This article is part of our Heroes of the Storm Recap series.
Finals: Ballistix vs. Fnatic (3-1)
Ballistix took apart Fnatic in the finals of the Heroes of the Storm Fall Championship, winning 3-1 to claim the world championship.
The South Korean team started off the series with superb teamfighting centered around Jeong "Jeongha" Ha Lee. Using Tyrael, Jeongha was able to save the day on countless occasions, using the powerful Sanctification ability for devastating results. In addition to the excellent use of Sanctification, Ballistix was on point with their macro play, ensuring that late in the game Fnatic was unable to secure any objectives and make a move towards even footing.
Game 2 saw Fnatic take a lead early on, but after a nearly three minute-long teamfight that saw multiple deaths on both sides, Ballistix was able to pull ahead. The defining moment of the match came when Ballistix's Jeong "Jeongha" Ha Lee, using Zeratul, respawned to come in for the finishing kill on Fnatic's Tychus. The kill on Tychus was monumental as both teams had just begun to respawn, leaving Fnatic in a 4-on-5 situation for a full minute, allowing Ballistix to grab even more key structures to gain a bigger lead, resulting in a Game 2 win.
Facing elimination, Fnatic managed to turn it around on Warhead Junction in Game 3 with some dominant global hero abuse as well as a pocket pick for Simon "ScHwimpi" Svensson with Tracer. The game was truly neck-and-neck, but Fnatic took it to Ballistix when the stakes were highest late in the game, snowballing off a double kill to gain an advantage. Thanks to the timely double kill, Fnatic was able to gain access to powerful nukes which allowed them to take down the core, bringing the series to 2-1.
Fnatic's Game 3 win appeared to perk up Ballistix, as the South Korean team pulled out all the stops during the Game 4 draft. That resulted in picking up Tracer for Seung-Chul "sCsC" Kim, which paid dividends for Ballistix throughout the match. With the game on the line Fnatic managed to take control of the objective, silencing the majority of Ballistix in the process. The late rally failed however, as sCsC was able to stall long enough for his team to come back into the fray, taking a game-winning teamfight by scoring kills on both Dob "Quackniix" Engstrom and Pontus "Breez" Sjogren to become the Heroes of the Storm World Champions.
With the second ever Blizzcon World Championship title under their belt along with a handsome $300,000 first prize, Ballistix have thrust themselves into the conversation for the best team in the world. Given the Fall Championship marks just the second major tournament win for the team, it seems Ballistix could be on the verge of a dominant run in the competitive scene.
Semifinals
Ballistix vs. Team Dignitas
Ballistix destroyed Team Dignitas in the second semifinal series of the Heroes of the Storm Fall Championship, winning 3-1 to claim their spot in the finals.
Ballistix came out with a solid strategy in Game 1, opting to deploy their top assassin player, Seung-Chul "sCsC" Kim, with Sgt. Hammer while drafting three heroes with global presence to surround him. While Sgt. Hammer did heavy damage to structures, the rest of Ballistix capitalized by isolating heroes with their global abilities and picking them off, gaining a substantial lead that Dignitas was unable to match.
In Game 2, Ballistix started off rocky, as Dignitas' Jerome "JayPL" Trinh dominated on his comfort pick, Stitches. After securing a few kills, Dignitas made a small blunder, getting caught off guard by Ballistix's Do Joon "Noblesse" Chae at their shaman camp. This turned into an all-out teamfight where the majority of Dignitas were killed off and the camp was stolen by Ballistix. The Korean team quickly snowballed from there, earning a decisive victory.
During Game 3, Ballistix built a full Illidan team comp, but their overconfidence during the draft may have been their undoing as Dignitas' Joshua "Snitch" Bennett was able to counter with a LiLi pick. Thanks to her very powerful Blinding Wind talent, Dignitas was able to win every single teamfight.
With their tournament lives on the line, Dignitas made a valiant effort in Game 4, but was unable to secure kills early on. An Auriel/Valla combo by Ballistix became far too dominant, as they skyrocketed to a 10-1 kill advantage. Following the two-level lead, Ballistix played a safe, mechanical game, pushing the lead further. A last-ditch effort by Dignitas to defend the base was undone by Seung-Chul "sCsC" Kim's Valla as he terrorized the entire Dignitas backline to secure the win.
Fnatic vs. MVP Black
Team Fnatic dismantled MVP Black in the first semifinal series of the Heroes of the Storm Fall Championship, winning 3-1 to claim their spot in the finals.
Late in the first match, Fnatic's team captain Dob "Quackniix" Engström made the call to sneak the boss camp while his teammates tried to lead MVP Black off of the trail. At the last second, MVP Black figured out the ruse and composed a five-man dive onto the boss right as it was about to be taken down. Fnatic still managed to lock down the boss, but not without paying a hefty price, losing three of their five members in the process. MVP Black knew they had only one chance to win, so they ignored the boss trampling towards their core and decided to go all-in on Fnatic. Getting the core to under 50 percent, MVP Black's team was finally taken out by the freshly revived Fnatic members, allowing them to march down the map and end the game.
Game 2 showcased Fnatic's Jonathan "Wubby" Gunnarsson, as he was able to unlock the power that is Dehaka on Sky Temple. All throughout the match, Wubby was seen split-pushing for his team, gaining valuable experience and knocking down towers while also maintaining a global presence as he used his Brush Stalker ability to instantaneously travel to his team in the thick of a teamfight. As a result, Fnatic was able to earn the win and jump out to a 2-0 series advantage.
Game 3 took a turn for the worse as Fnatic jumped out to a huge lead on Towers of Doom, with 27 core health to MVP Black's 12. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Jae "Rich" Won Lee pulled out an amazing Ley Line Seal on Medivh that set MVP Black up for a huge team wipe against Fnatic. This put Fnatic on their heels and they were not able to regroup, as MVP Black's crisp rotations destroyed enough bell towers to eventually secure the win.
The final match of the series saw Fnatic make an interesting call, as they drafted Medivh for Simon "ScHwimpi" Svensson in an effort to showcase his own variation of the Ley Line Seal. That move paid off, as Fnatic was able to grab a relatively easy win to advance the finals.
