jeeps-st-cloud-report-2-24-01
Title: jeeps-st-cloud-report-2-24-01
Author: Peter "jeeps" Jacobson
Date: Feb 26, 2001
Ah... winter in Minnesota. I guess I wouldn’t appreciate summer if it weren’t for these incredible winters. Anyway, being a die hard Star Wars player means that like the post man, rain, sleet or snow wouldn’t keep me away.
Well, last Friday, I received word that I was recently inducted into the Squadron Membership for Decipher. I was quite pleased with this and couldn’t wait to become fully indoctrinated into the "new" world this affiliation will bring. With the Decktech Players Challenge being the same day on the same weekend, many of Bespin’s "finest" were not in attendance here in St. Cloud, MN. Not only was the DPC the same weekend, but so were three other tournaments all within a 3 hour radius from where I live in southern MN. With that said, its was a little bit of a challenge picking the right place to play. Having already verbally committed to my good friend and Squadron Member, Dion Erbes, Gold 112, I decided to try to beat the storm and head up to his house the night before. From his house south of the Twin Cities, we would brave the elements the next morning and take the 1.5 hour drive to St.Cloud.
Prior to my arrival, I had two decks that were the safety nets for me which were both heavily play tested and thought out. One was a dueling Hunt Down and the other was a WYS with portable scanner/ASP droid tech. I was fairly confident with these two decks, however, I new that the basic meta for this was geared against them, so I opted to go with two unproven decks that would be hard to determine the strategy against. For dark, I was using my newly modified Walker Garrison, Anti-EBO deck (I will post the 2.0 version immediately after this report). For light, I was using a MWYHL test one deck with Harvest retrieval. It had enough by way of "smoke and mirrors" to surprise a few opponents early on.
The morning of the tournament, Dion and I "fishtail" our way to St. Cloud. (For any of you who drive pickup trucks, you know that rear-wheel drive and ice have a tendency to do strange and unusual things like suddenly lose traction and keep the driver on pins and needles. For this ride, it was Dion driving, not me). We arrive in plenty of time for Granite City’s 10:00 am opening. We go inside and notice that about 6 people were here... good turnout this early considering the drive. WE sit around a half hour and finally 23 people show up, many of whom have been in retirement or taking a break from the game like Andy Newton and Brad Gorder (each who have won tournaments up here in the past). This was a stellar turnout! I was excited and the games commenced.
Game One: My DS Walker Garrison v. Ryan Coller’s WYS "full" objective flip with Rebel Speeders!
I can’t say enough about Ryan’s amazing sportsmanship in this game. It was truly an excellent way to begin a tournament with someone so genuine and friendly. I start with the 5th marker (the one that makes my imps and vehicles deploy -1). I see he’s not playing EBO, so I use Combat Readiness to get the 3rd marker out. He gets his standard out. Now, I am activating 6 on turn one and so is he. I draw in my starting hand, Gen. Veers, 2 Imp. Walkers (deploy 4), Imp. Decree, Insurrection, and There is No Try/Opp Enforce and an IMP command. WOW!. I drop an Imperial Walker and General Veers piloting it (only 5 force total at the 5th marker) turn one with an Imp. Command in hand. Nice. I also search for a docking bay and find the Executor Docking Bay. I draw my card (Admrl. Piet). He activates, looks for Corellia, deploys it and drops a couple of speeders (Rogue 1 & 3, I believe) and draws. I then deploy a second walker to the 5th marker for only 3 and drop Admiral Piet to the Executor DB. I use Piet’s text to get a commander out and find Igar. I draw and find a signal, I look for an effect (after he grabs it) with it and get Mob Points. Once during the game, Ryan gets to verify my deck and realized that Walker Garrison and Imp Command were better cards to wait for to grab, which is true. Anyway, Ryan deploys, the Falcon, empty to the Tat. Docking bay and deploys another speeder (Rouge 2, I believe), looks for Kessel, but does not deploy it. He then draws up expressing his hope to find Ralthir (Okay, he’s got Freighter Captains and he’s going for Kessel runs). This deck doesn’t have anything by way of stopping retrieval. It uses We’re In Attack Position, Rebel Base Occupation, and Walker Garrison to do most of the heavy damage. This game had only one battle, which I won, so it was fairly none-interactive. However, Ryan was a great sport and fun to talk to. We had a great game. I did get to drain for a ton twice with WG. I kept Admiral Ozzel on top of my reserve deck for two turns to keep him from getting his Kessel Run (0=target lost, I believe). I end up winning after I draw about 10 into my hand for force drain protection. Ryan ends up draining me and drawing up. FW +10.
