minneapolis-mn-2001

Title: minneapolis-mn-2001
Author: Michael "Gilliatt" Raveling
Date: May 27, 2001

It was a Saturday in Minneapolis at the Outpost 2000 and beyond. I don’t know how many players were there but most of the regulars turned out in the hopes of winning the AI Darth Maul that was to be first prize. Most notably were Jim Li, who had just got back from college and is home for the summer, Graham Neal, and the Mirkwood combo card of Garrett Larson with Justin Alfs. Of course the Jeffrey boys were there along with Anthony Lawrence, who had kept me up half the night talking tech about his new Court of the Vile Gangster deck. For decks I was using my BHBM from states and my WYS from states with some little tweaks. I was still somewhat burnt out on SWCCG but the promise of a Darth Maul was something I could not pass up. Nick Kolnick was the Tourney Directory for this one. I had no crazy gimmicks for this tourney. Let’s get on to the games.

My WYS light side versus Kid
I sit down across from the littlest kid that I have ever seen play SWCCG. He was playing without sleeves and had his decks in Special Edition starters. The Tourney Director comes over and tells me to be nice because this was this kids first tournament. I shook his hand and we started.
He was playing TDIGWATT with There Is No Try, Secret Plans, IAO, and Mob Points.
I start WYS with Battle Plan, Draw Their Fire, and Squadron Assignments.
He deploys the Cloud City DB with IAO and Bespin system. On my turn I deploy the Outrider to Kessel. His turn he deploys nothing. I draw and set up my hand. He deploys Bossk in Hounds Tooth to Bespin. So I put down Mirax in Pulsar Skate, Artoo, and Melas and battle him. He loses about 10 cards because I draw super high destiny. He then tries to deploy on ground with some 3 ability scrub imperials spread out at two battleground sites. So I deploy Han with Blaster, Ralltir Freighter Captain, and Luke with Saber to battle his lone General Tagge. Needless to say it wasn’t pretty. I win in this one turn ender battle.
I report my score as +48 but realize that it is impossible for my deck to win by that much. I then tell Nick to fix it to +38, which is what it actually was.
I feel bad for the kid but my philosophy is that if you beat them hard enough they will end up playing someone more their level in the next game. This kid ended up winning at least one game so he must have had an OK tournament even if his first game was a little rough.
I guess SWCCG is strange in that it can pair up a brand new player with someone who has played 500+ games and been all over the country to play.
FW +38

Jim Li is matched up against a new face for the SWCCG scene in the first round and his game takes a little longer than mine does. He laughs when he hears how bad I smashed the kid and I have a little pang of guilt. I don’t know of anyway that I could have softened the blow.

My BHBM versus Andy Newton
Andy is playing TIGIH and starts Staging Areas, Insurrection, and Strike Planning.
I start BHBM with IAO, Mob Points, and Crush.
First turn I have no Imperial Commands in hand so I pull the Executor and Monnok/Evader. I put the Emperor down at the Endor DB to kill his activation. I also deploy Kessel. I hope that he uses his three force to deploy Crix Madine instead of moving Luke because I have no Vader in hand. On his turn he activates three and gets General Solo and Crix. He then moves Luke over to the Emperor and we both flip our objectives. So on my turn I activate get Merrjeck down with the Emperor and deploy Sullust from reserve. I look to see if there is a Vader in my reserve and all three are still there. I move the Emperor and Merrjeck to Chirpa’s Hut to get a bigger drain. I then play Omni Box to shuffle his reserve and try to make him do to many things to remember to make me lose three. I say you can go. He activates and deploys Crix to the Home 1 DB and gets Blount from reserve but doesn’t deploy him. On my turn I activate and all three Vaders are still in my reserve. I have Arica in hand and I decide to try to kill Crix.
Here is a defining moment for me. I was in a debate with myself on how to play SWCCG. I am a gambler and I take big risks sometimes. I bet that the player won’t have a card when they need it and I make them prove to me that they have it. In some big tournaments I have taken this gamble and it has cost me when those players had the cards. So here I was gambling that Andy did not have a Fallen Portal and that if he did he would not draw high enough to kill Arica. I deployed Blast Door Controls and then Arica to battle him. He plays Fallen Portal. Shoot. He then draws a four to kill her. What a waste. I fail in my gamble and I get nothing for it. I could have killed Crix though and slowed his deck down a lot as well as stacked a card on Insig Rebellion. Oh well.
He remembers to make me lose 3 cards this turn.
Andy deploys the Back Door and puts down Han and Chewie with some scrub scout. ON my turn I finally get down Vader to stop the bleeding and deploy U-3P0 to the Back Door.
Andy has Corran Horn so U-3PO does nothing. He has Scout Luke so he sends Vader to sit at the Throne Room. I establish a drain in space at Kessel and Sullust and Andy establishes a drain of 3 with that scout that adds one to a force drain. I am also losing one to my objective every turn so things are not going good.
I establish Battle Order but he has enough to pay for it. He moves Chewie, Han, Corran Horn, and a scrub scout to Chirpa’s Hut. He backs up the back door with Crix and some other scouts. I Force Lightning Chewie on his turn. I battle and play I Have You Now. I have to stack a card on his TIGIH because I drew the worst destinies ever but he loses Han. His turn he deploys Melas and battles and I play another I Have You Now to make him stack one as he loses all his guys to the Emperor. It ends up being a drain race as I have Battle Order satisfied and he doesn’t. I need to get him down to less then 3 so he can’t drain me at the Back Door.
On the last turn he has more than three and drains me out for exactly my last two.
He forgot BHBM once during that time but I lost one anyway as he had remembered for about 6 turns beforehand. If I had been a jerk I would have squeaked out that win.
FL -5

