Battle Report – Dec. 23, 2007
Format: Constructed (9 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 1st
Final score: 4-1
Tourney points: 9 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for December: 33
The March of the Legion pre-release tourney was only last weekend. Cards from the new set were legal for today's tournament. Once again, I had to decide which new cards to put in the deck and which ones from the old pool need to be taken out. There are so many outstanding cards from the new set that I had to let go some old ones that I thought I'd never take out. I've played with them for so long they've become staples in my decks.
For this tournament, I felt that most if not all players were going to play rush because it normally takes a while for players to evaluate and finalize new dynamics for control decks. So I wasn't too worried about going against control and I tweaked my deck to play even tighter and faster in a foot race.
My most interesting matchup was with Angel Jay. I think this is the first time I faced him in a tournament so I didn't know what to expect. I have heard, though, that he uses unconventional plays so I knew it was going to be a fun game. He brought Taheo Skyspeaker, the new Horde druid hero. When I read the flip power, I couldn't decide whether he was going rush or control. It turned out to be another speed deck but with some very interesting combos.
At one point in the game, he played For the Horde! and attacked with about 3 allies. That really caught me off-guard. I mean, seriously, when's the last time anyone played For The Horde? He also played that piece of armor that puts 2 damage on your hero every time you drop a resource. Yikes! It gets better. During one of his turns, with that piece of armor in play, he played the 1-drop E'sad which means I have to put the top card from my deck into my resource row and, therefore, putting 2 more damage on my hero. And if I don't kill his new ally, it attacks for 4 next turn. Did I mention he uses unconventional plays?
Anyway, I lost our preliminary round matchup. I faced him again in the finals where I prevailed but it was a very close game. I think Angel Jay's reputation for using non-traditional but very effective decks is well-deserved. Good game!
Round 1: Jim Paul - Elendril
Result: win
Round 2: Teodi - Omedus
Result: win
Round 3: Angel Jay - Taheo
Result: loss
Round 4: Wynne - Radak Doombringer
Result: win
Finals: Angel Jay - Taheo
Result: win
Tournament winner: me
Tournament runner-up: Angel Jay
Battle Report - Dec. 16, 2007
Battle Report - Dec. 16, 2007
Format: Limited - Sealed (17 players, 4 preliminary rounds)
Hero: Warrax
Tourney rank: 5th
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for December: 24
For this tournament, I had my mind set on going Horde rush. Not because it’s what I’ve been playing lately but because each round was best of 3 and only 45 minutes was allotted for each round. Since it’s not uncommon for games to last more than 30 minutes each, 45 minutes was just too short for 2 games, much less 3. But those were the rules. When I opened my 6 boosters, however, I knew my plan wasn't going to happen. I saw protector after protector from either faction.
When I saw a Waldo the Decoy, a Weeble, and 2 Bizzazz, I knew I was going to go Alliance. And I went Aldor for their Inspire ability. I had a V. Kaldel, A. Alonora and 2 Darynus. So, with card-drawing allies, protectors, and allies with Inspire, I felt I was off to a good start.
I didn't get a lot of quests in my boosters. In fact, I don't think I put in more than 5 quests in the deck.
I saw around 7 Rogue cards, 2 of which were Wound Poison, which would have been perfect for long games. But not a single Rogue weapon was to be found anywhere. My decision to go warrior was sealed when I saw 2 Platinum Shields of the Valorous, 2 Safeguards and a Puncture. I searched for warrior weapons in the boosters but none were found. Them's the breaks.
In the last sealed tournament I joined, I lost a round when I decked out. I wanted to make sure it wasn't going to happen this time around and ran 36 cards in the deck. So the plan was to make my warrior a tank with an ongoing Safeguard and the damage-absorbing Platinum Shield while my allies are kept alive long enough to deal some meaningful damage. If my hero does get into trouble (which was easy enough to do), I’d play my big protectors and use Inspire when I can.
In the end, it worked pretty much according to plan, winning 3 out of 4 games. By the way, it's a blast when your 3-cost shield is giving you 8 DEF per turn. W00t!
Round 1: Teodi - Kintara
Result: win
Round 2: Joel - Boris
Result: loss
Round 3: Mark Uy - Phadalus
Result: win
Round 4: Jim Paul - Chaigon
Result: win
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: Joel
Format: Limited - Sealed (17 players, 4 preliminary rounds)
Hero: Warrax
Tourney rank: 5th
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for December: 24
For this tournament, I had my mind set on going Horde rush. Not because it’s what I’ve been playing lately but because each round was best of 3 and only 45 minutes was allotted for each round. Since it’s not uncommon for games to last more than 30 minutes each, 45 minutes was just too short for 2 games, much less 3. But those were the rules. When I opened my 6 boosters, however, I knew my plan wasn't going to happen. I saw protector after protector from either faction.
