st-cloud-mn-java-z-4-15-00
Title: st-cloud-mn-java-z-4-15-00
Author: Peter "jeeps" Jacobson
Date: Apr 18, 2000
The scene for Saturdays event was a new venue, the Java Z. Time Vault (formerly KGs Cards & Collectibles), which had been hosting the tournaments for nearly 2 years had unfortunately closed its doors a few weeks ago, thus forcing our faithful Tournament Director, Dion Erbes (Gold 102) to relocate to another location. He had options. St. Cloud State University usually hosts conventions, but its location and parking situation make it difficult to hold it there. Nothing beats a well run tournament at a card store where you can relax, pick up a few packs between games, and trade your wares. SCSU is a much more sterile environment that can be intimidating to the non-college age players. The hunt to find a suitable location was drying up when the Java Zs name was mentioned. Its a coffee house located nearly across the street to the old location of Time Vault, which makes it easy to find if youre not familiar with the city of St. Cloud. This being the first time for me, I immediately shared in the same expression Luke Skywalker did upon seeing the Millenium Falcon for the first time... What a piece of junk! I soon found that it may not be pretty, but it had it where it counts. From the outside, Java Z was literally an attached garage that had once been the garage to a Ford dealership. The entrance was the service door which also had the dumpster fashionably placed next to it. Even with my trepidation, I was able to enter. The store sports incredible amounts of space. There were rows upon rows upon rows of comfy (yet smelly) sofas and lazy boy chairs. My expectations were met in so many ways here and the Java Z is more than an adequate substitute for GREAT tournaments.
They hadnt set up for our arrival yet, but this was taken care of shortly after. Dion made a decision not to use Deciphers program for the pairings since it seems to be a little temperamental and if you typed something incorrectly, chances are you wont be able to go back and change it until AFTER the tournament. His decision to use the paper command cards easily shaved 15 minutes between rounds, making the tournament a face paced joy ride. There were 20 people that showed up. Considering the fact that we had changed venues to a new place after almost 2 years, this wasnt a bad turn out at all. I tried to convince My brood from Dodge Center, MN to come up but they being high school students couldn't afford gas for the 3 hour trip. Since I am their English teacher, I understood, but took away 30 points for being lazy and unmotivated to find a way... Anyway, of the twenty there were probably 10 strong players with the rest being relatively new. I felt confident that my decks could stand up to most common deck designs (Hunt Down, Hidden Base, RalOps, Court, Profit, etc.), but knowing the competition and the level of players present, I wouldnt be able to count on the common decks being part of their game plan.
I had been hooked on the idea of Sabacc since I had it worked on me a few months back. I had previously made a TDIGWATL deck using Sabacc, but it didnt do the trick. When I say Girards Sabacc Vegas Style deck, I knew it would be unexpected in this meta. After I tweaked, tested, and traded for cards for two weeks, it was a good as it would get. My light deck was a profit deck with narrow escapes, anti-huntdown, and pure EPPs. I knew that it had flaws, but since many LS decks do now-a-days, I made it as sturdy as I could and prayed it would hold out and go at least 2-1...
The pairings were announce.
Game One. Its Time on Sprockets When We Dance!
My DS CCT Sabacc v. Joe Henkes (1360) Hidden Base
Joe has only played in about 3 tournaments prior to this and is quite young (probably 12 or 13- I could be off, he looks like one of my seventh grade students). I make the Surface Defense start with Resistance, Secret Plans, and There is No Try. He starts (I believe) Rebel Fleet. I get Red Leader from him for my Rebel captive at the Security Tower. Things are set. I start by deploying Security Precautions from my hand. I realized that maybe against a veteran player, this might have been a better staring interrupt, but I wasnt sure of what Joe was playing. He doesnt seem so sure what this card does so I explain it to him. He sees hes in danger. I search for the Audience Chamber and deploy. I then use the Security Towers text to find Lando. I deploy him with Lobot there. I play sabacc w/o the casino out since I dont have anything to gain from my lost pile yet it doesnt matter. I win and grab an x-wing. (yay, a marked 2 destiny card... blah.). I draw (getting another sabacc). Upon his turn, I let him activate one force and play sabacc... I win. He has Luke with Stick in his sabacc hand- no ships or weapons- so I choose him to be lost. He continues activating (I can tell hes flustered by all this tech meta game crap, so I let up from there on out. I decide to let him activate all his force so he can breathe each turn.). The game goes on for a while like this with Billy Dee working his mojo. I never get the Casino out so my end differential isnt that high. He waited a while to flip hi objective and I guess his hidden base after the second turn he flipped causing him to lose 9 force to Security Precautions. This plus me winning 4 of his x-wings helped me in space. I played cat and mouse from his corvettes and x-wings with Zuckass and Dengar. I drain him out to finish the game.
