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And now! The tale of my journey into the Finals of the Second NZ SWM Tournament!
Well, two weeks out I wasn't playing due to being the TO and planning to be the sole judge at the event, a week out I was thinking about it by adopting the three-judge system, and the day before I decided fully that I needed to be involved as a player. I didn't want to play because I wanted the NZ Champs to be a as-serious-as-possible tournament - it's own dedicated judge/TO - but things are changing in the SWM world and my involvement as a player grew more acceptable as the event approached. Certainly, people wanted me to play which was encouraging! With some key folk dropping out in the days leading up to the tournament, I decided that it would be good to play and I'd add to the numbers, keeping Jim's idea of being able to pull out if it would have otherwise been detrimental to the tournament in the back of my head.
When it came time to select my squad, I had all of the above floating around in my brain and that led me to feel like any competitive participation was just a bridge too far. I was, after all, going to be concentrating on the running of the event and would be needed for judging issues. My rationale was then that I was there as a judge first, player second, and that if I ran something I knew fairly well or didn't care too much about, I'd be able to throw away a game if I needed too. Add to that, that for the last two years or so, I've viewed myself as a bit past-it with minis, that I had managed to grow up players around me who had then surpassed me. I spend so much time organising minis events, I don't often have the time to just enjoy the game! while others about me play all the pieces and squads. After a run of losses, I kinda figured my days as a competitive player were gone.
I drafted a list of 12 squads, all designed around enjoying myself to the fullest - if it wasn't fun, it wasn't on the list. I had a Corran-led pilot squad (had never run Corran, keen to try him), my Ackbar Klaat. swarm, my Vader Legacy/Dash/Jag/GARY squad, my triple Nightsister/HK/Dash/Jag/Ozzel squad, a Dark Trooper squad, my Han Rogue/SpecForce squad and a host of others... but I ultimately settled on my Celeste/Zam/Chazrach swarm. I'd been beaten by it by Graham/Hutts (I ran a Lancer... particularly embarrassing...) and had rejigged it to fit me a bit better by running it in a 2-0 win against Bob in our Vassal comp. I liked it, plus I really just wanted to turn things into Rakghouls! I settled on the squad in the car with Ian and Graham on the ride in. (On hearing Graham's squad, I instantly regretted the choice, but thought, 'oh well, hopefully I don't draw Graham'.)
Round 1: vs Graham/Hutts (Naboo Pilots) on Theed
So. I drew Graham. I looked at the matchups and thought that it was okay to take a loss first up. We got playing and the game went pretty much as Graham described it above. I knew that I just had to eat through Pilots by losing Chazrach's and that was about all I could do. I don't remember losing Zam but I obviously wasn't too worried because I still had Celeste. I had brought in Malakili (as was my major plan for the Tournament) and he gets the MVP for that match as his Heal 20 saved Celeste sooo much! Graham, at one point, thought he'd killed her but, lo and behold, she had been healed and was still alive. My Rakghouls were spectacular too - I'd lose one when I killed a pilot, but would get another in its place. I must have made so many Rakkies, but only ever had two on the board at a time. Celeste's last move to take out Yularen was just magical. I didn't even know I'd won it until after the countback. Graham had originally counted two rounds of gambit, but he wasn't sure so said he'd drop one and hand me the win. A massive gesture from a top player. I won it 154-152 for 2pts and a shock.
Round 2: vs Oli/Darth O/OhMyGOWK (Skybuck) on Grand Plaza
So, I figured it wouldn't matter taking a loss in my second game. Looking at Oli's tried and true Skybuck squad, I just figured he'd have the best of it. After all, he could tow, gallop and swap his way around my squad with gay abandon. The game progressed as best it could - I took the left and set up down low, trying to force engagement through the rooms that are joined by doors. He galloped and swapped a coupl'a times but I didn't lose much, Crab Armour is a wonderful thing... but everytime he swapped in a fodder piece, I turned it into a Rakghoul! Those extra Rakkies actually won me the game as I ran one (had activation supremacy, don't you know) right into his pieces and, on my initiative win, strode through and took out Dash! I had already taken R2 out (thanks to Zam) and he was losing swap fodder and had no range. As in the last game, Malakili was able to come off the bench and play a monstrous game, healing folk to keep them in the game. We had dilly-dallied a bit with time and with no chance of making it a 3pointer, I locked him out to stay well ahead. 92-24 to me and I now have 4pts! What a day!
Round 3: vs Aaron/Sharron (Revan meets OR) on Theed
In all the official Save11 games we've played, I had the record of winning my first 8 games against Aaron. That doesn't really paint the right picture of Aaron as he is an excellent player, but he has since joked with me about how the comeback is on its way, a statement he had started to show true by then taking the next 3 games against me to bring the score back to 3-8. I was, in some small way, looking forward to being beaten by him as I had half-designed his squad with him and was looking forward to seeing him win the whole thing, to which I'd be able to claim some kudos for it. This game did not disappoint, as he clown-stomped me. I had now resistance to him, once he'd turned off Celeste and Malakili, and all I could do is watch the odd-attack I managed to get through be effortlessly parried or defended away. Well played Aaron and finally, the day as I had planned it began to unfold. 200-7 to Aaron (as well as the scoreline of 4-8 in our competition games) and I remained on 4pts for the competition.
