How to prepare for the Specialist format on Battlefy
Introducing the new “Specialist” format for Hearthstone! The new format is the new standard for competitive play for Hearthstone masters and grand masters!
On Battlefy, we are also pleased to announce that there will be official open tournaments with full prize support using the new “Specialist” format!
Let’s get started! Let’s setup your Battlefy account, setup your deck and get you ready to join tournaments. Ready to battle? Read on!
First, read this guide on “Link your Battle.net account”
Once you have linked your battle.net account you can now start participating in Hearthstone tournaments!
Once all of this is setup, prepare yourself for the latest competition mode in Hearthstone, “The Specialist Format.”
The Specialist format is a brand new competitive format debuting with the 2019 Hearthstone Masters series. Players select three 30 card decks to bring to each tournament. The catch? All three decks must be from the same class. This is a major departure from previous competitive formats.
Amongst the three decks, one is designated as the primary deck, with the other two designated as secondary and tertiary decks. There are no special restrictions placed on constructing your primary deck, aside from regular competitive Hearthstone deck construction rules. However, a player’s secondary and tertiary decks must share at least 25 cards in common with the main deck. In other words, secondary and tertiary decks must mirror the primary deck, with up to 5 cards swapped out. It’s important to point out that duplicate cards count towards this 5 card limit.
As an example, if you wish to use 2 copies of Twilight Drake in your secondary deck, and you have 0 copies of Twilight Drake in your main deck, you must spend 2 swaps to include both cards. Unique or not, if a card isn’t in your primary deck, it counts toward your 5 card limit. These side decks are an opportunity for you to tune your favourite deck against the meta-game you anticipate in the tournament. Battlefy will tell you wether or not your decks are legal within the Specialist format as you submit them during tournament registration.
The primary deck is important for another reason — you must pilot your primary deck during the first game in a match. You may only use your secondary and tertiary decks in subsequent games. You don’t have to swap decks, and you don’t have to announce your swap. After each game, this process repeats, meaning you can use a different deck in each of the 3 games in a best-of-3 match.
