alt="BlizzCon Convention Center" />

BlizzCon 2013 is steadily drawing
closer and Blizzard fans are ecstatic and rightly so considering that
BlizzCon did not take place at all last year. As the event looms ever
nearer on the horizon, it seems that more and more things to look
forward to keep pop up. The most recent of which is an exciting
announcement about Blizzard's newest game; Hearthstone: Heroes of
Warcraft. Those attending BlizzCon 2013 will be able to witness the
very first Innkeeper's Invitational. What is the Innkeeper's
Invitational exactly? Read onward to learn the answer to that
question plus even more juicy details concerning this brand new
event!

The Innkeeper's Invitational

The Innkeeper's Invitational is simply
this; an exhibition tournament. Wondering what exactly an exhibition
tournament is? An exhibition tournament means that there is no
competitive value of any kind to the players competing in it. This
means there are no real rankings and no prize money, so basically
those staging this are doing it for fun and simple love of the game.
Which is, in my personal opinion, two of the best reasons to do
anything.

Brought to you by....

Those that put together the idea of the
Invitational are a collect group of Hearthstone fans that got
together and decided they wanted to put their skills on show for all
Blizzard fans to see and why not? If you are good at something it is
natural to want to showcase your skills. Not to mention that
Starcraft players have long held huge competitions, some of which
even take place at BlizzCon. These players all over the world come
together to place their skills against each other for the chance to
reign supreme in the Starcraft universe, at least until next year.

Being a competitive game, it seems that
Hearthstone players would instinctively want to have the same chance
as their Starcraft counterparts. However, the first Innkeeper's
Invitational that we will see take place at this year's BlizzCon will
be a tad bit similar and smaller in scope. Check out the rules of the
game in the next section.

Innkeeper's Invitational Rules

The idea behind the Innkeeper's
Invitation is to pit some of the most passionate Hearthstone: Heroes
of Warcraft players against each other in intense matches live on
stage at BlizzCon. Not only will players get to show off their
skills, but the audience (who are also likely fans of the game) will
get the opportunity to learn some new techniques and maneuvers. While
that might sound simple enough, there are some rules.

alt="Jaina Vs. Thrall" />

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 other 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.

Hearthstone Tournament Bracket

Now you know all about the Innkeeper's
Invitational tournament and the rules, you are probably wondering who
will take part in this event. To say the least, first Innkeeper's
Invitational bracket is very small. Of course, quantity is not the
key here, quality is. While there is very little information on how
they were chosen, Blizzard notes that everyone taking part on the
Invitational are dedicated Hearthstone players who are passionate
about the game. We can assume that most, if not all, of these players
are part of the fan team that thought up the idea for the Innkeeper's
Invitational. Check out the initial bracket layout below!

Top Bracket

Day[9] Vs. Reckful

Hafu Vs. Kripparrian

Bottom Bracket

Trump Vs. Husky

Noxious Vs. Artosis

Watch It!

The Innkeeper's Invitational can be
viewed in several ways. You can purchase a ticket to BlizzCon 2013
and view all the action live or if that is not an option, you can
also choose to purchase a Virtual
Ticket
which will allow you to
watch all the BlizzCon action from your home. Players who choose
either of these options will also receive a Mystery Minion to add to
their very own Hearthstone collection.

Broke, but still interested in
watching? Don't worry! You can watch the semi-finals and finals for
free via BlizzCon's website
or on the World of Warcraft Twitch
channel.

alt="Hearthstone Mage Create Deck" />

Conclusion

The Innkeeper's Invitational seems like
a great opportunity to see some awesome Hearthstone players show off
their skills. Not to mention an excellent learning experience for
players (like myself) that could benefit from a few tips from the
professionals. We here at Ten Ton Hammer won't be missing out on the
Invitational and hope to see it expand and become more and more
popular in the years to come.

Will you be watching the Innkeeper's
Invitational? Would you like to participate in such an event? Who do
you think will walk away as the winner? Share your thoughts with us
in the comment section below!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

Comments