mirkwood-minnesota-5-12-01
Title: mirkwood-minnesota-5-12-01
Author: Tyler "rugman11" Williams
Date: May 13, 2001
The weeks leading up to the state tourney weren’t going so well. I hadn’t been playing well lately and had been making a lot of mistakes during games including, but not limited to, allowing my opponent to Scanning Crew aliens. (I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw that card played.) Things went even worse when some stupid HyPo thought it would be fun to pick me up while I was going to Mirkwood. 20 minutes and 90 dollars later I got going again and arrived in plenty of time. We hung around, I borrowed some cards, finished decklists and we got started around 11ish after deck checks.
For light I was playing TIGIH scouts. I had a very creative name for it, but I forgot, so we’ll call it TIGIH scouts.
My dark deck was my love. It had only lost twice in tournament play and usually dominated. Today it was called "Bluethrawn’s Emperors", because Nick Kolnik let me borrow three Palpy’s before the tourney started.
Game one: "Bluethrawn’s Emperors" vs. Alexandre Dufresne’s QMC
I started Set Your Course, Prepared Defenses, Mobilization Points, Secret Plans, and Something Special Planned For Them. He started QMC with the Cloud City: Guest Quarters, Heading for the Medical Frigate, Squadron Assignments, Your Insight Serves You Well, and Aim High.
It was kind of strange, because he was using top-loaders, so his Reserve Deck was about a foot and a half tall. Our first turns involved picking up. I dropped a dreadnaught and a TIE Interceptor to Bespin on turn two to try and get the quick drain. He dropped Wedge and ship, both from hand, and an x-wing laser cannon. He also Squassined for Red 7, but didn’t have enough to deploy them, so I had to inform him that, if he couldn’t deploy the ship, he couldn’t pull it. After we got that figured out, he picked up. My turn I dropped a laser cannon and shot Wedge, ending that. He pulled a site, West Gallery, I think and picked up. I picked up a couple. He dropped another site, North Corridor, maybe, and dropped EPP Leia at the Guest Quarters, and EPP Luke at the Gallery. I drained and dropped the Emperor at the Death Star: Docking Bay along with Battle Order and Dreaded Imperial Starfleet. He paid six to drain for two, one of which I cancelled. He dropped EPP Obi to the corridor and drew. I drained and deployed the TIE from DIS, retrieving the card I just lost. He dropped the Carbonite chamber and Ackbar there, after paying nine to drain for three, one of which i cancelled. The rest of the game involved me draining for two and deploying TIEs just to retrieve the few force I lost. Eventually, he deployed Elyhek Rue on Red 7 and EPP Han and Mirax on the Pulsar Skate to Bespin where I had a Dreadnaught, the Sword, and about six TIE’s. I deployed what I had left and battled. Shot the Skate, played all the interrupts in my hand that I could, and won the battle 65 to 5, ending the game.
FW (+26)
2(26)
Highs: Winning because of one consistent plink drain.
Lows: Winning because of one consistent plink drain.
At this point I was pretty happy. My dark side was still performing and I hadn’t made any glaring mistakes.
Game two: TIGIH scouts vs. Sean Thielman’s MKOS Skrillings
I was packing mad anti-Scum and anti-TIE tech, so I wasn’t too worried. I started TIGIH, Jedi Luke, Heading for the Medical Frigate, Insurrection, Staging Areas, Strike Planning, and I Feel the Conflict. He started MKOS, Pote Snitkin, Jabba’s Palace, Prepared Defenses, First Strike, No Bargain, and Power of the Hutt.
He started by pulling the Audience Chamber and drawing. I drained, got Crix and Blount to Home One: docking bay and moved luke out. He dropped Jabba, Boelo, and Pote to the Audience Chamber. I dropped General Solo and EPP Leia at the Endor: Docking Bay. He flipped with a couple guys at Jabba’s Palace and a Skrilling at the Lower Passages that moved in to the chamber. I got a couple of scouts out and was out draining him. He dropped four skrillings to the Cantina, but I countered with Artoo & Threepio with A Gift. He Set for Stunned them, but they just came back next turn. I got Solo and Leia with Lando w/Ax at Jabba’s Palace via the Spaceport Docking Bay. Midge, Cracken, Tawss Khaa, and Orrimaarko held the Back Door draining for three. The game was quite uneventful until the last turn when he battled me before I drained him out. Portal on 4-Lom and a Skrilling, exclude Skrilling #2, shoot Skrilling #3, Rebel Leadership, Insertion Planning. I lost Leia to the tank and drained him out the next turn.
FW (+15)
4(+41)
Highs: Out draining. A Gift.
Lows: No retrieval
Again, my Light deck did better than expected, and I hadn’t made any dumb moves.
Game three: TIGIH scouts vs. Michael Raveling’s BHBM
I started the same, he started BHBM, Prepared Defenses, Crush the Rebellion, Imperial Arrest Order, Mobilization Points, Insignificant Rebellion, and Your Destiny.
His first turn involved getting a lot of things from his Reserve Deck. Executor via Mob Pts, Death Star II: Docking Bay via Imp Arrest Order, Evader & Monnok via Crush, Piett via Imperial Command, and Emperor Palpatine to the Endor: Docking Bay with his objective. I activated my whole two force, pulled Solo and Crix, deployed the Home One: Docking Bay, and moved Luke out, flipping both our objectives. He deploys Vader, taking Luke, and moves the Emperor to Chief Chirpa’s Hut. He also deployed the Executor: Docking Bay. I activate my five force now, and deploy Crix and Blount to the Home One: Docking Bay. He drains for three, drops Piett, gets Merrejyk, both to the Executor: Docking Bay, and grabs Fondor. I grabbed Cracken and decided to take the offensive, dropping him and Solo against Palpatine. After killing Cracken with Force Lightning and playing I Have You Now, he stacked one. Chewie went with Blount and Crix over to the Death Star II, but Vader came over and made short work of them, thanks to You are Beaten and another I Have You Now. I don’t think I got another character down for the rest of the game. It was ugly.