When I saw a Waldo the Decoy, a Weeble, and 2 Bizzazz, I knew I was going to go Alliance. And I went Aldor for their Inspire ability. I had a V. Kaldel, A. Alonora and 2 Darynus. So, with card-drawing allies, protectors, and allies with Inspire, I felt I was off to a good start.
I didn't get a lot of quests in my boosters. In fact, I don't think I put in more than 5 quests in the deck.
I saw around 7 Rogue cards, 2 of which were Wound Poison, which would have been perfect for long games. But not a single Rogue weapon was to be found anywhere. My decision to go warrior was sealed when I saw 2 Platinum Shields of the Valorous, 2 Safeguards and a Puncture. I searched for warrior weapons in the boosters but none were found. Them's the breaks.
In the last sealed tournament I joined, I lost a round when I decked out. I wanted to make sure it wasn't going to happen this time around and ran 36 cards in the deck. So the plan was to make my warrior a tank with an ongoing Safeguard and the damage-absorbing Platinum Shield while my allies are kept alive long enough to deal some meaningful damage. If my hero does get into trouble (which was easy enough to do), I’d play my big protectors and use Inspire when I can.
In the end, it worked pretty much according to plan, winning 3 out of 4 games. By the way, it's a blast when your 3-cost shield is giving you 8 DEF per turn. W00t!
Round 1: Teodi - Kintara
Result: win
Round 2: Joel - Boris
Result: loss
Round 3: Mark Uy - Phadalus
Result: win
Round 4: Jim Paul - Chaigon
Result: win
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: Joel
Battle Report - Dec. 9, 2007
Battle Report - Dec. 9, 2007
Format: Lazy Peon (9 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Ta'zo
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 4-2
Tourney points: 10 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for December: 17
The format was once again Lazy Peon. The easy deck choice for me was my Bulkas rush deck with just a few changes needed. Gorebelly combo was out of the picture since I couldn't bring Twigs and Mortal Strike. My Telrander deck was also crossed out from the list. Without Predatory Strikes, cat form would cause no more than a small nuisance to opposing players. However, since I've playing either warrior or druid for the last few months, I felt it was time to try a new class. I settled on mage rush.
With lots of direct damage spells and ferocity allies, I felt a Ta'zo deck got some game. Still, I had my doubts since I haven't brought a single mage deck to a tournament since Heroes of Azeroth days and I was playing a mage control deck then at that. Also, I had no time for playtesting. But I do have experience playing against it and I knew the deck's strengths and weaknesses so it wasn't necessarily a bad idea from an experience point of view. In the end, it finished strong so I guess it was a good call after all.
Round 1: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce
Result: win
Round 2: Emil - Phadalus
Result: win
Round 3: JP Kuan - Ta'zo
Result: loss
Round 4: Jim Paul - Kana Nassis
Result: win
Round 5: Lito - Morova of the Sands
Result: win
Finals: JP Kuan
Result: loss
Tournament winner: JP Kuan
Tournament runner-up: me
Format: Lazy Peon (9 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Ta'zo
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 4-2
Tourney points: 10 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for December: 17
The format was once again Lazy Peon. The easy deck choice for me was my Bulkas rush deck with just a few changes needed. Gorebelly combo was out of the picture since I couldn't bring Twigs and Mortal Strike. My Telrander deck was also crossed out from the list. Without Predatory Strikes, cat form would cause no more than a small nuisance to opposing players. However, since I've playing either warrior or druid for the last few months, I felt it was time to try a new class. I settled on mage rush.
With lots of direct damage spells and ferocity allies, I felt a Ta'zo deck got some game. Still, I had my doubts since I haven't brought a single mage deck to a tournament since Heroes of Azeroth days and I was playing a mage control deck then at that. Also, I had no time for playtesting. But I do have experience playing against it and I knew the deck's strengths and weaknesses so it wasn't necessarily a bad idea from an experience point of view. In the end, it finished strong so I guess it was a good call after all.
Round 1: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce
Result: win
Round 2: Emil - Phadalus
Result: win
Round 3: JP Kuan - Ta'zo
Result: loss
Round 4: Jim Paul - Kana Nassis
Result: win
Round 5: Lito - Morova of the Sands
Result: win
Finals: JP Kuan
Result: loss
Tournament winner: JP Kuan
Tournament runner-up: me
Battle Report - Dec. 2, 2007
Battle Report - Dec. 2, 2007
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for December: 7
Round 1: Orlando - Telrander
Result: win
Round 2: Jim Paul – Ona Skyshot
Result: win
Round 3: JP Kuan – Ta’zo
Result: win
Round 4: Kennard - Nathadan
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Kennard Ngosiok
Tournament runner-up: JP Kuan
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for December: 7
Round 1: Orlando - Telrander
Result: win
Round 2: Jim Paul – Ona Skyshot
Result: win
Round 3: JP Kuan – Ta’zo
Result: win
Round 4: Kennard - Nathadan
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Kennard Ngosiok
Tournament runner-up: JP Kuan
Battle Report – Nov. 25, 2007: Team Battle
Battle Report – Nov. 25, 2007: Team Battle
Format: Team Battle (4 teams, 3 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 34 (1st overall)
Teodi and I both have been playing Horde rush decks for some time so we decided to just bring the decks we knew best and play it fast and loose come tournament day.
