mr-2nd-place-goes-to-tn-states
Title: mr-2nd-place-goes-to-tn-states
Author: Steven "Sir Yoda" Lewis
Date: May 15, 2001
So I’m hanging out with my fiancee the night before states and I build these two decks and explain how I have relatively no experience playing them. So shes like, "Ill test them with you!" Now who can turn down a chance to play Star Wars with an intelligent, attractive woman? Well, not me. :)
TESTING GAME: My Agents of Black Sun VS. Katie’s Hidden Mains
I start out as usual, setting up Guri and Xizor on the Death Star: Docking Bay and the Emperor on the Home One: Docking Bay. She pulls her systems and sites out of her deck and starts dropping big guys on the Tatooine: Docking Bay and eventually transits them around chasing the Emperor. Finally Jedi Luke hits the table and flips my objective back and I can’t seem to get rid of him the entire game (I can’t draw a Hidden Weapons to save my life!). And by the way, my fiancee totally amazed me when she demonstrated her numerical wizardry and tracked 8 different destinies throughout her deck for all the On and Off The Edges, adding up to WAY too much retrieval. So I end up playing a nasty game of cat and mouse when she dropds Han/Falcon and Home 1 at Carida and puts Battle Plan down. Now Im screwed because the only ship I have left in my deck is Zuckuss in Mist Hunter. So I drop Zuckuss in front of her ships like a pro and Lateral Damage Home 1. She then initiates a battle against me to which I respond by playing Set For Stun on Captain Han and drawing a 5 for destiny, which clears the system and Zuckuss survives! Way to go Zuckuss! But since Jedi Luke seemed to be able to clear all of my characters at the Docking Bays (except for the Emperor), I only won by 6!
Now after having almost lost to my girlfriend (that being her very first SWCCG game ever), I am not too encouraged about my chances at states. But being too late to change my decks, I take the same two the next day and hope for the best. (I just used "to" and "too" and "two" in the same sentence! Yippee!)
Now for the good stuff
GAME 1: My LS Hidden Mains VS. someones ISB Scum deck.
I apologize for not remembering his name, but I forgot to write this stuff down during the tournament so I was doomed to the failures of bad memory. Anyway, since he started ISB and No Bargain, I pretty much knew what was coming so I played accordingly. Ben Kenobi with his saber went to Tatooine early and jumped on top of Jabbas Palace (with Lando w/Ax to back him up). My opponent then deploys puny Jabba, Chall, and bunches of ORS’s in the AC to flip. So Obi and Lando move in. Several battles ensue during which Jabba gets clashed, 4LOM gets excluded, Guri gets cut, and a bunch of ORS’s die. So eventually his objective actually flips back to the 0 side and never flips again. I drop Aim High and spread out to drain for 2-3 at his JP sites while Home 1 drains at Corulag (with Battle Plan down). He is unable to fight with the cards he has left and he has nothing for my retrieval (which nets my 20+ cards during the game), so I win by 27.
FW 2 (+27)
GAME 2: My DS AOBS (Dark Surgeon variant) VS. Clint Hays WYS beatdown deck
Once again I end up playing Clint and we both know virtually every card in each other’s decks. So I set up on the H1:DB and the DS:DB (with Crush protecting me from a beatdown) and drain and stuff for several turns, all while Clint amasses cards in his hand for his attack. Eventually he deploys Beggar and I start saving Force like a pro. I now have about 15 Force in my Force pile when Clint proceeds to blow his load on the Death Star (against Xizor and Boba Fett). He first deploys ECC Lando (using 6 of my Force) to which I then play Set For Stun and return him to Clint’s hand. He then deploys EPP Luke using the rest of my Force and drops ECC Chewie and EPP Han as well. But before he can use his last Force to attack me, I decide to play Put All Sections On Alert but I can’t decide who to target. So this brings up a rulings question: If I target Luke (PASOA says "target may not apply ability toward drawing battle destiny"), can Clint draw ANY destiny in the battle (Xizor says "opponent required to have 6 ability to draw battle destiny")? We argue for a bit and call the TD over (Jim Colson) who thinks about it for a while and eventually rules in my favor. So I target Luke and Clint attacks me. First he shoots Xizor with Han and makes him immediately lost with BF/SATM, so the whole rulings argument didnt matter anyway. I shoot Chewie with Fett and draw a 5 for destiny. Clint draws a 2 and a 6 or something and I end up losing Fett and 9 more cards, leaving Luke alone at the site. So I then drop 4LOM, EPP Dengar, and Xizor in front of EPP Luke and initiate battle. 4LOM shoots away his saber, Dengar shoots away his immunity, Xizor shoots away his destiny draw, and I draw a 5. Luke dies plus a bunch more. So now I flip back and keep doing damage to Clint, but his beatdown squad is in the lost pile so I win by about 20.
