madrid-ithor-ep-i-closed-30-sept-01

Title: madrid-ithor-ep-i-closed-30-sept-01
Author: Heraclio "Morgoth" Sanchez
Date: Oct 1, 2001

There´s almost no pre-tourney stuff. I had seen this event but had to ask the director about details and he confirmed it was a closed Ep. I tourney and that the store would be opened for us to play on Sunday.

I had never played Ep. I tourneys or a single game and had no idea about what decks I would be playing so I had to think a bit and wrote down on a paper two decks. I didn´t want to use senators or any deck posted on decktech so I built my own.

I was playing TGHG with SAC, Podracing, Amidala and handmaidens and some kamikaze senators to disrupt Lott Dod and friends. For Dark I was using Watto, Super Maul, SAC and Podracing.

Saturday was a nightmare. I had to go to a wedding and I expected to build my decks and playtest a bit after that for it started at 13:30h. It came up ending at 23:00 so I had to build them in a hurry and leave for my girlfriend´s. I took my cards and found that I had just a few senses and could not play heavy SAC as I wanted. I was extremely tired and I didn´t feel like testing decks so I went to bed at 2:00.

On sunday I picked up everything and headed for the store. I arrived quite early and there was no one there. I expected a low attendance because of the enviroment and date but some people came from Seville so we got enough players. Just three locals (Victor, Mario and me). From Seville came Lautaro Leiva, this year´s Ithor Regional winner.

We had to wait a bit because people was finishing their decks. So about 12:00h pairings started.

Game 1
My TGHG vs X droids from hell

First I apologize but I can´t remember this guy´s name. I was expecting senators for dark and maybe a few people with Watto so I was really surprised when he told me he had no objective. He started the Naboo plains and played no podracer. I started as usual with The Camp.

This game was pretty uneventful. His first turns he just drawed. I started the race and he drew a battle droid. My first three turns consisted on Qui Gon and his saber to the Junkyard draining to flip. He deployed three battle droids on the Naboo plains with two blasters. I was worrying because he played lots of destiny 6 blasters and I saw a destroyer droid ( destryer droid horde was something I didn´t feel too confident).

When I had three cards on Credits he made his move and deployed Maul and his saber to Watto´s place to battle Qui Gon. He missed the hit and so did I. He had a destiny 2 as his top reserve deck card so I played Losing track used to make sure I would win the battle and flip. I drawed a five and he had to stack his fourth card and Credits and loose a few.

He was doomed from then. I had a few destinies tracked so my next turn Qui Gon battled Maul hitting him and inflicting a few more damage. He was draining me for two and I was cancelling every turn with Control. I won the race, deployed the marketplace with Panaka and his blaster, Queen Amidala and Sabé there. He deployed two battle droids and a destroyer there and initiated. Tried to fire Panaka but I played Too Close to Comfort and he had no force I fired and hit the destroyer droid and added a battle destiny with the handmaiden interrupt. He had to loose everything and I few more and drawed a planet as battle destiny so I lost nothing. Pretty boring from there. He drained for two a turn and I made him loose four a turn while retrieving one. Finally I outdrained him. FW +34

Overall: 2 (+34)

The Good: winning big with LS.
The Bad: inflicting such a big loss to a nice guy.
The Ugly: Amidala and his Guard taking revenge vs the droids

I thought I would be the biggest winner but Lautaro won by 36 I think so he was in first place. DS was smacking LS and I was the only LS player who won so I would play Lautaro. I was happy because I had never played him and he was the Ithor regional champion.

Game 2
My Watto decks vs Lautaro´s LS racing senators

This was a really bad game. We both made lots of mistakes and played quite bad. He was first starting with Insurrection (Ep. I version whatever its name is) instead of BriskyMM. I started Watto´s Box.

We both were trying to win the race at any cost because a 22 card swing is just too strong in this format so were playing our interrupts like mad. We had some small SAC wars and Lautaro won them all :-(.

He took control of the Senate with no opposition and I controlled the Junkyard and Mos Espa so I was able to play *trick or death* . I must say Lautaro is one of the best players at this. He tried to trick me but my intuition (and luck I guess) saved me. He usually did the opposite he was suppoused to do so I had to recycle my characters but I could deploy my characters and recycle my high destinies.

There were almost no battles, we both were devoted to the race but I was pinging him with my drains and Watto´s damage. He just tried to battle once vs my Maul and two peeps but drawed low (two destinies for a total of three) and Maul stayed. His second attack was Jar Jar killing my Watto. He first tried to deploy him after activating every card (no reserve, no destiny) and letting me battling so he would block my drain and then kill Watto but he hadn´t seen Sebulba who was chilling there. Sebulba was not too visible and I´m a nice guy so I told him and let him move back.

Next turn he killed my Watto but Jar Jar died too and could not go to his BMM because it got altered (the only thing my SAC could cancel the whole game). The race was not over yet and we both were pretty low on cards so the winner would win take the game. Lautaro made a mistake and kept his destiny without counting my total and we both had the same so next turn I could stall Anakin´s racer and finish the game. FW (+24)

Overall: 4 (+58)

The Good: playing a good player and nice guy (I hope you do well at Worlds). Beating him
The Bad: so many mistakes the whole game
The Ugly: the same race total at the end of the race

Now I was first. Mario *Little Tarkin* was happy I defeated Lautaro since he was the player who took Mario out of the final this year and he wanted revenge. He was happy too because got a bye on game 1 and played DS on second game so that was one less game with LS that s.ucks big time.

Game 3
My LS vs Mario´s DS racing senators

From the beginning I knew this would be a difficult match up and Mario was one of the major threats over the tourney. Drawing hands just got it as worst as possible. He got Maul (he just plays two), Watto and Watto´s Junkyard!!!!

