father-william-goes-to-d-con-pt1
Title: father-william-goes-to-d-con-pt1
Author: Michael "rayc" Hawley
Date: Oct 16, 2000
It all starts with a train ride. I don’t like to fly. I do it when I have to and avoid it when I can. So I board the Amtrak in Boston . I do not unpack any cards or work on any decks between Boston and New York. There will be plenty of time for that on the long journey from NY to FLA. Instead I pull out the Diskman and it’s Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic followed by Beggar’s Banquet. No sleep for me on that leg of the trip.
After a short rest in NYC, I board the train for Florida. Ok, the coach I am in is not very crowded. Lots of empty seats. I find myself a window seat, open up the bag with the card boxes and pull out my decks (really all ready except for a few tweaks here and there). I figure that I am good for a few hours of happy tweaking and counting before the train starts to fill up and someone needs the seat next to me. Nope. First stop after NYC I feel a tap on my shoulder. I pull the headphones off (Elvis Costello - some greatest hits CD), look up and there is this guy - mid twenties, brown hair, small side of an average build, light mustache, polyester pants, and a pack of cigarettes. He had no carry-on luggage of any kind.
"Is anyone sitting here?" he says. I look around pointedly at the other 25 rows of empty seats and say: "No. Did you want to sit here?" He says "Yes." So I put all my stuff back in the suitcase and make room for him. We introduce ourselves. He’s Danny (not his real name) - going to Miami. Great. I won’t be getting the cards out again for the rest of the trip. I hope he doesn’t snore and rest his head on my shoulder. My one ray of hope - the cigarettes. If he is a chain smoker, he will spend a lot of time in the cafe car because smoking is not allowed in the coaches.
During the obligatory small talk I observe Danny and he seems to be quite a character. Very friendly, but nervous. Lots of questions about how long it will take to get to Florida. At one point, he hears the door opening at the rear of the coach and jumps so high he nearly hits his head on the overhead rack. He looks back and sees some lady making her way forward to the cafe car. No sooner is the lady past us when the door opens again. Boing! Andrew jumps up again. Another old lady. Hmmm... no luggage, no personal care items, no book, no sweater or jacket (it’s warm in Florida but this is still New Jersey), jumping at shadows. I’m beginning to think this guy is running from something.
When smoking hours are announced, Danny gets up and heads for the cafe car. I am relieved but I do not get my cards out. It is too much of a hassle packing them up again. So, I put on my headphones, make sure that my wallet is in my left pocket (window side - don’t want it stolen while I sleep) and pull out my book. I have resolved to be deep in my book or asleep any time Danny gets back to the seat. I am not much for socializing with strangers on trains. I like the solitude and the transition time.
About 2 hours later, Danny is back. Now he smells like sweat + polyester + coffee breath + beer + tobacco. A smell that will become stronger and more distinct with each trip to the cafe car. I give a brief nod and my nose goes back into the book. This is not sufficient to shield me from the aroma attack (I wish I were a pokemon trainer "Vileplume... return!").
After a few more panicky jumps and furtive glances at the exits, my seatmate heads back to the cafe. This time I want a sandwich so I wait a few minutes and head to the cafe myself. There he is, seated so that he has a clear view of the exit. He has a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He is having a friendly debate with another passenger on the subject of music appreciation. Are all country music fans "@#$%s?" is the point in question. The large, bearded fellow in the plaid shirt is strongly on the "yes" side of the question. So I am guessing that result resulting conclusion will have Hank Williams and the Village People sharing top billing at gay nightclubs throughout the land. I nod hello, go get my sandwich and head back to my seat - hoping that the debate team does not consider Bill Morrissey or Jim Croce country music because I have brought CDs by each of these artists (allow me to digress and say that Maury Mulheisen, Croce’s lead guitarist, was a great player).
So it goes through the night and into the next day. I doze, am awakened by the smell, a couple of jumps, doze again. By the time the train arrives (2 hours late) in Kissimmee, I am desperate for fresh air and the company of a relaxed person. For the rest of my life I will associate Florida with relief from a very bad smell. Good luck Danny. I hope they have showers and breath mints wherever you are going.
I am staying at the Ramada Westgate Plaza which is "across the street" from the Doubltree, where the convention is held. The con does not start ’til tomorrow. So I hook up with my friend Van, with whom I am sharing a room. We have been friends for over 20 years. It was he who introduced me to SWCCG in 1997. We get together for a visit once a year. So we have dinner at the hotel restaurant, work on decks, make deck lists for me (Van does not plan to play in Day 1). Then we play a couple of games. Both my decks look pretty solid.
For the Dark side, I use a Hunt Down with dueling. For the light side I use a fake Hidden Base with many revos. I had been toying with this idea for months. I decided it was good when discussing deck ideas with Hayes Hunter and he cited his reasons for only taking one Revo in his LS deck. Then I saw that the mighty Clint Hays has posted his "Got Evader?" deck. Very similar to mine in many respects. It’s a go.
So next morning we get up in plenty of time to have breakfast and get registered. As you all have heard, we could have slept another couple hours for all the difference it makes. Oh well, while I am waiting in the registration line, I see many of the Kashyyyk players and I finally get to meet Neal. I also introduce myself to a few other people I recognize.
Way late, the tournament gets started.
Game 1: Dark vs. ? He is playing There is Good in Him.
I don’t remember what effects he started. I start IAO, Mob. Points, and Oppressive. 2nd turn, Vader goes to Endor Docking Bay. He is choked. Hunt down eats this deck alive. He claims it is undefeated. I think he was a bit nervous because he makes a few mistakes and misses a couple of opportunities to win some battles. I see him at the end of the tournament and he tells me his previously undefeated light deck has gone 0 for 4.