Graham Neal also beat Jim Li in the second game.

My WYS light versus Graham Neal
For some reason I am the top defeated light side so I have to face Graham who is undefeated. Some strange match ups here.
Graham starts with ISB with Crush, IAO, and Mob Points.
I start WYS with Battle Plan, Draw Their Fire, and Squadron Assignments.
This is a rematch from Saturday where I blew Grahams Executor from the sky so he is looking forward to proving his deck can beat mine. Of course he has said before that this version of WYS is almost broken.
I get a nice early flip with the outrider at Tatooine and Lando w/Gun at the DB but Graham comes down with Choke Vader and Ozzel and chokes Lando.
Graham gives me space and I set up at Kessel but he gets Bargaining Table running with Outer Rim Scouts. I deploy Artoo to the Outrider and draw but keep my hand below 13. I draw into my beat down and deploy at the Tattoine DB with Luke/Saber, Han, and some other scrub smugglers. By the time I get all this into hand he has Tempest 1 and about three Outer Rim Scouts at the DB so I battle and play Don’t Get Coccky. He tries to choke Han but misses. I draw all my destinies and wipe out everyone but Choke Vader who flees to the Endor DB leaving a U-3Po to block my drain at the Tattoine DB. I deploy a Patrol Craft to the Tattoine DB with the intent of moving everyone to Endor but the stupid DB transit is too expensive. I have Beggar out so U-3Po is not going to move. I move some scrub smugglers to the Cantina and am in control of the game. He eventually runs out of Outer Rim Scouts and the drain at Kessel hurts him. After a couple of turns I move everyone over to Endor and wipe him out there with Don’t Get Coccky and Smoke Screens.
FW 2 +10

There is only one undefeated player now and it is Justin Alfs. The surprising part is that there are three more games to play with only one person undefeated. Wow.

My BHBM dark versus Graham Neal
Wow a repeat matching from Saturday.
Graham is playing WYS instead of EBO though so this game should be interesting.
He starts WYS with Draw Their Fire, Squadron Assignments, and YISYW.
I start BHBM with Mob Points, IAO, and Crush.
I get a first turn Emperor to his DB to give me some activation. He comes down with Luke and I play I Have You Now and draw a six, five, and five. Wow I have never drawn that high on a blind destiny draw. He misses the chop but draws a 6 destiny. wow that saves him. He only loses two and then has to stack one. I drain him and get Piett to the Executor DB and start getting set up. His turn he gets Luke down and battles again. I play I Have You Now and he Chops the Emperor. I don’t draw as high and Luke soaks up the battle damage while I lose the Emperor.
I deploy the Emperor and Lord Vader to the Endor DB to try to catch Luke and avoid the one turn beat down. On his turn he deploys a Patrol Craft with Palace Raider to Tattoine DB and draws. My turn I get Your Destiny on him and don’t deploy any ships because I figure he is saving Luke to do the one turn beat down.
His turn he has to give me Luke so he deploys him and I flip my objective. So now I don’t fear the one turn beatdown. I get the Executor deployed to Fondor and get Arica to the Cantina. He deploys a lone Palace Raider in Patrol Craft against my Vader, Emperor duo at the Endor DB. I figure he has a Fallen Portal and wants me to battle so he can kill Vader and free Luke to chop the Emperor. I decide not to battle and draw looking for Force Field. I am content with my hefty space drain. I see him lose two Captain Hans and figure Han isn’t going to be coming out. He deploys two Patrol Craft with Palace Raiders, Lando with Gun, and Tallon Karde to the Endor DB and battles with enough battle damage to kill the Emperor and Vader. Luke is freed. I keep IG-88 at the site. My space drains are mounting and he deploys the Outrider with a couple of Smugglers to space but I chase them around and end up beating them down. I break Arica’s cover and battle to kill him using Draw Their Fire.
FW 2 +20

There are no undefeated players as Jim Li defeats Justin Alfs to take his revenge for Tuesday night. Two games to go and it is anybody’s tournament.
But now I have another tough match up.