Full Win 2(+22)
Highs: Getting an easy dry run of this deck in competition.
Lows: Playing against Joe and flustering him with Sabacc... felt like I threw the wool over his eyes.
Game Two You Smell What the Rock is Cookin?
My LS Profit EPP Mains v. Brad Kowaleskis (1500?)Court of the Vile Gangster deck.
After game one, I wasnt too sure how I was actually doing in comparison to the others, but it was a Dark Day at Java Z. In all 10 games played thus far, Lightside won only once. I knew that LS decks had their challenges but this was getting ridiculous! My profit deck wasnt really tested in tournament play, but as I said, I would be ecstatic if it went 2-1. Brad is a fairly new face to our tournament scene too, but at least hes a college student, so I didnt feel too bad taking it to him! We had a few minor rules questions to start off the game. I was fairly confident that I was right in explaining that my objective played after his, thus converting his JP sites. He didnt want to believe this and I didnt want to be a jerk, so we called Dion over and he clarified and we were off. Lets face it. Even though Profit decks have their definite flaws, when they get going, they can really pack a punch. With this deck my strategy was simple: Flip ASAP! Some people wait until they have lost 10 force to retrieve, but WHY? That only gets you into a hole and allows your opponent to set up! If you flip, you will force your opponent to misplay or lose a card before they can get set up and that can win games. Since the Main Character force loss with Profit isnt a force drain, it cant really be stopped without battling. Anyway, he had his two aliens, Mara and Jodo Kast at the audience chamber. I start Aim High (with this EPP crew, the +5 is glorious!) He starts Any Methods Necessary and takes Fett, his Blaster and Jabbas Prison. I clarify that he has to deploy Jabbas prison with his objective and he questions it. Dion comes over to clarify again. I let Brad get out the Security Tower for his prison instead(I am a nice guy, really). I drew a god hand. I deployed Leia first turn, played Someone Who Loves You, deployed Master Luke (for free) and battled. I played I Know to add two more battle destiny to the one for EPP Han with Luke, one with EPP Leia with Han, plus the natural one for ability giving me 5 destinies. I clear the site by a bundle. This was the definitive battle (first turn) and Brad tries to mount a comeback, but really cant since I can Narrow Escape away from his battles. I win by 38 force.
Full Win 4 (+60)
Highs: Seeing a Profit Deck work. 5 destinies after the first turn. Quick finish.
Lows: Slow Start. A TDs nightmare questions...
Game 3 Smithers, Prepare Yourself for the Thrashing of a Lifetime!
My LS Profit v. Graham Neals (1891) ANTI- Profit *no objective*deck.
Grrrr.... there wasnt much I could do here. I came to this tournament to win and I knew that the big Three players would be here two. Graham is one of them. He is the guy to beat. He exudes a sort of sophistication that borders on arrogance. Its easily manageable because he has a great sense of humor and if one attacks that arrogance he humbly accepts it and jokes back... anyway, I have never played Graham, but his game play is excellent. He counts cards like he can see through them. He is always well prepared and NEVER forgets how a card is played. In my nervousness to play him, he reminded ME to do something like check for force drain modifiers with lightsabers... guh... In this match-up I felt like the newby. He sets up his Tat:JP; I play my objective, replacing it and adding the audience chamber. He uses combat readiness to convert my Audience Chamber. He deploys Ephant and Boelo to the Audience chamber thanks to my objective. We start. During his turn, he converts my Tat: JP! Hmmmm.... I am down to 4 force now. He deploys No Bargain. Great... thats another +2 deploy to a JP site. I get in my starting hand mostly red and Master Luke. Whoop-dee-doo. I activate and Draw hoping to find one of my two Mos Eisleys or two Cantinas. I dont. He uses his game text to get out JP site like the dungeon, Droid Workshop, and Entrance Cavern. I still am choked out of the palace when he deploys Bad Feeling Have I. This is going from bad to worse. He gets an ton of Bounty Hunters out. Plays Scum and Villainy. Plays Galid to add to force drains at JP sites. Spreads out (hes doing this all methodically while I draw a few and save, draw a few and save, etc.). I feel sick. I never get enough saved to jump any of his guys. He tracked a one destiny to fire with Bossks Stun Cannon to capture Luke. He is thrown into the brig. I try to rescue but I cant find a spy. Obi eventually gets captured too... overall, without mains I cant rescue jack! He drains me for major amounts and I lose by 24.