Teodi brought his Omedus the Punisher deck with Shadowfiend and I brought my Gorebelly combo deck. Omedus rush is one of the fastest around. If left unchecked, it can overwhelm an opponent very very quickly. Mine was no slouch either with the potential to deal 20+ damage on one turn if the combo hits. It also won the previous weekend's tourney so it had a bit of a momentum going for it.
The preliminary rounds went well enough and we didn't suffer a single loss. However, during the final round, I made a crucial mistake which basically cost us the game.
Round 1: Emil/Joel
Result: win
Round 2: Orlando/Dudes
Result: win
Round 3: Pherie/Daniel
Result: win
Finals: Emil/Joel
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Emil/Joel
Tournament runner-up: me/Teodi
Format: Team Battle (4 teams, 3 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 34 (1st overall)
Teodi and I both have been playing Horde rush decks for some time so we decided to just bring the decks we knew best and play it fast and loose come tournament day.
Teodi brought his Omedus the Punisher deck with Shadowfiend and I brought my Gorebelly combo deck. Omedus rush is one of the fastest around. If left unchecked, it can overwhelm an opponent very very quickly. Mine was no slouch either with the potential to deal 20+ damage on one turn if the combo hits. It also won the previous weekend's tourney so it had a bit of a momentum going for it.
The preliminary rounds went well enough and we didn't suffer a single loss. However, during the final round, I made a crucial mistake which basically cost us the game.
Round 1: Emil/Joel
Result: win
Round 2: Orlando/Dudes
Result: win
Round 3: Pherie/Daniel
Result: win
Finals: Emil/Joel
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Emil/Joel
Tournament runner-up: me/Teodi
Battle Report - Nov. 18, 2007: Amazing Race
Battle Report - Nov. 18, 2007: Amazing Race
Format: Constructed - single race deck (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 1st
Final score: 4-1
Tourney points: 9 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 27
The tournament is The Amazing Race, which means that all allies in the deck need to be from the same race as the hero. I was initially going to go with either a Telrander (night elf) deck or a Bulkas (tauren) deck but I felt that the choice of allies from either race wasn’t strong enough. I settled instead on the orc race with the warrior Gorebelly as the hero.
Round 1: Teodi – Azarak Wolfsblood
Result: win
Round 2: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: win
Round 3: Emil – Rotun Daggerhand
Result: win
Round 4: John Paul Kuan – Haruka Skycaller
Result: loss
Finals: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: win
Tournament winner: me
Tournament runner-up: Joel Lim
Format: Constructed - single race deck (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 1st
Final score: 4-1
Tourney points: 9 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 27
The tournament is The Amazing Race, which means that all allies in the deck need to be from the same race as the hero. I was initially going to go with either a Telrander (night elf) deck or a Bulkas (tauren) deck but I felt that the choice of allies from either race wasn’t strong enough. I settled instead on the orc race with the warrior Gorebelly as the hero.
Round 1: Teodi – Azarak Wolfsblood
Result: win
Round 2: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: win
Round 3: Emil – Rotun Daggerhand
Result: win
Round 4: John Paul Kuan – Haruka Skycaller
Result: loss
Finals: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: win
Tournament winner: me
Tournament runner-up: Joel Lim
Battle Report – Nov. 11, 2007: NG Cebu Anniversary
Battle Report – Nov. 11, 2007: NG Cebu Anniversary
Format: Constructed (15 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Semis & Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 5-2
Tourney points: 12 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 18
I totally forgot that the tournament was going to start earlier than usual and the game was well into the first round when I arrived. I was given a bye loss for the round so I had some ground to make up for. At that point in time, I had thought to myself that I'd be happy with a decent standing at the end of the tourney. Well, I managed to win the rest of the preliminary rounds and reached the finals.
Round 1: none
Result: bye loss (late)
Round 2: Orlando - Telrander
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Ozzati
Result: win
Round 4: Pherie - Warrax
Result: win
Round 5: Dudes - Grennan
Result: win
Semi-finals: Jim Paul - Elendril
Result: win
Finals: Dudes - Grennan
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: me
Format: Constructed (15 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Semis & Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 5-2
Tourney points: 12 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 18
I totally forgot that the tournament was going to start earlier than usual and the game was well into the first round when I arrived. I was given a bye loss for the round so I had some ground to make up for. At that point in time, I had thought to myself that I'd be happy with a decent standing at the end of the tourney. Well, I managed to win the rest of the preliminary rounds and reached the finals.
