joliet-illinois-9-23-2000
Title: joliet-illinois-9-23-2000
Author: Steve "Crazy Hermit" Kuperman
Date: Sep 24, 2000
We arrive at the location (Leisure Hours Hobbies) with a few minutes to spare, so I chat for a few minutes with Ron and a few other folks who’ve come on out for the festivities. Anyway, here’s a brief description of my decks, immediately followed by my actual report.
Dark Side: "Insignificant? Insignificant Is My Middle Name!", my brilliant conception of Bring Him Before Me. It’s, like, good.
Light Side: "21 Card Beatdown, I Mocketh Thee", EBO/Bargawin deck built in a hurry. You’ll see the reason for the name in a few minutes.
Game 1: Dark Side vs. Scott Sichta’s (1659) TIGIH Speederholics Deck
I start my stuff, Prepared Defenses for IAO, MobPoints, and Oppressive. He puts down Insurrection, Staging Areas, and Draw Their Fire. At this point, I’m rather certain of what his game plan is, and so I’m anxious to find out what’s gonna go down. 1st turn, pull Emperor’s Power and Rendili out of deck, drop DSII:DB using IAO and throw down Palpy to the Landing Platform. His turn, doesn’t move Luke over, just drops a docking bay and draws a few. I drop Vader, let him go. He puts down another docking bay, drops an ASP Droid there and a couple of speeders w/Incom Corporation. Forgets to move Luke over, so it’s a small hit to him on my turn. I just draw a few, noticing Dengar w/Gun in my hand. Now, if I could find Jade, I might be able to do something. He puts down a single speeder to his other 1/0 docking bay and lets me go after moving Luke over, which lets me get in an Alter on his deployed Maneuvering Flaps. I draw up until I find Jade. He doesn’t do anything except drop Yarna, Honor, an ASP Droid to the Landing Platform so on my turn I drop Jade and Dengar to visit the lone speeder. Shoot the speeder w/Dengar, draw some @#$% destiny and make him lose the speeder and 7. From there, it didn’t really matter. He dropped a few speeders to try and screw with me, but I entered Chirpa’s Hut seeing as I now had other forces to secure the Platform. He doesn’t do a whole lot to me, and the game goes by pretty quickly. In the endgame, I just had too much against him for any effective counter-resistance.
Result: Full Win By 31 Total: 2(+31)
Game 2: Light Side vs. Some Dude Who’s Name I Didn’t Get (Sorry If You’re Reading This) Rops
I started what you think I should start with, he starts IAO, Oppressive Enforcement, Combat Response. I was a bit intrigued by the third effect, I was expecting to see a considerable amount of resistance put up.
This game was just silly. To begin with, I got an incredible draw, pulling Ishi Tibs and Baragwins all over the place, along with an opening hand Squassin. EBO is incredibly easy to establish with this deck. Before long, Luke is hovering over Kashyyyk in Artoo In Red 5 and a Laser Cannon, and I’m absorbing the piddly drain of 1 inflicted by Colonel Davod Jon at the Jungle. I’ve got EPP Obi in hand, but don’t wanna waste him just yet. I show Captain Han and get his ship out to my Kashyyyk for 3, then move it into Ralltiir to prevent visions of a flip. He gets three sites down, yet inexplicably does not occupy the third right away, choosing to hold a second site w/TS4 and an AT-ST Pilot. So, Obi hops into the Forest, and I drain away, getting him to lose cards such as Baron Fel (YAY!), Colonel Jendon, Onyx 2, all of this great stuff that could have given me at least something to think about. I get Hoth out, put RL in Red 1 there, and so now I’m draining for 9. He attacks Obi-Wan, kills him, but he can’t flip cause he doesn’t have any ships. He realizes that he’s doing no damage, but it doesn’t really matter. On my last turn, before I drain him, I On The Edge for 6 Force back into my deck and win without any sort of audible resistance.
Result: Full Win By 32 Total: 4(+63)
At this point, the other top competition in the tournament is facing off . . .Mr. Al Schaefer himself vs. Rob Giffen, TRM vs. Rops. Al takes the game by 14 in a vicious battle against his own ability to take a game breaking move and forget it.