Round 4: vs Paul (Caedus/Zannah) on Theed
I'd managed to play three very good players and three very good squads, but it didn't stop there. While Paul is still new to the competitive game, he plays amongst the Dave-Mike-Aaron trio (being brothers of Dave and Mike) so is well-versed in all things minis. His squad, too, was great - Caedus is a monster, Zannah is a tank, and the addons of Vergere and the two Force Ghosts made for a tough matchup. Mostly. He forgot about Malakili handing out Overwhelming and that changed things momentously. I was able to get past all his masses of defence and put damage straight onto the big two. I made my biggest mistake of the tournament by bringing Malakili up too far and I could have lost him and my advantage... but I spotted it before Paul and moved him the hell away. I quickly knifed through the Sith pair and won it 209-76. Holy moly... I am 3-1 and have 7pts!?!
Round 5: vs Rich/Darth Rattlehead (Tarpals/Zam/Evazan/GOWK) on Theed
Rich and I are great mates. We talk minis, play music together and discuss theological issues deeply. I got him into the game (well, I got just about everyone into the game over here) and have been perhaps a few steps ahead of him in terms of the game, but he is a fast learner and in our last meeting, he knocked me over so I knew I couldn't let myself forget what I was doing! I won map (for like the 4th time!) and we set up and rocked on into the game. He had planned to run a Republic squad using a bunch of Antarian Rangers and the Antarian Captain, but at the last minute changed to this squad. Whether it was the lack of game time with this squad or that we were in Round 5, he made the crucial mistake of leaving R2 next to cover in a long line-of-sight and I Zam'd R2. After that, I had a significant advantage, having the only override piece and I proceeded to take out his pieces. The game had progressed very slowly, Rich taking his time to make the best of the bad situation he found himself in, and when I took a look at the clock, I made a call to push for a 3pt win as I figured, that might be all that separates me from being in the Top 4 or not. I started to push hard and, as a result, lost some pieces quickly which drew the score closer than I'd have liked, but time ran out and I was left up 140-113 in a 2-1 win that I nearly gambled away! Still, that gave me the 4-1 record and 9 pts...
...and, strangely, I was sitting in outright 3rd! That was an amazing result and I was beside myself. I didn't think I'd be competing in a knockout and was a bit surprised. I think others were too! but they seemed genuinely pleased for me. I was in amongst good company too - Aaron had the squad to win the whole thing, Dave was winning everything locally (especially with his Imperial squad) and Tim had recently beaten the World Champ. Holy moly. I figured that I'd play my game and take my $40 store credit and be happy as!
Semi-Final: vs Aaron/Sharron again! on Asteroid Base
Well, I had been taken apart so clinically by Aaron's (my?) squad in our last game, I expected to quickly exit the knockouts and allow Aaron to take our personal record to 5-8, then watch him battle to lift the NZ title. I didn't want to just roll over, however, and I thought I'd try see if I could outlast Bastilla. We set up for a round (or two?) and then he, as he did in the game before, he turned on Bastilla so I spent the next round positioning my pieces with faux-aggression, but not actually approaching any engagement. The next round, however, he pounced and I did my best to soak up any losses my squad took while I tried to outlast Bastilla and get my CEs back. I even sent some Uggies out with mousies as support to try and attack Bastilla just in case she turned on again later. He didn't even wait for the next round to operate Bastilla again - he turned her straight on once more - which meant I had to last three rounds of Bastilla in a row, knowing that she'd have no Force points for a coupl'a rounds afterward. Then, the break came! He was attacking with Satele and he charged in further but put her adjacent to cover. I pounced with Zam and Satele was gone, and Aaron was winded. I started charging knowing that Bastilla wasn't on, as well as trying to run in with Celeste and Zam. He withdrew all his fodder pieces (fearing Rakghouls) and soaked up my attacks, but now I had Gambit and the countdown was on. We saw that time was drifting away and, after a quick count up, on both sides, I withdrew and locked a door, whilst he was content to let me do so. I was worried I had counted wrong, but when time was called, it turned out he had counted wrong and I was 119-109 up, thus taking a 2-1 win and a trip to my first Major Final since HaweraCon 2010! Aaron was beside himself. He did a quick count and realised that, had he have known the correct score, he could have marched Revan 18 squares and swapped in Bastilla to have he attack and kill my Lobot for the win. Holy moly.
Final! vs Dave/Dr. Daman (Cad/Corde swap) on Theed
This game, being our 7th, came down to who was mentally fitter. His matchup was already better than mine on paper and he had already won one major title with it this year. I was running what I had originally thought of as a casual squad and had not expected to be anywhere near here. I knew I had to somehow get to his pieces but in all the chaos of positioning, I misplaced Celeste in Round 2 and, with Ozzel and Thrawn to back him up, Bane swapped in and made Celeste - and my hopes - disappear. I conceded shortly afterward and Dave was deservedly crowned NZ Champion.
For me, this was a monstrous tournament. I had so many people encouraging me to play and everyone was a) delighted I could and b) so happy with the tournament running so well. My thanks go out to my whole Save11 crew for the support for me and the tourney! and all the stuff that we do. Also, I named my squad "For Jim" as it was 'for Jim' who had talked about it with me during the SHNN show (episode 183) and I wanted to 'tip my hat' to my favourite man in minis - kudos to you, Jim! The squad somehow turned out to be competitive after all!
Mauri ora, mauri mate! Ka nui pai te whanau. Arohanui.
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Mauri ora, mauri mate!
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