Date: January 2, 1999
Location: Colisium of Comics
Being my first tourney in the Orlando area, I wasn't sure what others would play and so I was unsure of what I should play. Since I only had time to make one deck, I decided to run with my more experienced LS Hidden Base deck and make a new Dark Side deck. That is just what I did.
I had been itching to play Hunt Down and Destroy the Jedi (HDADTJ). If nothing else, I wanted Vader to do some serious dueling. So I threw in some of the duel stuff and then went for mass drain potential. I was a bit worried though. Deployment seemed very heavy for this deck, and it might cost me a game in the end.
So on I went. Since I was unfamiliar with Orlando, it took me a bit longer to arrive than I was hoping. Of course, I made up for that by hauling tail across the turn pike. :-)
I arrived and signed in. Before I began playing, I started looking for Primal Dream and David Akers who both were suppose to be at the tourney (but neither of which I had faces to recognize). Primal Dream came up to me and asked me if I was Beakman... of course I was. Throughout the tourney we talked and even had lunch together. It was nice to finally meet someone in town my age! So on with the tourney.
Game 1 - HDADTJ vs Tatooine Clouds
I played a younger kid and so I wasn't too worried, especially since he kept looking at his friend while whispering "I'm going to get smooshed!" I felt bad because I was hoping we would have a good game.
I started with Bad Feeling Have I, he didn't have a starting interrupt. I got off to a great start, Bane Malar, Cantina and some other stuff and drew... Vader.
He deployed a lone Biggs. Next turn I drop Vader on him and beat him silly, flip the Objective, and move Vader into Cantina. He deploys a lone Cloud Car. I deploy 3rd Marker and a huge beatdown on the Cloud Car. That was pretty much the game. There was another big battle at the 3rd marker and the game was over. Full win. +39.
(As a side note: I've noticed something about this deck. Every time I get Vader down on the first or second turn, I win. Such a quick start makes the opponent have to make some hard decisions while you no longer have to worry about the loss.)
Game 2 - Hidden Base vs Tie deck
Oh boy. I actually knew I would lose this game as son as I saw the starting locations revealed. I had come to the tourney knowing that a Tie deck would eat me alive, but I didn't really expect to see one. BIG mistake.
I started with S-foils and he started with Sienar Fleet Systems. The game was actually really fun. There was a great deal of battling. He tallon Rolled me several times (I really need defense against that!) and played lateral damage once.
I was running Out of Commission as my side strategy and had removed many cards from play, but he was still retrieving like mad. I couldn't keep up with him.
We ended up timing out. I had twenty, he had 32. I lose -32. What a bad thing. First tourney loss with Hidden Base to the deck I knew I lose against. Sheesh.
We had a 30 minute lunch break and Primal Dream and I went for Chinese. I had an egg roll (which was pretty terrible) and some egg drop soup (which wasn't so bad). the place was called Chinese Choo Choo's... what a name! Anyway, we came back and got started on game three.
Game 3 - Hidden Base vs Tie deck.
AGGHHHHH!!! THat about sums up what I was feeling! Two in one day. Not good news. But I had a better feeling about this one. I decided that if I could control Wakeelui I might have a chance. So that's what I did. Same exact starting interrupts and everything.
I control Wakeelui by turn four. Then all his ties are deploy +2. That really helped. I also avaided battling for a while so that he could start the retrieval cycle by forfeiting ties and then retrieving them. We did end up battling and he put some hurting on me, but in the end I timed out with a vistory of +20 or so. Whew!
So the day had been pretty lowsy so far. I had one shot left with my dark deck. Soon I would encounter a nightmare to end all nightmares.
Game 4 - Hidden Base vs HDADTJ. Well, his deck was basically about controlling Coruscant and Kessel for a drain of 6. I didn't realize that Coruscant makes imperial everywhere deploy +2. OUCH! That's a bit strong.
It took me a while to find Vader so I was not a happy camper. I managed to cancel his Hidden Base and only lose three force from the battle ensuing.
I had pretty firm control of the game until I realized that I had deployed too much and he had deployed basically nothing. Oh boy. this wasn't looking good.
But I did te math. I was draining him pretty high (for 12 or so) plus 1 every turn for Visage. He's lose. That is until he deployed Melas and KFC blocking one of my drains. I battled, lost both characters and then had to move vader over. I only had one force left after his next drain of 6. Game over. Lose by 6.
I was so mad. I had firmly controlled the game only to lose it in the last several minutes. But I had accomplished what I wanted for the day, scope out the competition while having some fun.
I met David Akers afterwards and I drew a Luke in my prize pack. So I'm not complaining! This was one of the best boxes ever. I pulled a Luke. The top guy pulled Vader. David pulled the Grand Moff and some kid pulled the old Wizard. What a day!
Beakman