2(+10)
Pros: Ryan was a great adversary. Building a large fore on Hoth to get my WG’s going.
Cons: the differential was a bit low, but it worked out for me. Low differential usually means I don’t play the other "top" players until later... which is how I like it...
Game Two; My LS MWYHL Harvest vs Ryan Coller’s non-objective Big Blue/Coruscant System Start.
This game, like the last one was fun, but non-interactive. I new I would probably not go to space and that Harvest could keep me one the ground countering his drains in space too. Well, he starts and deploys Something Special Planned For Them and casually says "I love this card." We, I sort of panic because I can’t get the retrieval loop I have in this deck going with Harvest and On the Edge. I don’t know what kind of system package he has in this deck, so I am not sure if he’s going to pour it on early and go for big drains. Anyway, I reply with "Let me tell you a story about that card after the game." I said this because if I were to lose, I would tell him about how that card just wrecked me! Well, his basic strategy was to stay in space with Star Destroyers. He started with Inconsequential Losses, IAO and Mo Points. Okay, he’s got weapons in his deck. With my experience, going to space would be bad news. So I start with Dag, Insurrection, Strike Planning, and Staging Areas. I used Strike Planning to get Madine out. I use Madine to get Geezum out (a scout) and I deploy Geezum to the Tat Docking bay with Ben and JK Luke to pull Lars Moisture Farm. Meanwhile, I test DOS to 1 and stop force drain bonuses. Well, in theory that’s how it’s supposed to work. As it turns out freaky things kept happening. Not only do I draw DOS and Yoda into my hand, I couldn’t get Wise Advice out and I kept drawing 4’s for DOS’s training destiny. Furthermore, I kept searching for the Moisture Farm, but kept over activating and not finding it. I ended up drawing it into hand (thus making Geezum and Madine AND Strike Planning worthless). Anyway, we only battle once on the ground and I lose Luke to retrieve him again with Ben. I also get my three Harvests off so I retrieve 12 force. Because of the non-interaction and difficulty I had in training DOS, I couldn’t stop drains of 5 a turn. I do win this one, but again, only by 10. So Ryan and I have two fun first round games together. FW +10.
4 (+20)
Pros: Playing Ryan again. A great opponent and just awfully friendly.
Cons: My deck working like junk.
Game three MY DS Anti-EBO Walker Garrison vs. Chris Burns’ Ketwol EBO.
Well, all right! I get a test to see if my anti-EBO would really be anti-EBO. Chris is really a solid. People think he’s Josh Kohman’s big brother... which I can tell annoys him (and probably Kohman too). Anyway, we start, and unlike Ryan’s and my game, this one was all business for Chris. He’s very quiet through this game and it was hard to keep the same positive vibe throughout the game. It got a lot better towards the end when the fate was being decided, but before hand, "mum" was the word.
