Better get my GenCon run-down before I forget everything. Don't worry, it will be brief since I am getting old...and there are wolves after me (Simpson's reference #1).

Took the red-eye and got in at about 9.30am (3 hour time difference from Seattle is always...fun). Jesse (Wyndwalker) and I happened to be getting in at the same time so took the cab in. Got to my hotel (the Conrad) and found out it was WAY too nice for a couple of slobs like us.

Went to the hall and...hell, I don't know Ended up play Legacy Highlander and had one loss to Luke's deck in Eric's hands. Really bad draw, but his deck was good as well. I was about to come back when he made 3 people Kingsguard and won it instantly

The highlight though was being decked 2nd turn by Dobbler's combo deck...and winning. Dobbs, but a reset in buddy!

Was supposed to have a Standard tourney, that everyone complained that they didn't have...and then no one showed. Well, four of us. So played a couple of games and had fun. Was going to get some good sleep but ended up drinking a good amount and staying up fairly late (3am, about as early as I can expect there). We 'hired' a panhandler (why so many in Indy...?) to show us where the liquour store was...he took us on a 'shortcut' which wasn't really one to earn a $5. Still, way cheaper than the bars!

Friday I really didn't want to Melee (reason #8 I will never win the combined), so tried to defend my World Championship in Full Metal Alchemist. Unluckily, got 3rd. Huh...that is a bit of a foreshadowing!

Also, picked up my playset of the new Warhammer LCG. Let me tell you, it ROCKS. Eric Lang strikes again. It was good enough I almost skipped aGoT worlds for the very first WH tourney ever. I will be playing that game for sure! They sold out of it by Friday afternoon though (along with BSG Pegasus, which was gone Thursday).

This ended up being the big night of drinking. Long story short, I saw way more of Luke than I ever needed to, ended up writing all over him with Erin's magic marker. After Jesse took Luke back to his room after he passed out (luckily, he...um...made himself feel better outside the hotel) it was 5.15am or so. Then the best decision ever came to us - let's just stay up until 6.00am when the hotel's pool opened back up! The pool was VERY nice, and had a HUGE hot tub. Anyways, it was very refreshing...but very stupid to stay up until 7.30 the night before Worlds. At least I had a built in excuse.

Anyways, obviously I didn't work on a deck very much. Or at all. I looked at putting together a GJ deck since I thought that was a great meta-game decision against a Lanni field (valar w/ saves, location control, a bit of rush, etc.)...foreshadowing #2! But, I didn't bring all the cards I wanted to put into the deck...so took it apart and just stayed with my Lanni Build. I was going to make it a Shadows deck...but again got lazy. Obviously I was very excited about the current meta-game and card pool j/k, I think the game is in a very good place really...all the houses are viable as the tourney showed.

Round 1. Dobbler. Really. Really...really. Anyways, it starts out great, I basically clear his side of the board of all characters turn one and two (Seductive FTW). But got some pretty crappy draws after that, and he slowly started coming back...the LIV was his MVP as well (which is why I was plannign on playing 3). I got to 13 power (could have went to 14, but defended instead) and knew it was getting away from me. He ended up winning 15-12 in a close game. 0-1

Really, I can't remember the other all that well due to lack of sleep. I won 3 vs. Lanni I believe. Once 15-14. Once with a first turn Valar. I beat Bara due to a play mistake by my opponent (he knelt a Street, I used Payne to execute Robert, then he showed me a bodyguard that he could have put out first action...Robert had 6 power on him, and he would have easily won that turn despite me being in control the whole game - that is Bara these days). All were very close games.

Anyways, I won the next 4 games and got into the top 4.

Semi's I played Lanni. He played 3 traitors (two discard and one location kill) on me first turn. Enough said. No offense to him, I just hate traitors - the whole logic behind him. God i hate traitors. End rant.

Played a Bara speed deck and just came out really fast. I had the board cleared 2nd turn again I believe. Unluckily, the same thing happened as before, and he got to 12 before i knew it (stupid Robert standing 100X a turn). Luckily he had already burned his Fury so I went first and won.

So, for those of you scoring at home:

2006 - 1st

2007 - 3rd

2008 - 2nd

2009 - 3rd

Four straight top 3's. I might be more proud of that than winning in 2006. But, enough about me...

Anyways, we went out to celebrate Dobbs well-deserved win (I thought I didn't care who won, until someone played 3 traitors on me first turn...I liked Eric - very good player, but seeing him play Traitors and hit his own hand made me smile). Alcatraz as usual. Bought some drinks...even some crap Will and Jesse thought up. Decided to go back to the hall and play some games (kingsmoot for them, WH for me and Jesse). Then I made my big mistake. Instead of pre-mixing our alchohol, we just brought it into the hall. I mean, we are not harming anyone right? Mixed a few for people before the fuzz came. They made us throw everything away, and I was painfully sober the rest of the night. Maybe good for me?

Had a great time as always. It is very probable i won't make it next year, and that makes me sad (my wife's 40th birthday - yes, she is Asian so tricked me into believing she was younger than me when we met ).

