billings-mt-4-28-2001-states
Title: billings-mt-4-28-2001-states
Author: Jeremy "jerome" LaMere
Date: Apr 29, 2001
Since I thought that I was done with the game I haven’t really looked at my cards that much since Worlds. Turns out I just needed a break from the game. I guess an off season like in sports. Now we have money tournaments and the States winners getting a Day 2 birth, I had to defend my title.
Since, I don’t have anyone to play with up here I just research decks and talk to other people about meta and tech. I decide to play WYS Winkelhaus Style because I really can’t think of any way to get around Beggar and DTF and the deck just beats people down. For dark I decide on Huntdown because as Clint puts it, "it makes the opponent do stuff."
For actual card lists for the decks refer to WYS-Winkelhaus style with these modifications:
- Spaceport DB, + Hoth DB
- 1 EPP Luke, + Jedi Luke
- 1 RFC, + Melas
- 1 RFC, + Shock & Grimtaash
- 1 RFC, + Intruder Missle
- Ounee Ta, + Menace Fades
And for Dark look at Hoostino’s Chain Of Command with these mods:
- 1 Lord, + Regular Vader
- 1 Tarkin, + another Guri
- 1 HoloNet Trans, + Projective Telepathy
- 1 Imperial Command, + Control & SFS
I head down to Bozeman to get some games in with Jason Dennee and Chris Bartlo at Chris’ place. We playtest some and the WYS does pretty well. As does the as the Huntdown. Chris is playing WYS beats and MKOS Skrillings and Jason is playing a Hidden Base start with Tat. Celebration and Harvest and a TDIGWATT with TIEs. We talk about decks and we decide nobody in MT has the Raiders to play Raider swarm so Battle Deployment isn’t needed. We also decide the Grimtaash and Monnok are needed in every deck no matter what.
Anyways we get something to eat and play some more games. Go over to Jason’s house and me and him play a couple of more games and I try to convince Jason to play the same decks as me but he decides to go with what he’s got because he knows them well and we both agree that they are solid decks.
So we go to bed and wake up around 6:30, and head to Billings. Get to Billings around 9:30, fill out my decklists and the tourney starts about 15 minutes late.
My decks are:
LS - "Smack My B*tch Up", because that is what it does.
DS - "Firestarter", because it gets a quick start and makes the opponent react before they are ready.
Round 1 Game 1 - Art Haugan (1659) WYS Space
He starts Menace Fades, Sq. Assignments, and DTF so I think it might be the beatdown version. I get Vader down first turn to the DS: DB and he never leaves the table. Visage never leaves the table either. R2 comes down with an Undercover to block Vaders drain and Mirax goes to Kashyyyk for some drain and I realize he is playing WYS Space. Emperor and Sim come down to accompany Vader but he leaves to take care of some business at the CC: DB, leaving R2 to spy on the Emperor and Sim. Search And Destroy also hits the table to cause some massive force loss each turn. He draws a little bit while Janus sets up with the Emperor. The Emperor also finds out R2’s spying ways and frys the little droid. Thrawn and Chimaera take out the Skate at Kashyyyk while Dash in the Outrider show up at Corellia and Lando In Falcon go to Kessel. Luke also comes down to the Cantina but Xizor and Guri make sure he does stick around very long. The Chimaera chases around the Falcon for a few turns and the Chimaera finally gets Power Pivoted but there is enough forfiet to go around and drains, Visage, and S&D are too much to handle.
Result: FW 2 (+25)
Round 1 Game 2 - Luke Ganser (1481) Biker ROps
This guy is better than his ratting indicates since he hasn’t played in a lot of tournaments, but has playtested quite a bit against the Bozeman players. He starts YCHF, IAO, Mob. Points. He starts setting up Bikers all over Ralltiir and flips pretty easily on the second turn while I be patient to set up my hand for a decient beatdown. A used Monnok slows me down a bit, but Battle Plan is slowing his drains. Aim High also comes down so that he can’t retrieve with his non-unique bikers. Finally an opportunity presents it self and Luke and Han with Don’t Get @#$%y take out a couple of Bikers with some decent overflow (8 I think). He has deployed quite a bit so I set up some space at Kessel and Tatooine and some guys at the Cantina and Tat. DB for some drains. I’ll Take The Leader is out so I am not to worried about the BH ships at this point. He never comes to space and I outdrain him.
