Red Arrow's Mark Presents:

Greetings all,

Here is a report on the San Francisco METW Hero's only tournament held March 30. First place: The One Ring! 

My fiancee' dropped me off at the nondescript building at 10 a.m. I  was sure I somehow screwed up the directions and was at the wrong place,  but I rang the buzzer anyhow and the familiar face of Gene Berry answered the door. So with a wave to my beloved, into the gamer's lair I went.

The group was hearing a horror story as I arrived. Apparently a player was on his way to the tournament from the East Bay and his cards slipped off the back of his motorcycle during the drive. He didn't realize it until he arrived! Much empathy for that poor guy!

Well I sat down to make some last minute adjustments to my deck. I should mention here that I was EXTREMELY hung over at that moment. I'd just spent about the last four hours, well, "driving the bus" is one way of putting it. Too much wine and too many sidecars the night before (great drink by the way).

 I mention it only because of the effect it had on my mindset for the tournament. I really felt like I was in no condition to compete. My attitude was to just go for it and not try and think too much.

Ok, there were eight players total I believe. My first opponent was none other than Dave Stegman. I don't believe he actually planned to play that day but because of the disaster with the player on the
motorcycle, he was forced into filling out the bracket. He was putting together the deck as we spoke. I don't remember much about the deck, except he started with someone big, a couple of hobbits and Eowyn.

The reason I don't remember much about it was because his deck never got off the ground. I killed Eowyn quickly. He didn't get his wizard out until there were 3 minutes left in the round. Apparently his sideboard was in his deck and half of his deck was in his sideboard. He brought out Vygavril at her home site and she brought out Southron. But then he realized he didn't have the general influence to have brought out Vygavril in the first place and discarded her and the faction. The hobbits went romping around in Mordor but he couldn't pull an item from his deck and then they ran into a River (in Mordor? Oh well).

My deck came out great. I had a wizard on turn one and never looked back. I got out many factions and a greater item after getting stalled for a couple turns. He tried dropping a lot of corruption on me but between the cock crowing in the morning light and the marvels told, I was unaffected. I finished the round with a 6-0 victory. Dave got his deck straightened out in the next round and ended up doing pretty well.

Round 2: I found myself facing Gene Berry. Gene and I met while playing this game at a gaming convention in Los Angeles.

His deck was quite an impressive display of impressive people! His starting party was Galadriel and Elrond I believe. Cirdan would follow once Pallando came along. His hazard deck was filled with Nazgul and Dragon at Home which was all very frightening for me since I head off  to dragon country.

Gene is a very tricky player. The first turn, Galadriel challenges my party to a riddle game. Thankfully I had a sage which allowed me to match wits with the Lady. I won the first round, good thing too because he would have called my wizard if he had won and I wouldn't have been
able to play him on my first turn. I got as far away from Galadriel and Elrond as I could.

My elves and dunedain were surrounded by dragons and everyone except Thranduil got wounded. But they were afraid to head back to a haven and face Galadriel, so they just kept going deeper and deeper into dragon lands with Thranduil picking up a greater item and a faction with the
help of A Friend or Three.

Alatar came out early again and sideboarded for a while before picking up Nenselde the Wingild and couple more elves before heading off for Orcrist. I survived almost having to discard my entire hand to Khamul's ability only because of a Marvels Told and the fact that I got out Ren myself and kept him there so he couldn't be played against me.

Gene found Galadriel having roadblock trouble and twice had to face a Call of Home. In the end, I had another 6-0 victory.

We went out and ate. After some great Middle-Eastern food from a deli and a large cup of coffee, I was feeling great. Now I was actually nervous because I knew the ring at that point was mine to lose.  

Jeff Severtson was my final opponent. He was running Galadriel and a bunch of hobbits. His first turn, he dropped Radagast and headed into three forest. I've got to say, if I had stacked my deck personally, my hazards could not have come out better against Jeff. In the first turn he found himself assaulted by a Cave Drake followed by another and then a River Drake. His hobbits were chewed like bubble gum but lived to talk about it.

My hazard strategy further slowed him down with The Moon is Dead. He was heading to undead sites with a Starglass in hand but was unprepared to face two attacks. As soon as I saw him pull a palantir, I headed to the hazard sideboard the next turn for Neither so Ancient nor so Potent. (I
later played it on the palantir)

Alatar took a while to show up, but in the meantime, Thranduil and his fellowship were having a grand time in dragon lands picking up loot and slaying things. The Star of High Hope was visible in the Clear Skies. 

But it was a very close game because Jeff was amassing factions and I couldn't seem to get any because my wizard was tardy and hadn't found the time to sideboard them in. He and Glorfindel picked up Nenselde and bagged an assassin along the way.

It was a neck and neck game, but I drew the card i needed on Jeff's last turn. He split up his hobbits and Galadriel in hope of grabbing a few more points. The hobbits headed toward the Blue Mountains and the dwarves there. I blocked them with a Siege. Then I played Call of Home
on Galadriel. He had no unused general influence and she left the board. A huge break for me!

I thought that was the game but then I was informed that I had one turn coming. I wasn't sure I wanted to take it. I didn't know the score but I figured it close and I didn't want to risk losing someone. And I just used Many Sorrows and Twilight on my own force enhancing cards in an
effort to burn cards for what I thought were upcoming corruption checks. Thranduil and the crew suddenly looked very mortal.

I was told I had to take a turn so I sent Thranduil and the boys to a dragons lair in search of a sword. I could have sent Alatar for some armor but I chose to head towards a haven instead.
 
Jeff was waiting for this and took this chance to drop major corruption on both parties along with A Balance of Power. I got the major item I was looking for but now faced two corruption checks both at a six. 

So it came down to this. Two rolls of the dice. I had a good time playing and came further than I ever expected. I scooped up the dice  and gave them a fling thinking to myself, "What the hell."

I made the rolls and the ring was mine. Even though he got double the points for factions, I still beat him thanks to my greater item points.

Thanks to everyone!

Ralph Montano

Check out Ralph's winning deck here  >>===> Decks