guzman-part-2-freedomcon-report
Title: guzman-part-2-freedomcon-report
Author: Tim "Info Broker" Guzman
Date: Dec 7, 2001
that happened, but that is ok, because by now everyone has figured out, that Worlds was awesome, and everyone had a blast.
Anyway so I left off in my last report with me Winning Day 1, and that was it, I think...so I will start this with Friday night. I mentioned in the last one, that a group of us went to Ihop, so lets move on. I get back to practice a few more games with Shane, and we tweak the decks I am playing a little more, and then Shane passes out. Justin Warren, and Brian Hunter, and myself start acting really silly, and going off about Tooth this, and teeth that...it is a long story, but you can read Justin’s report for more info...by the time I am done with final tweaking, and writing out the deck list it is 5:00 AM...Damn not much
sleep coming my way. We wake up early enough to eat breakfast of Indian Cafe..we all know the one. Some of us pulls disappearing acts, and then reappear, but anyway. Shane volunteered for Day 2, and he is doing Deckchecks, and that stuff. The morning wasnt super eventful so lets move on to the tourney itself...since I remember less, and less with my old age :)
I am playing the same Decks I used for the Day 1 event, except I tweak them to make them better...LS was LightsaberCombat, and DS was Senate Choke style. There is a good amount of players, and when we get started we are told there is going to be 8 games, so hmm? Can I do it? Looks like a strong crowd...lets start.
Game 1 My LS vs Paul Maholick ISB Rating 1903
Hmm? I didnt do much testing against ISB, but I think I know what to do when I see the objective. However Paul is playing a Trooper assault version, and it looked pretty scary. I set up my Baragwins, and set up my characters to Drain...he had the <>Docking bay with the ISB droid there, so that was a pain, for awhile, but I was draining and he was draining, but I was get my stuff back with Baragwins, and when he got a whole force together he prevented my lone guy from moving...so that canceled Dodge, but when he
battled I had Blast the Door, kid and all was well. That battle would have hurt pretty bad had I not got the card in hand, anyway...Boushh comes out to stop one drain, and with
Her and Baragwins for the others, I was sitting pretty...His major beat force was no longer going to hurt me, so I win by 20
Full Win by 20
2(+20)
Highs: I really like winning the first game...He played good, but I had what I needed I guess
Lows: I really do not have any it was a good game if I remember correctly.
Game 2 My DS vs Martin Akessons LightSaberCombat Rating 2078
I played Martin Day 2 last year, close to the end of the tournament, I think game 7, but cant remember...he beat me that game, and I reminded him of it...he didnt remember, but
he said he was glad he won...That game last year put me in 19th place...if I didn’t lose I would have been Top 12. Anyway...games vs Martin is always tough. And he is playing a tough matchup for Senate, I was hoping that my tweaking to beat this will work, and it did help that is for sure. I get out Ability, Ability, Ability out really soon this game, which was money...I also get to the Coruscant System with Zuchuss early, and with the right
Senator, that was a drain of two the whole game...with me putting two cards back, and using Defense fire, I was grabbing Characters, so he had to lose two force. But he had Naked 3PO out so he would get the guys back in hand soon to deploy for AAA, it was getting tough, Vader, and then Maul make a showing, but get dueled away, taking the
drain every turn was starting to hurt. But toward the end I was noticing he was getting really low on force, and soon he will not have enough to spend with Battle Plan. I start to use Yeb Yeb every turn just to lower his force, and then he plays On the Edge, but he made a major mistake, he didnt say a number at all, he just said I on the edge Obi, and
then draws...then he realized he didnt declare a number, and the Interrupt had to go to the lost pile. If it was successful however he would have spent his force to retrieve, because of Secret Plans, and also lose to AAA, and not be able to drain that turn, but that would have made it closer than it was that is for sure. I win by 12
Full Win by 12
4(+32)
Highs:Close games are always so much fun...I believe I was the only person who beat Akesson until he faced Bastian in the Final.
Lows:I wanted high dif every game, because in the end that is what counts, but I cant complain, it was a tough match up.
