father-william-in-milford-7-14-2001
Title: father-william-in-milford-7-14-2001
Author: Michael "rayc" Hawley
Date: Jul 18, 2001
For my dark I used a Hunt Down deck. It was basically my own construction with a few ideas gleaned from Decktech. It proved a much better choice.
There were only 10 players because many of the top people went to CT to play in Jeremy Oaks’ last tournament.
On with the show...
Game 1
Eric Hunter (This deal is getting worse) vs. my Hayes’ Brilliant Pile variant
Three things killed me here.
1. Eric just flat outplayed me
2. I got a nightmare draw
3. I had no idea what to expect from his deck (see item #1)
Eric started three effects including T
The pile is very reactive deck. It presupposes that you know enough about what your opponent is trying to do early enough to stop him and that you don’t draw garbage for about a hundred turns. Pure and simple, I got stomped. I sat and did nothing while Eric deployed ships and stuff. I kept trying to build a hand by drawing and using Naked Threepio. But the minute I finally had the cards to do something, "Monnok used." Goodbye decent hand. Time to draw and cycle some more. Eric, of course, knew all the important features of my deck and I knew nothing about his.
Full loss -28
Highs: Well it was instructive.
Lows: Getting off on the wrong foot.
Game 2
Steve Anderson (RST Podracing) vs. my Huntdown
Huntdown differs from the pile in one significant way: It can deal damage quickly without help from your opponent. I started Secret Plans and, on the turn he won the podrace, I deployed Come Here You Big Coward. No retrieval for Steve. I was able to keep him pretty well tied down at the bunker so that he could not blow it up. All the time Steve was having trouble finding his Visage hate and he had a hard time keeping his Jedi on the table when they did come down. So he was getting pinged for one a turn. We did some battling but I had the better of it.
Full win +23
Highs: Taking down the dreaded pod racing strike team.
Lows: Nothing I can think of.
Game 3
Matt McGann (WYS beatdown) vs. my Huntdown
This was your basic WYS beatdown deck. He got Kessel down and Wedge and Red Squadron 1 on the first turn. I had Zuckuss in MH and went after him but I drew a zero for destiny and that was the end of my space adventures. He flipped his objective early, before I could get down any of my battleground sites. So I was severely force choked. For some reason, I was not prepared for the choke. I was eaten alive by all of the interrupt from the loss pile tricks. At one point Matt had a massive beatdown against my lone Vader at the Cantina (This was the "I have to do something" stage of the game). He made the mistake of hitting my Vader with a lightsaber and playing the sorry about the mess/blaster prof. card from his lost pile to make Vader go lost. He could have played a destiny adder instead and ended the game in one turn. As it was, it took several more turns to put me out of my misery.
Full Loss - 19
Highs: None
Lows: Being Choked - I’m supposed to do that.
Game 4
Matt McGann (Carbon Chamber Testing) vs. my Hayes’ Brilliant Pile variant
Matt started Carbon Chamber testing with frozen Han and three effects including TINT/OE (as did everyone I faced with this deck). The pile was made for games like this. I got Schmi and Naked Threepio down on my turn one and quickly took control of the game. Matt could not catch a break and I had a huge force advantage. I managed to release Han and drain him at his own location while he could not bring enough force to bear against me anywhere.
Full win +25
Highs: My turn to do the choking
Lows: None
Game 5
Michael Scheimer (HD Mains) vs. my Huntdown
Mike smiled and said "Ah the Hawley Huntdown." I am so flattered... Is that like Brentson’s Beats? Too bad it’s not really unusual enough to be a signature deck. Mike started Staging Areas, Insurrection and (I think) Battle Plan. If he did not start BP, he definitely got it down early. I started Crush, Secret Plans, and No Escape (everyone around here seems to play HOTJ). I got an early Bad Feeling out which hurt Mike somewhat. Mike deployed the Tatooine System and Docking bay as well as the usual Dagobah system and Yoda’ Hut. He got a couple of ships to the Tatooine system. I got out some guys fairly quickly and started him losing to Visage and small drains. Eventually he gets a crowd to the Tatooine docking bay. I launch an assault with Vader and Maul and a bunch of other guys. Before initiating, I play You are Beaten to exclude Qui Gonn. Of course I had forgotten all about Fallen Portal (oops). I lose Maul but my I Have You Now manages to keep things equal. He was satisfying Battle Plan and I was not, but I had a lot more force available so it was not really hurting me. I threw him a curve when I deployed Boba Fett in Slave one with Janus as a passenger at the Tatooine System and moved them over to Dagobah. I landed and started draining with Janus. This Cost him 4 force in a game that was going to be close. End game I deployed the Cloud City Downtown Plaza with Mara and he had no Heavies to come after me with. When time was called, I had 9 life force to his 7. A fun game.
Timed Win +9
Highs: Landing Janus on Dagobah
Lows: Forgetting about Fallen Portal D’oh
Game 6
Michael Scheimer (SYCFA Ties) vs. my Hayes’ Brilliant Pile variant
This deck matches up well with the pile. Mike started SYCFA with TINT/OE, Mob Points, Imperial Arrest Order. I started the Anti Mob card, Scrambled Transmission, Mike grabbed my shock the first time I played it, so Merrejek was able to get systems out pretty much at will. He had Kashyyyk, Kiffex and another drain system (Sullust?). I had a very difficult time finding my miniscule amount of space. I did get a few guys to the DS War room to Kill Merrejek and start draining. I also got a Bomar Monk to Obi’s Hut for draining. The problem was that Mike could cancel a drain with Dreaded Imperial and retrieve with SFS. I altered his SFS and Dreaded Imperial but it cost me because of TINT/OE and Mike was able to track them around quickly enough so that I could only get my drains through once.
Mike had Ties at the Death Star docking bay but I knew better than to go fight them. He would just lose one of them to the used pile and either boost his differential or draw it again later, use it against me and retrieve more force. When I finally got the Falcon in hand, my life force was so low that I was only able to deploy it with Captain Han and move it to the Death Star. Mike had plenty to deal with that and it was clear that the game was over. At the end I was just trying to make him lose force faster than he retrieved it. I could not even do that.
Full Loss - 27
Highs: Playing Mike twice in a tournament. I would rather play the better players - even if I lose.
Lows: Knowing that I would have done much better with the deck I built - but I had to be a sheep and copy Hayes’ deck.
Finish:
1. Eric Hunter
2. Michael Scheimer
3. Rich Hinds
4. Jim Valeri
5. Michael Hawley (me)
Props:
Eric Hunter for the victory
Michael Scheimer for beating me and giving me props for beating him.
Kris Earle
Steve Anderson
Matt McGann for beating me
Jared Greenwald for Directing despite having a lot of homework to do.
Everyone else who came.
Slops:
Me for wussing out and using a net deck and getting what I deserved for doing it.
Watch out for the "Hawley Huntdown" :-)