parker-co-12-23-00

Title: parker-co-12-23-00
Author: Chris "Artwo" Fanchi
Date: Dec 24, 2000

It pretty much started the morning of the tournament. Around midnight the night before I finally threw together the light side deck I would use while I continued to refine my dark side. I woke up at around 11:20 and realized that my alarm clock had lost power during the night and I had greatly overslept. So I raced to Collectormania in Parker (about a 40 minute drive) and I managed to arrive at 12:00 just as the first round was about to start.

For Dark Side I was playing a Hunt Down deck that I had been perfecting over the last month or so. It was the usual Epic Duel/destiny tracking deck with Vader, Palpy, Mara Jade and the crew. For Light Side, however, I was using a very experimental deck that starts Agents but is actually Tatooine clouds with Red Squadron pilots and their respective ships. Needless to say, the Light Side was going to be my weak point.

I apologize now for not knowing any last names.... I’m doing this completely from memory. I also apologize for the length, just hang in there.

Game 1: Light Side vs. Chris (Dark Deal)
An interesting matchup that would be a challenge right out of the gate for my LS p.o.s. I started the usual: Agents (Arliel Schous as rep.), Audience Chamber, Tatooine site, HFTMF for Do, Or Do Not, Squadron Assignments, and Uh-Oh. He started the DS Cloud City objective and port town district. I was somewhat baffled by his starting stuff (or lack thereof), so I figured I play a reactive game. First few turns we just draw up until finally he lays down a couple more sites with a character at each. He uses the walkway to consolidate his forces after deploying Dark Deal and he plays Obsidian 7 and 8 to Bespin: Cloud City. At this point I have a few cards set up for a beatdown, but I’m simply not activating enough. Som on my turn I play Luke Skywalker (Farmboy Luke) to grab R2 in Red 5 with Squad assignments. I play the 2 of them to Cloud City and take out his ships. On his turn he begins the ridiculous Dark Deal drains, and plays Fett in Slave I, OS-72-1 in Obsidian 1 and OS-72-2 in Obsidian 2 to take on Luke. He battles and I’m forced to lose Luke (but not the ship) and he pitches Slave I. The game goes on back and forth for a while but I realize that I simply am not generating the kind of drains I need and my mains are getting whipped due to my poor destiny draws. By the end, we both just spread and drain but I have no chance. FL by 12.
0(-12)

Not too hot of a start, but exactly what I expected to see from my LS deck.

Lesson learned (there always is one):
First I learned never to underestimate your opponent. Chris was using a bunch of ability 1 characters and had a very limited start, but once he set up, I had little chance of overcoming his power and force drains. Also I learned that I really should have tried to pull off my own strategy and not divert all of my resources to fighting a freaking war on HIS turf.

Game 2: Dark Side vs. Profit (Sorry pal, I forgot your name)
Not at all what I was expecting to face. The majority of my playtesting had been done against EBO, HB, and Agents. I pretty much had to wing it. I start the usual Epic Hunt Down stuff: Mobilization Points, IAO, and No Escape (I never saw Honor... I wonder why...). The game starts pretty slow, Visage is eating away at both of us since I just can’t seem to find Vader (even though I’m running 4). I manage to get the Emperor and Janus onto Tatooine just after he releases Han and I realize that I’ve almost got a dozen cards in my lost pile an he has NONE. I’m thinking that I’m pretty much screwed and might as well give up now, but things turn around. I get the long-awaited Vader (the Lord persona) and deploy him for 10 (thanks a lot, Goo Ne Tay). I follow with Tarkin and take over the Audience Chamber. EPP Han and DoS are sitting at the Entrance cavern and I’m feeling the pinch as my deck continues to shrink. A couple turns later, following a series of cat and mouse maneuvers, Palpatine, Sim Aloo, Mara w/ Stick, and DVDLOTS w/ stick end up at the entrance cavern against EPP Han (Disarmed), LSJK (Palpatine is happily holding Luke’s Lightsaber), DoS, and Ben w/ stick. I’m thinking that I may have an opportunity to inflict some real damage here... but of course it doesn’t work out as I had planned. I battle, Vader gets Clashed, he plays Don’t Get @#$%y and Gift of the Mentor, and I hit Ben with Mara’s stick. After the dust finally settles, I come out (somehow) on top ( not power wise, but in the long run) as Ben, Han, Sim Aloo, and Mara bit it. He surprisingly runs to Tatooine: Jabba’s Palace, and it goes down for him from there. I set up a drain of 2 at Kashyyyk with Bossk in Bus (he had already trashed whatever space he had) and Vader and Tarkin pursue the Skywalkers. Eventually his forces are worn down by a bunch of tracked 6’s and Palpy/Janus plus Vader and his stick drain the life out of him. FW by 18.
2(+6)

Back in the positive again and maintaining confidence in my DS deck.