Anyway, I start with 5th marker, and unlike my game with Ryan, I start with the effect package: Mob Points, IAO, and TINT/OE. Chris starts with the generators, and probably out of normal game procedures also grabs the 4th marker. I point out I have the 5th and that is all that’s necessary to get the shield perimeter started. He says "oh." and deploys his starting interrupt, the Signal to get A New Secret Base out. I start and before I activate my two force, I pull Rendili to get some generation next turn. I deploy Gen. Veers for 2 force tot he 5th marker alone. I know it’s risky, but I also have a Imp. Command in hand if Chris is able to do some sort of beat down on his FIRST turn. I guess I should worry about Ice Storm, but it would be tough to get that right away. During his turn, Chris uses his effect to get some Echo Base sites out, the DB and the War Room. He also gets Strike Planning down and pull Madine to pull Ketwol. Okay, I am thinking I haven’t played the "dead bolt" variety of EBO, so I am suddenly interested. He draws. On my turn I get DVLOTS down for 5 at the 5th marker and look for Echo Base Docking Bay (I also have a GM Tarkin in my hand, so I am confident that I can move into EB and dominate with Veers, Vader, and Tarkin. On his turn, he deploys a couple of systems and a few x-wings. He deploys Ketwol to Madine’s location. My turn I slowly star marching in. He drains me a for a few, and deploys Projection of a Skywalker on the generators. Now it’s the third turn and EBO hasn’t made an appearance. I eventually get into the DB and we battle with JK Luke, Han w/ blaster, Madine, Ketwol, and may someone else. I play Imp Command to keep him from drawing more than one destiny. He misses tarkin, I choke Ketwol. He misses Vader with Luke. I draw a 6 he draws a 3. I win the battle. He clears out. The game is really over then (personally). I feel comfortable that he’s spent his one ground beat down force against me and he starts to drain in space. I get Imp. Decree which cancels his bonuses. I also establish the three sites with walkers needed to drain for a ton with Walker Garrison. He still drains for 3 a turn, but I get in some extra damage with We’re In Attack Position (Cmmdr Igar & Merrejk make an appearance). And in the end, Chris starts making jokes about the game and what going on around us and I finish the game ahead by 11. FW +11.
6 (+31).
Pros: The deck did exactly what it was supposed to. Beating a good player with it.
Cons: Differential was low.
There was a lunch break and I had a good, yet somewhat troubled feeling that I would not find my next three games as enjoyable.
Game 4. My LS v. Chris Burns (again) SYCFTAS manipulator.
Well, four games, 23 people, played only two other players. Yeesh. Nice luck. Chris starts and immediately gets M’iiyonth and Brangus down turn one. Man. That’s not good. On top of this, I didn’t realize that he deployed the DSII docking bay along with his DSI docking bay. I told him he can’t do that and it was too late so it remained helping him generate force each game. Now, I know I need to draw a huge hand to keep him from eliminating the two Owen & Berus, Corran Horn, and Ben from my hand. Instead of trying to battle him at the death star docking bay with Corran, I opt to get Yoda down. Bad mistake. On his turn he is activating because of mob points and my force I gave him from Dagobah, 13 force. Just enough from what I had in my hand. After a good ruling by Dion, I lose my beat down force. After that, I have to count on Madine getting characters from my reserve and using control/TV to get my characters out safely. A pain. This game is never really close. After I attempt to clear out his Death Star DB site with JK Luke and Lando with Vibro-axe, he retaliates with 2/2 scrubs, chokes Lando, and I forfiet Luke. He eventually redeploys Miiyonth and Brangus to the War Room and the game is over after that. I lose by 21. FL -21
6 (+10)
Pros: Ah.... um.... ew....
Cons: Yeah... manipulator. Can’t have everything in your deck, but a Goo Nee Tay would have been lovely.
Game 5: My LS vs. Jason O’Leary’s TDIGWATT full flip.
Well, he starts with 2/2 Cloud City site, Crush, IAO, and TINT/OE. I start Dag. Insurrection, Strike Planning, and Staging Areas. He gets two Docking bays out his turn with the objective and the effect. He draws. I get a DB out, pull Madine, deploy him to the Home One DB for added generation, get Yoda’s Hut, and Yoda down and draw. I starts getting the CC Occupation and Dark Deal from reserve. I know I need to occupy 4 CC sites to cancel DD, so I draw and get Corran, JK Luke, Jek Porkins, Wedge, & Han. I am activating a TON by turn 3 (20 force I believe). So he gets dark deal out, but I got DOS and train he with test one canceling his +2 to drains. I deploy Luke to the 2/2 CC site, Deploy Corran to the same site he has the Emperor and Mara at, which he interrupts and Force Lightenings Corran. So I deploy Jek there instead, and deploy Han to the CC Incinerator and move Madine to the CC DB, thus canceling Dark Deal. I then try to consolidate my forces. I have a Fallen Portal in hand, so I live Madine there alone and move Han, Luke, and Jek together to the Emp’s location. His turn he drops a boat load down on my Han & Luke area. We battle and he clears the site. He never gets his objective flipped, but he does get CC Occupation out and starts hitting me for 3 a turn plus force drains. I can’t recover and I never see my Harvest mechanic. I get drained out for my second loss. FL -14
6 (-4).
