Tavern Takeover is an invitational tournament with a 3,000 prize pool. PVPLive invited some of the more popular and accomplished players to take place in the tournament, they include: Kungen, ek0p, Savjz, Realz, Puffin, ThatsAdmirable, Reynad, and Trump. The event itself was pre-recorded, but the commentary is live.
Watch the VOD: PVPLive Tavern Takeover
Tavern Takeover Rules
Single Elimination Format
- Eight (8) player single elimination bracket
- Best 3 out of 5 series
- Upon losing a match, the deck used in play is now considered “Locked” and no longer available for play
- Any deck undefeated in the current series is considered “Unlocked”
- First player to have all three decks Locked is considered the loser and the winner advances to the next round
Grand Finals
- Best 4 out of 7 series
- After three decks become Locked a player may now choose one deck for the second time in the series
- Only after all three decks are considered locked are they all once again Unlocked and available for play.
- The first player to have four decks Locked in the grand final series is considered the loser
Get the results and decks!
ALL DECKS – Results Below!
- Druid (Unavailable due to disconnect)
- Midrange Shaman
- Midrange Hunter
Quarter Finals
Kungen vs. Savjz
I missed this round, sorry! Savjz Wins!
Reynad vs. ThatsAdmirable
Game 1
Reynad – Watcher Druid vs. ThatsAdmirable – Miracle Rogue
Reynad after controlling the game draws a bunch of dead cards while Admirable is able to pull off the Leeroy Jenkins into double Shadowstep combo.
Result: ThatsAdmirable Wins (1 – 0)
Game 2
Reynad – HandLock vs. ThatsAdmirable – Miracle Rogue
Reynad gets down to 9 health, but a Mountain Giant, Leeroy Jenkins into Faceless Manipulator, and a Soulfire finish off the Miracle Rogue.
Result: Reynad Wins (1 – 1)
Game 3
Reynad – HandLock vs. ThatsAdmirable – Midrange Hunter
A timely Huffer for ThatsAdmirable comes out and paired with Kill Command is enough damage to take down the HandLock.
Result: ThatsAdmirable Wins (2 – 1)
Game 4
Reynad – Face Hunter vs. ThatsAdmirable – Midrange Hunter
Reynad controls the game throughout trading efficiently and doing damage finishing off ThatsAdmirable with a Kill Command.
Result: Reynad Wins (2 – 2)
Game 5
Reynad – Face Hunter vs. ThatsAdmirable – Control Warrior
Reynad gets a bit behind early, but an Animal Companion comes up Misha which immediately gets the Black Knight treatment. Reynad sees the writing on the wall and concedes.
Result: ThatsAdmirable Wins (3 – 2)
ThatsAdmirable Wins!
Trump vs. ek0p
Game 1
Trump – Control Kitkatz Warrior vs. ek0p – Midrange Shaman
Trump is able to stave off the early pressure from ek0p and is able to finish off ek0p with a Cruel Taskmaster’d Kor’kron Elite and Gorehowl to the face.
Result: Trump Wins (1 – 0)
Game 2
Trump – Control Kitkatz Warrior vs. ek0p – Druid
Ek0p disconnected and under the rules gives Trump the option to take the win. Trump choose to take the win and goes up 2 – 0.
Result: Trump Wins (2 – 0)
Game 3
Trump – Control Kitkatz Warrior vs. ek0p – Midrange Hunter
Trump narrowly avoids a Snake Trap that would have drawn ek0p 3 cards off of a Starving Buzzard. Ek0p is forced to use Leeroy Jenkins early, and Trump draws a timely Whirlwind to deal with a large board. Ek0p borderline rage quits and gives Trump the victory!
Result: Trump Wins (3 – 0)
Trump Wins!
Realz vs. Puffin
Game 1
Realz – Watcher Druid vs. Puffin – Miracle Rogue
Realz controls the game early and through the midgame, but due to a big concealed Edwin VanCleef, Puffin is able to turn it around and get the victory.
Result: Puffin Wins (1 – 0)
Game 2
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Puffin – Miracle Rogue
Puffin started off strong, but some bad draws lets Realz take full advantage of his Gadgetzan Auctioneer and he finishes Puffin off with board damage.