FW 4 (+47)
GAME 3: My DS vs. someone’s TIGIH Scouts
Once again, I apologize for going blank on his name. I drop Emperor to the Endor:DB first turn and Luke surrenders. I then move the Emp into Chirpa’s Hut (creating a battleground) and move Xizor to the DS:DB and start doing damage. Lando and Nien try to attack the Emp, but Nien gets zapped and Lando gets forfeited. Eventually my opponent tries to drain my at his DB but Jodo, 4LOM, and IG88 take care of that. I win by about 24.
FW 6 (+71)
GAME 4: My LS vs. Michael Crosby’s Dark Deal objective
We started up and my guys got all over Cloud City before his could. He only deployed two sites (the DB and some 2/1 site) so there weren’t many places to go. Han and Leia showed up in the Falcon at the sector and drained for a turn or two when Crosby dropped a TIE there and played two Talon Rolls (which both got Sensed). He then attacked and killed Leia (which sucked) but Han kept draining. I started tracking destinies fairly early and in one particular instance, Michael asked me the # of cards in my hand and I told him. Then after a battle (during which I had drawn a good destiny) he asked again and I told him. He then got a fishy look and we kept playing. I had no idea what was going through his mind but he started being really anal about some things. He even demanded at one point that I count the cards in my hand by placing them one at a time on the table in front of me like he thought I was lying or something. Well, the game starts dragging out because I’m only draining for 2 and Michael is draining for about 4 (but I’m retrieving all his losses with the Edges), so it becomes clear that I am going to win, but Michael says something about wanting to stall me out and he does, so I get a timed win by 22 (only the second timed win Ive ever had in my history of SWCCG).
MW 7 (+93)
After reading Crosby’s TR, I realized why he became so rude during the game. Apparently he thought I had cheated him and stacked a destiny from my hand during a battle in which I drew a 6 and killed his walker. But what he doesn’t realize is that the 6 I drew was tracked to the top and was there legitimately. But instead of voicing his concerns to me, he decided to get on Decktech and tell the world that I cheated him. Well, obviously Michael Crosby only looses games because his opponent’s cheat against him, and if accusing me makes him feel any better about getting beat fair and square then so be it. I can say nothing that can change his mind. I only know that I did not and would never do anything like he suggested and I won the game because I either played better, had the stronger deck, got better luck, whatever; but definitely NOT because I cheated!
GAME 5: My DS vs. Brian Rippetoe’s LS Hidden Mains with tech
Since Brian beat me out in the finals of last year’s regional by one card, I was anxious for my opportunity at "vengeance" against him. :) I set up as usual (Xizor and Guri to DS, Emperor to H1) and Brian deploys the SP:DB to Carida and drops a Luke there. I then played A Dangerous Time on him and stacked his Tatooine: DB on the bottom of his Force pile (effectively making all his Ben Kenobi’s useless because he always wanted to save a Force). So I piled on Luke and killed him with my guys. Then Brian does something really sick. He drops Order To Engage out and puts Jedi Luke in front of Xizor with Yoda’s Gimer Stick on him. So I lose to OTE and move Xizor (and the Emp) to the SP:DB to continue my drains while Luke starts draining on the DS. We are about even in life force for most of the game while I dig for Djas Puhr (my only hope) and finally draw him up at the last moment. So then Djas, IG88, 4LOM, and Guri beat up Jedi Luke and I flip back and win by 12 or so.
