Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Saturday Morning:
I don't like T1 and T2 2 Player going against each other.  With my distaste of Multi, these are my favorite 2 categories.  This would be my toughest choice all tourney.  Knowing Midwest Regionals is around the corner, I played the statistics based on my opinions and attendance.  I decided to go with T2 2 Player, but I did keep track of my son in T1 2P who was extremely excited to play.

Soul Seeker:  T2 2P:
   Rd 1: I faced Ginger, who I had never met before.  She had made an earlier comment that she didn't think she would do well.  I assured her that anything was possible.  Well, the game started out looking that way.  My deck drew out poorly on D, and she was off to a fast start while I was praying for a Hero.  She jumped out to a quick 2-0  lead before my characters started revealing themselves.  Once my deck got rolling, she was effectively locked out.  Soon my offense started falling into place.*  Her last rescue was a SoG towards the end of the game to offset the score.
I won 7-3.     *I do not want to get too specific because there is an off chance that I may make Nats after talking with John Michaliszyn.

   Rd 2:  I faced John Michaliszyn.  This was a rematch of the championship game from a Regionals 2 years prior.  John is also tied with me atop the RNRS boards (once NY States post), so I will admit that I was nervous.  Plus, like 2 years ago...Matt Stupenski (R.Cuz) had a big hand in helping with John's deck again.  My deck drew out average, but John got some good key cards early* while drawing his ultimate defense (no lost souls) for multiple turns.  Once he drew lost souls, we go back and forth, and it was a pretty intense game.  Time is now the enemy for both of us.  My D was set up and he couldn't get in any more.  However, I had one more shot with good support cards with the game tied 5-5.  I sentimentally (and foolishly might I add) attack with one of my 2 custom cards** that I made the Nats prior.  I couldn't avoid the ironic twist despite leaving myself open for a soul-crushing Christian Martyr.  He didn't have CM, and I blocked his attempt to tie me on his next attack.  I won in a time out 6-5.
   * I don't like revealing other people's decks either before Nats.
   ** Only one custom card is in the deck, but I am trying to protect deck identity as much as possible.   

  Rd. 3:  Technically, I was in the driver seat going in to the final round, but it was anybody's tournament.  I had to face Brad again and again I was nervous.  He knew my deck, and I knew his.  I had told Brad that it would come down to the draw.  Turns out, I was right.  I had a strong opening draw, and I continued to get cards that I needed at the right time to counter him.  It became a frustrating game for him as he realized that luck* was on my side.  I won 7-3 to clinch the title.  Brad handled this unbalanced game with a lot of grace and poise.
   * If you don't believe in luck, then that is fine but its hard to find a better term for everything going right for one person and hardly anything going right for another person.

Through this whole category....I was keeping track of what was happening with my 8 year old, Jason.

Sat. Evening: T1 Multi
   I played this category because of saving money and if I had to play multi then play a multi where luck wasn't as much an issue.

Game 1:  Ginger, her son, Sam Nurge, and myself
   This game embodies Multi-player in my mind.  This game ran slow, and my deck didn't draw right.  I got a good hero in the start, but I was forced to go after Nurge, who knew it was a key hero for me, for LS #1.  He blocked not because he didn't want me to have the lost soul, but because he didn't want that hero to get on a roll.  Needless to say, I returned the favor on his turn.  Sam and I didn't pick on each other, but we let the mother and son's lost souls get away from us.  My deck continued to struggle as did Nurge's but we all make it to 4-4-4-3 (I had 3 but half of a two liner).  I NEEDED son of God because everyone else played theirs defensively.  It was not meant to be...I made a push to draw it, but it was too deep in my deck.  Typical.  On reflection, I can't complain too much because the night before I had won by outdrawing opponents to the big 2.

Game 2:  Jayden, I forget opponent's name to my left: Jason maybe, and myself
    My deck hates me.  It had another slow draw.  I debated on ripping a plot to just do it out of frustration of that tourney, but friends talked me out of it (I made it public knowledge to the 17 playing Multi that I had it).  I gave up the Lost soul and began wishing I had played booster.  Eventually, my deck decided to be kinder and I squeaked out a 5-4-3 win.  (I had played FA on the person with 3 so it was at one point 4-4-4).

Game 3:  Alex O., Chris (Chronic Apathy), and a guy that I don't remember his name, and myself.
    My deck continues to hate me.  With my struggles to get SoG, I thought about switching decks.  I felt that my deck was due a good draw.  I was right, but Alex received a 1st turn Mayhem and I was relegated to another mediocre to bad hand.  The game was an epic back and forth between 3 players.  Revealers did a lot of damage to people but Chronic Apathy took the most punishment of anyone.  I felt a little bad, but self-preservation gave an overwhelming feeling of better him than me. Ultimately, Alex outdraws all of us to his big 2.  Realizing what was going to happen.  I played SoG on the lost soul Apathy was going for to give me sole 2nd place...however, in a surprising twist he got FA as well so it was never an issue.  Final score Alex 5, Me 4, Unknown player 2, Apathy 2.

I think I finished around 6th, but after Round 3 I had to begin quickly packing up for the long drive home.  We left shortly after the awards ceremony.