Worlds 2009 report

MECCG World Championship discussion forum.
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tarkin84
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:46 pm

Hi people.

I'm Miguel Tarin from Spain and, although I've been reading the forums (this one and the meccg.net) for years, this is my first post, other than some rules question.

FRIDAY

Agustin and me arrived at Llinars too late to play the hero 1-deck tournament, which was a pitty because I had prepared a nice deck I wanted to try to get some feedback on its possibilities for 2-deck games (squatter hero at Carn Dum with Lucky Searchs). So, instead of playtesting for the following day (which seemed the obvious choice), we decided to go to the swimming pool to fool around with Antonio and ball.

That night I played my first minion sealed deck tournament. I was excited about it because I've played a lot of hero sealed but none with minion. I played three games (6-0 win, 6-0 win, 2-4 loss against Mr Roca) to end up second and decided that never, ever again I would play another minion sealed tournament. I got tired of struggling to survive during the M-H, losing characters to stupid Sons of Kings just to play a 1-point Spear or -worse- to have the wonderful chance to roll an 11 to get a faction, if I got lucky and there's no Foolish Words. Anyway, at least it was fun to play as the hazards player.


SATURDAY

Deck vs Hero/FW: Fallen Radagast with wolves. Two companies moving between Weathertop and White Towers with A Short Rest. Hazards: creatures playable on Eriador and quick-to-play events.
Deck vs Minion: Same resources. Hazards: A little bit of everything (I was not confident on them, and I proved to be right, sadly).

Game One: Wolgang with minion

First game, first opponent I knew his name (it tends to be tougher when you face someone "famous"). He was playing the lieutenants-at-home-with-journey-downstairs-for-aiglos-helm-trolls-and-more deck. My resource deck went quite good while my hazard behaved decently throughout the game until last turn when Wolgang surprised me moving to the Underleas, where a Nameless Thing, Redobled Force and Cave Drake killed almost everything (he couldn't play the Axe and that was a pitty since he would have faced an on-guard Troll Purse). To be fair, he had very bad rolls on that final turn, even failing to get the Orcs of Dol Guldur with snake eyes. Anyway, nice game (at least for me) and nicer opponent. 6-0 win. 6 points.

Game Two: Mark Alfano with Fallen Radagast

When I saw the pairing I thought that luck was not on my side. Now I'm thankful for having the chance to play against him as he proved to be a cool guy and the game was extremely tough and balanced. He played the Ettenmoors Fallen Radagast deck. We drafted both Hidden Haven first (I do it so just to hinder those decks and to leave a sage behind for marvels) so it bounces. I start the game and have the chance to play Radagast first... but no Radagast. At least I played my Hidden Haven. I started doing my stuff, always trying to keep more that one character at the haven not to lose it against an unlucky Call of Home. He played Radagast immediately and had to change his game plan, moving his wizard to Eriador. My hazards went quite good, managing to stop him while I was struggling against my low general influence, my no-wizard-means-no-sideboarding (he canceled my first Longbottom Leaf) and my nerves. He got Tom first, I got Warg King first but lost it when he came and CvCC-ed me at haven White Towers (so that he could join his troll company with the dwarven company). In the end, time was called and after a small disagreement due to the tension of the game, Mark finished his turn, I played mine and Mark finished the game with a last turn. I did eveything to get at least a 2-4 loss, but Mark's last turn was pretty horrible and I still had chances. Balin got killed at Barrow-Downs after playing Corsairs and Dundeling Raiders, and Tom was discarded. Final count was 18-15 for Mark, when I showed him Gloin, Blackbird and Blackbole. I was excited to tie the game, but two-times world champs has always tricks and Mark revealed Keys of White Towers for a 2-4 loss for me. Afterwards, during luch, I realized that Mark didn't get any item, so I would have had 3 additional item MPs. I was fool enough to tell him so because I was excited at the idea of winning against him as, even though this was the first time he knew about me, he has been THE reference for me since I rejoined the game. I regret doing that at that time because he felt bad about it and he's so cool that he even suggested telling Marc Roca so to change the game result. Of course, I refused because it was my fault, my missplay and didn't deserve the win for not focusing on the game as I should have done but I was so happy to end that really, really, really tough game and was happy enough with the result that I didn't think about anything else but lunch. Anyway, Mark has proven a really nice guy for offering the win to me and I am proud of myself for succeeding the corruption check of Lure of Winning :D. 8 points.