FW 9 (+83)
GAME 6: My LS vs. Matt Mathisons classic MKOS Abyssin deck
Ben and his saber invade JP early and end up axing a bunch of random aliens (with some well-timed interrupts and lots of EPPs). Eventually though, Ben, Luke, and Harc Seff end up holding sentry at Tatooine:JP and stop all of Matt’s drains while I set up the Home 1 at Corulag and drop Battle Plan. Then (after most of Matts guys are on the table), Leia and Chewie spread to give me more drain. I end up retrieving 20+ force with the Edges which keeps me alive and I win by about 23 or something.
FW 11 (+106)
After going undefeated, I am slated to play New Yorker Jon Chu in the final confrontation and sit down for some very long, very grueling games as follows:
FINAL CONFRONTATION GAME 1: My LS vs. Chu’s Huntdown
Game summary: Chu wrecked me. Chu got just about everything he needed any time he wanted it and was always one step ahead of me. I deploy HOTJ, and Chu deploys No Escape the very next turn. I deploy Lando and Mirax to cancel Visage and Chu deploys Mara and Xizor and another Visage and beats up Lando and his friend with a vengeance. I deploy Han and Leia to beat up Zuckuss and I draw a zero and Chu draws a 5. But since Chu had to deploy a bunch of stuff, he only won by 22.
FINAL CONFRONTATION GAME 2: My DS vs. Chu’s TR Mains
Chu and I both know that I am going to win this game (his deck stands almost no chance against the techish AOBS stuff), but now it’s a question as to how much I can win by. So I set up as usual (Xizor on DS, Emp on H1) while Chu starts drawing for a Luke to flip me back. I ADT him and stack two Lukes at the bottom of his Force pile and Chu makes the mistake of drawing both of them. So I monnok them away. Now Chu must kill Xizor to flip me back or he is going to loose by way too much so he starts piling it on, but cant seem to get rid of him. Eventually he is left with EPP Obi against Xizor, 4LOM, IG88, Dengar, and a Vigo, so I attack him and the Death Star door falls on Xizor’s head (doh!) but Obi gets beat down for bunches. Now I’m ahead, but I dont have my objective anymore. So I drain and pick at him from the docking bays for a while and whittle him down but my life force is dwindling too. But with First Strike and DTF out it’s anybody’s game. To make a long story short, I end up chasing a lone Mirax around Coruscant with IG88 all the while draining and using Broken Concentration so Chu won’t draw up. Eventually I trap Mirax to where I can attack her (retrieving 2 Force) but I have 19 in my life force, one card in hand (Imperial Barrier) and if I attack, Chu will merely lose his last life force and die. So I win by 21, losing states by one differential (just like regionals last year).
So my title as the Mr. Second Place remains in tact.
PROPS:
Jon Chu for playing like a pro.
Clint for predicting the winner weeks ago (Note: Clint is now mortally terrified of Chu).
Matt Mathison for having green hair.
Luke for totally wrecking me with Yodas cane.
Jim Colson for a good ruling.
My fiancee, Katie, for being a destiny-tracking machine and playtesting with me.
SLOPS:
Me for second place again.
Me for forgetting my opponent’s names (sorry!).
Jon Chu for getting everything he needed in the final against me.
Jim Sells for saying he’s going to quit the game because he scrubbed out.
Clint for dropping out to go watch a hockey game.
Michael Crosby for saying nothing to my face and calling me a cheater on Decktech.
Steven "I Love 2nd" Lewis