I had a bad hand. Got Master Qui Gon and his saber but nothing more and I could never activate enough. He deployed Watto, his place (so I could not draw destiny there) and Maul first turn. My only hopes were on the race but I was drawing all my race interrupts as destinies so he could play his tricks but I could not do mine.

His second turn he flipped and deployed his only saber on Maul. I was desperately drawing just to get red cards. He pinged me for two while setting all his senate stuff and I finally got young Obi Wan, not that he alone could do much but combined with Qui Gon I could try.

That was it for some turns. He was leading the race so I had to draw a few to get any racing interrupts but got some characters. He packed some more mofos to the junkyard so I decided to put a bit of pressure on him deploying Obi and moving him to the landing site.

He peeked my destiny came with two Nemodians (one being Rune Haako) to battle him trying to smack him with high destinies. He initiated and I played alter to his effect that adds to battle destiny and taking away my destiny 0 which he had looked at. Things seemed bad for him but he said 5 with Rune (blindly) and I drawed a 5! He drawed a senator so I had to loose Obi and he lost nothing.

Then came a few battles with Qui Gon with saber and some bantha fodder at the junkyard. I took Watto away so I could draw battle destiny. The bad thing is that I won no battles, the good that Qui Gon survived with his saber.

The race was almost over. If I win I could make a comeback and win. He was leading the race but had a really small difference and no Pod Collision in hand and I had sense in mine. He was activating low like I was. We both drawed destiny, he got a 3 (+3) and I got a 6 and a 5 so he was 30 and I was 31. Finally luck was on my side. His only chance was tunnel vision for a Collision. He took a look and found one (lucky guy). He played it but no biggie for I had my Sense, then he played Alter (I think he packed one or two) so it was over. Two more turns and the game was finished. FL (-30)

Overall: 4 (+28)

The Good: are you kidding?
The Bad: see above.
The Ugly: really see above.

Lautaro had won Victor and we both had same differential for second place. Mario was first with 6(+60). He would be playing Lautaro. Lautaro had to win and I had to win bigger than him and Lautaro played DS. Those were going to be interesting games.

Game 4
My DS vs Y guy from Seville with LS racing senators

Sorry I couldn´t take notes and forgot that guy´s name. Shame on me. He was playing a pretty standar LS deck and really similar to the one Lautaro had so I knew how to deal with it.

He had no Jar Jar (I guess) because he started Security control. I started Watto´s Box. My had was really bad but at least I got a Tusken raider and Podrace Collision so I felt quite confident about the race. I had Watto but no other characters so it would take me a bit to flip.

I started the race and drew a Maul. I kept it because I wanted to win fast and I pack four. I deployed the Tusken Raider, drawed and played Pit Crews damaging Anakin. He played ASB to take may destiny away. Then I told him he should have played on his turn after the draw fase so he could draw 3 destinies.

This was another uneventful game (I guess this enviroment leads to uneventful games unless both players play senators or TGHG/Watto). He flipped and deployed Jedi Council with Yoda. Then deployed City Outskirts, Mos Espa dbay and Coruscant dbay. Quickly took control of City Outskirts and Mos Espa dbay with Padme, Saché, Panaka, Obi and Qui Gon with his saber.

I was struggling since I was unable to get any characters to flip and when finally got some he always removed them with the senate thing. I felt screwed because I had like 25 cards in hand and he always took the ones I needed.

I felt confident though because I would win the race. With Anakin damaged and my Tusken there he decided not to keep any destiny and remove any high destiny I had with ASB. He was trying to finish me off before the race could end (which proved to be a major mistake).

On turn 9 or 10 finally I got any other characters so I could flipp with Watto, Gardulla and Televan Corey and deployed Maul with his saber for free with the Watto thing. Keder was blocking the senate drain so we both were draining for three and doing our objectives things. He decided to loose many times and taking two of my cards I had no problems on recycling my huge hand and setting my destinies.

A couple more turns and he had no more ASB so I was ready to win the race without opposition. I had all my high destinies tracked and wanted to finish quick. I Helis Elrot (whatever his name is in Ep. I) Maul with saber to Coruscant dbay forcing Valorum and another mofo he had just deployed to flee to Mos Espa. My intention was to beat the hell out of Yoda and take control of the Council for a huge drain of 4. For protection I had Maul Strikes but there was no time. I won the race, retrieved with Gardulla and took the game. FW +37

Overall: 6 (+65)

The Good: winning big when I needed
The Bad: beating him so badly. Bad luck with my characters
The Ugly: the senate thing.

I finish first as usual and go to see the game between Lautaro and Mario. Lautaro needs to win by 38 and he is winning but finishes with about 20 so I win. Here´s the top three:

1st Heraclio Sanchez (me)
2nd Lautaro Leiva
3rd Mario Tarin

I get a Maul YA and EPP Obi foil as prize support and the others get Qui Gon and EPP Fett. I must say prize support was really good for a local tourney and we had no entry fee so I got Maul and Obi for free.

Props
To the store for being opened on Sunday just for us.
To Cucky the TD for a good prize support (I never believed I would say this)
To Ithor´s most famous Cheater for not coming (we must always thanks this)
To Seville´s crew for coming and being such a nice guys. I´m looking forward to go there and have more fun with you guys.

Slops
To everyone (locals) who did not come, specially Angel and Miguel.
To Mario´s luck (not Mario, he´s great)
To Big D for making Sense and Alter lost interrupts so SAC wars are just ridiculous.
To Big D for sending NO prize support
To Ep. I closed enviroment for being boring.

I guess that´s all. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it.