z-goes-to-dragoncon-2001
Title: z-goes-to-dragoncon-2001
Author: Zafar "Zmanthe1st" Tejani
Date: Sep 6, 2001
So. I decide on going. I ponder on the decks I am going to take. So I settle on the decks that served me well at my last touney, going 2-1 each. So, Endor Ops and Boomracer are my decks. [Yes, I am the one who wrote that 25,000 page long article about how under-rated Endor Ops is.] But anyway, I tweak a little but here and there in my DS deck. It sucks against WYS and PodProfit, which are pretty prominent. I totally forgot to Tech against those.
Decks:
LS: Boomracer with an assload of Endor scouts, and a few spies.
DS: Endor "Drain" Ops, with Vader, Empy, Maul, and other cards that should not be in an Endor Ops deck.
PreTourney: So I am going with Dan to DragonCon. We practice with Shaun the week before, so as to get a little more insight, and to try and humiliate him as well. Friday night, we play 4 games, where both our DS decks got routed. [We both play Endor Ops, his based on my article.] Oh well. So, at about 10.30,we start Fight Club. Awesome movie! We do our decklists and final counting during the movie, with me yelling at him to watch the damn movie, because he is missing a blast. At about 1 am, we are done, and go to bed, aiming to awake at 7.
At about 7.45, Dan wakes me up saying "Z!! It’s 7.45!" My classic reply, "Son Of A @#$%!!!" [I’m in college, I can say that now"] We get dressed, and freshen up , leaving at 8.05. Yup. Anyway, we walk there as it’s like a mile and a half away. We get there, and get in line. Jim, the TD, is like, if you don’t have passes/decklists, you are gonna be late. DAMN. Then I hear that they are pushing back the Open a bit, as Chris Gogolen is in the line as well. Thank You Lord!! So, we get there as fast as we can after a few misadventures, like going up to the 15th floor by accident. I talk to a couple of people, and we are ready to go...
My rating going into the Open is 1549, and most probably should go up by 30 points, or so I hope. I’m aiming to win half my games...
HERE START THE GAMES, PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS. THIS IS A LONG RIDE.
Game 1: My DS v/s Chris McLure’s [1673] WYS.
Great. My first game is DS, against a freaking WYS, against a 15 year old who says he usually is around the 1750’s. Oh well. My opening hand had no biker scouts and/or ATST’s. That becomes a trend. The high point of this game [for me] was shooting down the Skate with Mirax and Melas aboard with Jendon and Cannons [X = 3.] So he starts hs drains at Tatooine. Maul goes down to the desert planet for a while, but gets taken out by Luke and random scrubs later on. So he’s down to about 7 force, and uses insurrection to search for a DB in his 2 card Reserve deck. Both 6’s. Gee. On The Edge gets him back 24 accross 2 turns. His drains at Kessel and the Cantina kill me, while all my hard work goes off that freaking edge like that Gamorrean guard at the Sarlacc Pit. He drains me out after retrieving all he can.
FL -26.
Score: 0, -26.
Total: 0, -26.
Game 2: My LS v/s John Yakulevich’s [1562] SYCFA/Brangus.
Well, this is a very nice and jovial fellow. So I ask him, since he is starting Death Star, if I go first. He says he thinks so. This was an honest mistake on both our parts, and the game might have gone differently if not for that. My hand is a god hand. Crix, Solo, I Know, Insertion Plannig, Throw Me Another Charge [TMAC], A Step Backwards, Explosive Charge, I Did It!. So, I deploy Solo and Crix to the Rebel Landing Site for 5, Midge from deck for 1, and TMAC for a Charge. I save 2 force and say go. He burns me in the race, but draws a 0. So that A Step Backwards [ASB] will wait. His turn, he asks me my power at that site. 8. He deplys EPP Vader, and initiates. I Know, Leia and Ani’s stick come flying out. Vader misses Leia, Leia kills Daddy. He plays I Have You Now. Han cancels the higher destiny, and I Insertion Planning [IP] the other to zero. My destiny is a 6 [one of many]. 19 - 7, Vader forfeit 0. Damn. That hurt. That really screwed him up. My turn, I pulled Bunker and Backdoor, deployed Cracken to Bunker, along with 2 charges, Deactivate the Shield Generator. The race, he draw a 5, I draw 6 and 2. He Collisions, so no ASB now. Chewies gun comes back into my hand from race arena. He now has 11 to my 6. I usually try to stay behind, and ASB just before the last turn, and win the race. Always works. Anyway. He does some of his stuff, that I really can’t recall. Nothing major though. I blow the Bunker, so there goes his hand. I flip, and drain. Deploy Squassin, Blount in Tala 2 at the Death Star, followed by Outrider with Dash [in hand]. He Collisions again on his turn, and I have no race destinies, so I ASB. So his 3 to my 0. I think, screw it, I play hard now. I beat him silly in the race, without any interrupts. 28 - 19. Yes, you read correctly, 28-19. Win, I Did It!. So, essentially, I have no cards in my lost pile, all in hand or on table.
