To start, I was really excited when I found out I was going to go. My family took me down and then went site sighting while I played. I got down about an hour early and played some quick warmup games to start. Since this was only my 2nd tournament (and the first was when Dagobah released I wasn't expecting too much), infact had it not been for your wonderful critiques and opinions, I don't think I would have placed even close to what I did. By the way, I forget some of my opponents names so if one of them was you, I am sorry. Anyway, onto the report.
Game 1
My Guaranteed Decree vs. Dave's Training/ Space Deck
My starting location- Hoth: Ice Plains
His starting location- Dagobah
My starting effect- Imperial Decree
His starting effect- none
Since it took a while for Decipher to get ready before the actual tournament started, I talked him for a while. It turned out he was a Red Squadron leader and a TD for small kids. We talked about the upcoming SE and chesse decks, espcially Dagobah decks. I was nearly floored when he started with Dagobah. I thought to myself, great I am going to play a master of cheese and I discussed my whole strategy with him. Not a good thing. Anyway I got a couple of locations first turn and drew. He got a Dagobah site from his reserve deck and drew. It went on like this for about 3 turns. After the third turn I deployed Vader with his stick at the Cantina with Presence Of The Force. His turn he deployed Yoda and Son. I drained him of four and deployed Blizzard 1 with Danz Borin to the Jundland Wastes. His turn he tried to train for Jedi Test #1 but missed. I thought to myself I better drain for as much as possible before he completes it. Then he deploys space and a couple starships. I have the Executor in my hand but refrain from using it, and a lucky thing too because after the game I found out he was waiting for it. Well the game went on with my drains which eventually forced him to draw the rest of his cards or risk losing by a lot. I felt bad for the guy because he tried to train Son for Jedi Test #1 4 or 5 times but never made it. It was really bad luck.
Final: W 2(+23)
Highpoint: I won by 23.
Lowpoint: not one battle the entire game
Game 2
My Cloud City Drains with Added Space vs. Dave #2's DS Jawa Deck
My starting location: Cloud City: Guest Quarters
His starting location: Tatooine: Jabba's Palace
My starting effect: I Must Be Allowed To Speak
His starting effect: Den of Thieves
I started with I Must Be Allowed To Speak and got SoS down 2nd turn. I was so surprised when I found out that he was playing a Jawa deck. I thought it was so cool for someone to actually bring a Jawa deck to the Open. Throughout the whole game I just kept telling him how much respect I gave him for having the guts to bring a Jawa deck. Unfortunatly for him, I screwed up his strategy when I Altered his Den Of Thieves 2nd turn. The major battle of the game was when Son Nabruned over to the Audience Chamber where Chall Beckin and 6 Jawas awaited him. Dave had not gotten out Wittin yet or Jawa Pack yet so all his Jawas were still power and forfeit 1. Son battled the little group and chopped Chall Beckin in two and then played Smoke Screen. All but one of his Jawas were destroyed in that one battle. He couldn't come back after that one battle and I force drained for 5 space while SoS was patroling the ground. I ended up winning by 31.
Final: W 4(+54)
Highpoint: Kicking Jawa butt. Also meeting such a great guy, and since both of us did not know anyone else there, we hung around together throughout the whole tournament.
Lowpoint: none
Game 3
My Guaranteed Decree vs. Joe Alread's Turbo Eloms
My starting location- Hoth: Ice Plains
His starting location- Yavin IV: Massasi Throne Room
My starting effect: Imperial Decree
His starting effect: Yarna d'al' Gargan
At this point of the tournament I was 2nd out of 69 players. I was floored! But now I faced a very experienced player who wanted to goto the Worlds for the 3rd time. I knew this was going to be the game to decide whether I would have a chance at the Finals or not. We both started by drawing for the first couple turns. Then on the same turn we both deployed a bunch of Tatooine sites and I deployed the Wampa Cave. Next turn he gets out about 4 Eloms at Obi's Hut. I get Vader and deploy him with his Saber and Presence of The Force to his Audience Chamber. Joe's next turn he inserts NTMTO into my deck and deploys Bargaining Table. I try to Alter it but he Controls it. I deploy Blizzard 1 with Danz Borin with Boba Fett and Danz Borin but don't battle. Big mistake for me and in my opinion lost me the game. Next turn he deploys Obi but does not battle, just blocks my force drain. Odds comes up next time and I lose 4 cards. Then I make a really stupid mistake. He deploys two Eloms to Vader. I have You Are Beaten in my hand and I think to myself, hah I can beat this one Elom down bad. I put what I think is the card down and lose the 4 cards to Odds. When I look at my hand again, I realize You Are Beaten is not there anymore. I had lost it. I thought I was about to shoot myself. Even Joe saw the expression on my face and asked what was wrong. When I told him, he said he was sorry but a card laid is a card played. I understood but I was so angry at that mistake that I could not concentrate for the rest of the match. Throughout the game he cancels my force drains with It Could Be Worse and Bargaining Table each time. He also hits me with inserts 4 times. Due to my luck this game I could not pick up one of my 3 Tortures once or 5 Senses for his It Could Be Worse. Figures. At the end of the game, he plays Nar Shadda Wind Chimes and retrieves 9 force. I end up losing by 31. What a crappy game.