Round 1: none
Result: bye loss (late)
Round 2: Orlando - Telrander
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Ozzati
Result: win
Round 4: Pherie - Warrax
Result: win
Round 5: Dudes - Grennan
Result: win
Semi-finals: Jim Paul - Elendril
Result: win
Finals: Dudes - Grennan
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: me
Battle Report – Nov. 4, 2007
Battle Report – Nov. 4, 2007
Format: Constructed (x players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Telrander
Tourney rank: x
Final score: 2-2
Tourney points: 6 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 6
Round 1: Dudes - Grennan Stormspeaker
Result: loss
Round 2: Jim Paul - Elendril
Result: win
Round 3: Edber - Grennan Stormspeaker
Result: win
Round 4: Teodi - Omedus the Punisher
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: Teodi
Format: Constructed (x players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Telrander
Tourney rank: x
Final score: 2-2
Tourney points: 6 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for November: 6
Round 1: Dudes - Grennan Stormspeaker
Result: loss
Round 2: Jim Paul - Elendril
Result: win
Round 3: Edber - Grennan Stormspeaker
Result: win
Round 4: Teodi - Omedus the Punisher
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: Teodi
Battle Report – October 28, 2007: Booster Draft
Battle Report – October 28, 2007
Format: Limited - Booster Draft (8 players, 5 preliminary rounds)
Hero: Elendril
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score: 3-2
Tourney points: 8 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 31 (2nd overall)
Since players were not willing to do a true booster draft, Joel supplied the “boosters” with random cards in them. During the drafting, a lot of hunter cards came along. I felt they were too good to pass up so I went with hunter even if I knew I might have to share the class with either Allen or Teodi or both. I ended up with 2 Hooties, 2 Bloodclaws, and 2 more pets. Plus 4 weapons including Ancient Bone Bow and Blackcrow. I also drafted into service Goldenmoon and Shadowmistress which really complemented the pets in the deck.
True enough, Teodi went hunter and Dudes as well. Here's an interesting fact about this tourney: the top 3 finishers played hunter. No other class was played by more than one player. That's a highly improbable result in a Limited tournament because if 2 or more players fight for the same cards in a class, their decks are generally weaker than the rest.
Round 1: Adam - Fillet
Result: win
Round 2: Teodi - Azarak
Result: loss
Round 3: Pherie - Ozzati
Result: loss
Round 4: Emil - Mojo
Result: win
Round 5: Mark - Phadalus
Result: win
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: Teodi
Format: Limited - Booster Draft (8 players, 5 preliminary rounds)
Hero: Elendril
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score: 3-2
Tourney points: 8 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 31 (2nd overall)
Since players were not willing to do a true booster draft, Joel supplied the “boosters” with random cards in them. During the drafting, a lot of hunter cards came along. I felt they were too good to pass up so I went with hunter even if I knew I might have to share the class with either Allen or Teodi or both. I ended up with 2 Hooties, 2 Bloodclaws, and 2 more pets. Plus 4 weapons including Ancient Bone Bow and Blackcrow. I also drafted into service Goldenmoon and Shadowmistress which really complemented the pets in the deck.
True enough, Teodi went hunter and Dudes as well. Here's an interesting fact about this tourney: the top 3 finishers played hunter. No other class was played by more than one player. That's a highly improbable result in a Limited tournament because if 2 or more players fight for the same cards in a class, their decks are generally weaker than the rest.
Round 1: Adam - Fillet
Result: win
Round 2: Teodi - Azarak
Result: loss
Round 3: Pherie - Ozzati
Result: loss
Round 4: Emil - Mojo
Result: win
Round 5: Mark - Phadalus
Result: win
Tournament winner: Dudes
Tournament runner-up: Teodi
Battle Report - Oct. 21, 2007
Battle Report - Oct. 21, 2007
Format: Lazy Peon (10 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 7th
Final score: 1-3
Tourney points: 5 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 23
The format’s Lazy Peon and I thought of running my usually reliable speed deck minus the few rares in the pack. But I wanted to try something new and decided to use a warrior control build instead. I didn’t have all the cards I needed so I called the shop and ordered up some stuff. The plan was to show up early on tournament day and do some playtesting. Something came up, though, and I arrived at the venue right before tournament was to start. Got the cards and completed the deck right there and then. I thought I could still pull it off even if I had zero experience playing with the new deck. Very. Bad. Idea. Needless to say, it was a disaster. That’s the last time I’m pulling a stunt like that.
Round 1: Allen - Kana
Result: loss
Round 2: Pherie – Bulkas Wildhorn
Result: win
Round 3: Dudes - Mazar
Result: loss
Round 4: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Jim Paul Yankee
Tournament runner-up: Adam Cotejo
Next weekend’s format is Limited Draft. I’ve never played in that format so it might be fun to try.