Result: Realz Wins (1 – 1)
Game 3
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Puffin – Kitkatz Control Warrior
Puffin loses a coin flip with Ragnaros the Firelord which enables Realz to go off with Gadgetzan Auctioneer. Super tense and close game, if Realz doesn’t draw some damage he will lose on Puffin’s turn. REALZ TOP DECKS A SHADOWSTEP AND WINS WITH LEEROY JENKINS! Great game!
Result: Realz Wins (2 – 1)
Game 4
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Puffin – Midrange Hunter
Realz plays beautifully around a Freezing Trap from Puffin, and he finishes off Puffin with Leeroy Jenkin and Edwin VanCleef.
Result: Realz Wins (3 – 1)
Realz Wins!
Semi-Finals
ThatsAdmirable vs. Savjz
Game 1
ThatsAdmirable – Miracle Rogue vs. Savjz – Midrange Hunter
Savjz takes a calculated risk by going for next turn lethal on turn 8. ThatsAdmirable is 1 damage short of lethal on his side, and Savjz finishes him off with a Leeroy Jenkins and Steady Shot.
Result: Savjz Wins (1 – 0)
Game 2
ThatsAdmirable – Control Kitkatz Warrior vs. Savjz – Midrange Hunter
Savjz plays his Leeroy Jenkins and trades it into a Azure Drake looking for a value Starving Buzzard into Unleash the Hounds, but ThatsAdmirable sees through the play and uses a Baron Geddon to wipe his own board. Tight game throughout and ThatsAdmirable puts Savjz on lethal next turn, BUT SAVJZ TOP DECKS A HUNTER’S MARK AND FINISHES OFF THATSADMIRABLE!
Result: Savjz Wins (2 – 0)
Game 3
ThatsAdmirable – Midrange Hunter vs. Savjz – Midrange Hunter
ThatsAdmirable was looking good early, but Savjz pulls a timely Unleash the Hounds to get back ahead and ThatsAdmirable concedes.
Result: Savjz Wins (3 – 0)
Savjz Wins!
Trump vs. Realz
Game 1
Realz – Watcher Druid vs. Trump – Ramp Druid
Trump gets a huge ramp early with two Wild Growth. Realz gets a big board going, but Trump buffs a Sylvanas Windrunner and a Druid of the Claw with an Innervate into Cenarius. Realz gambles on a Sylvanas roll and loses a taunted Ancient Watcher which swings the game hugely into Trump’s favor. Realz can’t get the back into the game and concedes!
Result: Trump Wins (1 – 0)
Game 2
Realz – HandLock vs. Trump – Ramp Druid
Trump goes aggressive, and Realz gamble on Trump not having a way to get passed taunt, but he’s able to silence it away and gets the win!
Result: Trump Wins (2 – 0)
Game 3
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Trump – Ramp Druid
Realz gets the two Sap he needs early and Trump can’t keep his big taunt creatures on the board and succumbs to Leeroy Jenkins.
Result: Realz Wins (1 – 2)
Game 4
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Trump – Zoo
Trump gets a bit unlucky and can’t finish Realz off when he was at 3 health. Realz uses Cold Blood onto his Auctioneer and seals the victory.
Result: Realz Wins (2 – 2)
Game 5
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Trump – Control Kitkatz Warrior
Realz can’t be beat when he plays Miracle Rogue and takes down Trump with a ton of damage!
Result: Realz Wins (3 – 2)
Realz Wins!
Bronze Match
ThatsAdmirable vs. Trump
Game 1
Trump – Ramp Druid vs. ThatsAdmirable – Miracle Rogue
Trump is able to copy his Ancient of War twice with two Faceless Manipulator forcing Admirable to burn a lot of cards to remove them. Admirable gets into fatigue and can’t do enough damage to finish Trump and he concedes.
Result: Trump Wins (1 – 0)
Game 2
Trump – Ramp Druid vs. ThatsAdmirable – Control Kitkatz Warrior
ThatsAdmirable gets up to 44 health with 16 armor adding to his 28 health. Trump gets a double Faceless Manipulator on the Warrior’s Grommash Hellscream that allows him to clear it and keep two Gromms out. Trump gets very low on life, but is able to heal himself with two Ancient of Lore. Admirable is just unable to do enough damage to finish off Trump and he concedes.