Game 3 My LS vs Steve Brentson Watto Rating 2060
Ok right before this game, Clint made Rafael(sp?) put his objective out of play because he forgot to start with Luke, and he was playing There is good in him, so Raf didn’t get to play with an starting location or anything...anyway, so Steve is like Tim you arent going to make me put anything out of play are you, and of course I wasnt. I like to play by the rules, but I think that is the worst rule there is...come on...That really sucks.. Anyway this game was going my way or so I thought. I never found my Baragwins, until it was late in game, and it was one of those games that it was taking me to long to do anything to win
this. In the beginning of the game I had a chance to put Watto out of play, but chose to do something else, like an idiot...It was a risk I didnt want that early in the game, but even Steve said he would of took it. Toward the end I start causing damage but it was a little to late..with the drains at Tattooine I could keep up. I lose by 9
Full Loss by 9
4(+23)
Highs:Well even though I lost I kept it close...dont want to lose by to much
Lows:What a sorry @ss draw I had...Good thing I never got Monnoked
Game 4 My DS vs Steve Brentson WYS Rating 2060
Oh well look here...I get to play the same person again. Well if you read my last Report, then you should remember that my deck does match up against WYS very well. However
Steve is a great player, so he kept is very close the whole game, it was really tight for me...I kept doing what I had to do against wys, like putting cards back drain, even for one, and look for choke cards with Lott dott, it was hard this game, because I couldnt find everything I want every time, and when I did all three would be there, yet I could only choose one, and then I have the chose to just draw the rest up, or spend it to put cards back, and since I want him to lose to AAA, then I spent it to put cards back, and you can picture how it was going by that, anyway, we were getting really close to time, in fact it was called, but Steve was nice enough to battle at a location that was quite obivious he was going to lose at, and that gave me the game in Full instead of Timed.
Full Win by 13
6(+33)
Highs:Well I did get my revenge hehe...and Steve and I are 2-2 lifetime...I hope I can change that :)
Lows: I am not winning by much, but I guess If I just keep winning that should be fine.
Game 5 My LS vs Martin Akesson Tat Occupation Rating 2078
Well look here once again...So far out of 5 games I only played against 3 people... :) Now it is time for Martin to have his revenge. If I knew what was coming I would have had a better chance, but my draws this game really sucked @ss...I couldnt get anything I needed, and his deck was very fast...he got out all docking bays, and Tat Occupation out really early...I of course drain Endor Celebration off the top of my deck, and that was my last hope of making it close...My force were dwindling, and now that I look back at it, I would had a chance if I jump on Naboo, and used Baragwins to their fullest, and used my hit and run guys as I can, however it didn’t work at that way...so I lose.
Full Loss by 23
6(+10)
Highs:Not many this game.....Martin had revenge I guess
Lows:I cant lose again if I want top 8...my bad draw...good cards flying off the top..everything.
Game 6 My DS vs Mike Merletto’s WYS Rating 1827
Well I played Mike yesterday twice, and I seen his wys yesterday as well, and yes he is playing the same one...and yes, my deck will do fine against it...I do the normal start
against WYS, and start putting cards back, and making him lose to Abilityx3, and the norm. This game was a little on the quick side...I win it..sorry not much detail on this one.
Full Win by24
8(+34)
Highs:Well I won, and there is only 2 more games...I need to keep winning to make top 8
Lows: Well Mike new what I was playing, but lucky for me..he had not much to do about it.
Game 7 My LS vs Evan Fitzgerald BHBM sith fury deck Rating 1837
Well I must admitt when I saw BHBM, I was thinking auto win, with Light Saber Combat...because his Jedi need to come to me. We Evan draws up a huge hand, and I use
Yoda to get Control/tunnel vision to get my Effect Houjix, because with a hand the size he had, I didnt want to get jumped. In fact early in the game I asked him if he had any
doubles in his hand, and he goes no..not that I excepted him to tell me one way or the other, but I decided to play Grimmtaash used anyway...to slow him down...After the game
I found out from him he had like two epp mauls, and 5 visages...Anyway..no big...he would battle here and there, and we battle maybe like 4 times....and each time we tied in
Power so I never stack a card, which was a good thing. I combated him a couple of times for some lost force, so every bit helps. I gave him Epp Luke to flip his objective, because I am thinking this will speed things along, but that was a mistake...now I know it would
have been more worth it, to just lose the three everyturn, and use Baragwins, to get that force back....ah well...He sith fury once, and I grabbed it, and I won, because I have 7s, and then he did it later in the game, and he one...Anyway..in the end I had the game.
Full Win by 25
10(+59)
Highs: Yes I won again,...all I need to do is win the last game.
