Ok let me start by saying what I said to every PPS guy that would listen to me (thanks Jason, Adam, Kevin, Rob)
I love the Game, I hate the Environment.
Nationals started 1pm on thursday and we were given 50min per round including deployment.
Game 1 vs Random Cryx player with Skarre and a Slayer
Would have been a great game - if we were at my LGS and I knew the guy and pulled out Irusk and some MOW:ST and we had a chance to play 5-6 rounds and chat - great opponent. As it was I played E.Vlad All-stars and went second and won 12-1 at the end of my 2nd turn when time was called.
Game 2 vs a really good Protectorate player.
He had kreoss and harby and he played kreoss (I was glad) he won the roll to go 2nd so it looked grim for me, he feated on his 2nd turn and *thankfully* played with a good amount of hustle so we got to my 3rd turn before time was called - he could have easily stalled to win on his 2nd turn. I won this game after feating 2 mortars and greylord and caster killing Kreoss.
Game 3 vs Heat Death
We played fast but only got 2 turns in which pretty much fucked him, a 3rd turn would have made it much closer and I don't know who would have won. As an aside, I had a conversation with this guy after the game, I told him that everything I had heard about him was that he was a giant douche, but that I had absolutely ZERO problems with the way he plays - he was knowledgeable, fast and a good sportsman - yeah his medals on his bases is kinda 
but the guy gets a thumbs up from me.
Game 4 vs DC
I dont think DC wanted to advance really, he played his "Skarre Rollin' Five Diggas Deep" list that he had been playing all day instead of Coven and went 2nd. I managed to pull out a 7-6 win with a lot of shit dead (most of the VP's on each side came from Jacks or Attrition) - game went 4 rounds.
So After Game 4 I am the only 4-0, there are like 4 3-0-1 players and per previous PP rulings when there is 1 undefeated the tournament ends YAY for me! But wait... errata that, we have to play another round.
I face off against PBears Bad EVlad list and he wins the roll to go 2nd. I have two people come up to me and warn me about his stalling ways but I am already aware.
The funny thing is that going into this game *I* am the one who "should" be stalling - a draw for me puts me 4-0-1 and I go to Sunday. I resolve that while I wont stall I wont hand the game over to a staller. He sets up and remains in one quarter of the field, he does wander maybe 10 inches out of his DZ and he relies on Behemoth HoF boosted bombards to scatter from outside of his 14" range on to my shit. His mortars don't ever get in range either as the 1 vp I get for killing just one guy isn't worth it. By the end of the game my Uhlans and Manhunter are in the middle of his DZ as I try desperately to crack his defense without giving him the combo of First strike with Evlad Feat plus Last strike as 2nd player. In the process I try to disrupt the Behemoth, we measure range, decide it's in and then I go to roll, Soles comes over and insists on us remeasuring and declares I am out of range. Behemoth rolls 6-6 (still not enough mathematically, but 6-6 always hits) to hit next turn and it's good night Eiryss - and good night to me.
Well, that was lame.
Friday night I get hideously drunk and decide to go talk to pbear, I told him that most everyone thinks he is a douche and what he thought about that - I am honestly not to sure what he did think about it, I think he accepted it to a point, disagreed with it to a point, and for the portion that he accepted he is a douche, I think he cared a little about it but I am not 100% sure whether he cares enough to change - as I put to him, it's a valid tactic that is made possible by the environment I just choose not to be a douche.
The subject of PBear cheating - so the next problem to resolve with him is the fact that someone I trust 100% saw him moving his models with his thumb while his opponent was playing - that person was working for PP as clerical support for the tournament and they told a Judge who did nothing, not one thing (FYI a strike on PBEAR would have given me enough TP's to qualify for Sunday in spite of going 4-1).
Another problem I have is that After HeatDeath and I played we complained about the hollow victory/loss to Jason, I told him that 50 minutes is not enough to play - I was told:
"This is the environment we are playing, you knew that before you came, if you don't like it then don't play the game"
1. That wasn't the environment I knew before I came, you guys changed the time limit the day of the event.
2. Maybe PP is big enough that they can talk to people like shit but telling people who have played since Day One not to play your game seems like bad business to me.
Hardcore went ok, except for the (soon to be) Nationals 07 champion walking out with a hissy fit because he forgot to Ward his 'Jack and they wouldnt let him go back and do it during his opponents turn - he picked up his models and stormed of. On the subject of the Winner of Nats being a huge blubbering Vagina he also Cried about LMBB's tactic of not engaging or shooting his GD'd Zealots or his Daughters of the Flame. I mean seriously this guy was STILL crying about it (his first game thursday) after he had won the whole thing. LMBB had his long gunners with 2 targets in range, GD Zealots and DoF and rather than shoot either and do nothing (GD/Stealth) he chose to move his shooty unit backwards to buy another round of shooting - the guys comment was "I never even thought someone would stoop to using that tactic"
Come Finals day we were all sure they will pair khador vs khador to prevent an All EVlad final but as we know they didn't.
The young and inexperienced EVlad player went against ToM and Harby and I don't think stood much of a chance - I'd hate to play vs that list and would probably lose unless I could scenario cheese it.
The Circle player goes 2nd vs Pbear and after the harsh words they exchanged on the forums this proves to be an interesting battle. On Paper the EVlad list is better but Jarred is one of the most amazing players I have met, and he knows his list perfectly.
He ends up winning 7-6 after stuffing charge lanes and smart use of feats. My favourite part was where the IFP furious charged across rough terrain without taking movement penalties (bothplayers missed that part) but - it's ok, I saved the day by alerting the Active Judge (Soles) who set the record straight. If they had made the charge the gators would have surely died and Jarred would have needed another 2 VP.
Final game Jarred had to play vs Tom and Harby and was going first, I walked out of the hall knowing he couldn't do it and would likely only net 1 or 2 vp
HOLY SHIT WAS I WRONG
he lost 10-11, which is fucking amazing, had he gone 2nd he would have won (and likely by a lot more than 1 vp).
As a fun aside, top 4 was 3 WM and 1 Hordes, so 3000pts of WM on the table...
Only 1 Jack.
And it was the ScrapJack
For a Komie Break down here is how we did
Thursday:
LMBB - Top 16 (knocked out by fellow Komie D.Vader)
DC - Top 8 (knocked out by fellow Komie Kap'n O)
D.Vader - Top 4 (knocked out by Jarred)
Kap'n - Top 4 (knocked out by PBear)
Friday:
LMBB - Top 8 (knocked out by fellow Komie Mengu)
Mengu - Top 4 (knocked out by E.Vlad)
I also think every Komie that lost to a non-Komie went 1st.
Not a bad showing, but again less than I had hoped for, I was pretty frustrated about things on Thursday Night.
I would also like to thank all the great people I met while playing, talking, working the Spinespur booth, drinking, etc.
OH that reminds me, Spinespur.
HOLYSHIT does that game sell - I demo'd all day friday, some of saturday and sunday and let me tell you it was easy-mode, every person I demo'd to but one bought at least the rulebook, the game really just sells itself and I am glad that so many people were as excited about it as I am..
Tell me how much my report sucked right Here.
