viper-visits-vegas-sealed-12-16-00
Title: viper-visits-vegas-sealed-12-16-00
Author: Steve "BlackViper" Marshall
Date: Dec 18, 2000
-Shane Watner
Everything about this entire weekend went late! I’m in the Phoenix airport waiting for my flight on Friday. We’re supposed to leave at 11:44, and we finally take off around 1:30. Great. We set up at Rio and hit some tables around the Strip for the night. I finally go back to the hotel around 1:00 in the morning and $155 up; I’m glad I might actually be able to afford this tourney. Take a taxi to Awesome Hobbies, and I’m the first one there. It starts at 10:00, the current time is 9:45, and the store isn’t even open yet! Players start showing up, I thank Tim Guzman for getting me good directions, and the store opens at 10:10. We’re ready to begin this Endor draft sealed deck.
The store doesn’t have Endor boosters - their distributor was out. So after an odd discussion, we choose a DS2 deck and boosters from Special Ed, DS2, and Reflections. Someone wanted a DS2 deck and Scooby-Doo boosters, but it just didn’t work out. ("ZOIKS! - If Shaggy and The Emperor are in battle together, add 2
Scooby Snacks." Can you imagine?)
We get our decks together; I’ve managed to get DS. Yippee. I’m passed a shiny Circle, and I grab it since I need another in my HD deck anyway. There wasn’t much else decent in the pack for DS, so I don’t feel bad about a wasted draft. I’ve pulled several Tat and JP sites, and I get Boelo from my Special Ed pack. I’m thinking a Tat deck is in order, since I don’t like the DS2 deck anyway. Turns out the Tat system is in the LS deck, not DS; DRAT! I settle for the Kessel / Prep Defesenses start with traditional Battle Order / Pull Pilots / Forfeit Weapons effects. The Endor system is the only 0 in my deck, and I included Imperial Command and Janus as pretty much my only tech in the deck (aside from controlling Endor system with everything I’ve got). We start pairings.
GAME 1: DS vs. Shane Watner
I start Kessel, he starts Sullust. These would be the only 2 locations on the board for nearly the entire game. We set up space fast, as I had Hebsley AND his ship AND a cannon in my starting hand. I pay the 3 to drain him a single Force a few times and leave the last Force to fire, hoping to slow him before he can get what he needs in his hand. First turn, I use a Dark Maneuvers and track it from then on, making sure NOT to use my Pull Pilots effect so I don’t have to shuffle. He just drops ship after ship to Sullust. His fleet came to battle mine, and (big surprise) I drew a 6 for destiny. He was winning battle after battle by just a little power, but after awhile, I started to win the upper hand. He was drawing 3 and less for destiny, allowing me to put destiny 5 weapons in my deck and lose nothing. He drew battle destiny 0 on several occasions, too. When he got really low on Force, he dropped some sites and tried to drain, but I deployed Endor and moved the fleet over. I didn’t want to deploy it earlier because I had half my fleet at Sullust and the other at Kessel, leaving him nowhere to go. Star Destroyers were kind enough to offer my TIEs transport, and next turn Janus came down to the planet to battle a lone Chewie. He had a Concussion Grenade in hand, but I decided to take the chance anyway. Janus blows up real good in the battle, leaving Chewie alone and unarmed. He dropped an ability 2 scrub down for a destiny, and I dropped Piett to the ground to battle. I had a Ghhhk in hand in case he did something funny. We battled, and I drew my 6 to clear the site. Piett died and took 1 battle damage with him, I decided to lose the Ghhhk (my only hand card). I drained him out after that.
FW by 21
2 (+21)
THE GOOD: Nice way to start a tournament as an outsider. I’m getting to know a couple people here, and maybe I’ve caught at least someone’s attention with the win.
THE BAD: Losing Janus to a concussion grenade was sort of a low point.
THE UGLY: Um, only getting 4 Force a turn throughout the entire game kinda sucked. He used Careful Planning at one point and got a 7; that’s the most Force either of us had EVER had at one time during the ENTIRE game to that point!
So now I’m the 2nd place DS player there. Ted Hansen beside me pulls a timed win because his opponent stalled like mad and refused to draw up, even though he had no possibly way of making Ted lose Force, and he has a couple "colorful" comments about the modified win. I’m serious; he’s really pissed! I hope I don’t have to play him today.
GAME 2: DS vs. Ted Hansen
Great. Exactly who I wanted to play.
He’s still a little upset through the beginning of the game, but he calms down considerably as we go along. I know this won’t be a timed game; if he’s beating me and there’s no way to win, I’ll draw up before time is called. I’m sure he’ll do the same if I’m ahead in the same way. That’s just good sportsmanship. You get the same points for a timed loss as a full loss anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.
