pleasonton-ca-9-20
Title: pleasonton-ca-9-20
Author: Alfred "ThaBraHmaBuL" Dong
Date: Aug 21, 2000
Prelude
So its a few weeks after the tournament in San Francisco where Rod Latham, webmaster of Trandosite, showed up, and I found myself making alot of new decks on my spare time. I was dying to hit a tourney, but no one wanted to hold one in SF, so I was screwed......
....that is, until I talked to Kevin Shannon(Comic Con Champ). He told me of a tourney in Pleasonton this weekened and asked me if I would go. I had no way of getting there, but I told him Id let him know. Enter Steve Daniel. Hes taken me to Modesto before and he was going to Pleasonton, so I asked, and I got myself the ride I needed. I let Kevin know, and was on my way to Steves house to stay the night and work on decks and playtest. After helping Steve make a new DS deck using DS2 and Endor Ops, and a new LS scout deck starting TIGIH, we hit the sack, only to wake up in the morning and change decks some more.
I made another, different version of BHBM, one I thought had some serious potential, and it showed at Steves place. For LS, The Brahma Bull's Throne Room v2 for Decktech users, or a modified version of my previous Throne Room. Some character swapping, and choice red cards included to counter more stuff faster.
We hit the store fast thanks to Nick Stefankos driving, and we got a pretty good turnout with around 20-25 people. Notable names were Kevin Shannon, Dan Mochizuki, and Brett Nottingham. TD gets everything rounded up, command cards filled out, and were READY TO RUMBLE.....
Game 1: DS vs. Phillip Green's LS Ol Skool Profit
This game was over from the start. He starts Profit which adds 2 more force to the 15 I already activate through the Emporer and Mobilization Pts. I drop the <> Docking Bay to Tatooine, drop Janus to Emporer and shuffle them down from DS2. Hes scared of Your Destiny, so he grabs Honor and plays it in a hurry, so it gets Altered off the bat. Vader hit the JP, Veers and Blizzard to the Jundland Wastes. Im draining him for 5 a turn, hes doing all he can to keep Luke away from Vader. He eventually frees Han and does some suicide battles, but it just delayed the inevitable.......he just couldnt catch up from the early drains activation I got. Win by 25.
Cumalative Score: 2(+25)
Highs: Getting the first tourney win with my DS.....
Lows: His mother was there, and it mustve looked pretty bad....
Game 2: LS vs. Brett Nottingham's DS Beta-version Endor Ops
Ive heard good things about Brett, and have been meaning to play him. But he comes up to the table and tells me I have the honor of playing a beta-version of his deck, to make some improvements and learn from this experience. He tries to do Omnious Rumors at Endor, which cant be done, and screws his deck over. I dominate Endor and Fondor, which he dropped after he gave up Endor. I invaded the Bunker like there was an invitation every time, and dominated the table. One mistake nearly cost me, I dropped Romas the the H1: War Room to make Home One more affordable. I forgot to move him to Home One itself, and Brett dropped Sarkli, EPP Vader and Tarkin and smashed him for 15 more. A few minor skirmishes, but another one that was over from the start. Win by 15.
Cumalative Score: 4(+ 40)
Highs: Playing Brett, and having a fun game....
Lows: Proving his beta-version VERY unsuccessful, makes me wanna read my cards better.
Before the tourney started, I joked with Dan Mochizuki that I had a feeling I'd go 0 and 6 in the tourney and I'd quit the game. Dan wouldnt have it, and kept telling me otherwise.......so Kevin comes in and says "Ok, Im down with that" and it turns out Kevin lost his first 2 games.......talk about swtiching places.....Clayton Atkin makes his way through the crowd at this point, dropping by just to hang for a lil on his way home from work. He checks out the local decks and meta, at the same time were given a lunch break for about 2 hours instead of the suggested 30 minutes. We get to the pairings, and Clayton wants to see how my BHBM deck does.......so he joins me for the game.....
Game 3: DS vs. Brandon Bales LS Raltiir Uprising
Operatives I was not expecting, my only hope would be Captain Sarkli, Clayton and I both knew it. I started the game and got my activation flowing. I drew a few on the second turn and found Sarkli, but no ship to hold him on. Brandon flips 3rd turn, with Speeders and Operatives to 2 sites, an Incom and an Op to the last. I drop Vader to the Incom, choke the Op and hurt him for a few more, and move on over to block the drain. I draw a crapload for ships, and found a few, but he Grimtaashes and I lose Sarkli back to the Used. I play Imperial Command to get some guys out, and I draw my entire next turn as he reenforces Raltiir. I draw up to the last card, and Clayton says to me, "Man, you got jacked, minus well draw the last card"........and it was Sarkli. He gets in a turn of good drains, and I drop Sarkli on Dominator with Zuckuss to Raltiir, making him flip back. I drop Sim Aloo to a site alone, Admiral Piett and Chiraneau to another and Im winning battles left and right, and Insignificant Rebellion starts taking its toll. Sim takes over the Farm, and Im pelting him for 5 a turn to his 2, and hes running away from my guys since everyone in his deck cant draw destiny. I eventually grab Luke, but my drains get the better of him, and he draws up before I could get back and duel out. Win by 13.
