10/8/2002 -- Kory Lentine:
I just got back from the first documented totally underwater game of Redemption. I played with Jason O. at my wife's parents' pool. Since
standard scuba gear includes 2 regulators (your primary, plus a spare to share with your buddy in case he ever runs out of air while you're
underwater), I had all we needed for both of us to descend beneath the surface of the water and play a complete game before coming back up.
There is one particularly nasty thing about Redemption cards that I never realized before trying to do this:
REDEMPTION CARDS FLOAT!!!!
Yes, that's right--the little buggers float. In scuba lingo, we would call them "positively buoyant." In Kory lingo, I'd call them negatively
insane. Still, this was for the record, so we improvised. By putting a large paper clip on EACH card, we got them to stay down, and the game
resumed.
I told my brother, as I handed him his deck, that I modified it for a quick game. I took out the Grim Reapers, any immune evil characters, some key stopper evil cards, and went heavy with offense, along with a New Jerusalem (lamb) in each deck. Basically a weak defense, strong offense quick-win game. NOTICE: I never said that I modified BOTH decks like that! : )
Imagine his dismay when on the second turn of the game, I didn't have a good offense yet, so I activated Burial Shroud! I heard some garbled underwater mumbling coming from his direction that sounded distinctly similar to "WHAT'S UP WITH THAT!!"
Imagine his further dismay when he blocked with Evil Spawn and discarded the top card off my draw pile and saw that it was Burial (lucky dog!).
Things got real bad when he came at me with his weenie little starter deck hero and I blocked with Prince of This World (immune to lone heroes).
Although we could not talk underwater, I again heard some distorted mumblings that sounded suspiciously similar to "THAT'S MESSED UP!!"
We both got off our Son of Gods and New Jerusalems early, but when I played Falling Away on his first successful rescue attempt, he didn't seem to think that was fair.
It all came to a head when, for the final point of the game, I played James (purple 10/10) against his Strong Demon, followed by Authority of Christ PROMO (discard all EC's; can't be interrupted, prevented or negated).
When we finally surfaced for air, he seemed to think that the game wasn't totally fair. Apparently he was under the impression that I was supposed to have a starter deck, too. : ) I don't know what his problem was. I hadn't even drawn my Saul/Paul to use with the Holy Grail I drew on my first turn. Nor did my Emperor Nero come up in time to use it. : )
As I was leaving my house to go play the underwater game, one of my sons asked me to tell him if me or Uncle Jason won when I got home. I told him, "There's no need. I can tell you now: I won." (WHAT?--you didn't think I was going to go on record as having LOST the first recorded underwater game of Redemption, did you?!) : )
BTW, I have already had someone ask if he could have some of the ultra-rares that I was going to use, after the game. Unfortunately, the cards began to shred shortly after we started, and were pretty much disintegrated beyond any future use, by the time the game was over. Sorry. (take consolation in the knowledge that they died valiantly for the cause!)
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