The Tournament began 12pm on May 3rd, and ended at 2 am May 4th (the 4th was strong with me)
So first off I want to say Im a jerk with an amazing gf. I had planned on attending this tourny since it was first announced. My gf wanted to go with me to the tourny, but knowing it would be long and probable boring, I thought I would try to teach her the game rather quickly in taco bell right before the tournament (or was it torment?). With allot of persuasion, I got her to enter the tourny with a list I built for her (it was a Han/Chewie list). So that being said, she got a couple of close games before she finally threw in the towel.
The second thing I have to mention is the 2nd World Champ was there with about 15 other folks from Washington DC. This was intimidating to see 15 blue shirts with the same logo, under the flag of world champ, Paul.
Alright now onto the good stuff. I ran an imp swarm (Alpha, Alpha, Alpha+Stealth device, Academy, Academy, Howlrunner+determination) I set up in a 2x3 block formation towards whatever side looked easier to come through. I made sure to make it difficult for anyone to just blast through the asteroids and kept them tight. In every game I set up with my two Academys on the front corner, and put my alpha with SD in the middle of the front row. I then put my last two interceptors behind the academies, and howlrunner behind the Alpha with SD.
looked like:
Tie Intr+SD Tie
Intr Howlrun Intr
First Battle:
First guy I played was running, Soontir+SD+PtL, Turr+SD+PtL, and Vader+engine+squad Leader. (I felt confident going into this)
This guy reminded me of the pod racer commentator because he had a guy beside him who was helping him play, giving him suggestions, and just made it a 2 heads vs 1 head game. I had fun, and let a missed actions go, vader went down fast, the others were dead before anything nasty happened. It was me vs 2 newbs.
result: win
Beside me, I see my other friend who was also running a Han/Chewie build get annihilated.
Second Battle:
I would then face this list that tore through two falcons. Which was Soontir fel+SD, Temptest, Backstabber+SD, Carnor+SD.
He tried to come at me from different angles but failed. I one shotted Carnor, and then had to fight my way till the end, I was left mostly intact.
Result: win
Third Battle:
I then played a very very tough match against a weird list. Academy, Academy, Scarlet+Vet+Rebel Captive, and Col.Jendon+Adv Sensors+Engine Upgrade+Intelligence Agent
seeing the blue shirt, I knew this guy knew the game. I deployed, and he just stared my forces down before I deployed. I asked a few dumb questions, and studied his cards like I had never seen them before. I think I pulled a couple of anti Lamda tactics he didnt expect from a rookie...
He won Initiative
He decided to joust with the Lamda and firespray. I put a nasty Pilot skill 0 on Scarlet, and take about 3 shields down on the shuttle, next round I chased down Scarlet, and one shotted an academy with an academy. I did a good job at denying the Shuttle the ability to turn back around (though he did forget to put a stress token on Jendon and followed his next move with a red. being that I didnt remind him, I let him have the move no argument. even though he forgot, I felt it was my mistake for not catching it)
The rest of the game was mop up for me, though I had 49 points left, each with damage.
Result: win
Fourth Battle:
Another blue shirt
Biggs, Blue+sensors, Blue+sensors, Blue+sensors
This game I went fast, too fast. we deployed in opposite corners, I shot half way up the board and thought I know what the right choice is, and what the wrong choice is after seeing a lane of astroids open through the middle. Even as I laid down the dials I knew I made the wrong choice. I got the lane with my top half, and my two interceptors shot around for a flanking shot. They came in way too fast. I lost them before they had a chance to fire, and the rest of my force was out of range (big blunder) I knew I lost the game at that point and just wanted to try for the next game, so I pushed dumb luck to try to win the game by coming in fast. I felt happy killing Biggs atleast.
Jeff took some pictures and made a battle report of the blunderous battle
result: lost
Last round of Swiss
At the final round of swiss I informed that not all 4-1 players would make it to the cut of top 8, and knew a 3-2 would end my games
My gf sat beside me and watched me take on the last blue shirt (who had a near loss vs Paul)
he ran Dutch+Ion, Blue+Fire control, Blue+fire control, Blue+fire control
again, I figured these guys would appreciate thinking I was a newbie taking on a vet.
we set up on opposite sides again. I shot out, and he turned to his other corner (the game looked the we were playing for a ds9)
he went after my corner interceptor and took him down after two shots, and damaged an academy. He failed to ion my focused SD interceptor. The next turn I made a very nice grid web with my ties and denied him actions and shots. I took down his Bs without much of a problem, The closer the game got to the end, the more he talked about the game being blind luck.
