if-mike-dalton-can-do-it-so-can-i
Title: if-mike-dalton-can-do-it-so-can-i
Author: Hayes "Hayes" Hunter
Date: Jun 27, 2001
Bastian comes the next week and Ramapo comes and goes. I post my pile on Decktech and I am Star Warsed out, but for some strange reason decide to play in the local tournament the week after, about 10 minutes prior, with virtually the same decks from Ramapo (you have to have read that report by now!). So here are those games.
Boxborough, the 16th of June.
Game One
ISB Vs Alex Shulman’s (1528) WYS w/ Kessel Runs
I’m still feeling the effects of Ramapo, and letting Mike Pistone stay over last night didn’t help things, as I was up late playing with him. So I am really tired. He is doing Kessel Runs and I think this will be a pushover game. Unfortunately, I get horrible horrible luck. I can’t draw anything so it takes forever for me to set up. Then when I bring down the TIE and cannon I miss both my shots against whatever ship and I end up losing alot of battles. The Executor actually dies to a Punch it! I’m just playing stupidly, and the game is dragging on and time is called on his turn. I had finally swung the game around in my favor, so I have more cards than him. I try to explain to him that he should draw up to give me the full win since clearly I was going to win within the next 2 turns, but the TD came over saying he played a good game and deserves the timed loss. Alex seems impressed by the sound of this so he opts to give me one point over 2. I then explain that it doesnt effect him, either way he will be 0 -8, at which point he volunteers to give me the full win, which is nice of him, but the TD says its too late.
TW +8
1(+8)
Highs: None.
Lows: I suck at this game.
At this point I should have quit. I wasn’t feeling well the fact that I nearly lost to someone 700 points lower than me should have told me something. Of course I wasn’t even thinking about my health effecting my performance and like an idiot I continued.
Game Two
The Pile Vs Stephen "The Gov’na" Cellucci’s (1680) YMSYL
Steve’s a cool kid, as you may know from reading various other reports from Kashyyyk. He starts YMSYL, IAO, and TINT/OE, knowing that I will just start DDTA. He gets out Piett and pulls Merrejk, but can’t deploy him yet. I just grab my shock, and get out Shmi and her naked droid. His turn Merrejk comes down and I shock. He defeats my deck by grabbing it. He had obviously seen my deck on Decktech (I usually dont play my decks after I post them, but I had been to tired to make something new for light) and it was clear after a couple of turns he was using Steebo’s deck. From then on I have little success controlling the amount of force he got. I did my best to set up my drains with the Monk and with Sabers on Hoth, but Ice Storms chased me indoors and helped him keep decree. The game losing event came when I had about 17 force. He had BF in S1 at Fondor and the Hoth system much heavily fortified, and a force saved. I deploy the Spiral in front of the S1. He’s fine with it. Han in the Falcon comes down next. Barrier. I sit there and say Ok. Stupid Hayes. I had the Sense in my hand. I even knew he had the Barrier, and thats why I had been saving it. But my mind failed me and I didnt Sense it. So Corran goes to the Sprial and I fight. He wins the battle by 1, and I’m screwed. Had I remembered the Sense I coulda been able to win that battle and play the Legenday Starfighter I was holding. Oh well. Even when I can block his drains his direct damage is still hitting me and I cant hold out very long.
FL -12
1(-4)
Highs: Again, none, but props to Steve for beating me.
Lows: Damn, I really suck at this game.
What kind of score is 1(-4) anyway? I’m pissed and still not feeling well, but I dont want to quit now cause its dumb to stop when there are rating points to get back.
Game Three
ISB Vs Bob Bragdon’s (1556) QMC
This game was dull. He is playing a pretty bad version of QMC and I just beat him up in space and stop his drains on the ground. Really not much to say.
FW +21
3(+17)
Highs: Ugh, I want to go home.
Lows: Bah.
Game Four
The Pile Vs Paul Laudenbach’s (1645) TDIGWATT
Another not so fun game. He gets out a billion sites first turn so I get to activate a TON. As Paul Maholick put it, "You know they have the gun, now youre just giving them the bullets." I get down a force to the CC: Walkway and start draining for 3 a turn. Goo Nee Tay comes out and I keep Recoiling In Fear his hand away. He comes down eventually and I just beat the crap out of him.
