well guys, I basically trashed my plans today to take one last shot at a store championship. you may remember I Top 4-ed my first one, and then made the final in a second but had to drop. I had a couple others I played in that I hadn't played much prior to and didn't do great (5-4 overall, tho losses to eventual winner, and Top 4 player in both cases... so not horrific).
I had been helping Tiny test a lot leading to Get Con, so I had the Rainbow 9's deck that he and the hyper loops guys were playing, and while I didn't break it out last weekend, I finally took it today - even though I've only really played against it, and not with it.
I got one quick training game in on TTS, grabbed a friend's "lucky" breakfast sandwich, and headed out. 20 players total, at least 4 store champ winners there. Decent crowd, but not nearly as hard as last week.
Round 1 vs Emo Kids.
I definitely was a little scared of this matchup. He hit pretty hard early but also had like 7 damage for 3 resources showing with no resources (dat Emo kids Achilles heel), got a holocron into a Force Throw on Kylo, but I used a Friends in Low Places and pulled something decent from his hand and left him with just a deflect. I hadn't rolled in 9s yet, but my Nightsister had a discard and he misplayed, claiming. (Shoulda passed and made me make him discard it - now he wasn't playing it and I could re-roll). After that claim I boundless and hammered him and drained my night sister to ensure the hits counted. I knocked Anakin out. Bala and the night sister died, but 9s was fairly loaded up with baton and rocket launcher and I won fairly comfortably after Flanking his force throw.
Round 2 vs Jango / 9s / Nightsister
This guy was nice, but didn't really know how to use the deck, and Jango is an interesting choice. He got a blaster on Jango and actually did like 5 damage to Bala. But I Boundless first turn and I think I killed Jango by doing 3 to my own night sister to make sure stuff hit. Then I cleaned up 9s and the Sister. I'm not sure he got a kill this game. But it was comfortable.
Round 3 vs Justin Garza's Phasma won't die list.
Justin won the last two store champs with this list, and surprised me last week with my Neo Poe/Maz deck with a prized possession on turn 2. my deck was a terrrrrible matchup for his deck, which takes tons of shields, and loved all the resources I gave him off of retreat and hyperspace jump and turned it into endless ranks.
I was excited for the rematch considering he had won the last 2 in SoCal. But I was much more ready this time. I got logistics off turn 1, and I think I had 1 3-cost upgrades on 9 by the end of turn 1 and started turn 2 with 5 resources. Killed phasma late turn 2 / turn 3. he did kill Bala and was close on night sister (mostly my own doing) and had 7 on 9s... so it was still close, but I left the stormie at 6 so he couldn't redeploy and then burned down the guav. 9s was all melee - Baton, Flamethrower, lightsaber. but he crushed.
Round 4 vs Jonathan Garza's Rainbow 9s.
Jon built this to beat Justin, and it's pretty good. That said this game wasn't close. He won the roll off and took his field (wha?) - and I happily took shields. First turn ping my night sister to re-roll his Bala die and he didn't get another resource that turn. Meanwhile I logistics->boundless->logistics. Game basically over there, killed Bala, stood mine up, had his night sister on the ropes. He killed Bala but was outa rolls that turn and I still had a full 9s turn to go and wiped him out.
Finished 2nd after Swiss, and got paired with Jonathan for the final 4. The 1st / 4th were father son pair.
Final 4 vs Jonathan Garza's Rainbow 9s
This was a tough game. He rolled super hot to start, getting a natural 1+2 from Bala and I think he did 7 damage to Bala turn one leaving him at 2. I managed to keep Bala alive but it was tough. I put aftermath (the secret sauce) out. That said, I had a first turn FILP and it took away his boundless ambition so it capped his turn. he started pinging his night sister to kill Bala and had pinged 3 damage before he hit, I pinged mine for a fourth damage to re-roll and it went resource and he took it. whew. I got a logistics and enrage off, and while I didn't do a lot of damage, I was set-up ok. Somehow managed to keep Bala alive for a little bit, played out and got rid of his Bala (resource). he killed mine (resource) then I went ape on upgrades and killed his night sister (resource). Turn 3 things were still close, but I draw FILP and mid turn took his second boundless ambition. That sealed it and I was able to kill 9s.
Whew. The kid (Baby Vader / 9s) beat his dad (Han/Rey), so I had one aggro deck left to beat:
Final Table vs Jordan's Baby Vader/ 9s.
This game started horrible. He won the roll off and took my field. I think I maybe FILPed to see his hand and took something silly. He rolls in Baby Vader and it's double special. I have no mitigation. 9s take six damage and the going second shields on Baby Vader go away, ruh-roh. Everyone afterwards said they thought he had won the game here.
But I had 2 enrage and a logistics, first turn wasn't pretty but I build a resource pile and got a baton out. I may have had first turn boundless?
Turn 2 is interesting, I had flamethrower and vibroknuclers (I think) I need to overwrite the baton, but risky if he dies, that said, gotta kill Anakin. it works out, I kill Anakin, and that was basically it. Smashed up Kylo with weapons on 9s and re-rolls (5!!) from sister.
And that was it. I won the last SoCal store champ. I went 19-6 during store champs down here, which is pretty respectable, and I think if E3 hadn't wiped me out and I had played more in June/July it woulda been better than that number.
now to get ready for regionals! (after EAW comes out)
Definitely the highlight of my competitive-gaming career (Netrunner and this basically 