FW +21.
Score: 2, +21
Total: 2, -5.
Highs: Beating the snot out of Vader. The race going on for 10 turns.
Lows: Screwing up on that starting rule. I feel awful about that.
So , I think I might do better than expected...
Game 3: My LS v/s Chris McLure’s [1673] HD mains.
Great, I gotto play Chris again. But I keep a positive attitude [totally unnecessary]. First turn, he burns Anakin, and tries to jump ahead. Deploys Vader to Rebel Landing Site, and says go. My opening hand is garbage. 6 interrupts, Wedge and Squassin. Yes, exactly. I deploy the Bunker and the Backdoor. I play TMAC, to get a Charge, Squassin, and pull RS1, which goes to Endor with Wedge. I draw up Corran and Deactivate.He drains, and deploys the Emperor to the Bunker. Damn, now this sucks. I deploy Horn to the Bunker, and draw up Luke and Kensaric. This looks better. He drains with Vader, and he Elises Vader to the Bunker, deploys Maul and 4LOM with gun [all to the Bunker]. He initiates battle, plays I Have You Now [using Crush]. Yes. 21-2, I draw I Did It! for destiny. Well, Horn + 14. I have to put a Houjix in this deck. So, I lose more charges, and Solo, Leia, and other characters. He moves over to spread drains. I deploy Luke to Vader’s site, and initiate battle. We both take each other out. Right now, the only thing I control is Endor. He deploys Come Here You Big Coward. So when I win the race, I don’t retrieve. I deploy I Did It!, but too little too late. His Visage damage and drains destroyed me.
FL -26 [That’s unsettling, see game one score.]
Score: 0, -26.
Total: 2, -31
Highs: Actually nothing. For once.
Lows: Corran Horn + 14. Not being able to retrieve with the podrace. Oh well...
Now, I’m 1-2, and looking for some revenge with my DS deck. I was hoping for a Hidden Base. And I end up with...
Game 4: My DS v/s James McNash’s [1783] Hyperdrive beats.
This is another 14 year old, who has a rating of 200 over me. I am severely intimidated [??? Yes. It is scary seeing a younger player, who has a huge rating lead on you.] Well, my opening hand has a deficiency of biker scouts and ATST’s AGAIN! AAARRGH! So I set up in space at Endor with Fel in ship, and deploy Ominous Rumors. I draw 2 bikers and Fighters Coming In. He deploys Quigon to the Jedi site, and moves him to the Junkyard. Ok. I notice that the Junkyard is an exterior site. Cool. I deploy FCI and Carida, and deploy Ds-181-3 in ship to Carida for a drain. Elsek and Perimeter Patrol go the Bunker. I think that I am safe [?]. False sense of security. It says Rebels [not aliens or other stuff]. A lone ATST to the Landing Platform. So he drains me next turn, and I have to stack. Damn. This really sucks. Then Quigon gets his stick. That’s it. I drew Maul in my hand last turn. So, after draining, Maul and Irol on a bike go to visit Quigon. Guess what? He deploys a high forfeit character, and battles, wining by 7. Maul is chopped, so I have to clear my characters. Stack another. I see where this is going. Why did I throw out Battle Order. It would have slowed him down a bit. I deploy Phenir in Saber 2 to Tatooine. He drains 2, stack one. Go. Vader and other random biker go to Junkyard, and lose again. His damn senator die, but WooHoo, Quigon is immune period. At this point his drains and stacking hurts me, and my drains are hurting him. He drains and flips, deploys Panaka and gun against my lone ATST. He initiates, shoot, and so I clear my site again, with Panaka standing there, laughing. Eventually, all that stacking and drains kill me off.
FL -9.
Score: 0, -9.
Total: 2, -40.
Highs: Space drains. Also, he lost Tatooine Celebration.
Lows: Maul, Vader, 4 bikers, Tempest Scout 6, and 3 bikes dying at the hands of Quigon. The Emperor got stacked off the top.
Now I have to win the next 2 games to save face, or else I’m screwed and completely ready to leave if I lose the 5th game.
Game 5: My LS v/s Scott Koehler’s [1881] Hoth walkers and mains.
