Back from the EC report 4/4 - Everything else

I realy wanted to write extensive report with everything else, that was going on when we were attending EC, but I realized, that I have stretched this report already into four parts and well who has been there, already knows and who has not... well the details just will not be so important. So lets do this:

1) Hotel - I realy liked the place. From the first time I entered lobby with man in tuxedo playing piano, I knew I will buy myself beer and have a moment sitting there and listening to him (which i did). I enjoyed the stay alot and although the staff might not be always in understanding of such convention such as EC, I think it was pretty cost/effective stay and had great premises for this tournament.

2) Organizers - Willing. Helpful. Competent. Wow. What else could you wish for?

3) Oganization - I must say, that it was near perfect. Minimum delays because first rounds were not starting as early as usual. More time to find food and eat without rush. This all resolved in much less delays than last year, but finals were ending soooo late. Well, you cannot have everything. But this setting was much more comfortable for me. More time to sleep off hangovers and eating in peace works for me really good.

4) English - last year I had few situations on the table, where not everyone was able to properly understand basic table talk and those who had most problems actually chose decks, that relied heavily on table talk. This year it was much better. Even more. I have met so many people, that left me speechless. I am not a beginner, but wow, there were so many guys, that were speaking so briliantly, that I was actually ashamed of my english.

5) Funny games - Compared to last year, there were a lot more of people, which were joking around, willing to have some fun during a game even on Day 2. Maybe I was lucky this year, but wow, even when the games were pretty serious until the absolute end of time limit, they were enjoyable and I was very pleased with that.

6) Tournament support - I just loved the T-shirts, mugs and all the other stuff, that you could get there. And of course it was cool that people at LCQ received Lilith's Blessing, because this card is just getting anoying to purchase for a lot of people and it just should not. Playing Nations Cup, I did not receive one, but you can't have it all:)

----------------------------------------------------------

7) Archon randomization - I have ranted about this for some time now, but at the EC, this "program" showed its worst. Day one I was at five player table, when there were 3 czech players and met a czech player at second and third table as well. (there were 12 czech players at day1) And those czech players also met on other tables, since Archon splits players into little subgroups and rotates players within them. Personaly, I am fed up with that and I hope with my friend we will devise something better, while still retaining basic rules for player seating.

The last one is probably only thing, that I did not like. I know, that this is not fault of organizers, but after all that great stuff, it bugged me a lot.

For some time now, I did not have enough time to write longer posts and I have been doing them in stretched periodsm oart after part and I think I am now somewhat lacking consistency between and sometimes even within them. I will try to shorten my posts and fill them with more concetrated content.

So one last shoutout - to orgaizers, for doing great job with this event, to winners for proving, that they are very good players, to everyone who attended, because without you, this game would not be as great as it is. I hope we all will meet next year in Stockholm.

See you next time...

Back from the EC report 3/4 - Day 2

So last year when I got spanked on EC, I met only one deck which realy excited me - Djordje Bjelajac's deck, which in the end won that years FCQ. I got so excited, that I wanted to built deck, that was inspired by him, but not direct copy. I have actualy started with Marry Anne Blaire and Scout Youngwood combo but ended up with something little different. After looking once on the winning decklist, I have continued to develop this deck my own way, although there may be some similarities, since I have encountered at least one deck, that looked very similar so I guess I was not really original in this way. Here is the decklist:

Deck Name: Scout and Friends
Author: Silmegil

Crypt (12 cards; Capacity min=8 max=10 avg=8.92)
================================================
 1x  Annazir            9  DAI OBF POT PRE          Baali:5
 3x  Dmitra Ilyanova    9  obf CEL FOR POT PRE      Brujah:5
 1x  Mary Anne Blaire  10  ani pot AUS DOM FOR PRE  Ventrue:5
 1x  Montecalme        10  obt AUS CEL DOM PRE      Toreador:5
 3x  Scout Youngwood    8  for qui MEL OBF PRE      Daughter of Cacophony:6
 3x  Undele             9  obf pre ser CEL FOR      Ishtarri:5