Result: Trump Wins (2 – 0)
Game 3
Trump – Ramp Druid vs. ThatsAdmirable – Midrange Hunter
Admirable gets a ton of draw off of two Starving Buzzard, and blows out Trump by silencing a Sylvanas Windrunner and destroying him with the board and Kill Command.
Result: ThatsAdmirable Wins (1 – 2)
Game 4
Trump – Control Kitkatz Warrior vs. ThatsAdmirable – Midrange Hunter
Deep into the game they’re trading Hero Powers back and forth sitting with near full hands waiting for the other person to blink. Trump initiates with a Grommash Hellscream and a Whirlwind to trigger it. Gromm gets dealt with easily with a Hunter’s Mark and a Stonetusk Boar. The game ends on a Houndmaster top deck giving Adrmiable exactly lethal!
Result: ThatsAdmirable Wins (2 – 2)
Game 5
Trump – Zoo Warlock vs. ThatsAdmirable – Midrange Hunter
Admirable gets the Explosive Trap in his opening hand which deals a huge blow to Trump’s board. Trump is quickly down to 11 health and he controls the board, but Admirable plays a Savannah Highmane that threatens him. He takes a gamble on a Life Tap and comes up with a big Defender of Argus draw. Trump pushes for damage, but Admirable has him on the ropes! TRUMP TOP DECKS A DARK IRON DWARF FOR THE DAMAGE HE NEEDS TO WIN! WOW!
Result: Trump Wins (3 – 2)
Trump wins and secures 3rd Place!
Grand Finals
Savjz vs. Realz
Game 1
Realz – Watcher Druid vs. Savjz – Tempo Rogue
Savjz gambles early by getting a dagger and using Deadly Poison on it and passing. He gets a ton of value out of it by top decking a Backstab and being able to eat a Chillwind Yeti with his dagger. Realz gets his value back by clearing Savjz’s board twice with two Swipe. A top deck with The Black Knight is able to help Realz clear Savjz’s board late. Realz grabs the game by using the Force of Nature into Savage Roar combo!
Result: Realz Wins (1 – 0)
Game 2
Realz – Watcher Druid vs. Savjz – Ramp Druid
Realz gets a ton of tempo by using Innervate to use The Black Knight on a taunted Druid of the Claw. He presses for damage and is sitting on a Savage Roar with a strong board state. Savjz is in a desperate situation, and is forced to make a sub-optimal Swipe. Realz quickly throws out the Savage Roar and gets the quick win!
Result: Realz Wins (2 – 0)
Game 3
Realz – Watcher Druid vs. Savjz – Midrange Hunter
Realz controls the game early, and Savjz gets a beneficial coin flip from a Stampeding Kodo. The cards seem to be going Realz’s way as he’s able to silence a buffed Scavenging Hyena. Hunter does what Hunter does and gets a ton of cards off of Starving Buzzard into Unleash the Hounds. Savjz is able to pull himself back in the game and clears Realz’s board. Another huge coin flip win from Stampeding Kodo for Savjz! Realz pushes for damage seeing he might be in trouble, and he is in trouble because he gets finished off by Leeroy Jenkins!
Result: Savjz Wins (1 – 2)
Game 4
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Savjz – Midrange Hunter
Savjz keeps a Deadly Shot in his opening hand, but he draws nothing playable early on and is forced to use it on an Azure Drake. Realz gets good value off of his first Gadgetzan Auctioneer, and Savjz is forced to use Unleash the Hounds with only Auctioneer on the board and kills it with Hunter’s Mark and Hound. Savjz has no answers and succumbs to Shadowstep into Leeroy Jenkins.
Result: Realz Wins (3 – 1)
Game 5
Realz – Miracle Rogue vs. Savjz – Tempo Rogue
Savjz gets to choose a previously used deck for this 5th game, and he decides to go with Rogue. Savjz controls early and gets control of the board with a Chillwind Yeti, but Realz goes off with Gadgetzan Auctioneer. Savjz gets value from an Argent Commander to take out the Auctioneer and still has a Chillwind Yeti. Realz is able to clear the board and gets a big Edwin VanCleef on the board, but it eats a Sap and Savjz takes back the board with some small minions. Realz gets tons of value off of another Auctioneer and gets a 14/14, and Savjz can’t do anything about it and concedes!
Result: Realz Wins (4 – 1)
Realz gets 1st place, and Savjz grabs 2nd! Congrats to Realz!
