The inaugural Viagame House Cup has concluded, and it is world #1 Kolento who is taking home the Cup and an $8000 prize. He defeated Amaz 5-3 in the final, who takes home $4000.
2004 - Kolento defeats Amaz 5-3 to win the Viagame House Cup
World #1 Kolento outlasted Amaz in a marathon final to take the inaugural Viagame House Cup championship and pocket a cool $8000.
Both players opted for their strongest deck to open, with Amaz' Zoo besting the Freeze Mage of Kolento. Amaz was able to build a strong early board and, crucially, get a turn five Loatheb down to block his opponents freeze spells and a Soulfire to seal the win. Kolento opted for Priest against the Zoo but was unable to answer a double Flame Imp, Undertaker and Leper Gnome in the first two turns. Amaz saw out game two with a turn six kill, and went 2-0 ahead into Kolento's Control Warrior.
Game three was one of the most entertaining games in the competition so far, as the Zoo took another early lead and dropped a turn five Loatheb for the third game in a row. However, with several big threats on board Kolento was able to steal a Nerubian with his Sylvannas and play a Belcher. The game swung back and forth, including with a crucial Dire Wolf Alpha top deck to clear a Belcher, but the Grommash threat allowed Kolento to set up for a top deck Death's Bite giving him exact lethal.
Both players switched decks in game four, with Kolento's managing to take out the Freeze Mage of Amaz. Kolento did good work with Gadgetzan and Azure Drake and stalled the Mage clears by Sapping the Doomsayer. Amaz went all in, neglecting an Ice Barrier, meaning that Kolento's board let him rain in death by double Cold Blood. Against the Shaman of Amaz in game five Kolento's Rogue looked like he was in trouble when he could not draw his Gadgetzan, and his Edwin Van Cleef was Hexed. The Harrison Jones of Amaz, which he may have regretted revealing before the mirror match, helped to swing the game and a double Fire Elemental pulled Amaz into the lead once again.
With just two decks left, Kolento opted to take his Shaman into the mirror match and in the end was able to go 3-0 with this deck. With his more Deathrattle focused Shaman, Kolento was able to jump ahead with Undertakers and double Haunted Creeper (the spiders would appear in his opening hand all three games he played with the Shaman!), but Amaz was able to stabilise and control board in the midgame. Amaz eventually went all in and virtually emptied his hand, and this allowed Kolento to stall with Wolves and a Belcher while he built a board to win. Against the signature Priest of Amaz, Kolento had his easiest victory of the series so far as the strong early board piled on the damage. Amaz drew almost none of the cards he needed to answer and game seven was over very quickly. With just his Paladin left Kolento again drew very well and made smart decisions where it counted, meaning that Kolento took the series and the tournament victory.
1549 - Amaz rides his Priest deck to the House Cup final
Amaz booked his place in the Viagame House Cup final against Kolento with a 5-2 victory over Forsen, relying heavily on his signature Priest deck.
Forsen took the early iniative with a dominant performance with his Hunter deck, eliminating Amaz' Shaman, but the dominant Hunter was stopped in its tracks by the Priest deck in game two. Amaz was able to draw a lot of cards off his Cleric and the Hunter simply ran out of cards far too quickly. Amaz then switched to Zoo and Forsen answered with Warrior, and despite no one drops coming for the Zoo Amaz was able to establish a decent board and top deck a Doomguard and finish off the Warrior. While Forsen then moved to his signature Malygos Miracle Rogue, Amaz answered with the Freeze Mage that was so dominant in the previous semi final. However, Forsen was able to establish a huge 10/10 Van Cleef outrageously early, and Amaz had no answers beyond his Ice Blocks that he then burned through far too early. With the series at 2-2, Amaz brought back his Zoo and swept the Miracle 30-0 without even needing to life tap.
Amaz reverted to his Priest to see out the series, first beating out the Paladin of Forsen. Forsen drew into all his board clears early but was forced to use them all on a series of strong midrange boards from Amaz. In a deck with limited win conditions Forsen played it too safe and did not go for face often enough, and Amaz was able to rebuild his board after every clear and overwhelm the Paladin. Forsen was left with just his Shaman and burned through his cards far too quickly to be able to answer the late game of the Priest. Forsen tried to mount a comeback late on but a series of exceptional top decks saw Amaz, the king of RNG, make it through to the final in seven games.
1605 - Kolento bests Tides 5-2 in first semi final
Kolento bested TidesofTime to retain his #1 spot in the GosuGamers rankings, and advance to the final of the House Cup.
Opening on Freeze Mage, then deck which would dominate the series, Kolento would first eliminate Tides' strong Handlock deck getting his Mad Scientist and Acolyte of Pain out early. Tides had both Drakes and two Owls, but he used them both on a Scientist and a Loot Hoarder leaving him no defence against Doomsayer. Despite triple Giants, Alexstraza and burst damage took Kolento 1-0 up. In game two Tides' Aggro Warrior, which boasts eight weapons to get around minion freeze and Doomsayer, suffered a similar fate as Kolento aggressively drew through his deck to get what he needed. A strong Antonidis gave Kolento insane firepower that he used to jump ahead 2-0.
Tides decided enough was enough, and brought out his own Freeze Mage for the mirror match. With both establishing card draw and Ice Blocks early, it became a raise to pop them and get damage in. Tides used his Pyroblast to pop the Block on turn ten, but still had enough other damage in hand to finish it the next turn. With Tides now on Freeze Mage, Kolento was unable to unseat him with the Druid and the series was level at 2-2. Kolento was able to end the Mage party in game five with his Shaman in a 30-0 whitewash, thanks a turn 5 Doomhammer. Kolento's Cold9 Miracle Rogue pulled him to 4-2 ahead with good use of Gadgetzans against Tides' Paladin, and it Handlock that sealed the series 5-2 for Kolento over Priest, with double Mountain Giants causing a turn six concede.
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