Cumalative Score: 6(+53)
Highs: Playing a good game with Brandon, having Clayton there, and seeing my deck perform against Ops.
Lows: Sarkli is one man that kills an entire deck type......once hes out, Ops has no chance......combo him with Leave Them To Me, and Ops is fried from the start.
The Ugly: I dont usually do this, but this is an exception.......by the end of the game, I had about 7-9 cards stacked on Insignificant Rebellion, and I had Sim Aloo and a team of Piett and Chiraneau winning battles and chasing away Speeders and Ops......
Game 4: LS vs. Dan Mochizuki's DS ISB Power
I get to play Danny Mo in a tourney game.....and his deck just raped mines. He invades Yavin fast with his ISB agents and sits there for fast drains and early flips. I get Blount early and set him up there with Tycho and the Super Falcon, only to overdeploy and put Wedge there too(I HATE Lateral...). He never flips, but he drops alot of Endor and CC locations and spreads with Walkers and ISB everywhere. Im forced to follow him and play his game, and I just cant spread as thin as he does. He chooses his battles wisely, and always manages to maintain a steady drain of 2 somewhere on table. He drops Endor for Space and to satisfy Battle Plan, and all of a sudden Im finding half my fleet at Coruscant doing nothing but sitting. I cant catch up, Dan knows it, and just continues the abuse to end the game.......Loss by 22.
Cumalative Score: 6(+31)
Highs: Playing Dan and having Clayton sit in on another one.
Lows: Did you read the game? Blount is irrelavent.....just slows the pain.
That hurt.....knocked me down pretty much to the middle of the pack with the rest of the 3-1s and I just wanna finish 5-1 now. Danny Mo is undefeated, and so is John Monroe, a returning player. They collide for control of the tourney next game, and Kevin Shannon is coming back from an 0-2 deposit to 2-2.
Game 5: LS vs. Carl Hardys DS Monkey TIEs (Steven Lewis style)
I start the game pretty good, with 2 TWIX sites in my opening, and Jedi Luke with his saber. I draw the first few turns to find Squassin, Tycho and Billy Dee. He drops a lone Vanguard to Sullust, and I respond with Tycho and Billy Dee and Harrison on the Falcon. I Frozen Assets and battle, but he Ghhhks away. He tries and comes back with a few TIEs, tries and Laterals the Falcon but I Alter, and he battles anyways just to lose a few TIEs. I drop Jedi Luke and saber to the DS Dbay, and Orrimaarko to the Lower Corridor. I run away from the TIE squad there, and head to Endor. He drains, and proceeds to reinforce Sullust a little. I hit him for 5 and draw for a few turns, and then the fleet arrives. Down comes Home One, Wedge and Xwing, OTE, and Falcon and Tycho come swinging back. He decides to stick and battle a few turns, but his All Powers get Sensed twice, and he loses ships and I dont. He eventually moves away to Endor, and I secure a drain of 6. He loses a SFS off the top, and he cant set it up anymore, so he just battles out to end the game. Win by 18.
Cumalative Score: 8(+49)
Highs: Playing Carl....that makes 3 people Ive wanted to play today
Lows: Nothing much....
Game 6: DS vs. Kody's LS Obis Hut Mains and Toys
More Old Skool decks......He starts Obis Hut, and Im praying for Sarkli, but he never comes out. I get the activation started. He drops Lars Farm and a few other 2-1 Tatooine sites, and draws. Emporers on Tatooine since I couldnt find the DS2 Dbay, and I reinforce with Janus and Sim. He drops Ben and his saber with a BoMarr Monk to the Hut, and I respond with Vader and Mara and her saber but he barriers and runs. I drain for hell and I start the chase for Luke. He never gives up Luke, and he ends up losing 3 a turn to Your Destiny for the remainder of game. I forget to move on one turn, and Ben and Co. get off a few drains in the process, but nothing big happens, and he cant take 8 a turn from me too long. Win by 25.
Final Score: 10(+84)
Highs: Finishing strong with 5-1
Lows: Knowing I'll get screwed in the end with my low differential
I was right.....I got screwed in the end with my low dif, and John Monroe beats out Danny Mo and Nick Stefanko for the undefeated win. Dan places second, with dif higher than mines. Here are the top 5 standings as I saw them.......
Winner: John Monroe
2nd: Dan Mochizuki
3rd: Alfred Dong
4th: Kevin Shannon
5th: Kyle Ishimaru
So Im third, one short of the plaque, 2 short of an Emporer Palpatine shirt, but I still get alot of packs and had alot of fun. Kevin Shannon made a comeback from hell like me at the Comic Con(again with the reverse roles), and it was cool of Clayton to show up.
All in all a good day of tournament play.....I'll try and make a double tournament next week, but Im not to clear on details yet, more to come in the following days. Until next time.....
Any questions, comments, or feedback, please visit my page at Decktech.net under "ThaBrahmaBuL" and drop me a line.
Qui-Gon Jinn, The Brahma Bull
"Always Remember, Your Focus Determines Your Reality"