nalguidan went 8-3 and YAYtears went 8-1 in games with their Hunter decks in the entire tournament, excluding their mirror match in the semi-finals. That’s some serious work being done by Hunter – a class that is not even getting nerfed.
I’ve chosen to feature both decks. They were both running similar lists with some differences: Compared to Nalguidan, YAYtears’ list has +2 Alleycat, +1 Bittertide Hydra, +1 Bonemare, -1 Deadly Shot, -1 Stitched Tracker, and -2 Hungry Crab. Nalguidan had anti-Murloc tech and a little less punch at the top, but both were clearly representatives of the same archetype.
Taking early control of the board and not letting go of it until switching gears to hit face in the midgame is a classic Midrange Hunter gameplan. Thanks to the power of Bearshark and Bittertide Hydra, these lists can be a bit more aggressive, even. Both have only found room to include one copy of Savannah Highmane, because the lists are getting a bit too fast to run it.
Deck codes:
Nalguidan: AAECAR8G8gXtCZG8Aq/CAtPNAobTAgyoArUDuwPlB+sHlwjFCP4MubQC5MICjsMC180CAA==
YAYtears: AAECAR8G8gXFCO0JkbwCps4ChtMCDKgCtQPlB+sHlwj+DLm0Auq7Aq/CAuTCAo7DAtfNAgA=
See it in action:
Midrange Hunter vs Kazakus Priest: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175471332?t=03h56m32s
Midrange Hunter vs Kazakus Priest: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175471332?t=05h13m18s
Pksnow’s Hybrid Secret Mage
I was really hoping to see glimpse of this deck on stream, but sadly that never happened, and Pksnow missed the top-8 on tiebreakers, so it did not get time in the spotlight there either.
Pksnow’s Secret Mage is a slower midrange build. The secret package consists of two copies of Counterspell and one copy of Spellbender, there are no Mirror Entities. There are no Babbling Books either, and only one copy of Kabal Crystal Runner.
Nonetheless, there are Kirin Tor Mages ready to go for an early swing, and there is plenty of power following those: Burgly Bully, Archmage Antonidas, two copies of Firelands Portal, Medivh the Guardian, and The Lich King. There’s even an area-of-effect damage spell, Flamestrike, which is a rare sight in Secret Mage.
In many ways, the deck is a hybrid between the faster Secret Mage builds and the slower Burn Mage builds that were popular during Journey to Un’Goro, but fell out of limelight in Knights of the Frozen Throne.
An interesting build, for sure, especially with the nerfs coming in, and this deck escaping them unscathed.
Deck code: AAECAf0ECsAB7gLsB7gIobcCh70C+r8C08UC3s0Cws4CCnG7ApUDqwSWBewFo7YC17YCwcECmMQCAA==
See it in action: Not streamed.
Squid’s N’Zoth Control Warrior
TerrenceM was the sole standard-bearer of N’Zoth Control Warrior at Dreamhack Montreal. Things looked slightly better for the archetype at the Summer Playoffs, as three people brought it. Squid had the best run at an impressive 5-2.
His list cut Slam from TerrenceM’s Dreamhack Montreal list, and added a Gluttonous Ooze instead. Essentially, it is still the same deck, able to take others to fatigue, and beyond.
Deck code: AAECAQcIS6QDkAeyCOCsAtPFAo7OAp/TAguQA5ED1AT8BJEG/wf7DMbDAqLHAsrNAszNAgA=
See it in action: Not streamed.
Monsanto’s Quest Druid
The promised one. He who will bring balance to the meta. But not with a Silence Priest in the lineup.
Monsanto’s Quest Druid was no doubt the most anticipated deck of the Americas Summer Playoffs, and while his run ended short (he himself wrote about lack of sleep and resulting poor plays as the main reason), Quest Druid did not disappoint.
Blizzard was no doubt aware of the hype, as Monsanto featured prominently on stream in the early rounds, so there are several Quest Druid games available on video for everyone to enjoy.
Is this a real deck, then? It does die to aggro, and Innervate is getting nerfed, making life more difficult for a deck that really wants to pull off some Menagerie Warden combo plays to complete the quest. However, when pitted against a Jade Druid, the deck looked very, very real. Go take a look at the games to see exactly how it works!
Deck code: AAECAZICBOKvAovBArLBAsLOAg1EX/4BxAbkCL6uApC2Ao3AAvnAAv7AAvfMAofOAqbOAgA=
See it in action:
Quest Druid vs Jade Druid: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175200431?t=49m13s
Quest Druid vs Murloc Paladin: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175200431?t=05h04m33s
Quest Druid vs Jade Druid: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175200431?t=05h11m11s
Quest Rogue
The three players who piloted Quest Rogue to a 5-2 score –PNC, Killinallday, and Tarei – all used the exact same decklist. Quest Rogue may have been nerfed and it is even more vulnerable to aggro than during its heyday, but it can still wreak havoc among Priests, Druids, and any slow decks unfortunate enough to cross its path.
Can the upcoming aggro nerfs make it a better ladder deck? I would not hold my breath. It is a sniper deck, used to counter a highly specific meta. That said, here’s the list if you want to take it out for a spin anyway.