Pros: Keeping him from flipping. Canceling Dark Deal.
Cons: Never getting harvest out. I should have gave him CC and just opted to cancel his bonuses to DD and retrieved what I needed with a fully set up harvest retrieval. A messy game. Going from tops to slops in less than an hour... could have been what I ate for lunch...
Game 6: My LS v. Scott Poster’s Hidden Base/Our Most Desperate Hour Flip.
Well, at least I can say I won’t go anything less than 3-3. Scott has had a really, REALLY interesting day. He had a first round bye, giving him a 2 (+0) differential to start. That game was followed by a timed TRUE tie against Adam Lewis. Both players had 18 in their reserve deck, so it came down to lost piles. Lewie had placed four cards out of Scott’s lost pile, effectively HELPING Scott win that decision. That gave scott a 1 (+1) for that game and a 3 (+1) for the tournament. So when scott got to me he was 7 (+2). We laughed about this and began.
I start the 5th marker and combat response for the 3rd. I also deploy the Dag. Cave which I drew into my opening hand. I use Twi-Lek and get IAO down and draw the Ex. DB. I draw and I am set. He starts with DODN/Wise Advice (I believe), Insurrection, and Squassin. He gets a system out, Aquirius, I believe and flashes Red Squad One and fetches Wedge, RSL from his serve and deploys for dirt to his Rendezvous Point. The next few turns, I get my three Rebel bas sites, to get Imp Decree down. I also get AT-Ats down like crazy. I had 4 down at three Hoth Sites by turn 5. I also get Fondor and the Executor with Thrawn and Piet aboard. We have some heavy battles in space. Scott also got OMDH out twice. This hurt, but I also Walker Garrisoned him twice and made him lose to We’re In Attack Position and Rebel Base Occupation, which I started to defend Hoth valiantly. Because of the combination of cards I had deployed to hurt him and the fact that he never came down to Hoth hurt him. I end up winning this one by 10 (Again!)
FW 2 (+10)
Tournament final: 8 (+6).
Well, there were five of us with 8 points, but Chris Burns had a huge 80+ die to my 6, so I take 8th and Burns takes 2nd, behind Josh "Malcolm in the Middle" Wittenen takes the trophy. I get a pack of Endor and give it to the last place finisher without opening. I have too much Endor.
Here’s what I remember of the top spots.
#1 Josh Wittenen (only undefeated- got a trophy, foil Boba w/ blaster and a pack of R2).
#2 Chris Burns (went 5-1- only loss was to me)
#3 Brad Gorder?
I can’t remember how the rest placed. I know Jason O’leary took 4th (again, a loss contributed by me), followed by Josh Hagen, and me at 8th out of 23 participants. Strange but true.
Props/Slops regalia..
Props:
- Mike "Gilliat" Raveling for taking 3rd at the DPC. Way to go, sir! I knew you could do it! It appears the Bespin region showed those Coruscant jockeys a thing or two! (Great, I can tell that just cost me a favorable rating from any of those folks! :))
- Dion for housing me and driving through perilous conditions for a damn card game :)
- Dion (again) for running one of the BEST tournaments I have ever played in. No regrets. Very happy.
- Ryan Coller for being a great opponent.
- to all of my opponents for being excellent.
- the 23 participants for making it through ice storms. Man, even with three tournaments going on in the same state, the DPC going on, taking the "Uber" players away, 23 is just an amazing number.
- Lastly, to me getting my Squadron membership the day before this event(and a number head of Nick Kolnik! heh hehe...).
Slops:
- Old Man Winter for nearly kicking all out arses.
- Drawing Yoda AND DOS into your opening hand.
- biting your tongue while chewing gum
That’s all for now. Just a quick note for you Bespinites; I’ll be running a tournament in Rochester, MN March 23rd at Face the Music. I know that Dion is running one too that same day, so plan ahead and let me know if you can make it! Thanks for reading.
Peter "Jeeps" Jacobson
Bravo 62