colorado-springs-a-shot-at-foils-9-16-01
Title: colorado-springs-a-shot-at-foils-9-16-01
Author: Patrick "Pappy" Napier
Date: Sep 17, 2001
The next morning I arrived at Hobby Town, and there were only a few players waiting for the store to open. I was hoping we would at least be sanctioned. While we were waiting for the store to open, we discussed the Episode I environment, and everyone agreed that the Dark Side had a definite advantage, and that the only reason most of us were there was for a shot at the foils. By the time Hobby Town opened its doors, we had eight players with TD Brian Montez included, and we were ready to play some Star Wars.
NOTE : I will not be posting ratings in this report like I usually do, because most of the players in this event do not yet have an Episode I format rating.
GAME ONE
Senate Maul vs. Danny Hummel Hyperdrive Podracing
Hmmm, a Hyperdrive deck in a Type II event ? I kind of figured that Senate would be the only way to go, but I could be wrong. ( By now most people know I am wrong more often than I should be ) Danny plays Nekkid Threepio and tries to set up some sort of Pile, but he only used Threepio once or twice. I set up a Senate majority one the first turn, and the Dark Side controlled the Senate for the rest of the game. Maul came out to play rather early as well, and with the Phantom Menace on the table, he is unstoppable. Danny makes me stack a few cards on Credits, but my senators are blocking the drains like mad. Danny wins the race after a few turns, because Sebulba STILL cannot drive a podracer to save his life, but Squabbling Delegates gets all the Force lost right back. By this time Danny has spread out all over Tatooine to drain away at me, but P-59 and P-60 make surgical strikes to limit Force loss. At the end of the game, Danny has one Force left. Instead of drajning him at the Senate, I decide it would be cool to take him out in style, and Maul confronts Qui-Gon for a final battle. I use Lott Dod to try to pull out a Maul Strikes, and its then I realize that in my deck building frenzy, I neglected to put one of those crucial cards in this deck that revolves around the Sith Apprentice. Great ! Danny loses Qui-Gon with no overflow, and survives to drain at me for one more turn. Note to self, when the game is yours, just end it, no matter how boring that end is. Full win by 8.
So in the quest for the foil coolness, I start off at 2 ( + 8 ), so I need to win the next game by a huge differential.
GAME TWO
Senators and Jedi vs. Mike Minillo Podless Senators
Mike said at the beginning of this game that he does not have a whole lot of Tatooine or Coruscant cards, so he thinks he cannot win. I guess he is here for the same reason we all are, for a shot at the foils. Mike deploys a couple guys to the Senate, and I let him have it for a turn or two. I have Plea To The Court in my opening hand to block that drain, anyway. Yoda sets up shop at the Council. On the third turn, I call the Light Senators to session, deploying Queen Amidala RON, Palpatine, Mas Amedda and Horox Ryyder. The battle clears out the Dark Side senators, and from that point on, the Senate was under Light Side control. In a senate majority Palpatine is a beast, and he rellay helps the battles going on elsewhere in the galaxy. Mike starts putting his Senators all over Tatooine, trying to drain, but the Jedi will have none of that. Qui-Gon makes short work of a couple Senators at Mos Espa. The rest of the game is pretty uneventful, as the Jedi take over Tatooine and the Senators keep doing their work. I recycle as many cards as I can and draw up my Might Of The republic to pull of some retrieval. In the end, Mikes lack of good cards cost him the game. Full win by ( + 25 )
That was a much better game, but unfortunately it was honestly against a relatively weak deck, so I knew I still had a long road ahead of me to get a shot at one of those foils. At this point, I am in first place overall, but as anyone who knows me can already guess, that was about to change.
