Atlanta Kotei - 2008
For those of you who do not know, Kotei are the regional tournaments for the Legends of the Five Rings (L5R) card game. Yesterday, I went to my first one in years and only my second one ever.
Five of us L5R players from Athens went in two card to Hobby Hangout . . . Hobby Haven? Something like that in Douglasville about a 90-minute drive during which we only got lost once despite everyone else having been there at least once.
We had a mixture of clans represented, Tye and I were playing Lion, Jon Dragon, Tyson Scorpion (ninja not dishonor) and Kevin Phoenix. We were a drop in the 77 people who showed up to play. As my plan was to go 0-8, I entered my deck as a theme deck ("Traditionalist Lion") but unfortunately I did not place in that either (Spider winning theme). Caught up with a few L5R players I had not seen in a while and met some new ones.
Since we had 8 rounds of Swiss play it was a long, long day. Starting around 11:30am, Jon and I left at 8:30pm. That is a lot time playing cards. Generally, everyone I played was pretty cool (some slightly less cool than others) and I ended up winning half my games (much to my surprise!). I lost to (in order) Mantis Magistrate, Phoenix Swarm (played by fellow Athenian Kevin), Scorpion Dishonor, Dragon Kensai Rush and I was victorious against Unicorn Battle Maidens (played by old AEG hand Ray Rappaport), Mantis Eastern Hub Port, Unicorn Temple of Death and Scorpion Dishonor. So, lots of games (especially as the game against Ray went so fast we ended up playing a second one, which he won).
Tye and Tyson both made the cut to final 8 and stayed with Kevin giving them a ride back. Jon and I, the old men of the group, just headed home. Overall a fun day but very, very exhausting. This morning, I felt like I had a hangover, at least what I imagine a hangover to feel like.
Five of us L5R players from Athens went in two card to Hobby Hangout . . . Hobby Haven? Something like that in Douglasville about a 90-minute drive during which we only got lost once despite everyone else having been there at least once.
We had a mixture of clans represented, Tye and I were playing Lion, Jon Dragon, Tyson Scorpion (ninja not dishonor) and Kevin Phoenix. We were a drop in the 77 people who showed up to play. As my plan was to go 0-8, I entered my deck as a theme deck ("Traditionalist Lion") but unfortunately I did not place in that either (Spider winning theme). Caught up with a few L5R players I had not seen in a while and met some new ones.
Since we had 8 rounds of Swiss play it was a long, long day. Starting around 11:30am, Jon and I left at 8:30pm. That is a lot time playing cards. Generally, everyone I played was pretty cool (some slightly less cool than others) and I ended up winning half my games (much to my surprise!). I lost to (in order) Mantis Magistrate, Phoenix Swarm (played by fellow Athenian Kevin), Scorpion Dishonor, Dragon Kensai Rush and I was victorious against Unicorn Battle Maidens (played by old AEG hand Ray Rappaport), Mantis Eastern Hub Port, Unicorn Temple of Death and Scorpion Dishonor. So, lots of games (especially as the game against Ray went so fast we ended up playing a second one, which he won).
Tye and Tyson both made the cut to final 8 and stayed with Kevin giving them a ride back. Jon and I, the old men of the group, just headed home. Overall a fun day but very, very exhausting. This morning, I felt like I had a hangover, at least what I imagine a hangover to feel like.