With the fourth qualifier for the Sound Blaster Heroes League going on this week it’s time to release the fourth invite. Q sQuad 357 will join 15 other top teams in the SBHL playoffs next month.
Upon his return from Dota 2 in the Summer of 2012, HoN superstar NoVa spearheaded the community initiative that became Q sQuad. The QsQ organization was created to help players hone their skills with like minded individuals and form a strong community centered around improvement and positive involvement in the HoN competitive scene. Since then the organization has become hundreds strong, fielding 5 HoN Tour teams, two in the Diamond division. The primary team ,Q sQuad 357, combines the experience of the winningest player in Heroes of Newerth history with the raw talent and dedication of new teammates to foster a very healthy competitive atmosphere. Although QsQ 357 has not taken a first place finish yet they consistently have made the top 4 in all HoN Tour events. The QsQ team is looking stronger than ever with a recent 10-0 streak, taking 2-0 victories over Pencils, DrDz, coL, tdM, and TteS before falling just short of the Cycle 3 championship. QsQ 357’s 2-3 loss to sG in the finals has motivated the team to take a win more than ever before. With the most rigorous practice schedule in all of HoN Q sQuad 357 is sure to be a top contender in the upcoming Sound Blaster Heroes League playoffs.
The Q sQuad 357 roster includes:
22 – Germany
The team captain and support player is by far the most experienced member of QsQ 357. As a part of Team Fnatic for over 2 years NoVa won 4 straight DreamHack Championships and more events than any other player in Heroes of Newerth. Since returning to HoN from Dota 2 NoVa played an integral role in the formation of QsQ and has since led his team to success with solid drafting, in game calls, and his trademark excellent team fight positioning. While his excellent warding keeps his team prepared during games NoVa is also known for his motivational speeches before big matches.
16 – Belgium
Style’s competitive past is nearly the polar opposite of his captains. With no real past teams Style came to QsQ as a skilled, but untested player. Since joining the team Style has made a name for himself with a trademark super aggressive play style in solo short or mid lanes. He is regarded by his teammates and peers as one of the scene’s most skilled players in a one on one scenario and routinely scores bloodlust kills in big matches. Style fine tunes his aggressive skills by playing TMM games constantly to dial in skill shots on signature heroes like Bombardier. To keep his skills honed Style makes sure to consume copious amounts of energy drinks and rewards himself with fast food after a game well played.
20 – Sweden
jonassomfan has participated in the competitive scene for quite some time but has found very limited success with his teams until QsQ 357. In the Q sQuad team Jonas plays the suicide roll with signature heroes like Bubbles or Pharoah. His ability to find farm, not die, and occasionally win a 1v2 lane make him a very valuable asset to his team. Aside from his in game skill Jonas also provides the much needed levity in the competitive team atmosphere. His cheerful personality makes sure that his team doesn’t go on tilt and keeps their mental game in check throughout a whole series or event.
23 – Finland
Malle plays the jungle or secondary support roles for Q sQuad 357. Malle is the only QsQ player other than NoVa with a long list of previous teams. Although he has played with big name teams like KD Gaming, Another Dimensions, and Isot Pelit, Malle has met with little success until his time with QsQ. With strong play on his signature hero, Tempest, Malle often is able to farm exceedingly well early and translate that start into strong pushes in the early game. Malle is known for great follow-up or counter-initiation, putting his team into a position from which they can easily take the upper hand in team fights. Even after the team fight is over, Malle still has an enemy on the field; Kongor has a tendency to kill the QsQ jungler, and in response Malle often retaliates by killing the Token of Life or Bananas.
18 – Sweden
NoX is the hard carry player for Q sQuad, shining with signature heroes like The Dark Lady and Draconis. While his primary objective is farming throughout the game, NoX also contributes to the team’s in game leadership with important strategic calls. If it were up to him, NoX would make every hero into a hard carry, preferring to get items like Runed Cleaver and Brutalizer on heroes you wouldn’t expect them on. While he certainly plays traditional carry heroes very well (see: 800 GPM Dark Lady), NoX also has a soft spot in his heart for unusual carries like Puppet Master.
Speaking about Q sQuad 357’s invitation to the Sound Blaster Heroes League Playoffs captain Jascha “NoVa” Markuse had this to say:
“We are very thankful for the invitation to the Sound Blaster tournament. Although we believe that our hard work and dedication is starting to pay off we don’t take such events for granted and will show our best possible performance to justify this decision.”