Charlie Plaine (MidnightLich) Tournament Report - 2E - North American Continentals Day One 2019-06-22 - 09:00 AM Kris is Very Smart Introduction I haven't played much 2E in the past few years, and it's been even longer since I played competitive 2E. I didn't have any real hopes to make Day 2, but thought it was possible. I decided to play something on the more competitive end to see what would happen, and decided to give Kris Sonsteby's (LORE) Cadet deck a try. I played it unmodified. In terms of how the deck plays, it's very simple: barf out people, do missions. If everyone dies, rebuild. Round 1 Neil Timmons ML (-30) Drawing Neil in the first round wasn't ideal, because a) he's a good player and b) he tends to play disruptive decks. Both proved true, but I was really proud of my play in this game and the fact I held him to a modified win. It turned out to matter, and kept Neil on the bubble just outside of qualifying for Day 2. (I wasn't trying to keep Neil out, it just turns out I did. Sorry, Neil!) Highlight: I was holding a Phoenix and Kirk for Neil when he hit me with Organized Terrorist Activities, and then I never saw them again. Phoenix wouldn't have mattered, given the timed game, but Kirk might have won me the game. Round 2 Michael Parrish FW (+70) I'd never had the privileged of meeting or playing Michael, so this was a treat. He was playing a Mirror Starfleet deck and got out early, attempting Jupiter with six. Fortunately, my dilemmas were kind to me and I stopped him several times. That let my cadets get through Practice Orbital Maneuvers, which also took away his bonus from Earth. This ended up being the turning point of the game, as Michael didn't get much chance to recover. Highlight: Chatting with him about how cute all the male cadets are. He's not wrong! Round 3 Mike Camp Sr FW (+70) Mike was another new player for me, which was a joy. He was playing a KCA deck with the new headquarters, but it was mostly Klingons. He got out attempting early with six, but the dilemma pile Kris made is very good at stopping small attempts, often with no dilemmas under. He attempted several times before he got the mission, and meanwhile my cadets just chewed threw missions. Highlight: Mike had out Racial Disdain, which would let him unstop his Klingons, and most of my random selections missed his Klingons entirely! Round 4 Maggie Geppert ML (-50)View opponent's ReportView original Report This was a hyped up match, as Maggie (the current Chair at the time) was paired up against myself (the emeritus Chair). Maggie had a bonus point heavy TNG deck, which meant that my Phoenix wasn't going to be useful in buying me more time. Her dilemma play was magnificent, and kept me from getting ahead before she could round the corner. Highlight: Maggie! I adore her, she's one of my favorite people, and this community is richer for having her in it. I knew Charlie was playing Cadets and also knew I needed to outspeed him. Round 5 Rachel Lewis FW (+100) My third new player of the tournament! Rachel was lovely, and fun to talk to during and after the game. She was playing a Klingon deck with classic missions, but she ran into the same problems as Michael and Mike had before - attempting with six, my dilemma pile did a lot of work stopping her. Her only ship was the Rotarran, with 7 Range, which meant she had to waste two turns going back to Qo'noS. Her dilemmas did an admirable job slowing me down, but ultimately my Cadets were too fast. Hightlight: Rachel shared with me how comfortable and welcome the Atlanta group had made her feel over the past few years. That was fantastic to hear. Round 6 Lucas Thompson FL (-60) Going into this round, I knew I would need to win to made Day 2. Lucas was playing newer Starfleet cards (not Terra Prime) that I wasn't really familiar with, so I ended up making some bad plays. He was able to stop me at POM for three or four turns, and got Jupiter and the SF bonus points early. I was damaged and really needed a 2nd ship, so I played the Phoenix - which proved to be a critical mistake. Lucas had At What Cost? on hand, and was planning on playing it, which would have dropped him below 110 and forced him to a 4th mission. But since I played the Phoenix to get a 2nd ship, he knew not to do it. I was then unable to stop him due to Archer (turning random selections into choices), Soval (who can't be stopped), and Accumulated Knowledge. Wow, that's powerful. Highlight: Lucas and I talking about the design of these Starfleet cards. Lucas is one of my favorite people, and incredibly insightful. I always learn something when I talk to him. Closing Thoughts 3-3 wasn't even close to Day 2, but I had a really fun day.