Full Loss 4(+38)
Highs: You gotta be kidding.
Lows: The weaknesses of Profit. On a side note, Graham did say this deck wasnt an ANTI- Profit deck, but I didnt see anything to the contrary. He had a Masterful Move to cancel my Mantellian Savrip... he had a counter for everything.
We break for lunch which is great because Java Z has great Pizza IN HOUSE which is a nice change from the past... I was feeling a little low on sugar anyway. I considered purchasing a bottle of JOLT Cola, but thought against it. I didnt want to turn in an Attention Deficit/Hyperactive SW:CCGer...
Game 4 The Little Engine that Couldnt
My DS CCT Sabbac v. Graham Neals (YES, AGAIN!) Speeder Ops deck.
Lordy! I am crying foul here, but Dion shows me how the pairings actually match up and yes, I have to play Graham again. I felt fairly demoralized from the last game, but new that my Dark Side was something no one in this area had played before... We start. I immediately get on of his TWO rebels, Obi with saber, from his deck. The only other rebel was Luke with stick. He wasnt too pleased by this. He was actually quite shocked. For once I had the upper hand. He started Bothwai and Local Uprising as well as Yarna. I start Surface Defense and get the three effects out. We draw, I get two of my six sabaccs into my hand as well as a Fear. I activate, deploy Lando from hand at the Sec. Tower and play CC Sabacc. I win and make him lose an operative. I draw and say go. I let him activate one and play sabacc. I win. He loses Luke with Stick. I use Fear on him. He loses from the top of his reserve deck. I use Scanning Crew, but he doesnt have any rebels, just a boatload of speeders. By this time, I am not sure, but I feel pretty good. I am in control and am manipulating him with cards. He has no ability so he cant sense anything yet. I realize now that he was just waiting out the storm, counting cards, setting his deck up to win Sabacc.... crap like that. Well, I knew that getting Opps was his first priority so I needed to keep him from being able to. I deploy Dengar in the Porsche and the Tweedle Bug in the Family Car to Bothwai to start Draining. I continue playing Sabacc (CC and Trooper). I get the casino out and start retrieving a little. Eventually, however, he gets his Opps out in Speeders and begins draining. I deploy DLOTS and Tarkin to a Bothwai site and battle a lone Op in Speeder. I cancel his destiny, but since his Ops had suped up forfeits so he was able to soak up battle damage. I Deploy U-3Po to a site to cancel a force drain of three. What killed me in the end (besides the force drains) was that he had two sabaccs in a row where he drew nearly perfect. (4,4,3 & 5,3,3 respectively). I lost sabacc! I was disgusted. He drained me out and I lose by 15.
Full Loss 4(+23)
Highs: getting out great start. Surprising a great player. Maybe earning a little bit of the respect I might have lost from the first game.
Lows: Losing Sabacc even with the odds against him. Not being able to sustain the pressure.
Game 5 Run Away, Run Way!...I we were to build a gigantic badger...
My LS vs. Shawn Frank Thielmans (1602) Court Deck.
Okay, I guess Profit was a good choice of LS deck types after all! I have done very well against the last three Court decks I played (remember, Grahams wasnt a Court Deck). Franks asks me a few question before we start like Is this one of those Multiple Destiny Adding Profit Decks? I just grin and shrug and say well see! I know hes a decent player, so sharing strategy to a good player is not a wise thing to do. He plays Chall and Mara to the audience chamber and (according to Dions ruling) gets to search for another alien from reserve deck because of Challs text. I think its fair, so Frank gets to start with 9 cards in hand and a potential beat down. I start Aim High and he starts All Wrapped up. I see a battle deck coming. I dont draw a very good hand, so I draw up for two turns until I do. Meanwhile, Frank gets a nice squad of baddies down for me to try to clear out. He deploys Secret Plans. I decide to change my strategy. I draw a few Narrow Escapes, Someone who loves You, Leia with Blaster, and an Alter. I feel confident that if he is playing SAC, I will be safe. I deploy Leia. He plays Imp. Barrier . I feign distress (Hee) and release Han (like its my only option). I have to pay 5 force to retrieve the 5 force, but I only have 4 in my pile so, I dont get anything back. I should have paid attention! Dang. I deploy, the Cantina, Master Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi &and deploy his stick to Tat: JP. I dont want to battle in the audience chamber so I deploy outside. I draw everything but three force and say go. He deploys another character to the Audience Chamber and tries. I play narrow escape and Run Away! out the door. I have in my hand Run Luke Run so I try to spread thinly out over Tatooine. The game starts to become drain a drain race with me doing 2-3 more a turn do to the objective. I win by about 8.
