With the Sound Blaster Heroes League qualifier #2 underway, the second invite has been released! Trademark eSports has been named the next team, along with compLexity Gaming, to be featured in the finals bracket.
When the former Trademark eSports roster left their sponsor in favor of compLexity Gaming earlier this year the future of the team was unclear. Fortunately for tdM they replaced a top team with a top team. They formed the core of their team by picking up the captain of the former LIONS squad, Mynuts, and adding in former from Pubstars players Limmp and noobG. The new tdM squad made a deep run in the DreamHoN Online Summer Championship, finally falling to compLexity Gaming in the finals. Determined to do better, Trademark picked up former Blackfade.org players iNsania and zai’ and quickly made it back to the finals in DreamHoN Redemption. Unfortunately coL bested them once more, but tdM still qualified for the upcoming DreamHoN Winter event in Sweden. In the HoN Tour qualifiers tdM initially fell to V0TE (sG) but battled back, gave coL their first series loss in months, and managed to defeat V0TE in a Grand Finals rematch to take their first major win. Following this remarkable performance they crushed compLexity again the following weekend in the DreamHoN Winter LAN event Grand Finals, taking their first major LAN victory. In subsequent weeks tdM won HoN Tour Diamond cycles one and two without dropping a series, taking both Grand Finals over compLexity Gaming. While Honcast’s Team of the Year seems on top of the world they are not invincible. Just this weekend in HoN Tour Diamond cycle 3 Tt eSPORTS made tdM look weaker than they have in months by giving them their first tournament series loss in recent memory. The Sound Blaster Heroes League playoffs will be a stage for tdM to show if they’ve got what it takes to stay on top.
The Trademark eSports Heroes of Newerth Division consists of:
22 – Uppsala, Sweden
The captain of the tdM HoN has only been involved in the competitive HoN scene for just over a year but in that time he has made his presence felt. As captain of the former LIONS eSportsKLUBB squad he led the team to a 3rd place finish in Dreamhack Winter 2011, and a first place finish at the NASL Season 2 Grand Finals. He also filled in as a ringer for the Tt eSPORTS team at Dreamhack Summer 2012, contributing to the team’s silver medal. The jungle player for tdM has his own way of drafting and building heroes but with a best drafter award from Honcast for the year of 2012 adding to his multiple podium finishes he is one of the most accomplished HoN players in the last 18 months.
17 – Stockholm, Sweden
Along with fellow from Pubstars player noobG, Limmp joined tdM in the initial restructuring of the
team and found success as the teams mid player and ganker. He is one of the more versatile players on the team, stepping out of his defined role to pick up the occasional Zephyr while still punishing them like the ganker he is at heart. While previously Limmp played on teams like it’s Gosu with his brother, Chessie, they now find themselves on opposite sides of the fierce rivalry that has permeated the compLexity Gaming vs. Trademark eSports match up.
19 – Copenhagen, Denmark
Trademark’s carry is the only non-Swede on the team, but the similarities end there. Along with several teammates he received an award as an individual from Honcast last month. The Carry of the Year got his start playing for teams like from Pub Stars and sGty but since joining tdM his Draconis, Silhouette and other carry heroes have come to be known by most and feared by all. noobG has
made Ghost Marchers his signature item, picking them up on almost all heroes and using them to secure the top spot on the MMR ladder.
15 – Skara, Sweden
zai’ along with fellow ex-Blackfade.org player joined the team in the second restructuring phase for tdM in late summer of 2012. He had shown some success with Blackfade as they took 3rd place at Dreamhack Summer 2012 but his true skill shown through once he joined tdM. With a role transition
to that of a suicide player zai’ has been a huge part of tdM’s success in the later half of 2012. He
was recognized by the Honcast yearly awards not once, not twice, but three times as the Best Suicide/Solo, Breakout Player, and overall MVP. The 15 year old self styled ‘coLslayer” seems to have no limits as he somehow finds success in any suicide match-up.
18 – Linköping, Sweden
Like teammate zai’ iNsania had only moderate success in his previous teams, notably taking 3rd in Dreamhack Summer 2012, and first in the it’s Gosu May Invitational. Once he was inserted into an atmosphere with other highly skilled and dedicated players his support skills enabled the team to
sore to new heights. iNsania stresses the mental aspect of Heroes of Newerth in his favorite quote, “Attitude is the little thing that makes the big difference.” His positive attitude helps keep the team from tilting in major matches and as long as you find a ward in his inventory he is bound to stay happy.
Speaking about his team’s invitation to the Sound Blaster Heroes League Aydin “iNsania” Sarkohi had this to say:
“We feel very honored to be invited to this tournament. We’re of course going to do our very best to prove ourselves and hopefully be able to bring the entire thing home.”