FW +17
5(+34)
Highs: ....
Lows: ....
Game Five
ISB Vs Stephen The "Gov’na" Cellucci’s (1680) QMC
Revenge. I drain an cancel his celebration as I use my cannons and power to knock him off the system. Not much to tell, though he is able to drain me on the ground alot.
FW +13
7(+47)
Highs: I won?
Lows: I’m getting sick of this.
Game Six
The Pile Vs Steven "bmonk" Anderson’s (1382) BHBM Anus
BHBM is dead. The only reason it worked before was because of Mob Points and now that’s dead. I start DDTA and Revo his DB, then get out Goo. He never has more than two characters on the table at once. Grimtaash kills about 7 cards and I drain him out easily.
FW +27
9(+74)
Highs: I’m finally done.
Lows: Damn this day sucked.
I get third behind my bro who lost once to Steve Baroni, and Steve wins the thing going undefeated. I lose 31 points for going 5-1.
The week comes and goes, and all I can do is decide what decks I am going to play for the next tournament up in Albany for a sheet of Reflections Rares. The original plan was for Mike Deck Gemme and Steebo to come over and spend the night Friday, but my mom hurt her back and had become (and still is) super uber mega @#$%, so we just agreed I’d pick them up Saturday morning at like 8. Friday night rolls around and I start building my versions of Scott Lingrell’s RST Boomrace, as I have dubbed it, and a solid YMSYL- the two decks I’d lost to in the last 2 weeks.
Saturday, June 23rd.
Im up at 6:30 to shower and pack the car while my brother sleeps. At 7 I kick him out of bed and he showers and we leave at a little after 7:30, stopping for gas and donuts on the way to Steebo’s house. We meet Mikes Chewbacca in AT-ST and were on the road, speeding all the way. We leave at like 8:10 from their house and pass the exit of the Mall about 2 hours later, about an hour earlier than Mapquest predicted, but whatever. The music on the ride there consists mostly of Fear Factory’s new album Digimortal, but some other stuff gets thrown in as well. It’s way to early for the tournament, so we decided to go to the Twigg’s house. We enter their domain to find Mike D’Amboise and we all say hi. After a month apart I am happy to see my beloved Pumpkin, but I am dismayed to learn he’s in heat and has been humping and jizzing all over everything so hes confined to a cage and will soon be declawed and nuetered. Poor Pumpkin. I will have to return in a month to make sure he’s okay. Anyway, we are kicked out and pretty soon we find ourselves all at the mall. No Rochester or Syracuse people are there, which is gay, but whatever. Of course the Michigan people are late, so the tourney starts about a half hour late. No biggie. Onto the games.
Game One
YMSYL Vs Peter Srodoski’s (2027) RST Bunker Blowing
YMSYL is alot like ROPS and ISB space in that it CAN’T handle very much direct damage, in fact, it’s probably the only deck that takes it worse than them. While those decks have the FD -1 this only has direct damage so games are fast and furious. This was was an exception. I was plying things carefully since this was actually the first time I was using the deck, and as I mentioned, I was a bit aprehensive about the matchup. Fortunatly I am able to get a good start. With Mob Points enabled I am able to get walkers out and ships to space very quickly. Imp Command for Piett, grab Merrejk, grab system, grab the 3rd marker, etc. Then, each time he is about to blow the bunker I screw with him. First Ozzel went in by himself to prevent conrtol, so he died and I Ghhhk/TRWEU. I No Escape for it back and do it again except with Chinreau this time. All the while I am setting up and slowly but surely doing damage to whittle him down. Then I get out CHYBC just before he wants to do it, so he manages to use Threepio to put back some bad destiny so he fails the attempt. Once he has the 2 Battle Grounds I just go in with EPP Vader and Piett with some tracked destinies to take out his only Rebel, thus preventing him from attempting to blow it up. Finally he manages, and even gets the retrieval part, despite my Secret Plans, but its too late. My damage is done and a last turn Walker Garrison does him in.
FW +8
2(+8)
Highs: It was a hell of a game. I won a matchup, that wasnt in my favor.
Lows: None.
