dagobah-regional-9-25-99
Title: dagobah-regional-9-25-99
Author: Blake "Zurai" Senn
Date: Oct 2, 1999
Turns out we got up TOO early. We actually made it to the civic center about half an hour before Mike Porter, Gregg Keefer, and Christel Porter showed up. We had actually walked all the way around the stadium, looking for the right entrance, when they showed up. it turns out the correct doors were about 20 feet to the RIGHT of our starting point. We had gone LEFT. D'oh.
Once we got to the gaming area, we got set up and started writing up our decks on the deck forms ( stupid process, having to leave your decks out for people to look over your shoulder at ). There was a bit of a delay for paying at the start, since nobody had a 5 dollar bill- everyone wanted to pay with 20's. After another 3 hours ( it now being 11:30 or so ), Mike Porter finally came in, went over a few rules, and started the pairings. My friends and I waited anxiously as each pair was called... first Chris, then Mike. Matt and I waited and waited, getting more nervous with each passing pair, then, 'Blake Senn, Dark Side, Matt Smiley, Light Side'. D'oh!
GAME 1 - DS vs. Matt Smiley's LS Yavin Mains
We were both a little upset- we didn't come all this way to play against each other. Besides, we both knew that this game was going to go to whoever got the luckiest draws, as our decks were very balanced. As it turned out, he got excellent draws. The game started tenuously, as both of us knew that I was at the character disadvantage. Matt deployed a few lesser mains, I countered with an Undercover or two. Finally I drew Vader and a walker and decided to go for the flip. Deployed Vader at one site and the walker at another, ISB at both. Flip the Objective. Next turn, out comes the Mains. They stomp one group, but now they're committed. Plus, they aren't draining on Yavin, due to Empire's Sinister Agents. We play cat-and-mouse some, then Matt gets dirty on me, playing Fury on my Vader. I counter with an ISB to his Chief Chirpa's Hut, which he promptly Revo's. Pretty much game over. I draw up when we realize that we have less than a minute to play.
Result: Full Loss by 10 ; 0 (-10)
High Point: none, really
Low Point: having to play a deck I knew back and front
Lunch break; I won't mention Gabe Alonzo's tyrade, since that's already been well reported on.
GAME 2: LS vs. somebody's Ominous Rumors Endor Ops
I just went too fast in this game. Got a few sites out, deployed ability 4 at each, started to drain. He sets up drains on Endor, then pulls Rumors and deploys 2 dreadnoughts and the Vengeance to Bespin. I look at my hand, see Cap'n Han, Falcon, and Wedge, look back at the drain of 4, think to myself 'go for it'... BAD IDEA! I manage to take out 1 Dreadnought, I lose Wedge to damage, he deploys Devastator and pilot, initiate, I draw a 2... bad damage to me... pretty much game over.
Result: Full Loss by 10 ; 0 (-20)
High Point: again, not one
Low Point: starting off way too fast... shoulda eaten a drain or two
I'm feeling pretty bummed by now, since my friends are all either 2-0 or 1-1. They talk me out of it, and we go to the next game.
GAME 3: DS vs. some kid's LS HBX
This kid was just too naive. Not only was he wearing a Star Trek Tournament shirt, but he left a lone Red Squad X-Wing at the LS Coruscant while I had about 15 force saved up. Next turn, activate ~10, look at the X-Wing, look at his hand, think 'he's gotta have a houjix'. Went ahead and took the chance: deployed Executor, 2 Dreads, Bossk in the Bus, and Evax, then initiated. Guess what? NO HOUJIX! 32 battle damage, and the game.
Result: Full win by 36 ; 2 (+16)
High Point: Confidence restored!
Low Point: Beating up the poor defenseless X-Wing ;-)
GAME 4: LS vs. Ricky Bignun's DS Operatives
Another game against a home-town player. Anyone, this one went a bit differently. I kept his operatives on the run the whole game, got celebration going for a turn before the Bus came out to play, kept Harc Seff on his planet, and generally took control, although his drains stung a bit at the end.
Result: Full win by 5 ; 4 (+21)
High Point: Another win
Low Point: Playing Ricky, who, although he's a good player, isn't really up to regional level yet (we're working on it!)
GAME 5: LS vs. somebody's Tatooine Occupation/Mains
This guy told me before the game, and I quote, 'I pity any Light Side that has to play this deck.' That made me determined to win right there. I started off my usual, he started Tatooine, Careful Planning for the Palace. Right there I suspected Occupation, so I got the Falcon with Cap'n Han and EPP Leia there ASAP. He was playin heavy Tatooine drains with speeder bikes and walkers. I got my undercover spies on the ground, but he Trampled the first one. After that, I managed to sneak the second on board Blizzard 2 before he could find a Trample for it. He deployed most of his squad to Tatooine, with a couple bikes to keep them fluid. Two cards saved me this game: Ultimatum and Uncontrollabel Fury. He lost his one You Are Beaten Early in the game; Fury came out a little later and stayed for the entire game... that was ~18 or 20 force there. And he never really came after me on Bespin, so I was able to cap his admittedly nasty drains on Tattooine to 2. He deployed a bit of space late and set up Occupation for the last couple of turns, and nearly won it, but it was TLTL ( Too little, too late)
Result: Full win by 1 ; 6 (+22)
High Point: Beating this overconfident player
Low Point: My friends were now in worse condition than I was, all with lower differential.
GAME 6: My DS vs. Tony Zamberlan's (sp?) MWYHL Asteroid Sanc
Let me say straight off: I despised this game. This is the kind of game I equate with the very worst of Star Wars, where two players just sit back and pretty much ignore each other until one is out of cards. Anyway, I wasn't sure what he was doing at first, so I just drew up, luckily finding all of my sites. I had the chance to monnok lost his hand, but decided not to, then nearly hit myself when he deployed 4 asteroids, a Y-Wing, and a Sanc the very next turn, then went and got a Hiding In the Garbage. The race was on. I spread thin on Yavin and Hoth, getting good drains, and came after his Sancs as best I could. I PotF'd the Dagobah Big One, then deployed a Dread, but he barriered. I hit that ship with asteroid destiny and made him lose the sanc, but he set up 2 more that same turn. I did that same trick again, and again he barriered. By this point both our decks were a bit thin, and the only thing saving me was my Imperial Decree, which kept him from draining at those Big Ones. In the end he drew up and I was left thoroughly unsatisfied.
Result: Full win by 9 ; 8 (+32)
I ended up in 14th place, the top player from the Jacksonville area. Not that I cared much, as I was thoroughly exhausted from 14 or so hours of solid Star Wars. I think the highest point of the whole tournament was meeting Jason Burrows, who brought his Dagobah set and got everyone to sign one card from it ( I signed his Bad Feeling Have I ). The best moment, though, was after we got home, when I learned that Jason thoroughly trounced Gabe Alonzo in the final match. Congrats Jason, and good luck to you in the Worlds!