Full Win 6 (+ 31)
Highs: A great, engaging game. Full of surprises. He had me on the run and it was fun.
Lows: Not the best starting conditions. I was getting tired from these long and engaging games.
Game 6 Hi. My Name is Lando Calrissian and I am a gamble-aholic
My DS CCT Sabacc deck v. Frank Theilmans LS CC Sabacc deck
Wow... another opponent I had to play twice in the same tournament! I cant believe it. I am even more unnerved by the fact that hes playing LS Sabacc as well! This is going to be a strange game. I start CCT and grab Red Leader as a prisoner. He plays the Guest Quarters and Combat readiness for the Corridor. This game got long, exhausting, and INSANELY loud... it was almost 5 oclock when we start and suddenly the quiet passiveness of the coffee house became the haven for St. Clouds denizens of Punk, Ska, and Piercing. The Java Z was having a 4 band smash up that evening so various 18 something full of angst brought their four letter explicitives and attitudes in. They saw us, made several nasty suggestions, and began bringing in the various equipment needed to perform their music. Now, I am very open minded, but good lord. When one musician brings in his drum set or base guitar, the other 6 people who want TO BE musicians start hacking away... god. This began and finished the game for me. Between the fact that Frank and I had to SHOUT the words go or force drain for two between turns, not to mention we were both trying to count cards for Sabacc and destiny, the shear NOISE of the place got to both of us. Our game was insane. I got Lando at the Sec. Tower. I dont think that Frank knew the replacement rules very well and I wasnt about to tell him... At anytime, he could have replaced Lando because you dont need to have force icons to replace someone. The character just needs to follow appropriate deployment restrictions like deploys only on... Anyway, this saved me. I played Sabacc about 5 times more than he did and I was winning lightsabers, Falcons, and disrupter pistols. When there were now appropriate stakes, I was making him lose Landos and other mains. I was afraid of losing Lando so I built up a nasty force in the tower. I got Expand the Empire and CC Casino out and was safely playing and retrieving all game. He was controlling the guest quarters with Pucimir (adding to his small drains) and he deployed a lone alien to the Audience Chamber I had deployed a few turns before after I thought he had committed to Cloud City. I had to wait a turn to find enough characters to battle him there and clear him and his force drain away. I get Boba Fett and Boleo to the Chamber and battle. He knew it was coming but plays Houjix. Okay... now Fett and Boelo are trapped at the Chamber, but they are reasonably safe. Over the roar of a Henry Rollins impersonator, Frank and I hear Dion call 2 minutes! Okay! We were rushing through our turns trying to spread out and force drain. We played Sabacc quickly. Dion was watching and said hands down. We were playing Sabacc when he said this. We debated whether Sabacc hands should be counted or not (I said they should be since they would go to the used pile anyway- Frank just wanted clarification. Dion agreed clarified by agreeing that the cards would be placed into the used pile so they are part of the life force.). We counted our cards and I have 25 left to his 15. So I get a timed victory, the only one the entire day.
Timed Win 7(+56).
Highs: Wow... uh, I won?
Lows: Noise. Pure raw Noise. The type of noise that liquefies your brain and makes your nose bleed. Couldnt concentrate. Shouting.
Well, there were no undefeated players. Graham Neal took first, followed by Josh Wittenin. Josh Kohman took 4th or 5th. Mike Raveling had a 3rd place finish. 5-9th place were decided by differential. If I would have had a full win, I would have placed 5th or 6th. Since i had a timed win, I was placed at 9th. I got into the top 10... I was ... content.
Overall, the tournament was one of the best ran events I have attended thus far. Dions choice to not use a computer made things much quicker for everyone. The Java Z is an excellent place. The owner apologized about the music at the end and said that that night was an unusual night because there was going to be 4 bands that night and they were going to start earlier than usual. That was okay. Next time I will be prepared.
Thats all for now. May 6th is the Minnesota State Tournament in Minneapolis at Mirkwood. Hopefully I will get a report out then. Thanks for reading!
Peter