By Hoku
Division B East
This is a group of mostly veteran teams, with one new team that is comprised of an intriguing mix of new and returning players.
Bad Rats – This team is now fairly well established in the pantheon of NGS teams, and brings just one new player to their roster for S20. After a strong season in Div C, they are moving on up (to B East side…).
Ground Up – With a slight roster change this season, Ronno and crew are back to tear up B East. Will anyone be able to stop Nix as she proves any healer can also be top kills?
Heavy Greg – With a 50% reduction in RandyNewmen, Heavy Greg is back to show why they were a contender in a hot division last season.
Lightwell Unhinged – This is our wild card, our dark horse, our element of surprise, well, you get the idea. Will their drafts be as unhinged as their logo?
Protectors of Aiur – This team has climbed steadily since they joined NGS, with one of the most stable rosters. Will all of this experience and team chemistry make them the beasts of B East this time around?
Surely We Scale – After a successful run lat season, the scaley ones return with a slightly modified roster to see if they can repeat their success. Magic 8 Ball says … ask again in 10 weeks.
Xul Gin Distillery – Another team with a long history, seasoned lineup, and probably my favorite HotS pun in NGS, these folks are looking to challenge all the more alphabetically favored teams in the race for the top.
Division B West
B West features some returning teams, two new teams of veteran players, and two teams that have been on hiatus, so this season may have a lot of twists and turns.
Beatgen: Revival – Our first team making a return after a break, this is comprised of a number of players who have been elsewhere the last few seasons. Led by none other than Linehouse, it will be fun to see how version 2.0 of Beatgen fares in Div B.
Can’t Counterpick Stupid – Our second team coming back after skipping a season, we see their strong core is intact, but a few new faces have joined them this season. This team is known for shenanigans (Juice Pirates, anyone?), and we will see if they bring their quirky drafts back this go around.
Dragonsong – The first of the new teams, this group has a lot of NGS experience, although in several different divisions. It may take them a week or two to synergize, but they have several extremely strong players, so should be a great group to watch develop.
Roll1Esports – A seasoned veteran of Div B, they return at full strength after coming very close to winning out the division last season. They also tend to have interesting drafts, so this is another team to watch if you like pyrotechnics!
Spooky Ghosts – After a quick trip to Division A last season, this crew is back in B West this season. They are another veteran team, with a history in Div B, so they should know their opponents well, and vice versa.
Suds with Buds – Rounding out the division, let’s welcome the second new team! With a very large roster, and talent culled from several highly successful teams in the past, this could be our wild card favorite this season.