With the second season of Hearthstone’s Grandmasters weekly tournaments now well underway, now is the perfect time to dive into who the biggest names are in the esports scene 2019.
Today, we'll start by taking a closer look at James “Firebat” Kostesich, best known for being the winner of the first Hearthstone World Championships in 2014.
Decks And Playstyle
The game of Hearthstone has evolved considerably since its early expansions. Watching Firebat win the first World Championship is a blast from the past as he swept the competition 3-0 with a Druid deck. This deck utilized both ramp and an old combo of Force of Nature and Savage roar that could burst for 14 points of damage on its own, 15 with the use of a hero power, and more if one had any minions on board already. The Force of Nature we have now is far more balance, only summoning Treants but without the charge keyword attached.
Firebat’s current decks mainly focus around mid to late game strategies, with the exception of Combo Priest, which has the potential to close out games quickly in certain conditions. There's little to say regarding that deck, since it is perhaps the most popular and powerful deck in the meta right now.
With that said, this past weekend’s event saw opponent, as well as long-time friend and former roommate, Ryan “Purple” Murphy-Roo electED to ban Firebat from using his Control Warrior deck, which is a smart move considering Firebat’s expertise of the deck archetype. While Firebat is not the best Control Warrior player in the world, since that title will likely forever belong to Shokrukh "Fibonacci" Rakhimov, he is still terribly deadly with the deck.
The other two decks are relatively new to the game, with a Holy Wrath Paladin deck that relies upon hitting players with a 25 damage Shirvallah combo, and a mid to late range Quest Druid. This passed weekend saw Firebat sweep Purple, and the video below shows off the expertise of the player in all situations.
Current Standing And Lifetime Earnings
Within the Grandmasters, Firebat is currently in third place of Division A. Over the course of 39 tournaments, Firebat has earned over $235,000, ranking him as the #493 highest earner in esports history, and #103 in the United States alone.
Streaming And Media Presence
Due to his extensive knowledge of the game and well-known status among the Hearthstone community, Firebat has acted as cast a number of tournaments over the years. This has become less frequent lately as he has returned to playing at high levels with greater frequency. Firebat’s Twitch channel is a great resource for learning, as he plays a variety of decks and is always ready to show off expert playstyle, as well provide outstanding "bad" jokes.
Among other top players, Firebat is considered to be one of the most tactical, offering observations far beyond what most may see in a game’s board state. As a regular contributor to the podcast "Omni/Stone", Firebat is always discussing shifts in the Hearthstone meta throughout expansions, and with balance changes.
In addition, Firebat is always ready to discuss counter-play to the most popular decks. This is especially helpful since Hearthstone is not known for its quick balance adjustments, as we have recently seen with Control Warrior. Below is one of many examples where he breaks down the core of the deck archetype, which is a fantastic watch for casual observers of the game and experts alike.
We're only three weeks into the Grandmasters Season 2, but Firebat is already looking to be among the best players to keep an eye on. Many are watching closely and wondering if he can reclaim the eventual championship title five years after first doing so.
Source: esportsearnings.com, liquidpedia.net