With the group stage of the Archon Team League Championships (ATLC) all but over, underdogs Value Town and the experienced Cloud9 have secured their places in the live finals.
Many suspected that Jeffrey “Trump” Shih’s pick-up team would struggle against the established line ups of major organisations. But with a 5-2 record, Value Town has topped the group stage. One of the team’s players, Brian Kibler, also picked up the $5,000 “master of duels” prize for the best individual record with a game score of 13-4 across the seven matches.
The ATLC’s format means that only one team is eliminated in the group stage, with the five other teams going through a series of playoff matches to determine the other two teams who will fly to the Archon team house for the finals and a chance at $250,000 in prize money.
Tempo Storm and Nihilum are assured of their spot in the “satellite” playoff phase, with one of Team Archon and Forsenboys joining them depending on tonight’s results. The other team will face Liquid in a “redemption” match for the final playoff spot.
It became clear quickly which squad would be eliminated at this stage, as Team Celestial failed to win a single match all season and currently sit at 0-6 with elimination guaranteed. Their final match against Archon this evening is their last chance at a consolation victory.
Photo via Amaz Hearthstone/Youtube | Remix by Max Fleishman
