kashyyyk-grand-slam-04-08-2000
Title: kashyyyk-grand-slam-04-08-2000
Author: Michael "rayc" Hawley
Date: Apr 10, 2000
My Lightside: Throne Room Revo (my version of 'You Ain't Activating Jack' deck posted by Matt Lush)
My Darkside: Tatooine Occupation (modified 'Old Skool Tatooine Occupation' deck also by Matt Lush)
Game 1 -- Isn't this where we left off last time?
My Light side vs. Michael Scheimer (1768) Court of the Vile Gangster
This is the last guy I played in my last tournament. Michael is a very good player who has played a Throne room choke deck to great advantage so I knew it would be a tough game. I established the choke early, revo on his dungeon and a nudj to my farm. After a few turns, I was getting drains with Obi and Luke and occupying a Tatooine battleground site. This game was mostly me avoiding battle and out-draining him. He managed to save up enough force for one beatdown attempt but I clashed his ECC IG-88, survived and brought the counter beatdown next turn for a good force loss. Then more avoid and drain. Full Win by 10.
2 (+10)
Highs: Hoisted Michael by his own petard. He took me (and some other good players) to school with a Throne Room deck last summer - glad to return the favor. Fun game, close, challenging, but with me in the driver's seat.
Lows: Beating a quality local guy
Game 2 -- Quiet Mining Colony?
My Dark side vs. Daniel Keegan (1500?) Quiet Mining Colony
I think this was Dan's first constructed deck tournament. Taking that into account he did pretty well. He started Don't Tread on Me with the three Effects. He lost his only copy of Cloud City to early battle damage so he could not flip the objective. Basically, he played his characters and ships pretty well, countering my moves pretty effectively but had no real means of dealing damage. He had lots of retrieval cards (CC Sabbac, On the Edge, Off the Edge, etc.) but I was able to sense them (had he played Wise Advice the game would have been a lot more tense). As it was, we had a friendly game and I tried to be as helpful as possible. And, as I said, he did all the right things tactically. With more practice, this guy is going to be someone to be reckoned with. Full Win by 16
4 (+26)
Highs: Playing an unfamiliar deck type. Shutting down his retrieval
Lows: None really. I probably should have played more cutthroat and pumped up my diff. In hindsight, I might have been able to place a bit higher.
Game 3 -- What profiteth it a man if he should gain the locations but lose his drains?
My Dark side vs. Kris Earle (1713) Profit deck w/Eloms and Klatunians
Kris is the local squadron member and a very good player. However we had done some play testing together and I knew I had a pretty good shot against this deck. I started Tatooine. He started with all the profit stuff. I started Jabba and Dannik J at the audience chamber. I played Combat Readiness to get Jabba's Palace to replace LS Jabba's Palace. He signaled for I Must Be Allowed to Speak and deployed it to Jabba's Palace. On turn one I used my JP game text to deck dive for the Audience Chamber. I deploy it and use it's game text to get Mara Jade (who I know is in there) and I use her game text to get her Light Saber (which I also know is in there). This makes me pretty solid at the chamber. I have Vader and Bane in hand so all I need is for Dannik to survive any assault and suck the soup of anyone he forfeits. He deploys Bargaining Table but I alter it immediately. Well the beatdown does not come for a couple of turns and this gives me enough time to set up the Occupation and a drain or two. The side one of the Profit objective really hurts him. I Sense his Someone who Loves You and he can't drain on Tatooine while between drains and Occupation, I am hurting him to the tune of 6 - 10 force per turn. Finally, when he is down to 10 or 11 life force, he makes a last ditch effort to free Han (I had left the Chamber with only a couple of characters to guard Han) He pulls it off and retrieves 10 force but it only buys him an extra turn or 2. I drain (and Occupy) him out. Full Win by 26.
6 (+52)
Highs: My deck works perfectly. Holding him off at the chamber until the game was well in hand.
Lows: Playing a regular opponent and knocking a local out of the chase.
Game 4 -- Pushed to the limit or Remember your Revo at the Cave
My Light Side vs. Brian Monday (1698) Raltiir Ops
My first out of town opponent, Brian is from Chicago and he was wearing a squadron member tee shirt so I assume he is a squadron member. I did the usual Yavin 4 Throne Room start. He started Raltiir Operations and signaled for Crush the Rebellion. He played an early Battle Order. I figured when he did that, I had the game. He could not afford to pay to drain and I don't think he got a force drain in at all during the game. I got Obi out early to establish Sense and Alter dominance. I also signaled for What Are You Trying to Push on Us. I then played a Revo on his Dagobah Cave and when he played Evader, I grabbed it with Push. Next turn I revoed the Cave again. Then, just to tempt him a bit, I revoed Raltiir. Sure enough, out came the other Evader. Now I was pretty sure I could Revo anything I wanted and I did so. In the mean time I had controlled 2 Raltiir locations and deployed Savrip. He managed to flip the objective back once and bring a largish force against my lone DOS but Savrip + 2 Obis in hand saved me. I put enough stuff at Raltiir to secure 2 locations and set up a couple of drain locations elsewhere. He was unable to marshal enough force to mount an effective counter-attack and he could not pay to drain. Full win by 27.