Format: Lazy Peon (10 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 7th
Final score: 1-3
Tourney points: 5 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 23
The format’s Lazy Peon and I thought of running my usually reliable speed deck minus the few rares in the pack. But I wanted to try something new and decided to use a warrior control build instead. I didn’t have all the cards I needed so I called the shop and ordered up some stuff. The plan was to show up early on tournament day and do some playtesting. Something came up, though, and I arrived at the venue right before tournament was to start. Got the cards and completed the deck right there and then. I thought I could still pull it off even if I had zero experience playing with the new deck. Very. Bad. Idea. Needless to say, it was a disaster. That’s the last time I’m pulling a stunt like that.
Round 1: Allen - Kana
Result: loss
Round 2: Pherie – Bulkas Wildhorn
Result: win
Round 3: Dudes - Mazar
Result: loss
Round 4: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Jim Paul Yankee
Tournament runner-up: Adam Cotejo
Next weekend’s format is Limited Draft. I’ve never played in that format so it might be fun to try.
Battle Report: 3K Tournament - Oct. 14, 2007
Battle Report: 3K Tournament - October 14, 2007
Format: Constructed (12 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Semis & Finals)
Hero: Telrander
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score: 4-2
Tourney points: 10 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 18
For this tournament, I decided to use Telrander instead of my usual Bulkas rush deck. Its first iteration did very well back in the Dark Portal environment and, with new allies, abilities and quests from the Fires of Outland expansion, the deck can even be more explosive. Also, it’s just a fun deck to use with the potential to deal 20+ damage in a single turn with the hero's flip.
Round 1: Kennard – Nathadan
Got him down to 2 life when he casted Lay on Hands. At this point, I still had 4 allies in play and he conceded a few turns after.
Result: win
Round 2: Edber – Grennan Stormspeaker
My opening hand had no quest in it but I still liked it. I had Call of the Wild plus Predatory Strikes and some allies. By the fourth turn, my cat form was already dealing 10 points of damage per attack and it was over quickly.
Result: win
Round 3: Emil – Rotun Daggerhand
I really enjoy going against Emil mainly because our games rarely last more than 10 minutes - regardless of who wins. He likes to race and I do too. However, I haven't tested my new rush deck against his so I wasn't too sure of how it would do. For this tournament as well as the last, he packed a Rogue combo deck - very, very fast with dual-wielding, Surprise Attacks, Jackknife and Sinister Strikes. Still, I felt my deck could match his speed and, with some luck, win the game.
Round 2 was the second straight game in which I played a hand with zero quests. Strangely enough, it was an even better hand than the previous one. Since Emil’s was a rush deck as well, I wasn’t worried about protectors getting in the way of my hero attacking. Having won initiative and with a very good hand, it was a pretty straightforward win and the game was over by the fifth turn.
Result: win
Round 4: Joel – Zenith Shadowforce
It’s the sixth straight weekend I faced Joel in the preliminary rounds. This current pairing wasn’t much of a surprise, though, because we both had similar 3-0 records going into the fourth round. Joel won initiative and it was a struggle for me for most of the way. But, late in the game, I was able to draw more pumps for my cat form and Joel just ran out of protectors.
Result: win
Round 5: Allen – Kana Nassis
It was a see-saw battle for most of the game. I knew he had Chipper in his deck so I kept a Cat Form in my hand just in case. True enough, he played Chipper and destroyed my Call of the Wild upon declaration of attack. I immediately played Cat Form and the damage went through. He then played Chasing A-Me and went on to recur his Chipper. I had him down to 3 life when my last form card was destroyed and it was game over.
Result: loss
Semi-final round: Dudes – Grennan Stormspeaker
Another close game. He had initiative and I had to play catch-up for most of the game. I was starting to gain momentum when he started putting in big protectors. His Ghost Wolf and Draconian Deflector were also giving me problems. I needed one more attack to deal fatal damage but just couldn’t get around everyone.
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Allen
Tournament runner-up: Dudes (Raymond)
Format: Constructed (12 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Semis & Finals)
Hero: Telrander
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score: 4-2
Tourney points: 10 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 18
For this tournament, I decided to use Telrander instead of my usual Bulkas rush deck. Its first iteration did very well back in the Dark Portal environment and, with new allies, abilities and quests from the Fires of Outland expansion, the deck can even be more explosive. Also, it’s just a fun deck to use with the potential to deal 20+ damage in a single turn with the hero's flip.
Round 1: Kennard – Nathadan
Got him down to 2 life when he casted Lay on Hands. At this point, I still had 4 allies in play and he conceded a few turns after.
Result: win
Round 2: Edber – Grennan Stormspeaker
My opening hand had no quest in it but I still liked it. I had Call of the Wild plus Predatory Strikes and some allies. By the fourth turn, my cat form was already dealing 10 points of damage per attack and it was over quickly.