Highs: I start with a win and don’t make too many mistakes.
Lows: Low diff. Better playing would have got me a better diff.
Game 2: Light vs. ? Huntdown.
This guy is not prepared for revos. Good player - bad revos. Full win game two. Again not much differential.
Highs: Another win. Taking someone by surprise with revo.
Lows: Low diff again.
Game 3: Light vs. Robert Rau BHBM, I believe
I don’t remember much about this game. By the time I get my revos he has control of pretty much everything. I hit back but not hard enough. Full loss by pretty low diff.
Highs: My opponent plays very well. The differential is low enough so that the loss is not catastrophic.
Lows: My first loss
Game 4: Dark vs. Ryan Christian Hidden Base/Asteroid sanctuary.
I am very fortunate that A. Ryan opts not to start Do or Do Not and B. His first card loss off the top is an asteroid sector. Now I know his game (see "Pass the Cheese, please" - it used to be my game as well). I set up on the ground with Search and Destroy, Visage, and Small drains. I pretty much leave him alone in the asteroids except that I alter all of his Sanctuaries. We both play pretty well but mostly non-interactive. I win because of the Alters. Ryan goes away vowing to start Do Or Do Not for the rest of the Day. Sure enough, his Asteroid deck suffered only that one loss on the day.
I think at this point I am hearing about disqualifications for deck list problems. These rumors would continue through the day and would turn out to be true. Others have described this issue in great detail. I will leave it alone for now.
Highs: Beating a good player with a rogue deck. Great to meet the Cardmaster.
Lows: There’s that low diff again.
Game 5: Dark vs. ? with an Endor Deck (it is not TIGIH. It may be Hidden Base)
This is the game that will break me. We are both playing keep-away with large forces on the ground. He does not want me to be able to initiate battle with Vader and Tarkin then Duel within the battle. I am losing the drain race. So I track some destiny (4 and 3), move Vader to Obi’s sight, lost Monnok (good. No anti-duel tech), Use Sim to see that his top card is a 2. So, I play Circle as an Epic duel. I figure that he has to draw a 6 for this to really hurt me (we both have Sabers - not the throwing saber though). Well I draw my 3 and 4. He draws a 2 and (you guessed it) 6. Bye Vader. Bye game. Bye day 2.
Highs: Not this time
Lows: Somehow I just know it’s over. I do hope to play some more good opponents.
Game 6: Light vs. Neal Razi
I get my wish. Neal rules. This game is a blur. You would think that a game against a player I have long wanted to meet and play would stick in my memory. But it doesn’t. I do remember that I have him choked in the early going only to have him mount a Herculean comeback and beat me by a moderate differential. I play acceptably but not good enough to win. Neal, of course, plays like a master.
Highlights: Neal rules
Lowlights: Not just in general.
Game 7: Light vs. Mike Fitzgerald Mains w/SAC
This game hinges on SAC wars a lot. I can not protect my Revos because I lose all the Sense Alter wars. Mike wins most of the battles and does heavy damage with Dr E. I at least keep it relatively close. Full loss. Low teens.
Highs: I get to meet and play Mike Fitzgerald
Lows: Losing again.
Game 8: Dark vs. ? playing EBO? I remember incom corp and X-wings.
I am doing ok. We are pretty much trading damage. I have some good blue stuff so I think I can put this one in the W column and go even for the day. Then I make my one big super scrub mistake of the tournament. I have Boba in S1 at one system and I deploy my other ships to a second system planning to move Boba during my move phase and give him an uncontested drain for the moment. As I draw my second card I realize that I have forgotten to move the ship. I put my best poker face on, hoping that he will think I am sitting on a Houjix. No dice. I get what I deserve. Beatdown by like 30 or so which is about what I lose by.
Highs: I can go sleep (it’s after 3, I think)
Lows: Leaving Boba Fett hanging out to dry like a moron.
You all know how the tournament turns out.
Time to head back to my hotel. Apparently there are eleventy-five Ramadas all in the same block or something. So knowing the name of the hotel will not be enough. Van has gone to bed hours ago and I don’t remember the phone number anyway. So no help there.
I walk out of the Doubletree, completely clueless as to where my hotel is. I am about as directionally impaired as a person can be and still live to be my age. I walk out to the highway and scan the horizon for a Ramada sign. I follow it like a star in the east -- through construction sites, mud flats, parking lots, and across the highway.
As I pass the guardhouse, I wave hello to the guard. She comes out and says "are you a guest here?" I say "I think so. Where am I?" She says a sentence with the word Ramada in it and I wave my room key. She says "good night." I go to the front door and look around the lobby. Great. I don’t recognize this place at all. There is some guy with a nametag sitting on the sofa. So I go up to him and say "Excuse me please. What’s the address of this place?" I figure I’ll recognize the address if I hear it. He stares at me hard and shrugs his shoulder. I try a different tack. "Is there like a big courtyard area with rooms overlooking it?" He pointed to a door.
I thanked him and walked to the door. Sure enough, there is the courtyard and the surrounding balcony. I walk up the stairs, trying to remember the room number. It’s 2 something but they are all 2 something. Well, I know it’s not the first room. So I try my key in every lock after the first. After many failures, 210 the green light goes on.
I step in. The clock says 4:10. I go brush my teeth and get to bed. Van says something from the other bed. I say something back. I lie there staring at the clock and reliving the day. Damn! Now I can’t sleep...
Props to
Everyone who does not smell like sweat + polyester + coffee breath + beer + tobacco.
Slops to
Everyone who does.
End Part 1