tr-melbourne-19-12-99
Title: tr-melbourne-19-12-99
Author: Luca "Luca/Tzizvvt" Costanzo
Date: Dec 23, 1999
Hi all, long time since I last wrote a tournament report.
I was Light in last weeks ECC sealed, so I didnt really
want to write about that ;-) Todays tournament was a
Swiss open with lots of prizes run at Australia on Collins.
I decided to play a MWYHL M&T deck, without emphasis on
beatdown, but using funky Threepio tech and, of course,
plenty of high destinies. I was a bit stuck for dark
because I wanted to play something strong, but didnt have
any dark ECC so I played a Stuart Jones inspired ops deck
with Kashyyk for cancelling TPTIFF. I turned up and
realised that I only owned one Abyssin Ornament so I
chucked in an extra operative and a reactor terminal.
GAME 1 DS vs. Bengs MWYHL Brentsons Beats
Well, Beng was playing Michael Josems regionals deck and I
was playing Stuarts, so we were in for a hell of a long
match (see Michaels tournament report of the Calamari
Regionals if you dont know what happened). I started off
with a couple of ops and grabbed my reactor terminal. I
think I flipped early with a bunch of AT-STs. Beng got out
TPTIFF and for some reason got EPP Luke out to complete JT1.
At this point I was afraid that test 2 was coming, but it
never reared its ugly head. Beng committed his mains and
I deployed IAO, battle plan was out but I occupied space. I
ran away from a lot of battles at the beginning, preferring
to fight later when I had decent stuff out (I never drew a
Vader). Towards the end it looked as if I had enough
momentum to drain Beng out, but Terry called time. I
counted 18, Beng had 19 and I sat there looking like an
idiot with reactor terminal and 2 cards in hand.
Highlights: Bengs one of the nicest people to play against.
Lowlights : Timed loss by 19? #$%& off!
GAME 2 LS vs Chians CCT Scum and Villainy
Chian was playing sabacc as well as trying to flip the
objective. He got a lightining-slow start, picking up
heaps to try and avoid a massive beatdown (am I that
intimidating?). I sat there picking up to get a traffic
control, looking through my deck to see if there are any
grimtaashes in my force pile. Theres one, but I miss it
because I deployed a bacta tank. He dumps down a whole
bunch of guys to the Carbon Chamber and Im happy to just
dump Obi-Wan at the pub and an Insurrection (told you I
wasnt focused on beatdown). After freezing Wedge, he gets
some guys at the AC and then starts sabaccing, this is when
I kick myself for throwing out my ONE grapple and a
Projection of a Skywalker. We have some battles and I end
up controlling cloud city. Being only able to use aliens,
Chian eats a drain at Kessel for about 8 turns before
putting Fett in Slave I down and, despite the fact that I
have about a 12 card reserve deck and at least half of it
is destiny 5 or more, I just cant seem to kill it! Im
draining for a lot, but hes retrieving enough to stay in
and just ekes out a win by 2.
Highlights: Winning about half of the sabacc we played.
Lowlights : Would the world just explode if I had a little
bit of luck? Come on, one 5 over about 5-6 battles isnt
unreasonable!
GAME 3 LS vs Tristans ISB ops/Dark Deal
Tristan is from interstate, so I had no idea what to expect
from him. When I saw ISB and IAO I nearly had a heart
attack envisioning my small army of decent characters
chasing his mob of random crap across the galaxy, all the
while depleting my reserve deck. The first location that
Tristan deployed was Cloud City. Here was my first sign of
hope. On about his 3rd turn Tristan got out Bespin with
Sunsdown on it and about 4 ISB duded at the casino. I
signalled for TPTIFF instead of Traffic Control and parked
it at Dagobah next to the Tantive. He drains for one and I
look at the disarmed in my hand but decide to lose it off
the top. There goes Traffic Control. Seriously, a little
bit of luck wouldnt go astray. Maybe Ill get some for
Christmas. Maybe. Tristan only gets out about 3 locations,
a hit squad clears one out, Obi-Wan with his rusty - err
trusty- stick beat up some more crappy guys. At this point
the situation is looking ok although Im not causing him any
damage, but I finally get out Order To Engage. Vader and an
entire legion of resurrected crap decide to take on my guys
and its just a massacre. EPPs + destiny rig is some good,
although he has enough guys that he can lose the 3 that are
hit an forfeit another few. Bossk in Bus and a Dreadnaught
set up an occupation and the Falcon decides to take them on.
