fairmont-wv-8-5-00
Title: fairmont-wv-8-5-00
Author: John "Artoo-Detoo" Tatta
Date: Aug 6, 2000
***Start Scrolling Now***
So I wake up about 10:00 and hop in the showing. I'm thinking about how my decks are going to do today and if I should make any last moment changes. I decide against that and head to the card shop a bit early to see if I can scoop up the last 5 cards I need for my dark side deck.
So when I get there, Chad's the only one there and he doesn't have a damn thing I need. So we sit back and play a game. My LS against his DS. For LS, I'm playing "Local Upring With a Twist" except my adaptation of it. Several Ewok Catapults along with ASP Droids and On The Edges for MASS retrieval and Battle Destinies. Also the SUper Falcon for space presence. Blah, you knmow the drill. So I drop a bunch of 2/0 sites and invade Ralltiir. Boring game, truthfully. Just a good way to pass time before people start to show up. I end up winning and just boost my confidence even higher than it already is.
So FINALLY people start showing up. Some new people came, too that apparently have been playing for quite some time and just new to the tournament scene. I end up getting 4 of the 5 cards for my Dark deck and just toss in another Twi-lek in place of the second Sienar Fleet Systems I couldn't get my hands on. Turned out alright, I suppose. You'll see. So the pairings are made and I get my first round opponent.
***End Scrolling***
Round 1 --- Game 1
DS (Adaptation of "Emperor's Sword and Shield) vs. Mike Adams (EBO)
So right off the bat I get to see what this deck does against EBO decks. He was apparently playing an X-Wing Swarm version of the deck with very few DS2 cards in it. He had Dodonna and Gospic set up in the War Room real early and started applying pressure. I got SFS up and running on the first turn so I knew I was in good shape. It wasn't until about 10 turns into the game when we FINALLY had cards in our lost piles. Mike kept cancelling my space drains at a POTF'ed Kashyyyk and he just wasn't making me lose any cards at all.
EVENTUALLY, he started to deploy heavy in space. I only remember 1 big battle that really wiped him out. I shot down 2 X-Wings and then played APTW and clearing the site. My TIE from attrtion went to my used, of course. After that, I drained him out slowly but surely. It's scary to know that my deck can beat power 7 X-Wings. Wow.
Result: FW +23
Total: 2(+23)
Highs: Beating an EBO deck. I wasn't sure how to play against it with my deck. Lateral Damaging Lando/Falcon was cool, too.
Lows: Having my jaw drop when he deployed 6 power 7 X-Wings to Chandrila to drain me for 3.
Round 1 --- Game 2
LS (Local Uprising With a Bigger Twist) vs. John Lilly (SFS TIE Scouts and stuff)
This game started off with a bang. My opening hand had Green 3 AND Tycho where as he started with Wakeelmui and SFS. First turn, he didn't deploy any locations and just dropped a lone TIE Scout to his SFS system. He picked up the one card he had left in his pile and was done. This is where it got fun. I dropped Tycho/Green Squadron 3 to Wakeelmui and after a rules debate over the whole matter, he had to lose the scout and 4 cards. A few of them being key cards to his deck. I later backed up Wakeelmui with Blount/Tala 2 and started to drain at my Farm with Master Luke and Anakin's Lightsaber. Between my constant drain of 6 per turn (I later got out Kessel) and my destiny tracking (ASP/Catapult's), I don't know which discouraged him the most. What made me mad is that he actually TRIED to stall and time me out, but I was taking 5 second turns. Litteraly. I would drain and then say done. I didn't have to do anything else. I drained him out after 45 minutes.
Result: FW +33
Overall: 4(+56)
Highs: Taking over Wakeelmui on the first turn and him never getting it back.
Lows: Him stalling. Him playing, honestly, 35 TIE Scouts.
So I take a little break to check out the current standings. Right now, I'm in first, but a game is still finishing up. I take a quick look at what's going on, and they're probably going to time out, so I don't sweat it. I have my top spot secure for now. But then the worst happens. In the last turn of the game still going on, the LS player could have freed Han with his Profit deck, retrieved 5 cards, and probably would have won by a couple cards. But INSTEAD, he drew up! He had 30 cards left ... and frickin drew up his entire deck. The look on the DS players face just lit up with joy. So, because of that, a player jumped ahead of me in the standings. And that was ... Chris Warder. A good friend of mine and an up-and-coming good player.
The pairings are made, and I have to play Chris. Damn.