Game 3: Light Side vs. Eric Palomar’s (1609) SYCFA/Interceptor Extravanganza
I don’t know who this kid is, but he looks pretty damn smart. He starts Oppressive, MobPoints, and Battle Order. He puts down Wakeelmui, and gets an early Miyoom Onith down to the D* DB. I throw out a few aliens, including a couple of Baragawins. As I notice he’s gotten enough Force to use Miyoom’s text, I throw EPP Luke to the North Ridge. He puts the Emperor w/Miyoom, then shoves them to the D* War Room w/POTF. After establishing EBO, I put down Captain Han in Falcon w/Tantive IV to Kashyyyk. He absorbs a drain of 3 for a couple of turns, then puts Lat. Damage at Wakeelmui targeting Falcon, SFS onto Wakeelmui, then a Dreadnaught and 4-5 Interceptors to Kashyyyk. Battle, All Power, he’s got some kind of sick power and I make him forfeit something, he chose the Dreadnaught. He regretted that one, I imagine. I lose both corvettes, then run the Falcon to Wakeelmui and cancel Lat Damage. For the next few turns, we fall into a pattern. He drains me at Kashyyyk, I retreive it with my Bargawins, I drain him at Wakeelmui. Finally, we get something going down, w/Zuckuss and a Dreadnaught and some TIEs visiting. I put Leia onto the Falcon, run it to the Endor system which he has deployed, and I draw, use Ishi Tib text, etc. He follows a turn or two later, and the trap is sprung. I put down I’ll Take The Leader, battle, play I Know. I draw 5 battle destiny, which comes out to a total of 25 for me. I outpower him, despite APTW. The Falcon’s exploits at the Endor system become Legendary as he loses a lot o’stuff. I just run away from the remaining fleet and make him lose Force to my drains as he can’t follow me anymore. I put down Home One and Red Leader In Red 1 to Kashyyyk to drain, he gets another Dreadnaught and chases me around. Finally, as he has two cards left in his deck, I get lazy and forget to move my ships. He battles me, wins the battle 49-11 despite I’ll Take The Leader being out. I lost 21 Force due to my blunder, hence my deck’s title. It didn’t matter, so like I cared. An On The Edge for 6 cards back in, and it’s game.
Result: Full Win By 15. Total: 6(+78)
Game 4: Dark Side vs. Al Schaefer’s (1768) Worst Throne Room Deck EVER
He sucks. He could tell you that, and I could tell you that. But he’s also flaming lucky sometimes. I start IAO, MobPoints, Oppressive. He deploys a Nudj and lets me go. I drop a docking bay, Emperor, Janus w/Emperor, Emperor’s Power. He deploys a twix site from hand, looks for Nudj, doesn’t find Nudj. He draws. My turn, drop Dark Lord Of The Sith to the Farm, pick up one. He deploys EPP Obi against Vader, deploys a Nudj to the Swamp, deploys YISYW, battles. Swings at Vader, draws a 5 and a 1. Damn that effect . . .we tie in power, so site is cleared, but I’ve lost my only Vader in hand. I go drawing crazy-style for a few turns, as does Al. We Monnok and Grimtaash each other a couple of times, so no definite advantage is being settled yet. Finally, I’m able to drop a Presence onto the Farm, another DLOTS w/Vader’s stick there, battle Nudj. His turn, deploy Luke, Jedi Knight to a freshly deployed CC:Lower Corridor and an Ani’s Stick to match, Battle Plan also drops. Knew I should have added in U-3PO. Before I activate, he Alters the POTF. I activate my Force, Force drain, then draw, finding Ms. Jade. He pays 3, drains for 3, then goes off and draws. Ms. Jade goes to Y4 Swamp with her stick, kills Nudj, Imperial Decree hits the table the same turn and goes into effect. I’m now officially winning the drain race. Home One War Room is deployed w/Lock Navander there, Home One goes to Kessel w/some other pilot and Navander heads up to the bridge. Decree is helping huge, it’s saving me 2 Force a turn. I drain for 5 at two sites, then deployed Jabba and 4-LOM to Jade’s site. The rest is kinda glazed over, although Han and Orrimaarko make a visit to a site, and they lure Jade over to a non-battleground, almost causing me to lose the game due to Effective Repairs getting Al Honor Of The Jedi back and shoving my drains to next to nothing for a turn. Eventually, Iggy w/Gun comes down and shoots Luke, and my spread out drains take the game.
Result: Full Win By 8 Total: 8(+86)
Game 5: Light Side vs. Robert Giffen’s (1900) Rops
NOTE: I was informed prior to this game that I was to play Light Side this game, a situation which turned out to not be the case. That would explain why I played Light Side in both games 5 and 6, a total of 4 times over the tournament. Why me?
