from Jon Palmer,

Ah, playing in a large tournament.  The rarest of great feelings.  Well,
especially for me, since I've never been able to do it.  Judging is fun, but
it cuts down on your competitive opportunities.  With that in mind, and Eric
Devlin handling the NY Kotei, I decided to venture on up and take a shot at
winning that seed into the finals, where I probably couldn't play, but what
the heck, it's a fun day.

Of course, it didn't start that way.  Mostly because the directions we got
said "26th Street between 7th and 8th Ave" when it's actually between 6th
and 7th.  Oh well.  My friend Ryan (GreyCrane) Doyle found Neutral Ground
and, upon entering, found it rather sparsely populated.  We'd heard that 40
people were busing down from Massachusetts, and the rumor was true.  Thank
goodness I didn't have to stand in THAT line to register, because they
showed up after us.

So, about the deck.  Since my normal clan, Crane, is nigh-unplayable in
tournaments, I had thrown together a nasty Phoenix control/honor runner.  My
main worry, of course, is that everybody and their mother metagames against
Phoenix, and with all that metagame there was a legitimate chance of trouble
for my deck.  Plus, it's not like honor is the easiest win condition these
days anyway.  With that in mind, I pondered online about what deck to play.

Thankfully, Scott Hadsall and Magic came together to make up my mind.  More
specifically, US Nationals, which meant that I had the Ninja deck my friend
Scott Landis usually plays.  Scott Hadsall (thanks again!) then gave me the
blueprint to his Kolinja deck he'd played at the Midwest "Kotei" -
Kolat-based holding destruction/lockdown.  I managed to bum some cards off
my friend Joe Keyser and throw it together, with a few modifications -
specifically, I added a Doom of the Alliance (for the first time of many, I
hate Fox), replaced the 2 Kado with a Goju Adorai and a second NSS, and
replaced 3 Face of Ninube that I didn't have with 2 Tests of Honor and the
12th Tac Nuke (Black Scroll).  Doyle, my travel partner, was playing
standard honor-duelling Crane.

Round 1:  Brian Cain, Kitsu Tombs

As we sat down, I was surprised at Brian's lack of sensei.  He said that
with it, he couldn't make the gold curve work.  I thought "gold problems,
yay!".  A second turn Festival of the River of Stars named "Kitsu", and
Firebird Falls also showed up on turn 2.  +4 to all his Kitsu Shugenja.  He
managed to keep out a single holding for most of the game, but once his SH
was locked down, there wasn't much he could do.  High point was Kitsu Sanako
dying to a Dead Walk the Earth.  Afterwards, he congratulated me and said
every card in my deck should be banned.  I agreed.  Even Assassins, they're
way broken.  1-0

Round 2:  James Farley, Kyuden Kitsune

Have I mentioned yet that I hate Fox?  Sadly, I like them in the storyline,
I just hate them in the CCG.  This game really went down to the wire.  I got
a first turn Doom of the Alliance, third turn Price of War and fourth turn
Festival of the River of Stars (Kitsune), but his gold was so cheap, it was
tough to kill it all.  He got out a Master Painter early, and I stupidly
forgot to Kolat Infiltrator it the turn he gained 6 honor.  I finally blew
it up when it was at 26.  Eventually, Masasue showed up with his Night
Medallion, I locked down 6 of his personalities between Ninja Kidnappers and
Bayushi Areru, and a Shifter was copying Masasue's 6F.  He was still at 26
honor when he died.  2-0

Round 3:  Steve Muray, Yogo Towers

Steve finished runner-up at the NY Kotei last year, and ended up with the
seed because the winner (Ian McGuigan) was also the TA Warlord.  I groan as
he reveals... Norikazu Sensei.  That thing needs more of a drawback.
Another very close game, I got him locked down pretty early and killed all
his non-corrupt gold, leaving him lurking near -16 for most of the game.  He
got out enough chi to attack, and killed my Firebird Falls, but on his next
attack, I pushed the Big Red Button and blew up the 12th Nuke (on Goju
Adorai, who he couldn't target) to take out 6C worth of his guys.  Luckily,
I managed to lock down his sword holder after losing a province to it.
Finally, I had out Masasue with the Medallion, 2 shifters, and 2 Asamis.  I
managed to bow him out on his turn, then on mine, I was wondering what I
could do when I realized "hey, I might be able to take all 3 provinces.
Pitched a card to Masasue, copied him with both shifters, and went to all 3
of his remaining provinces.  He looked, then shook my hand.  Then he
revealed he'd had a Kolat Master to take my Wasting Disease carrying Hoseki
for about 8 turns, but couldn't do it because the combined loss of the
holdings (to pay) and Master would've put him at -20.  Wow, 3-0.  This can't
last.

