Blizzard will be broadcasting the Hearthstone invitational competition for free this year. Watch it on http://www.twitch.tv/wow or http://blizzcon.com Saturday November 9th starting at 10 am pst and ending at 1 pm pst. Our very own Noxious will be one of the combatants.
Don't forget that if you buy the virtual ticket to blizzcon that broadcasts the whole of the convention you get a free exclusive blizzcon 2014 minion to play in your hearthstone games in the future.
Here is a countdown timer to the time it starts for all of us in different time zones that don't want to do the math.
http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20131109T10&p0=137&msg=Inkeeper+Invitational&csz=1&swk=1
Shout-Casted by TotalBiscuit and Kevin Knocke!
The Rules
Players must bring three decks to the Innkeeper's Invitational for three different classes. These three decks will stick with the player throughout the tournament unless they get beaten. No other decks or cards than those found in their original three decks may be used in the tournament. When a player is beaten, the deck they had used during that match will be out of the tournament for good. The losing player will then need to choose one of their remaining decks to battle with. You may not change decks in the middle of a match. Once a player is out of decks, it is game over for them in the Invitational.
Competitors in the Innkeeper's Invitational will face off in a set of best-of-five matches. Only one player will remain standing at the end of the Invitational. This winning player will take the glory of the win, plus be named “Grandmaster of the Hearth”, as well as receive a trophy befitting their victory.
The Bracket
So lets meet the players!
Source: http://eu.battle.net/hearthstone/en...ers-invitiational-player-spotlight-22-10-2013
Source: http://eu.battle.net/hearthstone/en...ational-player-spotlight-continued-29-10-2013
Noxious
Name
Kacem Alexandre Khilaji
Online Alias
Noxious
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
I've been a Magic: the Gathering addict since my very early age, and World of Warcraft was the first MMO which I played on a "hardcore" level. I never had the funds (nor the nearby community) to get into the old WoW TCG, and was absolutely ecstatic when Hearthstone was announced. It was the best of all worlds: it was on a computer, it was a card game, and it was in the Warcraft Universe. I had a nerd epiphany.
What’s your Battlecry?
"That's the play!" When we win: "Jay Jay!"
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
I typically try to aim for cards that will be useful regardless of whether or not they make it to the next turn, so if I were to cite "must-haves" in common cards, I'd probably say the Dark Iron Dwarf, Cult Master and Harvest Golem. The first can give you an instantaneous "positive trade" (trading a small minion for a larger, more costly one), the second one can be played before you're about to trade everything you've got to replace it all, and the third one is a complete nightmare to deal with.
There are a lot of Rare cards I value highly, but I think the Azure Drake and Argent Commander are my top 2 favorite to see. The Drake being a 4/4 makes it a good,solid body, but the Spell Power and cantrip effect smacked onto it are just lovely. As for the Argent Commander, he's a surprise on a stick that can change board states on his own. This is even truer when you are not forced to use his Divine Shield right away (e.g: kill a Flametongue Totem), as the opponent will at least trade one card for it, and in some cases 2 or 3, and that is AFTER you've used him once!
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
I think it would be a Legendary Gnome alchemist character that kills other minions at random by throwing vials of poison on them at the start or end of your turn.
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
Even though some of the people who have watched me think I'm a really good player, I know full well that a lot of the players in the ManaGrind community straight up outclass me, although they are much less known. Of those that I consider the best players, spaJJ comes to mind as well as Moon, Byke and jotto. And Doroxx, but I haven't seen him around in a long time! Can't say I'm eager to go against Trump and Kripparrian either. . . .
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
As a whole, I have to say I'm in absolute love with the game's "physical" feel. I can't remotely believe the "physicality" of real card games was captured this well. And for the sake of awesomeness, I can actually control the Dragon Aspects!
Show your support for Noxious on Twitter using the hashtag #teamnoxious!