GAME THREE
Senators and Jedi vs. Thomas Harris Podless Senators
Thomas has really come up as a player, and is so far undefeated as well, but with a lower differential than me. We are the only players who have not lost at this point. Normally, I have no problem beating Thomas, but I had heard that his deck boasted FOUR The Phantom Menaces and just as many Mauls. At least he was not racing, which is a huge surprise to me, because Thomas usually does race in constructed environment tournaments. On his first turn, Thomas deploys two Senators and flips. I go through my deck for Yoda to deploy at the Council, but I come up short. Thomas then plays Podracer Collision used and places one of my Are You Brain Deads out of play. Great move, Thomas. After a few turns, I have Yoda, Depa Billaba, and Plo Kloon in the Council, and Maul has yet to make an appearance. The Senate is overrun by greedy shifty Dark Side Senators, so I set up my Political Effects to use to help out the Jedi in the upcoming battles. It was then that Thomas deployed the Young Apprentice to the Senate, said whazzup to Lott Dod, and strolled right into the Council Chamber. It took two battles to clear it out, and for the rest of the game, Maul was Force draining for four, laughing aat the fact that he had taken over that bastion of the Jedi. Qui-Gon invades Tatooine, as does a whole lot of my Senators, backed up by Panaka and his Gat. Rune Haako and some Destroyer Droids took notice and came to start some fights. Then, Thomas retrieves his entire Lost Pile with Squabble, Maul Alters Plea To The Court, and the drain race from that point is a losing battle. Full loss by 20.
That game put a huge dent in my differential, putting me at 4 ( + 13 ) and those foils seemed like they were out of reach. The last game was going to make or break me.
GAME FOUR
Senate Maul vs. Josh Gilliom Hyperdrive Podracing
Great, another game with podracing. Not to worry though, because this deck is designed to retrieve a decent amount of Force. I have added Sebulbas Podracer to the deck, just to help out against Podracing decks. Josh is a part of the Pueblo Crew, and they are not having the greatest day so far. This one as to go my way. I flash Anakin right away, and draw a 6. Its about time Sebulba figured out how to drive. I flip my objective on the second turn, and Lott Dod is having a good ole time rooting through my Force Pile every turn. Maul comes out to play against Obi-Wan, but he has not yet reached the rank of Jedi Knight, and when the smoke clears, Josh had drawn a 5 for battle destiny, killing the Sith to attrition. A few turns into the game, I Squabble to retrieve some of my Lost Pile, and the race is tied at 22. To Joshs dismay, I flash Anakin again and draw a 4, sealing the victory at the Boonta Eve Classic. I retrieve 6, and Josh loses 6, the usual. I look at Sebulbas Podracer all by itself in the Lost Pile at the resolution of the race, and regretted not waiting to Squabble until the next turn. I needed every differential point. At this point, something weird happens. Maul comes down on Captain Panaka and his Big Gat, and declares battle. I had completely forgotten the ability 3 thing, and apparently so had Josh. Maul cleaves the good Captain with his saber, and Panaka misses, because of The Phantom Menace. Whats that you say ? The Phantom Menace does not give the defense bonus unless there is a Jedi there ? You are right, but I forgot, and so did Josh, unfortunately. Dante Montoya was watching the game, and cringed when he saw the travesty. After a few turns of canceling Joshs drians with Senators and adding two to mine with Motion Supported, Josh could not hang on. Full win by 5.
So end the day at 6 ( + 18 ), in second place behind Thomas Harris, who remained undefeated. Thomas of course chose to take the Maul foil, and the Qui-Gon foil would be given away at random. We all held our breath as Thomas drew a name from the pile of command cards. He flipped it over and read my name, so I ended up actually getting one of those foils. I opened my two packs of Coruscant I won for prize support, getting another Destroyer Droid and Something Stupid. I promptly traded the Destroyer Droid for another Might Of The Republic, for the next Type II event, where I WILL win the Darth Maul foil. In all, not a bad day.
PROPS
To Thomas Harris, for making a good show. Nice work, Thomas, but isnt FOUR The Phantom Menaces a little overboard ?
To Brian Montez, for running a smooth event, as always.
To Sebulba for finally learning how to drive.
SLOPS
To me and Josh for not paying attention. That game could have gone either way.
To Podracing, because it is still dumb.
To the Dark Side, for being much to powerful in the Type II environment. Maybe Theed Palace will change all of that.
To Yoda, Depa, and Plo. You guys are supposed to be Jedi Masters, for The Makers sake ! Maul slapped you guys around like you were Nerf Herders.