Round 4:  Jason Hood, Otaku Palaces

Am I prophetic, or what?  Nothing went right here.  No early servant, his
first turn was Inheritance/2 guys, his second turn he Silk Works and DOESN'T
bring out the Caravan so I could bandit attack him.  I'm gold screwed, when
I finally get out a Servant he Eggs it and hits me, and even tho I 12th Nuke
5 of his guys (10C!) he drops the sword on the inexperienced Yokatsu and
nails me.  Weak.  I later heard he pulled that first turn Inheritance 3
times in the tourney, and went 7-0 through Swiss, but he lost in the round
of 16.  The Kharmic Wheel Spins, I suppose.  About the only pleasant moment
of this game is when he Hantei'd Breach and I named Storms of War, and
neither were being used.  3-1.

Round 5:  Jeff Kyer, Kyuden Kitsune

Yay, more Fox.  And not only is Jeff 4-0 (I was the unlucky 3-1 who drew a
4-0) but he's also smart enough to run Norikazu Sensei against Ninja.  Ugh.
Another bad draw, I never quite got him totally locked down, and although I
managed to hold him off for about 5 turns with a Nuke-bearing Areru, he
finally managed to Iaijutsu Art and then Test of Honor the Areru.  Ugh.  My
last chance was to beat his Diro and 2 Tsukes in a battle with Masasue xp
and Adorai, but I couldn't afford to waste my hand pitching it to Masasue in
his Limited Phase, so although I focused once to get him to 5/4, Jeff's 4/5
Diro Iaijutsu Duelled him to death.  Only saw one Way of Shadow all game,
that would've saved me there since Adorai was untargettable.  Damn damn Fox
box.  3-2, and looking at needing 2 wins to make it.

Round 6:  Chris Banahan, Shadowlands Horde

Nio Shadowlands, not too bad since my all my holdings are 2G or less.  Early
Festival of the River of Stars shuts down "Corrupt", or most of his gold,
but he gets a Black Market and although I OLOA his first Portents, I don't
see a second Servant, or first NSH, for a while.  He slams 2 provinces
quickly, then... Dead Walk the Earth.  He gets a third, then most of his
cards in play die.  Between Fallen Lion Fortress and Plains of Otosan-Uchi,
he's effectively running 6 provinces, but I manage to lock or kill any
people he brings out and blow up his gold.  I really thought I was done for
in this one, thank goodness for Dead Walking the Earth.  Eventually, it's
Masasue + NSS bash.  4-2.

Round 7:  Serge Perrio, Heart of Shinomen Forest

Down to one game to make the finals, and I draw Serge, who I've known for a
couple of years now and is a great guy who plays in tourneys about as much
as I do.  He's also the last Naga player who still runs the Naga Shugenja,
and is 4-2.  I manage reasonably early Servant Lockdown, although Serge
hadn't heard the ruling that changed Kage & At'tok'tok Sensei, so he didn't
think it'd work.  Festival of the River of Stars named "Forest", which
unfortunately only hits Deep Forest because the reduction is enough that
Forests are still free.  Ugh.  Would've gone "Naga" if I'd only known. I
locked down a pair of Ishas, and eventually did the same Masasue + Night
Medallion + NSS smash.  Twice he tried to favor Masasue, twice it got Way of
Shadow'd.  5-2, wondering if I'll make the cut.

Well, it turns out, I did.  In fact, I think I was the highest rated 5-2.
Losing only to guys who went 7-0 and 6-1 does help.  Steve Muray, who I'd
beaten, missed out as a 5-2, which was a shame, because his deck ripped
through the Fox decks that were so annoying.  Onward to single elimination.

Round of 16:  Mike Francis, Kyuden Kitsune.

"Single elimination" turned out to be appropriate.  My first turn was great,
2 caravans and an assassins, but he got a holding, then a Diro, and my
second and third turn Kolat Servants both got Evil Portents'd.  No OLOA this
game.  After that, a couple more people came out, and it was way over.  His
deck was actually an Enlightenment deck, and he ripped me up.  Damn Foxes.
Next to me, there was a game that couldn't have lasted more than 3 minutes,
as Unicorn ran over what I believe was the only Phoenix in the top 16.  Fox
were everywhere - Jeff beat Dan Leinker, a New Jersey guy who plays Unicorn,
and Aaron Medwick (sp?) knocked off Paul Heaver, also from NJ, in a Fox vs.
Fox game that ended with Aaron Black Wind from the Soul'ing Paul's last
province.  Wow.  Doyle and I decided to roll at this point (he'd gone 4-3)
but there was still one Ninja playing, a guy playing Faceless (no
personality) Ninja honor.  Good luck to him, but he DID draw Lion in the
round of 16, don't I wish I'd been that lucky.

Anyway, it was a good time, and thanks to Eric and Earl for running a great
tournament, and Scott again for the deck.  Neutral Ground totally gouges
prices, but I guess it was the 'best' place to have the tournament
considering they're in-bed with Hasbro/WotC/Five Rings.  Why can't WE have
Kotei in pubs?

Jon Palmer