The worst battle in history ensues, both of us drawing 0s.
As you can tell, this game is dragging out but wait- on the
horizon - its a main, its a plane, its R-3P0! He comes
out with all guns blazing, forcing the ISB agents to fight
me, but its all to late. Another timed loss that I think
I couldve won (arent I @#$%y?)
Highlights: Super R-3P0, hero of the rebellion, mercilessly
hunting down ISB agents.
Lowlights : Our TD, Terry Lyons, feels sick somewhere
around here and goes home.
GAME 4 DS vs Tristans Hidden Base
Allright, its Stuarts deck, and Stuart doesnt lose to
hidden base, does he? Does he? Nope. Not much to tell,
I flipped early, converted Coruscant, probed with Security
Precautions, prevented any beatdown (there was none, but I
had ghhks and imperial barriers) and played my SOLE Abyssin
Ornament for 6.
Highlights: What- you mean I finally get to win a game?!
Lowlights : Boring deck vs boring deck.
GAME 5 DS vs Ronnies Endor Objective
Great Im playing the only deck that has difficulty
stopping this deck from blowing up the bunker. Oh well,
I guess Im just starting the game with 8 less force.
Ronnie is out for revenge after I drew 4 battle destiny
against him in last weeks ECC sealed and makes no effort to
conceal the fact that hes going to try and beat the living
$%^& out of my ops, with an ASP droid and ewok catapults
sitting on Endor. He blows up the bunker surprisingly
quickly and gets out Kessel and Dagobah. I see TPTIFF cycle
around about 3 times before being lost to a force drain-
phew! Ronnie sets up a massive beatdown with EPP Han,
Chewie and the Endor effect that makes Life Debt used and
some scouts. Fortunately, I barrier Han, Ronnie doesnt
fight and I then use my tracked destiny to squish Chewie.
The Executor makes a guest appearance to stop the drain at
Kessel and I quickly drain him out.
Highlights: Winning a game when I started off with a
massive disadvantage.
Lowlights : This game seemed fairly one-sided.
GAME 6 LS vs Ronnies CCT Scum and Villainy
Well, it starts out the same as game 2, with Ronnie taking
IG-88 and the JP Dungeon into hand and me giving him Wedge.
Ronnie gets All Wrapped Up out early and I sit there
debating what to do. We both pick up and I get a used
Grimtaash off. Obi-Wan goes to the Chamber to drain, but
gets the living daylights beaten out of him and IG-88
holds him with the binders (Ronnie did say that he wanted
his revenge!), although I do manage to move an ugnaught
away. Next turn I beat down on the ugnaught with Jeroen
Webb and Tawss Khaa. I finally decide that I want my guys
back, so I send Luke to the chamber to slice up IG-88. He
manages to kill him after Obi-Wan missed being frozen, but
I still get Wedge and someone else back. At this point Im
more or less in control of Cloud City, so Ronnie runs to
Tatooine and I project both sites. Ronnie gets some gamblers
out, but its not very hard for me to win the wagers.
Kiffex shows up and, once again, I drain him out.
Highlights: Knowing how to beat this deck.
Lowlights : IG-88 + Binders + All Wrapped Up was better
than R-3P0. Nooo!
Well, I finish up on 6(+30 something) after a horrible start
to the day and manage to come about 10th. Despite being
left to run the tournament, Michael manages to come first ;-)
Everyone ended up with about 5 rares, 2 packs of Cloud City
and 2 of Premiere (told you there were heaps of prizes) to
conclude the last tournament before the new year.
Terry : Get better soon.
Stuart : Ill try Vaders Personal Shuttle.
Everyone : Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Luca Costanzo
tzizvvt@hotmail.com