Library (60 cards)
==================
Master (17)
 2x Golconda: Inner Peace
 1x Legendary Vampire
 1x Monastery of Shadows
 1x Temptation of Greater Power
 6x Villein
 6x Zillah's Valley

Action (6)
 6x Shattering Crescendo

Political Action (12)
 1x Anarchist Uprising
 1x Ancilla Empowerment
 5x Kine Resources Contested
 4x Parity Shift
 1x Political Stranglehold

Action Modifier (19)
 1x Approximation of Loyalty
 2x Bewitching Oration
 2x Cloak the Gathering
 1x Daring the Dawn
 4x Forgotten Labyrinth
 1x Kiss of Ra, The
 2x Perfect Paragon
 2x Virtuosa
 4x Voter Captivation

Combo (6)
 6x Force of Personality

Created with Secret Library v0.9.4a. (Oct 31, 2012 16:36:58)

First Round:

 Girls deck - Tzimisce rush - Me - Dominate/Protean midcaps - Ishtarri vote

The game started great - got zillahs, villeins, my predator was only bleeding me, so I was passing parity shifts. Got out all three main vampires and then I totaly screwed up. I cycled force of personality instead of keeping it and my scout got rushed and amaranthed. After that I tried to make deal with a girls deck to help me pass two anarch uprisings i got in my hand - we would both get VP by this. Well thanks to Delaying Tactics, Direct Intervention and in the end even Dark Influences, I was not able to pass any political cards at all. I was able to oust my prey, but after that my new prey contested Undele with me. With Scout Youngwood burned and Undele contested, this game has ended for me, giving 1GW and 4 VP to Girls deck.

Second round:

Ravnos sensory deprivations and bleed - Unmada + Scout deck - Me - Aus weenies with anarch revolts - Brujah princes

I knew this game would be hell fro the first aus weenie. Got out Dmitra and when Scout youngwood popped on my back, I knew we will have problem. So I dealt with my predator - I will not contest his Scout if he will not contest my Undele. I knew that my deck does not have enough stealth to go against my prey so I tried to play very defensive,  bleeding for one, borrowing montreal and so on.My prey ousted Brujah princes in the end and I was not able to do anything about it. Montreal was going around the table and the game looked like easy win for aus weenie. After that, game got a little turnaround. My predator killed aus weenie, because he knew that even when he could kill me, he could not finish my prey after that. I was able to oust Ravnost deck right after that and we got into a heads up with my predator. I got crescendoed pretty hard, but then time ran out. I am not sure how this game would end, but it would have been pretty close. 1 GW 2,5 VPs for me.

Third round:

Setite bleed/enticement - Me - Saulot spirit marionette - weenie pre politics - Ventrue grinder with Lodin

I had good start but after a while Dmitra was contesting her title, whoch realy slowed me down and even when I fot my title back, it was already too late for my predator and grandprey. I was getting some pool each turn thanks to villeins, parity shifts, stranglehold and votercaps, but my prey was bleeding me thanks to numerous deflection and it helped my predator to realy cycle his hand every turn and I have fallen less than 5 minutes before time ran out and my prey died right after time limit ended, but since our game had extra 10 seconds, it was right on time. I believe, that I could have time outed this game, if I wanted, but it just is not the type of player I am. This game was won fair and GW was awarded rightfully.

I ended up with 1 GW and 3,5 VP and I was calm, because even if there were a lot of timeouts, I was sure, that I am nowhere near the finals. My surprise was, that I have ended on SIXTH place, missing finals by 0,5 VP. Knowing, that I came that close and did not make it into finals, was at the moment much more devastating, than ending somewhere at the bottom. I must have checked results like five times, before I was totaly sure. We had to go home asap after that, so we were not waiting for finals and I did not end up in most friendly mood after the tournament. Looking back now and comparing how I ended last year and this year, the improvement shows and I am glad, that I could at least prove, that Vtes still lives in Czech republic and we have some good players. Regarding my deck, I think it is pretty close to perfect for my playstyle.

This is basicaly it for all my games on the EC and I will be ending this post, but I will be back soon, because I want to write little about all those other things, that EC is about. So this is it for a now.

See you next time....