Even though my game was one of the last to finish Brian Twigg who was running the thing was very good about getting people to leave the playing area to prevent scouting, so props to him for that. As soon as I finish my game, actually I learn that I am one of 2 dark side victories out of 12 matchups. Wow.
Game Two
RST Vs Nick Jek "Nkik" Glaze’s (1781) TDIGWATT
Though I think driving 9 hours to chill with a guy nicknamed Starfish is a bit weird, it’s cool to be playing someone from so far away at such a little tournament. Anyway, there the dark side goes- giving the light side the bullets for it’s gun. I start the race but forget to draw the second time, because this is my first time playing the deck. He gets set up deploying his sites and Palp to one of them along with a Presence of the Force. I signal for Goo then draw. I drop the bunker with Cracken, Owen + Beru, and another guy along with 2 charges and the Epic Event on the 4th turn. It costs him his whole force pile to deploy Mara and stick and EPP Vader and to battle. He hits both targets and only has to lose Vader to attrit, while my side is cleared and the Charges go to my used. My turn I return with power 5 Corran and power 11 EPP Luke and rape Mara for 11. I win the race on his turn but cant retrieve thanks to Secret Plan, then I blow the Bunker with 2 6s drawn and a TMAC from hand. I did it comes out and I drain him out shortly thereafter.
FW +36
4(+44)
Highs: I like this deck.
Lows: None, another cool game and cool opponent.
Game Three
YMSYL Vs Steve "Stevie b" Baroni’s (2045) QMC
Everyone always complains about playing someone you come with but I’ve just learned to expect it. Anyway, I hadn’t really thought about QMC while making my decision for a dark deck, and the more I thought about it the more I was unhappy with this matchup. So to sway things in my favor I let Steebo believe I had teched out my deck to face his, and I was playing some obscure card that was sure to wreck him. As it turns out, I really didnt need to say anything of the sort, not after my second turn. On my first turn I managed to do the whole Piett Merrejk system thing and deploy the 3rd marker and Hoth, then on his first turn he dropped alot of sites and Dash in the Outrider to my Fondor. I go Devastator, We’re In Attack Position Now, DS-61-2, and Evax, Lateral Damage then Battle. Dash and 13 please. I absolutely owned this game. I was all over him in space, but I couldnt get a walker into hand to save my life. I’m just doing my draining thing, a couple fights here and there, and he flips a blind 7 for something. He goes on to track this 7 and play Off the Edge twice before I can grab it then once more for a total of 18 force back. Damn that sucked, but at least I won.
FW +9
6(+53)
Highs: Maybe Im not so bad at this game afterall...
Lows: Stupid 7 destiny.
Game Four
RST Vs Karl Sundberg’s (1858) SYC Mains + Toys
Karl is notorious for his space decks, so I wasnt too sure how I’d fare this game, especially when I saw him reveal SYC. Most of the decks I’d play would prevent him from flipping but this one was sparse on characters and I didn’t think I could stop him, so his retrieval might be an issue. Lucky for me he doesnt do A Million Voices crying out and even makes the mistake of showing me TINT/OE. He tells me he hasn’t played since before Tatooine and hasn’t figured out what to do for dark now that he cant do Eops anymore. I still play this matchup a little bit weird as I am trying to get a feel for it and I still suspect space. Anyway, I pull out the Back Door, and he eagerly drops Vader, Tarkin, a walker, and Palp to it for the drain. Phew. I didn’t want to have to fight all that in the bunker. This time around I am more patient and enter the bunker with 4 guys on the 5th turn. On his 6th turn I win the podrace, he moves away from the back door, then he saves force, knowing whats going to come next. I blow the bunker, and all of a sudden he has nothing in hand, and huge lost pile while I have a hand and nothing in my lost pile. Haas’hn goes to the D* War Room, and the Home One ventures to the system while a landing clawed YT-1300 entertains the Devastator at Kiffex. I start draining him and I did it does its thing. We skirmish a little on Endor eventually, and I kick him out of space (not right, given my deck has only 2 ships!). He picks up before I can retrieve any more.
FW +26
6(+79)
Highs: It’s definately a fun deck to play.
Lows: Nada.
