smyrna-ga-2-24-01
Title: smyrna-ga-2-24-01
Author: Adam "ADrake" Drake
Date: Feb 26, 2001
-Unknown
I cannot stand to lose. Regardless of what I am doing, whether it is a video game or a game of thumb wrestling, I hate to lose. Star Wars is no exception. So when Stephen Micheal and I decided to go to the tournament in Smryna Georgia on the 24th of February, I expected nothing but excellence from myself and Stephen. What we got was something a little less stellar...
Team Atlanta has been working on building a decent LS deck, but to no avail, so I chose to play Steven Lewis’ "Speederholics Anonymous" with a few adjustments. For DS, I had to decide whether to play HDADTJ or my capturing AOBS deck. After scouting some games before the tourney, I decided (with some advice from "Cholly" Herren) to play the Hunt Down deck.
I would like to stop at this point to address an issue that came up before the tournament. Upon arrival at the store, Stephen took some time to scout out the games that were going on. He supplied me with the information, which directly affected which decks I chose to play. WIll Raiman (the TD) took issue with us "scouting." I explained to him that, since it was not a tourney game, we could scout all we wanted, and, if someone did not want people checking out his decks, he should not play before the tournament in front of the competition. Will’s response was that it was "unethical" and "dishonorable"... Unfortunately, I learned from the master, Gabe Alonso, that you cannot let "honor" get in your way if you want to win. Since that is the reason I play SWCCG, I will use any advantage I can grasp to win a game, so speak not of "ethics" and "honor" to me. It falls on deaf ears, Will.
Now, back to the report...
LS deck: "Speederholics Anonymous" by S.Lewis
DS deck: HDADTJ (TA variant)
Game One: My LS vs. random.kid Endor Ops/That things operational deck
My first game was against an super newbie. You know the kind: wears his Star Wars T-shirt, talks about how good some really bad card is, and can’t build a decent deck to save his life. This was no exception. I deploy the normal stuff (TIGIH, Jedi Like, Lukes stick, Cjirpas Hut, Endor DB, I Feel The Conflict. HFTMF, Insurrection, Staging Areas, and DTF) and he starts Endor Ops, and Operational As Planned as his SE. AS play progresses, I move Luke over the the DB, drop a couple of speeders to back him up, and the kid gets the DS2 operational. I continue to drain him, and he deploys lots of space power. I throw some X-wings up to Endor and move over to the DS2, whick he left undefended (D’oh!). I continue to drain at the Endor DB and move slowly through the DS2 to blow it up. To make a long story short, I successfully blow up the DS, and he loses 24 force. BALLGAME!
FW 2(+32)
Highs: X-wings are tech in this deck. Good win to start off the day.
Lows: Besides the fact that I beat this kid like a red-headed stepchild, no lows.
Game Two: My DS vs. Jeff Anderson’s EBO
This game could have been a bad matchup for me, but I had tested against EBO, and knew I could hold my own. I start Secret Plans as my third effect (with Mob. Points and IAO) instead of Crush the Rebellion. I do not get a Vader in my starting hand (which NEVER happens...) so I draw into a Vader and an Evader/Monnok. Jeff also draws up on his first couple of turns, which leaves him with a pretty fat hand. I used Monnok lost and he had 4 x-wings in hand, which set him back substantially. I continue to deploy fat characters to my DB’s but Jeff used TK-422 and Boushh to block my drains. He eventually pulled off EBO and set up a force drain of 5 at Coruscant. Fortunately for me, I had the bounty hunter space force in hand. When Jeff replaced three X-wings with an assault squadron, but di not back it up with anything else, I saw my window of opportunity. I deployed Zuckuss in MH, 4-lom into the MH, and Bossk in HT. I battled, drew 3 destiny, he drew none, and that pretty much ended his offensive. One thing Jeff did that was a total DUH! play was putting Luke on Artoo in R5. I guess Jeff has never read the other side of HDADTJ. This pretty much crippled him the entire game. A drain of two at my Endor DB and Visage finished him off.
