On Thursday, Nov. 18 after school, the North Forsyth esports Hearthstone team had their final match of the regular season. The Raiders faced off against Bay City Central High School, Cyber Wolves and won 3-0. After the game, the Raiders ended up ranking tenth in the region, which was two spots away from qualifying for the playoffs. The Cyber Wolves played on three separate accounts while North’s team played on the same account for all three matches. 

The first match began with Nate David, @vigorousmars, playing with a Shaman deck against another Shaman piloted by Luke McNeil, @MenaceLukey. He had a quick win, playing many minions onto the field and dealing several heavy blows to McNeil’s hero while keeping his board clear. 

“I knew that I couldn’t go in with overt confidence as I would most likely be punished for my hubris,” David commented. “It was a weird mix of feeling anxious about potentially losing and feeling confident that I couldn’t lose.”

I, @CryptidEggs, played second against Carson Schoch, @cjawesome11. It was Mage vs Mage. The other player’s strategy involved attacking face early in the game, which caused more of a struggle as my deck was built for late-game victory. There were also several plays that were thwarted by the high number of secrets that the other player implemented. However, I was able to clear the board and attack with high stat minions and a buffed hero power in order to take the second victory.

Finally, Mikayla Matthews, @Diet_Chaos, played against Nick Colton, @FunkyPants. The score was 2-0 and a win for North would end the match. It was Paladin vs Paladin, which was a poetic ending for the regular season: each player playing against their respective class. Colton used a great number of taunts and focused on giving them buffs so that Matthews was forced to attack the minions instead of dealing damage to his face. Matthews persevered and was able to eliminate Colton, ending in a sweeping victory for the Raiders.

“I’m quite excited that we won,” Matthews commented. “I was a bit nervous but I knew we would do well.”

The playoffs start after Thanksgiving Break. Other teams will be participating this year, such as Smash Bros. Matches are streamed on the esports YouTube account. Let’s wish the Raiders luck as they go to the playoffs!