Game Three: Agustin with Hero

I was expecting a tough game against his Eriador deck but... Hobbits! Agustin played a typical vs minion deck against all alignments. I was confident about this game as my hazards are prepared for them (3 Cave drakes, 2 Unabated in malice, 2 Beorning, 1 Ahunt and Searching Eye in the sideboard). I started the game doing my usual stuff. Agustin got lucky to play Promptings, but the game would be over on that turn. He moved to Ovir Hollow and faced two cave drakes without cancellers. Gordo was wounded in the first attack, and Bilbo and Sam in the second. Sam was killed and the hobbits were stranded there for the rest of the game (I managed to play 4 or 5 times Beorning Skinchangers). He had to take the risk of moving Pallando and Cirdan just to get the wizard killed against a Dunlending riders with pierced by many wounds! After the game against Mark, I did not want to make the same mistake again, so I calmly played everything I could even if that would take an additional turn or two. Agustin complained about it, he asked me to call the council but I refused until I was 200% sure to get a 6-0 win, playing everything I could. He said that he was not having fun and I told him that I was not having fun too and taht he could conceed to finish it but he refused to do so (I beleive he was trying to get me call council too fast so that I made a mistake and he had the chance to get a 1-5 loss). Anyway, I ended up calling council and winning 6-0. 14 points.

Game Four: Coro with Fallen Gandalf

Coro was clever enough to bring a deck I was considering bringing too but changed it for Radagast as didn't expect so much Fallen Radagast (I missread the metagame). He was playing an antimeta Fallen Gandalf in Eriador to hinder Rhosgobel with Chambers. I am amazed at how Coro and I have always the same ideas even though we do not talk to each other about them. But he was missing half of the tech: had he played Hidden Haven in the draft just to discard my Hidden Haven and things would have been worse. The draft was a disaster for me, as he made me start with Surion, Halbarad, Ioreth, Gloin and Herion (no Asternak, Faramir, Beretar, Threlin or Gulla possible). Anyway, I had another tough game to play. He started the game and made 4 moves without difficulties (I only got to play a stupid Barainax ahunt) so things started to look bad for me. I was lucky to play Faramir first turn and didn't play my short rests so that he could not speed his deck. I got wolfs and, more important, Tom first thanks to Farmer Maggot and managed to stop him more times than he stopped me and get back the tempo of the game. Our hazards did a good job, perhaps mine hindering him more because he frequently moved to Cardolan (raiders and corsairs had invaded Eriador) and I tried to stick to Arthedain. Radagast moved to my haven at Ettenmoors, which I protected, with the sages to play allies as Gandalf had taken over his homesite. I was able to get the six allies and play Girdle last turn and when I counted the points I was leading to a 31-20 advantage (possibe 5-1) so I called the council. But Coro was able to play Goldberry and forced my 4-2 win. I was happy to win, as Coro is quite tough and presented me with a difficult matchup. 18 points.

Game Five: Quique with Minion

At this point I was third in the tournament. I had to win to enter the top four but when I saw his starting company I knew what his deck was about and lost all confidence. If I had doubts on my hazards vs minion before the tournament, now I was pretty sure I was going to have to sideboard madly as my hazards weren't going to be of any help. He played a deck with Shagrat and two Orc Snuffler in the underdeeps, starting at Dol Guldur and finishing at Cirith Gorgor and playing Blasting Fires and troll allies and, of course, Aiglos and Dragonhelm. Lieutenant of Dol Guldur played Orcs of Dol Guldur and waited for two faithless stewards. I sideboarded two seized by terror for the last turn and one the way is shut. But I had all the bad luck possible: he managed to pilfer both Herion (losing my only item point: Barrowblade) and Surion (losing the sixth ally for Girdle) before I drew my Withdrawn to Mordor and called council before I drew any of the sideboarded hazards (10 cards left in the deck, and the three of them were there). Sometimes things go wrong and you cannot do anything to change that. Anyway, I managed to get enough points to force a 2-4 loss and end the tournament with 20 points but I only had three wins so it wasn't enough to enter the top 4.


SATURDAY NIGHT

Drinking game. Only four players: Marc Roca, Mark Alfano, Neldoreth and me. I had never played a drinking game before, but now I just can't wait for the next one. I had a lot of fun. We played a multiplayer game with the two Marc-Mark against Neldoreth and me. I won't tell any details, I'll only say that after two turns the game was interrupted when Mark attempted to CvCC Neldoreth after some card eating.


SUNDAY

Even though all the alcohol from the night before was still giving trouble to me I decided to play the Hero sealed tournament. I got the Beorn pack but, more important, got Thrain from a The Dragons booster. I had a starting company more of constructed than sealed: Beorn/Bard Bowman and Thrain/Eowyn, plus 2 concealments, 2 trickery and 1 stealth. Strongest sealed deck for me ever. I won my three games 6-0, winning the tournament.


I had a lot of fun during the whole weekend and I want to thank Marc Roca for organising the event, and for being a perfect host.
Balin
Ex Council Member
Posts: 178
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 5:01 pm
Location: Madrid
Contact:

tarkin84 wrote:(I beleive he was trying to get me call council too fast so that I made a mistake and he had the chance to get a 1-5 loss)
You believe too much :P
__

Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!
Jose-san
Ex Council Member
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:22 pm
Location: Valencia, Spain

Very good tournament against a lot of very good players. Congrats :)
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