Lesson learned:
Never, ever, ever, bow out of a game when it looks down. My confidence was shot after that first game and I was worried that I was losing control of the second, but I hung in and pulled off a victory. I also learned that you have to pay attention to your own cards’ text. I got a couple of drains at the AC while his objective was on the 0 side simply because neither of us realized that I couldn’t.

Game 3:Dark Side vs. Bob (Profit)
Another Profit!?! I’m thinking this might be another struggle and it might not have that same result... I start off this time with an excellent draw. First turn I get Palpy to the Executor DB for some massive activation. Next turn we both just draw some. On his second turn he plays EPP Leia to the AC and releases Han (Premiere) ad retrieves a whole 3 force or so. He also inserts Anger, Fear, Aggression into my deck. An odd move... It would come up on the following turn, but I had it covered. Lord Vader w/ stick, Tarkin, 4-LOM w/ gun and Dr. E visit the happy couple in the AC, to my opponents dismay. I battle (duh) and Vader hits Leia and Dr. E operates. My kill crew vs. Premiere Han. Fun. Han would die and about 10-15 force would accompany him. I had control of the ground for a few more turns (and this time I moved to Tat: JP so I could legally drain) I also get our good friend Zuckess in Mist Hunter to Kashyyyk and set up another uncontested drain of 2. Then my opponent finally decides to confront the Dark Lord and his happy fun crew at JP. He comes down with ECC Chewie Masta Luke, EPP Han, and EPP Obi. He battles. Not cool... for him. Vader takes down EPP Obi and Evazan operates. Han shoots Tarkin (a damn shame) and 4-LOM shuts up the wookie before he tries to take a shot. In the end, all that stands is EPP Han and Masta Luke vs. Lord Vader (I don’t remember how that happened). He runs to the AC. Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Palpy and Janus are draining the crap out of him at Endor DB and Zuckess is having a grand time alone in the air. Over the next few turns Lord Vader would come to an untimely end, only to be resurrected in the form of Premiere Darth Vader who would bravely take on EPP Han and the Masta. I battle and out comes Vader’s Obsession. Duel. Big fun. Master Luke loses (somewhat badly as I recall) and turns to the Dark Side. Opponent loses 5 force. EPP Han goes down in flames. Time is running out for my opponent. He makes a couple final stabs but eventually concedes to the Father and Son. FW by 26 (with 7 damn cards in my hand).
4(+32)

So far so good for my Dark Side Deck.

Lesson Learned:
KNOW YOUR CARDS! Second straight opponent that didn’t realize that I can’t drain at the AC.

Game 4: Light Side vs. Alex (Court)
Hmmm.... another Tatooine deck. This game felt good from the start. We start the normal stuff and I get Bo Shuda and a Gas Miner to the AC. I would “hold it” for the whole game without him running me off (or Bubo-ing me). I get Tatooine system and some sectors early and set up in space with Hobbie on Red Squadron 4 with x-wing laser cannons. Alex comes quickly (using Court text) with Zuckess and we battle a few times and neither of us lose anything since I have no destiny and I have immunity whereas he has a destiny but less power. I get S-Foils going soon and the power advantage is beginning to add up. He has drained me several times on the ground (at the damn Hutt Trade Route) so I move to take care of that with Ben and Lando vs. Bane Malar. Bane would die and Alex took a little damage. The next turn he responds with Iggy w/ gun and Djas Puhr and captures Lando. Ben and Djas eat it and Iggy is left alone, unable to drain. At this point Bossk has eaten it in the clouds and Zuckess is cornered at the far end of 2 cloud sectors. He moves to the outermost one and waits. Down comes farmboy Luke again and this time he has friends: EPP Han in an Red X-wing (I forget which) and Keir Santage in Red Squadron 7. Zuckess crashes and burns along with a lot of Force from deck because he was extremely outmatched. Keir and his ship are lost too, but it was well worth it. I spread to drain in the clouds and Alex takes one last chance to take me down: Iggy in IG2000 and Dengar In P1 vs. Luke in Artoo in Red 5. Despite being outnumbered, Luke easily comes out on top with a 0 destiny for Alex. That would essentially end it as it became a drain race from there. FW by 17.
6(+49)

The LS deck did its job: it won a game.

