DDM 2.0 Constructed Qualifier Cincinnati Oho 04/12/2008

Here's the tournament report from the DDM 2.0 Constructed Qualifier in Cincinnati Ohio on 04/12/2008. The original link can be found here:

http://www.hordelings.com/forums/postView.php?post_id=141741&viewPage=0#141741


So shortly after Gencon last year, I wasn't really happy with most of the rules changes that 2.0 was going to bring. To me they sounded alot like SWM and I wasn't exactly thrilled at that. However, after a long hiatus from DDM, I got with some friends to go to the DOD2 Prerelease 2 weeks ago. I had fun and the rules didn't seem that bad. Then we found out about the Cincy Qualifier that was to be held this week. And since it was the first one of the season, I and another local, Visage, decided to travel up from Southern KY for it.

Since we were going I had to think about what to play. I looked over all the stats and the pdfs of Night Below and DOD1. And I at first was really high on the Large Gold. I had a point farm band with him. However I wasn't sold on it. Friday night I got together with Visage and we playtested 2 games. The first I tried my Large Gold/Cleric of Pelor build. It won the game but it was a little too high variance for my taste. So after that initial game I sat down and redesigned a warband. The band I came up with was:

Eternal Blade x 2
Wulfgar
Warhorse
Kobold Archer x 2
Farmer x 3
Map: Hellspike

Visage and I playtested that and while it lost to Visage's band, I liked how it felt alot better. So I then had a band that I felt comfortable with. I should point out that last year I was more competitive than I felt going into this Qualifier. With this one, having played only 5 games of 2.0, 3 at the Prerelease and 2 practicing with Visage, I was mainly going to see some friends that I don't get to see alot and just hang out and have fun. With that mindset I think I was able to play a little more freely and had less pressure on myself. Whatever it was, it worked.

So we head out that morning and get to the shop a little after 9:40 or so. We were the first ones there but within a little bit other people started showing up. We spent the first little bit hanging out with some old friends, Johnny Quest, Aesoph, Rakshaka, and some others. More Indiana guys rolled in and we had a total of 14 by the time it was ready to start at 11.

Round 1
I got paired up with Johnny Quest. I've played in several tournaments with JQ over the last 3 years or so. However I've never ever gotten to actually play him. So I knew it was going to be a good game against a good opponent. JQ was running an EB, Champ of Dol Dorn, Thundertusk Boar, Wild Mage x 2 band. He got map and we went on his map. JQ basically outplayed me this match. I made an early mistake not calling Human for the EB's champ power. By doing that the Mages were able to pile up the damage on me. Then by the time I was able to engage his EB and Dol Dorn, I couldn't hit them back so that pretty much sealed it. 0-1

Round 2
I got paired up with Dan (Rakashaka). Dan was running Mind Flayer Lich, Large Shadow Dragon, Shadow x 3, Spectral Mage Lord, and some Darkmantles as filler. I got my map, Hellspike. Round 1 Dan made a mistake on placement and I was able to use Bounding Assault with both EBs to get hits off onto the Mind Flayer. One missed but the other critted. I was able to take out the Mind Flayer out the next round with a hit from an EB and then with Wulfgar's hammer. After that I was able to take down a few Shadows and then the Mage Lord. The Shadow Dragon fell after that. Dan was able to get both EBs, but Wulfgar was able to finish off the last few Shadows.1-1

Round 3
I got paired up with a nice guy named Nick. He was running Astral Stalker x 2, Shadow Dragon x 2 and some fodder. I had activations on him so I activated most of my fodder first letting him use up all his activations before I activated any of my main pieces. He moved up one Stalker too close. I Bounded Assault over to it and critted. After that Wulfgar rode over on the horse and finished it off. Next round I had to eat a few BWs from the Shadows. I sent the EBs over to one of them and was able to get it. Wulfgar went after the other Astral Stalker. The remaining Shadow and the Astral Stalker were able to take down Wulfgar but the EBs were able to take out the Shadow. Then they finished off the Stalker to end the game.2-1

Round 4
I got paired with Matthew. He was running Quad Arcadian Avengers, Cleric of Pelor, Militia Archer, Delver Sgt., Merchant Bodyguard, and a Farmer or 2. Both of us had Hellspike so that was an easy map decision. This was a good slug it out. I had high damage beaters and he had auto hits. Second round we got engaged. I had not killed anything as to not set up the wrath. I then set up a charge from Wulfgar and the horse. Wulfgar did his part, but the horse proved to not be worthy of his rider and failed to follow up for the kill. So I used Wulfgar's hammer to finish off the Avenger that I charged and also the Bodyguard. Wulfgar shortly bit it thereafter. I then Bounded Assault over to the Cleric and was able to finish him off with a crit. After that though I missed a series of attacks on the remaining Avenges while they didn't miss me. 2-2

Round 5
I got paired up with Aesoph Darkfable. Aesoph was running Mind Flayer Lich x 2, Nightmare, Darkmantle x 5 or 6. I got map so we played on Hellspike. This was a very good game. Aesoph set up some shots with the Liches very well, but his dice went extremely cold on him. He was able to take down 1 of the EBs, but Wulfgar and the other EB were able to finish off the Liches.3-2

So then I had to wait a little bit to see who was in Top 4. I had played some people with good records so I felt like I'd either be in or close to it. The Top 4 was announced and I had slid in as number 4. This meant I got a rematch against Matthew and his Quad Arcadian Avengers.

Top 4
So we played on Hellspike again. He and I knew it could go either way. The setup was very similar. I think in this game though I played smarter and was able to set up my attacks and things better. The problem was that my dice just wasn't happening. I had a chance to move up with an EB and hit, then use Wulfgar's Champ power to finish it off. Then I charged in with Wulfgar and the horse. And like before, Wulfgar hit and the horse missed. Then I went to attack and finish off the Avenger that was at 10 from Wulfgar's attack, and rolled a 1. And after that I wasn't able to recover enough to take the game. Final record 3-3

So while I am a little dissapointed to get close but not make the final 2 to qualify, I am very happy with how I did. To have only played a handful of games, only 2 of which were constructed, and then go up against the level of competition that we had there and to come out with making Top 4, makes me a very happy guy. At Gencon I said I wasn't playing 2.0, but just when you think you're out, they come and pull you back in.