Turn 2: Drain for 5

OMFG....guess where I went today. I played in Arizona Regionals...for SWCCG. That's right, Mr. Girard returned to the scene of the crime 8 years later. Back in 1998, I went to the Star Wars CCG Arizona Regionals and beat Mike Strahan in the finals to earn a bye and a trip to the World Championship. Eight years later, the prizes are different and there are virtual cards, but it's still SWCCG.

Pre Tournament Jank -

Mike the Man Bahr was all like..."dude, you gotta playing SWCCG regionals on saturday." I was like "ehh, where is it...in Eloy?" He says "no way man, the MU." So I was in. I needed to decks. I dial up the Financier and I'm like "I need the tech yo." He dials up the Yellow Menace and the game was afoot. The Chu comes through with a mad tech Tusken/Mines and Watch Your Broken. Bahr didn't have any Corellias in stock (did you know those are fetching like $10 a pop on ebay?) so he made me speeders on Hoth and called it a metagame call. So everyone came through and I was set. I swear I got a woody reading the tech from the Chu.

Tournament Day -

I'm at the MU and Ruston pairs us up for round 1 and we are off. I had a lot of virtual cards that I needed to go through and make sure I don't miss anything. I haven't played a game in years so I was going in cold.

Game 1 - Red haired Kid - Hidden Base Ops

I feel bad because I know this kid from back in the day but I don't remember his name. He had Hidden Base, which is a bad matchup for me. I get UR'rrrurrorr and his bantha down turn one for a drain of 5 turn 2. I get Maul/ship down turn three so I am sitting pretty. He comes out with some systems and regular Xwings and...asteroids. I think I'm ok at this point. I get down another set of bantha and Tusken for the Search and Destroy and it finishes him off.

Dark Side Full Win by 28

- My buddy Bahr is the only light side win, so I play him.

Game 2 - Michael Bizahr - It's a mystery

The pizza at the pizza joint was good.

Light Side Full win by 15 (4 +33)

Game 3 - Brian Choongphol - Cloud City Mains

I have like 4 things that pull stuff on my turn and I'm sure I lost a turn or two early on because I didn't pull something I was supposed to. I chock it up to not playing a game in like 4 years. He comes down to the 4th marker with the Emperor. It is at this time that I realize I can't pull the Hoth: Etcho Lab because it doesn't have Hoth in the gametext and it's not exterior. He follows up the Emp with a Walker and Vader/Stick at the Causeway. I set up Haven, Frostbite at Hoth. We trade losses here and there. Early on I It Could Be Worse and he doesn't catch it because he's afraid I'm going to bust out with something else more deadly. Good call on his part. Turn 1, I pulled Do or Do Not because he dropped the Emperor turn 1. I should have pulled Wise Advise as well, because he immediately Alter'ed Goo Nee Tay. We trade blows on the ground between some walkers and combat vehicles. He puts me on my edge when he Luke, Luuuuuke's on Vader targeting the commander. I'm retreiving a bit here and there and making him lose. I eventually lose a couple battles and it gets down to where I only have Hoth and 1 Hoth site and he's draining for 3 with vader and two at Bespin and time is running out. So of course time is called, it's neither of ours faults we were making calculated moves. I have 9 and he has .... 10. :(
TL -10. (4 +23)

Game 4 - Brian Choongful - Endor/Luke Objective start (OMFG it's been a long time, I can't even remember the Jedi Luke dueling objective).

BAM...Tusken + Bantha...drain for 5 on turn two. He came down, I sandwhirled, he lost guys. That was about the extent of the game. The biggest highlight was when he came down the first time to Tatooine with General Solo, guy and Woislea. Next turn he was going to purchase the Bantha...not on my watch. That speeder selling scheister got lost in the Desert Heart and was never heard from again. The Tusken Raiders and Banthas ruled the deserts and the Sandwhirl kept the hit squads at bay.
FW 20ish (6 +40something)

Game 5 - Chris Shaner - Profit.