Result: win
Round 3: Emil – Rotun Daggerhand
I really enjoy going against Emil mainly because our games rarely last more than 10 minutes - regardless of who wins. He likes to race and I do too. However, I haven't tested my new rush deck against his so I wasn't too sure of how it would do. For this tournament as well as the last, he packed a Rogue combo deck - very, very fast with dual-wielding, Surprise Attacks, Jackknife and Sinister Strikes. Still, I felt my deck could match his speed and, with some luck, win the game.
Round 2 was the second straight game in which I played a hand with zero quests. Strangely enough, it was an even better hand than the previous one. Since Emil’s was a rush deck as well, I wasn’t worried about protectors getting in the way of my hero attacking. Having won initiative and with a very good hand, it was a pretty straightforward win and the game was over by the fifth turn.
Result: win
Round 4: Joel – Zenith Shadowforce
It’s the sixth straight weekend I faced Joel in the preliminary rounds. This current pairing wasn’t much of a surprise, though, because we both had similar 3-0 records going into the fourth round. Joel won initiative and it was a struggle for me for most of the way. But, late in the game, I was able to draw more pumps for my cat form and Joel just ran out of protectors.
Result: win
Round 5: Allen – Kana Nassis
It was a see-saw battle for most of the game. I knew he had Chipper in his deck so I kept a Cat Form in my hand just in case. True enough, he played Chipper and destroyed my Call of the Wild upon declaration of attack. I immediately played Cat Form and the damage went through. He then played Chasing A-Me and went on to recur his Chipper. I had him down to 3 life when my last form card was destroyed and it was game over.
Result: loss
Semi-final round: Dudes – Grennan Stormspeaker
Another close game. He had initiative and I had to play catch-up for most of the game. I was starting to gain momentum when he started putting in big protectors. His Ghost Wolf and Draconian Deflector were also giving me problems. I needed one more attack to deal fatal damage but just couldn’t get around everyone.
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Allen
Tournament runner-up: Dudes (Raymond)
Battle Report - Oct. 7, 2007
Battle Report - Oct. 7, 2007
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 3-2
Tourney points: 8 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 8
Round 1: Pherie – Fillet Kneecapper
Result: loss
Round 2: Emil – Rotun Daggerhand
Result: win
Round 3: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: win
Round 4: Adam - Gorebelly
Result: win
Final round: Allen – Kana Nassis
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Allen
Tournament runner-up: me
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 3-2
Tourney points: 8 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for October: 8
Round 1: Pherie – Fillet Kneecapper
Result: loss
Round 2: Emil – Rotun Daggerhand
Result: win
Round 3: Joel – Ta’zo
Result: win
Round 4: Adam - Gorebelly
Result: win
Final round: Allen – Kana Nassis
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Allen
Tournament runner-up: me
Battle Report - Sept. 30, 2007
Battle Report - Sept. 30, 2007
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 5th
Final score: 2-2
Tourney points: 6 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 31
I was getting bored with my Bulkas deck so I decided to tweak it and use a different warrior hero. I settled on Gorebelly. This wasn’t the Gorebelly combo deck that’s currently ruling the metagame all over the world as I didn’t put in any Twig of World Tree or Wraith Scythe. I was hoping to go the hobby shop early Sunday afternoon and do some playtesting but I arrived right before the tournament started. I went in with zero experience with the new deck and paid a high price for it. I split my games this time around going 2-2.
Round 1: Pherie - Phadalus
Pherie was running his own flavor the famous Alliance shaman rush. Sometime into the game, I made a big blunder. In a rush versus rush game with initiative going to the other guy, a mistake can be very costly. Pherie capitalized on it and won.
Result: loss
Round 2: Lando – Azarak Wolfsblood
Lando also went with a new deck for this tournament eschewing his Alliance warlock control deck for the Horde hunter rush deck. He started strong but I regained control of the game mid-way.
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce
Met Joel again in the preliminaries. Hardly a surprise because it’s the fourth straight time. This time the result was different, however, and I finally lost to his Alliance warlock control deck.
Result: loss
Round 4: Christian - Aleyah Dawnborn
At one point I had around 5 allies in play when he threw a Consecration down. Suffice it to say, it cleared the board. Ouch! He also brought in Skullflame Shield which created problems for my allies. I managed to recover a few turns later, however, and the game was over soon after that.
Result: win
Tournament winner: Joel
Tournament runner-up: JP Kuan
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Gorebelly
Tourney rank: 5th
Final score: 2-2
Tourney points: 6 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 31
I was getting bored with my Bulkas deck so I decided to tweak it and use a different warrior hero. I settled on Gorebelly. This wasn’t the Gorebelly combo deck that’s currently ruling the metagame all over the world as I didn’t put in any Twig of World Tree or Wraith Scythe. I was hoping to go the hobby shop early Sunday afternoon and do some playtesting but I arrived right before the tournament started. I went in with zero experience with the new deck and paid a high price for it. I split my games this time around going 2-2.