Lesson Learned:
Don’t try to take on a bunch of Rebel pilots in matching ships (especially with S-Foils and laser cannons). Don’t leave the protection of Bo Shuda to try and stop a force drain.

Game 5: Dark Side vs. Nick (Rebel Troopers)
Again I’m baffled. I’ve seen this guys deck in action a couple times already, so I’m a little anxious about its potential. Again I get an excellent draw (first turn Palpy which is extremely good seeing as I only have 1 in the deck). I set up and prepare to start fighting. He has Jedi Luke at the Yavin 4 DB with CZ-4 and I have Lord Vader with Lightsaber at the Endor DB and Palpy with Janus at the Death Star DB. I play Mara Jade w/ her stick and Dr. E to the Yavin DB. BIG mistake. CZ-4 allows him to react with his troopers. He only plays 4 and Suppression fire (power +2 and immune to attrition). I’m scared. It could all be over after this battle. And then I look into my hand. I have 2 Vader’s Obsessions. Hmmmmm... I’ve verified his deck once and saw a lot of destinies of 1, so it just might work. I take the risk and play Vader’s Obsession to duel Jedi Luke (no lightsaber). He draws a 1 and a 3! I draw a 6 and a 4! Woo-hoo! He chooses to turn Luke and lose 6 force. I have an additional 6 power in the battle. It’s ALL good. It’s a 12 power swing. I end up losing the battle and Mara and Evazan along with it. He loses that damn droid. I’m not about to sacrifice Luke, so Vader hops over to Yavin and we prepare to go again. He adds Princess Leia Organa (SE), Premiere Han and ANH Chewbacca. We fight. He beats me up pretty badly, but in the end, Luke is left standing. A couple more small battles occur and finally the deciding one. His 4 troopers, Obi-Wan, Han and Chewbacca vs. DVDLOTS, Tarkin, and Luke Skywalker, Dark Jedi Knight. I battle, play The Circle Is Now Complete, draw the same 6 and 4, and win another duel. He places Obi out of play and loses 9. I choke Chewie, and it’s all over. I drain him out and S&D/Visage finish him off. FW by 20.
8(+69)

My DS deck went 3-0. I’m very happy.

Lesson Learned:
Troopers simply don’t work. This was proven by the fact that the majority of his destinies were 1s (including 1 in each duel).

The Final Game: Light Side vs. Brian Hunter (SYCFA - Jabba’s Palace aliens)
I figure I might as well make the best of a bad situation. I’m going into practically the deciding game of the tournament with my worst deck against the #1 player in the world. I start the norm and he starts SYCFA. I figure he’s gonna do something space, but I also realize that’s not his style, so I’m guessing it’s a “fake out” for activation only. What a surprise, I’m right. He starts by grabbing the DS War Room and that’s all he does with the Death Star. He also deploys Bane Malar to my damn Hutt Trade Route and he holds that the whole game. It turns out he’s playing a Jabba’s Palace Gailid drain deck. The game is pretty isolated since I take control of space and drain him for a while at the Death Star while he drains for about 10 a turn on Tatooine. I manage to take down a couple of his Bounty Hunter ships, but a late game Ghhhk saves his differential and he kills me with drains. FL by 17.
8(+52)

The LS deck gets down on its knees and takes a bullet to the head. I not too upset since it DID win once.

Lesson Learned:
Never rely on an opponents starting cards to be their strategy. Also learned in Game 1.

That’s it. I finished in 4th place out of about 28.
1st - Brian Hunter
2nd - Joe Helfrich
3rd - Alex (guy I played in game 4)
4th - Chris Fanchi (me)

Thanks to Scott for running the tournaments at CollectorMania and thanks to all of my opponents.

Chris “Artwo” Fanchi