Round 2 --- Game 1
LS vs. Chris Warder (Tatooine Walkers/Beats)
Ok, I see his starting stuff and think that I've seen this deck by him before. He starts JP and Combat Readiness for the Moisture Farm. I've seen another friend of mine do this before so I think to watch for Choke Vader's early. I start my usual to do my desperate attempt to choke my opponent of force. He goes first, slaps down the Jundland Wastes, and searches for the AC. After that, he draws up a few. So much for force choke, eh? So I do the same, drop a few 2/0 sites I had in my hand and drew up. We were both activating enough by the third or fourth turn of the game. I had my 7's engine going about the 5th turn. I had a HORRIBLE draw against him. No frickin characters for chrissakes. Finally, he deploys a character to the AC 5th turn. Of course, it's Mara and her stick. He backs her up with a Vader and draws up.
My turn comes around ... I throw a 7 on top of my deck ... deploy Master Luke with Orrimarko to the AC. Drop Luke's stick with him and initiate a battle. Of course, I bounce Mara back to his hand as Vader just stares Luke and Orri right in the eye helpless of anything. I chop Vader with 2 3's (I had Insight out), and draw a 7 for destiny. He drew a 3, so I just sack Orri. He loses Vader and 5, PLUS the two from Orrimarko. I now have taken over the AC.
The game pretty much slowed dwon from there. I FINALLY dropped Kessel and threw Han/Falcon there. He started draining big, but I got Menace Fades out and running smoothly. After a few desperate charges at the AC, he finally cleared me out towards the end of the game. Low and behold, I figure out math and I'll win in 3 turns. NOT! He slaps a LATE LATE LATE Mara Jade to the Jundland wastes and beats me a turn. My own card, Draw Their Fire, killed me in the end by him retrieving 1 and me losing 1. He wins by 4 cards.
Result: FL -4
Overall: 4(+52)
As it stands, I'm still in the top 5 or so going into the last game and they're only 2 undefeateds. I'm playing one of them, so I figure if Chris loses with his LS, then it's anybody's tournament. I just have to win my last game.
Round 2/Game 2
DS vs. Marc Harbert (OMDH Mains)
Right after I saw Mark slap down Tatooine on the first turn, I already knew what he was playing. He's been playing the deck ever since the Pope visited New York. And right then, I knew it'd be a timed out win for somebody. We both just retrieve too much and his deck is meant to beat down people. You just can't beat down TIE Interceptors with the Falcon and R2/Red 5. This was a LONG, drawn out game. I'd make him lose ten, then he'd retrieve 10. I got rid of some characters to where he was only retrieving 8 per OMDH, but to no avail. We had a few big battles, but the game seriously was changed when I grabbed his Control. He was playing 5, and all 5 were stacked by the ames conclusion. By him not retrieving the Controls and not being able to cancel my drains of 3 and 2 at a POTF'ed Kashyyyk and Sullust, I won the game. At least I thought.
The TD came over and called time. We each had 1 turn left starting with me. Me and Marc both counted decks and as it turned out, I was down by 1 friggin card. Our drains were even now, so I was going to lose by one unless I did something drastic. I can't move my TIES to block his drains, so I'm screwed there. Can't put my 3 cards in hand back in my deck, so I'm screwed there, too. Luckily for me, he blew up a TIE at an Asteroid Sector to put a card back in my deck for me. Now we were even.
His turn came, and he drained. I lose all my hand and 2 more. He battled one last time in hope of breakthrough damaging, but it wasn't to be. I dropped another TIE into my Used Pile and ended up winning by 2 cards. A timed Win blows, but it's better than a loss and scrubbing out at 2-2.
Result: TW +21
Overall: 5(+73)
My assumptions were right, Chris did indeed lose and the person that beat him ended up winning the tournament. If I would've had a FW, I would've won, but those are the breaks, you know? I ended up 4th. Here were the top 4:
1. Steven Yeager
2. Chris Warder
3. Marc Harbert
4. John Tatta (Me)
So it's sad. I had a higher differential than the eventual winner. If anyone just wants to talk decks or tech, drop me a d-mail.
Props:
Mark Bordenet for running tournament
New people for showing up and making the day more enjoyable for everyone there
Chris for playing the best tournament he ever has
and lastly ... to ME! For giving the winner a T-Shirt I won 2 years ago
Slops:
John for trying to stall against me
Steven for not answering the "State Champ" challenge. Shoot, I'm the state champ, I want to play the tournament winner!
- John Tatta
WV State Champ