Game Five
RST Vs Chris "LittleTwigg" Terwilliger’s (2088) Monkey TIEs
As soon as I saw SYC I figured out how Chris had managed to win by so much with his Dark both games thus far. I just set up doing my thing, getting out Battle Plan to slow him. He never sees Sienar Fleet Systems and I win the race then blow the bunker quickly. I take over all the sites on the board and I even beat him up in space a little with the Home One. A boring non interactive game.
FW +33
10(+112)
Highs: The deck works like a machine!
Lows: It wasnt a very good game.
Game Six
YMSYL Vs Eric "bounty22" Hunter’s (2112) WYS Beats
Im the only undefeated at this point and my victory over Chris was enough to bump my bro into second. This is not a good matchup for me. In fact, there is no favorable matchup against WYS beats, except playing lots of high destiny and Tramples or Choke Vaders or something. I dunno. My activation is slowed. He sets up drains in space fast. I finally get out a walker to the 5th (no spies!) and some space forces, which end up turning tale. Then Merrejk joins Evax on a Blizzard Walker, along with Blizzard 2. Of course I have no trample, so he comes down with Han, Dash, and EPP Luke. Battle, triple, Dont Get C.ockey, I lose everything and 13. Now I’m left with about 20 force and just 2 ships and a single walker on the table. And its only been like 6 turns. There isn’t much I can do, I just fight him a little using his own DTF against him.
FL –31
10(+81)
Highs: 5-1 isnt bad...
Lows: WYS is so damed good.
So Eric owns Albany once more, Chris gets 2nd, just 9 dif behind him, and I’m 3rd. Eric took the sheet, which he is selling, Chris took the Jap Foil Vader and Sense foil and for my efforts I got some Star Wars Micro Machines and a Masterful Move foil. Good stuff. A fun time was had by all I’m sure, and I’m on my way back to 2200.
After the tourney we head back to the Twigg’s, but it is now absolutetly pouring, so we cant grill or swim. Instead we opt for some video games and card playing. Burgers are made, Bagel and the Michigan people come over, as does Mikes hot @#$% friend, whose name I forget cause I was to busy staring at her breasts, and Pumpkin is thrown onto my brother repeatedly, bringing about many girlish screams and much laughter. I call my mom and try to convince her to let us stay the night, but no dice. Uber @#$% prevails over even Mrs. Terwilliger’s best efforts. So we finally take off at about 8:30 or 9 when my mom wanted us home by 10. Mike sums up the ride home really well. Rain and license plate poker. Go read his for details.
Now since I didnt do Props and Slops on my Ramapo TR I HAVE to do them here:
PROPS TO: (in the order in which they appreared in this report)
The Offspring for being a good bad
The Twiggs for being the coolest SW family out there
Matt Sokol for hanging out
Dan for schooling us in basketball
Mike D’Amboise for being cool
Joe for being Starfish
PUMPKIN for being PUMPKIN- Just wait till next month for when I head back to albany for another tournament, I will update you all as to his health!
Sneakers for putting up with PUMPKIN
L5R for being a stress-less game for me
The Mummy Returns for stuff
Mr. T for a well run tournament
Starfish for the games
Ty Hansen for the game
Gnirke for being German Mafia
Twigg for the great game and for a great weekend
Kyle for a great game and for coming out for a week
Starfish for being Starfish
Mr. T for putting Kyle and me up for a couple of days
Chu for being the next world champ
Chris Twigg for going to a concentration camp
Kyle for not stealing my sheets
Dan for the Run
The Run
Alex for a good game
Stephen Cellucci for beating me
Bob for the game
Paul too
And Steve Anderson
Steebo for going 6-0 and for going to Albany
Mike Gemme for being the man
Scott Lingrell for Ramapoo and the light deck
Peter for yet another good game
Nick for coming from Michigan
Steebo for not ever beating me in sanctioned play
Karl for playing
Chris Twigg for the rating points :)
Eric for beating me and for owning Albany
Twigg for a well run event
Mr. T and that George Foreman grill for feeding us
Bagel for kicking my @#$% in Madden
The Twiggs again for being that damned cool about everything
Scott Diehl for driving 9 hours to play
SLOPS TO
Me for losing 80 points in 2 days
And thats it! Its been a great couple of weeks!
Seeya at GenCon!
(Since my last posting going to Origins has become impossible, I am afraid =O(
And, as always, thanks for reading.
-Hayes "Hayes" Hunter