Hafu
Name
Rumay Wang
Online Alias
Hafu
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
I've never tried the CCG genre but I'm a huge Blizzard fan so I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm super hooked now.
What’s your Battlecry?
“Hafu's the name, top-decking's my game.”
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
Acidic Swamp Ooze -- I think weapons are super strong in Hearthstone! Oozing a Gorehowl is the best feeling.
Ysera — My favorite Legendary card!
Shadow Madness — Even though I'm still learning Priest, I feel like this card has a lot of potential for fun plays.
Kirin Tor Mage — I main Mage and feel like this card is extremely strong even without a Secret. If you can combo a Secret with it, it's super scary.
Mad Bomber — Even though it's a love-hate relationship, I find myself picking Mad Bomber time and time again. Please Bomber, have mercy-- I believe in you.
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
Hafu — An 8 Mana 1/1 with Battlecry: Pick any card in your opponent's deck and play it. >: )
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
I have a lot of respect for everyone who's playing in the tournament. I'm especially fearful of Kripparian and Trump since I know they have extensive CCG experience and have been playing Hearthstone non-stop for the last couple of months. Even though it's my first CCG I feel as though I should not be underestimated! My top-decking skills are unmatched.
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
I truly enjoy The Arena because although there is a small luck factor on the cards you draw, you more or less can construct a strong deck every time.
Show your support for Hafu on Twitter using the hashtag #teamhafu!
Husky
Name
Mike Lamond
Online Alias
Most people call me 'Husky'. Oftentimes I have been referred to as 'that one guy.'
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
Ever since middle school I have played basically every collectible card game there is. The most obvious being Magic the Gathering but I have many fond memories of playing the Star Wars, Dragon Ball Z, and Pokemon card games as well.
What’s your Battlecry?
“HELLO EVERYONE, THIS IS H-TO-THE . . . aww screw it, ‘BRRRLRGLLGLRGGGGGLHRHGL!’”
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
I feel like this is a question where Day[9] and Artosis will probably go super analytic mode, carefully crafting their answers to be both insightful and inspiring. For me? I really like Murlocs, Pirates, and Bloodlusting totems. If I could make a deck consisting purely of Overlords, Wirt’s Leg, Mankrik's wife and that one dying guy outside the citadel in Diablo 1, I totally would.
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
Name: HuskyStarCraft Cost: 10 mana Stats: 0/1 Rarity: WHY DO I KEEP DRAWING THIS CARD??? Description: Discard your enemy's deck. Or yours by accident. #TypicalHusky
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
I firmly believe that I am the worst player in this tournament. For that reason the only thing they should fear is accidentally losing to me. Really the only thing important to me is that I don’t lose to Day[9] at any point in the tournament.
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
Honestly, Hearthstone is an extremely fun game. It’s a game you can play for countless hours or a quick 10 minute game. In typical Blizzard fashion, the game is easy to pick up but surprisingly challenging to master. I really think there is a lot more depth to the game than someone might first realize.
Show your support for Husky on Twitter using the hashtag #teamhusky!
Reckful
Name
Byron Bernstein
Online Alias
Reckful
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
I received a beta key so I thought I'd try it out. I didn't think I'd like the game—other than the Pokemon one when I was 10, I hadn't played card games in the past. Within an hour I was hooked.
What’s your Battlecry?
"Turtle all day!"
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
All of the drawing cards:
Acolyte of Pain
Cult Master
Divine Favor
Battle Rage
Nourish
Skill seems to matter much more when both players have many cards in hand. Although it's technically a bad card, some of my decks even use Coldlight Oracle, which draws 2 cards for each player.
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
Farmer Byron - a legendary costing between 5-8 mana that spawns 1/1 crops every turn, and if the crop dies you draw a card (if the farmer harvests the crops you get a card).
What I'm not sure is if the crops should spawn for you or your opponent—it could spawn crops for the opponent, and if you kill the crops you draw a card. It could spawn 0/1 crops for you with Taunt, and if the opponent kills them, you draw a card. Both work; Farmer stats budgeted accordingly depending on which version.