Result: FW 2 (+19)
Cumulative: 4 (+44)
Round 2 Game 1 - Jason Dennee (1904) HB start with Tatooine Celebration and Harvest
He starts Battle Plan, Sq. Assignments, and Insurrection. I don’t get Vader in my opening hand but I got the Emperor and Sim so I figure I will be OK for a couple of turns. HoloNet cancels TT first turn so that is cool. He sets up some Tatooine sites and I set up Emperor and Sim at the DS: DB and finally get a Vader via HoloNet Transmission. I set up Vader at the CC: DB but I can’t find my Secret Plans and he sets up Ben and the Lars to Harvest twice before I can get out Secret Plans and he also get a few back from Celebration with Jedi Luke at the Tat.: DB. Chimaera and Thrawn show up at Tatooine and I make the mistake of SFS on Han before I deploy and the Chimaera gets Barriered, oh well. I Lateral Damage the Falcon so that the ensuing battle will be in my favor. Han and Leia come down and they Know, but Thrawn has superior tactics with his Command and the Falcon looses all of its passengers and Celebration is canceled. I have control from there because I don’t have to play for Battle Plan any more. Vader and Mara have a battle versus Ben, Luke, and the Lars. IHYN and Harvest are both played and the site is cleared except for the Lars. The old Hermit shows up again as well as Vader but my drains are just wearing him out and I win on drains.
Result: FW 2 (+12)
Cumulative: 6 (+56)
Round 2 Game 2 - Chris Bartlo (1883) MKOS Skrillings
He starts First Strike, Power, No Bargain, and Well Guarded. He sets up at the AC and JP with some aliens and the Barge. I set up at Kessel and Tatooine with some ships. I get my Grimtaash and it nets two None Shall Pass and Han and Luke show up to take out the Barge with a Bad Feeling and Don’t Get @#$%y. Boba gets taken out with a Blaster Pro and a Skrilling gets shot. He is able to forfiet a Skrilling and the Barge, but there is still 16 overflow. There are a few skirmishes on Tatooine but he is never able to fully come back and I drain him out.
Result: FW 2 (+28)
Cumulative: 8 (+84)
Round 3 Game 1 - Jason Dennee (1904) TDIGWATT TIEs
He starts Secret Plans, IAO, Mob. Points, and Crush. He gets a slow start and I take over Wakeelmui and Bespin. Aim High also comes out first turn so that everything he does is going to cost him more than he wants to pay. Luke also comes down to the Casino for some drains. Menace Fades shows up so that if he sets up the Deal it won’t be a problem. He sets up the Deal anyways with Jodo Kast, Emperor, and Ozzel. He moves them all together. Chimaera and Thrawn also go to Tatooine for some drains. Han, Chewie, Talon and Melas come down to take on his ground crew. The Emperor misses Chewie with his Lightning and a Bad Feeling battle begins. I clear off all of his guys and he draws a zero for destiny. I move my guys to cancel the Deal and I control the ground. Arica makes an apperance to block a drain but it is really no use at this point. He tries one last ditch effort to take over Bespin with a TIE and Cannon but the Outrider has A Few Maneuvers and evades the Cannon and the battle damage is too much.
Result: FW 2 (+32)
Cumulative: 10 (+116)
Round 3 Game 2 - Chris Bartlo (1883) WYS Beats
He starts Battle Plan, Insurrection, and Sq Assingments. Vader comes down to the CC: DB first turn and Visage is in full effect to put some pressure on him right away. He tries to gather a decent hand while I set up the DS: DB with Emperor and Janus. He doesn’t draw into his DTF so I am not worried at this point and he keeps losing cards to Visage. He finally comes down to the Emperors site with Han and Luke but Han gets fried leave Luke all alone. He battles anyways and Blaster Pros the Emperor to make him immediately lost. But Janus has enough forfiet to cover things. We both go to space but nothing drastic happens there. Visage and drains do him in.
Result: FW 2 (+22)
Cumulative: 12 (+138)
I am the only undefeated player and am in the final against Ryan Welsh (1891). I decide to play DS first because I am pretty sure I can beat him with light side and want to know by how much if I loose this game.
There is not too much to write on these games because I controlled them both pretty well so I will just give the bare basics. Game one he is playing HBX and I set up Visage and Search and Destroy. Also a Monnok takes out some X-wings and a couple of other cards. He can’t handle the direct damage and ground drains. Full Win 2 (+21). Game two he is playing SYCFA TIEs and I take over space with Smugglers including Wakeelmui, Fondor, and the Death Star. I hold ground with Melas and Luke. Grimtaash nets me a couple Dreadnaughts and Aim High makes a late appearance. I have control and he can’t contend. Full Win 2 (+26)
So I go undefeated throught the day and gaurantee myself a spot in the big tournament once again.
We all go out to eat at the Olive Garden and I decide to make the 4.5 hour trek home that night so that I can relax on Sunday.
Props:
Jeff for running a really smooth tournament.
Jason for letting me camp out.
Jason and Chris for playtesting.
Slops:
None, it was an excellent day.
Well I know it isn’t very funny but at least you know what went down.
Later,
J