Deck code: AAECAaIHBPgHkbwChsICgNMCDcQBnALtAp8DiAXUBYYJiq0C+L0Cl8EC/MEC68ICxscCAA==
See it in action:
Quest Rogue vs Handlock: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175200431?t=02h26m27s
Quest Rogue vs Kazakus Priest: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175200431?t=09h28m20s
Purple’s Murloc Paladin
Is this even a Murloc Paladin anymore, or should it be called a Midrange Paladin again? Last week I featured the super-aggressive Murloc build piloted by Impact at Dreamhack Montreal as something different from the standard builds that are some kind of hybrids between the aggression and midrange approach that existed as separate archetypes during Journey to Un’Goro. (By the way, that build was originally crafted by Exhale)
Purple’s list occupies the exact opposite end of the scale: Aldor Peacekeeper, Cobalt Scalebane, Bonemare, The Curator (pullin Murlocs, Gentle Megasaurs, and Cobalt Scalebanes), and Tirion Fordring. This looks like midrange again!
It is ever so slightly less aggressive, if you can ever call Murlocs anything but aggressive, and it packs a lot more punch in the mid-to-late game. Nonetheless, it still shares one common feature of aggressive Murloc Paladins: there are no Consecrations. Once the deck loses the board, it’s gone. Nonetheless, it is one of the most midrange builds to have seen top-level play as of late.
Deck code: AAECAZ8FBs8G+gaPCbmyArnBAqbOAgzbA6cI06oC2a4Cs8ECm8ICncICscIC5MICiMcCyssC48sCAA==
See it in action:
Murloc Paladin vs Kazakus Priest: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175200431?t=11h44m34s
Murloc Paladin vs Pirate Warrior: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/175200431?t=12h00m39s
Appendix 1: Decks by player in top-8
Purple:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Handlock
- Murloc Paladin
Luker:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Handlock
- Evolve Shaman
Amnesiac:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Pirate Warrior
- Murloc Paladin
Ike:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Pirate Warrior
- Murloc Paladin
Empanizado:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Pirate Warrior
- Murloc Paladin
YAYtears:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Pirate Warrior
- Midrange Hunter
Nalguidan:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Pirate Warrior
- Midrange Hunter
DPacman:
- Jade Druid
- Kazakus Priest
- Evolve Shaman
- Control Paladin
Appendix 2: HCT Americas Summer Playoffs 2017 top-8 matches
Raw data on matches, lineups, and bans.
Quarter-final 1: Purple vs DPacman
Purple: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Handlock, Murloc Paladin
DPacman: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Evolve Shaman, Control Paladin
Bans: Purple banned Jade Druid and DPacman banned Jade Druid.
Games:
Kazakus Priest wins against Kazakus Priest
Murloc Paladin loses to Kazakus Priest
Handlock wins against Evolve Shaman
Murloc Paladin wins against Evolve Shaman
Purple 3 – DPacman 1.
Quarter-final 2: Ike vs Empanizado
Ike: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Murloc Paladin
Empanizado: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Murloc Paladin
Bans: Ike banned Jade Druid and Empanizado banned Jade Druid.
Games:
Murloc Paladin wins against Murloc Paladin
Pirate Warrior loses to Pirate Warrior
Pirate Warrior loses to Kazakus Priest
Pirate Warrior loses to Murloc Paladin
Ike 1 – Empanizado 3.
Quarter-final 3: Luker vs Nalguidan
Luker: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Handlock, Evolve Shaman
Nalguidan: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Midrange Hunter
Bans: Luker banned Jade Druid and Nalguidan banned Jade Druid.
Games:
Kazakus Priest loses to Midrange Hunter
Evolve Shaman loses to Kazakus Priest
Evolve Shaman wins against Pirate Warrior
Handlock disconnects against Pirate Warrior – regame
Handlock loses to Pirate Warrior
Luker 1 – Nalguidan 3.
Quarter-final 4: Amnesiac vs YAYtears
Amnesiac: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Murloc Paladin
YAYtears: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Midrange Hunter
Bans: Amnesiac banned Jade Druid and YAYtears banned Jade Druid.
Games:
Kazakus Priest loses to Midrange Hunter
Kazakus Priest loses to Kazakus Priest
Kazakus Priest loses to Pirate Warrior
Amnesiac 0 – YAYtears 3.
Semi-final 1: Purple vs Empanizado
Purple: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Handlock, Murloc Paladin
Empanizado: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Murloc Paladin
Bans: Purple banned Jade Druid and Empanizado banned Jade Druid.
Games:
Handlock wins against Murloc Paladin
Murloc Paladin loses to Murloc Paladin
Kazakus Priest wins against Kazakus Priest
Murloc Paladin wins against Pirate Warrior
Purple 3 – Empanizado 1.
Semi-final 2: Nalguidan vs YAYtears
Nalguidan: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Midrange Hunter
YAYtears: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Midrange Hunter
Bans: Nalguidan banned Jade Druid and YAYtears banned Jade Druid.
Games:
Midrange Hunter wins against Midrange Hunter
Kazakus Priest wins against Kazakus Priest
Pirate Warrior loses to Pirate Warrior
Pirate Warrior loses to Midrange Hunter
Pirate Warrior wins against Kazakus Priest
Nalguidan 3 – YAYtears 2.
Grand Final: Purple vs Nalguidan
Purple: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Handlock, Murloc Paladin
Nalguidan: Jade Druid, Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior, Midrange Hunter
Bans: Purple banned Jade Druid and Nalguidan banned Jade Druid.
Games:
Murloc Paladin loses to Kazakus Priest
Handlock wins against Midrange Hunter
Kazakus Priest wins against Midrange Hunter
Murloc Paladin wins against Pirate Warrior
Purple 3 – Nalguidan 1.