Result: win
Top 8
Okay so I got some neato dice, I then proceeded to use those dice in my next game
So being that I had lots of time between the first 5 games, I went around and talked to different players and saw one other imp swarm that I had to talk to about strategy
he had Academy, Academy, Obsidian, Obsidian, Obsidian, Backstabber, Howlrunner+sd.
He talked about how his list anti swarm, and I debated that ps 1 was better then ps 3 for swarm vs swarm. We got to test our theories in the top 8.
I got Initiative for the game
he set up in a great formation, where it was a 3x2 instead of my 2x3. his back side was filled with space and the astroid fields were just that. I almost made a blunder in my approach (played a little less aggressive) I didnt expect his sharp turn to face him in his own back field. we traded shots, he downed an academy (he choose to focus fire on him instead of my interceptor who was just as easy of a target) I got two damage on one of his obsidian, next round I proved my theory of what happens if you survive initial wave and forced him to collide with me. He took his howl against mine, and missed. I returned fire likewise forgetting he had stealth device. I got 1 hit on my dice, and he crapped his 4 dice defense roll. he shot my howl down, and I shot his down too. it began to be a kiogran then green then repeat type of game for both of us, expect every time I would deny him actions and my interceptors made short work of his remaining ties.
Top 4
At this point I realized I had just entered the top 4 and got nifty maneuver templates. through out the tourny I had heard speak of a guy running a dreaded list, and he pulverized the guy who beat my earlier in the Top 8 match.
This was to many the list to be the most feared
Wes+Vet, Wedge+R2+Oppertunist, and Luke+R2D2+Oppertunist
He made a huge blunder at the start of the game by trying to joust with my swarm, then proceeded to make another blunder by having Wedge and luke up front, and wes in the back behind luke. turn 1 I was able to drop the shields off of Wedge at range 3, turn 2, I killed wedge and lost an interceptor at range 2, turn 3 I killed wes and lost an academy. Turn 4 I kiogranned and hit Luke with a pilot skill 0, turn 5-8 I remained out of firing arc, turn 7 flew an interceptor and academy off the board. turn 8 I killed Luke. And like that I was in the finals
After our match was done the last final 8 match was just finishing. Bam, the guy from Game 3 won. He then faced Paul and I kept rooting for both guys. Paul for being able to say I played the world champ and Kriss because I knew I could win. The pivital moment was when paul had gold squadron with 1 hull, and an untouched bwing vs Kriss with a lamda with 1 hull, and scarlet with 1 hull.
Lamda kills gold, B kills lamda. 11 rounds later kriss kiograns scarlet within 5 hairs of the edge. Lamda then leap frogs the bwing for the kill.
FINAL
Academy, Academy, Scarlet+Vet+Rebel Captive, and Col.Jendon+Adv Sensors+Engine Upgrade+Intelligence Agent
After 13 hours of game play, our game starts at 1 am. With a nearly identical setup with asteroids, and ships we start our game. Turn 2 of combat we get into range 1, lamda gets 2hits 2 crits on dice vs my SDalpha. I roll out of it. Scarlet gets a crit on him that is engine failure (and I get a stress from evading a crit) I kill scarlet and drop Lamdas shields. The next move I kiogran for another pass, but after I set my maneuvers and start moving my guys I realized I made a blunder. I did a hard 2 with stress critted interceptor. He didnt realize what I did, even after I told him I made a blunder and he got to choose his move. I think I could of gotten away with it but I didnt want to win that way. he places him so he will run of the board next game, and it messes up howlrunner. The next hour of gameplay we were both very very tired. I knocked over ships with my shakey hands and sticky fingers, he knocked over and readjusted my guys just as many times with his range ruler and arms. It was a mess of a game. I ended up losing another interceptor and an academy when I took his two ties out. I had my ties behind his lamda when he called game.
I think I sneaked under the radar with that win. I dont think anyone, even me would of guessed I would win.
My gf had a great time btw and I got her to become a fan of the game 
I had support of another player from my area cheer me on until I won at 2 am.
There were 2 folks I wanted to play against, Kyros, and Paul. I made sure I got to roll dice against Paul before I left, and still demanding a rematch vs Kyros since the last Store champ he beat me at