Lows: At this time actually I had none...I was having fun, and that matter to me.
Ok after game 7, I have a 5-2 record with an ok dif, but nothing outstanding, in fact as of now I am in 7th place overall, all I have to do is win this last game, and I will be in 4th place overall, that is asuming that every other game happens the way it did happen. Anyway...on to the next....
Game 8 My DS vs Steven Turner QMC Rating 1998
Well I only tested against QMC once with this deck, I a recked it in testing, but this game was nothing like that. This was one of those games that you can never get your whole game plan working...do you know what I mean? And with Steven making all the right moves, I didnt have much to do, but I did what I can. It took me forever to find Lott Dott, I mean to long for having 3 of him, and 3 squabbling delegates, but whatever...and I grabbed the first path, but he still played like 2 others by stacking them on the grabber, and all were at good times...I was doing what I can this game, but in the end I knew I was
going to lose...hindsight tells me, what approach I should have taken with my bad draw, but that is little to late. I lose.
Full Loss by 19
10(+40)
Highs:This was the first time I have ever played Steven, and he seemed like a really nice guy...
Lows: I suck so bad at this game...I should have won..I think...who am I kidding..Steven owned me that game.
Well all eight games are over, and by now everyone knows who made top 8 so I will start with 9th
9.Brian Rippetoe 10(+??)
10. Steven Turner 10(+??)
11. Tim Guzman(me)10(+40)
12. ???
Ok that is all I know...sorry everyone for not know more...anyway that was a blast, and the finalist had about 1hr, before the semi finals started so we jammed to Taco bell, or was it wendys I am losing track on trips, I know one of them I came back with food for Shane because he didnt get any breaks with helping judging...When the semi finally started Matt and I..was it you Matt? I am really losing track, anyway we went to 7-11 at 12:15 and
tried to buy beer, but in this state they do not sell beer between 12-6am...which I was like what??? That sucked major balls, because I knew I had only 3 left in my room, and I was just going to die that night. Ah well I will make up for it the next night. Everyone probably knows how late it was when Bastian finally won, and how much little sleep everyone got that day.
Sunday morning Brian wakes up early enough to form a team and play in that which his team won, and I didnt wake up early enough for it, but I wish I did, because there wasnt
much else to do that day, well except drink...so I made sure I bought some beer before that stupid stop time, and I did some pick up games with people, and it was fun. I group
of us went to Applebees at that was fun, it was Bastian, Matt, Shane, Alex Tennet, Kim Caton, and Brian Hunter, and that was fun...with only me and Matt drinking, but fun none
the less...I needed to keep it going, I had more back at the hotel, so I was cool. We rush back to make sure we didn’t miss the Spears special on HBO, and since I didn’t care much for that I went to the Hotel Bar to mess around there...Just kept drinking, and played some LOTR with Hickey, and Sagan. After that closed, I went to my room to find like 10 other people there, either playing cards or...well pretty much playing cards...I was worried, because I saved my last favorite stash of Guinness in the fridge, and when I checked,....YES it is there...So I finished those off...Only Alex asked for one, so that was
cool, because if anyone else did, I would have said yes, but felt bad about it...hehe just kidding...I would of shared :) There is a lot of details here that I will skip, because I am getting tired right now...so I will end it with...Brian, Me, Shane, and Matt all left Monday
morning on are respected flights, and that ended one of my best weekends I had in a long time. It was a blast, and major props to everyone who helped out to make it happen.
Some more Props
Thank you so much Decktech, and really everyone who volunteered, in all games, and all supporters, this is not just a prop, but a big thank you...we needed this tournament.
To Matt and Shane for being my traveling buddies from Vegas
To Brian and Justin for the laughs, and the practice..
To Brian for coming in 4th
To Bastian for winning, you deserve it really
To everyone I played in Day 2 it was fun...
To Shane for volunteering for Day 2, that was great...
To Matt for being the only one to beat Bastian...(which deck did it for you :))
To the Blondie desert at Applebees that desert rocks.. :)
To the brits for being older than me :) Well at least two of them were.
And well just to everyone, because I really want to end this..
Major Prop to my Wife who lets me go to these things, and still loves me anyway... she really is the best.
Slops:
Your kidding right? :)
And if I had to pick one, I would say that Virginia sucked because of the fact you can not buy beer after 12:00 Midnight.
Thanks for reading,
Tim Guzman