Round 1: Pherie - Phadalus
Pherie was running his own flavor the famous Alliance shaman rush. Sometime into the game, I made a big blunder. In a rush versus rush game with initiative going to the other guy, a mistake can be very costly. Pherie capitalized on it and won.
Result: loss
Round 2: Lando – Azarak Wolfsblood
Lando also went with a new deck for this tournament eschewing his Alliance warlock control deck for the Horde hunter rush deck. He started strong but I regained control of the game mid-way.
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce
Met Joel again in the preliminaries. Hardly a surprise because it’s the fourth straight time. This time the result was different, however, and I finally lost to his Alliance warlock control deck.
Result: loss
Round 4: Christian - Aleyah Dawnborn
At one point I had around 5 allies in play when he threw a Consecration down. Suffice it to say, it cleared the board. Ouch! He also brought in Skullflame Shield which created problems for my allies. I managed to recover a few turns later, however, and the game was over soon after that.
Result: win
Tournament winner: Joel
Tournament runner-up: JP Kuan
Battle Report - Sept. 23, 2007
Battle Report - Sept. 23, 2007
Format: Lazy Peon (10 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 3-2 (including finals)
Tourney points: 8 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 25
This Lazy Peon format has been a lot of fun and I suggested we do this a little more frequently.
Round 1: Lando - Dizdemona (Alliance warlock)
It was easy going for me at first but I made a crucial mistake towards the end. In my haste, I made the wrong sequence of attacks during a turn which otherwise would have meant more damage dealt to his hero. I actually had his hero down to 2 life. Lando was able to recover from that point on and won the game. Lesson learned.
Result: loss
Round 2: Emil - Daspien Bladedancer (Horde rogue)
Seeing as he had initiative and knowing that his deck was built for speed, I knew my work was cut out for me. Mid-game, however, I gained some momentum and we were off to the races! At one point, we had the same exact weapon (Heartseeker) and same exact allies on the board. Emil made some real nice slashing moves but I got to the finish line first. Fun game.
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
This is the 3rd straight week I was matched up against Joel in the preliminary rounds. What are the odds of that? Hmmm, let's see... there are around 10 players per game and... ah, forget it. I was pretty happy with the hand that I drew and ran with it. Joel threw a lot of protectors in my way which gave me problems for awhile but I was able to get through in the end.
Result: win
Round 4: Teodi - Sen'zir Beastwalker (Horde hunter)
Teodi mulliganed and his 2nd hand may have been another bad draw. His rush never really got going and I managed to control the board early on. He had Latro's Shifting Sword in play with another one in hand but was never able to dual wield. It would have allowed him to strike for 4 damage at zero strike cost. We had the same record at that point so if he had won, he might have been in the finals instead of me.
Result: win
Finals: Lando - Dizdemona (Alliance warlock)
Lando held off my rush long enough to bring in his big allies into the game. Those Norrund Grovewalkers are a major pain. I ran out of quests to complete as well and, well, just ran out of steam. Well played, Lando, and congrats on your win!
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Lando
Tournament runner-up: me
Format: Lazy Peon (10 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 2nd
Final score: 3-2 (including finals)
Tourney points: 8 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 25
This Lazy Peon format has been a lot of fun and I suggested we do this a little more frequently.
Round 1: Lando - Dizdemona (Alliance warlock)
It was easy going for me at first but I made a crucial mistake towards the end. In my haste, I made the wrong sequence of attacks during a turn which otherwise would have meant more damage dealt to his hero. I actually had his hero down to 2 life. Lando was able to recover from that point on and won the game. Lesson learned.
Result: loss
Round 2: Emil - Daspien Bladedancer (Horde rogue)
Seeing as he had initiative and knowing that his deck was built for speed, I knew my work was cut out for me. Mid-game, however, I gained some momentum and we were off to the races! At one point, we had the same exact weapon (Heartseeker) and same exact allies on the board. Emil made some real nice slashing moves but I got to the finish line first. Fun game.
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
This is the 3rd straight week I was matched up against Joel in the preliminary rounds. What are the odds of that? Hmmm, let's see... there are around 10 players per game and... ah, forget it. I was pretty happy with the hand that I drew and ran with it. Joel threw a lot of protectors in my way which gave me problems for awhile but I was able to get through in the end.
Result: win
Round 4: Teodi - Sen'zir Beastwalker (Horde hunter)
Teodi mulliganed and his 2nd hand may have been another bad draw. His rush never really got going and I managed to control the board early on. He had Latro's Shifting Sword in play with another one in hand but was never able to dual wield. It would have allowed him to strike for 4 damage at zero strike cost. We had the same record at that point so if he had won, he might have been in the finals instead of me.
Result: win
Finals: Lando - Dizdemona (Alliance warlock)
Lando held off my rush long enough to bring in his big allies into the game. Those Norrund Grovewalkers are a major pain. I ran out of quests to complete as well and, well, just ran out of steam. Well played, Lando, and congrats on your win!