Final: 4(+23)
Highpoint: Not a one.
Lowpoint: No Tortures the entire game and one really stupid mistake.
Game 4
My Cloud City Drains with Added Space vs. ???? Scanning Crew with Mains
My starting location- Cloud City: Guest Quarters
His starting location- Tatooine: Jabba's Palace
My starting effect: I Must Be Allowed To Speak
His starting effect: none
All I can say about the deck I played was that I really hated it. Everytime I got a main, he Scanned it away. To add to me being pissed of at this deck was the fact that it was being played by some snotty kid who I really hated. It was clear to me that he thought that he was the best thing in the world. Needless to say I was really really angry after this game. By the way, for all those who say that I should have with Shocking Information, he would have Sensed them all. The only characters I got down the entire game were Captain Han and Pucumir Thryss at the Cloud City Guest Quarters who were promptly followed by Vader and Tarkin in which a battle started with me ending up losing both of them. Infact, the only reason why I didn't lose by more was because I had drains in space, furthering my argument that it was a good idea to play space also. I ended up losing by 32. Ouch!
Final: 4(-9)
Highpoint: none
Lowpoint: the whole match
Game 5
My Guaranteed Decree vs. Lincoln's Haven Space Deck
My starting location- Hoth: Ice Plains
His starting location- Yavin IV
My starting effect: Imperial Decree
His starting effect: Haven
Things were looking bad at this point. I had gone from 2nd all the way down to 40th. That's horrible. There really isn't much to say about this match.I got down Vader at the Cantina with his Lightsaber and Presence Of The Force. He sent down a small task force which was composed of Luke and Lando. Vader went after both of them and killed them in one battle. Then it was a drain race. With my winning it. The funny thing is, is that I only got two Tatooine sites down the entire game but because they both had Presense and one with an Expand the Empire to add a force drain bonus along with Mosep. I beat him with a pretty strong margin of victory. I win by 19.
Final: 6(+10)
Highpoint: Finally getting back on the winning track.
Lowpoint: Only getting two sites out the entire game.
Game 6
My Cloud City Drain with Added Space vs. ????? Space Drain
My starting location- Cloud City: Guest Quarters
His starting location- Death Star
My starting effect- none
His starting effect- none
Well I wanted to make a strong finish so I really wanted to win this game. In this game I played a junior player. The first turn I deployed Princess Leia to the GQ, then I deployed the Lower Corridor and moved her there. Next turn, he deployed Gen. Veers with Ozzel to battle Leia. He picks up a 0 while a pick up a 6. He has to lose both. That was the only battle the entire game. Basically I just set up my CC drains and then deploy Capt. Han on the Falcon to stop his. For some reason, he does not play with Imperial Decree, so he is eating 8-9 force each turn from my force drains. After about 20 minutes I finish him off and I win by 30.
Final: 8(+40)
Highpoint: Winning my last game by 30.
Lowpoint: Beating a junior, but he told me not to feel bad about it because he had beat an 18 year old by 40 and he knew that differential was important and not to feel bad abou it.
So my final was 8(+40) and in 17th place.
It was really a wacky tournament for me, from 2nd to 40th back up to 17th. Both my decks went 2-1. The funny thing is, is that I either kicked the other players butt or they kicked mine. There really was no close game that I played. Another thing that I learned was that Imperial Decree was really not that useful. Not once during the entire game did it prevent a force drain bonus but not because it was not in effect, but because the LS never used any force drain bonuses. The last thing I learned was to put Yoda in for Scanning Crews. He is truly the only way to stop it by using Senses, if the opponent plays with Senses for Shocking Information. Well I hoped you guys liked this report and thank you again to all of you who reviewed and critiqued my deck. I could not have done well with out you!!!
Ardon "Vapor" Crell