Mr. Rob’s a pretty smart player, and he tends to accumulate a lot of experience. I haven’t played him in ages, so I’m looking to have a tough game. He starts Battle Order, Imperial Decree and IAO, not terribly surprising. I draw my two Obi’s opening hand, 1 Ishi Tib and a Wind Chimes that goes immediately for a Bargawin. I start setting up, Mr. Rob deploys docking bays and draws. I put down EBO, Captain Han in Falcon and GL in Gold 1 go to Ralltiir, Premiere Obi to the North Ridge. EPP Vader, Tarkin, Merrjik aboard TS1 come down on Obi, First Strike and battle. I end up losing Obi and 1 or 2 more. Tarkin and Merrjik move to the Echo Docking Bay aboard TS1, Vader moves to MPG. My turn, pay 3 to drain for 3, put down EPP Obi and an Ishi Tib along with my other Ishi Tib against Tarkin and Merrjik, battle. He draws a 2, I draw a 5, forfeits Merrjik for 6 and I lose an Ishi Tib. My battle there has now created a considerable dilemna for Rob, as he no longer can hold this site. He drops Bossk In Bus and Dreadnaught with scrub pilot to meet the Falcon, battles. He draws a total of 5 and I draw high enough to knock out the Dreadnaught and pilot, and also win the battle. I drop Legendary Starfighter on the Falcon, forfeit Han, run GL in Gold 1 to Hoth. For the rest of the game, Rob would lose 2 Force on his turn to the Legendary Starfighter he could not remove. Fury hits the table and, combined with Legendary Starfighter, begins to massacre Rob’s deck. Obi starts moving on out to the North Ridge as Tantive IV and Haven come to Hoth, Rob gets a couple of scrubs out there. Luke comes down, gets barriered. Rob battles me a little more up in space with Zuckuss and Bossk, I react with Spiral (for free!) and end up losing one of the ships. Rob also battles Luke and Obi at North Ridge, a couple of swings later, he Ghhhks, but makes me toss Luke. Leia hits the ground to do a little fighting at the Echo Docking Bay, then gets shuttled up to Tantive IV, giving me enough ability to draw massive destiny. Eventually, Rob runs out of battle power up in space, and the 4 direct damage a turn ends the game.
Result: Full Win By 16 Total 10(+102)
Game 6: Light Side vs. Al Schaefer’s (1768) BHBM Goodness
I wasn’t too thrilled about playing my Light deck again, as I have more fun with my Dark deck. But games are games . . .he starts MobPoints, IAO, You Cannot Hide Forever. He drops Emperor to DSII: DB 1st turn, Vader to North Ridge 2nd turn, Jade 3rd turn to the North Ridge. I avoid him for a while and set up EBO by pulling Farmboy out of my deck for 1 Force and put him at an Echo site. Only 1 Baragwin has showed up for me, that’s how it went the whole game. Captain Han on the Falcon goes to Kashyyyk, I end up going in a drawing frenzy to find some ships. Al absorbs a few drains, then drops Fett In Slave One and Zuckuss to fight Han and the Tantive/Spiral I had at Kashyyyk. I lose Tantive, Han goes running like a little school girl to Hoth. Obi drops into Echo Base to try to stave off the massive invasion of my sites, but it’s no good and Echo Base Operations is cancelled. Luckily, Fury shows up in my hand again, dropped that onto DLOTS and moved Luke over to be captured. Al was now losing 3 Force a turn without any Force Drains. My one Bargawin is doing wonders for me, seeing as Al drops Battle Order (Lord only knows why) and Monnoks me lost, killing my On The Edges. That sucked, but I’m still alive, racing the Falcon around Kashyyyk and Hoth, using my Ishi Tibs to locate some ships. Al moves Vader, Iggy w/Gun, Jade around, trying to block my forces in. Finally, I have exactly enough Force to drop Home One with Captain Han, I’ll Take The Leader, battle his ships and take them out (mad destiny, y’know?), and run my 4 characters away from Vader and Iggy. EPP Obi and Jade meet up and kill each other, Premiere Obi then takes over the North Ridge. Fury damage from Leia being on table, the ping of 1 on Al’s turn, and my own drain of 2 a turn takes Al down, despite almost everything going wrong for my deck.
Result: Full Win By 18 Total: 12(+120)
As you may have guessed, I won. Everybody else was leaps and bounds away from me. Top 5 went something like this:
1. Me (Steve Kuperman)
2. Scott Sichta
3. Eric Palomar
4. Al Schaefer
5. Rob Giffen or Mike Wood, I don’t remember which.
My rating going into the tournament was 1862, and according to the handy-dandy rating calculator at the Coruscant Times, it should be at about 1920 following an update.
After the tournament, a few of us went to eat at some place. The food was excellent (I enjoyed the ’Ragin Cajun’), but the man of the hour was Darryl Sarna, who ordered ’The Franchise’. The Franchise was a 2 pound burger, I was most impressed when he took it down without a sweat.
Hmm . . .thanks go to:
That Larry Bird-Eating Mr. Al Schaefer, partly for the ride, partly for the 2 great games, partly for the ratings points.
Ron Fonck, cause you know how to run a good tournament.
Scott Sichta and Darryl Sarna . . .you guys = funny.
Palomar, cause you kept the fight coming.
Rob Giffen, since he IS Rob Giffen.
The Franchise, since it made for great material on the drive back home.
Echo Base Operations, cause it’s good.
Bring Him Before Me, cause it’s also quite good.
Ralltiir Operations, for sucking it up big time against me.
Emperor Palpatine, for never getting hacked, slashed, or otherwise blown to bits once in this tournament.
Uncontrollable Fury, the card that aided in one of my victories and allowed me to win another game despite everything going wrong.
The unlikely, for coming true.
People who read tournament reports . . .you all crazy guys.