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
I respect all the players in the tournament, but I'm most scared of Day[9] and Artosis. Most the other players I've met or talked to; Day[9] and Artosis, in my mind, are a scary unknown. That famous person you haven't met yet; they always end up being human beings like everyone else, but there's that initial fear.
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
The ability to log in and play a competitive game whenever I want. I've always played team games where I couldn't do that.
Show your support for Reckful on Twitter using the hashtag #teamreckful!
Day[9]
Name
Sean Plott
Online Alias
Day[9]
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
It's a Blizzard game, I've never *not* played a Blizzard game.
Specifically, I got the chance to play the game right before the Beta came out and I was blown away by the interface and visuals. The explosions, animations, and sound design give card games the visceral, fun feel I've always wanted.What’s your Battlecry?
Be a Better Gamer.
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
I'm deeply flattered that you credit me with having intelligent Arena picks. If I'm trying to "play well," I'll likely be looking for solid value cards like Chillwind Yeti or Harvest Golem. However, some of my biggest pleasures in games is playing "gamble mode" cards. Either they work amazingly or horribly. Either way, it's a blast. Cards like Millhouse Manastorm, Tinkmaster Overspark, and Alarm-o-bot come to mind.
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
Be a Better Gamer: 1 Mana: Until end of turn: All your cards cost (1) less this turn. Next turn, lose the game.
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
I so totally have a grudge against Husky. We are definitely not great friends in real life and have consistent malice towards each other. I wish cruel things on him, like soggy cereal or bad movie recommendations on Netflix.
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
I opened THREE Legendaries in a row. May the RNG gods be praised!
Show your support for Day[9] on Twitter using the hashtag #teamday9!
Artosis
Name
Dan Stemkoski
Online Alias
Artosis
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
I was a Magic: The Gathering player for a very long time, in addition to being a professional SC1/2 player and caster. When I heard about Blizzard making a CCG, I knew I'd love it!
What’s your Battlecry?
When you're ahead, get more ahead.
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
Twilight Drake, Mind Control, Spell Breaker, Sen'jin Shieldmasta, Mana Tide Totem.
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
It would have to be Legendary, first off. I'm pretty sure it would draw you cards, and always be cost efficient.
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
I really respect LS, he's a very strong player that I practice against a lot. Doa always has crazy decks that seem to work as well. StrifeCro is a really strong player too.
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
I really like how easy it is to create a large number of decks and be able to play with them at a moment's notice.
Show your support for Artosis on Twitter using the hashtag #teamartosis!
Trump
Name
Jeffrey Shih
Online Alias
Trump (Trumpsc)
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
I've played Magic: The Gathering quite a bit. The move to Hearthstone is natural since I'm a big fan of strategy and of card games. Once I got started I couldn't stop!
What’s your Battlecry?
"I always hold a . . . (pause for dramatic effect) . . . Trump Card."
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
While no individual card is a "must-have", and many are a "nice to have," I'll list a few card types which every deck needs, represented by some common cards.
1. Bloodfen Raptor - The humble and early 2 drops. You need a few of these which have good stats to survive and/or put pressure in the early game.
2. Chillwind Yeti - You always want to look for efficient mid-game minions which are individually strong and able to win against opposing minions of equal mana cost.
3. Boulderfist Ogre - See a pattern? A few minions like the ogre—big minions—which are, again, individually strong, are the key to victory.
4. Spellbreaker - Minions with useful utility while still having fairly good attack and health values are critical to your success.
5. Shadow Bolt - Of course, you can't only have minions. You'll want some spells, and generally, those which affect the board in a meaningful way (in this example, something that generally kills minions) are the best.
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
A legendary panda minion named "Trum Po" with the text: "You control the outcome of all random effects of your cards."