I dropped down space early again. I drai a couple turns as he just draws. He’s only generating 4 Force a turn and picking up, so I’m not worried about a massive beatdown just yet. After 2 or 3 turns of just drawing, I’m getting scared and Monnok him Lost. He’s got TONS of space, but, as Lady Luck would have it, not a single duplicate. I know the beatings are coming, but he doesn’t have any Force saved up and is still getting 4 a turn. He draws a total of 5 turns before he finally deploys Aquaris and a lone A-Wing there for generation. That’s called bait, and I’m not interested. I’ve deployed Endor and moved the fleet for a drain of 2, since I know he’s gonna have the ability of 6 when he drops anyway. He plays A Few Maneuvers to cycle a 6, but NO WAY! My Spec Ed pack gave me They’re Coming In Too Fast, a Used 4 that lets me cancel A Few Maneuvers. How cool is that??? No Used 6 for you! After he deploys several guys to Sullust, I drop a Vic-class Star Destroyer and move Hebsley and my TIE Defender over to his A-Wing to battle. He looks for Hobbie, but no dice. The A-Wing runs away like a scared little child to Sullust. I move over, thinking that I’ve got a destiny and enough forfeit to take whatever he can throw at me. He finds Hobbie this time and also drops a couple non-uniques. Hobbie gets X-Wing cannons and takes Hebsley right out of the battle, taking away my stacked 6 for battle destiny. He slaughters me for everything at the system and 18 more. In the 18 damage go my other 2 Star Destroyers, so my TIES are stuck at Endor. He easily outdrain me after that.
FL by 15
2 (+6)
THE GOOD: Ted’s actually a good guy, he just got pushed the wrong way. No, not like that - you know what I mean! He was a very good player, and I’m glad I got to play against him. He told me later that he also had only 1 destiny 0 in his deck, Aquaris.
THE BAD: Not being able to move TIEs really sucks; I probably could have had him if I could have moved some over, even if it was just to block a drain. I also could have won the battles that would have taken place; I had like 10 or 12 ships there!
THE UGLY: Yeah, the loss of 18 takes the cake here.
So we break for lunch. I head over to Burger King with Ted. We talk about Bring Him Before Me a little and head back. I’m nice enough to share my fries with Shane and Tim Guzman, even though we didn’t want to invite them to come to Burger King with us. :-P tee hee. I learn a lot about Vegas players during the break, more than what I really wanted or needed to know! They razz on each other a LOT more than we do in Phoenix. I mean we do it, but we’re a little selective about who we bash. Vegas players just kill each other off. Tim and Shane did really well at the tables the night before; I was apparently on the wrong side of the Strip! We talk about quotes of the day, finish a fun lunch ("That’s not a trashcan; it’s a box... with, er, ah... trash, um, in it..." - Thanks for clearing that up for me, Tim) and get back to the games.
GAME 3: DS vs Danny "Skuff D" Rider
He starts Yoda’s Hut and the regular effects start. Terriffic; I only get 3 Force to start the game. I drew a turn, saved turn 2, and dropped my space turn 3. I had ability 6, but my power was low and I didn’t know where my 6s were in the deck. He loses a Yoda to a Force drain - crap! He pulled a Hut AND a Yoda in a sealed deck! How does that happen? He drops space and after several losing battles, he starts to gain the upper hand and eventually takes it away from me completely. During one of the early battles, he loses ANOTHER Yoda to battle damage. Yes, he pulled the Hut and 2 YODAS!!!!! HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN??? Why doesn’t it happen to me? After my last 2 TIEs fell, I made a last ditch effort to kill off his 2 remaining ships (one of them is the Independence) with a Star Destroyer and Piett with Imp Command in my hand. Battle, I draw a 3 and a 4, he draws an untracked 7. That clears me off, he loses a pilot and a passenger. I try to go to his ground after that, but he draws 7 after 7 to kill me off. He used squad assignments and stuff several times, so we’re talking about untracked 7 destinies here. There’s nothing I can do, and he drains me out the next turn. At least he was a good sport about it! :-)
FL by 15
2 (-9)
THE GOOD: Yeah, whatever. At least I know that the odds of this happen again are low, right? Yeah, that was the only good in this game.
THE BAD: I couldn’t find any star destroyers the entire game, and I had trouble finding my TIEs. I couldn’t get my real power down until all my support died off.
THE UGLY: Pulling the Independence, the Hut, and 2 Jedi Masters. Drawing so many untracked 7s it was rediculous. Only getting 3 Force for the first several turns. Losing space completely. There’s probably more, but I’ve got to get to the next game.
So now there’s no real way for me to do exceptionally well in this tournament, I can only hope for a top half placement. We make fun of each other until the last round begins.