FL (-20)
4(+21)
Highs: I’m not out of the running yet, because 5-1 will probably make it.
Lows: Everything in that game.
I wasn’t real happy, but I was still in the running. That game took a lot out of me mentally.
Game four: "Bluethrawn’s Emperors" vs. Matt Hanson’s Hidden Mains
I started the same as last time. He started Hidden Base, Heading for the Medical Frigate, Insurrection, Staging Areas, and Your Insight Serves You Well.
First turn involved Palpatine to the Death Star: Docking Bay and Wakeelmui. He dropped Cloud City: Docking Bay and picked up. On his third turn after picking up a couple, he played Grimtaash lost. Usually I don’t have that many doubles in hand, but this time was different. He hit me for five TIEs, two guns, two main courses, two Twi’leks, and two All Power to Weapons. That’s right folks, 13 cards. I eventually got some ships to Endor, Sullust, and Kashyyyk, while he got Jedi Luke at Cloud City and Ben Kenobi with saber, and Corran Horn at the Tatooine: Docking Bay. Orrimaarko made an attempt to kill Palpatine, for the force loss, but a nice destiny on my part stopped that. He went to the tank only to come back the next turn with Order to Engage and Ben Kenobi moving over. Corran really screwed up my plans, because now my spies were worthless. Dreaded Imperial Starfleet was the only thing stopping his drains. I had to battle, so I did, after draining. Ben missed and I drew a six, so both characters dies. I did lose the battle, though. Arica came down to make sure there would be no more of that Orrimaarko trickery. He edged a couple of times, but both were put out of play. The Uber-falcon made a visit, but after a Ghhhk’d battle, was shot out of the sky. Captain Han made his way back on the Falcon and that was the only thing keeping him in the game, because it satisfied Battle Plan. All my TIEs ended up getting buried and I just couldn’t retrieve enough.
FL (-2)
4(+19)
Highs: Almost coming back after losing 13 cards on the third turn.
Lows: Grimtaash.
Well, I’m out of the running, but can still get a decent 4-2 finish, which had been my goal for the day.
Game five: "Bluethrawn’s Emperors" vs. Chris Perman’s Hidden Base flip with squadron ships.
I started the same as always. He started Hidden Base, Heading for the Medical Frigate, Do or Do Not & Wise Advice, Aim High, and Your Insight Serves You Well.
I dropped Wakeelmui and picked up. I never did find Palpatine, which made the game much harder. He got a Red-Squadron X-wing at the Rendezvous Point. He just kept dropping systems, and I took over one or two. The details are kind of vague, but I remember having two battles, both of which were cancelled by Alternatives to Fighting. He shot a couple ships and my inability to move around killed me. I did probe on the first try, but all of my systems made Security Precautions null. I got him down as far as possible, but just couldn’t do enough damage.
FL (-12)
4(+7)
Highs: Not much, Security Precautions, maybe.
Lows: No hyperdrive.
Well, I can only get 3-3, max. This sucks. I felt bad for whoever I had to play next, because I was going to pull out all the stops.
Game six: TIGIH scouts vs. Anthony Lawrence’s Endor Ops
I started the same as always. He started Endor Operations, Mobilization Points, Power of the Hutt, and You Cannot Hide Forever.
First turn he ditched Cannot Hide for Perimeter Patrol, grabbed Executor via Mob Pts, Ominous Rumors via his objective, and Ephant Mon to the Bunker via Power of the Hutt. I dropped the Home One: Docking Bay with Crix and Blount there. He dropped a the Forest Clearing, another site, and Ominous Rumors, and picked up. I put Tawss Khaa at one site, Gen Solo at the Home One: Dbay and moved him over, cancelling Ominous Rumors. Tawss joined Solo. He dropped three unique biker scouts on bikes and the effect that lets them use the maneuver of the bike to avoid weapons fire. I portalled two of them and he lost the other and a bike. From there I just dropped scouts at the Home One: Dbay and moved them over. He tried to Combat Response for Guri with the Stinger, but I told him he couldn’t. He then tried to get Virago with Xizor, but I told him he couldn’t do that either. Xizor went to the forest clearing with a biker scout on bike. Luke went and got himself captured and he lost two force a turn for the rest of the game. Midge made my drains very bad, and he had no retrieval protection, so I edged a couple of times. I eventually killed Xizor and the biker and drained him out.
FW (+23)
6(+30)
Highs: Finishing on a high note. Getting around Perimeter Patrol.
Lows: Nothing really.
Well, I finished up taking 20th place out of 42. Josh Grace took first after beating Graham Neal in two very close games. Michael Raveling took second, edging Josh Kohman out by one differential. Grace ended up winning the final duel to take the Minnesota State Championship.
Props:
- Everyone who was there. It was a reall fun tournament.
- Grace and Raveling for playing very well.
- Grace for winning it all.
- Nick for loaning me the Palpatines.
- Dion for running a very smooth tourney.
Slops:
- Minnesota Highway Patrol.
Thanks for the read.
Tyler "rugman11" Williams