HotSCast Episode 40 – Save the Cheerleader! – HotSCast is YOUR source for all the Heroes of the Storm coverage you can handle! Find us on Twitter @HotSCast, on Twitch.tv/HotSCast, YouTube.com/HotSCast, on Google+ and Facebook as HotSCast. Email the show HotSCast@gmail.com! This week we discuss a new Heroes of the Storm tournament in Australia, Harlequin Nazeebo in honor of Mardi Gras, the Lunar Festival, an odd look by a blogger on Heroes, and so much more!! Enjoy! And if you do, please leave us a review on iTunes, or Stitcher, or whatever podcast catcher of your choosing! That is the best help you can provide in growing the show, Thanks!!

Recorded Tuesday, February 17, 2015   |   HotScast Episode #40   |   Hosts:  Vincent (Rilandune), Mike (Fimlys), & Kali (NerdiChar)

Continue on past the break for shownotes, links, embedded audio, and more!

SALES & FREE HERO ROTATION

Rehgar — Sale Price: $4.24 USD

Commander Raynor Skin — Sale Price: $3.74 USD

Storm Mantle Malfurion Skin — Sale Price: $3.74 USD

Week of Tuesday, February 17, 2015:

• 
  
• E.T.C.
  
• Illidan
  
• Li Li
  
• Sonya
  
• Uther
  
• Sgt. Hammer (Available after you reach player level 12)
  
• Falstad (Available after you reach player level 15)
  

SKINS & MOUNTS

Kali:  We announced the skin last week, but Harlequin Nazeebo is now live to help celebrate Mardi Gras! There is a video in the link that shows how cool this skin looks. Also, you can now buy the skin and Nazeebo as a bundle in the shop.

http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/blog/17944477/celebrate-carnival-and-mardi-gras-with-harlequin-nazeebo-2-17-2015

E-SPORTS & TOURNAMENTS

The Exile5 Australia and New Zealand Heroes tournament is running from February 16-28. You can watch the streams via the link below.

http://battlefy.com/happyrage19/exile-5-anz-heroes-tournament-feb/54ca156517b76646004e5112/info

HOLIDAY EVENTS

Ril:  From Blizzard:  Lunar Festival is here! The Lunar Festival is upon us, and we’re celebrating with free bonus XP! Players who log in to the Americas region between the hours of 12:01 AM PST on February 18 and 11:59 PM PST on February 24 will receive a 25% XP boost.

Mike:  The boost is only available while logged in to the game, but it will apply to all Heroes. As a reminder, this special occasion bonus will indeed stack additively with Stimpacks.

Kali:  What’s more, players who log in and play 10 games of Heroes of the Storm between January 27 and the morning of March 3, 2015 will also receive a special new Lunar Festival portrait! Matches played in any mode except for Custom Games will count towards unlocking this epic portrait, so make sure to jump into the Nexus for a brawl before the event comes to an end.

http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/blog/17944478/lunar-festival-xp-boost-event-2-16-2015

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

 Ril:  YouTuber HeroesForecast has been putting out awesome videos of the “Top 5 Plays of the Week.†Make sure to check them out for tips, tricks, and nail-biting moments. Link below.

Kali:  So this article takes a pretty negative slant on Heroes and it is the elephant in the room that I try to interject into our conversations on occasion. The writer makes some really good points:

• 
  
• Blizzard’s various attempts at streamlining MOBA gameplay don’t leave much hope for late-game turnarounds and it’s usually obvious which team will win within minutes of the starting horn.
  
• There’s no way to offset/correct your team’s deficiencies mid-match, thanks to Blizzard’s decision not to include items or consumables in Heroes of the Storm.
  
• In games like Dota 2 and LoL, items allow you to overcome hero mis-matches. Nobody on your team picked a character who can stun? No big deal, grab a crowd-control item or two out of the store and get back to business. That’s not the case in Heroes of the Storm. Instead, HotS forces you to run into that same brick wall for the duration of your match. This results in too many lopsided games that feel over in five minutes but drag on for twenty.
  
• The mythical “comeback victory†is technically possible in Heroes of the Storm but first you need really skilled teammates. Then you need the right map.
  
• I prefer to play support classes but found my options lacking. HotS emphasizes combat with minions, mercenaries and heroes instead.
  
• Players who try to play Heroes of the Storm passively will soon find their core overrun by mercenaries, golems, cannon fire and a whole cornucopia of other threats. It’s an effective method for forcing teams to work together but also a source of great frustration whenever your team isn’t communicating well (if at all).
  
• It seems Blizzard developed MOBA gameplay using MMO strategies to appeal to customers already invested in the Battle.net ecosystem. Each character from Heroes of the Storm belongs to one of three categories (Assassin (DPS), Warrior and Support), and teams seem to do best when they have the same hero breakdown (3 DPS, 1 tank, 1 healer) as a WoW party.
  

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjQNH9WpE64ALIQ1i4iIklw

http://kotaku.com/the-all-star-blizzard-toy-line-weve-always-wanted-1685159928

http://www.idigitaltimes.com/heroes-storm-easy-learn-no-reason-master-414833

CRAZY ASS THING THAT SHOULD BE IN GAME (CATTSBIG)

Kali:  I read an article that suggested many missing Heroes that we have talked about during the show, but it also suggested some that made me giggle and I just had to share. Deckard Cain was quickly mentioned, along with Leeroy Jenkins, Blackthorne, Grommash Hellscream, and V-07-TR-0N. What do you guys think?

http://www.redbull.com/en/esports/stories/1331705646439/heroes-of-the-storm-5-blizzard-stars-still-missing

Possible Show Titles:

Saute More Quietly Please

Running Over Cheerleaders

Save the Cheerleader

Fryin Gator and Poppin Jiffy Pop

Joel Jiffy Poppin

Two Jiffy Pops

I Want ALL the Funko Pops!

Enjoy!!