Well, first a little background. A lot of you are probably asking, What the heck is a Junior Tourney Championship? In our area we have Junior Leagues. We meet once a week on Sundays for a junior tournament. After 11 tournaments, people who have amassed a certain number of points or have gone to a certain number of the tournaments can go to the finals. The finals are special, because there are sixty card decks used. This is to help prepare Juniors for their graduation to the big leagues. Enough of this, On with the report.
I was really tense going into this tournament, because I knew that my best friend, Dan and I both had decks that could beat each other, it could really go either way depending on luck. I had decided after much consideration to play a Dark Side Ground Tatooine Deck and a Light Side Bespin Clouds Deck. Special Edition was not allowed in this tournament because in our area no matter how many boxes the store gets he will sell out in the first day.
Game 1- My Dark Side Deck vs. Michael Cooper's Hoth/Space Deck
I had a good feeling going into this game, because my dark deck is pretty solid. I started with the Cantina and Presence Of The Force, and He started with the Echo: Command center. I played Jabba The Hutt to the Cantina on the first turn for a good drain of three for the entire game. He deployed a starship to Kessel and Kiffex. He was activating about twelve force a turn, I got fearful and deployed Vader to back up Jabba. I blocked his drain in space with Admiral Motti on the Devastator and Captain Needa On The Avenger, it went downhill for him from there. Full Win by 41 force.
2(+41)
Highlight: Dan was also Dark! Won't play him next game.
Game 2- My Light Side Deck vs. Michael Cessna's Carbon Freezing Deck
I had a queesy feeling in my stomach when he revealed his starting location as the Carbon Freezing Chamber. I thought he had me beat because I only had a couple of cloud cars in my deck. As it turns out he deployed a lot to the the system and extinquished his forces. I had a few guys on the ground and two clouds out with cloud cars. I drained him to death while canceling his force drains with Bargaining Table, It Could Be Worse, or Control. Full Win by 40 force.
4(+81)
Highlight: Pizza Time!
Game 3- My Light Deck vs. Scott Miller's(No Relation) Capture Deck
The game started off with him giving my non-unique aliens the beatdown with J'Quille(spy) and about four more bounty hunters. I lost about ten force from that battle. I then decided not to mess with him on the ground. I deployed my clouds and Kessel. The rest of the game was somewhat boring. I drained him for six per turn and cancelled his drains. Full win by 15 cards.
6(+96)
Highlight: Dan was Light! I don't have to play him next game either.
Game 4- My Dark Deck vs. Scott Miller's Asteroid Sanctuary Deck!
Cheese? Please!
I started with the usual and busted out a guy there on the first turn. Considering that he started with Kessel, I had tons of force to activate. Six on the first trun. I was luck because I also drew in my opening hand two alters, the Devastator, the Avenger, Admiral Motti and Grand Moff Tarkin. I waited until he dployed some more star systems with asteroids untio i began the assualt. He played two full sets of asteroid sectors and four X-Wings. I altered both of them, but lost force from Do Or Do Not. I amashed his X-Wings but still lost from force draining. I eventually took out the trash. Full Win by 22 force.
8(+118)
Highlight: At this point I am the only undefeated player.
Game 5- My Light Deck vs. Andrew Smally's Space Deck
He started with a system and he didn't know what to expect from me. I played The Upper Plaza Corridor on the first turn and two clouds with two cloud cars. He came after with with Obsidion Squadron Ties. I had only a few starships left, but I pulled through and wiped those ties from the table. I almost wanted to jump up onto the table and rip them in half yelling my victory, but I refrained. The game was not yet over though. I had to try and win while only draining him for three force a turn. He had the luxury of spreading his ships thin throughout the galaxy. The card that saved me was Civil Disorder. Eventually he too ran out of stuff to deploy and he started loosing from it. I had all of my I Could Be Worses circulating and I could get them each turn to cancel out his drains. Full Win by 15 force.
10(+133)
Highlight: Once Again I don't have to play Dan, and the tournament is practically mine.
Game 6- My Dark Deck vs. Nathaniel Larsen's Space Deck
This game really didn't mean much to me because I had the tournament already, but it meant a lot to him. I played kinda lax to maybe help his differential. Sorry Dan. He played out systems and he played some ships there. I Wanted to encorperate some fun into the game so I deployed to his systems knowing that he would "Lay the Smack." as it turns out he reduced my drain on Tatooine from from nine to six with Ultimatum. He ended up beating me by 11.
10(+122)
Highlight: I never had to play Dan.
Well, I won the tournament. There was a hefty prize package, but not as good as it has been in past years. I got 2 Limited Premiere Starters, 10 Unlimited Premiere Boosters, 10 Limited Hoth Packs, 7 Limited A New Hope Packs, 2 Dagobah Packs, 2 Cloud City Packs, and a Falcon shirt. Well I'm off to Disneyland!
Jeff Miller