Thanks to every one of my opponents, in all games. Thanks to Erin and Luke and Jesse for hanging with me, and having a good time when we were not flopping cards. Thanks to all the different metas for showing. Thanks to FFG for making the great game! Thanks to everyone I have forgotten.

Well said! Hope to see you again next year!

Oh, and be sure to "forget" your valar next year. ; )

Very well said Rings. Was great to see you there, and play against you for that wonderful 4th place finish. Can't wait for next year!!

Awesome report as always. Just had a few questions/comments.

Was the bum you hired the singing bum? we had one guy sing every michael jackson song to us (he even did the thriller dance). Or was it the "Need Mo Pennies" guy?

rings said:

Was Hear me Roar out? I missed something here.

rings said:

Obviously I was very excited about the current meta-game and card pool j/k, I think the game is in a very good place really...all the houses are viable as the tourney showed.

I have to disagree a little here. Was there even a stark deck in the joust? I think martell had 2 decks in the joust (amazingly) to stark's 0. Targ i think still has a sever disadvantage in tourney play (to two houses) and GenCon didn't show me otherwise (again i think there were only 2 Targ decks and one was in the hands of the reging Joust world champ who went 2-2 and decided to go back to work). I think it is a three house race right now (hopefully princes makes it four...) with one relying heavily on winter (try GJ w/out winter....) and a 2-cost attachment (~why wasn't every lanni deck running comelled by the rock?).

In my play experience, Targ has been the 2nd strongest house. I was planning on playing Targ at Gencon up until about 1 am that morning when I became enamored with a Greyjoy deck I made for someone else.

I also very much like Stark. But I think you have to get creative with them. I had a Stark Summer deck that used Lion's Gates to trigger Eddard during odd phases (like Standing, Taxation, Plot phases) so I would still have his cancel ability available during the more action oriented Marshalling and Challenge phases. I also ran a ton of nobles and 2x Power of Blood to keep them around. We were having alot of success with the deck.

I felt I did well with Greyjoy summer. Better than my previous worlds.

Granted, I think Lanni uber kneel claim 2 rush and Targ summer are stronger.

Yes Lars - the -1 to all no-intrigue plot was out, I was too lazy to put that in and assumed people would assume...

Need Mo Pennies is a good one, but our panhandler was way more street yo.

Thanks for all the good times and comments guys! Still can't beleive I don't think I will make it next year (1st Worlds I will ever miss).

But what will we do without you?!?!?!

What?! no rings for Gencon 2010?! ~I don't believe it. He's just bluffing, to lure everyone into a false sense of security! I won't fall for it though!

Also, congrats Rings for continuing to not only do extremely well, but making it look so **** easy! Although you really do need to play more melee. There's alot more skill involved than people seem to think. Not that there isn't a pretty big chance factor.

Anyway, sad I missed everyone at this GenCon. Sounded like a fun one. With any luck I'll be there next year. And I'm sad that more people weren't running bara. I thought they had a pretty good chance this year.

Not to turn this into a discussion about melee (for the 400th time), but I never said Melee doesn't take some skill. I see who makes the top tables.

It is just a different skillset than I enjoy using, and barring the last couple of tables, there is still a decent chance that you lose entirely despite your skill. If I end up with a table with 3 guys from Portland, OR...I hate those guys with a passion and really they are d-heads so I lose... (BTW, that needs a ~ since for those who don't know the Portland guys rock).

And yes, it looks like I won't be there. I even tried to guilt my wife a tad about it. I would put my chances at 25%. She is very protective about her b-day regardless, and GC always seems to fall on it...and next year is a big one.

To be honest though, I think I am more sad about missing the first Warhammer Worlds! I have had a good run at aGoT...

Well that sounds ominous. It sounds like you may not have to choose, though. FFG mentioned playing WH and AGoT on different days next year anyway, which I think if they get enough feedback for, will be an easy workaround. (And one I'd like, as I'll probably be playing WH for fun from time to time. Several of the guys around here, myself included, picked up the core set at GenCon.)

Rings, it was great to get a chance finally to play you. I wish it had been a pickup game, though, so it wouldn't have affected my record on Saturday! It wouldn't be the same without you at Worlds, so here's the plan. Surprise your wife with the biggest vacation/diamond/whatever it is she'd want the most at some point before GenCon. Sure, it's bribery, but it's been known to work!

or just pitch this to her.

"Hey hon, how would you like to spend you b-day in an exotic locale with a native bushman giving you a tour that culminates in a rocking party that lasts all weekend and the alcy flows. Plus there lots of fune events and cool sights to see with lots of unique and strange wildlife."

She won't know until she gets there that you meant gencon

Fune? Like the Microsoft Fune? Is it debuting at GenCon next year?

fune. its french candian for 'fun, eh'

Fune

1. Scots, mid 15th century. [Funeh] Full of humor, funny.

2. American, [fun]. A faux old english misspelling to make the term seem archaic. [see Olde, Shoppe].

[see also: Stag: fnu, American-English: fun, funny. L33t, funzorz]

Actually, this is the Fune that I was talking about.