san-jose-ca-6-11
Title: san-jose-ca-6-11
Author: Alfred "ThaBraHmaBuL" Dong
Date: Jun 11, 2000
The week progresses pretty quickly as summer is starting for us scholars, and Im giving diffrent clans in L5R a run to see what they can do. Theres big news about Carl Hardys tournament in Sacramento, but it seems no one im my area wants to drive there for the 1130 (??? thats kinda early, isnt it?) start. So I check my email Saturday morning and get an e-mail from local tourney director Eric Brummel saying he wants to hit a tourney and play today......so I promptly decide on the San Jose one, since it starts up later.
We gather up local players Terrence Gong and Gibson Yim and were on our way. We get there almost an hour late(appearantly it started at 530, not 6....getting lost didnt help either), but the TD, Thaddeus Aid was cool enough to let us play(Congrats on the engagement Thad). I ask if we can play the first game with the 25 minutes we have left and he agrees, and I luck out and get slapped with the bye, much to the dislike of everyone else there, which once again, included Matt Smith.
Game 1: BYE (DS)
If you werent reading, I got the bye first game, which started the hate on me from everyone there. I sat around and checked my decks, Speed Profit for LS, RalOps for Dark, same decks I had the week before, and made sure they were good to go. I watched Gibson reveal his cheesy Y4 numbers deck(why you gotta give him ideas, Chris?), as he defeated Eric for the first game.
Cumalative Score: 2(+0)
Highs: Getting to double check my decks
Lows: Not getting to play....
Game 2: LS Speed Profit vs. Gibson Yims DS Raltiir Ops
So after seeing Gibson beat on Eric with his cheesy LS, I knew I needed to LAY THE SMACKDOWN on him for just having that deck around. I start my usual, he starts IAO and Raltiir. I free Han 2nd turn with Luke and start the drains. I draw and find the Cantina and Ben plus his stick. He flips around the 4th turn, because I had some mind games going on with him and he feared Grimtaash. I drop Anakins stick on Luke, Ben and saber to the Cantina and sit for 4 a turn after he flips.....he never goes after either of them, knowing what cards I have in my hand should he try, and just eats the drains. It was a drain race from there, his 4 on Raltiir plus Kashyyyk to my 4 on the ground, and I manages to edge him out by 15 thanks to my early retrival and the early damage caused to him. Win by 15.
Cumalative Score: 4(+15)
Highs: Profit beating a Raltiir Ops is always nice
Lows: Playing someone in my car
So I beat Gibson down by 1 and he's 1-1 now same with Eric. Im undefeated as is Terrence, and we look to get up for the win. Matt loses to Terrence, and is down there with Gibson and Eric. Im desperate for food(ate nothing but a cereal bar all day), but they finish fast so Im waiting at least another game.
Game 3: LS Speed Profit vs. Steve Daniels DS "Anti-Profit" Alien Madness
Its the same deck he played me with last time, not much in way of changes. He starts Ephant Mon and skinny Jabba to the AC, and first turn he converts the AC and grabs Feltipern Trevagg(nice touch) so Id play at least 3 more for a battle there. He loads up on the AC, and I drop the Cantina shuffle and draw to find something decent. I drop EPP Leia to the AC, Master Luke for free to JP w/ Ani's, play Someone Who Loves You, and run off with Han. He does nothing about it, but sets up guys at the Cantina, and drops Bossk to Tatooine and sets up Occupation. My turn, I drain, run to Mos Eisley and draw, find Endor Celebration. I cancel Occupation and he drains for 3, and decides to back up his aliens at the Cantina. I shuffle my guys in there after draining, and drop Ben and stick to battle after missing Ree-Yees with Sorry About the Mess(the shame....). I clear the site plus 9 more after chops and shot plus GiftOTMentor. So now Ive got the shuffle going doing at least 7 a turn, and all he has is a DS AChamber and Tatooine. He sets up Occupation again and decides to spread. I drain him to a point where hes about to lose, and he moves some aliens to Mos Eisley for me to smack and win the game by 25.
Cumalative Score: 6(+40)
Highs: Beating a potential Anti-Profit
Lows: Im about 4-0 against Steve now, which he takes a disliking to....
Game 4: DS Raltiir Ops vs. Terrence Gong's LS "Iron Mike" Profit
So its me and T-Bone in the final game. I go in there making him think Ive got a Court deck, and his reaction to the obvious was pretty funny. I get a decent starting hand with 2 TWIX sites and 2 walkers. I search for sites and flip about 3rd turn, right before he frees Han and makes me lose 2 to Profit. I sit and drain for awhile, draw up Kashyyyk and set up Decree for the lockdown. All he has going is his Profit damage, and its getting tiresome so I decide to do something stupid....fight a Profit deck. He has Lando w/ Gun and Tawss Khaa at the Guest Quarters, and the only card that can save him is It's A Trap!, so I decided to track a 6 and go up there with Vader and Tarkin. I battle, choke Tawss and draw no destiny but he has to lose Lando or 7......he chooses the 7, and keeps Lando around. He tracks a 6 and Sorry About the Mess Vader and drops Melas to smack Tarkin for 11. Im down to about 12 cards at this point, so he has to advantage. I have EPP Vader in my hand, and I see a lone Chewie at Mos Eisley with no force saved, so I decide to smack him. The hack is good, I draw a 5 to boot so hes losing 9 more, which gives me the ups once again. I continue to pain on Raltiir, and he tries to chase Vader down. A turn later, I knock him down to one force, and I smack Luke for another 11 and thats game. Win by 6.
Cumalative Score: 8(+46)
Highs: Terrence is improving....Im happy for him. That was a good game, one where I probably shouldnt have even went after him and let him have his Profit damage. Great game.
Lows: I feel bad about screwing Terrence out of what may have been his first tournament win....soon Terrence, you will have your day.
So I end up the only one undefeated, and I take another tourney. Here are the final standings...
Winner: Alfred Dong
2nd: Terrence Gong
3rd: Steve Daniels
4th: Gibson Yim
5th: Alex Stepanko(?)
Terrence pulls up to second place so Im not feeling as bad. Overall a nice small tournament with around 12 people and a relaxing setting. The new CC prize support is handed out once again, and I get yet another main.....not Fett this time, but a DS Lando, which is just as nice. We stick around and I get some food(FINALLY) and I chuck down a few tacos from Taco Bell. I played a local who has an interesting deck using Program Trap, which seems to be the talk around there......I ended up beating it, just takes some precision and skill.....Its annoying, I'll tell you that much.
Thats all for now.....Until next time....
Any questions, comments, or feedback, please email me at IfYaSmLLL@aol.com, or visit my page at Decktech.net and drop me a line.
Qui-Gon Jinn, The Brahma Bull
"Always Remember, Your Focus Determines Your Reality"