8 (+79)
Highs: I played well and kept an Iron Fisted Choke going the whole game
Lows: None really.
Game 5 -- I alter the Traffic control but he controls the alter traffic.
My Dark Side vs. Hayes Hunter (2020) Yavin 4 Throne Room with Super Falcon
At this point are not many undefeated players. Hayes is in 1st and I am in 2nd. The Team Albany Guys are looking at me like 'who the hell is this guy' a couple of them even check Hayes and my command cards to see if the pairings are correct. They are. I start Tatooine and Combat Readiness for Jabba's Palace. He starts the Throne Room and Careful Planning for the Swamp and Farm. Well, not to take anything away from Hayes. But I had the worst draw of the day. Three Tarkins and a bunch of Red Stuff. I debated drawing up but I expected the Revos to come thick and fast and I was counting on my Alters to deal with them. So, I used the JP text to get the Audience Chamber and the Audience Chamber game text to get Mara and Mara's text to get her Saber. Well next turn he comes with the hit squad and takes out Mara. He loses all of his stuff too. I was playing catch up for the rest of the game. I did manage to alter his Traffic control and assure that the differential would not be too bad if I lost. The choke was very effective. I had to draw from my meager force pile for several turns in order to get any characters to deploy. By that time, the super Falcon (Captain Han + EPP Leia = 3 destiny draws = even Executor is not safe) had control of Tatooine and Ben and Luke were holding down some drain sites. I managed to get some characters down but Hayes wins all the SAC wars and his Order to Engage basically killed me. It was burn out or fade away. Either way, I lose. Full loss -13.
8 (+66)
Highs: Canceling that Traffic control and knowing that I would still be in the chase even if I lost.
Lows: The Draw from Hell. Playing a fellow Kashyyyk Player thus assuring that one or both of the top positions would likely go to someone from another region.
Game 6 -- He's all yours, bounty hunter
My Light side vs. Brian Terwilliger (2123) Hunt Down with no Dueling
Well this is what I came for. I get to play a top player from outside my region and it's for high stakes. Brian seems like a very likable guy. We shake hands wish each other good luck and get on with it. He starts the Huntdown stuff with no Epic Duel and Signals for Crush. I start the Yavin 4 Throne Room stuff. My opening hand was pretty good in one respect. I had a Nudj and a Revo. So I got 2 Nudjs to the Yavin 4 generic sites and revoed the Meditation Chamber. I was having a little trouble getting my characters at first. He got down the Endor Back Door, Cloud City Port Town District and I think one other 1/1 drain site. We played the Revo, Evader, Push game until he ran out of evaders. I got some characters down and draining and things looked good for me until he brought down ECC IG and captured Obi with a Tracked 6 (I should have seen that one coming -- Note to self: when your opponent deploys a lone IG on one of your mains, mess with his reserve deck or get out of there fast!). Now he was out-draining me by a little and periodically killing a Luke and flipping the objective to hit me for more Visage Damage. We forgot Visage several times during the game (but never when the objective was flipped). There was a lot of back and forth in the game but he had Imperial Arrest Order down so I was never able to Jump anyone in force with Nabrun. For most of the game he seems to be tracking 6s while I am dealing with trying to track around several locations. I miscounted once (thought I had activated so that I had 3,4,3 on top but it was 0,3,4,3 instead) and failed to hit on an important Saber swing. Anyway I was outplayed but it was a good game and I did not feel far out of my league -- I just need more practice. Full loss - 17.
8 (+49)
Highs: Getting to play against the #4 rated player in the world. Having him turn out to be a good and gracious opponent.
Lows: Letting him steal Obi that way and having no way to get him back. Losing.
Well it was a fun day. Tough to see the big prizes go to out of state players.
1. Matt Sokol
2. Brian Terwilliger
3. Hayes Hunter
4. Chris Terwilliger
5. Brad Kipple
6. Steve Brentson
7. Brian Cieszynski
8. Michael Hawley
Props:
Matt Lush for posting such good decks
Rich Sirota for directing
Joe and Kris for helping out
All my opponents for playing well and graciously
Kris and Steve for helping me play-test
All the out of state guys for making the trip
Slops:
Whoever broke the computer keyboard and caused us to get a late(r) start
Observations: Yavin 4 throne room decks are very popular. The light side seemed to dominate at least in the early going. Sense and Alter live -- Wise Advice / Oppressive Enforcement belong in most decks. Grabbers rule. But you all knew that anyway.
Thanks for reading,
Michael