Even with dismal ratings, Houston player finds fun in Fort Worth
To me, Houston’s top-tier Star Wars Destiny players are like prestige TV shows: they give detailed attention to their characters and how they interact; they’re out to win accolades; and they’re meant to be taken seriously. Me? I’m more like the public access programming of Wayne’s World: inexperienced, off the cuff, and content to simply party on with my friends.
So when I climbed into a minivan at 6 a.m. on October 5 and headed to Collected Comics & Games in Fort Worth for a Destiny Prime Championship, I had no delusions about how I would fare. I brought a 4-LOM/Sentinel Messenger/General Grievous deck that I had been playing for a few weeks. The previous Wednesday I changed about nine cards in the deck, though, so I didn’t have much experience with the updated version.
Not worthy
Here’s a recap of my lightning-fast plummet:
Round 1: WIN against Johnny Danger from Waco playing Jabba/Wat/Sentinel. I Desperate Measured a Megablaster Troopers and a Vader’s Fist. I played Pulverize twice to seal the deal. Unfortunately, I illegally Forsakened a 7/1 Planetary Bombardment. Neither of us realized it until after we had turned in the slip. He was cool about it and I made it up to him later by giving him the custom deck box I won as a door prize (see above). An unclean 1-0
Round 2: LOSS against Matt from Tulsa playing Leia/Yoda mill. @#%&ing mill. I didn’t make any misplays, but it didn’t help that I wasn’t rolling damage. 1-1
Round 3: LOSS against Tyler from Ft. Worth playing 4-LOM/Sentinel/Grievous. It wasn’t exactly a mirror match, because he had Megablaster Troopers and Vader’s Fist, both of which he got out. I couldn’t get to either of my Desperate Measures and I went down in a barrage of damage. 1-2
Round 4: LOSS against Jonathan from Lawton, OK playing Phasma2/Sentinel/Mandalorian Supercommando. A 13-damage nut roll crushed me; drew what I didn’t need when I didn’t need it. 1-3 aaand…DROP.
Is there an upside? Why are you reading this?
I got to meet, and play with, some friendly people outside of my weekly group. I figured if I stayed in, I was likely to face off against someone from Houston and I didn’t want to hurt anyone else’s chances, so I moved on to the side tournament for a box of Spark of Hope. In case my record for the day hadn’t humbled me enough, I suffered a decisive loss at the hands of Eric Wainwright’s eight-year-old son. Watch out, folks – that kid’s going places.
Good call
With a 1-3 (actually, even worse) showing, you might think I had a bad time…shyeah, right! NOT! Are you mental? I had a most excellent day – here’s why:
- I spent quality time playing Destiny with some fun people and made some new acquaintances. Without exception, everyone I met was welcoming and friendly.
- I witnessed from a front-row seat as my friend made Top 4. No stream can beat live and in the now!
- I helped another friend playtest a deck he was considering taking to Worlds (the deck sucked, but better to find that out now than in Minnesota).
- I listened and chatted with my friends for hours about everything from the sacred to the profane – one of the silver linings of road trips.
- I laughed way more than I ever would have simply staying at home.
- I collected some sweet promo cards, including one signed by Jeremy Zwirn, Destiny’s lead designer.
- I earned some cool points with my teenage daughter when I purchased some Rick & Morty buttons at Collected for her school lanyard.
- I discovered a fascinating podcast: Rough Translation from NPR.
- I savored some Buc-ee’s breakfast burritos on the way up. I admired Buc-ee’s clean restrooms on the way back.
- I experienced what has been called “the gold standard of Fort Worth barbecue:” Heim BBQ. Brisket, jalapeno cheddar sausage, green chile mac and cheese, and banana pudding. Worth the trip alone.
If you’re on the fence about attending an upcoming Prime Championship event, I highly encourage you to make the effort. Regardless of how you play, you can choose to make it a winning experience. And if you attend a Prime Championship in Houston, give me a holler – we’ll go headbang to “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the parking lot.