Result: loss
Tournament winner: Lando
Tournament runner-up: me
Battle Report - Sept. 16, 2007
Battle Report - Sept. 16, 2007
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 1st
Final score: 5-0 (including finals)
Tourney points: 10 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 17
Round 1: Christian - Aleya Dawnborn (Horde paladin)
Result: win
Round 2: Adam - Gorebelly (Horde warrior)
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
Result: win
Round 4: Lando - Yanna Dai'shalan (Alliance druid)
Result: win
Finals: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
Result: win
Tournament winner: me
Tournament runner-up: Joel
Format: Constructed (8 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 1st
Final score: 5-0 (including finals)
Tourney points: 10 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 17
Round 1: Christian - Aleya Dawnborn (Horde paladin)
Result: win
Round 2: Adam - Gorebelly (Horde warrior)
Result: win
Round 3: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
Result: win
Round 4: Lando - Yanna Dai'shalan (Alliance druid)
Result: win
Finals: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
Result: win
Tournament winner: me
Tournament runner-up: Joel
Battle Report - Sept. 9, 2007
Battle Report - Sept. 9, 2007
Format: Constructed (11 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 4th
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 7
Round 1: Daniel - Ta'zo (Horde mage)
Result: win
Round 2: Adam - Gorebelly (Horde warrior)
Result: win
Round 3: Allen - (Alliance hunter)
Result: loss
Round 4: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
Result: win
At the end of the preliminary rounds, I had the same best record of 3-1 with 3 other people. But Mantis did not put me in the final pairing. What can you do.
Tournament winner: Lando
Tournament runner-up: Allen
Format: Constructed (11 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 4th
Final score: 3-1
Tourney points: 7 (2 per win, 1 per loss)
Total points for September: 7
Round 1: Daniel - Ta'zo (Horde mage)
Result: win
Round 2: Adam - Gorebelly (Horde warrior)
Result: win
Round 3: Allen - (Alliance hunter)
Result: loss
Round 4: Joel - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
Result: win
At the end of the preliminary rounds, I had the same best record of 3-1 with 3 other people. But Mantis did not put me in the final pairing. What can you do.
Tournament winner: Lando
Tournament runner-up: Allen
Battle Report: Fires of Outland Release Celebration - Sept. 2, 2007
Battle Report - Sept. 2, 2007
Format: Sealed (4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
I'm sorry but there's no battle report for today - I arrived too late in the afternoon to join the tournament.
Tournament winner: Mark Uy
Format: Sealed (4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
I'm sorry but there's no battle report for today - I arrived too late in the afternoon to join the tournament.
Tournament winner: Mark Uy
Battle Report - Aug. 26, 2007
Battle Report - Aug. 26, 2007
Format: Constructed (10 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score:
Tournament winner: Joel
Tournament runner-up: Edber
Format: Constructed (10 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 3rd
Final score:
Tournament winner: Joel
Tournament runner-up: Edber
Battle Report - Aug. 19, 2007
Battle Report - Aug. 19, 2007
Format: Constructed (10 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 1st
Final score: 5-1 (including finals)
Finals: Mark Yap - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
My score was 3-1 going into the finals with my only loss going to Mark Yap. I faced him again in the final round. The first game went to me. It was a see-saw battle for much of the 2nd game and I was leading in life points when time was called. Mark didn't realize that the games were timed and he just ran out of time.
Winner: me
Tournament winner: me
Tournament runner-up: Mark Yap
Format: Constructed (10 players, 5 preliminary rounds + Finals)
Hero: Bulkas Wildhorn
Tourney rank: 1st
Final score: 5-1 (including finals)
Finals: Mark Yap - Zenith Shadowforce (Alliance warlock)
My score was 3-1 going into the finals with my only loss going to Mark Yap. I faced him again in the final round. The first game went to me. It was a see-saw battle for much of the 2nd game and I was leading in life points when time was called. Mark didn't realize that the games were timed and he just ran out of time.
Winner: me
Tournament winner: me
Tournament runner-up: Mark Yap
Battle Report: Fires of Outland Sneak Preview - Aug. 12, 2007
Battle Report - Aug. 12, 2007
Format: Sealed (16 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
This wasn't a good day for me. The cards in my booster packs were pretty dismal. The choices were so bad that I had to use cards that had no synergy whatsoever to the rest of my deck. Still, overall, it was a fun tournament with a lot of players in attendance.
Tournament winner: Allen
Tournament runner-up: Edber
Format: Sealed (16 players, 4 preliminary rounds + Finals)
This wasn't a good day for me. The cards in my booster packs were pretty dismal. The choices were so bad that I had to use cards that had no synergy whatsoever to the rest of my deck. Still, overall, it was a fun tournament with a lot of players in attendance.
Tournament winner: Allen
Tournament runner-up: Edber
Video - Leeroy Jenkins
Here's why Leeroy Jenkins is the most popular player character in the World of Warcraft:
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