So this guy is playing with YMSYL, and so I think I’m screwed. But he tells me he has only one Walker Garrison. Anyway, my opening hand is sweet. COK, his gun, ASB, Jedi Luke, Armed And Dangerous [AAD], Run Luke Run [RLR], Blount and Junkin. He burns me in the race, and stacks a 6 == 9, so I ASB it. No risk is better, right? So, my turn, I activate all possible, deploy Bunker, with Blount and Junkin, Backdoor, and draw 2. TMAC and a Charge. So I pull another Charge, and say go. He deploys a blizzard walker and Janus [outside]. At this point, there are 3 Hoth battlegrounds out on table, Hoth, Endor, Bunker, Backdoor, Rebel Landing Site, and the DS2 DB. And a POTF is on Hoth. My turn, COK with gun go to the site of the ATAT and Janus. Jedi Luke goes to an adjacent site. I initiate battle, RLR, AAD for Luke’s stick, slash Janus, shoot the ATAT with COK’s Bowcaster. He has no forfeit at that site. Power 7 + 1 for destiny. My power is 16 + 6 for destiny. Hehehe. 22 - 8. He lost all the characters and 14 force off the top. I also deployed Deactivate The Shield Generator, along with 2 EC’s. So I’m ready to blow the Bunker sky high. COK dies in that battle, so Luke drains for 3 alone for a turn. His turn, he deploys Maul and EPP Vader to Jedi Luke, but DOES NOT initiate battle. So my turn, I first blow the Bunker, and retrieve 8, he loses 8. I deply Gen Solo, his gun, and initiate. Luke misses Vader, Vader misses Luke, Han hits Vader with a tracked 6. I play Don’t Get @#$%y, so I get 3 destinies now. His 13 + 3 against my 12 + 17. He lost both the Siths, and 5 more. I forgot that Han was immune to the 3 as I was flipped. Oh well. Well, he gets down the Chimaera to Hoth, and the Executor with Chiraneau, Ozzel, and Merrejk. So his space drains are totally screwing me. Then he deploys Icestorm adjacent to Luke. Damn. BTW, I win the race that turn, so Han comes back, as does COK. He somewhat comes down on Endor to try and fight against DOS, and other scouts, but loses. Then my turn, I have exactly 13 force. I can either deply the Liberty with Corran on board and battle the Chimaera, or I can move Luke, and keep him from going missing. So I battle with the Liberty and Horn, and the Chimaera rolls over and dies. Luke goes missing the next turn. I eventuall drain him out...
FW +18.
Score: 2, +18
Total: 4, -22
Highs: The hand was sent down by the Gods. Shooting Vader with Han when Luke missed.
Lows: Luke going missing, and my win being less than 20. I forgot to place Boonta Eve out of play for 4 force.
All I have to do is now win the next game, and all is well...
Game 6: My DS [shudder] v/s John Helton’s [1512] Hidden Base.
HAHAHAHAHAHA. Hidden Base! The one deck my DS dominates is Hidden Base. So, guess what my opening hand did not have? Biker scouts or ATST’s. None. Nada. Zilch. Zip. You get the idea. But he is playing an X-wing swarm. I get out my starships, with pilots, and play Fighters Coming In. All his X-wings are power 1. HAHAHAHA. I kick his @#$% in space, and get the Hidden Base on the 6th try. I get the Emperor to the Bunker with Perimeter Patrol. Vader holds the DB. He never came to ground, and got his @#$% handed to him. I drain for 3 at Kessel, 2 at Endor, 4 at Sullust, and 3 at random sites. Overseeing It Personally + FCI = Force drain of 3 at the DB with and imperial. The one maor battle we had was Dengar in ship and The Emperor’s Shield v/s 3 X-wings. I played All Power To Weapons, and drew a 5. He played Organized attack and said he was immune to attrition. I showed him that Dengar cancelled immunity. So he lost 2 X-wings. My turn, I took out those X-wings, and had a blast. I completely drained him out.
FW + 24.
Score: 2, +24
Total: 6, +02.
Highs: That was a boring game, with like 2 battles. Oh well.
Lows: None as such. Oh yeah. Probing for the 6th time before finding it.
SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET. I won 3!! Yeah! I got a positive differential! Yesss!!!
SO,I place 18 out of 44, [16 drops]. I get a The Phantom Menace AI card, and was happy.
Highs:
Having a blast at my first con.
Winning half my games.
Finding out that Scott also goes to Tech, and will join my Team Bomb Squad.
Having a positive differential.
Playing people for fun.
Seeing a lot of good players.
Lows:
18 drops? Come on...
I hope you enjoyed.
Z
BTW, my Word broke down, so this is in Wordpad, please forgive me for my errors.