FW 2 (+16)
Overall: 4 (+48)
Highs: My deck worked like a dream. Jeff making mistakes that furthered my win.
Lows: No effective way to kill Undercover spies... that’ll have to change. I can feel the ubiquitous "tournament headache" coming on...
Game Three: my DS vs. Will Raiman’s HB Fakeout mains deck.
Well, I know Will is a pretty good player, and his deck packs all the answers to Hunt Down, so I knew I would need both skill and luck to beat him. Unfortunately, skill and luck went to lunch before this game started. I got a Lord Vader and his stick in my opening hand, and deploy him to Executor DB. He deploys Luke Jedi w/ stick to the Endor DB. I move Vader over, and back him up with Tarkin, hoping to draw into a Vader’s Obsession. Unfortunately, I cannot draw one to save my life. He Clashes Tarkin, grabs my saber with Weapon Lev, and uses Insertion Planning to subtract three from my destiny. I use "I have you now" but could not draw big enough to get rid of Luke. That battle really was the story of the game. I would get a Vader out, but Will had all the answers. I couldn’t get any cards that I needed, which pretty much sums up the match. He got everything he needed and I did not, and that’s all I’ve got to say about that...
FL (-11)
Overall: 4 (+37)
Highs: Not losing by too much.
Lows: Ummm... I lost, and my deck tanked.
So with two people undefeated at this point, I knew I could not win, since they were about to play each other. Oh well, at least I did not have to face Stephen... oh wait, one game left, against Stephen (D’oh!)
Game four: my LS vs. Stephen Micheal’s AOBS
Well, Stephen and I know each others decks and since I only built this deck the night before, I had not tested against AOBS. Stephen was also packing Monnoks, which could really hurt if I did not draw a Yarna or Signal for it early. Fortunately, I drew a Yarna in my first hand. Unfortunatelt, Stephen got to go first. He drew up his force pile, and I asked him if he had a Monnok in his opening hand and he did. That was a mistake that would cost him the game. On my turn I did deploy the Yarna and moved Luke over to the Endor DB with some speeders to back him up. Stephen dropped Jodo Kast with a Stun Blaster and IG-88 w/gun to the DB. He initiated a battle and used Hidden Weapons on Luke and drew a "2" which captured the Jedi. Unfortunately for Stephen, he forgot the game text on TIGIH/ICSH, which says that if Luke is escorted by any character but Vader, DS loses two force at the end of their turn, which Stephen was forced to endure for the rest of the game. He also left Xizor and a Vigo alone at the DS DB. After setting up Incom Corp and Maneuvering Flaps, I dropped 6 speeders on them, and battled the two Black Sun agents, and beat them soundly. The loss of 27 force pretty much sealed the deal for Stephen and his agents.
FW 2 (+16)
Overall: 6(+53)
Highs: Finding a LS deck that actually works well, going 3-1 overall.
Lows: Beating a teammate, Stephen ending up 2-2.
So I got second place. In the packs I received, I got my 4th Lord Vader, and a foil Flagship Executor (which I do not play with, but it is good newbie trade bait). After the tournament I made some mega trades that scored me another Foil Emperor along with some other sweet stuff. On the whole, not a bad day, but I still lost the tournament...
Props and slops:
Props:
Will Raiman: for running a decent tournament, given the conditions...
Stephen Micheal: for driving all the way out to Smyrna and for being an overall nice guy
Steven Lewis: for building an amazing speeder deck. You rock! Congratulations on placing well at the DPC too.
The Rock: for beating Kurt Angle at No Way Out.
Slops:
Will Raiman: for your bone-headed play in the last game. You had the tournament in hand but blew it trying to duel Jedi Luke with Mara... D’OH!!! And the whole "scouting" argument.
Clay: Quit b1tching about not getting to go to the tournament. You’ll just have to get over it.
Champions Comics: the worst venue I have EVER played at. Not enough room, crappy tables, and the heat and humidity made playing miserable. No bathrooms and no decent eateries in the area only make the conditions worse.