I give him no guys. That's right, I have like 3 different tuskens in the deck and Maul. What am I gonna give him? So I get Maul/ship down first turn and he drained for 2 the entire freaking game. I get Urrurrororr/Bantha and Urrur down first turn. He comes down with Leia, gun and lando w/axe. He loses Leia and I lose URRurrurror. I sandwhirl and next turn play another URRurrrorrur. He comes down again and chops up Urrrurror. Great...I have to lose everyone so I am completely out of the best character in my deck. A Mining droid parks his round self in the Audience Chamber. I proceed to blockade characters with an impending Sandwhirl, so nobody wants to go outside and yet the mining droid is keeping people out of the Audience Chamber. Eventually he frees Han, retreives and Luke + Han get blows'ed up by another mine, that .... coincidently goes to the used pile. I'm desperately fishing for cards to play that have ability. I get two bantha, my last tusken and Urrurror's bantha down to the desert heart, I can play Urrur as a react with the Herd. He comes down with Quigon with stick and beats up on my guy and I don't lose too much and still have Banthas around. Early on I Alter his Light side search and destroy and he decides to grabber that. So my senses are now running free. He attempts to Nabrun, I Ghhk/those rebels it away. I Surprise a Sandwhirl that was about to be decimated by the screen door to the Audience Chamber out to the Desert Heart and more rebels go missing. He harvests, but then Owen/Beru go missing. Time is called, I have 20ish and he has around 13. OMG...talk about smoke and freaking mirrors. I ended up draining with 2x Banthas for like the last 3-4 turns.
TW 20ish (7 +55 or so, who knows)

Game 6 - Patrick Hug Bespin Mains and Toys.

I lose to Imperial Command at Hoth with Haven, Capt Han, Coran Horn against Executor and fodder. Two turns later, JQuille comes down (can't find the Meditation to save my life) he makes me lose 3 then Blizzard walkers swarm Reiken, Zev/Rogue2, and an Etcho base Trooper. That was it, I lost by like 30 or something.
FL 30ish (7 +20 or so maybe)

I end up booking out of there before prizes were handed out, so I just told Ruston to give my stuff to the Bahr. I ended up bringing the Jedi Luke DecipherCon shirt (the gray one). I believe it was Patrick Hug and either Choongphol or Mr. Ketchum in the finals. So I came back after like 3-4 years of not playing and lost two games. One was a blowout the other was a close timeout. I'm looking forward to AZ states in like a month, I gotta a lot of research to do if I'm gonna tech out something.

Props -
- Lingrell - came through in the clutch, remind me to invest in your business or something.
- Chu - The yellow menace does it again. Tusken and Mining droids? Who the freak knew.
- Mike Bahr - Thanks for the decks and dragging me out of retirement. I owe you buddy.
- Ruston - You ran a good tournament.
- Choongphol - I always look forward to playing a game with you. You are a thinking man and I can always see the wheels turning. We always have a fun game no matter who wins or loses.
- AZ crew - This game has been dead for how many years? There were 12 people there, I don't even think LOTR TOC had 12 people even last year. I can't explain it, people are dedicated.
- Players Committee - I'm impressed, the game hasn't been produced in years and you keep the pulse pumping.

Slops
- Jay Webb - what's up sucka, where were you?
- The Jew - Sinclair? I pm'ed you, you should have showed.
- J'Quille - Who the hell designed this card?
- Patrick Hug - You always seem to have my number. We always have a professional game but I don't think I have beaten you in a very long time. You are consistent.
- Expensive Weird Cards - Correlia, All wings Combo, Short-Range Fighters combo. Some darkside weapon from Coruscant. Who knew that these cards would command a high dollar value. Weird Market.

Up next...AZ States and there is even talk about going to Utah states to own up their state as well. I can't believe I'm thinking of traveling for this game again, I miss it ... A LOT!