My WYS light side versus Jim Li
Jim is playing MKOS with No Bargain, Power of the Hut, and TINT/Oppressive Enforcement. His rep is Myo.
I start the usual.
I get a nice early drain the Dash and the Outrider at Kessel. I have a barrier in hand. Jim leaves me alone and I get nice drain of three on my second turn. I deploy Beggar to help me pay for it. I get two turns of drain in as Jim sets up his Jabba’s Palace with Jabba and Ephant Mon. I get Artoo and C-3Po to Kessel and get out his special cards. I deploy Wedge and Ralltir Captain to the Tattoine DB to get the flip and get around Battle Plan.
He deploys Dengar with Gun at the DB and I almost Barrier him but I wait. He deploys Mara Jade and I barrier her. He decides not to battle and so on my turn I get Luke with Saber, Han w Gun. I play the battle damage trippler. I battle and play Don’t Get Coccky. He chops Han with Mara and misses with Dengar. I get Dengar with Han and Chop Mara. However all of my destinies are 2’s and 1’s. Ahhh. He draws a nice high five. Shoot.
After the battle damage trippler he only has 9 overflow. Shoot.
I lose Han and a Ralltir Freighter Captain.
I am getting a nice drain of three at Kessel every turn. He comes up to space with Bossk and Zuckuss and I chase him around with the Outrider with Melas and Artoo in it. He deploys First Strike and Scum and Villainy to make the game interesting. I use four of his force to deploy Wedge to the Audience Chamber and he has no None Shall Pass. I deploy a Ralltir Captain with him and battle to retrieve 2 but my destiny is canceled and he only loses Boelo. I move both of them away so that he can’t battle them with a lone Gaillid. On his turn he deploys a lone Myo but I barrier from the lost pile. He tries to figure out a way to win by battling me or how to make me lower my differential. He runs away in space and I battle Myo and play Run Luke Run from lost to have Luke join Myo in the battle. I retrieve 2 and he loses 2 and I chop Myo. He loses.
FW 2 +14

My BHBM dark versus Jim Li
Jim is looking forward to the match up so that he can beat me.
He tells me that if I did so well at the Normal DPC that he should have done even better. Hmmm.
Jim starts Hidden Base with Squadron Assignments, YISYW, and DODN/Wise Advice.
I start the usual.
My first turn is the usual with Executor, Evader/Monnok, and a Piett.
Jim inserts me with Anger Fear Aggression and it pops on my second turn.
I get out Kessel with Merrjeck and put the Emperor down at the Endor DB in case Jim is playing Inserts or something. He deploys Tala 2 with Blount at the Rendezvous Point. He basically sets up his fleet at the Rendezvous point and gets out systems. I deploy Vader and he gives me Luke so I start losing one a turn. However Jim forgets the first couple of turns. He must be kinda rusty from being at college.
While he is setting up his systems I am basically setting up my fleet at Sullust and getting out my systems. I am draining however and he is not. He eventually replaces my Kessel and moves all his ships there. This includes Wedge in Red Squadron 1 and the Super Falcon with some other scrubs. I move the Executor with Thrawn, Piett, Merrjeck, Chirenaeau and Bossk with Ozzel over to Kessel. His turn he deploys Order to Engage and inserts. I battle and ask if he has any Red Squadron pilots with Wedge. He says no. I play Imperial Command to limit him to one destiny while I draw three. He loses almost everything and I am immune to his destiny because I have that Admirals Order out that makes Capitals Immune to less than four.
Jim deploys the Outrider to Sullust and waits till I chase him to flip Hidden Base. On his turn he draws and leaves the Outrider in front of the Executor. I know he has Hyper Escape or something so I use my Monnok/Evader to see what he has. One Hyper Escape. damn. He proceeds to play Hyper Escape about 20 turns to make me lose half my life force from Order to Engage. Soon though I smarten up and move all my ships together and probe his Hidden Base at Kessel. I spread out to drain him down and eat the Order To Engage damage while I look for an Omni Box so he can’t track. I never draw it till the end.
I eventually get it but Jim doesn’t have enough to pay to run the Outrider away anyway.
FW 2 +5

So I win the tournament with one loss. I also learn that Josh Grace is out of action with a broken leg.

Props:
Graham for playing.
Tony Lawrence for talking tech.
Peter for being a goof troop.
Grace for breaking his leg.
Justin Alfs for splitting a pizza.
The Lakers for killing the Spurs today.
Hayes Hunter for no particular reason.
Sue for not talking to me.
Everyone for rating this high.

Slops:
None today but I am tempted to give Kohman some more. JK

So I had one loss but came away the victor.
Thanks for reading.