san-antonio-texas-1-15-00

Title: san-antonio-texas-1-15-00
Author: Matt "Old Skooler" Lush
Date: Jan 15, 2000

Kevin Martilla's ECC Sealed was changed to EJP Sealed the day before it was scheduled, so I decided to head down and try to win the set of ECC that was the prize, since I doubt I'll get it from Decktech with any of my decks...13 other people made it too, including Eric Dahlman and Sean and Brendan Schieler, some of San Antonio's best players. I'd have my work cut out for me.
Of course, everyone wanted the Mara and Luke packs, and fortunately there were enough on hand for everyone to be happy. I picked LS randomly, which was cool with me 'cause I wanted a Master Luke(or 2 or 3...). Anyways, looking at the pack distribution, everybody assumed the Dark Side would be ripping people apart left and right. The Luke pack has Luke, Dengar, and Iggy, so the LS only gets one card out of three. It would seem the Dark Side would rule. I got fairly lucky with my 4 packs of JP, 1 pack of CC, and 4 of Premiere. A good number of ability 2 characters, and 3 Grans. Don't underestimate those guys in Sealed Deck, you'll see why in the last game.

Game 1-vs. Matt W.

Starting with Obi's Hut, and he started Tat:Jabba's Palace. He promptly gets his JP site, and works from there. I had Master Luke in my starting hand, and lemme tell ya: this guy ROCKS in Sealed. In all four games, I only missed sending an alien back once. Absolutely deadly, power 6 on top? Insane. Anyways, once I got him out, I just started chasing his guys around. Unfortunately I didn't pull a Nabrun, that could of made things fun. (I'm starting to realize there's not much excitement or detail in Sealed Deck games-wonder if I should bother with this report...ahhh, what the hell.) Back to the game. Not much to it, just drained and chased. Not much space action, I think he threw a tie at Kessel, but I responded with an X-wing, Y-wing, and Rebel Pilot. Win by 24. 2(+24)

Game 2-vs. Brendan Schieler

Figure I'll have a tough time of this, Brendan is one of SA's best. No Luke in my starting hand this time, just have to duke it out 'til I get him. Same stuff, deploy my guys, he deploys his, battle, repeat, etc. I get Luke around my third turn though, and once again, he starts regulating. Not much Brendan can do. Win by 20. 4(+44)

Game 3-vs. Sean Schieler

Dang, I just played his brother, now I gotta play him! Oh well. This game was actually very interesting. I start Obi's hut, he starts Death Star:War Room. He activates and draws. Same for me. He draws again. I save for 2-3 turns, deploy some aliens to the Hut. I've had Luke's Back in my starting hand, didn't want to get him just yet because...A. He might throw all his dudes down on a CC site, we had gotten one pack of that. B. If he knew I had him in my hand after playing Luke's Back, Scanning Crew would ruin my day. So, I just waited. For a lot of turns, he just draws, then eventually starts saving, and I was just building up guys at the Hut. I only had one drain site in my deck, and that was the Moisture Farm. I was counting on draining at my opponents sites. Not to many 2/0 sites in JP. I don't want to draw too many cards, I wanted a high differental if possible, but I finally drew the Moisture Farm. Activate, deploy it, and move all 6-7 guys I had at the Hut over there, including Luke, who I got with Luke's Back and threw down at the Hut, due to his saving up literally all his force. This drain of one finally draws him out. He deploys en masse, and the Battle Royale commences. Once again, Luke just sends aliens flying back, left and right. Realizing he can't win by battling, he starts spreading out. (By this time there's a few more sites...) Doesn't work, as I use a skiff to chase his guys down. Long game for Sealed, and the diff. wasn't much due to my drawing desperately for a drain site. Win by 13. 6(+57)

Game 4-vs. Phillip ?

Another fairly new player, due to the limited amount of players, I couldn't play the highest-ranked DS guy again. (Sean). I lucked out again and had Master Luke in my starting hand. At this point in the standings, Light was consistently winning, and Dark was consistently losing. The highest dark at the end of the day went 2 and 2! At the end of the third game, I was 6 differential points behind Eric Dahlman, who's large win in the 3rd game catapulted him into first place. Halfway through this game, which was going pretty good for me, Eric comes up to my table. He was done already, and had won by 18. That meant I had to win by 25. I count my reserve. 10. I count my force. 13. D'oh! I only had one used interrupt in my hand, an Alter, and I didn't see myself using it. But all was not lost...I had a Gran and Luke at a site. He had Mara there, but moved her away. I follow her with Luke, leaving the Gran at site right beside. He's getting real low on force. He throws down J'quille, and initiates. Retrieve one! Luke sends J'quille right back, and he loses two cards from the battle. We had both drawn a 3. He moves her over again, away from the Gran. My turn, drain, and move Luke over, and the Gran over. His turn, we know its his last due to my drain, so he decides to go out with a bang. Initiate battle. Retrieve one! We both draw three again, and he loses two damage. My turn, drain him out. Win by 25, exactly what I needed. 8(+82)

In the final match, I played Sean again, and although it wasn't weird like the first game, with no battles until halfway through, Master Luke won it for me again. I got him around my third turn, and from there it was a losing battle for him.

Now, see what I meant about the Grans? Those 3 Grans won me a set of ECC. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm throwing them in my Constructed. Point of this report: if you ever play EJP Sealed, pray you get Light Side! Thanks for reading.