hutton-essex-uk-08-26-01
Title: hutton-essex-uk-08-26-01
Author: Phat "Phat2" Two
Date: Aug 27, 2001
10:30, I arrive at the venue at start getting set up. Simon Moore arrives just after me and helps me get ready while I explain the system in operation today. He likes the idea, so I decide to go with it, and allocate everyone their side before they arrive. I know exactly who’s coming so this will save time and looks hyper efficient. Once everyone else arrives, I explain the format. There are two tiers of player, upper and lower, based on the current Decipher ratings for constructed deck. There are four players in each tier, two each of light and dark. The top light and top dark from each tier will then make it to the finals, which makes four players in the final, with the highest overall Lightside of those four playing the highest overall Darkside, and so with the second highest players. This cause a little confusion, but works well as it means that players of high and less-high standard have a crack at a final confrontation and a prize. This is probably a good time to note that top prize for the highest final is a “The Signal” foil while the second place playoff has a foil “Leia with Blaster Rifle” at stake. Anyway, with all eight players in attendance, we get on with the draft…
I’m in the upper tier, playing Dark. My fellow Darksider is Smurph, with Chris Payne and Christian Lapidge as the Lightside players. So we open the packs. First thing to say is that there is a definite bias towards the Darkside, with some packs carrying only five Lightside cards to thirteen Dark! Obviously, this gives Smurph and me the advantage. First pack I open is a nice one, with Guri and the Defensive Fire / Hutt Smooch combo. I take he combo as I reason Guri is too costly for the sealed deck environment. Anyhow, we draft away, and Smurph seems to be getting al the ships as I end up with only one TIE fighter to my name. I do however have Aria (Mara Jade) and her Lightsaber. I chose to bring three Jabba’s Palace sites as my battlegrounds, so I know I can use the Audience chamber to pull her from my reserve deck. Nice. I also have some crazy stuff like Sandtrooper and Dewback, plus a couple of jawas and a Ronto. I also draft Tauntaun skull as I reckon it can swing a battle, and at the very least it is a trackable five destiny. Nice. Other key cards in my deck are Dengar with blaster carbine, foil, and Kir Kanos, the uber-brute! I also have a Twi’lek Advisor, with which I plan to start Ability, Ability, Ability. Decks looking good. It’s a Jabba’s Palace generation pile of characters and creature vehicles with no space whatsoever deck. Not too subtle, but would it prove to be effective?
Game 1 vs Alex Davies
Alex is my sister’s boyfriend, and I’m still in he process of teaching him how to play. You could say he’s my Padawan but that would be sad. Anyway, I know I’m likely to win this game but I take it one step at a time. I start with Ability x 3 and it works. He has no characters in his opening hand so he’s taking damage right off the bat. I just make sure I have a whole load of chumps knocking around to soak up any battle damage that might come my way. It turns out Alex hasn’t grasped the principle behind sealed deck, that being to fill your deck with characers and big things, and he has only a select few characters. Mirax and Theron Nett are no match for my pile of dudes and I just plain overwhelm him. Credit where it’s due though, he did bounce Mara with a Path of Least Resistance / Revealed combo! Still, I win by 13.
Standing, 2 (+13)
Game 2 vs Christian Lapidge
Phat Leader himself. He’ll be playing some sort of tricky tech, that’s for sure, but quite what, I don’t know. He starts Hutt Trade Route, which suspends my Jabba’s Palace game text. This is bad! However, I have a first turn Sandtrooper on Dewback, which is one destiny if not able to otherwise. I chuck this at the Trade Route and prepare to carry on as normal next turn. Then Christian deploys a Chadra Fan, staring my dewback in the face. He hands play over to me. I feel a react coming on, o I play IM4-099 to the same site as my Sandtrooper (and his Chadra Fan). I battle; he can’t play his Out Of Somewhere combo and I slaughter his Chadra Fan. I have been very, very lucky. Christian doesn’t recover and, despite a bunch of hard-fought battles including Corran Horn’s slaughtering of Mara Jade, I win by fourteen.
Standing, 4 (+27)
Game 3 vs Simon Moore
Simon is the original dark horse. A couple of year ago he came from nowhere to win the grand slam. Due to his recent performance though, he’s in the lower tier. As before, my characters are just all over Simon’s stuff, and I say it with one big battle somewhere in the middle of the game. He gets Gold Leader to Kessel and hurts me bad, but I just hurt him more. Highlight of the game was this; I have Wulf Yularen at some Jabba’s Place site. He deploys Droopy McCool and battles. Neither of us gets destiny, but he’s beating me by two. I play Tauntaun Skull, use the Ronto I just lost and add five to my power, which means I win the battle and Wulf Yularen lives to fight another day. Final score is a win by 12.
Standing, 6 (+39)
Game 4 vs Chris Payne
Fact, Chris has pulled two Lukes. One Luke with Saber and one Rebel Scout, so I know I’m in trouble. I do the usual, starting Ability x 3 and on my first turn I deploy some guys. Luke with saber comes down, as does a Rebel Trooper for free and something else to cancel Abiltiy x 3. Luke hurts me bad, but I hurt him just as bad and the whole shebang clears the site. I’m draining for 5 a turn, as is Chris, so we’re matched, but I’m just ahead so I think I’ve won the game. Then he plays we’re doomed, and has the Artoo and Threepio combo on table so my drain of five does only one damage. Uh oh! He hurts me with drains, and despite my removing his We’re Doomed with a Defensive Fire, Chris come out on top, winning by only 3. This is a tense time, as it’s between Smurph and me for a place in a final. Luckily h finishes on 6 (+33) so I qualify.
Standing 6 (+36)
So I’m in the final as the top placed Darkside player in my tier, just. The top Darkside player from the lower tier is Guy Lapidge. The top Lightsiders are Christian form the upper tier and Simon. Simon has a higher score overall than Christian, and I have higher than Guy, so Simon and I play in the grand prize final for a foil “The Signal”. The other final is a showcase for the talents of the brothers Lapidge. Anyway, I’ve already beaten Simon, so I’m confident. I do the usual start but he cancels Ability x 3 early. This was close, with the real swinger being my Dengar with Blaster Carbine cutting down a bunch of his dudes in the Cantina. Much harder second time out, but ultimately I win by a difference of eight to win the prize. Meanwhile, Guy has just beaten his older, wiser brother fair and square to walk away with a foil Leia.
Standing – tournament winner
So I have a foil “The Signal” which I’ll sell on ebay to raise money for more sealed deck tournaments. Everyone had a good time and the atmosphere was a very friendly one. We agree that next time out should be an Episode 1 sealed deck event. I pack up, lock up and head home. No doubt a great day for all involved.
Neil “Phat2” Goodacre.