GAME 4: DS vs. Troy Caswell
After 4 turns of drawing and getting SQUAT in my hand until then, I finally decided it was time to take to space. I didn’t get a single TIE or Destroyer (or even pilots) until turn 5. He hadn’t deployed anything either, so I figured I was safe. I converted his Endor system and went to space with serious hate; I held it for the rest of the game. He tried to battle me, but died a horrible death after drawing 0 a couple times. He deployed on the ground as I held space, and he was draining me more than I could do to him. That had to stop. He wanted to hold Sullust, and I let him have it since I wanted the power bonus. I dropped a Tempest Scout with Arnet aboard to the Hidden Forest Trail along with Janus and an Elite Squad Stormtrooper, and he dropped the Back Door and ran away. Next turn, Tempest 1 and some other scrubs fell in front of his army. I didn’t battle and decided to let him choose his fate.
He makes a genuinely amusing comment about how another player really needs to hit puberty eventually, I mean he IS 18. I point out that it probably would have been more meaningful if Troy wasn’t 3 feet tall. Those who hear chuckle, Troy’s face gets all red, and we continue the game. I like Vegas players; it’s fun here! tee hee
He decided to take his chances with Tempest 1, and I asked him if he really wanted to do that. Now he’s scared. He backs up and deploys a disruptor. I ask him if he really wants to do that. He thinks about it and probably thinks I’m just trying to avoid losing cards. He’s only got 9 Force left in his deck, so I help him activate enough Force for what he wants and save enough destinies to fire and draw a battle destiny. I suggest that he save 3 in his deck and activate the rest (2 shots and a battle destiny), but he leaves 4 in his deck instead. He thinks I’m trying to trick him. Fine. He battles. I ask him if he really wants to do that, and he counts to make sure I only overpower him by 2 and says Yes. I react over with Arnet (adding 6 to my total power), too bad for him. He shoots my Tempest Scout (wtf? good shot!) and misses my character with a disruptor. Yes, if you had used Midge’s repeating blaster you would have hit, but it wouldn’t have affected the outcome of the game like the disruptor could have done. I slaughter him in the battle and lose only Arnet and the Scout to damage, but he’s completely cleared off the site. He deploys his last cards in hand against my Endor fleet: Gen Solo in a Nebulon and another Nebulon.. I use Janus turn after turn after turn to try and find my Dark Maneuvers so I can get that last hand card back in the deck; it’s not there! I keep getting characters, weapons, and effects. I refuse to battle his guys, and he doesn’t know why, so he doesn’t initiate against me, either. I fail to find my Dark Maneuvers about 9 turns in a row. He finally battles against me for free, draws a 1 (Houjix, his only card left in the deck), and loses a Nebulon for his battle damage. I put a TIE cannon in my used pile. I use Janus again on my turn; nothing! He initiates again, draws the 1, I refuse to draw, and I put my other cannon in my used pile. He loses Solo to cover all 7 damage. I use Janus again on my turn; nothing again! There’s less than a minute, so I battle and slaughter his Nebulon after drawing (drumroll please)... 6 for destiny. I finally found my Dark Maneuvers. Yippee.
FW by 34
4 (+23)
THE GOOD: The sheer overwhelming power that my deck proved to contain was awesome. This was a fun, laid back game. He might talk back to other people, but we had a friendly game. We had fun making jokes of other players as they tossed jokes about us. This is how the game is supposed to be played - among friends who just want to have fun instead of being so competitive that you can’t enjoy the game anymore.
THE BAD: Not getting Jack for 5 turns.
THE UGLY: Beating him so badly. I like having fun, but I didn’t realize just how many cards I had left until it was too late.
1st: Matt Berta
2nd: Danny Rider
3rd: Tim Guzman
So I finish 5th of 10 overall; that’s not too bad. The only reason I asked Troy if he "really wanted to do that" because he had a drain of 1 in space for free that he should have taken, but forgot to. That’s really the only reason I asked him; I wanted him to go back and look at his cards on the table to find the drain before he lost his entire ground force and had to pay to drain. Danny Lamar bought a few packs of DS2 and pulled a Lord Vader during the lunch break. He also bought the Special Edition prize support from Matt and pulled a DVDLOTS. This was a really fun weekend for me. I flew back to Phoenix (after my flight was 2.5 hours late, of course) on Sunday after giving $20 back to the BlackJack dealers. Thanks to everyone who came and made this tourney really cool for me; I really enjoyed my day.
PROPS:
* Awesome Hobbies for having us
* Our TD (omg, I’m SO sorry I forgot your name!) for hosting us
* Tim Guzman for giving me directions
* Everyone for making me feel welcome in the group
* Shane for inventing the quote of the day so I can have something cool to start each tourney report with
SLOPS:
* Danny "I pull Vader in every pack I open" Lamar for doing just that
* Me for breaking out a can on a scrub
* Me for forgetting the TD’s name and not writing it down!
* Danny for pulling Yoda’s Hut and 2 Yodas
* America West for having the flight from Phoenix over 2 hours late
* The cab driver for not showing to pick me up after waiting 30 minutes
* The 2nd cab driver I called for not showing to pick me up after waiting 30 minutes
* America West for having the flight from Vegas over 2 hours late