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
I respect all of them! While fear isn't the word I would use for what I feel of any of my competitors, I believe in doing my due diligence and so I am wary of all of them and come in with full expectations that they will prove to be tough competition.
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
The voice acting of all the cards! My favorite one is Venture Co. Mercenary's "Y-y-you gotta be kiddin' me!"
Show your support for Trump on Twitter using the hashtag #teamtrump!
Kripparrian
Name
Octavian Morosan
Online Alias
Kripp, Kripparrian
What got you into playing Hearthstone?
As a necessary part of life, I must play all Blizzard games. A viewer of my stream sent me a beta key to play Hearthstone right as I realized how bored I was with the other games I was playing. I gave the game a try and haven’t stopped playing or thinking about it since.
What’s your Battlecry?
ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ Well Met ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ
What are your top 5 must-have Arena picks?
1. Ysera: The strongest single card in Hearthstone. Every Arena draft with this card is amazing because there is always hope that you draw it and proceed to make a miraculous comeback.
2. Venture Co Mercenary AKA "The Kitten": I didn't like this card at first, but the combination of its amazing in game emotes and its devastating presence on turn 5 makes it the most lovable card in the set.
3. Defender of Argus: One of the best control cards in the game. Early board control is largely based on stats over abilities like taunt. Since control players don't often pick taunts, the Defender combines both stat efficiency and can be a helpful taunt if you need it.
4. Stormwind Champion: There is nothing like a Stormwind Champion pick 25 cards in your draft when you realize you have no endgame. The Champion allows all of your early and mid-game drops to begin trading favorably with mid-game and endgame creatures. It fills the role of multiple high casting cost creatures in one card. This card also has the most epic emotes.
5. Shattered Sun Cleric: The current top 3 mana neutral creature allows you to snowball into an easy win straight from your turn 2 drop beating the opponent’s. The +1/+1 can even come in handy as the game progresses, resulting in a favorable trade.
If you had a card designed after you, what would it do?
6 Mana: 2/6 Charge, Battlecry: Silence All Other Minions. Return to Hand at End of Turn.
What other players in the Hearthstone community do you fear or respect? Anyone you dread being matched up against?
Anyone who maintains their gold currency while playing 100% arena is playing very well and should be respected. I mostly fear people who do their homework on me, as I stream all my gameplay and thoughts. If you know every card in your opponent’s deck, they are not going to put up much of a fight if you build a deck to beat theirs.
What’s your favorite part of Hearthstone so far?
I love the combination of a fast paced card game with all the sounds and themes from Warcraft. I played Magic for many years, but I really disliked the time investment in setting up a game, as well as the lack of attachment to the cards.
Show your support for Kripparian on Twitter using the hashtag #teamkripp!
Here is a sneak peak at all of the decks of the players
Source: http://eu.battle.net//hearthstone/en/blog/11507738
Day[9]’s Decks:
Paladin “Divine Feels”
Druid “Glacierpaw”
Shaman “Power Overloading”
Trump’s Decks:
Mage “Add Fuel”
Druid “Hipster Mage”
Priest “What’s Yours is Mine”
Artosis’ Decks:
Paladin "I let the dark in"
Warrior "ek0p Warrior"
Priest "The Artosis Curse"
Hafu’s Decks:
Mage “To The Fire"
Shaman “The Insomniac’s Last Resort”
Paladin “Bubble Hearth or Bust”
Husky’s Decks:
Hunter “Beastkrieg”
Warlock “Hot Stuff”
Warrior “chARRRRRRRge”
Kripp’s Decks:
Mage “Turn Eight”
Priest “Control the Drakes”
Paladin “Cixah’s Miniatures”
Noxious’ Decks:
Mage “Refrigerator”
Paladin “Son of Athene”
Shaman “Thrallalawl”
Reckful’s Decks:
Priest “The Indecisive Priest”
Paladin “No Tirion”
Mage “Realz the Mastermind”
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